We are hours absent from the start off of the NFL season, and things are by now FUBAR. Cooper Kupp may well have nerve hurt, and the Battle of Wounded Knee is having place all more than all over again, as a nation — very well, a gambling country — awaits term on whether Travis Kelce will suit up tonight, or, for that subject, this yr.
Yeah. Two very first round draft picks in your fantasy draft, presently shelved. Eeesh.
Meanwhile, America’s sportsbooks carry on, bravely, with the Chiefs now a mere 4.5-issue household favored for tonight’s video game. In quick: Travis Kelce is truly worth at least two factors. That has to be a document for a restricted stop.
As for us listed here at Athletics Handle? We’ll be monitoring all the NFL betting information as it comes at us now. Buckle up.
10 a.m.: Dolan re-ups with ESPN
ESPN and sports betting analyst Erin Dolan have agreed to a multi-calendar year deal renewal, ESPN introduced Thursday.
Dolan will be Bristol-primarily based and on air routinely on SportsCenter, Everyday Wager, and a lot more.
“Erin has been significant to our progress in the athletics betting place, and brings a betting lens to our ESPN programming that we know fans anticipate from us,” Scott Clark, vice president, fantasy & betting content material, stated in a press release. “It’s good to now have her in Bristol contributing day by day to our rising athletics betting articles initiatives.”
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In addition to her ESPN appearances, Dolan will proceed to create betting-particular written content on her weekly YouTube display, The EKD Display, and she will also appear weekly on Sunday NFL Countdown.
“It’s been amazing to enjoy ESPN’s sports activities betting material develop into what it is today. When I was employed in 2021, we had been just scratching the area,” she mentioned. “We’ve progressed rather a bit due to the fact then, and I cannot hold out to be aspect of this following stage as we enter into soccer season.”
Of course, ESPN and PENN Leisure introduced last thirty day period they had been teaming up to launch ESPN Bet, a rebranded on the web sportsbook expected to debut someday this autumn.
9 a.m.: Will Kelce engage in?
Talking of Kelce, we’re a lot less than 12 several hours from kickoff and the waters are even now muddied.
Ed Werder of ESPN tweeted what he has heard, and it’s … not all that handy, declaring the “outlook is not great” but that Kelce will “push to participate in.”
From what I have been told the outlook for #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is not terrific for him enjoying tonight from the Lions but expectations are that he will thrust to perform.
That will go away Andy Reid to make a decision, being aware of Kelce is terribly needed but recognizing extended time ahead.— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) September 7, 2023
For what it is really worth, the traces haven’t budged on this “news” just nonetheless.
Paging Adam Schefter … Adam Schefter, remember to report to Twitter.
8:30 a.m.: BetRivers reimagines props
BetRivers just introduced an objectively good addition to its on the internet sportsbook for would-be player prop bettors.
In limited, there is a complete location of the app now devoted to participant props, broken down by activity, and named Prop Central.
“With the popularity of props betting, we made Prop Central to give RSI’s bettors an less difficult way to navigate and wager on props,” Richard Schwartz, CEO at Hurry Road Interactive, said in a push launch. “Also, Prop Central will give bettors with continual pregame and reside updates on wagering selections, which will make viewing their favourite gamers and sports even additional partaking for our bettors this year.”
Most sportsbooks listing participant props by game, but BetRivers imagined it prudent to just have a full portion focused to the props. It’s a cleanse, quick-to-use interface. Props to BetRivers, pun quite considerably intended.