It’s been over nine months since the 2019 World Series, and the opportunity to wager on baseball is finally here. The MLB opening weekend brings some promos to help Iowa sports bettors ease back into it.
DraftKings and PointsBet both have some tantalizing upgrades for the first few days of the 2020 MLB season. Iowans should be able to find one to their liking regardless of their fan affiliations.
Boosts for MLB opening weekend at IA sportsbooks
If you’re a DraftKings or PointsBet customer already, you’re good to go. However, if you’re new to either sportsbook, there is something you need to know.
For the rest of this year, IA law requires you to complete your account registration for online sports wagering at one of DraftKings’ or PointsBet’s retail sportsbooks.
For PointsBet, the only place to do so is at Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington.
New DraftKings customers can finish up at any of the three Wild Rose casinos in IA. Once you’re registered, you’re ready to consider the promotions.
DraftKings Sportsbook has two promos for bettors in Iowa that are specific to MLB.
The first is an “Any 2019 All-Star to Hit a Home Run on MLB Opening Days” boost. To participate, opt in to the promotion then place a wager of up to $25 on the market by 6 tonight (July 23).
If any player who made either All-Star team in 2019 hits a home run on either of those days, DraftKings will boost your odds on the wager to +100.
So, if you bet the max and a player, like Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu, comes through, your payout would be $125.
The other DraftKings promo offers more localized options.
To take advantage of the “Localized HR Boost,” opt in and place a moneyline wager of at least $25 on either side of any of the following games:
- Colorado Rockies versus Texas Rangers (July 24-26)
- Minnesota Twins versus Chicago White Sox (July 24-26)
- Milwaukee Brewers versus Chicago Cubs (July 24-26)
- Pittsburgh Pirates versus St. Louis Cardinals (July 24-26)
- Detroit Tigers versus Cincinnati Reds (July 24-26)
- New York Yankees versus Washington Nationals (July 23-26)
- Atlanta Braves versus New York Mets (July 24-26)
- Miami Marlins versus Philadelphia Phillies (July 24-26)
For each home run that any player on the team you bet to win hits during the game you wagered upon, DraftKings will give you a $5 bonus bet. With the record-breaking Twins sluggers as an option, this seems like a can’t-miss.
PointsBet customers aren’t stranded on base this weekend, however. Bettors can swing for the fences there as well.
Cubs, other boosters for the start of the season
PointsBet Sportsbook leads off with a “Cubs Crowd Booster.”
For every 100 wagers that customers place on the Chicago moneyline market, the book will boost the odds 10 points in bettors’ favor. The maximum wager is $50 and the opportunity to boost the odds ends when the Cubs take the field in Milwaukee on Friday.
If taking the Cubs to win on Friday isn’t in your strike zone, there are two other options. With PointsBet’s “Make it Rain” promo, you can get a $10 bonus bet for every home run hit in a game of your choosing.
Simply bet at least $50 on one side of a moneyline or runline for any MLB game this month. Each home run that any player that you took to win hits becomes $10 in site credit for you.
The last promo involves the first of PointsBet’s MLB boosts that will change on a daily basis.
Friday’s boosts will include a parlay on both the Cubs and the Boston Red Sox to win their games. Bettors who get in on that action will enjoy a +180 payout if both Boston and Chicago prevail.
On Thursday night, baseball is back. DraftKings and PointsBet are working to make sure MLB’s 2020 opening weekend is a memorable one for bettors in the Hawkeye State.
