Category Archives: Major Sports

NFL Week 12 action leads to more uncertainty in the playoff race

The NFL made it through 11 weeks of football with only minor problems from COVID-19.  The Tennessee Titans suffered an outbreak earlier in the season that forced a few changes to the schedule, but everything was relatively smooth since then – until last week.  The Baltimore Ravens have seen a major outbreak that led to their Thanksgiving game against the Pittsburgh Steelers to be postponed until tomorrow, but that is now in jeopardy, as well.  While this important game will have to sit on the back burner, the rest of the Week 12 action found a few surprise outcomes that are making sports fans, and gamblers, question their predictions on who will land where in the newly-expanded playoffs. 

It looked like the New England Patriots were going to go down once again.  They got off to a very slow start against the Arizona Cardinals, with quarterback Cam Newton held to less than 40 yards passing in the first half.  He didn’t get much better in the second half and ended the day with no touchdowns and two interceptions, connecting with receivers for only 84 yards.  The Cardinals had the better stats throughout the game, but the Pats still managed to pull off the win.  It took a 50-yard field goal by Nick Folk with four seconds on the clock to break the 17-17 tie, but it was enough to keep the Pats alive for the postseason.  Gamblers who backed the Pats scored, as well, as the +100 moneyline at BetRivers.com gave them some extra holiday spending money.

The Carolina Panthers were able to get QB Teddy Bridgewater back in the game following an injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks and he gave everything he had to try to beat the Minnesota Vikings.  He had a lot of help, too, as safety Jeremy Chinn picked up two fumbles on two consecutive series, running them both back for touchdowns.  It wasn’t enough, though, and the Panthers lost 28-27 after the Vikings came from behind with less than a minute on the clock to move ahead.  For Vikings backers, they did well, with their team sitting on a moneyline of -157 ahead of the game.

Someone forgot to tell the Las Vegas Raiders they had a football game yesterday.  That’s about the only explanation for the horrible performance they gave against what, by all accounts, is a massively inferior team.  However, the Atlanta Falcons found their stride and dominated in almost every stat.  The Raiders recorded four lost fumbles and one interception and allowed their QB to be sacked five times as the Falcons walked away with a 43-6 win.  The Raiders were getting -175 ahead of the game and most of the money was put on them to win, but the few diehard Falcons fans who took their team at +150 picked up a nice payday.

Mickelson looks for revenge against Peyton Manning in golf’s The Match

This past May, pro golfer Phil Mickelson took on former pro football player, and two-time Super Bowl winner, Payton Manning in a charity golf tournament. For that event, Mickelson partnered up with another NFL great, six-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady, while Manning connected with Tiger Woods. The competition, The Match: Champions for Charity, ultimately found Manning and Woods emerging victorious, but Mickelson now has a chance to exact a little revenge. He’s going to face off in yet another The Match: Champions for Charity event coming up today; however, oddsmakers aren’t convinced he can get the victory. 

This next installment, which gets underway at 2 PM Eastern Time, finds Mickelson partnering with NBA legend and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and opposite them will be Manning and another NBA superstar, Steph Curry. The competition is described as a method of “[highlighting] diversity, equality, and inclusion through donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) while raising awareness and spotlighting opportunities for diversity and equality in sports.” 

Manning and Curry are getting odds of -175, while Mickelson and Barkley are facing +138 odds. Apparently, bookmakers don’t believe the format of the contest favors the underdogs, with players first teeing off before deciding which ball to play. From there, the team takes alternating shots until getting the ball in the cup. In addition, even though he has spent a lot of time on the links, Barkley is a self-proclaimed amateur aficionado, having once stated, “I don’t like talking about golf. Golf is not my favorite. The only thing good about golf is drinking and smoking.”

However, Manning, who has a 4.8 handicap, and Curry are both almost as good at golf as they are the sports that made them household names. Besides Manning’s win earlier this year, Curry shoots with a 2.1 handicap and regularly plays at the California Golf Club of San Francisco. According to the United States Golf Association, Barkley doesn’t record a handicap.

Thanksgiving Day NFL games give football fans a fun-filled afternoon

It could be said that the NFL games featured on Thanksgiving Day yesterday were not among the most popular ones that could have been selected, but they both still proved to keep football entertained. With COVID-19 keeping holiday plans to a minimum, at least there was a great way to spend several hours watching four teams tear it up on the gridiron. If it hadn’t been for the Baltimore Ravens, there would have been six teams.

The Detroit Lions, featuring Matthew Stafford and his record for most Thanksgiving Day yardage, and the Houston Texans met up yesterday, and the game started with the Lions jumping out to a 7-0 lead a little more than halfway through the first quarter. The Texans responded almost immediately, thanks to their big defensive man J.J. Watt, who snagged a Stafford pass out of the air and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown. As the Lions got the ball back following that embarrassment, they fumbled on the series and the Texans scored another TD – two in about a minute and a half. Before heading to the lockers for the mid-game break, the Lions would rack three consecutive turnovers.

After that, it was a Texans ball game for the rest of the afternoon. Starting in his first Thanksgiving Day game as quarterback for Houston, Deshaun Watson ended his day with four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 150.4, the fourth-highest for Thanksgiving NFL football. Detroit continued to become unglued in the second half, and all the team could do was try to hold on until the clock ran out. By the time it did, they were looking at a 41-25 loss.

The Washington Football Team continues to fight in order to show its appreciation for head coach Ron Rivera, who has been battling cancer. As they took the field against the Dallas Cowboys yesterday, they showed no mercy. The defense sacked Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton three times, intercepted him once for a touchdown and otherwise just had one of the best games it has had all year. The offense did an excellent job, as well, with rookie running back Antonio Gibson recording 20 carries for 115 yards and three touchdowns.

Maradona’s autograph one of the most expensive in football

Even in his passing, the signature of Maradona remains one the most expensive in football. According to gamblingdeals.com, a signature from the ‘Hand of God’ is more valuable than an autograph from Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Soccer fans globally will go the extra mile to grab their piece of sporting memorabilia. Maradona’s signature is valued at £582.07, ahead of Lionel Messi (£511.91) and Cristiano Ronaldo (£464.93).

Surprisingly, it’s another modern-day Argentinean striker, with a Maradona connection that has the most expensive signature in football. Former son-in-law, and Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero. A piece of memorabilia signed by the Manchester City forward is valued at an eye-watering £1,363.71.

Coming in at second place is English football icon, David Beckham. The former Manchester United icon’s signature remains a prized commodity amongst fans, willing to pay £999.99 to get his signature on a Manchester United shirt.

BetMGM teams up with Pittsburgh Steelers

As sports partnerships go, it’s a touchdown, a slam dunk and a top corner piledriver all in one. BetMGM, the market leading sports betting and digital gaming entertainment company, have partnered with the runaway leaders of the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Having come together from GVC Holdings, the company associated with partypoker and World Poker Tour among others in a stellar business history, and MGM Resorts, BetMGM is the one-stop shop for land-based and online sports betting, as well as tournament poker and online gaming.

Partnering up with the Steelers is a good move, for both parties in the deal. The Pittsburgh Steelers are flying high in the AFC North, with ten wins from ten games so far in the regular season. Though incredibly successful this season, the Steelers have a rich history in the game. As the fifth-oldest franchise in the NFL, the Steelers have won six Super Bowl titles, tied for the most in the NFL, and have appeared in eight finals overall. With an incredible 31 former players, coaches or contributors inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ryan Huzjak, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, can’t wait for the partnership to begin. 

“We are excited to introduce BetMGM to Steelers Nation,” he said. “Not only will BetMGM be elevating some of our existing platforms, but they will be introducing new and exciting opportunities to Steelers fans. We are looking forward to kicking off this partnership.” 

Diego Maradona dies aged 60

To some, he was the enemy, a thorn in their side. To those he played for, he was God. Diego Armando Maradona, who won the World Cup in 1986 almost single-handedly, as well as transforming the fortunes of Boca Juniors, Napoli and Barcelona, has died aged 60 of a suspected heart attack.

 

Born into Argentinian slums, Diego Maradona was the 5th of eight children. To him, football wasn’t just a way of life – it was his way of escaping it. The sport became an obsession to him, the reason for him being on the planet, and aged 15, he made his professional debut. He would go on to transform the country of his birth purely by way of the football he played in Argentina, but his outrageous skills would soon make it to Europe, too.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmyssDtOiLMVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Diego Maradona Top 50 Amazing Skill Moves Ever | Is this guy the best in history? D10S (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmyssDtOiLM)

NFL odds roundup: Week 12 lines & trends

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

There are fewer games than normal on Sunday in Week 12 because of the three Thanksgiving Day matchups around the NFL, although the league helped boost the Sunday slate by wiping out byes this week.

Let’s say the NFL ceased to exist in 15 years or so. At that point, it’s easy to see a scenario where historians say the two best quarterbacks ever were Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. They have met three times as professionals, with Brady holding a 2-1 edge including playoffs – all while he was with the New England Patriots.

By far the marquee matchup this Sunday is Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs at Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. It could easily be a preview of Super Bowl 55, which also will be held in Tampa. Or, it could be the final time they ever face off because the Chiefs and Bucs won’t be scheduled to play for another four years in the regular season, and we presume the 43-year-old Brady will have retired by then. Kansas City is a 3.5-point favorite and is a stellar 15-4 ATS in its past 19 games.

Professional Fighters League continues to expand international coverage for 2021 season

Titan Channel in Spain and Latin America, Sky New Zealand, and Digi Communications N.V. in Czech Republic to Distribute PFL’s Regular Season, Playoff and Finals, While also Featuring PFL’s Original Content and Archived Fight Library

Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative league in the world, today announced that key international broadcast partners will be expanding coverage of the league for the upcoming 2021 season. PFL is the first organization ever to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, which combined with a global roster of fighters representing 25 countries, has resonated internationally. PFL is distributed to more than 160 countries worldwide via a global network of premier sports partners.

“MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world, with more than 450 million fans who want to consume more premium MMA content,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL. “Expanded partnerships with Titan Channel, Sky New Zealand, Digi Communications N.V. and others are reflective of the incredible demand for MMA and the PFL, and will only continue to grow the sport. Our season format, international fighter roster of top talent from around the world, and differentiated product appeals to a global audience, and we look forward to going deeper with our storytelling in key markets outside the United States.” 

As part of these partnership agreements, Titan Channel, Sky New Zealand, and Digi Communications N.V. will continue to broadcast live PFL Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship events. PFL programming will also feature classic fights from PFL’s vault, providing fans the opportunity to relive the championship journeys of PFL stars such as Kayla Harrison, Ray Cooper III, Emiliano Sordi, Magomed Magomedkerimov and Nathan Schulte. Original programming created by PFL Studios – a fully integrated global media division of the Professional Fighters League producing original MMA content for all platforms including television, digital and mobile – will also be included.

Soccer games get a kick from Bodog bettors this past weekend

The trend that started when NFL and college football action got underway continues on Bodog, with the sportsbook seeing most of the action on football games this past weekend. However, soccer matches in both North America and Europe also proved to be enticing and made an impact on the final numbers. Although they didn’t capture nearly as much attention as football, they still accounted for five of the top ten spots on the sportsbook. 

Heading the top-ten list on Bodog this weekend, the NFL maintained its usual spot with 42.64% of the wagers. Only slightly behind was college football, which captured 42.01% of the bets. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which featured Deiveson Figueiredo and Alex Perez in the flyweight main event (and even Beyonce’s “Halo”), was a distant third at 4.37%. The ATP World Tour Finals took 3.41% as Daniil Medvedev overcame Dominic Thiem on Sunday for the single’s title. 

Soccer was then responsible for five of the remaining six spots, broken up only by table tennis, with 1.17%. Major League Soccer in North America grabbed 1.76% of the wagers, followed by the Premier League with 1.65%. Premier League Live wagers proved interesting, as well, getting 1.06% of the attention on Bodog. Germany and Spain made it on the list, as well, even if they only squeaked on. The German Bundesliga took 0.97% of the wagers, while Spain’s La Liga was responsible for 0.93%. 

It’s possible that, one day, soccer or basketball could prove to be as strong with gamblers as football, but that won’t happen anytime soon. On Bodog, the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders saw the most action, grabbing 26.53% of the share. As expected, the Chiefs won, but only by a four-point margin. The matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts was also a hot one, taking 14.42% of the wagers. The Colts, favored to win at -125, pulled off an OT victory and now have their eyes firmly on a playoff spot.

Tom Brady “forgets” NFL rules as the Bucs take another loss

No one can say that Tom Brady isn’t one of the best football players of all times. He has six Super Bowl rings, is a four-time Super Bowl MVP, four-time NFL passing touchdown leader, three-time passing yards leader (about to be four after this season) and plenty more accolades on his resumé. However, after 20 years in the league, some are beginning to wonder if his memory is starting to go. He may have shown a hint of that yesterday as his Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the LA Rams, or, maybe, he knew exactly what he was doing and thought he could get away with a little in-pocket trickery. Either way, Brady will always be the GOAT, even if the Bucs couldn’t fight back to defeat the Rams yesterday.

The first half of Monday Night Football’s game saw both teams waging offensive and defensive wars that kept the score equal on both sides. The second half, however, found them running a little more sluggish and making unforced errors that cost valuable position on the field. Interceptions on both sides, missed field goals, sacks and more were the norm as the game wore on. In the midst of all that, Brady managed to throw two forward passes on a single play – one failed, but the other connected. Unfortunately for him, that’s not how football is played and, even though he got the ball to wide receiver Mike Evans, the play was called dead. 

That happened in the fourth quarter when the Bucs were desperately looking for ways to overcome a Rams defense that had kept them on their heels since the beginning of the second half. Brady threw the ball on a third-and-ten, but it was stopped by the Rams defense. However, that block returned the ball to Brady’s hands and he quickly threw a second pass to Evans. Whether he forgot the rules of football – no two forward passes allowed on a single play – or thought he could get away with it, we may never know. Several weeks ago, Brady allegedly forgot that it was fourth down on a crucial play against the Chicago Bears, and some began to question whether his mind is still as strong as his throwing arm. 

Jared Goff was on fire for the Rams last night, completing 39 of 51 attempts for a total of 376 yards. However, his two interceptions thrown were a huge blight on an otherwise awesome game. He routinely connected with receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, who picked up a combined 175 yards across 23 receptions. Big offensive plays throughout the game, coupled with the second-best defense in the league, are what kept the Rams going as they took a 27-24 lead with only minutes left in the game.

Tyson favored over Jones in Saturday exhibition bout

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

One could argue that the popularity of boxing in the United States and Canada started going downhill fast one Mike Tyson’s reign atop the heavyweight division ended. When Tyson was in his prime, there was nothing like one of his fights as he was the biggest and baddest athlete on the planet.

 

“Iron Mike” returns to the ring, somewhat, on Saturday night from Staples Center in Los Angeles against fellow boxing legend and former four division champion Roy Jones Jr. for an eight-round exhibition available via pay-per-view. There will be judges but no fans in attendance. Yes, this is what boxing has come to as it now lags far behind the UFC in terms of popularity. The two were originally set to meet on September 12, but the fight was postponed.

NFL Week 11 Sunday action full of surprises for football fans

Week 11 in the NFL will complete its last game tonight as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the LA Rams and the roundup of games is showing football fans that anything – and everything – is still possible this season. From blowouts to upsets, the NFL continues to keep everyone entertained. There’s a good chance many sports gamblers aren’t happy with the results of a few of yesterday’s contests, but, if winning were easy, everyone would do it.

Someone put something in the Houston Texans’ Gatorade yesterday. Quarterback Deshaun Watson connected for 344 yards and three touchdowns against the New England Patriots, on the way to building a 27-20 lead with less than four minutes on the clock. Pats tried to get back into the game, but QB Cam Newton couldn’t overcome a determined, but tired, Texans defense and couldn’t find his way to advance a last-minute drive.

The Tennessee Titans met the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore and both teams fought hard from the first play. However, it was Derrick Henry who will go down as the man who saved the day for Tennessee. The Titans and the Ravens went back and forth throughout the game, leaving the score tied at 24 when regulation play ended. Now headed into overtime, it was the running back who, starting at the Ravens’ 30, took a handoff from QB Ryan Tannehill, busted through the defensive line and ran into the end zone for a touchdown and the OT win. That win gave the Titans a little bit of a boost in the AFC South that is going to prove key later on this season.

There isn’t too much to say about the Pittsburgh Steelers/Jacksonville Jaguars (mix)matchup. The Jaguars are not having anything that resembles a decent season, sitting last in the AFC South, and took a beating from QB Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers yesterday as they were thrashed 27-3. The Steelers are now comfortably on top of the AFC North and remain the only undefeated team in the league this season.

ATP World Finals winner won by Daniil Medvedev for $1.25 million

The ATP World Finals, probably the most prestigious mens’ singles event outside the three Grand Slams that took place in 2020, was won on Sunday afternoon by Russian Daniil Medvedev for a seven-figure payday after a gruelling three-set win against Austrian powerhouse Dominic Thiem.

Shock Semi-Final Result

The semi-finals saw both favourites – Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – crash out against the odds. It was especially painful for Nadal to go out at the penultimate stage, as he served for the second set at 5-4 up only to be denied by Russian player Daniil Medvedev, who fought back to take that set on a tie-break then close out the decider 6-3. Nadal, who has never won the ATP Finals, now many never do so after the young class of 2020 showed that it is they who have the collective edge in the season-ending spectacle.

This is the final year that the ATP Finals will take place in London as the tournament series moves to Turin, Italy in 2021. It will have a new name on the trophy in its final year from being awarded in England after Novak Djokovic, the pre-tournament favourite, was eliminated by Austrian U.S. Open winner Dominic Thiem.

Seahawks survive fight with the Cardinals to rule the NFC West

There has been talk that the Seattle Seahawks might part ways with defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. after the end of the current NFL season. If his line gave any indication last night against the Arizona Cardinals, the three-time Super Bowl champ and three-time Pro Bowler just gave himself a little more job security. The Seahawks defense was able to break through the Cardinals offense again and again to put pressure on quarterback Kyler Murray, becoming a major reason for the Seahawks’ 28-21 win. With that, Seattle improves to 7-2 and is on top of the NFC West, with only six weeks left in the regular season. 

Thursday Night Football found two NFC West teams vying for position and it was a case of “anything could happen” before the game. Both the Seahawks and the Cardinals have turned up the heat as the season progresses and the two teams came into the game ready to battle to the death. Seattle got out to an early lead as quarterback Russell Wilson and wide receiver DK Metcalf became a perfect combination, and the three sacks recorded by the Seahawks defense kept Arizona scrambling. 

The Cardinals had some tricks of their own last night. They also recorded three sacks as they dropped to 6-4 on the season, but Murray was still able to put up two touchdowns as he racked up 269 yards in the air. He found open receivers, like Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins, to make several key advances, but the touchdowns by Chase Edmonds and Dan Arnold were the biggest threats to Seattle’s dominance. 

A couple of errors in the game could have had the score going either way. The Cardinals picked up 115 yards in penalties, including a questionable holding call in their own end zone that led to a safety. However, they were down by just a touchdown after recovering from the sting, and were able to come knocking on the Seahawks’ door with a series of plays that was setting them up for a potential game-tying score. With under a minute to go and no more timeouts, and well behind midfield, the Cardinals attempted several long passes to pick up the touchdown, but were denied each time. Looking at fourth and ten, Murray was taken down by defensive end Carlos Dunlap. 

The Secret Coach: What exactly should England fans expect?

This week, England took on Iceland in what many saw as a meaningless game – a dead rubber in Nations League terms. It was, however, a great chance to show off England’s young stars and for Gareth Southgate to either experiment or consolidate the national team’s form.

In training before the game, England looked sharp, but could they replicate this speed and dedication in the game?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOoHzODT7Mo]

We spoke to The Secret Coach to find out for a coach’s perspective how Southgate might be able to manage England fans’ expectations as well as build a new side to challenge at the Euros in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022. TSC is a professional football coach in English football who will remain anonymous. They’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the game, going through the coaching process in full and is currently part of the coaching team at an English league side… and that’s all we’re telling you. They’ll be honest each week about what they see as they see it. As ever, The Secret Coach pulls no punches!

Super Rugby Unlocked Round 7 Tips & Preview

Super Rugby Unlocked is winding down with the final two rounds on the horizon before the finals commence across South Africa. The Bulls will be the favourites to claim top spot on the ladder if they can find a way to grab a win against the lowly Pumas. The Stormers remain a chance of stealing the number one position from the Bulls but will need results to go their way.

Below are our tips on round seven of Super Rugby Unlocked.

Bulls vs Pumas

This will be the first meeting between these sides in the new Super Rugby competition. The Bulls have won their last three consecutive matches, including a come from behind win against the Lions in their last start. The Pumas have struggled in the new competition, winning only one of their last three games. The Bulls will be hoping that Tim Swiel continues his good form with the boot. The Bulls playmaker is one of only two players to 100% kicking record.

Super Rugby Unlocked Round 7 Tips & Preview

Super Rugby Unlocked is winding down with the final two rounds on the horizon before the finals commence across South Africa. The Bulls will be the favourites to claim top spot on the ladder if they can find a way to grab a win against the lowly Pumas. The Stormers remain a chance of stealing the number one position from the Bulls but will need results to go their way.

Below are our tips on round seven of Super Rugby Unlocked.

Bulls vs Pumas

This will be the first meeting between these sides in the new Super Rugby competition. The Bulls have won their last three consecutive matches, including a come from behind win against the Lions in their last start. The Pumas have struggled in the new competition, winning only one of their last three games. The Bulls will be hoping that Tim Swiel continues his good form with the boot. The Bulls playmaker is one of only two players to 100% kicking record.

Fantasy Football – What to do with your first wildcard

It’s not been the greatest start to the season, has it? Bottom of the table, can’t score goals and your backline is shipping them like a pub side that are still hungover. No, we’re not talking to you, Chris Wilder of Sheffield United, although the same applies.

We’re talking to you, EPL Fantasy Football manager.

Unlike Wilder and other struggling managers Slaven Bilic, Scott Parker and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, you don’t have to wait until January to bring in some emergency reinforcements.

Yes, it’s time to play your Wildcard.

College football odds: Week 12 lines & trends

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The SEC was ravaged by COVID-19 postponements in Week 11 with four games called off; it goes without saying there could be more all across the country in Week 12 with the virus raging – Ole Miss at No. 5 Texas A&M and Georgia Tech at No. 12 Miami are both already postponed to name two.

Chip Kelly was a mega-successful football coach at Oregon from 2009-12 before trying his luck at the NFL, which did not go so well. UCLA hired him before the 2018 season and Kelly has not been able to find his collegiate magic with the Bruins. They are at No. 11 Oregon on Saturday and the Ducks are -14.5. Oregon has won six straight at home in the series by an average of nearly 22 points per game.

While Oregon is expected to win the Pac-12 North, the No. 20 USC Trojans are South Division favorites. They visit two-time defending South champion Utah. It’s quite possible if not likely the winner of that game will claim the South in the Pac-12’s very shortened season. Utah has had its first two games canceled due to COVID-19. It is a 3-point underdog and the visiting team is 1-8 ATS in the past nine in the series.

The Masters keeps football from sweeping Bodog this weekend

Anyone who tuned in to catch the Masters last week saw some amazing shots and an unlikely winner. Jon Rahm’s shot on the 16 at Augusta National while he was practicing for the real thing was one for the history books, but it wouldn’t be enough to see him capture the title. However, it was definitely enough to draw a lot of gambling attention to the PGA golf tournament. The Masters kept football from sweeping the top-ten event list on the Bodog sportsbook this past weekend, with NFL and college gridiron action overwhelmingly taking control of bets. 

As has become standard since September, NFL action captured 45.23% of the wagers on Bodog, with college football taking 40.48%. The closest runner-up was the Masters, but at a distant 6.51%. After this, Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) squeaked in with 2.65% of the bets, and the UEFA Nations League made an appearance, grabbing 0.92% of the action. =Tennis had two places on the top-ten list, thanks to the Sofia Open’s 0.91% and the Linz Open’s 0.82%.

Sandwiched between the two tennis entries was a sport that, for the most part, helped to keep sports gambling operators afloat after leagues started shutting down in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Table tennis was back this past weekend, with the Liga Pro receiving 0.90% of the bets on Bodog. The Chinese Basketball Association and cricket rounded out the list, taking 0.81% and 0.76%, respectively. 

As far as individual games or competitions go, NFL and college football was responsible for nine of the top ten spots on the sportsbook. The Masters proved to be extremely enticing, though, accounting for 14.31% of the action. Anyone who missed the practice shot by Rahm has missed (to steal a phrase from baseball) the shot heard around the world. In the end, though, it was Dustin Johnson who would capture the title and the green jacket. He finished the day at 20 under, breaking a tournament record of 18 that had been shared by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth. It was Johnson’s first-ever Masters win and now allows him to brag of being the first player to win each of the four World Golf Championship Events.