Nine online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania present lots of lines, betting markets, boosts, tweets and promotions. The coronavirus pandemic forced the shutdown of major sports on March 12. Since then, books have struggled to fill the void.
This week, perhaps the sun started to peak out of the storm clouds. Some developments from mainstream sports signal a possible return:
- Major League Baseball is sending a return-to-play proposal to the MLB Players Association within a week, reports ESPN. Spring training could resume in mid-June with an early July start to the season.
- The NBA permitted teams to reopen practice facilities for voluntary, social-distanced workouts on May 8. Commissioner Adam Silver and National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts are also hosting a call for all players that day.
- The upcoming 2020 NFL schedule will be released during a three-hour show on the NFL Network on May 7.
- Sources told the New York Post that the NHL’s plan now does not include finishing the regular season. Instead, the league would stage a 24-team tournament with a best-of-three play-in-round.
UFC 249
Anyone staying home with children might feel like their living room has turned into a de-facto Octagon with the main event “scheduled” during Zoom calls.
Unlike sibling fisticuffs over who gets to play the Nintendo Switch, UFC 249 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s back on for May 9. UFC 249 features a 12-fight card headlined by Tony Ferguson (–177) taking on Justin Gaethje (+150) for the interim lightweight championship.
At BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse, betting barely moved but props exceed 20% of the action in some of the bouts.
Some prop bets include:
- Fight length
- Specific round stoppage
- Method of victory
Mattias Stetz, the C.O.O of Rush Street Interactive, which operates BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com said:
“This may be the most significant sporting event taking place since the quarantine began in March. We took action on it right away. UFC is already a powerful draw for our players and I think they are even more delighted this time because the card generated a lot of attention.”
The co-main event is between former world champion Dominick Cruz and Henry Cejudo for the UFC bantamweight crown. Cejudo is -220 and Cruz, who has not fought since 2016, is +183. Cejudo, the division champion, is the UFC’s third-ranked pound-for-pound top fighter.
The rest of the UFC 249 fight card and odds:
- Greg Hardy -182 vs Yorgan DeCastro, +152
- Anthony Pettis -139 vs Donald Cerrone, +117
- Calvin Kattar -265 vs. Jeremy Stephens, + 211
- Ronaldo Souza -127 vs. Uriah Hall, +107
- Bryce Mitchell -186 vs Charles Rosa, +155
- Carla Esparza -155 vs Michelle Waterson, +130
- Fabricio Werdum -355 vs Aleksei Oleinik, +260
- Francis Ngannou -286 vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik, +233
- Ryan Spann -420 vs Sam Alvey, +325
UFC 249 promos at PA online sportsbooks
- Ryan Spann, Bryce Mitchell and Vincente Luque all to win boosted from +178 to +220
- Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje to end via KO/TKO boosted from -155 to -115
- UFC first round insurance: If your wager loses and the fight ends in the first round, get a site credit up to $50.
- Yorgan De Castro & Francis Ngannou both to Win by KO, TKO or DQ: Yes (+500)
- Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz To Go The Distance (-137)
- Justin Gaethje to Win By Decision: Yes (+1,330)
- Over 2.5 KO/TKO/DQs on the UFC 249 Main Card: Yes (+125)
- UFC 249 Triple Bet: Bet $25 on UFC 249 and get a free bet for Fight Night on May 13 or May 16
- Greg Hardy and Francis Ngannou both to win by KO/TKO/DQ boosted from +300 to +475
- Dominick Cruz and Justin Gaethje both to win boosted from +700 to +750
- Every Main Card fight to end by KO or TKO boosted to +2,500
- Donald Cerrone, Jeremy Stephens, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Dominick Cruz, and Justin Gaethje all to win boosted from +15,000 to +20,000
- UFC 249 Profit Boost: Following opt-in, you will be issued a single-use 20% profit boost to use on any UFC 249 market. You must select the boost from your betslip before placing wager to apply the boosted price. Max $50 bet/max $250 additional winnings.
- Tony Ferguson, Henry Cejudo, and Anthony Pettis all to win boosted from +200 to +330
- Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis to go the distance boosted from +125 to +145
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik to win by KO/TKO/DQ boosted from +333 to +370
NASCAR readies for re-start
Re-start your engines. NASCAR gets rolling on May 17 at Darlington Raceway after a two-month stall.
Sports bettors will have various opportunities to place bets on NASCAR races in May during seven races in an 11-day span.
- May 17 — Darlington Raceway — Cup Series
- May 19 — Darlington Raceway — Xfinity Series
- May 20 — Darlington Raceway — Cup Series
- May 24 — Charlotte Motor Speedway — Cup Series
- May 25 — Charlotte Motor Speedway — Xfinity Series
- May 26 — Charlotte Motor Speedway — Trucks Series
- May 27 — Charlotte Motor Speedway — Cup Series
Korean baseball league starts
Korean baseball is a recent addition to the menu at PA online sportsbooks.
A DraftKings user hit on a five-team parlay.
Korean baseball championship odds at FanDuel:
- Doosan Bears: +350
- Sk Wyverns: +400
- Kiwoom Heroes: +460
- Nc Dinos: +600
- Kia Tigers: +800
- Lg Twins: +900
- Samsung Lions: +1,300
- Lotte Giants: +2,400
- Hanwha Eagles: +2,900
History lesson
DraftKings debuted its online casino in Pennsylvania on May 1. Integrated with the sportsbook, it launched with 27 slot titles, table games, and Game King Video Poker. DraftKings has big plans for its iGaming platform in PA. Reps say it will eventually have 280 games and live dealer.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, it has felt like we are living in a history book. If George Washington was alive now and looking for iGaming options, the scene might unfold like this…
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