BET BASH
George 'Spanky' Kryollos came up with the idea for Bet Bash a couple of years ago, and it's a sports betting extravaganza!
It takes place at the Circa Hotel in downtown Vegas from August 8-11. There will be a ton of old school and new school bettors, including the infamous Billy Walters. Tickets run around $750 for the four days. If you have not been to or seen the new Circa Sportsbook, Google it. PHANTABULOUS! Swimming pools, gigantic screens and non-stop sunshine.
If you're thinking about coming, PLZ don't forget your sunscreen cause the temps in Vegas will hover around 106/109 degrees.
Spanky also came up with the idea of a Sports Gambling Hall of Fame. And my lifelong friend, former partner and co-founder of the nationally syndicated column America's Line, Roxy Roxborough, will be among the first to be inducted.
Roxy, Billy Walters and the late Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal are the headliners. If you're not familiar with Uncle Billy Walters, check out the 60 Minutes video CBS did a few months ago. If you're not familiar with 'Lefty' Rosenthal, check out my column on my meeting with Frank.
Not sure when my Hall of Fame plaque will be ready, but YUGE congrats to my guy Roxy!!!
428,642 NFL PROP WAGERS!!!
Can you possibly dissect every prop with intelligence? Obviously, it ain't easy. So, the one that spoke to me is, the Exact Wins prop.
There is one for each team, but as an example, check out the Kansas City Chiefs. The thinking is that Kaycee will win at least 12 games, and if it falls on 12, exactly, the odds are 5/1. If you like 13, the odds are also 5/1. The more wins the higher the odds. If you like K.C. for 14 Ws, the return is 7/1, 15 wins is 10/1, 16 Ws is at 18/1 and if you believe that the Chiefs are gonna pitch a 17-0 PERFECTO, the wallet will get VERY PHAT at 50/1!
Did some quick research, and going back over the last five years, K.C. won 12 games in 2018, 12 in 2019, 14 in 2020, 12 on 2021 and 14 last season. Looked at the 2023 schedule and there appears to be a minimum of 12 Ws on the board and as many as 15.
Throwing out the 17-0 just because, and will drop a full Benjamin ($100) on 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 wins. If I spread $500 on the table at $100 per for each bet, the worst I do is break even if the Chiefs win 12 or 13 games. If they win 14, 15, or 16, my wallet gets fatter. You with me???
SLOT OF FUN!!!
Remember when the NFL thought that sports betting or any type of gambling was actually one of the nine circles of HELL? Remember when the NFL told Tony Romo he couldn't go to a fantasy sports event by a casino.
Well now, not only are there sportsbooks INSIDE (Washington Commanders) and adjacent to some stadiums (Arizona Cardinals, Giants and Jets), but the league has taken it a step further.
The NFL has partnered with Aristocrat Gaming to release the first NFL-themed slot machine. Not sure how it works yet, but thinking that if you hit three Green Packers logos on one line, you've hit the JACKPOT!!!
And rumor has it that if you hit three Houston Texans on one line, then you PAY the house!!! Kinda like rolling a 2 or 12 at the Craps table!!!
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Benjamin Eckstein is a nationally syndicated sportswriter/oddsmaker. His column, America's Line, with the Ecks & Bacon appetizer, has run in the New York Daily News and over 100 other papers since 1988. You can follow him online at www.americasline.com. He is beloved by most, when he picks winners, and detested by others, when he picks the occasional loser. If you wanna piece of Eck, hit his Email...ben@americasline.com.
