Wizards, NBC Sports Washington to Air In-Game Betting Broadcasts

The Washington Wizards will provide their fans with an alternative TV broadcast that will be focused on gambling on Jan. 11 for their matchup versus the Milwaukee Bucks, according to SportsBusiness Daily. NBC Sports Washington Plus will be airing this betting-catered version of the game in addition to its traditional telecast.

Friday's telecast (7 p.m. ET) could provide a future look at betting-based broadcasts as gambling becomes more mainstream among fans and TV audiences. Real-time sports-betting data and statistics will be shown on the screen.The telecast will feature a free, simple-to-play predictive contest, Predict the Game, that will be offering a $500 prize.

Predict the Game will air questions throughout the Wizards-Bucks game—such as 'Will Wizards guard Bradley Beal score 15 or more points in the first half?' and 'Will Bucks forward Khris Middleton score 6 or more points in the opening quarter?' Fans can visit NBCSportsWashington.com/predict during the game to answer questions like those for a chance to win money.

A preview of what the broadcast may look like on NBC Sports Washington. (Via SportsBusiness Daily)

Point spreads—which will be constantly updating—over/unders (for quarters, halves and the entire game) and odds will be shown on the telecast.

"We've been lucky because sports betting has rolled out in a way that has overlapped with our [regional sports networks]," David Preschlack, president of NBC Sports Regional Networks, told SportsBusiness Daily. "We're trying to figure out ways to appeal to casual sports bettors to make the games more interesting."

NBC Sports Washington Plus will air seven more betting-oriented Wizards games this season. The next Wizards' betting-broadcast will be on Jan. 27 during the team's road contest against the San Antonio Spurs.

"Combining the excitement of live Wizards games with engaging predictive gaming and data feeds will deliver a very entertaining experience for viewers, from first-time gaming players to savvy sports bettors," NBC Sports Washington senior vice president and general manager Damon Phillips said in a press release. "The level of interest from fans, partners and sponsors in this area continues to increase, so we are pleased to offer this compelling product this season."