Tag Archives: sportsbiz

Super Rugby AU Final Preview – Reds vs Brumbies

The Super Rugby AU Final is set to be played this weekend, with the Queensland Reds set for a showdown with the Canberra Brumbies. The Reds are playing their first Super Rugby final since their 2011 title win over the Crusaders. The Brumbies under coach Dan McKellar have remained the benchmark for the Australian competition, comfortably finishing in the top spot of a shortened competition in 2020.

The Canberra based side will be looking to become only the fourth team in the history of Super Rugby to win three titles, joining the Crusaders, Blues and Blues. The Brumbies are the only Australian side to win multiple Super Rugby titles in the history of the competition.

The Brumbies have been in formidable form under boss Dan McKellar, winning their last seven matches at home against the Reds. The only post-season meeting between the two sides came in 2001 Super Rugby Semi-Finals. The Brumbies ran out 30-6 winners before clinching the Super Rugby title against the Sharks in the penultimate game of the season.

The Reds were brilliant in their demolition of the Rebels in the Super Rugby AU semi-finals, winning convincingly at home 25-13. Reds coach Brad Thorn has instilled a sense of self-belief in the side not seen since their last major title push in 2011.

NFL Odds Roundup: Week 2 Lines & Trends

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Two storylines appear to stand out in Week 2 of this NFL season: Tom Brady’s home debut as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Raiders’ home debut in their new city of Las Vegas. Sadly, there will be no fans in attendance in either Tampa or at the spectacular $2 billion Allegiant Stadium in Sin City.

Brady was a rare regular-season underdog in Week 1 with Tampa Bay losing 34-23 at a very good New Orleans Saints team. Brady threw two picks, including one returned for a touchdown. He frankly looked his age of 43 at times. TB12 is back in his usual favored role against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday with the Bucs at -9 for the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Carolina lost its ninth straight game in Matt Rhule’s NFL coaching debut in Week 1, 34-30 to the Raiders. The Panthers have covered just once over that stretch.

Speaking of the Saints, they will be the first visitors to Las Vegas in the Monday night game, with New Orleans sitting at -6. Future Hall of Famer Drew Brees has done just about everything possible in his NFL career other than play in Las Vegas. Check that off the list. As noted, the Raiders won their debut as Vegas’ team in Week 1, 34-30 in Charlotte. The Saints carry a seven-game road winning streak into this one, winning by an average of 13 points per game.

Why the PFL is the Best Bet for Innovative Sports Gaming and Betting

Fight fans have always loved watching fighters going for glory and holding nothing back, and mixed martial arts has seen its popularity spike in recent years like virtually no other sport in the world.

One of the reasons for this recent growth in the industry is the innovative entertainment brought to MMA fans by the Professional Fighters League (PFL), whose million-dollar bouts that close out their seasons attracting big audiences and creatin stars.

It’s no surprise to Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL that part of the company’s success has been due to the innovative approach he and the team have taken.

“There’s been no innovation in the sport in decades,” he tells us. “Based on the demand of MMA fans around the world, we decided to launch our product three years ago and it’s really taken hold with fans. We’ve very excited about the opportunity ahead and proud of our success to date.”

Johnson leads odds to win the US Open

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The 2020-21 PGA Tour wraparound season officially began last week with the Safeway Open in California and the schedule will include a super-sized 50 events. That includes an unusual six Grand Slam tournaments because two were postponed earlier this summer due to the coronavirus. The first of those six is the U.S. Open, which tees off Thursday from Winged Foot Golf Club in New York. It’s a field of 144.

The U.S. Open, previously scheduled to tee off June 18, is annually the toughest test in golf, and Winged Foot’s West layout is one of the toughest courses in the United States. It’s a par 70 at 7,477 yards. This will be the sixth time it hosts the U.S. Open and the last time it did in 2006, Aussie Geoff Ogilvy won at 5-over 285.

Ogilvy didn’t so much win the tournament as Phil Mickelson lost it. Lefty only needed a bogey on the 72nd hole to win, but his drive off the tee was wildly off track and it led to a double bogey. That was one of a record six runner-up finishes in this tournament for Mickelson, the only Slam he has yet to win. Winning this event is easily the biggest career goal remaining for Mickelson, who is a +8000 long shot.

NFL’s Eagles sign FOX Bet deal as league pursues int’l betting pacts

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed a partnership with betting operator FOX Bet, while the National Football League appears more interested in signing betting deals where no one in the US can see them.

On Tuesday, the Eagles announced a multi-year deal with FOX Bet, a brand of UK-listed gambling giant Flutter Entertainment, to become an Official Partner of the team. Despite betting being legal in Pennsylvania, the deal downplays actual wagering in favor of marketing opportunities.

Specifically, FOX Bet will open a branded ‘interactive studio’ at the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field that will create “exclusive content across multiple platforms,” including the team’s official YouTube channel, mobile app, website and social media. FOX Bet will also serve as presenting sponsor of the new Eagles Edge digital post-game show.

In addition, FOX Bet will enjoy lots of custom promotions and branding opportunities, including ‘prominent’ messaging on the stadium’s signage and LED boards. If and when fans are ever allowed to watch games in person, FOX Bet will sponsor the Eagles Tailgate Crew. Up to 380 fans will also be welcome at a new 4k-square-foot FOX Bet Lounge that will feature an ‘interactive activation room’ with lots of TVs.

Tempted by Tampa? Why the New Orleans Saints win could have saved you money

When the National Football League kicked off again last weekend, many sportsbettors were looking in the direction of Tom Brady, the man with the golden arm who traded his place in Patriots history for a new start with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A lot of the pre-season money went on Tampa as investors looked to how the East Coast franchise would improve due to the presence not only of Brady, but his former colleague Rob Gronkowski, who also made his debut.

Here’s what happened in the game, courtesy of the NFL’s official YouTube channel:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUlgPM4IQbU?feature=oembed]

The first Sunday of the NFL 2020 season is a hit with fans and oddsmakers

For most NFL fans, yesterday was everything they had hoped it would be, despite concerns over how the lack of preseason games due to the coronavirus, empty stadiums and pre-game protests might impact the action. True football fans know how to focus their energy on the important stuff and won’t anything stand in their way of enjoying their favorite game. Yesterday provided more than a few surprises and upsets, some questionable calls and crazy outcomes – everything anyone could hope for in a day packed full of football. For those who enjoyed a little wager action, there were also a couple of nail-biting moments. 

The Chicago Bears defeated the Detroit Lions, and one could only guess what would have happened if Lions linebacker Jamie Collins hadn’t been ejected in the first half. The Lions roared throughout the game despite his absence, a result of contact he made with referee Alex Kemp, but would ultimately give up a major lead of 17 points to take the loss. The Bears had been the underdog to win, and did gamblers a favor by launching their massive comeback. They also covered the 2.5 spread and broke the Over/Under of 42.5 points. 

Everyone was waiting to see how Tom Brady would perform with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after giving up on the New England Patriots in the offseason. It’s too early to call it, but throwing three interceptions against the New Orleans Saints isn’t a good way to get started. As a result, the Bucs went down, 34-23, and the Saints took the moneyline, the 4-point spread and crushed the Over/Under of 48. 

Cam Newton made his debut with the Pats yesterday as the team met the Miami Dolphins. The former quarterback of the Carolina Panthers is returning from a number of injuries from last season and, when he walked it in for a touchdown early in the game, it seemed like he may have bounced back. However, his performance after that, including a scuffle with Miami players, was lackluster. Still, the 21-11 victory was enough to win the moneyline and take the spread of seven. It wasn’t, however, enough to cover the Over/Under of 41.5 points, falling well short.