Each week, our “What’s on Tap” series previews the week ahead in the world of sports betting. Come here for a summary of upcoming financial happenings, legislative and regulatory meetings, industry conferences, top games scheduled for the week, and much more.

Following two prominent events last week, the summer conference season has kicked into high gear. A number of participants from The National Conference on Gambling Addiction & Responsible Gambling and the NCLGS 2024 Summer Meeting have traveled to Boston for the 2024 Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association (FSGA) Summer Conference.

The two-day conference begins Monday with a panel on prop wagering in college sports. The panel will delve into the rise of college player props and their appeal to bettors. The session will also discuss the NCAA’s recommendation for a nationwide ban on props, as well as the impact of college bets on the illegal market.

On Tuesday, a session will explore the role of data management in fantasy sports and sports gambling. The panel will address critical topics such as data acquisition, analysis, and the future of A.I.-powered decision-making in the industry. Representatives from ESPN, OddsJam, and FTN will appear on the panel.

During the NBA Summer League, Ke’Lel Ware of the Heat and Grizzlies center Zach Edey have distinguished themselves among rookie big men. Ordinarily, the two centers would face off in Monday’s Summer League championship. But over the weekend, the Grizzlies shut down Edey (ankle) for the remainder of the tournament.

The Grizzlies will also be without former UConn swingman Cam Spencer for Monday night’s title game. Without the two standouts, Memphis will rely upon Scottie Pippen Jr. and G.G. Jackson against the Heat. While both teams enter undefeated, Memphis is a 2.5-point favorite at ESPN BET.

Ahead of NFL training camp, 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk requested a trade last week from the defending NFC champions. While the Niners insist they won’t trade Aiyuk, Pro Football Talk reported that several teams made inquiries for the star wideout before the NFL Draft. Aiyuk is seeking a mega deal with an average annual salary of more than $25 million per season.

Before the Draft several of the teams appeared interested in meeting Aiyuk’s salary demands, PFT reported on Saturday. The Commanders and the Patriots have emerged as potential suitors for Aiyuk. If Washington pulls off a trade for the explosive wideout, the Commanders would reunite Aiyuk with Jayden Daniels, his former quarterback at Arizona State. On Tuesday, veterans will report to camp for both teams.

The Niners (+275) remain the heavy favorite at BetMGM to repeat as NFC champions. As of Monday morning, San Francisco also had odds of +650 to win the Super Bowl, the second choice behind the Chiefs. At BetMGM, customers will receive a high payout if the Commanders make the playoffs. There are odds of +275 for Washington to reach the postseason in Dan Quinn’s first season with the team.

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) July 21, 2024

A host of data scientists, industry leaders, and professional sports league executives will converge upon Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday for Sportradar Connect at Madison Square Garden. The event at the “World Most Famous Arena” includes panels on artificial intelligence, hyper-personalization in the sports fan experience, and monetization in the new sports media model.

NBA executive Scott Kaufman-Ross is scheduled to speak at Tuesday’s event. Kaufman-Ross serves as the NBA’s senior vice president of fantasy & gaming for the NBA. In light of Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from the NBA, the league has urged sportsbooks to consider removing props on two-way players. Sportradar is one of the leading sports betting data providers in the world.

Competing in her fourth Olympics, Katie Ledecky is one gold away from tying Jenny Thompson’s U.S. female record of eight gold medals by a swimmer. Ledecky, the generational swimmer, captured her first gold at 15 in the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Now 27, Ledecky is expected to compete in at least four events at the Paris Olympics. Ledecky can tie Thompson’s record on Saturday with a victory in the Women’s 400-meter freestyle finals. Ledecky, however, is not the favorite in the highly-anticipated race. Ariarne Titmus, the reigning Olympic champion in the 400m free, set the world record last July in 3:55.38 minutes. The Australian swimmer has odds of -286 at BetRivers, with Ledecky as the second-choice at +400.

Ledecky, though, is favored in the 800-meter freestyle, an event where she still holds the world record. BetRivers has installed Ledecky as a heavy -500 favorite, far ahead of Titmus at +450. In all sports, the total number of U.S. golds in Paris has been set at 39.5 (Over -134) at BetRivers. Besides Ledecky, runners Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Noah Lyles are all expected to win gold at the Olympics.

LeBron James was named Monday as the flag-bearer for Team USA at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, becoming the first men’s basketball player to receive the honor for the nation. Last Saturday, James hit a layup with eight seconds left to give Team USA a 101-100 win over South Sudan in a London exhibition.

Despite the scare, Team USA still remains a definitive favorite to win gold in Paris. The Americans may face a challenge from Canada, which boasts the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, and R.J. Barrett. France, the home nation, has a potent frontcourt in Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.

USA -650
Canada +1100
France +1100
Serbia +1400
Greece +2200
Germany +2500
Australia +3300
Spain +6600
Brazil +15000
Japan +25000
Puerto Rico +30000
South Sudan +50000

28% of bets (most) are on @usabasketball to win pic.twitter.com/WBc3LbaeGM

— John Ewing (@johnewing) July 22, 2024

The U.S. entered the game against the African nation as an astounding 43.5-point favorite. Following the victory, Team USA’s odds to win gold in men’s basketball fell from -600 to -350 at ESPN BET.

Seeking its fifth straight gold medal, the U.S. will face Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Saturday. Last week, Team USA crushed Serbia 105-79 in an Olympic tune-up. Jokic, the three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, is joined on the Serbia team by Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and Heat forward Nikola Jovic.