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.

On Sunday, the Chicago White Sox fell to the Minnesota Twins to drop their 20th straight game. With the loss, the White Sox produced the longest losing streak in Major League Baseball in 36 years. Chicago can end the streak on Monday night with a victory against Oakland.

While the White Sox are +150 dogs at ESPN BET, the A’s are also one of the worst teams in the American League. Oakland has odds of -180 to prevail on Monday. The White Sox are looking to avoid a couple of dubious streaks. A loss against the A’s will tie the White Sox with the 1988 Orioles for the longest losing streak in AL history. The MLB record, set by the 1961 Phillies, is within reach at 23 games.

"Running out of words for it," starter Chris Flexen said of the losing streak which brought the team to 60 games under .500.https://t.co/iVs3DhXk48

— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) August 5, 2024

Each year, BetBash brings together some of the most well-known names in the sports gambling industry. This year’s four-day event, which begins on Tuesday, is no exception. The event includes panels on mitigating match manipulation, responsible gambling, and legislative changes in sports betting, among others.

A panel on match manipulation on Friday will be closely-watched throughout the industry. The panel will delve into how leagues, regulators, and operators work together to spot red flags on potential cases of match fixing. The panel will be moderated by Matt Holt, who serves as CEO of IC360.

As M&A rumors surrounding the future of PENN Entertainment continue to swirl, PENN’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday has taken on added importance. PENN’s stock price has vacillated in recent weeks amid rumors that Boyd Gaming has approached the regional casino giant with an unsolicited bid.

PENN has faced immense pressure from activist investors to consider a sale in response to the perception of profligate spending. PENN is expected to disclose further details on integrations with ESPN BET before the start of the football season.

Noah Lyles pulled off a thrilling victory in the 100-meters at the Paris Games when he edged Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five-one-thousandths of a second. Lyles trailed considerably at the 65-meter mark but maintained his speed at approximately 27 miles per hour to complete the comeback. The margin was so close that it took the judges at least 30 seconds after the race to determine the victor.

Lyles returns to the track in a bid to win the 100-200 double at the Summer Games. He can become the first American to achieve the feat since Carl Lewis more than 30 years ago. Lyles has odds of -650 at DraftKings, far ahead of teammate Kenny Bednarek, who has odds of +600.

Lyles’ victory helped the U.S. pull even with China in the race for the nation to win the most gold medals. But China pulled ahead on Monday with two more golds to pad its total to 21. The U.S. has odds of -480 at FanDuel to finish with the most golds of any nation. China is the second choice at +380, followed by host nation France at +10000.

The clock stops when your torso crosses the line *not* 1st body part. Noah leans w/ his chest, while Thompson subtly concaves his chest. That was the difference pic.twitter.com/13WqNsjrvm

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 4, 2024

Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped a bombshell with the announcement that bookmaker Matt Bowyer intends to plead guilty in connection with operating an illegal sports betting ring. Bowyer, according to sources, runs one of the nation’s largest betting-bookmaking operations.

He is also the preferred bookmaker of Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara allegedly embezzled more than $16 million from Ohtani to cover his debts with Bowyer’s operation. Bowyer is expected to plead guilty to operating an illegal gambling business, transactional money laundering, and filing a false tax return at Friday’s hearing.

Entering the Paris Games, the U.S. men’s basketball team put forth several disappointing efforts during a global exhibition tour. The close wins created some doubt that the team would cruise through the draw at the Summer Games. But in three games, the U.S. has restored its supremacy in winning by an average of 21 points per game.

The U.S. needs two more wins to qualify for a spot in Saturday’s gold medal game. At BetRivers, the U.S. has odds of -670 to win its five consecutive gold in the sport. On Saturday, the U.S. could face Canada, Germany, France, or Greece in the finals. Canada and Germany are the co-second choice at +800.

Have a good week, everyone!