Spurred by the ever-popular NCAA tournament, sports books have set records for basketball handle in March in each of the last two years and could do so this year if projections hold true.
But so far, betting volume is a little off last year’s pace at William Hill’s Nevada sports books, according to director of trading Nick Bogdanovich.
Bogdanovich told ESPN Radio/Las Vegas on Wednesday that action on the First Four games was “down a little from last year,” and that overall betting action had been somewhat light heading into what will likely be the busiest four-day stretch of the year.
“It’s been a disappointing couple of days as far as handle. I think it’s been fairly slow. It’ll pick up fast and furious (Thursday) for sure, and hopefully later on (Wednesday).”
If handle is down at William Hill’s 105 books in Nevada, it’s a fair indication of trends statewide. Prognostications are nonetheless rosy, however, as the tournament tips off in earnest today.
Some books were slated to open at 5:30 a.m. Thursday, and seating at watch parties is expected to be at a premium at venues throughout Las Vegas.
William Hill’s odds on Thursday’s games (as of 8 p.m. Eastern Wednesday)
| COLLEGE BASKETBALL | CURRENT POINT SPREAD | % of TICKETS AS OF 5PM PST | % of $’s WAGERED AS OF 5PM PST |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC WILMINGTON vs. DUKE | DUKE -10.5 | 56% NC WILMINGTON | 66% NC WILMINGTON |
| BUTLER vs. TEXAS TECH | BUTLER -4 | 63% BUTLER | 81% BUTLER |
| UCONN vs. COLORADO | UCONN -3.5 | 58% UCONN | 62% COLORADO |
| IONA vs. IOWA STATE | IOWA ST -8 | 68% IONA | 79% IONA |
| YALE vs. BAYLOR | BAYLOR -5.5 | 70% BAYLOR | 79% BAYLOR |
| HAMPTON vs. VIRGINIA | VIRGINIA -24 | 83% HAMPTON | 55% HAMPTON |
| AUSTIN PEAY vs. KANSAS | KANSAS -26 | 60% AUSTIN PEAY | 64% AUSTIN PEAY |
| ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK vs. PURDUE | PURDUE -9 | 55% ARK LR | 75% ARK LR |
| BUFFALO vs. MIAMI FLORIDA | MIAMI FL -13.5 | 61% MIAMI FL | 54% MIAMI FL |
| CHATTANOOGA vs. INDIANA | INDIANA -11.5 | 51% CHATANOOGA | 59% CHATANOOGA |
| FLORIDA GULF COAST vs. NORTH CAROLINA | UNC -22 | 70% FGCU | 85% FGCU |
| FRESNO STATE vs. UTAH | UTAH -8.5 | 55% UTAH | 50% FRESNO ST/UTAH |
| WICHITA STATE vs. ARIZONA | ARIZONA -1.5 | 54% ARIZONA | 54% WICHITA ST |
| STONY BROOK vs. KENTUCKY | KENTUCKY -14 | 75% KENTUCKY | 61% KENTUCKY |
| PROVIDENCE vs. SOUTHERN CAL | PROVIDENCE -2 | 69% PROVIDENCE | 83% PROVIDENCE |
| GONZAGA vs. SETON HALL | GONZAGA -1 | 64% SETON HALL | 51% SETON HALL |
AROUND THE WEB
- Michigan State is the most popular choice to win it all among bettors at William Hill and the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
- 68 NCAA Tournament betting nuggets to know.
- Rhode Island is considering legalizing NCAA tournament pools and social wagering.
- New bill in Arizona would exclude DFS from state’s gambling laws.
- March Madness reignites ongoing tiff between NCAA and DFS.
- DailyMVP, a DFS site best known for its 2014 ad starring Tom Brady, has announced Friday will be its last day in operation. The site recently switched to a free-to-play model and allowed users to withdraw all funds.
LOOK WHO’S TALKING
“When I started at CG Technology in 2011 the overall handle in the state of Nevada was less than $2 billion, last year the state of Nevada did $4.3 billion and this year they expect the state of Nevada to do over $5 billion.” —Matthew Holt, CG Technology’s COO, on the booming business of sports betting.
ODDS & ENDS
- A look at some of the NCAA prop bets offered by William Hill and Station Casinos.
- The plane carrying the Cal State-Bakersfield team had to make an emergency landing 30 minutes after takeoff on Wednesday.
- Betting preview for this week’s NASCAR race.
- Cubs not cool with Chicago’s ban on smokeless tobacco.
- Report: Patriots trade for Martellus Bennett.
ODDSMAKER’S TAKE
“The worst team for us right now is Indiana. We took several wagers on them at 70-1 back in January, and then an accumulation of bets throughout the season on them, even as their price shortened.” —Jason Simbal, CG Technology’s vice president of race and sports, discussing line movements and betting trends this week.