What happens when one of the oldest and most world-renowned casinos in Las Vegas decides to reward NFL and college football bettors for their ATS handicapping prowess? The Ultimate Football Challenge! Taking their cue from the Sportsbook's SuperContest, this competition allows sports fans to test their point spread betting skills, and win big money.
The Golden Nugget Las Vegas has its own handicapping event in the form of an ATS betting contest. For a tiny entry fee of $1,000, you can enter up to three times! With the Ultimate Football Challenge, you get to make ATS picks for pro and college football. During the 17-week contest period, you have the chance to make some serious coin.
You have to make seven picks per week on both the college and professional football games of your choice. The more you correctly predict which teams will cover the spread, whether it’s the LSU Tigers over Alabama Crimson Tide or the Kansas City Chiefs over the Baltimore Ravens, the better chance you have of coming out on top.
Although this contest hasn’t been around as long as the SuperContest, we predict big things to come. The Sportsbook takes home 97 percent of the entry fees which is a huge chunk of change. The top 11-20 finishers also receive a prize, as do the top 10. Prove to the gambling world that you’ve got what it takes to make smart picks.
Registration opened at the Golden Nugget sportsbook at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 and ended Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 10:00 PM. Participants must be over 21 years of age and provide a valid government ID like a driver’s license or passport.
As with the SuperContest, non-Nevada residents must use a proxy to present their picks in-person.
About the Golden Nugget's Ultimate Football Challenge
Tony Miller, a former UNLV football player, and current Golden Nugget Sportsbook Director, started the Friday Football Showdown in 2018. After a name change, reduction in entry fees and format modification, Miller’s contest is set to return in 2020 for its third year.
Bettors from all over the country are expected to enter this handicapping contest and prove that they know best when it comes to correctly picking NFL and NCAA football spreads.
The Ultimate Football Challenge is a sports betting extravaganza where contestants pick college and NFL sides for 17 weeks of the NFL and college football season. Entry costs are $1,000 and you can enter up to three times to try your luck. With seven total picks per week from both professional and college football to make, you’ll be busy from the beginning of September until the end of December.
The sportsbook releases its betting lines Wednesday at 2:00 PM and you have to submit your picks by Friday at 10:00 PM. If you miss the deadline, you get nothing and that can hinder your chances of making it to the end of the Ultimate Football Challenge. Scoring a zero one week can make all the difference between winning and losing. This is where a professional comes in. More on that below.
Finding a Proxy
Picks must be submitted in person each week. However, if you do not live in Las Vegas you’ll need a friend or relative who does reside in Nevada to give in your picks on your behalf. For those who do not have anyone they can trust in the state, you can hire a proxy.
This is someone who works for a professional service that you pay to visit the Golden Nugget for you when your picks are due. Your proxy must also be of legal betting age and have authorized identification.
Contestants are actually allowed to designate up to two proxies who have the authority to enter weekly picks. Each contestant must designate their proxies, if they so choose, upon registering for the contest. No late proxy additions will be accepted. Only the contestant, and not the proxy, will be eligible to receive the prize money.
Scoring and Points System
There are no totals or moneylines, just ATS picks, making it easier on contestants to make their selections. Each win (when your chosen team covers the spread) results in one point. Should there be a PUSH, you get half-a-point. This is when the ATS score hits the oddsmaker’s set number on the nose.
As aforementioned, missed picks do not give you anything so make sure you or your proxy get everything in on time.
Ultimate Football Challenge Payouts
This handicapping contest pays out the top 20 finishers with 97 percent of the entry fees going to the Sportsbooks. The Golden Nugget takes three percent or $30 per entry as their vig. It is normal for a casino to take a small cut of players’ earnings of fees, otherwise they wouldn’t make any money.
The top 10 get a huge portion of the winnings with the 1st place getting 40 percent. Finishers who find themselves in the 11-20 spots also get a prize of $1,000 each. If there’s a draw, the total amount allotted to those positions will be split equally between those who tied.
The Golden Nugget Sportsbook
Some of us prefer to wager at an online sports betting site, while others like to show their faces at a brick-and-mortar casino to lay money down on their favorite teams. The Golden Nugget Sportsbook is one of the premier locations in the state of Nevada. Whether you’re sending your proxy to submit your picks, or visiting the Nugget yourself, you’re in good hands with this betting place.
Check back with Odds Shark’s contest page for new info about Ultimate Football Challenge, standings, and updates. If you think you’ve got the skills to beat the spread for college football and the NFL, and have $1,000 burning a hole in your pocket, why not try your luck?
