Caesar's Better Bettor: ESPN dives into sports betting business, but not as a bookie

If you watch ESPN, listen to its radio programming, look at its website or social media feeds, be prepared to be soaked by a deluge of references to its new partnership with one of the nation’s leading sportsbook operators.

It already has started, but becomes official on Tuesday when the Barstool brand becomes ESPN Bet. Penn Entertainment remains the operator of the books, including locally at Argosy Casino in Alton, and said that customers should have an easy transition whether betting in person or online.

ESPN’s role is as a promoter of the brand, not as a bookmaker. It’s a lucrative deal for ESPN, which is being paid $1.5 billion spread over 10 years, plus $500 million of warrants to buy nearly 32 million common shares of Penn stock, to lend its name and promotional powers to Penn — which operates sportsbooks in 16 states in addition to Illinois. (Not in Missouri, where sports betting isn’t legal despite each of the eight states that borders it other than Oklahoma having approved the activity.)

ESPN already has begun hyping the partnership, with “SportsCenter” anchor Scott Van Pelt (who has the entertaining “Bad Beats” segment and much other sports betting content on his shows) promoting the brand. And the company has changed the name of its “Daily Wager” sports-betting program to “ESPN Bet Live.”

Also, when discussing odds the network will reference ESPN Bet’s numbers. It had been using the lines at Caesars sportsbooks and before that the figures came from the Westgate book in Las Vegas.

Low, lower, lowest

The incredibly miniscule over/under total on Iowa football games trend continues. The Hawkeyes now are on the verge of playing in a game in which the betting line for the number of points the teams will combine to score would be the lowest in records that go back to the end of the last century.

As of Friday afternoon, the total for their game Saturday against Rutgers was 27½ at two of the three legal walk-in sportsbooks in the St. Louis area — Barstool and DraftKings (Casino Queen in East St. Louis). The other, FanDuel (horse track in Collinsville), did not have a number posted.

In contrast, the over/under for the first half of the Southern California-Oregon game Saturday night was 38½ at all three books, with the total of the first quarter of that one as high as 19½ (at Barstool).

Two weeks ago, Iowa played in the record-setter. The lowdown on that one, which closed at 30½: Minnesota 12, Iowa 10. The previous week, the Iowa-Wisconsin over/under was 34. No problem: Hawkeyes 15, Badgers 6.

Then last week the ’Eyes were back at it with the total at 32. That was way too high: Iowa 10, Northwestern 7.

Think the NFL also has been low scoring this year? You’re right.

According to covers.com, a website that contains sports betting information, 61.7% of games in the league have gone under the betting total. The tally: 52 over, 84 under. That includes Chicago’s boring 16-13 victory over Carolina on Thursday night, a game with a total of 38.

Great start, bad finish

The money-making machine that City SC was early in its Major League Soccer season went tilt at the end. But it still was a highly profitable run for those who bet on the local expansion entry by using the three-way line for each of its MLS matches.

That line includes the option of selecting the game to end in a tie as well as picking either team to win, and the club’s 5-0 start — best ever by an MLS expansion club — quickly fattened the bankroll of those three-way line bettors because the team often was a big underdog that reaped large returns as it won seven of its first nine games and 10 of its first 15. Things were so good that $100 bettors were ahead by $1,470 at the high point.

But City SC won just two of its last 10 contests, including being swept by Kansas City in a best-of-three playoff series. That leaves those who bet $100 on City to win each of its MLS matches using the three-way line (or regulation-time line for the playoffs, in which there are no ties) ahead by $974 for the season. That’s nearly 500 bucks down from the apex, but still a tidy profit for backers of a team that began the season as the longest shot in the league to win the title (it will not) but also the longest shot to win the Western Division title (it did, at odds as high as 50-1).

Upcoming picks

We look to strongly rebound after being 0-4 with our selections last week and down eight units, leaving our record for the season at 13-18-1 and behind 13 units. We’re back at it this week with picks that can range from one unit (•) to five (•••••). Odds listed are the most favorable among the local sportsbooks as of Friday afternoon, with St. Louis times listed:

> Arizona at Colorado, 1 p.m. Saturday: The Buffaloes have crashed fast and hard following their electric start to the season, dropping three games in a row and five of six. In come the Wildcats, winners of three in a row and sporting a glistening 8-1 mark against the point spread. Look for the efficient Arizona bunch to get the job done here. Arizona -10 (DraftKings) •

> Southern California at Oregon, 9:30 p.m. Saturday: USC’s defense is defenseless. The Trojans have allowed at least 41 points in five of their last six games, including 49 to California in their last road contest. Don’t expect them to put up much resistance against the potent Ducks attack that shouldn’t be hindered by any weather concerns — the forecast calls for a dry night with light winds. Oregon is sixth in this week’s playoff rankings (four teams get in), and will want to put on a show on national television here to impress voters as the season winds down. We’ll attack this game a couple ways to try to take advantage:

Game total over 75½ points ••• (Barstool)

Oregon team total over 23½ points in first half (Barstool) ••

> New Orleans at Minnesota, noon Sunday: New Vikes QB made headlines last week with his solid play after arriving only a few days before the game, and that performance included running for 66 yards in a 31-28 victory over Atlanta. Dobbs liked to run before that, when he was with Arizona, eclipsing the over/under total posted for him this time (28½ yards) in six of his last eight games. He faces a middle-of-the-pack run defense here and is primed to exceed his total again. Dobbs over 28½ rushing yards. (DraftKings) •••

> Cleveland at Baltimore, noon Sunday: These two love to showcase their defenses and their last two meetings averaged just 23½ points. We’ll keep this one short and sweet. Game total under 38½ points (Barstool, FanDuel)••