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.
Tuesday, February 8
Nets hope to end season-high losing streak
Without All-Stars Kevin Durant and James Harden in the lineup, a shorthanded Brooklyn Nets squad scored just 29 second-half points in Sunday’s 124-104 loss to the Nuggets. After their eighth straight defeat, the Nets have fallen to seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Nets return to action on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics.
Even with the losing streak, the Nets are still a +300 favorite at DraftKings to win the NBA championship. Since the Nets acquired Harden in 2021, the so-called “Big Three” of Kyrie Irving, Durant, and Harden have only appeared in 10 regular-season games together. Nets coach Steve Nash indicated after the loss to the Nuggets that the team does not plan to trade Harden by Thursday’s trade deadline.
At DraftKings, the Warriors have odds of +475 to win the title, followed by the Suns (+500), Bucks (+700), Sixers (+1300), and Heat (+1300). No team in NBA history has won the NBA title in the same year when it had a losing streak of eight games.
The Nets are 2-8 since KD’s injury.
They have lost 7 in a row.
No team in NBA history has won a championship after suffering a 7+ game losing streak. pic.twitter.com/aJiDsbUSeI
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 5, 2022
Shiffrin looks to bounce back in slalom
U.S. alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin had a tumultuous start to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Monday when she fell early in her opening run of the giant slalom. The unexpected fall eliminated Shiffrin from medal contention in a race she was largely expected to win. The superstar skier fell for the first time in 30 races in the giant slalom.
Proud of the way you charged @MikaelaShiffrin! Many more events to come! 💪🏻🇺🇸
— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) February 7, 2022
Shiffrin returns to the slopes Wednesday (Tuesday night U.S. time) in the slalom. When Shiffrin won the Olympics slalom at Sochi in 2014, she became the youngest skier to win gold in the event. She enters the race in second in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup rankings, behind Petra Vlhová of Slovakia. Vlhová is favored to win the slalom at BetRivers, with odds of -134, followed by Shiffrin (+140) as second choice.
Shiffrin may compete in as many as five individual events in Beijing. Despite the disappointing start, Shiffrin can still leave Beijing as one of the most decorated athletes in Winter Olympics history. The record for alpine skiing golds in a single Olympics is three, an achievement shared by three athletes. With three gold medals in Beijing, Shiffrin would set an Olympics record for most career golds by a female skier, with five.
Wednesday, February 9
Seminar on legal sports gambling in New York
Weeks after launching mobile sports betting, New York has already emerged as the nation’s largest market for online sports wagering. It comes months after political leaders in the Empire State constructed a controversial framework for mobile sports betting through a hotly contested competitive bidding process for market access in the state.
Numerous gaming industry experts have criticized the state for its 51% tax on online gross gaming revenue, questioning whether commercial sportsbooks can turn a profit at such high rates. A panel on Wednesday led by Baruch College Director of Sports Business Ethics Marc Edelman will delve into legal and ethical issues related to the legalization of sports gambling in New York. Edelman will be joined by Oklahoma State law professor John Holden, Drake professor Keith Miller, and Jim Maney, who serves as executive director of the New York Council on Problem Gambling.
Thursday, February 10
Rodgers installed as heavy favorite to win NFL MVP
Ahead of Super Bowl LVI, top players will convene in Los Angeles Thursday night for the NFL Honors ceremony. The battle for MVP is expected to be a two-horse race between Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Bucs quarterback Tom Brady. The two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks have won the award a combined six times, including last year when Rodgers took home the hardware for a third time.
At DraftKings, Rodgers is a heavy favorite at -500, followed by Brady (+350) in second. Rams wideout Cooper Kupp is the third choice at +2000 after capturing a rare receiving trifecta this season, with the most touchdowns, catches, and receiving yards of any wideout. The last non-quarterback to win league MVP was Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012.
Friday, February 11
Robins, Howe appear at Bloomberg summit
Bloomberg kicks off Super Bowl Weekend on Friday with an event in Los Angeles that will bring together power brokers, senior executives, and elite athletes to discuss pressing topics in the sports business world. As sports betting continues to proliferate nationwide, executives from FanDuel and DraftKings are scheduled to make an appearance at the Bloomberg Power Players Summit.
Attendees may learn more about customer acquisition trends throughout the sports betting ecosystem when DraftKings CEO Jason Robins speaks on Friday. While customer acquisition costs are steep in New York, the market is coming off a record first month when the handle in the Empire State eclipsed $1.6 billion. With a sports betting referendum likely on the November ballot in California, the measure could be another topic of conversation at the summit. Robins will be joined by FanDuel CEO Amy Howe. Also, the rise in cryptocurrency payment activity will be discussed at the event, with Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek scheduled to make an appearance.
Sunday, February 13
Bengals look to defy 150/1 preseason odds in Super Bowl LVI
For a few opportunistic bettors, Super Bowl LVI represents a chance for a massive payday, or one to hedge a considerable win, at the very least. After winning six games combined in Zac Taylor’s first two seasons as coach, the Cincinnati Bengals opened the regular season with odds as high as 150/1 to win the Super Bowl.
Now, after upset victories over the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals — underdogs once more — are one win away from their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history. As of Monday morning, the Rams remained a 4-to-4.5-point favorite over the Bengals at top sportsbooks across the nation. Of the seven-figure wagers publicized in the run-up to the Super Bowl, the largest by far was made by Houston businessman Jim McIngvale, better known as “Mattress Mack.” The $4.53 million moneyline bet he placed on the Bengals (+170) on a Caesars app in Louisiana appears to be the largest Super Bowl wager on record.
The Return of the Mack for the Super Bowl‼️@MattressMack just wagered $4,534,000 on the #CaesarsSportsbook app in Louisiana on the Bengals (+170) to win over the Rams.
Potential win: $7,707,800
This marks the single biggest mobile wager of all-time 👀#BetLikeACaesar pic.twitter.com/pBJjtU9x49
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) February 4, 2022
From a betting standpoint, the game within the game centers on the exotic props offered by top sportsbooks. By the end of last week, several books had already published upward of 2,000 props on the Super Bowl. A prop at Caesars Sportsbook allows bettors to wager on whether the opening kickoff will result in a touchback (Yes -180, No +150). Another carries a payout of 200/1 if a bettor correctly predicts that neither team will score a touchdown.
Creative Super Bowl props at U.S. sportsbooks
- Higher total: Tyler Boyd receptions (pick) vs. Gonzaga wins in NCAA tournament — SuperBook Sports.
- First offensive play: Rushing attempt (-130) vs. passing attempt/sack (+100) — BetMGM.
- Will an offensive lineman score a TD? Yes +1900; no -10000 — Barstool Sportsbook.
- Longest score of the game? A field goal -141; a touchdown +100 — PointsBet.
- Will either team not attempt a punt? Yes +750; no -1430 — BetRivers.
- Jersey number of first TD scorer: Over 23.5: -140; under 23.5: +110 — DraftKings.
- Number of players to have a pass attempt: Over 2.5: +155; under 2.5: -210 — FanDuel.
