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, Sept. 12
Will Russ cook vs. former teammates on Monday Night Football?
Give credit to the NFL schedule makers for their sense of humor. When ESPN kicks off its 17th season of hosting Monday Night Football, Russell Wilson will return to Seattle for his first game since his trade to the Denver Broncos. Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback, indicated last week that the Seahawks explored trading him on multiple occasions before the blockbuster deal in March.
Wilson enters his first season with the Broncos with odds of -115 at BetMGM to finish under 4,199 passing yards for the year. Wilson last eclipsed 4,000 yards in 2020 when he finished with 4,212 yards in 16 games. The season total on Wilson’s passing touchdowns is over/under 31.5. Wilson has hit the over in three of the last five years, including 2020 when he finished with a career-high 40 touchdowns.
Will Russell Wilson go over or under his 31.5 passing touchdown prop this season?@RyanHorvat & @Trysta_Krick discuss their favorite bet!
💻: https://t.co/FkvuvXsaBq
🎧: https://t.co/KW7bK1KcP7 pic.twitter.com/3aPF5n23hD— BetMGM Tonight (@BetMGMTonight) August 10, 2022
At WynnBET, the Broncos opened as 3.5-point favorites against the Seahawks when the league schedule came out in May. The line has since been bet up to 7. The Seahawks have odds of +240 on the moneyline. The total is 44.5 points.
Tuesday, Sept. 13
Aces look to gain stranglehold on WNBA Finals
The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals Sunday to move two wins away from capturing the team’s first-ever league title. The Aces pulled off the 67-64 victory despite scoring only nine points in the second quarter. WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 24 points and 11 rebounds, as Vegas erased a four-point halftime deficit.
Alyssa Thomas led the Sun with 19 points, while forward Jonquel Jones added 15 points and nine rebounds. In Tuesday night’s Game 2, the Aces are 4.5-point favorites at Caesars Sportsbook and the total is 164.5 points. If they win on Tuesday, the Aces could complete a sweep of the best-of-five series on Thursday night in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Thursday, Sept. 15
Colorado monthly LGCC meeting
A host of gaming establishments are up for license renewals at Thursday’s meeting of the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission. The list includes several establishments that offer sports betting, most notably Dostal Alley Casino & Brew Pub in Central City. A number of sports betting vendor minor licenses will also be up for renewal, including ones for Topgolf Media, Outbrain Inc., and Prizeout Corp.
Mahomes meets Herbert in AFC West matchup of gunslingers
Both Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert opened the season on a strong note with victories Sunday. Mahomes sent notice that the Chiefs remain a Super Bowl contender despite the loss of Tyreek Hill. Mahomes recorded his sixth career game with at least five touchdown passes, as the Chiefs crushed the Cardinals 44-21. The Chiefs scored touchdowns on their first three offensive drives.
@NextGenStats Patrick Mahomes was blitzed on over half of his dropbacks (54%) for the first time in his career.
Mahomes threw a career-high 4 TD passes vs the blitz, tied for the most in a game in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016).#KCvsARI pic.twitter.com/Wosw6L1V0z
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) September 12, 2022
Herbert went 26-of-34 for 279 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-19 win over the Raiders. Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen left the game with a hamstring injury, however, and his status for Thursday’s game has not been determined.
The Chargers hit the road as 3.5-point dogs at FanDuel against the Chiefs. With a shootout expected, FanDuel set the total at 53.5 points. The Chiefs are -178 on the moneyline, while Los Angeles has odds of +150 to pull off the upset. The Chiefs have opened 2-0 in four of the last five seasons.
Saturday, Sept. 17
Nebraska takes on No. 6 Oklahoma following dismissal of Frost
The Scott Frost era in Lincoln ended Sunday, one day after Nebraska’s stunning loss to Georgia Southern. The Cornhuskers, a 21-point favorite over the Eagles, dropped to 1-2 on the season with the deflating loss. Nebraska finished with a 16-31 record under Frost, the second-worst of any Big Ten team since the start of 2018. While BetRivers opened Oklahoma as a 14-point favorite for Saturday’s game, the line had fallen to -11 as of Monday morning.
Do our VSiN experts think the firing of Scott Frost improves the @HuskerFBNation power rating?@mattyoumans247 and @meJVT previewed the Husker's next game vs @OU_Football on College Football Lines Revealed. pic.twitter.com/vmPzMhF8FH
— VSiN (@VSiNLive) September 11, 2022
In other action Saturday, Texas A&M hosts Miami (Fla.) in College Station after experiencing its own shocking defeat in Week 2. The Aggies, then No. 6 in the nation, did major damage to their College Football Playoff hopes with a 17-14 loss to Appalachian State. The No. 24 Aggies, who had opened as 9-point favorites against the No. 13 Canes, are now favored by 4.5 at FanDuel. Miami led Southern Miss by only three points in the third quarter on Saturday before rattling off 20 straight points for a 30-7 win.
Elsewhere, No. 7 USC looks to remain undefeated under new coach Lincoln Riley when the Trojans face Fresno State as a 13.5-point favorite at DraftKings. USC raced out to a 35-14 first-half lead over Stanford Saturday en route to a 41-28 victory. Reigning Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison continued his hot early start with seven receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinal.
Canelo installed as heavy favorite over GGG in Saturday’s bout
After two contentious, highly controversial draws in the last six years, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin will meet for the third time Saturday night in Las Vegas. After a split draw in September 2017, Alvarez defeated Golovkin roughly a year later in a 12-round majority decision. Golovkin, the IBF middleweight champion, will compete in the super middleweight division for the first time in his career. Alvarez, by contrast, will compete in the division for the sixth time.
In three-way markets at BetMGM, Alvarez is a considerable -450 favorite over Golovkin, who has odds of +350, with a draw posted at +2000. Without a draw factored in, Alvarez has moneyline odds of -500 to defeat Golovkin, with Golovkin pegged as a +333 underdog. There are odds of +160 on an Alvarez win by a knockout, technical knockout, technical decision, or disqualification. Under the same methods of victory, Golovkin’s odds are +850.
Golovkin Talks About That Huge Canelo Shot – ‘It Felt Like A Slap’
🔞 @Betfred Fight Odds: https://t.co/alJfxE6ohj
— Boxing Social (@boxing_social) September 12, 2022
In many respects, BetMGM is offering a more favorable price than the rest of the market for Canelo backers. There is considerably more juice on Alvarez at Betfred, where the boxer has odds of -556 to defeat Golovkin (+450) straight up. Betfred also has odds of -141 for Alvarez to win on points.
Sunday, Sept. 18
Saints host Bucs in early division showdown
The Tampa Bay Bucs dominated the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night, holding Dak Prescott to 134 yards in a 19-3 win. The New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, erased a double-digit deficit with 17 points in the final period to edge the Falcons 27-26. The two NFC South rivals will meet in New Orleans, with the Bucs installed as 2.5-point favorites at PointsBet. Chris Godwin’s status is uncertain after Tampa’s star wideout suffered a hamstring injury in the first half Sunday.
Keep an eye on team injury reports before you formulate this week’s bets, as a number of prominent players suffered injuries in the opening week. Their return will have a considerable impact on Sunday’s odds, as well as long-term futures.
- Prescott is out about six to eight weeks after suffering a fracture near his thumb. The Cowboys will likely start Cooper Rush against Cincinnati.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers believe that T.J. Watt suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Cincinnati Bengals, which could sideline him for months, ESPN reported. Watt will be evaluated on Monday.
- New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones suffered a back injury against the Miami Dolphins. An X-ray on Jones’ back was negative, NFL.com reported.
- San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell suffered a knee injury against the Chicago Bears. Mitchell reportedly injured his MCL, but did not tear his knee.
The 49ers are 8.5-point favorites for Sunday over the Seahawks at SI Sportsbook, while the Bengals are 7-point favorites over the Cowboys at Circa Sports. With injury uncertainties for both teams, the Patriots-Steelers matchup stood at pick’em at SuperBook Sports as of Monday morning.
