In the pursuit of beating the books, it is essential to stay well informed on relevant news related to all sports. As bettors, many times our edges appear with the surfacing of news regarding injuries, travel spots, or market moves. Today we will recap the weeks most notable headlines and stories as they relate to the sports wagering media landscape.
Monday 2/10/20
In this article from OddsShark staff writer Gilles Gallant we learn that online sportsbook BetOnline was the first shop to open up regular season win totals for MLB. This type of bet offers bettors the opportunity to bet over or under the posted team win total set by bookmakers. Alongside reporting the initial opening market, Gallant gives us his opinion on some potentially profitable angles.
Tuesday 2/11/20
On Tuesday February 11, we learned that William Hill ( a prominent global sportsbook) signed an exclusive deal to become CBS’s official sportsbook and wagering data provider. This news indicates that William Hill will have exclusive rights to ‘promote it’s brand across CBS Sports’ digital properties.” This news is another example of prominent media companies who previously shied away from gambling content now embracing it.
Wednesday 2/12/20
Wednesday morning we saw the release of the popular Deep Dive Podcast hosted by Andy and the White Whale. This podcast’s core content lies in NFL betting, however, the off season can bring some gems in other areas involved with handicapping. This particular podcast episode is titled Deep Dive Ep 238 -Betting Math 101 and it does not disapoint. Both host are very well educated with a heavy mathematical background. We chose to feature this podcast as it covers essential mathematical principles needed to have an edge against the books. It is also content that you can come back to over and over again to help reinforce the principles.
Thursday 2/13/20
In this article found on Sportsbook Review we get a market report on the wagering landscape of New Jersey through out the month of January. “New Jersey sportsbooks made an impressive start to 2020 by taking a handle of $540 million in January. That represented a 40% year-on-year increase on January 2019 and suggested that the Garden State could emerge as the market leader in the burgeoning US sports betting industry this year.” It is clear that Nevada is no longer the only show in town.
Friday 2/14/20
Happy Valentines Day, and of course happy betting. The wagering craze is rooted in more than sports and this article found on OddsShark shines as a representation of the industry’s reach. Titled 2020 Presidential Odds: Trump Remains at an All-Time High staff writer Stephan Campbell gives the lay of the land when it comes to Presidential race odds. With the changing political landscape, come betting odds that adjust with current relevant events. This article proves that if sportsbooks can quantify probabilities for future events occurring or not occurring then they will most likely offer betting odds on that event.
Recapping the week, there was clearly some noteworthy news. The emergence of new betting markets such as the coming years MLB team win totals are interesting news to this market as we will see initial early bets come in, that are usually sharp bettors, and shape the market. Capping this list off with political betting odds was also a bonus in the weeks sports betting news.
Looking back on my personal media consumption for the week, I found myself looking for a second perspective on the stories I followed. From this class, it has been instilled in us to verify content and these stories met that criteria of being verified in other media outlets. When it comes to the sports gambling space, the landscape is rather new. We are seeing more traditional media companies that used to shy away from gambling content now flock to it. Verifying accurate reporting and ciphering through what is actual news vs. simply opinion is essential to navigate this new territory.
Francisco Healy
