It’s still relatively early in the NFL — the first pro football season in which Ohio sports betting is legal — but data from Tipico after the first two weeks already shows some trends among bettors in the Buckeye State.
Take, for example, the difference between handle and bets placed. In Week 2 of the NFL season, New Jersey represented nearly 59% of Tipico’s handle in the U.S., where it is licensed in four states. However, bets in Ohio represented 68% of Tipico’s overall wagers — more than double the number of bets in New Jersey.
Andre Zammit, Tipico’s vice president of sportsbook, told BetOhio.com in a recent interview that data shows the market's potential.
“What we’re seeing is that the New Jersey customer has had sports betting for a longer time. Therefore, maybe they’re a bit more comfortable in spending a bit more of their earnings on sports betting,” he said. “Where the Ohioan is still getting accustomed with it, but the positive trends we have seen in this first nine months indicate that, at a point down the line, they will be at that stage.”
On Monday, Tipico Ohio reported that the Buckeye State had the highest handle for Week 3, beating out New Jersey, Colorado and Iowa.
Bettors Big on Prop Bets and Overs
Unfortunately, not all trends will continue through the season. Zammit noted that through the first couple weeks, the favorite player for prop bets in Ohio was the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in last Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His loss was a blow to the Browns’ playoff chances. Chubb was attracting upwards of four times the action of other players in prop bets and parlays.
Another big-time injury, though, has not kept some bettors away from Joe Burrow. Despite playing through a calf strain that forced him to miss most of the preseason, bettors have shown a willingness to bet on the Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback to beat projected stat figures.
“He’s an elite quarterback, and there’s a reason why he’s the highest paid,” Zammit said last week. “They still trust that he’s going to beat the line every single week. Same thing with (Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick) Mahomes. Maybe he hasn’t had the best start to the season, but still, 90% of the bets would be on him to have to beat the passing touchdowns or beat the yards. It’s 90% on the overs happening.”
That’s the case for most of the players, as Tipico data shows nearly 70% of the handle on player totals in over-under bets was on the over in Week 2. For Week 3 games, betting over on player props accounted for more than 80% of the handle.
Those figures also do not account for wagers on players beating certain statistical targets, which were more popular than totals. There’s a reason why those bets, which Tipico calls milestone markets, and overs on player prop bets are so attractive, according to Zammit.
“It’s a combination of one being optimistic, but secondly, if you’re following the game, betting on the over makes it more and more interesting than betting on the under,” he explained. “So, there’s that combination of ‘Let me make sports betting and the game more interesting and entertaining’ by placing the bet on something to happen rather than something not to happen.”
From the college ranks, the most popular player among Tipico bettors has been Ohio State standout receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
“Everyone is putting him in their bets,” Zammit said. “Whether it’s to score a touchdown or to beat the receiving yard (total) for that week.” Back in June, BetOhio.com looked at Harrison as a potential NFL draft pick.
Soccer Also Boosting Tipico
Tipico is in the Ohio market thanks to a partnership with the Columbus Crew, which has helped the German-based operator gain a foothold among soccer bettors in the state. It’s an important sport for Tipico. As Zammit said, it’s in the company’s DNA.
“The Crew has brought in some great customers,” he said. “We’re working to ensure that we have the best possible offers when it comes to MLS, Premier League, Champions League or anything along those lines. So, we are contributing towards improving the soccer product in the U.S.”
Lionel Messi’s arrival to Major League Soccer has also helped in that regard. Zammit said Tipico’s soccer traffic has increased by more than 30% from last year thanks to the iconic Argentinian playing now in the States.
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