States Squeeze Sportsbooks Sports betting operators entered 2026 facing a new reality: rising tax burdens that threaten profitability and may ultimately affect the odds offered to bettors. Illinois led the charge with unprecedented tax increases, and other states are following. For contrarian bettors, understanding this squeeze helps explain why lines may vary more dramatically by … Read more
The Market Has Doubts The Chicago Bears won 12 games this season. They finished first in the NFC North. They earned the conference’s second seed and home-field advantage through the divisional round. And yet, when they host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, they’ll be underdogs. The Bears opened at +4.5 before the line tightened … Read more
A Year of Scandals The 2025 sports betting landscape was defined by federal investigations that reached into NBA locker rooms, MLB bullpens, and college basketball programs. The fallout is now reshaping how prop bets are offered, with leagues pushing for restrictions and regulators weighing new limits heading into 2026. For bettors, these changes could fundamentally … Read more
The 49ers Just Proved They Can Win as Underdogs San Francisco walked into Philadelphia on Sunday as 5.5-point underdogs against the defending Super Bowl champions. They walked out with a 23-19 victory and ended the Eagles’ repeat bid. Now the 49ers travel to Seattle for the Divisional Round, where they’re catching 7.5 points against a … Read more
The $2 Billion Experiment Ends On December 1, 2025, ESPN BET quietly disappeared. Users who opened the app that morning found a new name, new logo, and new color scheme. The mint green had become electric blue. ESPN BET was now theScore Bet. The rebrand marked the end of one of the most ambitious and … Read more
The Broncos Are a Home Underdog. They’re Also the Number One Seed. The Denver Broncos finished the 2025 season 14-3 and earned the AFC’s top seed for the first time since their Super Bowl 50 run. They have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first-round bye. On Saturday, they’ll host the Buffalo Bills in … Read more
A New Way to Bet on Sports If you live in California, Texas, or one of the other states where sports betting remains illegal, you can now wager on NFL games through a loophole that has state regulators scrambling. Prediction markets like Kalshi and new offerings from DraftKings and FanDuel are accepting sports wagers in … Read more
Wild Card Weekend Delivers Drama and Upsets Five games into Wild Card Weekend, the pattern is clear: close games, late drama, and underdogs making noise. Heading into Monday’s finale between the Texans and Steelers, underdogs are 3-2 against the spread with two outright wins. Saturday belonged to the home underdogs, who went 2-0 ATS with … Read more
Saturday’s Results Followed the Script Wild Card Saturday delivered exactly what the historical data suggested it might. Both home underdogs covered the spread, and one of them pulled off an outright upset that will be remembered for years. The Panthers (+10.5) lost to the Rams 34-31 but stayed within a field goal despite being the … Read more
An Unprecedented Wild Card Weekend Setup Wild Card Weekend kicks off today with something the NFL playoffs have never seen: four road favorites. The Rams, Packers, Bills, and Texans are all favored to win on the road. For the first time in league history, a No. 2 seed is an underdog to a No. 7 … Read more