Friday Four-Pack 3.10.23
The day we've all been waiting for is here. Pats have to sign this WR. Derby!
This might be YOUR first launch day.
Not me.
I was front and center for the launch of mobile sports betting in New Hampshire.
You want proof?
Look at that handsome face. Glorious head of hair. Looking dapper as ever.
Still not 100% sure why I was there, but for some reason I’m front and center with Governor Chris Sununu as he placed the first mobile bet in NH. I had a better spot on the stage than Rob Ninkovich.
And for three years the 16.4 mile round trip drive to and from NH was the way to get my bets in. And I still love New Hampshire. Lived and worked there for years. Tax free! Good people! Live Free or Die, baby!
But the fibbing to my wife that I have “an errand to run” and firing off golf bets on Saturday mornings in a Home Depot parking lot?
That ends today, Friday March 10, the Year of Our Lord 2023.
On the start of mobile sports betting in Massachusetts…
At 10AM this morning the Commonwealth of Massachusetts - after years of needless delays thanks to political jockeying and selfish personal agendas among Massachusetts lawmakers - became the 24th state in the United States with mobile sports betting.
It’s about time.
This is an issue I fought for and talked about for years on WEEI. And we’re not going to rehash it all again here….BUT… did one prominent lawmaker credit me privately with helping to push the issue forward with all of my ranting and raving (#letusbet!!!) on the radio?
Well would I bring it up if they didn’t?
And if those lawmakers who battled against this for years are okay with the loss of millions of dollars in tax revenue to neighboring states … well congrats to you. You’re probably bragging to people this morning that you helped make this happen - of course at least a year and half later than it had to be.
But that’s in the past…IT’S MOBILE LAUNCH DAY!
After one final meeting pre-launch of the Mass Gaming Commission Thursday, here’s what the mobile landscape looks like for now:
DraftKings, FanDuel, Ceasars, Wynn, BetMGM and The Barstool sportsbook. Those are your six mobile options starting today.
Sound like we’ll get three more - Betr, Fanatics and BallyBet - before July 4th.
I could have offered you guys promo codes but for now I want to be able to speak about these apps and books without having to worry about any sort of affiliate or promo deals I have with them. Both the good and the bad. That could change in the future if someone comes along with a truckload of that big sportsbook money. DMs are open.
I was already signed up with one and signed up for three more for launch.
Had an issue trying to get the Barstool app to accept my promo code but after starting the process over a few times I think it took. BetMGM can’t understand my birthdate so there is still an issue there…we’ll see.
Update after Launch: Excellent customer service from Barstool on an issue I caused. DK and FanDuel legit boosts. BetMGM…we’re struggling to be honest.
All of the promos offered have different rules, rollover, etc. So make sure you’re reading the fine print. And I expect there to be new promos today for deposits, first bets and more. Some of those will apply even if you took advantage of early sign-up deals.
The bottom line is at some point today I’ll be live-betting the Players Championship (Go Jason Day) and shopping for the best price on UConn and/or Creighton to win the National Championship. All from my couch. While probably applying for jobs.
To quote the great Adam Levitan, it almost makes you happy to be alive.
I’d love to hear your experiences with signing up, bonuses, customer service with these sportsbooks as we get things kicked off. Both good and bad.
Leave a comment below or reach out to me thru this SubStack - or on Twitter.
And please, bet responsibly.
On a player the Patriots HAVE to sign….
Heard Felger mention “the lack of buzz” with the Patriots off-season a few days ago.
He’s right.
The guys on the beat are trying but it’s the same list of free agent targets every few days. The big names (Higgins, Hopkins, Odell) are not really a consideration for the team. Even if we are all trying to wish a star WR into existence.
Bill O’Brien will help but offensive coordinator talk in March doesn’t play.
So how to create some buzz?
Sign Braxton Berrios. The one that got away.
Okay so maybe he’s not Tee Higgins. And he won’t create much buzz. But that Pats should pounce after the Jets cut him.
Heard for years how mad the Patriots were when the Jets grabbed him after the team cut him and thought they could get him onto the practice squad.
He’s an All-Pro kick returner and natural slot receiver. When pressed into more of a full-time role at the end of the 2021 season, Berrios grabbed 20 catches on 30 targets and also rushed for a pair of TDs. That was all in just a four game stretch.
Guy is electric.
There was a report the Pats were looking at former Alabama receiver Slade Bolden this week. Give me a break.
Bring back Berrios! Buzz! Berrios!
On Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby…
Just one major prep race this weekend so we’ll focus on it here.
And it will be hard to match last Saturday’s Fountain of Youth winner Forte who looked legit in his first race of 2023. He’ll get one more prep in the Florida Derby and if he wins that one convincingly he’ll likely be the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
His trainer Todd Pletcher appears to have this week’s prep race over a barrel. Tapit Trice (#6) comes in with buzz and the Beyer speed figures to back it up. Beyers are not the end all be all - they should be used as a tool in handicapping and not usually bet blindly. But when one horse owns the two highest Beyers in the field by himself, that’s hard to ignore.
This guy cost $1.3 million at the 2021 Keeneland so the expectations are sky high. Don’t know how much early speed he has, so getting caught in traffic as a closer could be a concern, but there’s not much in the field to be honest.
Pletcher’s other horse here Shesterkin (#9) was the favorite last time out and lost to Trice. In fact rewatching that race only makes Trice look better here. He only started really running at the end and the two turns can only help. Bred to love it.
I’m willing to buy the “Fast Pace” label that Timeform has for this race. So I’ll use Classic Legacy (#3) and Groveland (#4) with the favorite.
Legacy was wide and late last time in the Sam F. Davis. Trainer Bill Mott has been known to use a race as a tune up and maybe that was the case there. Has some room to improve and would have to if he wants to be close to Trice.
Groveland ran second in that same Sam F. Davis. I won’t argue he had a good trip on the inside but I’d offer that -
1. He was part of a fast early pace and still held second.
2. Did have to steady for a step or two into the second turn - as announcer Jason Beem astutely pointed out in his good call of the race.
The other horse I’ll use in trifectas is Champions Dream (#10). He did no running, again in the Sam F. Davis, but he’s been training well and had some okay races as a two year old. At 20-1 with that breeding, he could juice up the exotics.
Not a great betting race - the favorite looks tough. I’ll play against Shesterkin rounding out the exacta in the horizontals.
8/5 Tapit Trice (#6)
6-1 Classic Legacy (#3)
6-1 Groveland (#4)
20-1 Champions Dream (#10)
On what I’m reading…
Producer of the wildly popular Kirk Minihane Show Dave Cullinane wants me to start a newsletter where I send you out links every morning to the best stories in Boston sports.
We’re not doing that.
I did enjoy Shaughnessy’s column as well as the back and forth with Jared Carrabis this week. But to be honest I’ve been locked into Friday’s sports betting launch.
With that in mind, if you’re at all serious about sports betting and want a behind the scenes view of the battle that we as bettors are facing as we square off with the sportsbooks, I’d highly recommend The Logic of Sports Betting by Matthew Davidow and Ed Miller.
It details the ways sportsbooks are trying to beat you (well, us) and where you can possibly take advantage. There’s also some very useful math in there.
And Davidow paints a realistic picture of what a successful sports bettor looks like. There you go, Dave. That’s what I’m reading.
Bet with your head, not over it.
Thanks for reading.
Good weekend.
I’d love to hear your experiences with signing up, bonuses, customer service with these sportsbooks as we get things kicked off. Both good and bad.
Leave a comment below or reach out to me thru this SubStack - or on Twitter.
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