With the four major American sports leagues still on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, the PGA Tour has exploded in popularity among bettors the past two weeks.
Todd Dewey
Todd Dewey covers sports betting for the Review-Journal. Prior to taking over that beat in January 2017, he covered UNLV football, 51s baseball and a wide range of other events that come to Las Vegas. A native of Cambridge, Mass., and a graduate of the University of Central Florida, Dewey joined the Review-Journal in 1999 and was the 2013 Nevada Sportswriter of the Year.
The first two bets placed over the counter are for $2,000 each on the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins to earn the top seeds in their respective NHL conferences.
Rufus Peabody had $2,000 in bets to win $173,000 on Kyle Stanley, who led by seven strokes in the final round at Torrey Pines in 2012 but lost in a playoff.
A bettor placed a $187,847.35 wager to win $4,173.95 on Gabriel Flores Jr. (-4,500) to beat Josec Ruiz in a 10-round lightweight fight Thursday at the MGM Grand.
Top-ranked Rory McIlroy is the 14-1 favorite at the Westgate sportsbook, followed by No. 3 Justin Thomas (16-1), No. 13 Bryson DeChambeau (16-1) and No. 2 Jon Rahm (18-1).
UFC led the way in weekend betting handle at the Westgate and William Hill sportsbooks. But the PGA Tour was tops at DraftKings, which took a record golf handle.
Collin Morikawa, a 40-1 long shot, missed a 6-foot birdie putt for the win on the 18th, then lost to Daniel Berger on the first playoff hole when his 3-foot par putt lipped out.
The main entrance to the Westgate will open at noon Thursday, when the first 50 people in line will receive $50 worth of slot play. The back entrance will open about 10 minutes later.
Friday’s weigh-ins for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 172 card at the UFC Apex facility made handicapper Lou Finocchiaro change his mind on his two best bets.
The Westgate sportsbook has adjusted 2020 NBA title odds and posted odds on which teams will earn the eighth playoff seed in each conference.
The Caesars Palace racebook and sportsbook will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays and closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Golfers won’t need to hit bombs off the tee to win at narrow Colonial Country Club. But golf bettors should have a chance to hit a long shot at the wide-open event.
Professional sports bettor Mark DeRosa, a Florida resident, placed the wager at Circa Sports in July at 125-1 odds that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson would win the MVP award.
The South Point not only is paying the Bruins, Blues, Capitals and Golden Knights as NHL division winners, but it’s also refunding all other division bets.
The gambler made three bets on teams to win their division and four wagers on season win totals. The largest bet was $41,250 on the Jaguars to go under 5 wins (-165).