Tag: sports gambling

Does Notre Dame cover huge number Saturday vs. South Florida?

Just how big of a favorite will Notre Dame be you ask?

When Notre Dame welcomes South Florida to South Bend on Saturday the Fighting Irish will be a sizable favorite as they look to move to 2-0 on the 2020 season.

Just how big of a favorite will Notre Dame be you ask?

The Irish enter as a 25.5 point favorite with the total currently being listed at 48.5 points, meaning to hit that near the head it’d mean a final score neaat 36.5-11.5 in Notre Dame’s favor.

Line according to BetMGM.

Who covers:

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Betting 101: How to bet on boxing for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around boxing, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Wagering on boxing has been very lucrative over the years for bettors. We’ll take a look at ways to minimize risk while maximizing profits, especially for the bettor looking to dip their toe into the pugilism betting pool for the first time.

Boxing betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

  • 2-way betting: Each individual bout can simply be wagered upon picking a straight-up winner, similar to a moneyline bet in the other major sports, with a favorite and an underdog.
  • 3-way betting: Each individual bout can be wagered upon picking a winner or by choosing to select a draw (or tie).
  • Method of victory: If you like a fighter to win, but perhaps he is an overwhelming favorite, you can be more specific to mitigate your risk. There are a few different ways a bout can end. A fighter can win on points, either by KO/TKO/Technical Decision or disqualification (DQ).
  • Round betting: Fights, particularly the big-ticket events, can be bet by picking a winner in a particular round. Rather than betting on the 2- or 3-way betting line, it can be more lucrative to bet on a fighter to finish his opponent in a particular round. It’s difficult to pinpoint, and sometimes it’s good to bet on several rounds to be on the safe side, but it can pay off very handsomely.

Boxing betting: Key betting terms to know

  • Favorite: The fighter who is more likely to win the fight will require more than your return on investment.
  • Underdog: On the flip side, this is the fighter not expected to win. It can be more lucrative than taking the favorite, as you will return your stake and plus-money from your wager.
  • Push or Draw: A wager which ends in a tie, which is not a losing ticket, but not a winning ticket, either. You simply receive your wager back.
  • Chalk: This refers to a heavy favorite. For example, -200 and higher is considered heavy chalk.
  • Parlay: If you were to bet two fighters to win on the 2-way line, for example, you would need to win each end of the bet to cash. You can still win a parlay if one end wins and the other is a push.

Boxing betting: How do odds work?

Boxing odds can vary greatly. Sometimes the favorite is not too expensive, but other times, particularly in undercard or preliminary events, the favorite can have rather high odds. For example, if you were to bet a heavy favorite at -800, you would need to risk $80 to profit just $10. An underdog wager at +550 would profit $55 on a $10 bet.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Betting 101: How to bet on NASCAR for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around NASCAR, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Wagering on NASCAR can be a daunting task for first-time bettors. In fact, you might lose a good chunk of money right off the bat if you simply try to pick a winner for each race out of a sea of drivers competing for the checkered flag. Luckily, there are more than a few ways to win money without having to choose the driver who will be doing celebratory burnouts before pulling into Victory Lane.

NASCAR betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

  • Choose the winner: Easily the most difficult. Similar to a moneyline bet in other sports, you will pick the driver who will win the race outright. There are tools you can use, such as Average-Finish Position (AFP) across previous races at a track, NASCAR Loop Data from previous stops, and knowing a driver’s production on certain types of tracks – flat tracks, intermediate, short tracks, superspeedways for example. If you hit on the winning driver, it can pay off handsomely, but it’s far more difficult than it sounds.
  • Selecting a driver to finish in the Top 3: If you like a driver, but aren’t confident of his finishing and winning the race, you can bet on him to finish inside the Top 3. This will not pay off nearly as well as an outright win, but it can still be rather lucrative. Sometimes the driver with the best car doesn’t always win, but he is right there at the end.
  • Driver vs. driver: For some of the major races, you can bet on Driver vs. Driver – or matchup betting. For example, wagering on a prop of Denny Hamlin vs. Kyle Busch is betting on which driver will finish higher. These are particularly popular for the Daytona 500 and other major races on the season. You can also participate in Group Betting where you select a driver among a group of four or five. If your pick finishes higher than the rest, you win.
  • Props: Again, this is mostly for the major races. Sportsbooks offer such props as “will a an odd- or even-numbered car win the race?” You can bet on the Over/Under of the car number of the winning driver. You can bet on whether the car manufacturer of the winning driver was Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota. Like the Super Bowl, or any major sporting event, these special props are available for the biggest races on the schedule. You can even bet the Over/Under on how many caution flags will come out during a race.

NASCAR betting: Key betting terms to know

  • Favorite: Similar to any other sport, the favorite – or chalk – is the driver with the greatest chance of winning the checkered flag.
  • Chalk: This refers to a heavy favorite. For example, +350 and higher is considered heavy chalk. Long shots for a particular race will be in the neighborhood of +2000 or greater.
  • Future betting: If you would like a long-term bet, you can choose a driver at the beginning of the season to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship. You can still make this bet during the season, as the odds are adjusted as the year goes on.

NASCAR betting: How do odds work?

NASCAR racing odds can vary greatly. There is rarely, if ever, a time where the favorite is minus-money. For example, if you were to bet an overwhelming favorite at +350, a $10 winning bet profits $350. An underdog wager at +2500 would profit $2500 on a $10 bet.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Vegas sees Wisconsin football as an underdog in their biggest early test

Badger football is listed as an underdog in Vegas for their first major road test in 2020

Early lines have been released for college football’s biggest games through the first four weeks of the season. The Badgers have two games up that you can wager on via BetMGM. You can place bets on the Badgers in their week one game against Indiana or in their week four game against Michigan. Wisconsin came in as massive favorites to beat the Hoosiers at home in week one. 

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated April 11, 2020 at 9 p.m. ET.

For Wisconsin’s fourth game of the year, and their toughest early test, Vegas sees the Badgers as the underdog. UW travels to “The Big House” to face Michigan on September 26th in a key early-season conference clash. BetMGM sees the Badgers as a 3.5 point underdog, meaning that if you were to take the Badgers against the spread, they would have to lose by three points or less for your bet to cash. On the moneyline, a bet that only wins if your team wins (no points involved), Wisconsin is at +150, meaning a ten dollar wager would net you 15 dollars of profit. UW’s fourth game of the year will be the first time Wisconsin sees themselves as the underdog in the 2020 season.

“Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.”

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

 

Betting 101: How to bet on the UFC for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around UFC, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Wagering on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) can be very lucrative for bettors. We’ll take a look at ways to minimize risk while maximizing profits, especially for the bettor looking to dip their toe into the mixed-martial arts betting pool for the first time.

UFC betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

  • 2-way betting: Each individual bout can simply be wagered upon picking a straight-up winner, similar to a moneyline bet in the other major sports, with a favorite and an underdog.
  • Method of victory: If you like a fighter to win, but perhaps he/she is an overwhelming favorite, you can be more specific to mitigate your risk. There are a few different ways a bout can end. A fighter can win on points, either a unanimous decision, split decision or a majority decision. The fight can also end in a draw, or tie. In addition, you can bet on a fighter to win via submission or a KO/TKO.
  • Round betting: Fights which are either preliminaries or on the main card leading up to the main event/co-main events are three rounds, while main events are five rounds. You can choose a fighter to win in a certain round and/or you can bet the Over/Under on when the fight will end. For instance, if you feel the fight will go the distance, you would bet the Over.
  • Double chance betting: One of my favorite betting props is double chance betting. If you are particularly interested in betting a fighter who is also a submission specialist facing another fighter with terrible defense, you might take the favorite to win by submission and points. If he doesn’t win by submission, but wins on points, or vice versa, you still win.

UFC betting: Key betting terms to know

  • Favorite: The fighter who is more likely to win the fight will require more than your return on investment.
  • Underdog: On the flip side, this is the fighter not expected to win. It can be more lucrative than taking the favorite, as you will return your stake and plus-money from your wager.
  • Push or Draw: A wager which ends in a tie, which is not a losing ticket, but not a winning ticket, either. You simply receive your wager back.
  • Chalk: This refers to a heavy favorite. For example, -200 and higher is considered heavy chalk.
  • Parlay: If you were to bet two fighters to win on the 2-way line, for example, you would need to win each end of the bet to cash. You can still win a parlay if one end wins and the other is a push.

UFC betting: How do odds work?

Mixed-martial arts odds can vary greatly. Sometimes the favorite is not terribly steep, but other times, particularly in undercard events, the favorite can have rather high odds. For example, if you were to bet an overwhelming favorite at -750, you would need to risk $75 to profit just $10. An underdog wager at +190 would profit $19 on a $10 bet.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Does Vegas think Wisconsin basketball has a chance at the 2021 National Championship?

With sports still in shutdown mode, sports gambling has also come to a screeching halt. In fact, the only college basketball line listed on BetMGM’s online platform is a future for who is going to take home the 2021 National Championship. Wisconsin …

With sports still in shutdown mode, sports gambling has also come to a screeching halt. In fact, the only college basketball line listed on BetMGM’s online platform is a future for who is going to take home the 2021 National Championship. Wisconsin is expecting to be in the mix for a Final Four berth next season as the Badgers return 88% of their minutes from this Big Ten Championship winning season. The returning core will be paired with a solid, six-man 2020 recruiting class. UW is primed for success. Vegas certainly agrees.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated April 5, 2020 at 5 p.m. ET. 

Wisconsin comes in at +1600 to win the 2021 National Championship, tied for the tenth-best odds. The +1600 number means that a ten dollar wager on the Badgers would yield $160 of profit. UW was not in the top 25 of BetMGM’s odds to win the natty at any point during the 2019-20 season, yet open as a top-10 favorite. It is clear that Vegas sees the potential in this Badger team. Currently, the co-favorites to win it all are Baylor and Gonzaga at +800. The only Big Ten team with better odds than Wisconsin is Iowa, who cash in at +1500.

“Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.”

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Everybody pushed: How cancelling the 2020 NCAA Tournament affected billions of dollars among 47 million Americans

The cancellation of the NCAA Tournament had an affect on billions of dollars belonging to millions of Americans

Legalized sports gambling is one of the most fascinating topics in the sporting world today. In just the past few years, ESPN and Fox Sports have started gambling shows, betting spreads are now shown on major networks at all times next to a game/team, and the money being wagered just keeps rising. Legalization is also around right around the corner for many states that have introduced bills. According to Darren Rovell of the Action Network, sports betting is legal (albeit with slight differences from state to state) in 21 states. So, why has the sports media world, many states, and most major sporting leagues partnered with companies to expand their legal sports gambling operation? The answer is simple. There is a ton of money to be made for all involved, except a vast majority of the gamblers.

The NCAA Tournament is one of the most heavily gambled upon events on the sports calendar. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), 47 million Americans were expected to wager approximately 8.5 billion dollars on the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Figures were only expected to increase in 2020. All of a sudden, with the cancellation of the tournament, hundreds of “futures” (a bet placed on a team to win the tournament during/before the 2019-20 season) are immediately regarded as bets that “push.” That means all money that was wagered is returned because of the cancellation. All of a sudden, billions of dollars that would have changed hands were returned to the sender. Even future bets made on the winner of most conference tournaments, including the Big Ten Tournament, had to be cancelled.

The gambling on the NCAA Tournament goes far beyond just legal wagers placed at Las Vegas sports books. Office pools, illegal sports books, and friendly wagers among friends field a large amount of money as well. You may not think of it this way, but paying five dollars to join your office bracket pool is sports gambling that could no longer exist without the NCAA Tournament.

With the cancellation of sports, we have also seen the vast cancellation of sports betting. All of a sudden, an industry that had seen a meteoric rise in the last few years has come to almost a complete halt. How will the industry adjust? That is an answer that sports books will have to figure out sooner rather than later.

Betting 101: How to bet on the NBA for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around the NBA, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Interested in betting on the NBA, but don’t know where to start? Below is everything you need to know about betting on the NBA, including key terms to know, odds and much more!

NBA betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

  • Single-game betting: The most common is betting on the final outcome of a single game. Bettors can either bet on which team will win outright or cover the point spread. Single-game bets are offered for every NBA game, whether it be during the regular season or the playoffs.
  • Futures Bets: Players can wager on events in the distant future, such as division winners, player and coach awards and the NBA Finals. Futures bets are becoming more popular as bettors can watch and root for their bet over the course of an entire season.
  • Live Betting: With the help of mobile apps and sports betting becoming legal in more and more states, players can bet instantly on the NBA, guessing which team will score the most points in a quarter, updated moneylines and point spreads.

NBA betting: Key betting terms to know

  • Favorite: The team expected to win the upcoming game. Favorites are usually expressed in the moneyline with a (-) sign, followed by a number. These odds can fluctuate from -105 to -1200 depending on the game location and opponent.
  • Underdog: The team expected to lose an upcoming game outright. Underdogs are usually expressed in the moneyline with a  (+) sign. These odds can fluctuate from anywhere from +105 to +1000 given the two teams.
  • Moneyline: The moneyline refers to a team’s odds to win the upcoming game outright. As mentioned above, favorites will be listed with a (-) sign and underdogs will have a (+) sign.
  • Spread: The spread refers to the number of points a favorite is expected to win by and the amount the underdog is expected to lose by in a given contest. The spread offers more value to players as the odds are typically the same or similar on each side. In NBA contests, favorites could be anywhere from -1 to -21 point favorites, meaning they would need to win by at least 2 or 22 points in order to cover the bet.
  • Over/Under: This refers to the total amount of points that will be scored in a given contest. Often times, this number will bet set with a half-point, in order to avoid a push.
  • Push: Every once in a while, the spread or the point total will land exactly on the number set by the sportsbook. In this case, all bets will be refunded to bettors on either side.
  • Chalk: This is a term meaning a favorite is too risky to bet on due to such a small payout. In the NBA, a chalky favorite would typically carry odds of -250 or lower.
  • Parlay: This is when two or more bets are combined into one single bet with higher odds. All outcomes need to be considered “won” in order for the entire parlay bet to cash.

NBA betting: How do odds work?

Most bets are displayed via a single number. An example of this would be a moneyline favorite of -200, where a $200 wager would return a profit of $100. An underdog of +300 would return a profit of $300 for every $100 wagered.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Marcus_Mosher on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Betting 101: How to bet on college basketball for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around college basketball, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

We lost the 2020 NCAA Tournament, unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. It was a tough way for a great and wide-open season of college basketball to wrap up. A lot of people tend to play the brackets or bet on NCAA Tournament games, but they do not take the time to research and study during the regular season. We’ll help you get prepared for the 2020-21 college basketball season so you can build your bankroll. Some beginners aren’t familiar with the basic workings of wagering. We’ll hit all of that below.

College Basketball betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate bettor or you’ve been wagering your whole life, when you bet college hoops, it’s all about limits. The best rule of thumb for better success is to select just a few conferences on which to focus. If you try to bet all 353 Division I teams, the only thing guarantee guaranteed is that you will lose. That’s too much, even for the pro cappers.

For beginners, focus on one or two conferences, intermediate bettors can handle up to three, and the long-term guys can expand their focus to four or five conferences. Know them inside and out, study the injury reports each week and follow trends and statistics closely. Long-term players might also want to keep a spreadsheet with results and trends, and try and develop a statistical system.

College Basketball betting: Key betting terms to know

Most college hoops bettors wager on the spread. You either take Team A or Team B to win with a point spread. You can also bet the moneyline, which is simply taking one team or the other to win outright, regardless of the margin. In addition, you can bet the Over/Under on the total number of points in a game.

If you choose to bet a parlay, you bet two or more different things, and each bet needs to win for you to cash a winning ticket. Generally, the odds are much better with the more bets you include in a parlay, but the risk rises with each addition to the ticket.

College Basketball betting: How do odds work?

Let’s say Michigan is favored by 7 1/2 points over Indiana with a total of 129 points. If you bet the favorite, you need Michigan to win by at least 8 points to cash. If you bet the underdog, you need Indiana to stay within 7 points in a loss, or win outright.

If you were to bet the Over, you would need a total of 130 or more points for a winning ticket. If you bet the Under, you would need 128 or fewer points for your bet to cash.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Jags given 100/1 odds to win Super Bowl LV

With the team rebuilding Vegas isn’t too high on the Jags’ chances to win the upcoming Super Bowl, giving them the second-worst in the NFL.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been busy this offseason, but unlike the top teams in the league, their focus has been on unloading to rebuild. They traded two former Pro Bowl veterans in Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye for draft picks and also found a way to move on from quarterback Nick Foles.

Though there is still a lot of work to be done, clearly the Jags aren’t going to be in the running for the postseason in 2020, though the long-term future is interesting. Needless to say, Vegas isn’t high on the Jags’ chances either when it comes to winning Super Bowl LV as BetMGM has them down with 100/1 odds to be apart of the event which will be held in their native state of Florida (Tampa Bay).

With such odds, only two teams have worse odds in 2020 and those teams are the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals, who both are tied with 150/1 odds.

The Jags will be relatively young in 2020 around quarterback Gardner Minshew II and their defense will be dealing with a massive overhaul. In fact, the only three defensive players returning from the Jags’ historic 2017 defense will be defensive tackle Abry Jones, linebacker Myles Jack, and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who wants out.

As for the division, the Indianapolis Colts received 23/1 odds, the Tennessee Titans received 28/1 odds, and the Houston Texans came in with 40/1 odds.