Author: Bill Gelman

Bill Gelman is a veteran sports writer based just outside of Philadelphia and not too far from the Jersey Shore. Bill spends time in Atlantic City writing about casino openings and expansions, special events and world championship boxing at Boardwalk Hall. He is now adding NJ sports betting and online gambling to the mix.

Pick A Prop: 2020 NFL Draft Betting Options At DraftKings And FanDuel Sportsbooks

The list of 2020 NFL Draft props may not reach Super Bowl betting levels, but there will be no shortage of options at NJ sportsbooks.

The NFL Draft is likely the only major NJ sports betting event taking place this month.

It will not fill the March Madness wagering void or make up for the lack of MLB and NBA games. But, hey, something is better than nothing.

All seven rounds will unfold live on national TV.

DraftKings Sportsbook is getting creative with available bets, including this one:

Philadelphia Eagles fans may prefer evaluating these odds from FanDuel Sportsbook:

NFL Draft betting breakdown at DraftKings

Anytime the NFL Draft comes around, there is the typical talk of who will be the first running back drafted.

And what about the first offensive lineman or wide receiver?

DraftKings has compiled notable first picks by position splits. Here is a closer look at the betting breakdown as of Thursday:

Like with Wall Street, athletes see their stock rise or fall leading up to the big day.

Those confident about a certain player being selected in the top 10, DraftKings has set the betting lines. So, if an individual is picked between No. 1 and 10 in the first round, the ticket is a winner.

Here are some of the current odds:

  • Mekhi Becton -500
  • Tristan Wirfs -400
  • Jedrick Wills -335
  • Derrick Brown -200
  • Andrew Thomas +110
  • Jordan Love +200
  • Jerry Jeudy/Javon Kinlaw +250
  • CeeDee Lamb/Henry Ruggs III, +300
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Tua Tagovailoa odds at FanDuel

Several NFL teams see this as a golden opportunity to draft their quarterback of the future. Some players will end up being an MVP, while others will fail to live up to the high expectations.

The class of 2020 has the potential to be a strong one.

All signs are pointing to Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow will go No. 1 to the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is likely to be a high first-round selection, too. After missing part of last season with a serious hip injury, the passer has recovered and is ready to go.

FanDuel is taking bets on the team to draft Tagovailoa. The Miami Dolphins, who pick No. 5 overall, are the current favorites at -150.

Here are the other teams in the mix:

  • Chargers +195
  • Redskins +340
  • Raiders +1500
  • Lions +1600
  • Panthers +1900
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What about Mr. Irrelevant?

The last player taken in the NFL Draft earns the title of Mr. Irrelevant. So, why not add it to the list of prop bets.

But unlike the first-round picks, there is no need to waste time trying to figure out the player. Consider it a multiple-choice test in which bettors have a 33.3% chance of cashing a winning ticket.

Here are the latest odds from FanDuel:

  • Offensive player -125
  • Defensive player -105
  • Special teams +1100

Is Atlantic City Really Being Considered To Host The NBA Playoffs?

Atlantic City is rumored to be a potential NBA playoff site for a 16-team tournament. It sounds crazy, and that’s why we are talking about it.

The word is that the NBA playoffs could end up being a 16-team, single-site tournament.

And, believe it or not, Atlantic City is being discussed as a potential site.

A New York Post article mentions Jersey Shore, along with several other cities, including Las Vegas and Orlando. 

Sound crazy? Do we even know what it means in today’s world?

Since there aren’t any professional sports taking place right now, this is the perfect time to talk about it.

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Atlantic City still waiting on the NBA

With Atlantic City casinos currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, welcoming the NBA would do wonders for Jersey Shore.

The current shutdown is the longest in AC history, and it’s expected to continue for several more weeks. Of course, that means there will no NBA in Atlantic City, or anywhere else for that matter until the country opens back up.

The league has yet to share an official statement regarding how and when NBA games will return.

Will teams finish the regular season? If so, how many more games will be played?

What will the exact playoff format be?

Will fans be allowed to attend the games?

The NBA and the other professional sports leagues have never faced these questions before.

NBA playoffs in Atlantic City, Las Vegas or Orlando?

On paper, Atlantic City seems like the most unlikely destination for an NBA postseason tournament.

The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas is home to the NBA Summer League and UNLV basketball games. Plus, the 2007 All-Star Game was played there.

The Amway Center in Central Florida is home to the Orlando Magic. That would give home-court advantage to a franchise holding down the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed. That doesn’t seem fair.

AC, on the other hand, is neutral turf.

Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall has hosted several basketball events. This includes last month’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. It was abruptly cut short when the NCAA decided to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

The Atlantic 10 previously held its postseason tournament in AC before moving it to Brooklyn.

Boardwalk Hall can hold more than 14,000 fans.

In terms of hotel rooms, the Las Vegas Strip has more room inventory. In AC, the nine casino-hotels alone could provide more than 15,000 rooms for teams, league executives and fans.

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NBA playoff betting handle would be huge

Think about the potential boost an NBA event of this magnitude could do for the NJ sports betting industry.

As long as the social distancing rules are loosened, the eight retail sportsbooks would be filled to capacity. Even if bettors wager using one of the 17 mobile apps, those who can’t get tickets at the arena will be looking for a gathering place to watch and bet on the NBA games.

Would it reach Super Bowl betting levels? More than $54 million was wagered on February’s Big Game.

Unlike college basketball tournaments, NBA betting on NJ-based events is permitted. And with this being a multi-day event, the Garden State could potentially crush previous records.

This is not an April Fools’ joke

Yes, today is April Fools’ Day.

As crazy as the NBA playoffs taking place in Atlantic City sounds, no disclaimer is needed.

The leagues are considering all options at this point.

Just talking about this gives us hope that the NBA will resume sometime soon.

Maintenance Required: Golden Nugget Sportsbook Offline Following SBTech Cyberattack

Golden Nugget’s NJ online sportsbook, powered by SBTech, remains down following last week’s cyber attack. Luckily, it’s AC online casino is not impacted.

Golden Nugget Sportsbook customers are currently sidelined. The following message appears on the sports betting site:


The SBTech-powered platform went down on March 27 as the result of a cybersecurity threat.

However, the Golden Nugget online casino is not impacted because it operates via a Scientific Games platform.

In New Jersey, the impact also includes:

Impact on Golden Nugget Sportsbook

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Golden Nugget sports betting site was still down. The operational status remains to be determined.

Thomas Winter, senior vice president and general manager of online gaming for Golden Nugget, addressed the issue with NJ Gambling Sites.

“It’s premature to give an exact timeline, but we hope for the next 48 hours,” said Winter.

So, in the meantime, customers can expect the app to remain in maintenance mode.

“We trust SBT are taking all measures necessary, in close conjunction with regulators, to reopen in a safe fashion,” said Winter.

Leland Moore, spokesman for the New Jersey of Division of Gaming Enforcement, issued the following statement to NJGS:

“The Division of Gaming Enforcement will review and confirm that SB Tech’s operating systems satisfy all of the Division’s performance standards prior to resuming operations.”

Cyberattacks are never good news.

However, the incident comes at a time when the NJ sports betting world is on hold. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the postponement of major sporting events, which includes the start of the 2020 MLB season.

But from Golden Nugget’s perspective, Winter said sports betting was less than 1% of revenue.

“[Revenue was] even less in the days before the cyberattack because of most sports events being canceled, so the impact is very limited for us now,” said Winter.

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Golden Nugget online casino still going strong

The financial impact would be much more severe if the cyberattack shut down Golden Nugget online casino operations.

Its internet gaming revenue is tops among the Garden State’s seven license holders. For February alone, the company generated a market-leading $19.7 million. And that is an 84% year-over-year increase.

The integrated BetAmerica casino and sportsbook app falls under the Golden Nugget license.

But what makes those results more significant is the fact that Atlantic City casinos closed March 16. As long as social distancing guidelines remain in place, the gambling floors will remain shuttered.

Year to date, Golden Nugget’s online portfolio ($40.9 million) has outperformed the land-based operations ($31.1 million).

SugarHouse online casino and Betfair are the other land-based partners.

Getting back in the NJ sports betting game

The Golden Nugget sports wagering app will be up and running again soon. Of course, the bigger issue is being able to offer bettors live sporting events.

Remember, this is the first season the Marina District property is offering NBA betting. Eventually, the league and other pro sports will return.

But will it be safe wagering once the cyberattack issue is resolved?

Golden Nugget customers can be assured that personal information remains safeguarded.

“None of our customers’ personal information is ever sent to SBTech systems because they stay within our players’ account management system, which is not managed by SBTech,” said Winter.

Fill The March Madness Void: Early Look At 2020-21 NCAA Championship Odds

NJ sports betting apps posted the early 2021 March Madness odds. It means the NCAA champion futures market is open, only with a much longer wait.

The major void of March Madness betting is still lingering over the sports world.

The Final Four was supposed to take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on April 4. The national championship game was scheduled for April 6.

COVID-19 and social distancing gave a whole new meaning to busted brackets.  CBS has been replaying classic games in NCAA Tournament history to fill the void.

Instead of letting it serve as a source of “March Sadness,” you can start counting down to the 2021 Big Dance.

And, here’s the better part: mobile sports betting apps in New Jersey have posted the early odds.

So, if you don’t mind waiting 12 months, go ahead and pick the next NCAA champion.

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NCAA Championship 2021 odds breakdown

Glancing over the NJ sports betting odds, Baylor and Gonzaga are the early favorites. Both schools finished the just-shortened seasoned ranked in the top five of the AP Top 25.

Of course, it’s so early in the game that things could drastically change. Teams’ rosters and schedules still need to be finalized.

Which players will declare for the NBA Draft?

As a result, some of the Garden State‘s 17 mobile operators have yet to post odds.

Since there is no Elite Eight or Final Four to talk about, here is a futures comparison at BetMGM Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook:

BetMGM DraftKings
Sportsbook		FanDuel
Sportsbook
Gonzaga +800Baylor +800Baylor +1000
Baylor +800Gonzaga +800Gonzaga +1000
Duke +900
Virginia +900Villanova +1000
Virginia +900Creighton +1100Virginia +1200
Creighton +1100Villanova +1100Creighton +1400
Villanova +1100Kentucky +1200Kentucky +1400
Kentucky +1200Duke +1400Duke +1600
Florida State +1500Florida State +1500Kansas +1800
Iowa +1500Iowa +1500Florida State +2000

DraftKings offers Final Four betting

DraftKings is offering another wrinkle to the early March Madness betting. Customers have the option of wagering on which teams will make the Final Four.

It will take place on April 3-5, 2021, in Indianapolis.

So, you could potentially double up on a national championship wager by backing the same school to punch a ticket to Indy.

Here are some of the favorites:

  • Baylor or Gonzaga +125
  • Virginia +150
  • Creighton or Villanova +200
  • Kentucky +225
  • Duke +275
  • Florida State or Iowa +300

New Jersey sports betting customers who are getting in this early might look at teams with more value. While backing an underdog is a riskier proportion, the potential payout is much greater.

These schools currently have odds of +3900 to make the Final Four:

  • Boston College
  • BYU
  • Harvard
  • Kansas State
  • Nebraska
  • Northwestern
  • Texas A&M
  • Vanderbilt
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March Madness betting 2020 vs. 2021

Eventually, America will move past the ’20 season that left fans with too many unanswered questions. Conference champions were left hanging in terms of their respective Selection Sunday landing spots.

Then there are the bubble teams who never found out if they did enough to make the field of 68.

Come Monday night, there will be the reality of not seeing the national champion cut down the nets.

The sports world, not just the NCAA, will eventually return to normalcy. So, instead of thinking about the Final Four that could’ve been, why not predict the future?

It beats doing a toilet paper inventory.

Betting is optional.

What Are The Odds The Philadelphia Eagles Prevail Over The Dallas Cowboys In 2020?

The 2020 NFL season is still several months away, but Fox Bet has the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys as favorites to win the NFC East.

Do the Philadelphia Eagles have what it takes to win their third NFC East title in four seasons?

It’s likely to be a two-team race between the Birds and Dallas Cowboys.

While it’s a tad too early to evaluate the division race truly, there is a clear separation in the futures market.

Here are the current NFC East odds from Fox Bet NJ:

  • Cowboys +110
  • Eagles +115
  • Giants +900
  • Redskins +1100

The G-Men are coming off a 4-12 season while Washington finished tied for an NFC-worst 3-13.

Fox Bet + Eagles boosts

For now, current NFL betting should be viewed with an asterisk.

The free-agent market opened last week, and several big names are still available.

Plus, teams will be addressing needs via next month’s NFL Draft. Philadelphia fans are wondering what improvements the Eagles will make at wide receiver.

At the same time, Fox Bet is making the Birds to win the NFC East wager a little more intriguing.

The operator announced a props-and-locks boost in which bettors receive odds of +150 (up from +115). So, the potential payout on a $100 wager would be $150 versus $115.

New cornerback Darius Slay, who the Eagles acquired via trade, is expected to play a crucial role. But will he have a Defensive Player of the Year type impact?

Fox Bet has boosted the odds to +20000 from +15000.

Here are the current favorites:

  • Aaron Donald +700
  • Nick Bosa +1000
  • Khalil Mack +1200
  • JJ Watt +1200
  • Stephen Gilmore +1600
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Eagles + total wins for 2020

Philadelphia knows who their opponents will be, but the NFL has yet to release the schedule. Those details will be released next month.

But those details are not as important from an NJ sports betting standpoint as team win totals are live. Fox Bet has the Eagles over/under line set at 9.5 wins.

The line is the same for the Cowboys.

As far as NFC teams go, only the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers have a higher win total line (both at 10.5). The Birds will play both those teams in the fall.

Philly Super Bowl betting odds

Super Bowl 55 is taking place Feb. 7 in Tampa Bay, FL. Does Philly have what it takes to get there?

The Eagles have made back-to-back trips to the postseason since defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52.

As far as the ’20 season goes, they are not favored to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The honor belongs to Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs (+600).

The Birds are currently listed among the next five teams:

  • Ravens +750
  • 49ers +900
  • Saints +1300
  • Cowboys +1600
  • Eagles/Tampa Bay +1800

For those who haven’t heard the news, Tom Brady now calls Tampa Bay home.

So, while we sit back and wait for the return of MLB, NBA and NHL games, consider NFL wagering a nice distraction.

But will it be Philly or Dallas who wins the NFC East?

MLB Fans Staying Home On Opening Day Still Waiting For First Pitch

Major League Baseball opening day is taking place today.

But there won’t be any fans inside of Marlins Park. The Philadelphia Phillies were supposed to open the 2020 season in Miami.

The COVID-19 pandemic has the entire season locked in a temporary holding pattern.

Instead of completely ignoring March 26, MLB is providing its quarantined fan base an alternative: #OpeningDayAtHome.

A full slate of previously played games are being shown on multiple platforms, so there isn’t any need to check the NJ sports betting run lines.

Phillies fans can visit the team website to rewatch the Aug. 15 game against the Chicago Cubs. Spoiler alert: Bryce Harper delivered with a walk-off grand slam.

The MLB Facebook page will be replaying Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The first pitch is at 2:50 p.m. For a little teaser, current Bronx Bomber manager Aaron Boone plays a major role in the final score.

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MLB still has opening day plans

Teams will eventually play live regular-season games. The where, when and, how are still being determined.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred shared an update with fans via social media:

At the same time, some may be wondering what this means for the seasonal employees working at baseball stadiums across the country.  MLB is looking out for them, too.

A little MLB betting update

The topics of which team is favored to win the National League and American League don’t seem to be as important right now.

The reality is with spring training being cut short; managers were still in the process of determining their final opening day rosters. There will likely be some underdogs that surprise the baseball world.

New Jersey sportsbooks are taking MLB futures, so the baseball betting topic isn’t completely tabled.

One thing worth looking at is seeing if and how the odds have shifted since February. Remember when pitchers and catchers reported?

In terms of the NL East winner, Fox Bet NJ customers will notice not much has changed:

  • Braves +180
  • Nationals +260
  • Mets +300
  • Phillies +333
  • Marlins +50,000

Shifting over to the American League East, the Yankees remain a heavy favorite to win the division crown:

  • Yankees -333
  • Rays +375
  • Red Sox +1000
  • Blue Jays +3300
  • Orioles +20000

The 2020 World Series champion

When MLB returns, the new dates for the World Series will be announced. Whether or not it will still be referred to as the Fall Classic is another story.

Talking about which teams will make it will help pass the time.

Since the players and coaches have gone their separate ways, the current odds help set the stage.

FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers leading the pack at +380.

The Nationals, the defending World Series champs, are +1800.

The Mets (+2200) and Phillies (+2500) are even bigger underdogs.

Here are other teams in the World Series betting conversation:

  • Astros +750
  • Braves +1400
  • Twins +1600
  • Rays +1800
  • Cardinals +2300
  • A’s +2500

Eventually, one of these bets will payout.

This year, however, the bigger excitement will come when the home plate umpire finally says, “Play ball!”

And, on that day, whenever it is, everybody will be a winner.