Wizards @ Bucks, 1/11/19

**Betting on anything, including sports, should be in moderation, with discretionary income and only if you're 21+. This blog only offers recommendations and is not liable for any loses incurred. Further, this is my first foray in sports betting, so please take my picks with an enormous grain of salt.

Milwaukee Bucks (29-11) @ Washington Wizards (17-25)
Money Line: MIL -130 / WSH +110
Point Spread: MIL -1
Points O/U: 226
First Half: MIL -0.5

Oppo: Giannis is DOUBTFUL (Hip) for tonight's game. He was the biggest guy against the Rockets posting a double-double with 27 points and 21 rebounds. Yes, TWENTY-ONE REBOUNDS. They're still the best team of the two, but road weariness and losing the team's centerpiece has me giving the Wizards the edge.
*(10-7 Away, 23-15-2 Against the Spread, 8-8-1 ATS Away)

Wiz Trend: Impressive win against the Sixers last game. Thomas Bryant's coming out season has been quite a show, hoping he can stay hot through this game. The Wizards have been better at home this season, and I think they can keep their advantage.
*(12-7 Home, 17-25-0 Against the Spread, 11-8 ATS Home)

Match-Up: The Wizards got ahead of the Sixers quickly, and I think they can keep up that pace. Although the Bucks are 2-0 this season without Giannis, the announcement happened only hours before game time, so adjustments should take a bit to implement.

Game Pick: Washington Wizards First Half

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Yesterday's Pick

Bruins Money Line @ -140
-Holtby proved me wrong, shutting down the Bruins and sealing up the Caps' 14th straight win against Boston. The crazy streak continues and Holtby must have an edge against the Bruins, going 15-2-0 against the team in his career.

Thursday, Jan. 10 Picks

**Betting on anything, including sports, should be in moderation, with discretionary income and only if you're 21+. This blog only offers recommendations and is not liable for any loses incurred. Further, this is my first foray in sports betting, so please take my picks with an enormous grain of salt.

Washington Capitals (26-12-4) @ Boston Bruins (25-14-4)
Money Line: BOS -140 / WSH +120
Puck Line: WSH -220 / BOS +180
Goals O/U: Over -105 / Under -115

Oppo: They are surging this year, winning 5 in a row and are almost completely healthy. Their home record has been stellar this season.

Caps Trend: Two wild games where the team looked sloppy do not bode well for tonight. I don't think it holds against a top team.

Match-up: The Caps have won 13 straight against Boston, a streak that's unlikely to last.

Game Pick: BOS Money Line -140

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Yesterday's Picks

Philadelphia '76ers Money Line @ -165
-I don't know what to expect from the Wizards anymore. Deep, existential thoughts pending.

Wednesday, Jan. 9 Picks

**Betting on anything, including sports, should be in moderation, with discretionary income and only if you're 21+. This blog only offers recommendations and is not liable for any loses incurred. Further, this is my first foray in sports betting, so please take my picks with an enormous grain of salt.

Philadelphia 76ers (27-14) @ Washington Wizards (16-25), 7 p.m.
Money Line: PHI -165 / WSH +145
Point Spread: PHI -3.5
Points O/U: 228.5
1st Half: PHI -1.5


Oppo: Turns out the Sixers had no issues with chemistry, at least yesterday. The team's taking a short trip with little time for bickering and plenty of time to show off on the court.

Wiz Trend: One great game, one terrible game, team leader out, Keef out and Porters injury lingering do not bode well for an easy comeback.


Match-up: Round Two *DING DING*

Game Pick: PHI Money Line (-165)
-Can't see the Wizards coming close to pulling this one of, but I'm wary after last night.


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Yesterday's Picks

Capitals Puck Line @ +120
-Oshie's 200th goal AND saving this bet? A perfect night for the Caps. After a back-and-forth first period the Capitals dominated Philly in the second and messed around in the final stretch. A little chippiness, a little sloppiness and a little extra focus on Vrana's hat trick made me nervous, but the team showed it's retained the killer instinct it finally found last June.

Wizards Point Spread @ +7.5
-The Wizards spent all their good karma during the OKC game and struggled mightily against Philly last night. I should've seen that coming, the Wizards should not have had a chance in either game. Impressive Wizards wins should be enjoyed like an expensive bourbon, a rare joy to escape incredible frustration.

D.C. Lottery Monopoly on Online Betting Challenged

Washington, D.C.

D.C. Councilmembers delayed approval of sports betting legislation for public comment, questioning the decision to award the online contract to the District's lottery.

The decision to remove the bill's "emergency" status puts the timeline for starting sports betting on MLB opening day in question. The District would allow betting to occur at sports venues, private stores such as restaurants and bars and on a mobile app.

The delay could cost D.C. precious time in becoming the first locality to approve sports betting in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The contract process may take up to three years to complete, according to D.C. Lottery Executive Director Beth Bresnahan.

The D.C. City Council has only agreed to public comment at this time. The contract will likely be awarded to the D.C. Lottery or a bidding process will begin after the comment window.


Virginia
-The Virginia Lottery appears to be taking a backseat in the negotiations for sports betting legalization.
-Three Northern Virginia Democrats are proposing sports betting bills for the states upcoming legislative session.


Maryland
-53 percent of registered Maryland voters are in favor of legalizing sports betting, with only 34 percent opposed.


West Virginia
-The state's first sports betting app opened up on BetLucky.com, along with two new casinos along the Ohio and Kentucky borders (in yellow).

Pennsylvania
-Parx, Philadelphia's 2nd sports betting venue, begins accepting bets tomorrow

Tuesday, Jan. 8 Picks

**Betting on anything, including sports, should be done in moderation and only with discretionary income. This blog only offers recommendations and is not liable for any loses incurred. Further, this is my first foray in sports betting, so please take my picks with an enormous grain of salt

Philadelphia Flyers (15-21-6) @ Washington Capitals (25-12-4)
Money Line: WSH -210 / PHI +175
Puck Line: WSH +120 / PHI -140
Goals O/U: 6

Oppo: The Flyers have lost seven. straight. games. Journeyman goalie Mike McKenna starting. The "bullies" nickname may be dead.

Caps Trend: Looked absolutely flat against the Red Wings but still managed the win. Hope the enthusiasm builds back up at home.

PHI Injuries: Markelle Fultz (Various, unavailable)

WSH Injuries: Backstrom (Illness, game time decision)

Match-up: The division rivals play one another regularly, though the goalie will be a new challenge for the Caps. A journeyman should be pretty easy to handle, even with a fairly ineffective power play.

Game Pick: WSH Puck Line

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Washington Wizards (16-24) @ Philadelphia 76ers (26-14)
Money Line: PHI -340 / WSH +280
Point Spread: PHI -7.5
Points O/U: 228.5
1st Half: PHI -4.5

Oppo: The Sixers... Screw it. I'm getting too close to game start.

Wiz Trend: Incredible game against the OKC looks like the ceiling for this team. That has the public betting big on Washington, but I think Sunday's performance is more of a surprise than a new normal.

PHI Injuries: Michal Neuvirth (Lower body, will not start)

WSH Injuries: N/A

Match-up: The Wizards hope their newfound chemistry (I know, I'm surprised I'm writing it too) will last while the Sixers' struggles adjusting to life with Jimmy Butler will hamper them. I think Philly will still win, but the Wizards should cover.

Game Pick: WSH Point Spread

In-Game Sports Betting Starts with Wizards Broadcasts

NBC Sports Washington Plus will broadcast eight live games with "interactive predictive gaming" throughout the game, giving casual viewers a peek into how live sports betting will be integrated into an alternate broadcast.

Though the broadcast will have the same audio and video feed, the bottom of the screen will ask around 30 questions that can be answered online, while the right sidebar will offer various live statistics. The top scorer at the end of each game will win $500.

With sports betting nearly legal in D.C. proper, this is likely a preview of how Ted Leonsis hopes to engage (read: profit off of) fans watching his teams at home.

Each source and press release made abundantly clear this is not yet "sports betting", while clearly alluding to its likely inclusion once D.C. legalizes the practice. The broadcasts will include the live spread and moneylines in the right sidebar.

This is an expansion of a test NBC Washington ran last spring, offering fans the ability to predict game outcomes without the alternate broadcast.

I'll have a review of the "Predict the Game" experience by the morning of Saturday, Jan. 12. Here's the games that will offer the interactive broadcast this season:

• Jan. 11 vs Milwaukee Bucks (7 p.m.)
• Jan. 27 at San Antonio Spurs (7 p.m.)
• Jan. 30 vs. Indiana Pacers (8 p.m.)
• Feb. 2 vs. Milwaukee Bucks (7 p.m.)
• Feb. 22 at Charlotte Hornets (7 p.m.)
• Mar. 3 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6 p.m.)
• Mar. 18 vs. Utah Jazz (7 p.m.)
• Apr. 5 vs. San Antonio Spurs (7 p.m.)

Welcome to District of Chance, DC's First Blog for All Local Sports Betting

As sports betting moves further into the public eye, the media keeps struggling to catch up. The current, in-depth writing on sports betting typically revolves around sports leagues, leaving fans focused on their city's teams stuck searching for hours to learn about their team's chances.

It would take a Scherzer-esque effort to make a website for each U.S. city's sports teams, so I'll focus on the teams I've grown up with in the Washington, D.C. area. Expect loads of coverage for the Nationals, Capitals, Wizards and 'Skins, with some UMD and Georgetown articles as well.

The posts you can expect to see will be:
-Best Articles of the day in DC sports news
-Summaries of lines for DC sports teams the day before they play (if possible, day-of if not)
-1 recommended bet per team playing
-Daily reviews of yesterday's bet(s)
-Updates on sports betting legalization in the DMV

I hope to work on these projects in the future:
-Reviews of legal betting places (Only in Delaware, for now, but D.C. coming soon)
-Podcasts on biggest DC sports news w/ a betting slant

I'll start with Capitals and Wizards coverage before mixing in some Hoyas and Terps news, then finally starting news aggregation for teams and sports betting developments.

Disclaimers: In case this isn't yet obvious, betting on anything, including sports, should be done in moderation and only with discretionary income. This blog only offers recommendations and is not liable for any loses incurred. Further, this is my first foray in sports betting, so please take my picks with an enormous grain of salt.

I'll be learning how to blog and how to bet through this website, so please understand this is a work in progress. You can follow my journey to make the best bets on DC sports by bookmarking this page, districtofchance.blogspot.com, and following our Twitter feed @DistrictOChance. Thank you so much for your interest in this platform and please comment on whatever I can do to improve this website.

Remember, your Dough Dies in Darkness.