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What Are The Odds You’ll Want To Bet On The 2019 Rugby World Cup?

The Rugby World Cup is only held once every four years, but it’s happening this year. Here’s how you can bet on the 2019 Rugby World Cup at NJ sportsbooks.

There’s more to New Jersey sports betting than just the big four.

Most of the betting markets at NJ sportsbooks surround major US sports leagues like the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. However, there are a variety of unique alternative betting markets available as well.

The Rugby World Cup is only held once every four years. And 2019 is one of those years.

This year, Japan is hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2. Right now, NJ sports betting operators are already taking bets on which country will take home the Webb Ellis Cup, awarded to the international squad that wins the tournament.

Plus, a variety of NJ sportsbooks are also taking bets on the 2019 Rugby World Cup first-round matches.

2019 Rugby World Cup odds

Here’s a look at the 2019 Rugby World Cup futures markets at two of the top NJ online gambling sites: BetStarsNJ and FanDuel Sportsbook:

As defending World Cup champions, New Zealand is the clear betting favorite. In fact, New Zealand has won three of the eight Rugby World Cup tournaments and are perennial favorites.

There are 20 teams in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. But as you can see, oddsmakers give half the teams, including host nation Japan, very little chance of winning.

Reasonable odds are only posted for traditional rugby powerhouse countries such as New Zealand, England, Wales, Ireland, South Africa, and Australia.

Plus, only upstarts such as France, Scotland, and Argentina join the previous group with odds posted at less than +20000.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup

The 2019 Rugby World Cup will start with the pool stage, where the 20 teams are divided into four pools. Every team in each pool plays one another.

Teams earn four points for a win and two for a draw. Plus, any team that scores four tries in a match or loses by less than eight points earns a bonus point.

The top two teams in each pool advance to the quarterfinals where the knockout stage begins. There is a Bronze Final match between the losers of the two semifinals to determine the third-place finisher.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup final will be held Nov. 2 at International Stadium Yokohama.

Understanding rugby betting

Of course, it might prove difficult to bet on a sport you know very little about. After all, rugby is not a top sport in the US.

However, the following Rugby rules refresher should provide you with a basic understanding of the game.

Legend has it that rugby was invented when one player picked up the ball and ran with it during a soccer game. It plays very much like a combination of soccer and football here in the US.

A rugby pitch looks a lot like a football field. There’s a large playing field with a goal area at either end, much like an end zone. Plus, H-shaped goalposts stand at either end.

Rugby teams are 15 players per side and much like most other sports, the object is to score more points than your opponent.

Rugby matches are 80 minutes long with two 40 minute halves. Like the NFL, the teams attempt to move the ball up the field to score. However, unlike the NFL, the ball cannot be passed forward.

Rugby play and scoring

Instead, players run with the ball, lateral it back to teammates in an attempt to advance further, or kick it forward and run it down.

On the defensive side, players attempt to tackle the ball carrier or rip the ball away.

There are four ways to score:

Teams earn a try (5 points) when a player places the ball down in the goal area.
Teams earn a conversion (2 points) when they kick the ball through the upper goalposts following a try.
Referees award a penalty kick for various infractions. Teams earn three points when they kick the ball through the upper goal posts on penalty kicks.
Teams earn a drop goal (3 points) when the kick the ball through the upper goal posts during play. The kicking player must bounce the ball before kicking it.

When the ball goes out of bounds there is a throw-in. Both teams line up as many as seven players. Then, one player throws the ball in on a straight line from where it went out of bounds and the teams compete for it. Players can even lift one another up to get to the ball.

Referees award penalty kicks for major infractions like tackling above the shoulder line. However, the referees call for a scrum when a minor infraction occurs. Minor infractions include things like passing the ball forward.

Each team sends up to eight players into a scrum. The pile of players interlock, the ball is fed into the small gap between the two teams, and they compete for possession.

How To Speak Sports Betting: Moneyline, Run Line, Puck Line

Star learning to speak the language of sports betting with in-depth definitions of common sports betting terms like moneyline, puck line, and run line.

The first year of legal sports betting in New Jersey certainly proved there’s a market for it.

Gamblers bet around $3 billion at NJ sportsbooks in year one. Year two should be even bigger with the market growing to include 10 retail sportsbooks at NJ racetracks and Atlantic City casinos.

Plus, there are 14 NJ sports betting apps and more are getting ready to launch.

Clearly, it’s more than just pro sports bettors pumping cash into the market. Casual sports fans who have never bet before and don’t exactly speak the language of sports betting are doing it in increasing numbers as well.

The language of sports betting

A lot of that is due to the fact NJ sportsbook apps and self-serve sports betting kiosks at retail sportsbooks have removed one of the major barriers to market entry.

If you’ve ever done it or even thought about it, you know visiting a betting window to place a bet can be an intimidating prospect.

For the most part, the NJ online gambling sites and self-serve sports betting kiosks have eliminated the need to do that.

However, one other major barrier to market entry is still around.

The language employed by staff at most betting windows is a big part of why the live wagering process is so intimidating. There’s a particular sports betting jargon used by operators and hardcore sports handicappers that is rather alien to most of us.

Of course, it’s really nothing you should be afraid of. You too can learn to speak the language of sports betting.

It’s really just common sense. Plus, anyone with a desire to learn can pick up the intricacies of sports betting speech in no time.

All most require is a quick refresher on the meaning of some of the most common sports betting terms.

Check out last week’s piece. Then, continue with the three terms described below and you’ll be speaking the language of sports betting almost immediately.

Moneyline

For most sports, the moneyline is the easiest way you can bet on games.

You simply pick who you think will win. Sportsbooks payout at whatever the moneyline odds were at the time you booked that bet if they do win.

Moneyline odds are posted with either a plus [+] or minus [-] sign in front of a specific number. The plus sign means that team is the underdog. The number is how much each $100 bet on them will pay, plus your original bet back.

The minus sign is for favorites. This number indicates how much you’ll need to bet on them to win $100 plus your bet back.

Moneyline bets are single-game bets of their own. However, the word “moneyline” also describes the type of odds available on the other bet types at NJ sportsbooks.

For example. you may have made a Super Bowl point spread bet at DraftKings Sportsbook this past February. Let’s say you liked the New England Patriots at -2.5.

If you booked the bet, you likely booked it at moneyline odds of somewhere between -110 and -112.

Since New England covered, you got paid $100 for every $110 or $112 you bet.

Run line

Run lines are a way to bet on baseball games. This is similar to point spreads in football games in that the line must be factored into a game’s final score to determine the betting winner.

The average MLB game is relatively low scoring and run lines are almost always +/-1.5 as a result. Although, several NJ sportsbooks also offer alternative run lines with varying odds.

With a run line of 1.5, you are either betting that the favorite will win by 2 runs or more, or that the underdog will win outright or lose by only one run.

Of course, using run lines alters the odds significantly.

For example, the New York Mets (-210) are favorites over the Philadelphia Phillies (+180) on Friday at FanDuel Sportsbook. However, a 1.5 run line changes things dramatically.

The price on the Phillies is +1.5 (-110) while the price on the Mets is -1.5 (-106).

As you can see, giving away runs through the run line allows you to book a better price on the game’s moneyline favorite. Although, the team must cover the run line for you to get paid that price.

Puck line

Puck lines are a way to bet on hockey games. Sportsbooks offer NHL puck lines that are essentially moneyline bets with a point spread factored in.

The difference in the average NHL games is usually two goals or less. As a result, sportsbooks set the puck line for most games at -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog.

That means favorites need to win by two goals or more, and underdogs need to win outright or lose by just a single goal.

Make the correct prediction with that puck line factored and you’ve got yourself a winner.

You book puck line bets at the odds posted on each team just like the moneyline. However, having to factor in that puck line impacts the odds.

In fact, gamblers often use the puck line to manipulate unfavorable moneyline odds.

You may have to lay money betting the moneyline favorite. However, with the puck line factored in that favorite might become an underdog or a less-costly favorite.

For example, BetStars NJ may have had the Boston Bruins as -165 moneyline favorites to win Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last month. They may have also had the St. Louis Blues at around +140.

However, with a 1.5 puck line factored in, the Blues became (+1.5) -190 favorites and the Bruins (-1.5) +160 underdogs.

In the end, the Blues won the game 4-1 outright, so it really didn’t matter. But as you can clearly see, giving away goals on the puck line has a major impact on the odds.

How To Speak Sports Betting In New Jersey: Odds, Handle And Hold

Don’t speak sports betting? Don’t let it stop you. Here’s a weekly refresher on common sports betting terms, including odds, handle and hold this week.

If the first year of legal sports betting in New Jersey has proved one thing it’s that there’s a market for it.

NJ sportsbooks took in upwards of $3 billion in bets in year one.

Year two should prove even bigger now that the market has grown to include 10 retail sportsbooks at Atlantic City casinos and NJ racetracks. Plus, 14 different NJ sports betting apps and more preparing to launch.

Clearly, it’s more than just professional handicappers driving this new NJ sports betting market. People who have never placed a sports bet and don’t exactly speak sports betting are doing it, too.

Removing barriers

That’s partly because NJ sports betting apps and self-serve sports betting kiosks at retail sportsbooks have helped remove one major barrier to market entry.

Having to visit a betting window to place a bet can be intimidating. But for the most part, NJ sports betting apps and self-serve sports betting kiosks eliminate the need to do it.

However, another major barrier to market entry may still exist.

The language used at the window is a big part of why visit one can be so intimidating. There’s a sports betting jargon employed by operators and veteran sports gamblers that may sound like it takes years to perfect.

While some NJ sports betting apps and sports betting kiosks have done away with this complicated language in favor of something even novice sports bettors can understand, much of it is still exists.

However, it’s really nothing to be afraid of. You too can speak sports betting.

The language of sports betting is rooted in common sense. Plus, those who show a desire to learn can easily understand it.

A little refresher on the meaning of some of the most common sports betting terms is usually all that’s required. Start with the three terms described below and you’ll speak sports betting like a pro in no time.

Odds

Odds are basically a numeric expression of a team or individual’s chances of winning. NJ sportsbooks generally post what are referred to as moneyline odds, American odds or US odds. Sportsbooks use the odds posted at the time you placed a bet to determine how much to pay out when that bet wins.

Odds are posted with either a plus [+] or minus [-] symbol in front of a number. The plus symbol indicates that team or individual is an underdog and the number is how much each $100 bet on that side will pay.

The minus symbol indicates that team or individual is a favorite and the number is how much you’ll need to bet to win $100.

Sportsbooks also return the original bet to winners in both these cases.

For example, FanDuel Sportsbook is currently offering +280 odds on the Los Angeles Lakers to win the 2019-20 NBA Championship. That means a $100 bet on the Lakers would pay $280 plus the original $100 bet back if they win the title next season.

Similarly, DraftKings Sportsbook is currently offering -121 odds on the Chicago Cubs to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. That means you’d have to bet $121 on the Yankees to win $100 and your original $121 back.

Sportsbooks may also refer to odds as the price offered on a bet.

Handle

Handle is a sports betting term referring to the total amount of money bet at a sportsbook, group of sportsbooks, on an individual event or group of events.

That $3 billion in bets taken by NJ sportsbooks in year one mentioned above is the NJ sports betting industry’s first-year handle.

Of course, handle is an industry term you don’t necessarily need to know to place bets. However, it’s not a bad idea to seek out some information about the industry you’re betting in. Knowing this term is as good a place to start as any.

Handle is not revenue. Revenue is what sportsbooks have left over from handle once all winning bets have been paid.

Another example of handle is the $34.8 million in Super Bowl bets NJ sportsbooks took in this past February. One might say NJ’s 2019 Super Bowl handle was $34.8 million.

One can also look at May 2019 numbers released by the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement and see that NJ sportsbooks posted $318.9 million in monthly handle.

Hold

Hold is essentially the amount of handle sportsbooks keep after they pay out winning bets. The industry also refers to hold as win or revenue.

Once again, hold is an industry term you don’t necessarily need to know to place bets. However, the more informed you are about the industry the better choices you can make inside of it.

Hold can tell you how much money a particular sportsbook is making before taxes and other expenses. A number that you might want to consider when it comes time to choose a place to bet.

One reason a sportsbook could have a higher hold percentage than a competitor may be less competitive odds.

Those May 2019 numbers released by the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement mentioned above list hold as sports wagering revenue.

Operators running under the Meadowlands license, including FanDuel Sportsbook, are leading the industry so far this year. These operators have posted a combined $53.4 million in sports wagering revenue.

Those operating under the Resorts Digital license, including DraftKings Sportsbook and BetStars NJ, are running a distant second. These operators have posted $26.7 million in sports wagering revenue so far this year.

No other NJ sports betting licensee has posted more than $10 million in hold so far this year.

Staying In Atlantic City For A While? You Can Now Rent An Apartment At The Showboat

The casino on the property remains closed, but the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City is now offering long-term rentals for weekly or monthly stays.

Just in time for the busy summer season on the Jersey Shore, the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City now offers long-term rentals.

According to a press release from Philadelphia’s Tower Investments, the Showboat is currently offering weekly and monthly rentals on fully outfitted studio, one-, and two-bedroom luxury apartments.

Tower Investments President and CEO Bart Blatstein bought the former hotel and casino in January 2016 for $23 million. The Showboat reopened as a non-gaming hotel in July of that year.

“Open now for our third summer, we know how much our guests enjoy staying with us at Showboat,” said Blatstein in a statement.

“I’ve always believed in Atlantic City and my confidence hasn’t wavered. We continue to see exciting momentum and want to continue to be a part of that. New offerings like this will just keep making this great city even better and more attractive to guests.”

What the Showboat apartments include

The Showboat’s beachfront apartment rentals start at $1,300 a week for studios, $1,800 for one-bedrooms and $2,400 for two-bedrooms.

Each suite features a full kitchen with a dishwasher, oven, stovetop, refrigerator and microwave. Housekeeping services are available to provide linens and towels, and there are on-site laundry facilities.

Renters will also have access to storage space, complimentary parking, and the Matrxx, 24-hour, 14,000-square-foot fitness center on the property.

Blatstein said that offering guests the option for long-term stays just makes sense:

“We’ve been extremely successful in hosting meeting and conventions and have found the visitors who stay with us don’t want to leave. Now, they don’t have to. They can come and stay and enjoy all the city has to offer for as long as they’d like.”

The Showboat’s many faces in Atlantic City

Of course, the property first opened on the Boardwalk as the Showboat Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center in March 1987. It started with a 60,000-square-foot casino and a 60-lane bowling alley.

Harrah’s Entertainment, which is now Caesars Entertainment, bought out the property’s parent company in 1998. In 2001, Caesars shut the bowling alley down.

Two years later, Caesars added a new hotel tower. Caesars also made major improvements to the rest of the property over the next decade. This included the opening of a House of Blues, which faces the Boardwalk.

However, in June 2014, Caesars announced plans to close the Showboat to focus on its other Atlantic City casinos (Bally’s, Harrah’s and Caesars). Caesars finally shut the doors in August 2014.

In December of that year, Stockton University bought the property for $18 million. The university planned to turn it into a residential campus. However, that plan failed and Blatstein stepped in a little over a year later.

Blatstein has breathed new life into the Showboat by reopening it in phases. He started with 852 oceanfront rooms and suites in 2016. Then, he opened all 1,331 rooms and suites in the summer of 2018.

A new Showboat Casino?

For now, the Showboat Hotel remains a non-gaming property.

When Hard Rock Casino and Ocean Casino Resort opened nearby on the north end of the Boardwalk last summer, Blatstein began taking a serious look at gaming again.

Hard Rock and Ocean Casino did open in June 2018. Nine months later, in March 2019, the state’s Casino Control Commission granted Blatstein preliminary approval to go after an NJ gambling license.

Blatstein is now pursuing the license, hoping to break ground on a new Showboat Casino on a plot of adjacent land.

Those plans are still in the working stages. In the meantime, the AC hotel’s new long-term apartments are available for rent.

Team USA Now Women’s World Cup Betting Favorites At NJ Sportsbooks

Team USA has emerged as the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup betting favorite after New Jersey’s own Carli Lloyd led the team to victory in its first two games.

Team USA has emerged as the favorite to win the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after New Jersey’s own Carli Lloyd led the team to victory in its first two games.

As the host nation, France was the Women’s World Cup betting favorite when the tournament kicked off.

However, the US are favorites now after a 13-0 drubbing of Thailand in its first game last week and 3-0 shut out of Chile on Sunday.

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup odds

SugarHouse Sportsbook now has Team USA at +185 to win the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup outright. In the meantime, France is at +350.

Other NJ sportsbook apps also give Team USA the lead in the tournament.

DraftKings Sportsbook (+185), FanDuel Sportsbook (+175), and BetStars NJ (+185) also have Team USA as the Women’s World Cup betting favorites.

A win for the US Women’s National Team would mark its fourth victory in the first eight FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.

The win over Chile guarantees the defending Women’s World Cup champion US squad will move out of the 24-team Group Stage and on to the Round of 16.

The battle for Group F supremacy

But first, the US Women’s National Team will take on Sweden on Thursday, June 20 to decide which team will top Group F.

Stade Océane in Le Havre, France, will play host to the game beginning at 3 p.m. EST. Fox and Telemundo will broadcast the game in the US.

It is a bit of a rivalry game. Sweden beat the US in the 2016 Olympics preventing the US Women’s National Team from winning its fourth straight gold medal.

SugarHouse Sportsbook has Team USA as -375 favorites to win the game. Sweden is at +1000 and the tie is at +475.

New Jersey’s own Carli Lloyd

This is Lloyd’s fourth World Cup for Team USA. Lloyd scored the 13th goal versus Thailand. Plus, she put two in the back of the net against Chile to become the first player ever to score in six straight Women’s World Cup games.

The Rutgers Alumna won the 2015 Golden Ball award as the best player in the world. She is also a two-time FIFA player of the year and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist.

Lloyd is now a -103 favorite on SugarHouse Sportsbook to score versus Sweden. She is also at +320 to score Team USA’s first goal of the game.

There are some other local connections to the US Women’s National Team as well.

Forward Tobin Heath is originally from Basking Ridge. Plus, Midfielder Julie Ertz’s husband is Philadelphia Eagles Tight End Zach Ertz.

Ertz scored the team’s other goal against Chile. She is at +700 on SugarHouse Sportsbook to score the first goal versus Sweden and +250 to score at all.

What’s next for Team USA?

The Round of 16 is the beginning of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup knockout stage. The top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams advance to the Round of 16.

The knockout stage is essentially a single-elimination tournament. It begins on June 22 and will end with the final on July 7 at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Décines-Charpieu.

The US will begin the knockout stage on June 24. They will play Spain in Reims if they beat Sweden. If not, the US will play in Paris against the loser of Thursday’s Canada vs. Netherlands match.

You can expect the odds will change at New Jersey online gambling sites throughout the week.

Successful Golden Nugget Online Live Dealer Games Now Available 24/7

Golden Nugget Online Casino’s live dealer casino games won’t shut down at 3 a.m. tonight because the Golden Nugget Live Dealer Studio is now open 24/7.

The live dealer games on Golden Nugget Online Casino will not shut down at 3 a.m. tonight. In fact, they will not shut down anytime in the foreseeable future.

That’s because the Golden Nugget Online Casino live dealer studio in Atlantic City is now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

That means players can access the traditional casino/online casino hybrid games around the clock.

The first live dealer games

Golden Nugget became the first NJ gambling site to offer live dealer games three years ago when it launched live versions of:

Blackjack
Roulette; and
Baccarat

These were versions of traditional table games played out the same way they are in brick-and-mortar casinos across the US. The difference was the action was streamed online and viewers were able to bet using an online interface.

Golden Nugget soon allowed other NJ gambling site operators access to the games. Then it added more.

First came the Texas Hold’em-style table game Live Casino Hold’em in January 2018. Then it was Live Casino Floor Roulette in March 2018, streaming the action right from the Golden Nugget Atlantic City casino floor.

Finally, Golden Nugget launched Live Unlimited Blackjack in June 2018, allowing an unlimited number of players to bet on the same live blackjack hand.

Live dealer games go 24/7

Since Golden Nugget Atlantic City is a 24/7 operation, so was Live Casino Floor Roulette. It was the first live dealer game to run 24/7.

Now, Golden Nugget has extended the hours at its live dealer studio on the property so all the live dealer games are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Golden Nugget’s Online Gaming SVP and General Manager Thomas Winter said player demand drove the change:

“We continue to demonstrate the never-ending commitment of GoldenNuggetCasino.com to providing New Jersey online casino players with the best online gaming experience. Our patrons asked and we delivered by opening our live dealer studio around the clock.”

Golden Nugget rises to the top

Golden Nugget Online Casino launched in November 2013, and it has grown into the top-grossing online casino in the state. Not coincidentally, it also boasts the largest selection of games online in NJ.

Winter has previously indicated live dealer games are some of the most popular on the site. He has also claimed live dealer games have helped drive a 150% increase in online table game revenues.

May 2019 Division of Gaming Enforcement figures were released last week. They showed Golden Nugget posted more than $14 million in revenue last month.

That represents close to a 37% NJ online gambling market share. It also means more than $1 out of every $3 bet online in NJ is wagered at Golden Nugget.