The sports betting coverage of the New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC markets will have the thousand of viewers looking for an edge. I would normally just focus on Las Vegas, Philly and Atlantic City.I expect this to be the most action ever wagered on professional sports over the next calendar year. So I will expand with my Gaming Guy News minutes into the 3 top cities on the East Coast.

The New York Giants play the Washington Football Team on Thursday Night Football. The Giants are getting 3 and the total is 41. The Giants lost to the Denver Broncos and were not able to establish a running game. Giants only gained 60 yards on 20 carries. I am not expecting a great deal of production from Saquon Barkley. This will be two games in 5days after a major injury. Daniel Jones must eliminate the turnovers, Washington lost QB Ryan Fitzpatrick for several games due to a hip injury.

                                                   Eagles +3.5 vs the Niners- Total 50

                                                   Jets +5.5 vs the Patriots - Total 43

The surprise of the week was he play of the Eagles. I thought the Birds could win but I was not thinking domination. I am not as confident with the Niners coming in. It is the 2nd straight road game for San Francisco.

Jets must protect  QB Zach Wilson better in Game 2 against the Pats. The Panther's sacked Wilson 6 times. New York did close with 5 with under 2 minutes to play. Jet have lost 10 straight to the Patriots,

                                                       In The NBA

The Brooklyn Nets improved their team by adding several free agents. Patty Mills, James Johnson and DeAndre Bembry will add depth to the star studded lineup.They will be better defensively. Grade B-.

The Sixers signed Andre Drummond and George Niang to replace Dwight Howard and Mike Scott. While Howard brought energy,Drummond will be more level headed.  Niang is a better shooter than Scott. Grade B+.

The New York Knicks made the biggest impact in free agency with the signing of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. The resigning of Derrick Rose means the guard play will improve dramactically. Grade: A.

The Washington Wizards signed Spencer Dinwiddie. If he return to his 2019 numbers of 20.6 points and 6,8 assists,the Wizards are getting a steal of a player.Grade B.

                                                       And now, A Sports Betting Tip

Follow me for more in depth coverage on NFL and NBA on Twitter and Bettors Insider My website  is Smart Responsible Gaming.

The Metro Report: Sports Betting in Philly , New York and Washington DC

The Eagles turn the page from Doug Pedersen and fired him on Monday. It was rumored that he would return along with GM Howie Roseman. Only Roseman remains with the team. Owner Jeff Lurie gave the reason as a difference in philosophy on what was needed to fix things. The approach is Lurie is looking at appears to be more long term. The person mentioned as a candidate to replace Pedersen is Todd Bowles. defensive coordinator  for the Tampa  Bay Buccaneers.

Washington Football lost to the Bucs in the opening round  of the NFL Wild Card Playoffs. The score was 31-23.The quarterback, Taylor Heinicke  played an excellent game. Coach Rivera indicated that settling the QB position would be an off season priority. Alex Smith wanted to wait a couple week before he decides his future about continuing to play. He is under contract for next season.

The Jets have two picks in the 1st round of the NFL Draft 2021. They have the 2nd, 23rd  and 34 picks. This bodes well for the Jets because this draft is deep in talent. If they plan to move on from Sam Darnold then a QB is the way to go with the second pick. If they still want to commit to Darnold, then DeVonta Smith ,Heisman Trophy receiver from Alabama would up grade the offense immediately.

The Sixers broke a 3 game losing streak last night by defeating the Heat 137-134. Joel Embiid played a monster game. He led the team with 45 points and 16 rebounds. The Sixers are still without the services of Tobias Harris, Shake Milton and Seth Curry due to COVID protocol. Sixers play the Heat again on Thursday. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic did not play last night. Butler has been ruled out for Thursday game. 

The Brooklyn Nets will be without Kyrie Irving for the balance of this week. He has cited personal reasons for his absence. The team is not commenting on the situation. There is a video that appears to show Irving not adhering to COVID protocols .Watch the video. If a player is found to miss games due to a violation , each game missed can result in a reduction of salary for each game missed. Nets are 6-6 and 7th in the conference standing. 

The Nets continued to stay in the headlines with the acquisition of James Harden from the Houston Rockets.It involved a 4 team trade to complete the deal. While the loss of Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince will decrease the depth of the team, having the multiple time scoring champion will make up for the point production. The Nets included 4 first round picks so they are all in.

The Wizards continue to be exciting but unable to win or defend. They have a record of 3-8.  Bradley Beal is the leading scorer. Russell Westbrook is continuing to get triple double numbers every night. Thomas Bryant suffer a torn ACL and is out for the season. Westbrook is out for a week due to a left quad injury.

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Metro Report: Sports Betting in Washington DC, New York & Philly

Since the advent of Sports Betting the coverage of the New York, Washington DC and Philadelphia markets are essential to prognosticators. I would normally just focus on Las Vegas, Philly and Atlantic City but times have changed. So I will expand with my Gaming Guy News minutes into the 3 top cities on the East Coast.

Nets had their season opener on Tuesday Night. They defeated the Warriors 125-99.  Kyrie Irving had 26 points. Kevin Durant scored 22 and had 5 rebounds. The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry who scored 20 and had 10 assists. I see the Nets winning the division and having the best conference record. They should get a better test against the Celtics on Christmas Day.

The Sixers open tonight against the Wizards. The defense did not look formidable in the Wizards pre season games. The Sixers are favored by 7.5 and the total is 229. Joel Embiid looked sharp in his one preseason game. His prop bets total are 26.5 in points and 11.5 in rebounds. I am looking at the chemistry of Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. Great players can figure things out.  

Washington Football is still leading the division with 2 games left. Dwayne Haskins is starting as of this report. He will go against the Carolina Panthers. Panthers just held the the Packers to 3 points in the 2nd half of their game on Saturday. The extra day of rest will help them. Haskins threw 55 times against Seattle. Keep that in mind when you look at his projected attempts this week. Washington is favored by 2.5 and the total is 44.5.

Giants are in 2nd right now a game in back of Washington. The Giants can't score with Colt McCoy under center. He showed he can move the team but they are poor in the red zone. This week they play the Ravens. Ravens are playing lights out and are favored by 11. Total is 45. Lamar Jackson is playing at the MVP level of last season. Giant chance of winning the division is 16%.

Eagles and Cowboys will play with the loser being eliminated from contention. Jalen Hurts will make his 3rd consecutive start. Cowboys have won two straight. Both teams need to win and get help to make the final game of the season be meaningful. The Eagles are -2.5 and the total is 49.5.

Sport Business and Wagering News: Rivers Philadelphia posted strong numbers in November. The Sports Betting Handle was approximately 27.4 million with 70.8% generated online. Due to COVID 19 restrictions, the retail operation will be closed until after the New Year. I would anticipate the handle to increase with some of the retail play shifting over to mobile, 

Follow me on Twitter for conversations and watch my videos on Instagram. Merry Christmas!

The Key Takeaways from the Bet on Sports America Conference

I was so impressed with the Bet on Sports America Conference that I wanted to follow up with 5 key takeaways for anyone that is working or interested in gaming, media and sports betting.

The advent of sports betting is in it's infancy. Sports betting has been legal in states outside of Nevada for just under 3 years. So many states have yet to legalize it. More over so many people are not aware that you can do it legally. Most sports books are populated by men. Hmm!!  Educate and Advertise. 

The pandemic has prompted an increase in online gaming and mobile sports betting. In October, Nevada books set a monthly record for betting handle at 659.6 million. 376.9 million was wager via mobile. Since we can't gather due to COVID the way to stay engaged with your players is remotely. Use all mediums available to you. Be consistent with your content and attempt to respond as close to real time as possible.

The partnerships between the media outlets and professional sports teams now have sports betting operators as a common denominator. Imagine if Google or Facebook enter the equation. They have the followers and could generate liquidity. Yahoo is involved and has it's own Sports division. Yahoo's sports betting platform is powered by BetMGM. 

Some of the professional teams that participated in the conference were the Sixers, Eagles, Flyers and New Jersey Devils.

The time is perfect for entrepreneurs and developers. If you can come up with an app or program that is easy to navigate and appeals to a gaming centric audience,  major corporations will find you. If someone comes up with a way to monetize Esports on a betting platform that makes gaming legislators and operators comfortable, they will be rich!  Nearly half a billion people play Esports or watch others play by streaming.

Don't be afraid to fail. If you're not taking risk on new technology and concepts now, when will you? I'll give you one concept. Meet with other industries that you can partner with. Make sure the partner aligns with your mission statement and core values. Don't sleep on small local businesses as a way of helping generate interest in what you are doing.  

This is the 4th conference that I have attended this year. 3 of them were after the pandemic shutdown in March. Add that to my expertise about casino operations along with my education regarding sports betting and you get a composite view of gaming  If you want more information or insight, we need to talk. In closing I want to quote Ben Franklin. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."

If you want a recap of the entire conference click here.

My website is  smartresponsiblegaming.com.  Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for conversations & Instagram for photos/videos.

NFL Elite Eight

We did well in the Wild Card Weekend round. Depending on when you got your bet down, Seahawks covered the 2.5 and pushed on the 2. Indy won outright and  the Eagles game went under. Ravens were not successful against the Chargers. 3-1 was the record.

So this week..

We like Indy with the points against the Chiefs. Indy has the formula that will keep the Chiefs at bay. Strong running game and long drives engineered by Andrew Luck. Mahomes had MVP season. This game will go over. Andy Reid exits playoff early again.

Cowboys have momentum. They are not as impressive on the road. Defense will travel and they will stop Todd Gurley. If you can find a prop bet that features Elliott vs. Gurley, take Zeke to have more rushing yards. Rams may have peaked too early. Take Boys and the points.

Patriots vs. Chargers. This one is easy. When you can get Brady and not lay a touchdown you take him. He is 7-0 against Rivers. Second straight cross country does not bode well. We are impress with the coach of the Chargers. But not over Belichick.

Eagles and Saints. Foles magic is still in the air. Dallas gave the blueprint on how to slow down Brees. It will work for a half.  Saints will finish more drives than Birds. If you must take this game go under. 50 is a lot in a playoff game. 

Odds to Win Super Bowl Llll – from Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas

Saints +225

Chiefs +450

Rams +450

Patriots +500

Chargers +900

Colts +1400

Cowboys +1400

                                                         Enjoy the games!

Sports and Business Wagering This Week

If you are looking for the latest in Sports and Business Wagering, you are at the right place. We plan to give you all of the trends and breaking developments that occurred. You will stay current on the hot topics that involve the operators and the people that like to bet on sports. Any state that is proposing Sports Betting will be highlighted. 

The NFL announced that it is partnering with Caesars Entertainment. Caesars will become the official casino that will have rights to NFL trademarks in the United States and the United Kingdom.  The trademarks can not be used in a Caesars Sports Book. The partnership is for casino gaming only.

The big bet of the week was made at Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City. Someone put down 300,000 on the Ravens during Wild Card Weekend. That bet was a loser! Four days later ,it was reported that Ocean is looking for a buyer less than a year after a grand opening. Sport Betting alone is not the cure all for a gaming operator. 

In Philly, the opening of the South Philadelphia Turf Club that is owned by Parx Casino, will increase the handle in Pennsylvania. The location is less than a mile from the sports stadium complex that serves as homes for the Phillies. Eagles, Flyers and Sixers. 

Two major players to watch in the casino industry are Kambi and Tangam.  Kambi provides the software and platform for sports betting at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia and the aforementioned Parx. Tangam provides data analysis that help make effective decisions for the casino floor. This information is critical and provides revenue generating suggestions in real time.

                                                  Enjoy the NFL games this weekend!

NFL Wild Card Weekend

Let's jump right in. We will start with the Colts against the Texans. Indy and Andrew Luck are playing well on both sides of the ball. Not fond of Bill O'Brien as a head coach and play calling in key moments. Colts must keep Watson under control and off the field, They showed they could do that against the Titans and Cowboys over the last weeks of the regular season. It continues against Texans.

Seattle against Dallas is up next. 

Seahawks are a replica of Colts. They play outstanding defense and they run the ball down your throat. They beat Dallas earlier this season. Dallas is 2-8 in last 10 playoff appearances. Boys are tough at home. This is a solid under game. Russell Wilson is better than Prescott and will prove it Saturday. 

Chargers and Ravens open the slate on Sunday. Ravens beat Chargers in Los Angeles two weeks ago.

Rivers played his worst game of the season. He will have Melvin Gordon back so that will help. Ravens defense is outstanding. Defense wins championships. Chargers playing the early game and traveling across country. West coast teams normally don't do well in this situation. Ravens win and sack Rivers 4 times.

Eagles versus Bears is the final contest of the weekend. Eagles are riding the magic of Nick Foles again. Less weapons than last year. Not as strong defensively as Bears. They may be equal offensively. We expect a low scoring game so under 41 is the play. The money on the game is trending toward the Bears and the line has moved by 1.5. We are content with the under.

                       Follow on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates!

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Recap of the PBJ Business of Sports Seminar in Philly

We attended the Philadelphia Business Journal Business of Sports Seminar last month at the Ballroom at the Ben.The major Philadelphia Sports teams participated in this event. They included the Eagles, Sixers, Flyers, Phillies and Union.  Each team shared their views about sports betting, media and marketing.

When the question was posed to the audience as to what team would win the next world championship in Philly, the response was split between the Sixers and the Eagles.

The second panel was dedicated to E sports and the evolution of the gamers over the past three years.

While there is still room for improvement in areas concerning language and civility, the E sports  participants on the panel were supportive and pledge to make that a priority. The participants on the E Sports panel were John Fazio of  3RD St Gamers and Mike Prindiville, CEO Team Dignitas.Temple University was represented admirably by Anthony Pizzo, School of Tourism and Hospitality.

Spike Eskin

Two additional panels rounded out the event and they were devoted to Sponsorships/Partnerships & Media. Media was of great interest to the crowd that remain at the event because everyone wanted to know how to reach their audience. Spike Eskin, Program Director; Sports Radio 94 WIP stated "find what people are interested in and share how it feels to them."

We will give our opinion on what we see as the best way to reach your niche. You should utilize all mediums but use most of your resources where they are. You should look for new content and innovation that will bring attention to you. That content should be consistent with your brand or it will not resonate with your current customer. You should also deploy part of your media budget to new market cultivation.

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Super Bowl 52 - Eagles vs.Patriots

Super Bowl 52 is 2 days away. Pats and Eagles. Belichick and Pederson.

Coaching advantage. Belichick.

Brady and Foles.

Quarterback edge. Brady easily.

Offensive weapons. Eagles win this especially if Gronk not 100%.

Defensively: Eagles have advantage with front seven. Pats have edge in secondary. 

Special teams. Pats get slight edge here.

Line is 4.5. Pats are favored 

Over /Under is 48.

Momentum is with Eagles.

Jags control the game against the Pats. They took the foot off of the gas.

Eagles will run same game plan with a balance attack and more weapons.

Eagles win and cover.

Money line is also a play for this game.

Justin Timberlake performs this at halftime. Watch it now.
We also include a preview of  #Pepsi Halftime Performance.

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                   Check out my app, Smart Responsible Gaming at thegamingguym.com

Sports and Technology Panel in Philly

This past Thursday, we attended a discussion on the impact of technology on sports, teams and players.The panel included Howie Roseman, Vice President of Football Operations for the Philadelphia Eagles, Brian Selander, Executive Vice President of Whistle Sports, Dave Voyles from Micosoft and Antoine Galand from GraphWear Technology.

Wayne Kimmel

The moderator was Wayne Kimmel, the managing partner of SeventySix Capital and author of Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel. 

Sports and Technology Panel

While each member of the panel had a unique perspective on technology, they all agreed on the value of incorporating it. The Eagles have a data scientist. 5 years ago that position would not have existed. The Sixers have done great work with analytics that provide the players with information on how to increase productivity and prolong one's career. Other sports teams are taking note.

Our biggest takeaway from this event was to look at what the members of the panel are reading and consume that information. SportTechie was mentioned prominently along with the Sports Business Journal. We recommend reading the latest issue of  Sports Illustrated on The Year in Sports Media.

The value of  technology and a strong mobile presence is paramount to staying relevant to the fans and consumers of your services.

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                         Check out my app, Smart Responsible Gaming at thegamingguym.com

NFL Recap Week 5: Wentz and Prescott

We decided to compare Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott. The Eagles and Cowboys have found two franchise quarterbacks in the same draft. There is no noticeable difference in their statistics. Wentz's lone interception came on the final offensive play of the Eagles loss to Detroit. Prescott has yet to throw a pick.

So who has the better upside?  We am going Prescott. Carson is the 2nd player taken in the 1st round. Dak was taken in the 4th round.  He does not make as much as Carson but is giving the same productivity at the position. He has more value in terms of salary cap. They match up against each other in 3 weeks. That is if Jerry Jones does not pull Prescott and insert Tony Romo back into the lineup.

For the DFS players, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are the dynamic duo. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown are next. The running back for us is the Cowboy's Ezekiel Elliott. Le'veon Bell of the Steelers is back and ready to rock.  LeSean McCoy rounds out our top 3. Jordan Reed is an Eagles killer and worth looking at this week as a flex. 

If you are going to Las Vegas this week, play US Fantasy at a Race and Sports Book near you.

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                           Check out my app, Smart Responsible Gaming at thegamingguym.com/

Daily Fantasy Football Tips (4)

This week's Fantasy Football Tip requires that all the fans of Daily Fantasy research Week 1 statistics. Look at the amount of time a receiver was targeted by his quarterback. If the number is higher than 35 percent that means at least 1/3 of the looks are passes to that receiver. Carson Wentz targeted Jordan Matthews over 38% of his throws last week. I would start that receiver if he had a favorable match up against a weak or injured secondary. 

Carson Wentz

Jordan Matthews

The only exception to this is if you have a stud wide receiver like a Julio Jones or Dez Bryant. If this is your guy in a fantasy league that you have with your friends or coworkers, then he has to be your guy every week barring injury.

Julio Jones

Dez Bryant

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NFL Recap - Week One

The 1st week gave indications as to the three worst teams in the NFL. Those dubious distinctions go to the Browns, Rams and Chargers. RG III was injured and is out indefinitely. The Rams are inept offensively. The Chargers had a 21-3 halftime lead and loss in OT. Jeff Fisher is the coach on the hot seat. Mike McKoy is right behind him.

Browns

Carson Wentz played the best game of all the QBs in the NFC East. I realize that it was against the Browns. I am looking forward to the MNF match up of the Eagles against the Bears.

Fantastic Finish goes to the Raiders over the Saints. Oakland gambled with a 2-point conversion that David Carr converted with a pass to Michael Crabtree  for the winning points with 47 seconds left to

win 35-34 on Sunday.

Carr threw for a 10-yard touchdown, setting up the gutsy call by second-year coach Jack Del Rio.

Oakland had to overcome a 14-point, second-half deficit and a 424-yard, four-touchdown performance by Drew Brees.

Next week, we'll look at the top 3 2-0 teams. Will your team be among them?

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                                                        12 days until #G2E2016

Is Wagering on Fantasy Sports Gambling?

I saw this question about 10 days ago on LinkedIn. I did not read the response because I knew that I would weigh in on this. I like to maintain my objectivity when I write. I decided that I would compare betting on a football team like the Eagles to wagering on a fantasy team of my choosing.

When I bet the Eagles I take in consideration the line or points spread, homefield and weather. I

also chart the recent history between the Eagles and their opponent. If I can find more pluses to take the Birds then I put my money on Philly. If I can't ,then I don't wager on the game. If all roads and factors point to the opponent, I considered going the other way.

 

Some fans feel this is a form of blasphemy. No way can you bet against your team. A fan and a bettor are two different people. Fans are ride or die. Bettors are live to die another day. Read this paragraph again and you'll get it!

Now when I wagering on a fantasy team, I get to pick this imaginary lineup that would never play together against someone else's dream team of the week or day. I look at homefield, opponent and weather. I considered past individual performances. I also look at any significant injury. The injury variable is incorporated into the spread or line.

So the factors that go into picking a NFL team to wager on are the same as what you look for in betting on a fantasy team. So why is Fantasy a skill proposition and picking a team (Eagles) a gamble? The answer is not Sam Bradford.

The only difference is the point spread. My NFL team must win by more than the number designated or I will lose. My fantasy team just has to win. In a day fantasy league like DraftKings, FanDuel or Yahoo, my opponent and I may have some of the same players on our team.

Wanna Play??

Picking that secondary guy to go with your elite players will make the difference between winning and losing. There is something to be said for finding value at a price. Finding that value is a skill that is not based on luck. Skill ties more into percentages and analytics.

                                        Webster's definition of gambling is
: to play a game in which you can win or lose money or possessions : to bet money or other valuable things
: to risk losing (an amount of money) in a game or bet

: to risk losing (something valuable or important) in order to do or achieve something.

 

Wagering on Fantasy Sports sounds like gambling to me. And about 33 million other people.

 
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