Nine online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania present lots of lines, betting markets, boosts, tweets, and promotions. Each week, PlayPennsylvania pores through the content to bring you the best of the books each week.
FOX Bet 76ers promo
Can the 76ers score at least 76 points without Ben Simmons and possibly Joel Embiid? It’s the basis of FOX Bet‘s March 11 Super Boost. You can double your money when the 76ers score 76 points or more against the Detroit Pistons. Max bet is $25.
Bet boosts and promos: March 11
FanDuel
During the Big Ten Tournament (March 11-15), FanDuel is offering “Big Score Insurance.” When you place a pre-game moneyline wager on any Big Ten Tournament game, if your selected team scores 75 points or more and loses, you get your money back in site credit (max $50).
DraftKings
It’s madness! DraftKings ups the ante with the biggest survivor pool. The “March Mania Survivor Pool” gives users a chance at a $250,000. Also, when you opt-in to the survivor pool sweetener, you could be one one of four random college grads chosen to have up to $100,000 paid off.
Here’s how the Survivor Pool works:
- Pick a team to win each day until the Round of 8. Then pick a new team per round.
- If they’re a winner, you move on. If not, you lose.
- Pick a team only once. If you’re out of teams to choose, your Cinderella run is over.
BetRivers
- 76ers, Knicks, and Heat all to win: “Yes” +230
- Bryce Harper to hit more Home Runs in the 2020 regular season than Pete Alonso: “Yes” +165
Unibet
“Conference Championship Chaos” gives Unibet users the chance to earn free bets based on amount wagered on college basketball games until through March 30.
NCAA Tournament closed to fans
During the afternoon of March 11, NCAA president Mark Emmert released a statement that no fans are allowed at the upcoming 2020 NCAA Tournament.
Here is Emmert’s full statement:
No 2020 NCAA Tournament games are being held in PA or NJ. The closest games are being held in New York. At least two PA teams, Villanova and Penn State, will be in the tourney but they will be on the big stage without the vocal support of their fans in the seats.
Lots of questions remain. Will more fans tune in and bet online now that they are locked out of the game? There is still speculation that COVID-19 could cancel the NCAA Tournament.
Why aren’t teams in Pennsylvania (the Flyers, 76ers, Penguins) following the NCAA’s example and closing games to fans?
On Tuesday, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley recommended people avoid gatherings of more than 5,000 people. On Tuesday night, the Flyers hosted the Boston Bruins (and about 20,000 fans) at Wells Fargo Center.
Comcast, which owns the Wells Fargo Center, said in a statement before the game, “that the game would be played as scheduled, but ticket holders who feel ill or have underlying health conditions should “consider not attending.”
Sports betting comes to the Lehigh Valley
The Downs at Mohegan Sun at Lehigh Valley opened Pennsylvania’s thirteenth retail sportsbook. It’s the first sportsbook at a non-Parx operated off-track betting parlor and the first in Allentown.
Well, we’re living here in Allentown
And they’re trying to shut the horse fund down
Out in Bethlehem, they’re killing time (until the waterpark opens)
Filling out parlay forms
Standing in the kiosk line
Crazy for Carson
Is there ever an offseason for Eagles bettors? Perhaps not. At DraftKings sportsbook, Carson Wentz has the most money bet of any player to win the MVP.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson earned NFL MVP honors in 2019. He received all fifty first-place votes making him the second unanimous MVP in NFL history. Wentz wasn’t really even in the MVP discussion last year like Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, or even Michael Thomas.
Perhaps bettors believe Wentz will have a stronger supporting cast this coming season and is a good value for MVP at +2000.
But it’s March…and it’s madness! Also, at DraftKings Jameis Winston currently has strong support in bets to win MVP. Winston is set to enter the free agent market on Monday, March 16.
College basketball big weekend handles
Two PA-teams got late-season love from bettors on Saturday, March 8. It wasn’t reciprocated.
At DraftKings online sportsbook, #14 Villanova got 88% of the handle during their visit to Georgetown. Nova was a -7.5 favorite and eked out a 70-69 win, not covering the spread.
#20 Penn State earned a whopping 95% of the handle as 7-point favorites against Northwestern. The Nittany Lions lost 80-69.
Players Championship odds
The Players Championship is set to tee off on Thursday, March 12. The PGA Tour’s flagship event is ready to give out a record setting $15 million in total prize money to golfers who make the cut at TPC Sawgrass. First place sinks $2.7 million.
Pucks
For the NHL-obsessed, BetRivers and Parx are the only PA online sportsbooks to offers odds on Norris Trophy winner (John Carlson is the favorite at -200), Vezina Trophy (Tukka Rask +125), and the Calder Trophy (Quinn Hughes -118).
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is +15,000 for the Norris Trophy. Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is listed at +5000 for the Vezina.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh hotel progress
In early October, Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh opened a $5 million state-of-the-art sportsbook. In 2021, bettors and players will have a place a few steps away to rest their heads. The Landing Hotel is under construction and it will connect directly to Rivers Casino.
The hotel boasts a “luxurious experience with panoramic views of the downtown Pittsburgh.” Rivers Casino even has a construction cam where you can keep an eye on the progress.
Rivers Philadelphia Poker Room
Stepping outside of the ‘book, during the month of March, at Rivers Philadelphia Poker Room, over $250,ooo in high hands makes it the biggest giveaway in history.
Five days a week, they are paying out $300 high hands every half hour, and $500 high hands Thursday-Saturday every half hour.
