Online sports betting and in-person sportsbooks are now live in Illinois.

Rivers Casino Des Plaines took the first legal Illinois sports wager on March 9, 2020. Online sports betting went live later in the summer of 2020, and for now, accounts can be created from anywhere in the state.

A daily sports betting news and information show (6-7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) that aims to better serve the millions of sports fans who participate in sports wagering and help educate general. Online sports betting and daily fantasy sports are distinct products and regulated as such. Betting on the DraftKings Sportsbook is currently only available in certain states. To find out which states, check out our guide to where sports betting is legal. Daily Sports Betting Preview 1/14/2021: College Basketball, Premier League, NHL. January 14, 2021 at 10:46 am by Maxwell Sanders. Gonzaga is a -4500 favorite over. The Sports Gambling Podcast is your home for uncensored sports betting opinions, analysis, and advice. Since 2011 The Sports Gambling Podcast has picked every NFL game against the spread. They’ve also expanded to cover fantasy football, college football, NBA, college basketball, golf and daily fantasy sports releasing multiple episodes per week.

Legal Illinois online sports betting

Here’s where we are right now with online betting in Illinois: You can sign up and wager from anywhere in the state at a number of sports betting apps. But it’s been a winding road to get there, and it may not stay that way.

BetRivers became the first online sportsbook to launch in Illinois on June 18, 2020. For a short time, people in Illinois could register an account online, make a deposit, and immediately start placing bets at BetRivers.

Gov. JB Pritzker responded to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic by issuing an executive ordersuspending the in-person registration requirement. The order superseded the law’s stipulation that people register for online sports betting accounts in-person for the first 18 months.

While he rescinded that order in July, it went back into effect in August, and it’s stayed that way ever since.

Best sports betting apps in Illinois

Online sports betting got off to an interesting start in Illinois in 2020. For now, here are the apps available in the state:

• BetRivers
• DraftKings Sportsbook
• FanDuel Sportsbook
• PointsBet
• William Hill

All are available for people in Illinois to place wagers, but you have to register for an account with the casino or racetrack associated with the sportsbook app.

As major sports start to get back underway in the US following the pandemic, additional Illinois sports betting apps are sure to come online. For now, the options for Illinois residents include:

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook inked a deal with the Casino Queen in East St. Louis in order to offer sports betting in the state; right now, sportsbooks must partner with a land-based entity to offer mobile wagering. You can currently register your account from anywhere in the state thanks to an order from the governor, instead of having to visit the physical DraftKings at Casino Queen. But that ability could end on Sept. 19, unless the governor renews the order allowing remote registration.

DraftKings has been one of the early leaders in the rapid expansion of US sports betting as it has launched online sportsbooks in a number of states.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel launched an online sports betting app in the summer of 2020 as well thanks to a deal with Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria. After looking like it may stay on the sidelines for a while, FanDuel quickly moved to launch and take advantage of the ability to sign up bettors remotely.

FanDuel is the top sportsbook in the country in terms of revenue and wagers taken.

PointsBet

PointsBet became the fourth app to launch in Illinois when it opened for business in September 2020. The Australian sportsbook opened its doors thanks to a partnership with Hawthorne Race Course, one of Illinois’ three racetracks.

PointsBet is unique in the sports betting landscape thanks to its signature product, the Points Bet. Players bet on an established mark, like a point spread or total, but are rewarded or penalized according to the distance the actual score is from the estimate.

BetRivers

The first sports betting app in Illinois came from Rush Street Interactive, which is the online arm. Would-be bettors have to go to Rivers Casino Des Plaines near Chicago to register their BetRivers accounts under state law, although that is suspended by executive order at the moment.

BetRivers already offered online sports betting in a number of states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

William Hill

One of the most ubiquitous sportsbooks in the legal US market started up its app in Illinois in time to take advantage of wagering during football season. The William Hill platform will feature bonuses and offers competitive with the other mobile IL sports betting apps.

Latest Illinois sports betting updates and news

• Gonzaga is a -4500 favorite over Pepperdine.
• Arsenal has -170 odds to defeat Crystal Palace on the three-way moneyline.
• The Vegas Golden Knights kick off their season against the Anaheim Ducks.

LAS VEGAS - Welcome to Thursday’s edition of the Daily Sports Betting Preview!

This edition of the Preview starts out with an examination of some prop bets on Gonzaga’s matchup against Pepperdine.

Then, Arsenal takes on Crystal Palace in Premier League action. Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Anaheim Ducks in what should be a solid NHL matchup.

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

Gonzaga vs. Pepperdine

Sports Gambling Daily

Gonzaga, the number one team in college basketball, is set to play a sleeper of a matchup against Pepperdine on Thursday night.

Gonzaga vs. Pepperdine

• Pepperdine +1250
• Gonzaga -4500

In the context of such a lopsided head to head matchup, many bettors will turn to prop betting opportunities on this matchup.

First Team to reach 20 points

• Pepperdine +500
• Gonzaga -900

For example, Gonzaga may be -4500 on the moneyline, but to be the first team to 20 points they are -900, which is five times more profitable.

The question regarding this wager is whether or not one thinks Gonzaga is five times less likely to be the first team to 20 than they are to win the game.

The odds imply that outcome, but this could be a decent value wager.

First team to reach 10 points

• Pepperdine +450
• Gonzaga -850

The first to 10 point wager is a bit riskier, mostly because the odds on it are roughly the same as the first to 20 wager, but it carries half the sample size.

Sports Betting Daily

This means that of all the wagers one could make on Gonzaga, the first to 20 points seems like the most profitable when compared to the potential risk. Of course, it’s highly likely that all of these wagers end up cashing, given that Gonzaga’s side of them is favored heavily.

That said, the first to 20 wager deserves special attention from college basketball betting buffs who wish to wager on this matchup.

Premier League Betting

The Premier League brings a matchup between Arsenal and Crystal Palace to the table on this fine Thursday.

Arsenal might be a far bigger name than Palace, but the two teams are not far removed from each other in terms of performance this season. Crystal Palace enters this matchup at 13th place in the Premier League, while Arsenal boasts a spot only two places higher, at 11th.

Palace is only one point behind Arsenal on the table, which means that if Palace manages to win this game, they will jump ahead of Arsenal in the standings.

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Arsenal has been on a downward spiral for the last few months, but they have gotten a bit back on track recently, with three straight wins in the Premier League. Palace, meanwhile, has only won one of their last five games.

Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal

• Arsenal -170
• Crystal Palace +500
• Draw +300

Arsenal has a very good shot to win this matchup, with -170 odds to take the win on the three-way moneyline.

The least likely outcome is Crystal Palace winning outright, at +500 odds.

Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal

• Arsenal -500
• Crystal Palace +330

Arsenal’s -500 odds on the no draw moneyline make them a huge favorite over Palace in the straight-up matchup.

A draw seems like a plausibly likely outcome in this match, although Arsenal’s recent run of good form means that they are clear favorites. Soccer betting enthusiasts will likely end up laying the favorite in this compelling Premier League matchup.

NHL Betting

The NHL is back, and of all the games set to be played on Thursday evening, only one of them features a team with odds shorter than +1000 to win the Stanley Cup.

That team? The Vegas Golden Knights, who are one of four major favorites to win the Cup this year.

2021 Stanley Cup Champion

• Colorado Avalanche +650
• Tampa Bay Lightning +800
• Vegas Golden Knights +900
• Toronto Maple Leafs +900

The Golden Knights are tied for the third-best odds to win the Stanley Cup, and today, they face off against the Anaheim Ducks.

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Anaheim Ducks

• Anaheim Ducks +180
• Vegas Golden Knights -220

The Golden Knights are -220 favorites over the Ducks, who are regarded as one of the worst teams in the league.

The Ducks have +9000 odds to win the Stanley Cup and are coming off of a season in which they were the third-worst team in the Western Conference.

The Golden Knights are certainly favored in this matchup, but one wonders if they aren’t bigger favorites in reality than they are on the odds boards.

NHL betting fans will want to take a long look at the Golden Knights in this game, as they seem primed to come out of the gate with a win against this level of opposition.

Good luck!

Maxwell joined the USAOnlineSportsbooks team in 2019. He focuses on creating sports betting content that informs and educates. He focuses on the NBA, the NFL, College Football and Basketball, and whatever else comes across his desk.