UFC 259, NASCAR And PGA Betting Headline West Virginia Sportsbooks This Weekend

Written By Dave Bontempo on March 4, 2021 - Last Updated on March 22, 2023

West Virginia online sportsbooks are offering a loaded menu right now.

Pausing between college hoops and NBA bets, Mountain State gamblers have a strong lineup of PGA, NASCAR and UFC options. Even MLB exhibition games are in play.

Let’s take a look.

UFC 259: Will Adesanya annex another title?

Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya remains a considerable favorite even as he moves up to try and dethrone reigning light-heavyweight titleholder Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 on Saturday.

Blachowicz money has moved the DraftKings WV Sportsbook line in the past few days. Adesanya has become more attractive at -230, down from -278.

Another big favorite is unplayable on the DraftKings moneyline but will be heavily considered in props.

Amanda Nunes, the sport’s most prolific female fighter and one of its best draws, is -1250 versus Megan Anderson, +750. Nunes is defending her featherweight title.

Betting money in the Nunes fight will likely surround the method of victory. A Nunes KO/TKO is even money. A Nunes decision pays +400, and a submission is +800.

Anderson payouts range from +1100 to +2500 in those categories.

At FanDuel WV, bettors can take the How Fight Will End prop, which pays less but covers both fighters. Any KO/TKO is -140, a submission is +195 and a decision is +400.

Nunes is aggressive. Anderson’s last four fights ended in the first round.

Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling are parity personified as Yan defends his bantamweight title for the first time. This fight received brisk betting activity, dropping Yan from -143 to both fighters being -110 at DraftKings. This now represents an NFL game type of line.

New users: DraftKings has a promo of betting $1 and receiving $100 if either fighter lands a punch. Go to its promo section.

How to watch

  • Early Prelims, 6 p.m. – Fight Pass
  • Prelims, 8 p.m. – ESPN and ESPN+
  • Main Card, 10 p.m. – Purchase on ESPN+

NASCAR betting: Will big names break Out?

Unheralded drivers have been winning at NASCAR since the Cup Series circuit began in February.

The big names are due, and the DraftKings board reflects that for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400, starting at 3:30 p.m. EST on Fox.

Kevin Harvick is the favorite at +600 to win, while Martin Truex Jr. is +650.

Chase Elliott, the defending Cup Series champ, is +800. So are Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano.

There are other ways to find good value. Drivers in this group range from +175 to +235 to finish in the top three.

William Byron, who captured the Dixie Vodka 400 last weekend, is gaining betting respect. He’s an excellent price at +1800 to win, but his odds of +450 for the top three and -134 for the top 10 indicate that gamblers believe he may be consistently good.

Betting note: It’s difficult for drivers to win in back-to-back weeks. There have been no repeat victories this year. That’s why a driver who just triumphed will produce an excellent price the following week.

Prop betting lineups are good, too.

Which manufacturer will have the winning driver?

  • Ford +135
  • Chevy +170
  • Toyota +230

Which team will have the winning driver?

  • Joe Gibbs +240
  • Hendrick Motorsports +275
  • Team Penske +290

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Wide open

Long shots galore mark the DraftKings board for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, running Thursday-Sunday.

Rory McIlroy, +850, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland, +1200, are the favorites in the first round of betting, which precedes the opening round.

How to watch

  • Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. EST (Golf Channel)
  • Saturday-Sunday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. EST (Golf Channel) and 2:30-6 p.m. EST (CBS)

Bettors can also jump on the adjusted odds after round one (the first-round leader rarely wins it all) and play the hole-by-hole and matchup props that occur in the final three days.

“We get a lot of long shot betting in golf,” Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, told PlayWV. “Our golf bettors go deeper than the early line favorites. They go for a Harris English at 55-1 or a Kyle Stanley at 150 to 1 (+15000).”

“They take a real shot, and I don’t blame them. The payouts can be terrific.”

They were a couple of weeks ago, when 60-1 long shot Max Homa prevailed in a playoff against Tony Finau.

Other good ways to make money include playing a golfer in the top 20 or homing in on a particular round. If you like a golfer’s body language, start betting the score on individual holes. The beauty of this strategy is that it represents all action, all the time, in an area you have actually handicapped by watching that golfer play.

In addition to DraftKings, FanDuel and William Hill WV are offering a strong golf menu.

FanDuel offers round matchups and make/miss the cut props, as well as in-game matchups.

William Hill offers “double-chance” bets, grouping any two players to win. If McIlroy or Hovland prevail, it’s +450.

Odds on these and other bets will be adjusted according to the action.

Betting on MLB: Exhibition games do count

DraftKings had 14 of them up one day this week. And there is an extensive lineup every day.

The odds are playable, with both underdogs and favorites being reasonably priced.

There are some differences over the regular season.

There are no totals or run lines, because managers can routinely decide not to use any more pitchers, or stop the games at a certain point. It’s also hard to set a line using players who won’t make the major leagues one month later.

The good news is that favorites are not prohibitive early in the Grapefruit season. There will be a few -240 lines on someone like Gerrit Cole, because pitchers won’t be going deep into games.

As the spring training season draws to a close, more betting options may go up.

Photo by Michael Zarrilli / The Associated Press
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Dave Bontempo

Dave Bontempo, a multiple national award-winning boxing commentator and writer, authors NFL betting columns for the Press of Atlantic City and IGaming Player, among others. He writes significantly about the emerging world of legal New Jersey sports betting.

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