30Duck Moderator No. 1 Share Posted Tuesday at 02:12 PM I like to check the odds, and the Pick the Score contest before the Ducks game is fun. But that's about it. Having money on the game would take all the fun out of it for me. Jeff Pearlman calls out Bill Simmons for tying fandom to gambling AWFULANNOUNCING.COM Jeff Pearlman calls out Bill Simmons and The Ringer for promoting a sports culture where gambling feels mandatory. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie No. 2 Share Posted Tuesday at 03:01 PM (edited) I never bet actual money on a game, and really the only time I "bet" was on a now-gone sports message board where we were "given" $5,000 to bet and winner, of course, was the one who had the most money at the end of the season (college football in this case). I was the top winner two years in a row (even though I had to concentrate on how to word the bet so that it was what I was trying to bet), mostly because 1) I didn't bet much money and 2) luck. An example of luck was to bet on UConn beating the 44-point spread in a game against Alabama, and UConn losing by only 43 points. Edited Tuesday at 03:02 PM by Annie 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 3 Share Posted Tuesday at 03:11 PM No, but why do you a$k? People have been wagering on sports for thousands and thousands of years. For centuries, gaming was allowed in most of the world except the USA. Wagering is a game within a game, and in perspective, within your budget, is fun. However, it is not, of course, necessary to wager on sports to enjoy the game. Yes, the odds are there in part to 'balance the book,' but over the years, preseason football future bets odds have been more reliable than the myriad polls and projections from folks who have nothing at risk. Ducks -32 vs. Bob's Cats. For entertainment purposes only! Fun to ponder, I think? What are the odds again? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 4 Share Posted Tuesday at 03:57 PM I don't like betting... especially when I don't have any say in the outcome. But I am an obsessive Ducks fan. This is the case where big moneyed interests are pushing a narrative that makes them more money. You can't really blame a lot of sports casting and content creators that take their money for advertising as that keeps their businesses and passion projects alive. But we can absolutely push back on the notion that gambling is a must to be a sports fan. Being a sports fan is fun onto itself. People were still sports fans before sports betting became largely legal throughout the country. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Ducky No. 5 Share Posted Tuesday at 04:04 PM It’s one of them. If it wasn’t for fantasy football the nfl would take a big hit. Hard to go into a bar on without something going on with nfl betting. The lottery frowns it it because it cuts into their take. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 6 Share Posted Tuesday at 04:24 PM On 6/10/2025 at 10:12 AM, 30Duck said: I like to check the odds, and the Pick the Score contest before the Ducks game is fun. But that's about it. Having money on the game would take all the fun out of it for me. Jeff Pearlman calls out Bill Simmons for tying fandom to gambling AWFULANNOUNCING.COM Jeff Pearlman calls out Bill Simmons and The Ringer for promoting a sports culture where gambling feels mandatory. My maternal Puritan ancestors, who arrived in Boston in 1628, bringing Scots prisoners to toil in the iron works north of Boston, would have loved Jeff Pearlman. Gambling was the work of the Devil. Stillworthy Faxon was a 'Roundhead' who fought for Oliver Cromwell in the British Civil Wars. His wife's name was Penelope. They departed Bristol with five children. Two died on the voyage to Boston. The Puritans were not very good at guarding the Scots prisoners, who were to be released after seven years in captivity. Many Scots, before their Indenture was served, wandered northeast and formed New Scotland, Nova Scotia. Ironic that the winners of the Civil Wars, the Puritans, wound up in the ice and cold and rocky ground of Boston and New England, while the losing Cavaliers ended up in Virginia. Descendants of the Cavaliers and the Puritans would battle in another civil war, this time in America. Class over, feel free to wake up. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 7 Share Posted Tuesday at 04:28 PM On 6/10/2025 at 9:04 AM, Just Ducky said: If it wasn’t for fantasy football the nfl would take a big hit. Fantasy football is an interesting one... because I agree without it the NFL would definitely take a hit. However, fantasy football has some other things going for it other than a strictly betting perspective. There is often a social component where leagues are built around friends and there may or may not be any money on the line at all. Some people do bet on it aggressively but that isn't always the case. It can be a game within the game. For many the joy comes from just playing the fantasy football game as it combines with their love of football by default. I would get into fantasy football if I cared about the NFL but I rarely watch any NFL games. Fantasy football isn't unlike people filling out march madness brackets. Sure, there could be money on the line but often time it is for fun and I guess bragging rights. Betting can be a thing without money, people do it all the time, but to me sports betting IS about money and sports betting culture IS about money. Though I will say there is an element of sports betting that has always been a part of sports culture (or mostly about sports culture) and that is the pre-game lines. We all love looking at who is favored and by how much. What we do with that information varies wildly from person to person. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 8 Share Posted Tuesday at 05:47 PM I had buddies in college, later in the Navy, when we went to games it was so they could drink beer, couldn't care less how the game was going. There weren't any bookies involved, just $$$ between friends, but that was the only way they'd actually watch a game. Perlman touches on it, and I've seen enough stories; fantasy football can get ugly. A players life can be threatened if he doesn't have a great game and his fantasy "owner" takes a hit. Or , forget fixing, just a loss can send a gambler to crazyland. To me, watching the game is where the fun is. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 9 Share Posted 5 hours ago FWIW, one gaming site's Big Ten odds to make the 2025-26 PO. Big Ten Football: Betting odds to make College Football Playoff in 2025-26 SATURDAYBLITZ.COM Odds have been released for teams’ chances to make the 2025-2026 College Football Playoff. Similar to last year, this season's bracket will feature 12 teams, in Ohio State, OBD, and Penn State are odds-on to make the PO. OBD at -260 means you have to put up $260 to win $100, plus the $260 wagered back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 10 Share Posted 5 hours ago Underdogs Michigan (+220) USC (+590) Illinois (+630) Indiana (+630) Nebraska (+680) Iowa (+710) Don't see Washington, measured hype for USC and how about the "Emerging Superpower at +630. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 11 Share Posted 4 hours ago On 6/12/2025 at 12:48 PM, 30Duck said: Underdogs Michigan (+220) USC (+590) Illinois (+630) Indiana (+630) Nebraska (+680) Iowa (+710) Don't see Washington, measured hype for USC and how about the "Emerging Superpower at +630. Illinois went 5-1 in one-score games in 2024, so caution is advised. However, Illinois returns 18 starters who won 10 games last season, including the 2nd-ranked B1G QB, Luke Altmyer, and, according to USA Today, plays the easiest B1G schedule. The Fighting Illini +630 to make the PO is one of the best available future bets. With a game at Duke, Illinois may not go 3-0 OOC, but it will be no worse than 2-1. The two toughest conference road games will be at Indiana and UW. Illinois hosts USC and Ohio State. It's sweet to draw Purdue, Rutgers, Maryland, and Northwestern. +630 for Indiana, 12th most difficult schedule per USA Today, is also worth a look if you believe QB Mendoza out of Cal will be as effective as Kurtis Rourke, coming over from MAC-member Ohio, was in 2024. The opening B1G game for both teams sees Illinois playing Indiana in Bloomington. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 12 Share Posted 4 hours ago On 6/12/2025 at 10:42 AM, Jon Joseph said: The opening B1G game for both teams sees Illinois playing Indiana in Bloomington Since I don't bet money, measure your response to my recommendation, take Illinois and the points! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Moderator No. 13 Share Posted 3 hours ago It’s not really true gambling, if you can afford it….lol Therefore, I really only bet on sports if I happen to be at an actual casino with a sports book. I was a financial advisor, and have seen the damage that it can have on people that don’t understand how math works. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 14 Share Posted 2 hours ago On 6/12/2025 at 11:49 AM, Drake said: It’s not really true gambling, if you can afford it….lol Gambling can be very destructive. The only gambling I ever participated in was back when Oregon had Sports Action. You picked up the form at a 7/11. It had games and spreads, it was fun. Powerball, the odds of winning the jackpot, around 1 in 300M. A while back, I bought a ticket, behind me, a guy bought 10 of them. He didn't win. Sure, bet on a football game with real money, try 21 in Vegas, maybe you're better with dice. They'd love to see ya. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
