Each week, 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, April 10
MGC Raynham Park hearing
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission holds a public hearing Monday in regards to a Category 2 Sports Wagering Operator License submitted by the Massasoit Greyhound Association, more commonly known as Raynham Park. If the facility gains licensure, it will join MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor, and Plainridge Park Casino as licensed venues to operate retail sports betting across the state. Raynham Park has a retail sports betting partnership with Caesars Sportsbook.
Rays look to extend unbeaten streak
The Tampa Bay Rays crushed the Oakland A’s 11-0 on Sunday to improve to 9-0, delivering the best start by any MLB team to open a season since the Kansas City Royals won their first nine in 2003. The Rays have won every game by at least four runs while producing a league-high 75 runs. With a win by four or more runs on Monday against the Red Sox, Tampa would move closer to matching a remarkable feat of the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association. In that year, the Maroons won all of their first 13 games by 4-plus runs.
Monday night, Josh Fleming is scheduled to take the mound for the Rays against Nick Pivetta of the Red Sox. On the eve of the MLB regular season, DraftKings offered lines on each team to post the top mark in its division for the month of April. DraftKings installed the Rays (+210) as a slight favorite over the Yankees (+215). The Rays enter Monday with a three-game lead on the Yankees in the AL East.
The Tampa Bay #Rays beat the Oakland Athletics 11-0, extending their record to 9-0 to start the #MLB season. The '82 Braves and '87 Brewers share the record with 13-game streaks to start the season.
📷: @carlsonphotos #RaysUp @RaysBaseball pic.twitter.com/7LEXqQwUId— Getty Images Sport (@GettySport) April 9, 2023
Tuesday, April 11
Man City-Bayern Munich face off in Champions League quarters
The quarterfinals in the UEFA Champions League begin Tuesday with a clash between Manchester City and Bayern Munich in England. Man City striker Erling Haaland has 30 goals in the English Premier League this season, with another 10 in Champions League competition. At Barstool Sportsbook, Man City is a -134 moneyline favorite to defeat Bayern Munich (+360). There are odds of +295 on a draw.
Man City (+225) is also the favorite on the futures market to win the Champions League. Bayern Munich and Napoli are next at +350, followed by Real Madrid and Chelsea, at +700 and +1300, respectively. Man City has never won a Champions League title.
Bruins eye NHL single-season record for points
The Boston Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers Sunday to set an NHL record for wins in a regular season with 63. Boston now needs two more points to break the league record for points in a regular season. The Bruins enter Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals with 131 points, one behind the all-time mark set by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens.
If the Bruins do not set the record against the Caps, they’ll have one last chance Thursday night against Montreal. The Bruins have odds of +325 at BetRivers to win the Stanley Cup title. No other team across the league has odds below +600 to hoist Lord Stanley’s cup. The Colorado Avalanche are next at +600, followed by the Edmonton Oilers at +900. Led by forward Connor McDavid, the red-hot Oilers have won seven straight.
HISTORY. MADE. 🐻
With their win today, the @NHLBruins have set an NHL record for most wins in a single season with 63! pic.twitter.com/RSQB6f9P7Q
— NHL (@NHL) April 10, 2023
NBA play-in round begins
One year after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA playoffs, the Miami Heat are largely viewed as a longshot to make a return trip. The Heat open the NBA play-in round Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks. While Miami would earn a playoff spot with a win, the Heat would face an elimination game later this week by losing to Atlanta. The Heat are 5-point favorites over the Hawks at FanDuel; the total is 226 points.
Also Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Los Angeles. Ahead of the play-in round, Minnesota is dealing with considerable internal strife. On Sunday, the team sent Rudy Gobert home after the All-Star center punched guard Kyle Anderson during a timeout. The Lakers are 7-point favorites over the Wolves; the total is 229.5 points.
Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way i did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that i truly love and respect as a teammate.
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) April 10, 2023
Thursday, April 13
Tight playoff races as NHL regular season ends
The regular season ends Thursday night for a majority of NHL teams, with several close wild card races. Four teams remain alive for the final two spots in the East, with the Carolina Panthers and New York Islanders leading the Pittsburgh Penguins by one point. The Buffalo Sabres trail the leaders by six points but have two games in hand. At FanDuel, the Panthers and Isles both have odds of -340 to make the playoffs, while the Penguins have odds of -128. The Sabres are the longshot of the group at +5000.
In the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets lead the Calgary Flames by one point for the final wild card spot. Winnipeg enters the week with one game in hand on Calgary. The Flames have odds of +340 to qualify for the playoffs. The Jets conclude the regular season Thursday against the Avalanche.
Saturday, April 15
Warriors begin NBA title defense
Golden State begins its NBA title defense on the road Saturday against Sacramento. Despite entering as the lower seed, the Warriors are heavy -300 favorites at BetMGM to win the seven-game series.
The Kings lead the league in scoring with 120.7 points per game, while the Warriors are second at 118.9. For Saturday’s Game 1 in Sacramento, the points total is 237.5 points, which is 23 points higher than for Game 1 of the Knicks-Cavaliers series.
Kings vs. Warriors will feature the most beautiful offense in a first round playoff series of all time.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 9, 2023
On the futures market, Golden State is the co-fifth choice (+1000) with the Denver Nuggets to win the NBA championship. Three of the top four teams are in the East, with the Milwaukee Bucks installed as the favorite at +275. The Boston Celtics are the second choice at +350, while the Philadelphia 76ers have odds of +900 to win their first championship since 1983. The Phoenix Suns, who are favored to win the Western Conference at BetMGM, have odds of +500 to capture the NBA title.
