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, August 1
Rublev favored in Citi Open
Despite missing Wimbledon, Andrey Rublev is still ranked No. 8 in the ATP World Tour rankings, three below his career-high of fifth in 2021. Wimbledon officials prohibited Rublev and fellow Russian player Daniil Medvedev from entering the draw due to the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine. As the U.S. summer hardcourt season heats up, Rublev will try to regain momentum at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
Andrey Rublev’s draw at Citi Open, DC:
R1 bye
R2 Draper/Kozlov
R3 Cressy
QF Shapovalov
SF Fritz
F HurkaczBest of luck champ 🥳 pic.twitter.com/FLJhjmOQFU
— Out of Context Andrey Rublev (@rublevOOC) July 29, 2022
Rublev, the tournament’s top seed, has a bye into the second round, where he will face the winner of the Round of 64 match between Stefan Kozlov and Jack Draper. At BetMGM, Rublev opened as the tournament favorite with odds of +650. Rublev is on the same side of the draw with Taylor Fritz and Denis Shapovalov, who have odds of +800 and +1600, respectively. Alex DeMinaur, who won the Atlanta Open on Sunday over Jenson Brooksby, is also in the top half of the draw. Both DeMinaur and Brooksby have odds of +1400 at BetMGM.
Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios is the second choice at +750, followed by Hubert Hurkacz and Fritz at +800. The Citi Open is the final tournament on the ATP Tour before next week’s National Bank Open presented by Rogers, a key tuneup for the U.S. Open.
BetRivers opens retail sportsbook at Maryland bingo hall
Baltimore-based Bingo World is the largest bingo hall in Maryland and offers one of the largest bingo jackpots in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the company’s website. On Monday, Bingo World President Randy Clemens and several Maryland politicians will attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the BetRivers Sportsbook at Bingo World, the first Maryland retail sportsbook outside of a casino.
The 3,000-square-foot retail sportsbook will feature a lounge with 32 theater-style seats, a bar with seating and high tops, and 21 high-definition video screens, Rush Street Interactive stated in a press release. Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Qadry Ismail is expected to place the first wager inside Bingo World. Ismail caught a 44-yard reception in Super Bowl XXXV to help the Ravens’ 34-7 win over the Giants.
“This new sportsbook is a huge win for avid sports fans in Baltimore and beyond,” Ismail said in a statement. “Betting has become such a big part of the sports world, and now Ravens fans and other bettors can come here to be entertained and enjoy the wide variety of betting options BetRivers will offer.
Tuesday, August 2
Soto, Contreras headline names of potential targets at MLB trade deadline
Washington Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo is expected to field a flurry of calls this week in the final hours before Major League Baseball‘s trade deadline on Tuesday. Why? Because star outfielder Juan Soto could depart the nation’s capital after he reportedly turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract earlier this summer.
Soto, 23, is commanding interest from multiple World Series contenders. According to CBS Sports, three teams remain in the running to acquire Soto: the Cardinals, Padres, and Dodgers.
This year has put the dead in deadline. Last year, it was slow, too. And then there were 36 trades in the last 48 hours.
At ESPN+, a look at the fulcrum of the deadline, Juan Soto, and how the tentacles of those talks helped grind the market to a halt: https://t.co/pTH3SPVuZQ pic.twitter.com/dNX1ximsl2
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022
The Dodgers (+400) are the co-second choice to win the World Series at WynnBET, slightly behind the Yankees, who have odds of +350. The Astros (+400), Mets (+750), and Braves (+1000) round out the Top 5 on the futures market.
At the same time, the Mets, Astros, and Padres are among the teams that have been rumored to have interest in Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras, a free agent at season’s end.
The Padres have odds of +2000 at WynnBET to win the World Series for the first time in franchise history. San Diego last appeared in the World Series in 1998. The Padres also have odds of +1000 at WynnBET to win the National League pennant.
Ohio commission holds monthly meeting in Columbus
Ohio continues to ramp up for its highly anticipated launch of legal sports betting on Jan. 1, 2023. Upon launch, Ohio will become the largest state to go live with sports wagering since New York last January. On Wednesday, the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) will meet for the first of two scheduled meetings during the month of August.
The meeting will be the last before an application window for Type-C sports gaming hosts expires on Aug. 15. Type-C gaming hosts are designated in Ohio as bars or taverns that wish to offer sports gaming through a self-service kiosk. The kiosks, managed by the state lottery, will cap withdrawals at $700 per week. Following Wednesday’s meeting, the OCCC is scheduled to meet again on Aug. 17.
Thursday, August 4
Raiders face Jags in NFL Hall of Fame Game
The NFL preseason kicks off on Thursday night when the Las Vegas Raiders face the Jacksonville Jaguars in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. While neither squad is expected to play their first-stringers for long, both are starting fresh under new coaches. FanDuel has set the Jaguars’ regular-season win total at 6.5 (over +115/under -135), which is two less than the Raiders’ projected total of 8.5 victories.
Jaguars running back Travis Etienne could receive some snaps on Thursday after missing his entire rookie season with a foot injury. For the moment, Etienne is listed as the starter on the Jaguars’ depth chart. Eventually, Etienne may split carries with James Robinson, who is recovering from a torn Achilles late in the 2021 season.
A prop at DraftKings set the total on Etienne’s combined rushing and receiving yards at 1,025 yards. Robinson finished with 1,414 combined yards last season in 14 games.
The Jaguars spent huge in free agency, but their biggest offensive addition this year could be the debut of Travis Etienne, Jr. pic.twitter.com/unNbdGb7AP
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 30, 2022
The Hall of Fame Game could also mark the Raiders debut of All-Pro wideout Davante Adams, although the team has not indicated if he will play on Thursday. FanDuel lists the total on Adams’ 2022 regular-season yardage at 1,200.5 (over -112/under -112). Adams also has odds of 14/1 to lead the league in receiving yards, while three other wideouts — Justin Jefferson (+900), Cooper Kupp (+1000), and Ja’Marr Chase (+1200) — are expected to finish with more receiving yards on the season, according to FanDuel.
Friday, August 5
DraftKings reports 2022 second-quarter earnings
A busy week of financial reporting in the gambling space concludes Friday when DraftKings reports earnings for the three-month period ended June 30. Prior to DraftKings’ earnings call on Friday, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Penn National Gaming are among the top gaming companies that will report earnings this week.
DraftKings is expected to report a second-quarter loss of $0.87 per share, according to Zacks consensus estimate, which would represent a year-over-year decline of 14.5% from the same period in 2021. The company is also projected to generate second-quarter revenue of $438.2 million for the three-month period, an increase of 47.3% from last year’s second quarter.
Better NFT Stock: DraftKings vs. GameStop – The Motley Fool https://t.co/95SU3E01Wf
— One Dollar GuyZ (NFT news global) (@Pup1Puppies) July 30, 2022
As with numerous other sports betting-focused companies, DraftKings is under pressure to produce strong earnings figures after its stock price has slid more than 60% over the last 12 months. DraftKings traded around $48 a share last August in the days leading up to its second-quarter earnings call.
Saturday, August 6
Life Is Good, Olympiad expected to clash in The Whitney
Trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed Sunday that he will saddle three horses in Saratoga’s $1 million Whitney Stakes, including defending Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion Life Is Good.
A 4-year-old son of Into Mischief, Life Is Good is coming off a five-length win in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes on July 2 at Belmont. Life Is Good notched a resounding 4 1/2 length win over reigning Horse of the Year Knicks Go in the Pegasus World Cup, but then inexplicably faded to fourth at the Dubai World Cup in March.
HoF trainer Todd Pletcher will have three chances to win his 4th G1 Whitney when he saddles Life Is Good, Americanrevolution & Happy Saver at Saratoga. 🌟Replay videos! @PletcherRacing @WinStarFarm @PastTheWire
https://t.co/72rjgznUmn— Maribeth Kalinich (@FriendOfRacing) July 31, 2022
The poor final furlong in Dubai revived skepticism about whether Life Is Good has the stamina to handle distances beyond a mile. At Saratoga, he will be challenged in the nine-furlong race by Olympiad, the winner of last month’s Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes. Olympiad, who recorded a career-high 123 Equibase speed figure in the Stephen Foster, is five-for-five in 2022. The field will also receive a boost if trainer Doug O’Neill enters Hot Rod Charlie, last year’s runner-up in the Belmont Stakes.
Besides Life Is Good, Pletcher will enter reigning Cigar Mile winner Americanrevolution and Happy Saver, the 2020 winner of The Jockey Club Gold Cup. The winner of The Whitney, one of the most prestigious races each year for older horses, will receive an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Sunday, August 7
Defending champ Man City opens Premier League season at West Ham
The English Premier League begins earlier than normal due to the league’s upcoming seven-week break for the World Cup. On Sunday, Manchester City opens its title defense on the road in London against West Ham United.
In May, Man City edged Liverpool by one point for its fourth Premier League crown in five years. The English rivals distinguished themselves from the rest of the league, as Liverpool finished 18 points ahead of third-place Chelsea.
Following the signing of star Norwegian forward Erling Haaland, Manchester City is the clear favorite to win the Premier League title again. At PointsBet, Man City has odds of -150 to win the premiership, far ahead of second-choice Liverpool (+250). The two powers are the only teams with single-digit odds in the futures market.
Over a seven-year period through 2013, Manchester United won the Premier League an astounding five times. It also marked the last time the Red Devils won the Premier League crown. PointsBet has odds of 33/1 on Manchester United to win the title, sixth best among all clubs.
