Twice weekly, we’ll comb through as many articles, tweets and podcasts as we can find related to the world of sports betting and daily fantasy sports, and publish the good stuff here.
Stumble upon something you think we should include? Email info@bettingtalk.com.
* * *
It’s official. DraftKings and FanDuel are going to merge.
The merger, pending regulatory approval, is expected to close in the second half of 2017. Until then, both sites will continue to operate under their respective brand names.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but sources close to the negotiations told ESPN that it is basically a 50/50 split between the fantasy giants. Each company will have three seats on the board, with one independent director. At closing, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins will be the CEO of the new company, while FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles will become the chairman of the board.
The Cleveland Browns haven’t been able to win a game all season, but they’re also struggling against the spread.
“The Browns are just so inept,” Westgate sports book director Jay Kornegay said. “It’s funny because the sharps support them every single week, and that’s a sign the line is inflated. But the public doesn’t care because they just bet against the Browns.”
The betting public looks pretty sharp sometimes, and Sunday was one of those times. Week 11 of the NFL season turned “really ugly” in Kornegay’s words, and it started to turn when McCown was hit and coughed up a fumble in the end zone.
The Oxford Eagle Editorial Board said they had an “uneasy feeling” about Mississippians being legally able to bet on college sports.
Betting on professional sports is one thing. Betting on college sports is another, however. Consider that the Southeastern Conference is one of the power conferences in sports with many of the biggest games — games that attract heaving betting.
Mississippi has two teams in the SEC with Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The idea that Mississippians and others could routinely legally wager on those games yields an uneasy feeling.
We hope that Mississippi will give sports betting a long hard look before jumping in without assessing consequences.
Columnist Richard N. Velotta took a look at what eSports betting could be like in Las Vegas.
So would you take Team Liquid in a head-to-head World of WarCraft matchup against the Evil Geniuses?
Yes, it’s a tough call, considering the Evil Geniuses have scored $14.9 million in winnings in 607 e-sports tournaments. But then, Team Liquid has a lot more experience, having played in 803 tourneys, and it still won $4.4 million.
Or, maybe you should get behind Wings Gaming. That team is ranked second in the world with $9.5 million in winnings but collected that in just 14 competitions.
Definitely a tough call.
Don’t worry, I really have no idea what I’m talking about and can’t even give you a statistical rundown on Team Liquid, the Evil Geniuses or Wings Gaming, or who plays for those teams. And I’ve never played “World of Warcraft.”