Forget the brackets. Forget the chalk. The Battle of the Books Final Four begins (Tuesday 4/13 at 10 am EST), and Twitter voters now have a chance to win $75 FREE BETS, up from $50.
Underdogs reign supreme as the third annual Battle of the Books, conducted by Twitter users, heads to the Final Four this week.
Two Cindarella’s – One Winner
No glass slippers when time runs out, just major bragging rights for one sports betting ‘people’s champ’.
Two no. 8 seeds – Tipico and TwinSpires – turned the social media handicapping world on its head by unfurling huge upsets in the quarterfinal round. They join defending champion theScoreBet, the tournament’s most consistent team, and BetMGM, an offensive powerhouse, in the race to cut down the sportsbook nets.
Tipico takes on BetMGM Sportsbook, while theScoreBet faces TwinSpires in the tournament semifinals. The victors reach the finals to crown the champion.
The popular tournament, crowning a sports-wagering People’s Choice awards, names the leading New Jersey book favored by Twitter users. It is an enviable distinction for the championship book.
Here’s how you play:
Anyone who participates in the voting on Twitter will be entered into prize drawings for a chance to win free bets from several of the top NJ online sports betting apps.
- Visit: twitter.com/playnjcom and follow us
- Check out the latest #BattleOfTheBooks poll on our feed
- Vote for the sportsbook you want to see move on to the next round
- LIKE the post. (If you don’t like the post, we won’t know you voted)
- And that’s it. You’re entered to win the prize in that specific voting matchup.
Place your votes at @PlayNJcom
The best part? Each round the FREE BET amount goes up!
Final Four = $75 Free Bet Giveaways
Championship = $100 Free Bet Giveaways
HOW TO WIN:
- At the conclusion of each matchup, we will randomly select winners from the pool of voters for that round.
- Each winner will then receive a DM from us with how to claim their $75 FREE BET
- You can vote on every match in every round, for the maximum chances to win.
- So make sure you follow our PlayNJ twitter page
- And turn on the notifications for our page so you’ll be notified each time we start a new poll
Remember to place your vote AND like the post.
The books generate headlines, but individual bettors reap “Tweet-Stakes” rewards.
Twitter users have cashed in, especially in the deeper rounds of the tournament.
@GodfatherBets received an offer he couldn’t refuse, a $50 Free Bet from Bet MGM. So did @DeSantisRob.
Congratulations to @GodfatherBets & @DeSantisRob
you were randomly selected from the last two #BattleoftheBooks matchups to win a $50 FREE BET thanks to @betmgm!You can win more than once so keep voting.
Anyone can win, just vote and hit that ❤️ on today’s match. pic.twitter.com/VkmIgW1hC7
— Play NJ (@playnjcom) April 9, 2021
They weren’t alone. @Fight4Poker1 had the Books version of a full house, obtaining a $50 free bet from William Hill. So did @ilanz00. These are real benefits. If these players convert on that $50 free bet, the bankroll can snowball. Imagine getting on a roll, buoyed by a significant free bet.
What’s better than that? No risk, potentially all reward.
There’s more to come in the final tournament countdown. After you tweet and like, random luck may like you.
Battle of the Books Final Four Schedule
- Tuesday 4/13/21 – Voting starts at 10 am EST: TwinSpires Sportsbook vs TheScoreBet Sportsbook
- Wednesday 4/14/21 – Voting starts at 10 am EST: Tipico Sportsbook vs BetMGM Sportsbook
- Thursday 4/15/21 – Championship Game – Voting starts at 10 am EST: TBD
The Rise of the Underdogs
It’s fitting for a year in which UCLA went from the First Four to the Final Four in the actual NCAA tournament that the high seeds enjoy high times in the Battle of the Books.
TwinSpires and Tipico first won win play-in games to reach the Sweet 16. And then they knocked off industry giants DraftKings and FanDuel in the ensuing round. Had a parlay existed on that type of bet, the payoff would have been astronomical.
“This is the most amazing of the three tournaments we’ve had,” Battle of the Books founder and tournament director Pete Amato said. “Twin Spires and Tipico supporters are making their voices heard, more than anyone else. Nobody thought they were getting past DraftKings and FanDuel. You think they used up all their magic reaching the Elite Eight and they win again. Now they are two victories away from taking it all. Some of these sportsbooks need to step up their social media game.”
TwinSpires was on the ropes against year-one winner PointsBet in the quarterfinals. Had there been in-game betting with a couple hours left, gamblers might have gotten +1000 for TwinSpires.
But then came a tweet. And another. And then a series of them, along with members who had already voted imploring others to join the bandwagon.
Do Twitter users have rally caps?
With 40 minutes left, TwinSpires took the lead in the tournament’s best game and rode it to an exhilarating 52-48% victory.
You’ve got to figure they will always think they are in the match, regardless of the time and the score. That battle showed how difficult the tournament is to handicap, even for the person who invented it.
Early on, Amato tweeted that he may have been wrong about TwinSpires’ Cinderella capability after PointsBet was crushing it early.
He never expected to usher this congratulatory tweet later:
DING DING DING… It’s all over. After leading most of the day, @PointsBetUSA was defeated by our 8-seed, @TS_Sportsbook, right before the final bell. Congratulations to TwinSpires Sportsbook on moving on to the #BattleoftheBooks Final 4!
While TwinSpires had the inspirational rally, BetMGM outlasted FoxBet in an excellent battle, 59-41%.
Tipico annihilated PlaySugarHouse 73-27, while theScoreBet remained amazingly consistent, throttling a good William Hill outfit, 61-39%.
Questions surrounding the Final Four
If TwinSpires falls behind early against theScore, can it rally again? The defending champions have been remarkably consistent, with a Twitter base that votes in each round. Thus far, there has been no better team protecting a lead.
Can Tipico, which has been blowing out good teams, continue its offensive roll? What happens if this team is involved in a nail-biter? Can it summon multiple tweets during crunch time?
For the two No. 8 seeds in the Final 4, is this when the miracle run ends.?
Twitter users will decide.
