NFL Totals for 2022

 

The NFL is just one day away from starting the 2022 season. A great time to look at some over/under projections for several NFL teams. I looked at the schedule and breakdown the victories and the losses. I also look for teams that have a winning streak against their opponents within a division.

An example of this is the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have won seven straight games against the Miami Dolphins and four straight against the New York Jets. If those streaks continue and the Bills split with the New England Patriots as they have in the past two seasons, Buffalo will have 5 wins in their own division. The Bills play the NFC North with projected wins against the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Buffalo plays Green Bay at home and after a bye week. They will be favored to win that game. This would take them to 8 wins. With games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns the Bills can easily be at 10 wins This would mean that the Bills would need 2 wins against this group of teams. The Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Baltimore Ravens. I see the 1^st game against the Rams as a potential loss. The Bills would finish 12-5 and go over the projected total of 11.5. The price is -140 if you take them over.

Most times the emphasis is on the good teams and a winning situation. There is value in taking the projected under on teams transitioning due to coaching or quarterback changes. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Steelers are going into a season for the 1^st time in over 15 seasons without Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh will have problems with division opponents and will only be favored in their home game against the Cleveland Browns. With 5 projected losses within the division the Steelers will look at a 1-3 mark against the AFC East, they should only be favored against the Jets. Pittsburgh is projected at 7.5 wins. The under price is -135.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are being coach by Doug Pederson. The culture needs a makeover after Urban Meyers toxic reign as coach. Even having Trevor Lawrence, the number one pick in the 2021 draft is not enough to project this team to above 500.The Jags will go 0-4 against the AFC West. The same outlook appears when they play the NFC East. With 8 losses. Jacksonville would have to win 7 of the nine remaining games. Wins should come against the Texans, Jets and Detroit. The Jags should come short of the projected total of 6.5 games. The under has a price of -120.

Bet RIVERS has several alternate team wins projected over and under. Check them out at Bet Rivers

 

Here are several top teams and their projected win totals.

Kansas City Chiefs-10.5

Dallas Cowboys - 10

Los Angeles Rams-10.5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 11.5

Green Bay Packers-11

Baltimore Ravens-9.5

I would advise you to look at the schedules and gauge where the wins and losses will occur before making your selections.

 

Ways to Attract and Retain Employees

 

The number of shortages in the work force have many industries scrambling to find workers. The Gaming industry is no exception. While the demand for gaming entertainment grows, the personnel that provides the experience is understaffed. The guest experience is the same but there will be noticeable lapses in some service areas. Where the normal time to wait for a beverage would be between 10-15 minutes, expect the period to double. If you. The availability of games and units to play are still at an optimum level. If team members call off or leave a company unexpectedly, this affects the day-to-day operation profoundly.  When this happens, the intelligent organization goes into demand and profitability mode. What units the public wants to play and which of them brings the most level of profitability to the company are the primary concerns. Since this situation has not changed since the pandemic of 2020, the next step is how to alleviate it.

While job fairs and increase in pay are two ways to attract candidates, the competitors in your region are offering a comparable experience. Offering a job referral incentive to current staff extends the reach of the organization. Use social media to highlight job events and promotions. If the organization is doing something that has philanthropic or community involved, share this information on the website. The impression is that you are appealing to work for.

When all things are equal between you and your competitors, you must go the extra mile. Be creative in how you approach a prospective employee. Be more proactive in retaining the staff you have. The cost of replacing someone is greater than what it would take to keep them. A new employee has a learning curve that an experience one is not subject to. Direct attention toward individuals that have worked in the industry and pay more for that. In Atlantic City recently, the casinos joined together and held a job fair where all the hotels have representation.

Factor the location of your facility into your job promotions. The cost of gas is important to an applicant and the cost of a commute is a prevalent factor in accepting a position. If you are near public transportation, highlight that to the applicant. Initiate rides share programs that make commuting more appealing.

Lastly, utilize flexibility in the job hiring and retention process. Example:  Your organization has 3 shifts of 8 hours that start at designated times. If you have enough interest in a particular start time that is not part of the normal scheme, consider incorporating it.  Let it correspond into what you currently offer and make it work for you by implementing it during a period of peak demand. Want more ways to attract people. Keep following me!

Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn for tweets and post about Gaming, Entertainment, Sports Betting and Business Events.

Sports Betting: The Business of Risk

 

The business of Sports Betting is at an all-time high. Just 5 years ago, you could only make wagers on single games in Nevada. Now you can bet on a single game in over 30 states. Last year over 57 billion was bet legally by Americans on sports. I am not counting the illegal market that is still available to a segment of the gaming patrons.

So why is the stock market not reflecting this renaissance period? A review of the leading sports betting companies and gaming operators stock prices show dismal results over the past 6 months. While the amount of money wagered is staggering, the investors in the companies are seeing red digits on their portfolios.

While the slide could be due to global inflation, there are long term profitability concerns for the industry. Look for a merger or acquisition as a way for one or two operators to turn things around. CNBC Jim Cramer stated “But as we see what the reality looks like, there’s tons of competition for market share and little in the way of profits. Too bad because profits are what this market wants right now. That is why every single one of these stocks has been obliterated,”

According to Yahoo Finance, MGM Resorts International announced an offer to acquire the global gaming company Leovegas. MGM is attempting to build on the success of BetMGM in the United States with this acquisition allowing them to expand globally with an omnichannel strategy. I also found that MGM, as part of the Maryland Education Summit for Sports Betting, will offer a mentorship program to a qualified applicant that is pursuing a Class C sport betting license. This week, MGM was approved for a takeover of the Cosmopolitan amid questions about a monopoly on the Las Vegas Strip. MGM International is making progressive moves and has a stock price of 36.56.A year ago it was $51.17.

Any organization that has an established following on social media, does a high volume of sales and is known internationally may want to purchase a gaming company as a caveat to provide entertainment value to their customers. Imagine if Google or Facebook decided to offer sports betting to their followers. They would have to gain the trust of the public in a manner comparable to Uber and Disney. The patrons would have to be comfortable sharing their banking information and be guaranteed an enjoyable experience that is not based solely on winning.

Since gaining market share is the driver for the more renown operators, the winner of the Sports Betting race will be the operator with a brick-and-mortar venue in cities with a large population along with online gaming presence. The operator that provides visual content of the event to coincide with in game wagering will corner the market.

Check out my articles about sports betting in IGaming Player & Bettors Insider. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

 

 

 

Dawn Staley:Philly Girls Rock!

As we continue to celebrate Womens History Month, I have to pay tribute to Philadelphia's own, Dawn Staley. Dawn is legendary in the city of brotherly love. Her legendary journey started back in high school as she led Dobbins to 3 Public League Championships. She was named the National High School Player of the year by the USA Today.

She went on to the University of Virginia where she led them to 3 consecutive Final Fours. She went on to play professionally in the ABL and the WNBA. In 2004, she was given the honor of carry the torch in the Olympics. In 2011, Staley was named one of the top 15 best players in WNBA History.

Staley began coaching while still playing in the WNBA. She started coaching at Temple University in 2000. She turned them into a top ranked program that went to 6 NCAA tournament and won 4 conference tournament titles. The success at Temple made other teams take notice. The University of South Carolina pursued her, and she became their head coach in 2001. Staley rebuilt the program. The Gamecocks improved every year and won the National Championship 2017. Staley was named the coach of the 2020 Olympic team that won the gold medal. 

Dawn is the only person to ever win the Naismith Award as a player and as a coach. She had a foundation that helps middle school children in the areas of academics and mentorship. So, with all these accolades to her credit, Staley is a real genuine person and is proud of her Philadelphia upbringing.

My favorite Dawn Staley moment is personal.  My daughters were attending her basketball camps at Temple University, Staley was going to play in the WNBA All Star Game in Washington DC. I made a request to her to have some of the players sign a basketball as a memento of my family attending the game.  I met her mother coincidentally after the game and she contacted Dawn. Dawn came out and got multiple players to sign the ball. That why I chose Dawn Staley to honor on my website & blog during Womens History Month. Because Philly Girls Rock!

Check out this video of the top women's teams heading into the 2021-2022 NCAA tournament.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for March Madness. #MarchMadness with Mims.

Black History Month and the NBA

During the NBA All Atar Weekend,the NBA is having the 1st ever NBA HBCU Classic on Saturday, Feb 19th. The teams participating are Morgan State University and Howard University, The NBA and AT&T will donate $100,000 to each school's atheletic department totaling $200,000. The game will be broadcast by TNT and ESPN2. The game will be attended by the NBA All Stars and the members of the 75th Anniversary Team. 

The NBA has shown that it understands the important responsibility they have to women and people of color. They recognize Black History Month and celebrate the HBCUs in a manner that will pay huge dividends beyond the money they donated. Every Professional Sports League should follow suit and find ways to pay homage to the ancestors that paved the way for the current players.  

If the NFL and MLB are watching, they should be formulating plans to do something.  Next year's Super Bowl game is played in February so there is an opportunity to celebrate Black History. The MLB normally starts spring training in February and celebrating Black History would create interest in their season.

If the leagues don;t evolve ,they will lose their appeal to women and people of color, There are so many entertainment options to chose from. No one can asume that the public will always patronize and support their brand or product. Diversity and Inclusion are the key components for all successful organizations. 

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Gaming Stocks to Watch in 2022

The gaming and casino industry took some hits during the last quarter of 2021 in the stock market. Most of this was attributed to the spread of the Omicron strain of Covid. The anticpation that we will go back to a period of less social engagement has made some investors leary of the hospitality industry. Keep in mind that the level of gaming online has never been higher. So while the 1st quarter of 2022 will require management adjustments based on restrictions and staffing, the top teams will still retain market share. You can find value by investing in companies that are historically resilient.

Rush Street Interactive: Current price is $16.78. The 52 week high is $26.55 while the low is $9.47. The recent ground breaking of a new property in Portsmouth Virginia and the prospect of expanding into Chicago Illinois are reasons for optimism. RSI has an outstanding reputation and a proven track record with sportsbooks and gaming in several jurisdictions. RSI is the retail market leader in the three most populous states that have legalized retail sports betting – Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York.

Penn National Gaming: Current price is $51.30. The 52 week high is $142.00 while the low is $43.36. Penn just opened a new casino in Morgantown,Virginia.Penn has been working with Barstool Sports on  opening sports bars in Philadelphia and Chicago as they promote the sports betting app.Louisiana is expected to offer additional sports betting licenses in January and Penn is in consideration.

Boyd Gaming Corporation: Current price is $65.39. The 52 week high is $71.00 while the low is $41.12. Boyd recieved 6 Buy reccomendations from a group of respected stock analysts. They project Boyd as having a high range of $88.00 over the next 6 months.

DraftKings:Current Price is $28.46. The 52 week high is $74.38 and the low is $25.80. DraftKings recieved an overwheming consensus to buy from 32 stock analyst. Name recognition has this as a brand that people are familar with when there is a conversation about sports betting. If the stock price goes up by 20% in 2022, you are looking at a price $34.15. If you purchase 100 shares today,your investment would increase in value by $569.00 in 2022.

 

I look at gaming stock as opportunities to invest in companies that have a presence in major markets that cater to tourism and city that have large populations.As more states add sports betting to their gaming offerings,the price and revenue of casino related stocks that have a strong online presence will go up. Do some research and find the stock and company that is right for you. Keep in mind that buying stock is an investment and should be viewed as long term speculation. Have a number in mind to sell any stock that is descending in price and value. 

If you are on LinkedIn, we can have a professional exchange there. If you chat on Twitter you can follow me for NFL & NBA.

The Metro Report: What's Next?

The year is winding down! as we approach the holidays I want to share with you what I have on my agenda. This is my personalize version of the Metro Report. I am covering the gaming in the following cities. Philadelphia,New York City and Washington DC. are taking center stage between now and Christmas.

In Philly, I had the opportunity to interview two of the top General Managers on the East Coast. I am strongly considering doing more of these. Two of the top restaurants in the city are mentioned and recommended. Check out the interview here. 

Next week in New York City and the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey. the SBC North America will convene. I am honored to be part of a panel that will tackled the question of How to nurture talent to your sports betting operations. The panel will be moderated by Bronwen Gregg, The other panel members include Allison Bassman,Director of People and Culture for Penn Interactive,Noemie Levy, Talent Acquisition Manager for Bet MGM and Holly Gagnon Co-CEO of Artemis Strategic Investment Corporation. Some of the subjects we will cover include job opportunities,working remotely vs. working on property and diversity. I may have a surprise interview while in NYC. Stay tuned!

Here is a look back at SBC 2019. It includes part of the team from SeventySix Capital. Former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie and Newly Reelected Governor Phil Murphy attended this event.

 

Then I'll easy down 95 to Washington DC to the Capital One Arena. James Van Stone and the team at Monumental Sports and Entertainment are among the leaders in bringing sports betting to a stadium style venue.  They are the model to emulate and started trends with sports wagering centric broadcasts of Washington Wizards and Washington Capital games. I will be seeing how a world class organization does it first hand with a game day experience that you will not want to miss. The Wizards are currently 4th in the NBA Eastern Conference and will be playing the Utah Jazz.

So this is what's next for me. If you are on LinkedIn, we can have a professional exchange there. If you chat on Twitter,then follow me and we can tweet about gaming and professional sports like NFL & NBA.  Videos similar to what  you saw earlier can be found on Instagram and Facebook.  Stay with me and we can roll into 2022 together.