The Book Report: Volume 12
So The Book Report has been off for a few weeks, but we’re back with another look behind the counter to see what’s going on at the sportsbooks around the country. It’s NFL season, so that means lots of action and lots of big bets, but the last few days have been very interesting in the sports betting world.
If you have been listening to The Daily Juice Podcast every morning, you know that the public and pros both have been beating up the books after a really rough week right after Thanksgiving. This is the dance that the bettors play with the bookmakers. Give a little, take a little, take a lot, and give back a lot. Betting on sports in 2020 has been no different than in previous years.
Let’s take a look at what’s made headlines at the books over the last few days.
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BetMGM
There has been a lot of talk about the future of digital gaming in America. The legalization of sports betting apps have been seen as an opportunity for an expansion of digital casino games, and BetMGM made a major announcement this week in Pennsylvania.
The sportsbook announced the launch of BetMGM Casino in Pennsylvania, a digital gaming platform available for download.
“We’re thrilled to bring BetMGM’s online casino offering to Pennsylvania,†said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “With more than 140 different games, including our own in-house progressive jackpot network, we’re delivering the widest range of content currently available in the state. Alongside MGM Resorts and its M life Rewards program, BetMGM will provide players with a truly unique entertainment experience.â€
This came on the heels of BetMGM announcing that they would be the first official gaming partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The partnership features fan-focused assets such as presenting sponsorship of the Steelers Kickoff pregame show, as well as team broadcast programming, digital marketing assets, and in-stadium promotions and signage.
“We are excited to introduce BetMGM to Steelers Nation,†said Ryan Huzjak, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, in a release. “Not only will BetMGM be elevating some of our existing platforms, but they will be introducing new and exciting opportunities to Steelers fans. We are looking forward to kicking off this partnership.â€
DraftKings Sportsbook
If you bet the over on Tuesday night football, you probably weren’t very happy to see three missed field goals by the Ravens and the Cowboys. However, the Ravens scored a late touchdown to cash the over.
With the news that Ohio State and Michigan won’t play “The Game†this year due to Covid-19 issues within the Wolverine program, DK has decided to refund all bets that have been made on the Buckeyes winning the Big Ten title.
Anyone buying that this was their first bet ever? Come on.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel is out with its odds for the NFL MVP race, and it’s going to be an interesting race to the finish if Patrick Mahomes slips up. Who are you putting your money on?
A FanDuel customer turned $2,000 into a payout of $117,246 on a four-leg NFL Parlay this weekend. They hit on the Giants moneyline (+570), Rams moneyline (+132), Packers alternate spread (-6.5 at -141), and Patriots alternate spread (-2.5 at +120). Not bad at all.
Did you lose money on Tyreek Hill’s touchdown that was ruled to be not a touchdown in the Chiefs game on Sunday? Well, FanDuel took care of their customers.
Other Sportsbooks
Circa Sports in Las Vegas is consistently one of the first sportsbooks in America to put up lines on upcoming games. When it comes to college football, they often see the most action of any book in this country when their lines hit the market. This week, there have been several games with significant line movement already.
At BetRivers in Pennsylvania, Bettors backed the Steelers (-6.5, -286 ML) with 91% of the ML handle and 77% of the spread handle to beat Washington (+245 ML). Pittsburgh was a league-best 8-3 ATS, while Washington was just 6-5 ATS. However, the Washington Football Team won the game outright, scoring a major win for the book.
At Sugarhouse, No. 18 Coastal Carolina (+10, +285 ML) moved to 10-0 thanks to a thrilling win over No. 13 BYU (-360 ML) in the most-wagered college football game of Week 14. The massive upset was responsible for the largest percentage of the live betting handle of the entire weekend. The Chanticleers were backed by 62% of the ML handle, and they paid off for backers in the end.
And finally, new users at PointsBet are getting a pretty cool offer from the book. You get to pick what was your worst beat and get your losing bet refunded.
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Matt Perrault is a featured writer at BettingPros and the host of the Daily Juice podcast. For more from Matt, check out his archive and follow him @sportstalkmatt.