Chris Boline
When things launched for Ohio sports betting in January, the start could not have gone much better for the state. Things went exactly as lawmakers and officials were hoping they’d go. However, there’s a bit of concern right now, as the Ohio sports betting numbers dropped in February. With $1.1 billion in bets posted for January, we had a feeling that things would drop significantly. However, did we expect this?
According to a report, the February sports betting numbers came in at $639 million. For most states, this would be considered a massive amount. However, a lot of officials aren’t too happy that the numbers were lowered by more than $350 million. Looking ahead to the future months, the hope is that Ohio can get back on track. From our chair, we have a strong belief that Ohio will be able to bounce back.
There are several reasons that things could have been rough in February. For starters, the NFL season came to a close after the early February Super Bowl. In January, countless wagers came in on the Cincinnati Bengals, as plenty of people in Ohio checked the NFL betting odds throughout the playoffs for Cincy. With quarterback Joe Burrow playing so well, it’s easy to see why this team was able to make so much noise.
Bengals fans were recording bets left and right in the playoffs, especially after the Bengals upset the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round. This led to Cincinnati taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Unfortunately for people in the state, the Bengals weren’t able to beat the Chiefs, resulting in the season coming to a close. In turn, it likely led to a lot fewer NFL bets being placed for the Super Bowl. However, again, we do think Ohio can post big numbers moving forward.
The MLB season will be massive for Ohio betting
It goes without saying, but the MLB season will be massive for Ohio betting. Thankfully, Opening Day arrived last Thursday, and baseball fans in Ohio are going to be all over the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians the rest of the way. The Reds are still rebuilding a bit, but there’s no denying that they have plenty of young talent. They might not have strong MLB betting odds to reach the playoffs, but they’ll be ready to surprise plenty of folks.
As for the Guardians, a lot of people believe that Cleveland can not only make the postseason, but their supporters think an AL Central title will be on the way as well. Last season, Cleveland made a splash, but they were eliminated by the New York Yankees in the ALDS. If these two teams were to meet again in the postseason next fall, then you already know the Guardians will be looking for revenge.
Speaking of the Yankees, they hold strong World Series betting odds, but they’re behind the Houston Astros in terms of AL teams who people think could reach the Fall Classic. Over in the National League, teams like the Braves, Dodgers and Mets are surely going to be teams to watch. With the Dodgers specifically, a lot of people think they’ll be the ones to win the NL Pennant and push for the World Series.
Regardless of who wins, the betting action is going to be through the roof in Ohio. As much as people love the NFL, they’re also huge baseball fans. With the start of the regular season here, there’s surely plenty of buzz across the board. Because of this, the expectation is that it will lead to strong sports betting numbers for March and April. If the Guardians and Reds start off hot, then it will only lead to more wagers being recorded.
Biebs toughed it out last night, throwing 6.0 scoreless.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/tgHml8nbNi
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 31, 2023
Betting fans are ready for the NFL Draft as well
Another reason to think the numbers will be high in April is that betting fans are ready for the NFL Draft as well. With Ohio specifically, the Bengals and Cleveland Browns are hoping to make a splash in late April. The Bengals need to nail their first-round pick. As for the Browns, they don’t have a first-round pick this year, as they gave up quite a bit to bring in star quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.
Regardless of that, the Browns still have plenty of picks over the three-day event and people will be following each selection closely – while betting on the action. With the Bengals, this team needs help on both sides of the ball. The Cincy supporters will be quite focused on who their general manager picks in the first round.
Overall, though, there are going to be a lot of bets on who the No. 1 overall pick will be. Per the oddsmakers, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is the favorite to go No. 1 overall. With him being a star for the in-state Buckeyes, Stroud has a ton of fans. Those same fans will be looking forward to betting on his No. 1 overall pick odds, as it feels like he will be on his way to the Carolina Panthers soon.
The large majority of mock drafts have CJ Stroud going to the Carolina Panthers! 🙏
No one throws a football quite like CJ in this years draft class and the more film I watch, the more this is self-evident!👀 pic.twitter.com/rCFXEurQAK
— 👑C3KingCodais (@CodyLac) March 31, 2023
