Category Archives: Sports Betting

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, left, celebrates with quarterback Spencer Rattler after Rattler ran the ball for a touchdown against Florida in the first half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

The 2021 College Football season is set to begin on Saturday, August 28th with Week Zero. The Heisman Trophy will be awarded to the most outstanding player after the conclusion of the regular season. The voting doesnt include bowl games or College Football Playoff games.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler is favored in the Heisman Trophy odds entering the 2021 CFB season. Hell look to become the third OU QB in five years to win the prestigious trophy under head coach Lincoln Riley.

Although Rattler is a deserving favorite, there are several other strong contenders who will make the race interesting.

Odds as of August 21, 2021.

Oklahomas Spencer Rattler is the Heisman favorite at +600 entering the 2021 CFB season. The sophomore pivot is a very solid betting pick after leading the Sooners to a sixth straight Big 12 title as a freshman. Rattler threw for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns with just seven interceptions in 2020.

Rattler opened at +300 to win the Heisman, but has seen his odds lengthen due to the emergence of other contenders. What Rattler has that several others dont is experience. The OU pivot has thrived in high-pressure situations such as the Red River Showdown and the Cotton Bowl.

Oklahma is going to be a powerhouse in 2021 and are top-five in the National Championship odds for good reason. The Sooners are currently on a nine-game winning streak and return a wealth of talent from last years squad. OU returns six of their top seven receivers from 2020 and lose just two starters on their offensive line.

The reason to bet Rattler before kickoff is because his price is likely to get shorter. Take the last quarterback to win the trophy as an example. Joe Burrow opened at 200-1 odds to win the Heisman in 2019. By the time he played his biggest games, he wasnt available anywhere near that price.

The best longshot bet you can make entering the 2021 season is Texas running back Bijan Robinson. The sophomore is primed to get a monster number of carries this year after a tumultuous Texas offseason. The Longhorns lost starting QB Sam Ehlinger and hired Steve Sarkisian as head coach.

What Robinson did as a freshman was impressive. The youngster rushed for 703 yards and four TDs on just 86 carries in nine games. The arrival of Sarkisian should have bettors salivating on whats next. Sarkisian coached Heisman winner Reggie Bush at USC and top-five Heisman finalist Najee Harris at Alabama.

Robinson is expected to get around 20 carries per games in 2021 and will be relied on more than he was under previous coach Tom Herman. Bettors are already buying in on the hype, as the Texas running back has seen his Heisman odds improve to +2800 after opening as a heavy longshot.

Iowa States Breece Hall is the other running back to keep tabs on, but his ceiling isnt as high. Iowa State has an excellent defense and returning QB in Brock Purdy. Texas is breaking in a new QB, which gives Robinson a better chance of standing out and taking over games.

While weve established Heisman contenders to target, who should bettors be staying away from? Alabamas Bryce Young and Ohio States CJ Stroud are receiving plenty of hype, but theyve never started a game in college. Clemsons DJ Uiagalelei has only started two games. Experience is invaluable and the reason only two freshmen have ever won the Heisman.

Rattler in 2020 was a prime example of why you should tread lightly with young quarterbacks. Everyone knew Rattler was extremely talented, but he put himself out of the race early on with some rough outings as he got accustomed to the collegiate level.

A quarterback has won the Heisman in nine of the past 11 years, but you should trust someone who is proven. USCs Kedon Slovis and UGAs JT Daniels both put up great numbers in 2020 and will have plenty of talent to work with in 2021. They are better value plays than the youngsters who will have hiccups in year one.

NFL NHL NCAAF NCAAB Sports Writer

Brady is a passionate hockey fan and sports writer with over five years of experience specializing in digital media, plus a degree in Broadcast Journalism. His work has been published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.

NFL NHL NCAAF NCAAB

Brady is a passionate hockey fan and sports writer with over five years of experience specializing in digital media, plus a degree in Broadcast Journalism. His work has been published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.

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Heisman Trophy 2021 Picks and Best Bets - Sports Betting Dime

James King, Head of Content at CasinoSites.org, says that the past 18 months have shown the power of cross-sell and that US operators should be doing more to drive customers between sports, casino and poker.

Since the repeal of PASPA three years ago, the industry has mostly been focused on the sports betting opportunity in the USA. And why wouldnt it? The opportunity is a significant one and there is absolutely a first-mover advantage to be had.

This has led to something of a gold rush, with states passing enabling legislation and operators and providers applying for the necessary permits to launch a break-neck speed. But then the pandemic happened and for almost 12 months there was a total global sporting blackout.

Understandably, this took the wind out of the markets sails. But it is these challenging times that often lead to the greatest innovations. And in this instance, operators really had to think outside the box to keep customers engaged and entertained when there was little to wager on.

This saw many operators in the USA push other gaming products and, in particular, poker in the states where it is permitted to offer the game. As a result, poker saw something of a boom during the initial global lockdowns. Indeed, Google searches for online poker hit a five-year high.

The return of live sport has popped the poker bubble to some extent, but player engagement remains above pre-pandemic levels. This, I believe, provides a significant opportunity that operators are potentially missing and should be doing more to leverage.

The huge cross-sell opportunity

It could be argued that US operators are taking a siloed approach to player acquisition and retention. Sports bettors are sports bettors, slots fans are slots fans and poker aficionados are poker aficionados. But the trends seen over the past 12 months show this not to be the case.

While the pandemic forced operators to cross-sell players, the result should make them want to drive forward with additional cross-sell activity. And with the cost of player acquisition so high in the US I am hearing figures of $500 plus retention is key to extracting the highest life-time value.

The best way to retain players? Provide them with a comprehensive entertainment and gambling experience across all the available vertices in each individual state. Given the right incentives, poker players will bet on sports, and sports bettors will enjoy a few hands of blackjack at half time.

So how can operators drive cross-sell between players, especially in the states where only certain online gambling verticals are permitted.

Driving cross-sell in the fledgling US market

Bonuses are a powerful cross-selling tool. They allow players to try different gambling products without risking their own cash (no deposit/free bet bonuses) or by matching deposits or bets to deliver added value in exchange for the player engaging with a vertical for the first time.

Operators should also consider rewards and prizes if the prize for winning a poker tournament is VIP seats at the Super Bowl, then sports bettors are far more likely to participate and remain engaged with the operators poker product, especially if the competition is run over several weeks.

Operators must also ensure they stock content built to aid cross sell. For example, there are several providers in the market that have developed the next generation of poker games designed to appeal to casino audiences and younger demographics engaged with mobile/video games.

Themed slots can also play a crucial role in driving cross-sell around major sporting events. In the UK, for example, operators stocked a greater number of soccer-themed titles during the recent Euro 2020 tournament to aid cross-sell between sports betting and casino.

Then you have skill-based slot games, which are becoming increasingly popular. These titles combine elements of skill with random number gameplay and are particularly effective at pushing poker players towards slots and vice versa.

Live dealer is also proving to be effective at bridging the gap between different verticals. Traditional live table games are now being complemented by money wheel and gameshow titles that have greater appeal among slot players.

Finally, operators should be using cutting edge technologies such as AI and machine learning to gain a comprehensive understanding of player preferences and then use this to push players to their different gambling products.

By understanding each player and the type of content they engage with, bonuses they enjoy, payment methods they use, etc, they can then effectively cross-sell them to other games, promotions and so on.

The past 18 months have proved there is huge cross-sell potential but if operators are not careful they will miss the opportunity on the table. Those that can harness this will be able to retain players at an unprecedented rate and unlock the highest value from each customer.

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James King: the missed cross-sell opportunity on sports betting, casino and poker - SBC Americas