Everything that happens in sports has additional context when viewed from a betting perspective. From season-changing injuries to record-setting moments and so much more, the news cycle will constantly and significantly affect the sports betting industry.
Our betting buzz file, with contributions from David Purdum, Doug Greenberg and others, aims to provide fans a look at the sports betting stories that are driving the conversation.
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Feb. 28: Knueppel overtakes Flagg as ROY leader
By David Purdum
Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, was the consensus favorite to win Rookie of the Year all season. That changed Friday. Charlotte Hornets sharp-shooter Kon Knueppel moved ahead of Flagg on Friday at DraftKings and other sportsbooks. Knueppel’s odds moved from +195 to the favorite at -125 at DraftKings since Thursday, while Flagg went from -220 to -105. As of Saturday morning, Knueppel is at -145 with Flagg at +115.
BetMGM reported this week that Flagg had been as short as -800, but Knueppel’s record-setting season propelled him to the top on Friday.
Knueppel’s odds moved after his 28-point performance in the Hornets’ win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. It was his 13th game with 25-plus points this season, tying Flagg for the most among rookies. He also hit a career-high eight 3-pointers in the game, setting the rookie record for made 3s in a season with 209.
At sportsbook the Score Bet, more money has been bet on Flagg to win Rookie of the Year than all other candidates combined. Flagg has attracted three times more money than Knueppel on the season. However, the sportsbook reported that over the past week 98.9% money wagered on the ROY odd was on Knueppel.
Feb. 19: Parity the theme as DraftKings releases NFL win totals
By ESPN staff
Less than two weeks after the Super Bowl, season win totals for the 2026-27 NFL campaign are up at DraftKings Sportsbook.
A lot can and will change over the offseason, but for now, no team has a win total at 11 or higher. The last time the regular season kicked off without a team with a win total of 11 or higher was 2016, according to betting odds archive SportsOddsHistory.com.
Eleven teams opened at 10.5, the highest number on the board. Three of those 11 teams reside in the NFC West, including the champion Seattle Seahawks, who, despite a dominating playoff run capped by a Super Bowl beatdown of the New England Patriots, have not separated themselves from the rest of the league in the eyes of DraftKings’ oddsmakers. The Patriots also opened at 10.5 wins Wednesday at DraftKings, but that number had dipped to 9.5 as of Thursday.
The Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins are on the opposite side of the board, each with win totals of 4.5, the lowest in the league.
NFL free agency period begins March 11. The draft will be held April 23-25, in Pittsburgh, followed by the release of the regular-season schedule in the weeks after.
Feb. 13: World favored for NBA All-Star tournament, Wembanyama for MVP
By Doug Greenberg
The NBA is debuting (yet another) new format for its All-Star Game and, with it, ample offerings from sportsbooks that could prove intriguing for bettors given how the teams are divided up.
The World team is a +160 favorite to win the All-Star tournament, with USA Stripes sitting at +175 and USA Stars at +200, according to DraftKings odds. In Game 1, World is a 2.5-point favorite over Stars and a 1.5-point favorite for its next game against Stripes; Stripes is a 1.5-point favorite over Stars in their matchup.
World could have been an even larger favorite in this field but will be down Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who both are sitting out due to injury, as is Stephen Curry for Stripes.
Still, that hasn’t stopped bettors from backing the international team, which has accumulated the large majority of tournament winner bets (62%) and handle (77%) at DraftKings. BetMGM also reports the most tickets (71%) on World, but has 59.7% of its money on Stripes.
“I think for us, it gives us some options for the game and makes it a little bit different, stirring it up a little bit,” DraftKings Sportsbook director Johnny Avello told ESPN. “It’s kind of refreshing and I think it’ll create business.”
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama is the clear favorite for All-Star Game MVP at +425 at DraftKings, and has accumulated the most wagers (36.7%) and handle (55.3%) at BetMGM. The sportsbook has also seen notable action on Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, forcing a move from +2000 at open to +900.