Live! Casino Philadelphia has been busy over the last several months.
The Phillies’ run to the World Series brought high energy to the South Philadelphia casino, which was coupled with the Eagles undefeated start in October.
There is nobody stealing the spotlight away from the Eagles now, as they host the Giants in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday at 8:15 p.m.
It’s the biggest game in South Philadelphia since the 2018 playoffs and Live! Casino Philadelphia is the place to be on Saturday.
Live! Casino Philadelphia gears up for Eagles playoff games
A divisional home playoff game against the Giants is a dream scenario for Live! Casino Philadelphia.
Bryan Newman, General Manager of FanDuel Sportsbook at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, said the game taking place on a Saturday night can provide a boost in handle numbers and overall traffic.
“For the Phillies run, we had a really good crowd in there, near capacity,” Newman said. “We’re expecting to trump that on Saturday throughout the day. It’s not an afternoon game where the guests might leave after the game. It’s going to be an all-day affair.”
The game occurring on a Saturday also helps the attendance of visiting fans. MetLife Stadium is just 90 minutes from Live! Casino Philadelphia.
“Typically on a Sunday night, it does get busy,” Newman said. “On a Saturday night, it’s going to be crazy. You have the away team that’s roughly 90 miles away. We’re going to have the New York fans, we’re going to have the Eagles fans and they’re going to be tailgating all day. We’re expecting near records for foot traffic on Saturday.”
Newman noted that one of the busiest days for foot traffic this season came in October, when the Eagles beat the Cowboys 26-17 on Sunday Night Football. Newman said that the hotel is sold out for the weekend.
Expected betting handle scenarios for Eagles-Giants
There’s a different energy surrounding the Eagles this January compared to last.
Last year, the Eagles sneaked into the NFC as the No. 7 seed, which was the first season of the NFL’s expanded playoff format.
Newman said most fans were just happy the Eagles were in the playoffs. Because of that, Newman said that roughly 60% of spread money was on Tampa Bay to cover the 7-point spread at home. The final score of a 31-15 Eagles loss did not indicate how close the game actually became.
Though the Eagles have the best chance of winning the NFC as the top seed, Newman isn’t expecting bettors to flock to the Eagles this weekend as 7.5-point favorites.
“In my opinion, I kind of see it the other way where most people will be betting the Giants,” Newman said. “We did just see them beat the Minnesota Vikings. The public opinion right now is that the Eagles limped into the playoffs and they barely got the No. 1 seed. I think the 7.5 is really speaking to people.”
Newman said playoff games do roughly 25% more handle than regular-season games. Also, the opponent matters in handle numbers for a game. A matchup between the Seahawks or Buccaneers would likely do slightly less handle than the Giants or Cowboys.
Another wish for Live! Casino Philadelphia would be the Eagles hosting the Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field for the NFC Championship game next week.
Live! Casino Philadelphia promotions for Eagles-Giants on Saturday
Live! Casino Philadelphia is offering promotions ahead of and during the Giants and Eagles Divisional Round playoff game on Saturday.
Gold Card members and above receive free parking for all home games. Plus, existing Classic Card members can get reimbursed in free slot play for parking fees. All FanDuel Sportsbook & Lounge guests with a valid parking ticket receive a $45 sportsbook reimbursement with a $100 sportsbook wager, rather than the free slot play.
Live! Casino Philadelphia is offering $5 Bud Light specials at Sports & Social, halftime contests and signed Eagles memorabilia and swag.
The Prime Rib opens at 1 p.m. during Eagles home games and offers specialty cocktails and delicious game-day bites such as Eaglemelon-tini, prime burger, Greenberg potato skins, crab cocktail and more.
Luk Fu is offering salmon tartare with avocado and $5 Bud Light, or cheesesteak spring rolls and $5 Bud Light.
