With no legal way to bet on Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars playoff games in Texas, I turned to Fliff social sportsbook to make some NBA and NHL playoff picks.
Along with adding some entertainment to the games, I wanted to find out how well the Fliff community could help me pick NBA and NHL playoff winners.
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Using Fliff’s social community to track trends
The Fliff social sportsbook app allows users to make picks that mirror sports bets using Fliff currencies–Fliff Coins and Fliff Cash. Both are free, but Fliff Cash is more valuable than Fliff Coins and can be redeemed via sweepstakes for cash prizes. The app has a similar layout to an online sportsbook and offers many of the same sports markets.
- BACKGROUND READING: 5 Things Texans Need To Know About Fliff
As part of Fliff’s “social” aspect, users can track how the community is leaning on any given game through the game’s Summary tab. With this feature, I could track user trends for markets like money and puck lines in hockey, the over/under, and point spreads in the NBA.
Logging in before the puck drop or tip-off for each Stars and Mavericks game allowed me to see where the community stood. As a Fliff novice, I decided, as an experiment and to make my life easier, to go with the community. Where they showed a clear leaning, I would make my pick. If they were evenly divided, I would lay off.
I spent a uniform 1,000 Fliff Coins per pick in all contests.
Using only free Fliff Coins to make my picks, here’s how I fared following the Fliff community to bet the Western Conference Finals for both the Mavs and Stars.
Stars and Oilers exchange blows, but I take the beating
The NHL Western Conference Finals started out as a slugfest, with both teams splitting home-ice wins and losses. The Dallas Stars faded into the night after game four, and so did my Fliff Coins.
Following the Fliff community, I laid off the over/under completely as the community never leaned one way or another. I also avoided betting on any Fliff Player Props; I wanted to stick with the basics for my first foray into social sports betting. I ended up betting puck line and money line every game. The community never did better than 50% in the first five games, and I was down big before hitting on both in game six.
Still, the community did not make a winner out of me in the NHL Western Conference Finals.
| Game | Market(s) Won | Odds | Coins Won | Markets Lost | Odds | Coins Lost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. EDM @ DAL EDM 3, DAL 2 | Puck line, EDM +1.5 | -250 | 400 | Money line, DAL | -140 | 1,000 | -600 |
| 2. EDM @ DAL DAL 3, EDM 1 | Money line, DAL | -150 | 666 | Puck line, EDM +1.5 | -245 | 1,000 | -333 |
| 3. DAL @ EDM DAL 5, EDM 3 | Puck line, DAL +1.5 | -250 | 400 | Money line, EDM | -140 | 1,000 | -600 |
| 4. DAL @ EDM EDM 5, DAL 2 | Money line, EDM | -145 | 689 | Puck line, DAL +1.5 | -250 | 1,000 | -311 |
| 5. EDM @ DAL EDM 3, DAL 1 | Puck line, EDM +1.5 | -270 | 370 | Money line, DAL | -140 | 1,000 | -630 |
| 6. DAL @ EDM EDM 2, DAL 1 | Puck line, DAL +1.5 Money line, EDM | -245 -150 | 408 666 | NA | NA | NA | 1,074 |
| Total Coins Won/Lost | -1,400 |
Mavs keep the dream alive, and I triple my coins
The Mighty Dallas Mavericks kept rolling through higher-seeded opponents, turning the NBA Western Conference Finals into a bit of a laugher.
Right away, the community homed in on the over, and I played that every game, winning it three out of four times. The community also liked Dallas getting 4.5-5 points on the road, and I followed their lead to a couple of nice wins.
Aside from the first game of the series, where I was still figuring things out, I made picks in only two markets per game, mirroring my approach in the NHL Western Conference Finals. While I tripled my coins over five games, I still won only half my picks in three out of the five games.
A combination of the Mavs playing spoiler and the stout Minnesota defense wearing down led to some nice upset picks.
| Game | Market(s) Won | Odds | Coins Won | Market(s) Lost | Odds | Coins Lost | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. DAL @ MINN DAL 108, MINN 105 | Point spread, DAL +4.5 | -120 | 833 | NA | NA | NA | 833 | |
| 2. DAL @ MINN DAL 109, MINN 108 | Over, 207.5 pts | -120 | 833 | Money line, MINN | -255 | 1,000 | -167 | |
| 3. MINN @ DAL DAL 116, MINN 107 | Over, 208 pts | -125 | 800 | Point spread, MINN +2 | -130 | 1,000 | -200 | |
| 4. MINN @ DAL MINN 105, DAL 100 | Point spread, MINN +1.5 | -115 | 869 | Over, 211.5 pts | -120 | 1,000 | -131 | |
| 5. DAL @ MINN DAL 124, MINN 103 | Over, 209 pts. Point Spread, DAL +5 | -120 -120 | 833 833 | NA | NA | NA | 1,666 | |
| Total Coins Won/Lost | 2,001 |
Making free picks scratches the sports betting itch for the casual fan
While I spent zero dollars and, by following the community with my picks, very little mental effort, Fliff added a palpable element of fun to the NBA and NHL Western Conference Finals.
Combining my NHL and NBA picks, I came out on top by 601 Fliff Coins. That won’t get you very far if you convert it to Fliff Cash and make your picks in the Sweepstakes side of Fliff. However, I gained valuable Fliff XP, which can be converted into gift cards with some serious effort. I also earned my first Fliff Badge, which satisfied the gamer in me.
I can see this being a fun way to connect with friends, create a Fliff group, and make some picks for bragging rights and possibly the chance to win cash.
Fliff taps into common achievement patterns in cell phone games
The move from Fliff Coins to Fliff Cash follows a similar pattern to other online phone games people may know. There’s a low-value free currency that can be gained through basic gameplay. There’s also a high-value free currency that can technically be gained through extensive gameplay or difficult game achievement. It is also more easily gained through purchase in the game shop.
Players who use the low-value free currency–Fliff Coins, in this case–will typically get the basic game experience, which is satisfying for a recreational player like me. They’ll also enjoy connecting with friends through the app, which serves as a hub for sports fans to make game picks, tout their picks, and create some friendly competition.
Accumulating the higher-value currency–Fliff Cash–will probably compel a different player who will, very likely, spend their own money for the added gameplay elements–putting their own money on the line to win cash prizes.
Both versions have merit, and you don’t have to spend a dime.
Also, don’t worry if you’ve never used a social or commercial sportsbook; you can always follow the Fliff community. I’m still not sure whether the NHL is a trickier market than the NBA, but the Fliff community is an excellent tool for interrogating questions like that.
