To help your bankroll survive and advance on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, we asked a group of professional sports bettors, handicappers and oddsmakers for tips on wagering on March Madness.
Todd Dewey
Reporter: Sports betting
Email: tdewey@reviewjournal.com
X: @tdewey33
Todd Dewey covers sports betting for the Review-Journal. Prior to taking over that beat in January 2017, he covered UNLV football, 51s baseball and a wide range of other events that come to Las Vegas. A native of Cambridge, Mass., and a graduate of the University of Central Florida, Dewey joined the Review-Journal in 1999 and was the 2013 Nevada Sportswriter of the Year.
When the Odell Beckham news broke, the Browns ascended to the 7-1 third choice to win the AFC behind the Chiefs and Patriots, the 3-1 co-favorites.
Gonzaga is a consensus 14½-point favorite over Saint Mary’s at Las Vegas sportsbooks. When Caesars Entertainment went to 15 early Tuesday afternoon, it quickly took a five-figure wager on the Gaels.
Ten of the teams in the Pac-12 have odds of 25-1 or less to win the conference tournament.
Several oddsmakers balked at MLB’s decision Thursday to require teams this season to send their starting lineups to the commissioner’s office 15 minutes before the clubs release the information elsewhere.
The Westgate moved Oakland’s odds to 80-1 to win the Super Bowl and 40-1 to win the AFC following the trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Antonio Brown.
The one-hour news and information program will air at 3 p.m. weekdays on ESPNews (while also streaming live on the ESPN app) and will be hosted by former Las Vegas sports anchor Doug Kezirian.
The Cubs have compiled four consecutive 90-win seasons and return most of their team that went 95-68 last season. But Las Vegas oddsmakers expect Chicago to take a step back this season.
As much as Americans love an underdog story, we also love tales of redemption, and several handicappers expect Virginia to redeem itself by winning the 2019 NCAA basketball championship.
The Westgate pushed up the sign-up date four months (from July 1) to accomodate those visiting Las Vegas for March Madness and other events.
Despite the Golden Knights’ winning record (35-26-5), a $100 bettor would be down $690 after placing a straight bet on Vegas in every game, according to Covers.com.
The betting public is all over 6-1 underdog Anthony Smith over heavy favorite Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 235 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
The Westgate sportsbook moved Philadelphia on Sunday from 14-1 to win the World Series to 12-1, where the number stayed Thursday when news broke of Bryce Harper’s deal.
Handicapper Micah Roberts said a case can be made for up to 20 drivers to win, including Ryan Blaney at 12-1, Aric Almirola and Erik Jones at 20-1, Denny Hamlin at 25-1, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at 50-1 and Ryan Newman at 80-1.
Yorgos Lanthimos, who directed best picture nominee “The Favourite,” opened as a 50-1 long shot before a late flurry of money on him Sunday moved his odds to 6-1.