Betting Buzz: Curry Injury Moves Warriors-Timberwolves Game 2 Line Five Points

Everything happening in the sports world significantly influences the sports betting industry, from major injuries that alter season outlooks to historic record-breaking performances. This betting buzz report highlights key sports betting news and trends driving discussions.

May 7: Stephen Curry Injury Shifts Game 2 Line Five Points

Despite their Game 1 victory on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors are still considered slight underdogs in their playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is because bookmakers are closely monitoring the hamstring injury Stephen Curry sustained early in that game.

As of Wednesday, sportsbooks listed the Warriors at approximately +140 odds to win the series, while the Timberwolves were favored at -165.

A BetMGM spokesperson indicated their trading team is adopting a cautious `wait-and-see` approach regarding Curry`s injury status, noting the Timberwolves would become strong favorites if Curry were ruled out for the series.

Adrian Horton, trading director at ESPN BET, explained that typically a road team winning Game 1 would cause a significant shift in series odds. However, the uncertainty surrounding Curry`s injury means the Timberwolves remain favorites, and the odds have held steady.

If Curry was confirmed healthy, we`d typically expect something closer to even, or the Warriors even being favored to win the series. The fact that the Timberwolves remain favored indicates the uncertainty around his status, especially given Steve Kerr`s comments on Tuesday that he is unlikely to play on Thursday.

For Thursday`s Game 2, Minnesota was a 10.5-point favorite, a significant increase of four to five points compared to the Game 1 line.

Golden State closed as a 5.5-point `dog in Game 1, and after winning yesterday, a healthy roster would typically move the line closer for the next matchup. Instead, the jump to Wolves -9.5 reflects expectations that Curry may sit for a game or two, and with early action, we`re already out to Wolves -10.5 on Wednesday morning.

Fanatics Sportsbook announced it refunded $500,000 worth of prop bets on Curry due to the injury, citing its `Fair Play` policy.

In one instance, a customer in Michigan won $224,773 from a $5,000 four-leg parlay that included a prop bet on Curry scoring 28 or more points. The other three legs of the parlay were successful. The sportsbook`s promotion effectively voided the Curry portion due to the injury, leading to the substantial payout.

May 6: Stars, Jets Face Off After Overcoming Huge Live Odds

Heading into last weekend, NHL teams trailing by multiple goals in the third period of a Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 7 had a very rare history of winning, having done so only three times previously. However, by the end of the first round this postseason, both the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets managed to achieve this rare feat, overcoming immense in-game betting odds to advance to the second round.

According to ESPN BET odds, Dallas faced live odds as long as +2000 to beat the Colorado Avalanche, while Winnipeg`s live line reached +2500 in the final minutes of regulation against the St. Louis Blues.

Before the playoffs began, Colorado was the slight favorite to win the Stanley Cup with +700 odds, just ahead of the defending champion Florida Panthers (+750).

The Avalanche were heavily backed across various sportsbooks, ending their playoff run having attracted the highest percentage of money (“handle”) for championship futures at BetMGM and DraftKings, and also receiving the most individual bets (“tickets”) at BetMGM.

St. Louis was considered a much longer shot at 50-1, but represented a significant potential loss (“liability”) for BetMGM and ESPN BET due to the amount wagered on them.

The reward for the Stars and Jets for navigating their challenging first-round series is now facing each other in the second round.

For the Stars, this marks the end of a tumultuous period. After acquiring Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline, Dallas briefly became co-favorites (+600) to win the Cup, but their odds worsened to +1100 after a seven-game losing streak concluded the regular season.

Following their first-round win, the Stars are now back to being the overall Cup favorites with +400 odds.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg shares the longest remaining odds to win the championship at +900 with the Washington Capitals, which is ironic considering both teams finished the regular season with the best records in their conferences.

Bettors are similarly not giving Winnipeg high chances in their series, with Dallas attracting the vast majority of bets and money to win the series (-175).

Since the weekend, the Stars have received more betting volume for the Stanley Cup championship than any other team at BetMGM and ESPN BET.

Odds & Ends:

• Heading into the second round, no team with home ice advantage was favored to win its series, a rarity not seen in this round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in over 30 years. However, after winning Game 1 at home, the Toronto Maple Leafs became -125 favorites in their series against Florida.
• Colorado`s Nathan MacKinnon was the most backed player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP at BetMGM, representing the book`s largest liability in that market.
• Although no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup in 32 years, they remain significant liabilities for sportsbooks, attracting high betting volume. For example, the Edmonton Oilers attracted the highest percentage of bets and handle at ESPN BET, while the Toronto Maple Leafs were the most popular remaining team at BetMGM.

May 5: Warriors` Record Playoff Favorite Streak Set to End

Under head coach Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors have been favored in an unprecedented 27 consecutive playoff series. This is the longest streak by any team since the ABA/NBA merger in 1976. However, this remarkable streak is set to end this week.

The Warriors enter their Western Conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves as +150 underdogs.

This marks the first time Golden State has not been favored in a playoff series since the first round in 2014 against the LA Clippers.

ESPN BET initially opened the Timberwolves as -190 favorites on Sunday night, with the odds slightly dropping to -175 by Monday morning.

Minnesota was set as a 6.5-point favorite for Tuesday`s Game 1.

The Timberwolves have an opportunity to become the first team in history to eliminate both LeBron James and Stephen Curry in the same postseason.

Golden State won three out of four regular-season games against Minnesota this season.

Jimmy Butler, acquired by the Warriors midseason, did not participate in any of the games against the Timberwolves.

NBA Playoffs Odds & Ends:

• Despite dropping Game 1, Cleveland Cavaliers remained the favorites (-210) in their semifinal series against Indiana Pacers (+170).
• The Oklahoma City Thunder (-900) began their series against the Denver Nuggets (+500) with an eight-day rest advantage. Since 2004, teams with seven or more days of rest advantage over their opponent in the playoffs are undefeated straight-up and against the spread, winning by an average of 17.1 points. The Thunder were 9.5-point favorites in Game 1.

April 30: Betting Surge on Browns After NFL Draft

Despite a recent draft that drew mixed reactions, the Cleveland Browns are listed as 10-1 underdogs to make the playoffs, representing the longest odds offered. Their projected season-win total is set at a league-low 4.5.

Nevertheless, bettors are showing confidence in the Browns.

Sportsbooks observed a notable increase in betting interest on the Browns following the draft. At ESPN BET, the Browns ranked fifth in popularity for season win total bets, with an overwhelming 93.4% of the money being placed on the `over 4.5 wins`.

This week at BetMGM, the Browns, listed at 200-1 odds for the Super Bowl, had attracted more individual bets than all but five other teams.

Furthermore, at BetMGM, Cleveland received more bets to win the AFC North division than any other team in their division.

Their 10-1 playoff odds make the Browns the biggest preseason playoff long shots in the league since 2016.

The quarterback situation is uncertain, with veterans like 40-year-old Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett (now on his third team in four years), alongside rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, expected to compete for the starting role.

Sanders is listed at 15-1 odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at ESPN BET, among the top contenders in the market.

At BetMGM on Wednesday, his odds were 30-1, and he was attracting significant betting support. By Wednesday morning, nearly half (approximately 46%) of all money wagered on BetMGM`s Offensive Rookie of the Year market was placed on Sanders.

We expect Shedeur Sanders to be among the most-bet-on players to win Offensive Rookie of the Year due to his name recognition and odds. The Browns quarterback is the biggest liability to win the award.

— Christian Cipollini, trading manager for BetMGM

April 29: Pennsylvania Joins Online Poker Liquidity Compact

Online poker liquidity in the United States expanded this week as Pennsylvania joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, which already includes New Jersey, Michigan, Nevada, and Delaware. This allows players across these states to compete against each other for larger, shared prize pools online.

Caesars Entertainment announced on Monday the expansion of its World Series of Poker (WSOP) platform into Pennsylvania, making it the first U.S. operator to connect players from four states (PA, NJ, NV, MI) for shared prize pools, building on its existing presence in Nevada, New Jersey, and Michigan.

This expansion comes about a month before the peak of the poker calendar, highlighted by the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas in July.

The 2025 World Series Online Bracelet schedule is set to begin on May 31, running concurrently with the 56th annual live World Series of Poker event in Las Vegas.

A key highlight of the online tournament series is a $250 buy-in event featuring a $1 million guaranteed prize pool, starting on Day 1.

Players will have the unique opportunity to compete in online WSOP events simultaneously while participating in the live tournament series in Las Vegas.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed the agreement on April 23, enabling this development.

The addition of the Pennsylvania player pool to WSOP Online comes at the perfect time, and we’re ready to give avid poker players in the Keystone State the opportunity to raise the stakes on their poker play. This expansion enhances the experience for players by building even greater prize pools that are up for grabs all summer long as a part of our jam-packed WSOP Online schedule. We’re ready to see who earns our largest online prize pools ever once the first hands are dealt this summer.

— Danielle Barille, Vice President of Online Poker at Caesars Entertainment

April 24: From Caleb Williams to Cam Ward, Bettors Risk a Lot to Win a Little on No. 1 Picks

Last April, a local college student and struggling bowler named Zach Opengart was focused on more than just his league championship. Just under two days earlier, he had traveled across the border to Illinois to place a bet so audacious he didn`t tell his teammates: $11,311.52 on quarterback Caleb Williams to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, at seemingly prohibitive -20,000 odds.

Opengart, then a senior at Washington University in St. Louis, anxiously checked his phone for the latest draft news, only occasionally looking up to see NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on television.

He admitted to being nervous, acknowledging in retrospect that the bet represented a large, perhaps too large, portion of his bankroll.

Simultaneously, he felt confident, convinced the Chicago Bears would select Williams with the top pick.

Finally, Goodell approached the podium, welcomed the audience, and announced Caleb Williams as the first overall selection.

From his $11,311.52 wager, Opengart won a modest $56 and some change. Despite his distraction, his bowling team still won the league title. The celebration was on, with drinks courtesy of Opengart.

Betting markets for events like the NFL draft can be volatile and often present extreme odds. These markets are challenging for bookmakers to manage and require bettors to weigh the decision of risking a large sum for a small potential return.

For Thursday`s draft, quarterback Cam Ward`s odds to be the No. 1 pick were as short as -50,000 at some sportsbooks this week, meaning a bettor would need to wager $50,000 to potentially win just $100.

Caesars Sportsbook reported on Tuesday that they had not received any `notable` wagers on Ward at their -50,000 odds, but acknowledged that similar bets have occurred in previous drafts.

Information events like the NFL draft are really tricky when it comes to offering odds. When it appears that a player… is set as the first pick… we will offer odds that closely reflect the 99.99% probability of something like that happening.

— Joey Feazel, head of football trading at Caesars Sportsbook

Opengart, now working as an account manager, stated that this high level of perceived certainty is what attracts him to betting on heavy favorites like Williams last year.

My thinking was a lot about the surety of the [Williams] bet in comparison with prior drafts. I had heard the Bears GM laughing about the idea of taking anybody else. It seemed like a sure thing to me.

— Zach Opengart

While he stated he wouldn`t risk such a large percentage of his bankroll again, he hasn`t stopped betting on big favorites – though not all have been successful.

For example, Opengart recounted losing a couple thousand dollars on a college football game last season, betting on Alabama to beat Vanderbilt. He stood to win only around $100. Alabama surprisingly lost the game outright despite being heavy 22.5-point favorites (around -2800 on the money line).

It was brutal, but I always say with betting, especially my style, that you have to have the memory of a goldfish. The only thing that matters is the long-term return.

— Zach Opengart

Opengart summarized his view:

I`m the type of person, if you`ll give me a free 50 bucks … I`ll take it every time, get myself a steak dinner and be happy about it.

— Zach Opengart

For his next planned `steak dinner bet,` Opengart is considering betting on Cooper Flagg to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.