NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, And U.S. Open

Each week, our “What’s on Tap” series previews the week ahead in the world of sports betting. Come here for a summary of upcoming financial happenings, legislative and regulatory meetings, industry conferences, top games scheduled for the week, and much more. Also, check out our weekly review, “Get a Grip,” for a look back at last week’s notable news.

Monday, June 12

Nuggets look to close out Heat in NBA Finals

With consecutive wins in Miami, the Denver Nuggets are one game away from winning their first NBA championship in franchise history. Up 3-1 in the NBA Finals, the Nuggets can close out the Heat on Monday night in Denver. At FanDuel, the Nuggets are heavy 9-point favorites in Monday’s Game 5; the moneyline is -405.

For the most part, the top books across the market expect Denver to end the season Monday night. The Nuggets’ odds to win in six games jumps to +700, while a Denver victory in seven will pay out +1100. The Heat have odds of +2400 to pull off an improbable comeback.

On the prop markets, bettors will closely track Nikola Jokic’s assist total in Game 5. With a Denver win on Monday, Jokic would need 14 assists to become the first player to average a triple-double in the playoffs and win the NBA Finals in the same season. Jokic also needs 18 assists to average a triple-double in the Finals. Ahead of the series, FanDuel offered a prop at +100 on Jokic to average a triple-double in the series and the Nuggets to win the title.

Something I’m sure concerns Nikola Jokic: He’s dipped to 9.8 assists per game in the playoffs, so he’s no longer averaging a triple-double. Needs 14 dimes in Game 5 to bump back up to double digits per.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 10, 2023

Tuesday, June 13

Golden Knights eye first Cup in franchise history

As with the Nuggets, the Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from their first league title in franchise history. The Golden Knights withstood a frenetic scrum outside the goal in the waning seconds Saturday to take a 3-1 series lead on the Florida Panthers. At DraftKings, Vegas now has odds of -1400 to win the Stanley Cup over the Panthers (+800).

The Golden Knights have their first shot on home ice in Tuesday night’s Game 5. Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault remains the heavy favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. As of Monday morning, Marchessault had odds of -670 to capture the trophy. He leads the Golden Knights with 13 goals in the playoffs.

Jonathan Marchessault (-670) is the odds-on favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy 🏆

But @StevenPsihogios says someone else with +1,000 odds is still a nice value 💰

See who it is ⤵️https://t.co/bKuzqelpxf

— NorthStar Bets Sportsbook (@NorthStarBet) June 11, 2023

Wednesday, June 14

OLG’s Hannay headlines Canadian Gaming Summit

In April, Ontario observed the one-year anniversary of the launch of legal iGaming with a staggering figure. Over the prior 12 months, Ontarians wagered $35.6 billion (CAD), resulting in about $1.4 billion in total gaming revenue, according to figures released by iGaming Ontario. At this week’s Canadian Gaming Summit 2023, stakeholders will receive further insight on the successful opening year of legal, single-event sports betting throughout the province. Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission CEO Duncan Hannay will kick off the conference Wednesday with a keynote address.

Other top panels at Canada’s most prominent gambling conference: 

• Sports Betting Across Canada: Navigating the Patchwork of a Provincial Rollout
• Partner and Play — Collaboration between Canadian Teams, Leagues and Sportsbooks
• The Intersection of Sports Betting and Content: New Media in the Mix
• Ensuring Integrity in Sports Betting: Building a Unified Strategy on Competition Manipulation

Vermont governor set to sign sports betting bill

At this time last year, Rhode Island and New Hampshire were the only states in New England that offered legal sports betting. Both states offer it less competitively than is generally the case, as wagering is sole sourced to DraftKings in New Hampshire and the Rhode Island Lottery is the provider in the Ocean State.

Other states in the region have since legalized, and it is expected that Vermont will on Wednesday become the latest to move closer to launching sports wagering by Gov. Phil Scott signing House Bill 127. The bill received concurrence in May after the Senate amended several key provisions. The new law allows sports wagering in Vermont on a digital-only basis.

Friday, June 16

College World Series begins in Omaha

Top-ranked Wake Forest set an NCAA baseball Super Regional record Sunday with nine home runs in a 22-5 victory over Alabama. With the win, Wake Forest will enter the College World Series as the favorite to win the national championship. The Demon Deacons have odds of +240 at FanDuel to capture the title, just ahead of LSU (+340), which also advanced to the College World Series on Sunday.

Six teams have already qualified for the College World Series, which begins on Friday. The final spots will go the winner of the Super Regional series between Tennessee-Southern Miss and Texas-Stanford. Those two series will be settled with decisive Game 3 matchups on Monday.

Oral Roberts, which eliminated Oregon on Sunday, is the longest shot on the board to win the national title at +3600, though it has won 23 of its last 24 games. The Golden Eagles, returning to the College World Series for the first time since 1978, opened the NCAA tournament with triple-digit odds to win the title.

Oral Roberts was 𝟮𝟬𝟬/𝟭 to win the NCAA Baseball Tournament ⚾️

THEY’RE HEADED TO THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES 🤯

📽️: @NCAABaseball | #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/XfCoLF53XF

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) June 12, 2023

Sunday, June 18

Rahm pursues Masters-U.S. Open double

When Jordan Spieth won the Masters and the U.S. Open in 2015, he became only the sixth golfer ever to complete the double in the same calendar year. Jon Rahm, who put on the Masters green jacket in April after a steady final round, can become the seventh on Sunday with a win at Los Angeles Country Club.

Rahm (+800) is the second choice to win the U.S. Open at Caesars Sportsbook, behind Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer. Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion, has odds of +700 to win his second career major. Matthew Fitzpatrick, the defending U.S. Open champion, has odds of +3500 to repeat.

The U.S. Open comes soon after last week’s bombshell announcement that the PGA Tour, LIV Tour, and DP World Tour will form a for-profit organization under one umbrella. Four LIV golfers are among the top 20 in U.S. Open odds at Caesars, led by two-time winner Brooks Koepka at +850. Koepka last won the tournament in 2018. Los Angeles is hosting the U.S. Open for the first time in 75 years.

Have a good week, everyone!