🗞️ Bandit Betting Newsletter: $2.1 Billion Collapse

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Welcome back to the Bandit Betting Newsletter, where we deliver the top stories in sports and gambling directly to your inbox, every Sunday.

In today's email:

• 2025 NCAAB Tournament: predictions as regular season ends.

• $2.1 Billion Collapse: why ESPN Bet is on pace for disaster.

• NHL Playoff Standings: could we see a Jets/Hurricanes cup final?

• Bandit Premium: get a week of expert picks for just $1.00.

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MADNESS PREDICTIONS

Bracketology projections as regular season ends, first tickets punched.

March Madness is in full swing as the regular season ends and the postseason heats up.

The first teams have punched their tickets to the NCAA Tournament as automatic qualifiers, and the bubble battle is nearing its climax with just one week until Selection Sunday.

The NCAA Selection Committee relies on the NET Rankings—an algorithm that categorizes wins and losses into quadrants—to seed teams in the 68-team field.

While the top seeds have taken shape, conference tournaments could shake up the final bracket, creating key betting opportunities.

Latest Bracketology Projections (Through March 8)

Projected No. 1 Seeds: Auburn, Duke, Houston, Florida Last Four Byes: Arkansas, Utah State, West Virginia, San Diego

State Last Four In: Oklahoma, Ohio State, Indiana, Xavier First Four Out: North Carolina, Texas, Boise State, Colorado State.

Key Betting Storylines 1-Seed Watch:

Auburn (+650) Auburn stumbled at the finish line, dropping games to Texas A&M and Alabama, but their strong early-season play gives them a cushion.

SEC Contenders:

Tennessee (+900), Alabama (+1200) Tennessee bounced back from a loss but couldn’t quite jump to the 1-line. However, they have upcoming resume-building games that could push them higher.

Alabama made a strong case to move up but remains a No. 2 seed for now. A deep SEC Tournament run could shift their positioning and odds.

ACC Powerhouses:

Duke (+800), Kentucky (+1400) Duke is firmly on the 1-line and enters the ACC Tournament as the favorite. Kentucky, meanwhile, holds a slight edge over Texas Tech for the final No. 2 seed, thanks to a superior Quad 1 record.

Big 12 Dominance:

Houston (+750) Houston locked in a No. 1 seed after a dominant Big 12 campaign. The Cougars are one of the best defensive teams in the country, making them a dangerous tournament play.

Bracket Movers & Sleepers:

Michigan State (+2200): Holds firm as a 2-seed but has limited upward mobility.

Texas A&M (+3000): Could be dangerous if they get hot.

Iowa State (+6000), San Diego State (+7500), St. John’s (+8000) are potential Cinderellas if they build momentum in their conference tournaments.

Upcoming Games to Watch for Betting Edges:

📌 SEC Tournament – Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama battling for seeding.
📌 Big Ten Tournament – Michigan State looking to solidify 2-seed status.
📌 ACC Tournament – Can Duke or Kentucky push for a 1-seed?
📌 Bubble Games – North Carolina, Texas, Boise State, and Colorado State fighting for their tournament lives.

$2.1 BILLION DISASTER

When ESPN Bet launched in 2023 they hoped to challenge industry giants like FanDuel and Draftkings - but they’ve “fallen short”.

ESPN BET’s $2.1 billion partnership with Penn Entertainment is already looking shaky less than two years in.

What was supposed to be a major play to challenge FanDuel and DraftKings has turned into a financial headache, with Penn’s CEO Jay Snowden admitting they’re “not on pace” to hit their targets.

He even hinted that if things don’t improve, the deal could be in jeopardy by 2026.

The numbers aren’t pretty—Penn’s interactive division, which includes ESPN BET, lost nearly $110 million in Q4 2024, and they hold just 2.35% of the sports betting market across 20 states.

That’s a long way from their goal of 20% by 2027. Sports business analyst Joe Pompliano painted an even grimmer picture, noting Penn’s stock has tanked 84% from its 2021 high, while its market cap has nosedived from $20 billion to $3.3 billion.

It’s clear ESPN and Penn expected a much bigger splash in the sports betting world, but the reality has been a brutal wake-up call.

With 2025 shaping up as a make-or-break year, both sides need a serious turnaround to keep this partnership alive.

NHL PLAYOFFS

Despite recent trade moves the Hurricanes remain the favorite to win the Stanley Cup at 16.7%.

Some think the Hurricanes are cooked after trading Mikko Rantanen at the deadline, but analytics tell a different story.

According to Stathletes, Carolina still holds the highest Stanley Cup odds at 16.7%.

Meanwhile, their Sunday opponent, the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+), sit at 8.7%—the sixth-best mark in the league.

Winnipeg didn’t make splashy moves at the deadline, but adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev could be the kind of depth tweaks that pay off in the postseason.

The Canes have history on their side, with two trips to the Cup Final (losing in 2002, winning in 2006) and three conference final appearances since.

The Jets, on the other hand, have never made it to the Final, falling to Vegas in the 2018 Western Conference finals. Both teams are due—could this finally be their year?

With just over a month until the regular season ends on April 17, the playoff race is heating up.

We’ll be tracking it all, from Cup contenders to teams battling for draft lottery position. Buckle up—things are about to get wild.

MEME

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