Each Monday, our “What’s on Tap” series previews the week ahead in the world of sports betting. Come here for a summary of upcoming financial happenings, legislative and regulatory meetings, industry conferences, top games scheduled for the week, and much more. Also, check out our weekly review “Get a Grip” for a look back at last week’s notable news.
Monday, January 24
Speculation mounts on WynnBet spinoff
As of Monday, five online sportsbooks were live in New York with WynnBet and PointsBet among the four licensees that had yet to launch. Both operators gained market access in New York through a Kambi-led consortium.
Approximately two months after Wynn Resorts abandoned a SPAC deal for Wynn Interactive, the company is considering the sale of its online gaming division, the New York Post reported. Wynn Interactive, the operator of Wynn Resort’s online sports betting app, initially planned to merge with blank check company Austerlitz Acquisition Corp. in a deal that valued the company at $3.2 billion. But the two sides terminated the proposed merger in November amid concerns about excessive customer acquisition costs across the U.S. sports betting market.
Wynn Resorts is now considering the sale of Wynn Interactive at a deep discount, according to the Post, reducing the asking price for the online division to as low as $500 million. The potential sell-off of Wynn Interactive could delay the launch of WynnBet in the Empire State. Wynn Resorts fell 5% on the news in Monday early trading, declining to around $81 a share.
*Wynn Shopping Online Sports Betting Business
• According to the New York Post, Wynn Resorts is looking to sell Wynn Interactive (WynnBet) for $500 million.
• Wynn Interactive was previously set to go public via a SPAC merger that would value it around $3 billion.$WYNN
Through 17 games, Arizona is arguably the most surprising team in college basketball. On Sunday, the No. 3 Wildcats crushed Cal 96-71 to improve to 16-1, the program’s best start since 2013-2014. The hiring of new coach Tommy Lloyd in the offseason has led to an up-tempo style in Tucson that has created fits for opponents.
While UCLA entered the season as a chic pick to win the national title, Arizona was widely viewed as a longshot to make the Final Four. The two Pac-12 rivals will meet Tuesday night at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA, which enters with a 13-2 record, has odds of 20/1 at Barstool Sportsbook to capture the 2022 national championship. Arizona has odds of 14/1 to win it all, seventh-best among all teams at Barstool.
After an extended break, the U.S. men’s soccer team will face El Salvador in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday night in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier. With six matches remaining in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, the U.S. stands in second place, one point behind leader Canada. El Salvador is in seventh, three points above last-place Honduras. The top three teams from CONCACAF qualifying will earn spots in the World Cup.
At PointsBet, the U.S. has odds of -400 to defeat El Salvador (+1200). There are odds of +450 on a draw. Following the tilt, the U.S. will travel to Hamilton, Ontario, to take on Canada on Sunday. The U.S. has odds of 80/1 at PointsBet to win the World Cup, while Canada, another longshot, has odds of 500/1.
Saturday, January 29
Knicks Go, Life Is Good square off in Pegasus World Cup
Knicks Go, the reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic champion, will defend his title in the prestigious Pegasus World Cup when he returns to Gulfstream Park in Florida on Saturday. Last year, Knicks Go cruised to an easy 2 3/4 lengths victory in the 1 1/8 mile invitational. But on Saturday, Knicks Go will face a stiff test from Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good, who was the early favorite to win last year’s Kentucky Derby before suffering an apparent hind-end injury.
Life Is Good, a 4-year-old son of Into Mischief, recorded an eye-popping 120 Equibase speed figure in November’s 5 3/4 length win in the Dirt Mile. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Life Is Good has won five of six lifetime starts, with the lone defeat coming in last August’s Grade I H. Allen Jerkens Memorial. While Life Is Good has never raced beyond 1 1/16 mile, Knicks Go won the Breeders’ Cup Classic last fall at 10 furlongs.
The Pegasus is expected to be the final race of Knicks Go’s illustrious career. With 10 victories in 24 lifetime starts, Knicks Go has career earnings of $8.67 million. The race also coincides with Day 2 of the three-day National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) at Bally’s Event Center in Las Vegas. Justin Mustari, a 26-year-old horseplayer, won a first prize of $725,000 for capturing the 2021 NHC, the world’s largest handicapping event.
Sunday, January 30
Medvedev seeks first Aussie Open title
The departure of Novak Djokovic from Australia leaves the door open for Daniil Medvedev to win his first-ever Australian Open. The reigning U.S. Open champion rolled through the opening week of the year’s first grand slam event in dropping just two sets over four matches. Medvedev is favored with odds of -110 at FanDuel to win the tournament.
If Medvedev earns a spot in Sunday’s final, he could face No. 6 seed Rafael Nadal or another talented ball striker such as No. 14 seed Denis Shapovalov or No. 7 seed Matteo Berrettini. Nadal, a 20-time grand slam champion, would set the all-time record for grand slam singles titles if he wins. He is the second choice at FanDuel, behind Medvedev. Every player in the remainder of the field has odds longer than 10/1 to win the title.
Bengals, Niners look to complete improbable runs to the Super Bowl
For the first time in more than a decade, the top seed in each conference went down in the NFL divisional playoffs when the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers both suffered defeats on Saturday. The Cincinnati Bengals eliminated the AFC’s top seed in Nashville on a 52-yard field goal by Evan McPherson with no time remaining. Cincinnati, which entered the season with odds of 120/1 to win the Super Bowl, is in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1988 season.
The Bengals will travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs, who won a 42-36 overtime thriller over the Buffalo Bills Sunday night. The Bengals upset the Chiefs 34-31 in Week 17. The Chiefs opened as 7-point favorites at DraftKings; the total is 53.5 points.
Mahomes and Allen each had 4 TDs.
25 points were scored in the last 2 minutes of regulation.
The San Francisco Niners, meanwhile, were on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention just two weeks ago when they trailed the Los Angeles Rams by a touchdown with 1:27 left in regulation. Jimmy Garoppolo promptly marched the Niners down the field for a game-tying touchdown, before San Francisco bested the Rams in overtime to qualify for the postseason. Now, after upset wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Packers, the Niners will face the Rams for the third time this season.
The Rams opened as 3.5-point favorites at FanDuel; the total is 46.5 points. The Niners have won six straight against the Rams, their arch-nemesis from the NFC West. Both teams are seeking their second trip to the Super Bowl over the last five years.
Matt is a veteran writer with a specific focus on the emerging sports gambling market. During Matt's two decade career in journalism, he has written for the New York Times, Forbes, The Guardian, Reuters and CBSSports.com among others. In his spare time, Matt is an avid reader, a weekend tennis player and a frequent embarrassment to the sport of running. Contact Matt at matt@usbets.com.
