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, Oct. 30
World Series resumes in Arizona
Ketel Marte delivered a two-run single on Saturday leading the Diamondbacks to a 9-1 victory over the Rangers. With the single, Marte extended his MLB postseason hitting streak to a record 18 games. The D’Backs scratched out 16 hits in the dominant win. Pitcher Merrill Kelly, who spent four seasons in South Korea through 2018, scattered three hits over seven innings in the victory.
Tied at one game apiece, the World Series resumes on Monday night after a travel day on Sunday.
With his 8th inning single tonight, Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte extends his postseason hit streak to 18 straight games, breaking a tie with Manny Ramírez, Derek Jeter, and Hank Bauer for the longest hit streak in MLB postseason history. pic.twitter.com/wLhVvyepuH
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 29, 2023
The Rangers should feel fortunate to take the field Monday with the series tied. On Friday night, Texas trailed 5-3 in the ninth when Corey Seager crushed a four-seam fastball 418 feet for a tying home run. The Rangers prevailed in the 11th when Adolis Garcia sliced a homer over the right field fence for the victory.
Seager is the 500 favorite at FanDuel to win World Series MVP, just ahead of Garcia ( 550). FanDuel lists Marte as the 1000 third choice, odds that should improve drastically if the D’Backs win on Monday night. Corbin Carroll, Marte’s teammate, also has odds of 1000 to win MVP.
Wednesday, Nov. 1
SBC Summit at Hard Rock
Sports betting stakeholders will converge upon the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino this week for the SBC Summit Latinoamérica. The conference is being held against the backdrop of a hectic period for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, where the tribe is involved in a closely watched sports betting case.
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Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the application for a stay from Florida parimutuel West Flagler and Associates that would have placed a temporary hold on the Seminoles’ plans to launch mobile sports betting. Behind the scenes, the issue may receive considerable discussion at the conference.
The summit in South Florida will also feature several sports betting panels. One to monitor on Thursday, the second day of the conference, centers on the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in sports betting. Mike Reaves, a gaming executive at Amazon Web Services (AWS), will discuss why the company’s solutions for Generative AI could have potential to transform the efficiency and scalability of the sports betting industry.
Thursday, Nov. 2
More hints from PENN on ESPN BET launch?
By all indications, PENN Entertainment and ESPN are nearing the rollout of ESPN BET in the coming weeks. Investors are expected to receive more color on the highly anticipated launch during PENN’s quarterly earnings call.
Given ESPN’s universally recognized brand, analysts are intently focused on promotional intensity at ESPN BET during the venture’s first several months. While a prominent venture capitalist believes that ESPN BET will eventually vault to No. 1 nationwide, a recent survey of gambling journalists found that Fanatics is more likely to disrupt industry leaders.
Opinions have varied on whether ESPN BET will vault into the top three U.S. sportsbooks by 2026. Wayne Kimmel, managing partner of @76Capital, is extremely bullish on the new venture, writes @MattRybaltowski (click pic for story)https://t.co/YzJWV2U64m
— Sports Handle (@sports_handle) October 20, 2023
Friday, Nov. 3
DraftKings’ Q3 earnings call
DraftKings will hold its 2023 third-quarter earnings call on Friday, one day after releasing quarterly results after the bell. DraftKings is coming off a successful period in which the company supplanted arch rival FanDuel as the nationwide market share leader, according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming.
While DraftKings is expected to report a quarterly loss of $0.69 per share, according to Zack’s Consensus Estimate, the figures would represent a 31% increase from the same period in 2022. Third-quarter revenue for DraftKings is projected to come in at $702.3 million, an increase of 39.9% from the year-ago quarter.
Saturday, Nov. 4
College Football Playoff picture becomes less hazy
On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff committee will release its first rankings of the season. Georgia, the two-time defending national champion, is expected to stand atop the rankings after a lopsided 43-20 victory over Florida. The Bulldogs face another test on Saturday against Missouri, which moved to No. 14 in the nation after a win over South Carolina.
Georgia opened as 15-point favorites at Circa Sports , where the total is 53.5. The matchup in Athens is one of several Top 25 showdowns on Saturday. Also on Saturday, No. 7 Texas will host No. 25 Kansas State in a potential Big 12 championship preview. The Longhorns are 5-point favorites. Following a squeaker over Stanford in Week 9, No. 5 Washington will take on No. 24 USC in Los Angeles. The Huskies are 4-point favorites, while the total is an astounding 78.5 points.
Finally, No. 8 Alabama will meet No. 13 LSU in an SEC West showdown. Although the teams have arguably underperformed this season, both are still in contention for the SEC West title. The Crimson Tide are 6-point favorites over the Tigers; the total is 57.5.
Arcangelo, Cody’s Wish highlight Breeders’ Cup
Arcangelo heads into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic with Grade 1 victories in the Belmont Stakes and the Travers. A win by the 3-year old son of Arrogate will make Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to capture the Belmont, Travers, and the Classic in the same year.
Arcangelo, the likely favorite for the Classic, lost a main rival on Saturday when Haskell winner Geaux Rocket Ride suffered a leg injury in training. Meanwhile, Kentucky Derby winner Mage pulled out of the Classic on Sunday after spiking a fever.
Mandella said Geaux Rocket Ride has condylar fracture that broke through skin. While no sesamoid fracture, ligaments are stretched. Plan is for arthrodesis Sunday. “It’s going to be a delicate situation, it’s going to be lucky to make it, but we’re going to do everything we can.”
— David Grening (@DRFGrening) October 28, 2023
While Arcangelo may clinch Eclipse Award honors on Saturday, the race for U.S. Horse of the Year is still wide open, and Cody’s Wish can stake his claim with a victory in the Dirt Mile for the second consecutive year.
Up to the Mark, a contender in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, enters with three straight Grade I wins. Up to the Mark, a 4-year old son of Not This Time, will likely face a pair of talented European shippers in Auguste Rodin and Mostahdaf.
Although the Breeders’ Cup will be held in California, sportsbooks will closely monitor wagering activity in Kentucky, a hotbed for racing. This weekend’s world championships mark the first Breeders’ Cup since the Bluegrass State launched sports betting last month. The cross-sell between sports betting and horse racing figures to be a key metric this weekend.
Sunday, Nov. 5
Chiefs-Dolphins in Frankfurt
The Broncos forced three first-half turnovers in Sunday’s win over the Chiefs en route to a 24-9 upset in Denver. The loss dropped the Chiefs into a 4-way tie with the Dolphins, Jaguars, and Ravens for the best mark in the AFC. If the playoffs began today, the Chiefs and Dolphins would earn the top two seeds based on tiebreakers.
The teams will meet Sunday in Frankfurt in the NFL’s second only regular season game in Germany. While Patrick Mahomes played through a 102-degree fever against Denver, the Broncos’ held him without a touchdown in the surprising win. Also in Week 8, Tyreek Hill finished with eight catches for 114 yards in a win over the Patriots. Hill became the first NFL player in 62 years to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a team’s first eight games of a season.
Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown both on pace to break NFL record for receiving yards in a season. https://t.co/F7xiZTgAaI
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 30, 2023
Facing an equally potent offense in the Chiefs, the Dolphins are 2.5-point dogs at Caesars Sportsbook. The total is 50.5 points, the highest of any on the week.
Key injuries and absences heading into the NFL’s Week 9:
The Vikings fear that Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Packers, coach Kevin O’Connell said in the postgame news conference. As a result, the Vikings’ Super Bowl odds at FanDuel took a hit, soaring to 120/1 on Monday morning. There are now 18 teams with a higher probability than the Vikings to win the Super Bowl. The Vikings are 1-point underdogs at bet365 against the Falcons.
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett left Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars with a rib injury. The Steelers have a quick turnaround with a matchup against the Titans on Thursday night. The reduced recovery time may prompt Pittsburgh to start backup Mitch Trubisky, according to the NFL Network.
Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor was hospitalized Sunday night after sustaining a rib injury against the Jets. With Taylor out for the majority of the game, Giants backup Tommy DeVito finished 2-of-7 for minus-1 yards. The Giants, however, cleared Daniel Jones (neck) for Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders, the NFL Network reported. The Giants are 3-point ‘dogs against the Raiders at BetRivers.
Have a good week, everyone!
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