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, October 11
Pivotal Game 3 in Giants-Dodgers series
Through two games, an MLB National League Division Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers has already produced some outstanding pitching. In Friday’s Game 1, Giants pitcher Logan Webb tossed 10 strikeouts in his playoff debut to shut out the Dodgers 4-0. An evening later, Los Angeles pitcher Julio Urias held the Giants to one earned run over five innings in a 9-2 victory over San Francisco.
Now, with the series tied at one apiece, National League Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Dodgers in Game 3. The Dodgers are heavy -203 favorites at Caesars Sportsbook to take a 2-1 series lead. The Dodgers also have odds of -186 at FanDuel to win the Best-Of-5 series over the Giants (+158). The series pits the top two teams in the league against one another, as the Giants won a league-high 107 games in the regular season, one more than the defending World Series champion Dodgers.
Tampa Bay, which posted the best mark in the American League with a 100-62 record, is on the brink of elimination after losing 6-4 to the Red Sox Sunday night in 13 innings. The teams meet again Monday night at Fenway Park with Boston holding a 2-1 series lead.
World Series Futures (FanDuel Sportsbook, as of Monday morning)
- Dodgers +200
- Astros +280
- Giants +650
- Red Sox +800
- Brewers +1000
- Braves +1100
- Rays +1300
- White Sox +1300
Tuesday, October 12
Connecticut to go live with digital sports wagering
Fresh off its retail sports wagering launch on Sept. 30, Connecticut will go live with digital sports wagering Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET. At that point, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (partnered with Rush Street Interactive), Mohegan Tribe (partnered with FanDuel), and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe (partnered with DraftKings) will be able to begin a seven-day soft launch period, according to the state’s Department of Consumer Protection. When retail betting started, the majority of bettors at a Connecticut book took the Patriots with the spread over the Buccaneers in a much-hyped matchup on Sunday Night Football, an employee of the sportsbook told Sports Handle.
Lightning begin quest for Stanley Cup three-peat
During the NHL’s salary cap era, which began in 2005-06, no team has won three straight Stanley Cup titles. The Tampa Bay Lightning can accomplish the feat by winning the Cup in June. But Tampa suffered numerous cap casualties in the offseason, most notably the loss of forward Yanni Gourde to Seattle in the Expansion Draft. The Lightning also lost veteran forwards Barclay Goodrow and Tyler Johnson, as the two-time defending champs needed to unload several expensive contracts to make it under the cap. As a result, the Lightning (+700) enter the season as the second choice to win the Cup, behind the Avalanche, which have odds of +600 at BetMGM.
The Lightning open the season Tuesday night against the Penguins (+145) in Tampa. The expansion Kraken, meanwhile, will make their franchise debut later that night versus the Golden Knights. The Kraken have odds of 50/1 to win the Stanley Cup title.
Lightning bring focus, experience to chase for three-peat https://t.co/Vk4GxEfqST
— Sports by Tampa Bay Times (@TBTimes_Sports) October 7, 2021
Friday, October 15
Sky-Mercury meet in Game 3 of WNBA Finals
Behind a superlative effort from guard Courtney Vandersloot, the Chicago Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury 91-77 Sunday to take Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. With another win on Wednesday, the Sky could sweep the Mercury at home in the best-of-5 series on Friday night. On Sunday, Vandersloot became the first player in WNBA Finals history to record at least 10 points, 10 assists and five rebounds without a single turnover in a finals game. At BetMGM, the Sky opened the series as +140 underdogs to win the championship over the Mercury (-160).
Saturday, October 16
Sooners look to avoid letdown against Horned Frogs
Left for dead in Saturday’s Red River Shootout, Oklahoma stormed back from a 21-point deficit to shock Texas 55-48. In the process, Sooners coach Lincoln Riley created a quarterback controversy when he replaced Heisman Trophy candidate Spencer Rattler with freshman sensation Caleb Williams late in the first half at the Cotton Bowl. Williams, one of the top recruits in the Class of 2021, responded with two touchdowns through the air and a 66-yard touchdown scramble in the comeback victory. The fourth-ranked Sooners (-12) will look to stay undefeated when they welcome TCU to Norman Saturday afternoon.
Caleb Williams appreciation post.
Stepped in and led the Sooners to the largest comeback victory in Red River Showdown history 😤 pic.twitter.com/9vy8AFuoEJ
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 9, 2021
In other action, top-ranked Georgia will host 11th-ranked Kentucky in a battle of undefeated teams in Athens. Georgia opened as a 22-point favorite at Circa Sports. The Bulldogs moved to No. 1 in the nation after Texas A&M shocked previously top-ranked Alabama in Week 6. Alabama, which fell to fifth in the nation, will face Mississippi State in Starkville.
Also in the SEC, 13th-ranked Ole Miss will attempt to improve to 5-1 when it meets Tennessee in Knoxville. The Rebels are coming off a thrilling 52-51 win over Arkansas, thanks to a 68-yard touchdown pass from Matt Corral with 1:07 left. The total is 85.5 points, one of the highest in an SEC contest this year. Corral, a Heisman frontrunner, has odds of +200 at PointsBet to win college football’s most prestigious award.
Meanwhile, four Big Ten teams remain undefeated, including second-ranked Iowa, which will face Purdue (+11) in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes defeated then-No. 4 Penn State Saturday to move to their highest ranking since 1985. No. 10 Michigan State, one of the nation’s most surprising teams, travels to Bloomington to face Indiana (+3). Three Top 10 teams from the conference — No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, and No. 8 Michigan — are all off in Week 7.
Sunday, October 17
Jags attempt to end 20-game losing skid
The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to 0-5 Sunday with a 37-19 loss to Tennessee. It was the Jaguars’ 20th straight regular-season loss, a streak that dates back to their 2020 season opener, 393 days ago. Jacksonville now travels to London to face the 1-4 Dolphins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Dolphins opened as 3-point favorites.
If the Jaguars are unable to win Sunday, there’s a decent chance that Urban Meyer could wait a lot longer before recording his first NFL win. The Jaguars will next face three 2020 playoff teams in consecutive weeks in the Seahawks, Bills, and Colts. The Bucs hold the NFL modern-day record for consecutive losses at 26. In other upcoming action Sunday, the Cardinals look to improve to 6-0 when they face the Browns in Cleveland. The Browns opened as 3-point favorites despite a 47-42 Week 5 loss to the Chargers.
The Jaguars are now the 3rd team in NFL history to lose 20 straight games. The others:
– Chicago Cardinals – 29 straight (1942-1945)
– Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 26 straight (1976-1977) pic.twitter.com/xbeh4y0gsC— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 10, 2021
