Category Archives: Major Sports

BMW Championship odds: DJ leads the board

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

PGA Tour fans and bettors will be given a treat at this week’s BMW Championship: Tiger Woods playing for a second week in a row for the first time in a year. Because of his health issues and the fact Tiger simply doesn’t financially need to play often on Tour, he hasn’t gone in back-to-back weeks since last August’s Northern Trust and then the BMW Championship.

There’s a bit of an asterisk there, though, as Tiger withdrew after Round 1 of the 2019 The Northern Trust. He teed it up last week in that event at TPC Boston and finished T58 in the first of the three FedExCup playoff events on Tour.

The Top 125 in FedExCup points qualified for The Northern Trust and only the Top 70 advanced to the BMW Championship. The Top 30 after this week move on to the 2019-20 season-finale Tour Championship where everyone would have a mathematical chance of winning the $15 million FedExCup prize.

Miami Dolphins hope fans will help fins bring success to South Florida

The upcoming NFL season is going to be one of the hardest to predict in a very long time. For the average sportbettor who loved to have a flutter on American Football before 2020, the landscape has completely changed. The odds offered for all the major teams look the same, but after the chaos of the opt-out pre-season, an online NFL draft and now the return of fans to stadiums, punters don’t know where to turn for value.

The Miami Dolphins decision to allow Fins fans to come to the season opener in Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium is a controversial one and has attracted criticism from some quarters. But is it the right one? Will it help The Dolphins to success in a season few predict big things for them?

The Miami Dolphins won the Super Bowl in consecutive seasons in 1972 and 1973, but since then have never won it, despite being the only team in NFL history to finish an entire season undefeated in the first of their two Super Bowl victories. 

This season, Miami are welcoming 13,000 fans to the Hard Rock Stadium, using social distancing of six feet between fan groups to fill up around 20% of the stadium’s seats with home supporters. Their first game will take place on 20th September against the Buffalo Bills – who won’t have fans in attendance at Orchard Park this season – and Bills coach Sean McDermott isn’t happy that there will be fans present for his team’s visit to South Florida.

Soccer star Ronaldinho finally a free man in Paraguay

The soccer world was shocked several months ago when it was revealed that Ronaldinho, one of the best soccer players to have ever come out of Brazil, had been arrested in Paraguay along with his brother, Roberto de Assis Moreira. Making the issue more perplexing was the reason for his arrest. He had allegedly tried to enter the country on a fake passport, even though he had a legal, valid passport in his possession. The retired Ballon d’Or winner was put in jail and then later released under house arrest. Now, Ronaldinho is a free man once again. 

Ronaldinho and his brother were given a suspended sentence of two years by a Paraguayan judge as he approved their release. They are on the hook for $200,000 in fines, but have been allowed to return home to Brazil. According to the attorneys for both, they are relocating to Rio de Janeiro, where they will establish their residency. 

In an interview with Paraguayan media outlet ABC Color following his arrest, Ronaldinho asserted, “We were totally surprised to learn that the documents were not legal. Since then, our intention has been to collaborate with the justice system to clarify the facts. From that moment until today, we have explained everything and facilitated everything that has been requested of us. It was a hard blow. I never imagined that I would go through such a situation. All my life I have sought to reach the highest professional level and bring joy to people with my football.”

Ronaldinho had traveled to Paraguay at the request of a casino owner, who asked that he participate in a youth soccer clinic and the inauguration of a casino, as well as to promote his autobiography. Having the soccer phenom’s face tied to anything is always a way to attract publicity; however, the publicity received in this case was most likely not the kind anyone expected. Upon showing their passports as they entered the country, authorities discovered that they were false, and detained Ronaldinho and his brother. They later alleged that they believed the passports to be real before admitting to knowing that they contained erroneous information. Ronaldinho and his brother saw their case expedited through the judicial channels because “they admitted having had official Paraguayan legal documents but of false content and because they litigated in good faith,” according to local prosecutor Marcelo Pecci. 

Soccer star Ronaldinho finally a free man in Paraguay

The soccer world was shocked several months ago when it was revealed that Ronaldinho, one of the best soccer players to have ever come out of Brazil, had been arrested in Paraguay along with his brother, Roberto de Assis Moreira. Making the issue more perplexing was the reason for his arrest. He had allegedly tried to enter the country on a fake passport, even though he had a legal, valid passport in his possession. The retired Ballon d’Or winner was put in jail and then later released under house arrest. Now, Ronaldinho is a free man once again. 

Ronaldinho and his brother were given a suspended sentence of two years by a Paraguayan judge as he approved their release. They are on the hook for $200,000 in fines, but have been allowed to return home to Brazil. According to the attorneys for both, they are relocating to Rio de Janeiro, where they will establish their residency. 

In an interview with Paraguayan media outlet ABC Color following his arrest, Ronaldinho asserted, “We were totally surprised to learn that the documents were not legal. Since then, our intention has been to collaborate with the justice system to clarify the facts. From that moment until today, we have explained everything and facilitated everything that has been requested of us. It was a hard blow. I never imagined that I would go through such a situation. All my life I have sought to reach the highest professional level and bring joy to people with my football.”

Ronaldinho had traveled to Paraguay at the request of a casino owner, who asked that he participate in a youth soccer clinic and the inauguration of a casino, as well as to promote his autobiography. Having the soccer phenom’s face tied to anything is always a way to attract publicity; however, the publicity received in this case was most likely not the kind anyone expected. Upon showing their passports as they entered the country, authorities discovered that they were false, and detained Ronaldinho and his brother. They later alleged that they believed the passports to be real before admitting to knowing that they contained erroneous information. Ronaldinho and his brother saw their case expedited through the judicial channels because “they admitted having had official Paraguayan legal documents but of false content and because they litigated in good faith,” according to local prosecutor Marcelo Pecci. 

LeBron’s Lakers pay tribute to Kobe Bryant with style and grace

This past Sunday, August 23, basketball great Kobe Bryant would have turned 42. His life was cut short this past January when the helicopter in which he was traveling with his daughter and seven others crashed in Calabasas, California. He may be gone, but his legacy certainly isn’t going to disappear, and the LA Lakers, where he spent his 20-year NBA career, made sure to keep him alive as they played a game against the Portland Trail Blazers yesterday. By the time the contest was over, it was apparent that the Lakers went above and beyond in order to memorialize their fallen teammate. 

 This was Game 4 of the Round 1 series between the two teams, and the Lakers have only lost one of the games so far – they certainly weren’t going to allow another defeat as they took the court and paid homage to the five-time NBA champion. From the first tip-off, the Lakers grabbed control of the game and never let go. They got off to a 15-0 start and, at one point in the first quarter, were probably a little stunned when they looked at the scoreboard and saw the tally. They were up 24-8, which happened to be the two numbers worn by Bryant during his long career with the team. 

LeBron James was a driving force for the team’s success, sinking 30 points and getting ten assists in the 28 minutes he was in the action. One of his baskets was a massive fader from well beyond the paint that sailed through the air and through the net. It’s impossible to know what he was thinking at that exact moment, but it’s likely he dedicated the shot to Bryant and his legacy. 

Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma were ready to make statements of their own, as well, adding 18 points as the Lakers would ultimately walk away with a 135-115 trampling of the Trail Blazers on what had officially been dubbed Kobe Bryant Day. The team showed no mercy from start to finish, while Portland could only scramble and try, unsuccessfully, to catch up. It was an exercise in futility from the start. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel had said before the game, “We all know that [Bryant] would want us to keep our foot on the gas even though we won two in a row. That’s what we’re going to try to approach this game as.” And, that’s exactly what they did. 

LeBron’s Lakers pay tribute to Kobe Bryant with style and grace

This past Sunday, August 23, basketball great Kobe Bryant would have turned 42. His life was cut short this past January when the helicopter in which he was traveling with his daughter and seven others crashed in Calabasas, California. He may be gone, but his legacy certainly isn’t going to disappear, and the LA Lakers, where he spent his 20-year NBA career, made sure to keep him alive as they played a game against the Portland Trail Blazers yesterday. By the time the contest was over, it was apparent that the Lakers went above and beyond in order to memorialize their fallen teammate. 

 This was Game 4 of the Round 1 series between the two teams, and the Lakers have only lost one of the games so far – they certainly weren’t going to allow another defeat as they took the court and paid homage to the five-time NBA champion. From the first tip-off, the Lakers grabbed control of the game and never let go. They got off to a 15-0 start and, at one point in the first quarter, were probably a little stunned when they looked at the scoreboard and saw the tally. They were up 24-8, which happened to be the two numbers worn by Bryant during his long career with the team. 

LeBron James was a driving force for the team’s success, sinking 30 points and getting ten assists in the 28 minutes he was in the action. One of his baskets was a massive fader from well beyond the paint that sailed through the air and through the net. It’s impossible to know what he was thinking at that exact moment, but it’s likely he dedicated the shot to Bryant and his legacy. 

Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma were ready to make statements of their own, as well, adding 18 points as the Lakers would ultimately walk away with a 135-115 trampling of the Trail Blazers on what had officially been dubbed Kobe Bryant Day. The team showed no mercy from start to finish, while Portland could only scramble and try, unsuccessfully, to catch up. It was an exercise in futility from the start. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel had said before the game, “We all know that [Bryant] would want us to keep our foot on the gas even though we won two in a row. That’s what we’re going to try to approach this game as.” And, that’s exactly what they did. 

Go early or strike late? The perils of the Premier League transfer window

The English Premier League only just finished and yet it’s going to be back on September 12th, in just under three weeks. Yet the transfer window opened the day after the EPL season finished, opening for business on Monday, July 27th. While the Premier League is on hiatus right now, not all transfers need to be completed before the shortened 2020/21 English Premier League season begins. In fact, the window is open for 10 whole weeks until the 5th October and a domestic trade between the Premier League and English football League can go on until 12th October.

So is it better to get bodies in now or wait until the prices are driven down?

The Early Birds

Chelsea and Arsenal have already done plenty of business, with Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner already signed by The Blues, with rumours abounding that Kai Havertz, (£70m), Ben Chilwell (£50m) and Thiago Silva (free but 35-years-old) looking to arrive at Stamford Bridge.

Go early or strike late? The perils of the Premier League transfer window

The English Premier League only just finished and yet it’s going to be back on September 12th, in just under three weeks. Yet the transfer window opened the day after the EPL season finished, opening for business on Monday, July 27th. While the Premier League is on hiatus right now, not all transfers need to be completed before the shortened 2020/21 English Premier League season begins. In fact, the window is open for 10 whole weeks until the 5th October and a domestic trade between the Premier League and English football League can go on until 12th October.

So is it better to get bodies in now or wait until the prices are driven down?

The Early Birds

Chelsea and Arsenal have already done plenty of business, with Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner already signed by The Blues, with rumours abounding that Kai Havertz, (£70m), Ben Chilwell (£50m) and Thiago Silva (free but 35-years-old) looking to arrive at Stamford Bridge.

Bodog saw heavy NBA sports gambling action this past weekend

Inarguably, the NBA reboot at Disney World in Orlando, Florida will go down as one of the most exciting times in the history of professional basketball, and the postseason is bringing much more of the same thrilling action. Basketball fans are loving it, the league is showing its skills at managing adversity and sportsbooks are seeing a huge turnout. Global sports gambling portal Bodog continues to attract a lot of action in many sports, but the NBA is indisputably leading the way. The statistics from this past weekend show exactly how important major sports are to sportsbooks everywhere. 

From August 21 to 23, 53.16% of the action on Bodog was on NBA games. This isn’t only because there were a lot of games on tap, but also because the games that were played in Round 1 of the playoffs were destined to be awesome – and they didn’t disappoint. From rookies setting new records to clutch baskets as time was winding down, basketball this weekend was on fire. 

While the NBA took the most bets as a league, MLB was up there, as well. It accounted for 22.36% of the wagers placed, with the NHL following in third place with 6.22%. Almost no sport was left out, though, as the UEFA Champions League, Ultimate Fighter Championship, PGA and tennis also captured a piece of the action. Even ping pong is still finding a home with sports gamblers, receiving 1.67% of the bets on Bodog this past weekend. With so many options now available, compared to what was seen just a few short months ago, sportsbooks and gamblers both are staying busy almost around the clock. 

As far as individual sports events, Saturday’s NBA game between the LA Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers saw more action than the others, receiving 12.4% of the bets on Bodog. After dropping Game 1 to the Trail Blazers, the Lakers bounced back in Game 2 and followed that up with Saturday’s win to move ahead 2-1 in the series. That game was an important step in the Lakers’ attempt at capturing a title this year, and they pushed things even further with a spectacular win again last night.

Jazz, Clippers both favorites on Tuesday NBA odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

There had been four NBA playoff games per day from the Orlando bubble but that will change Tuesday because two Eastern Conference first-round series that would have been played that day, Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets, both ended in four-game sweeps by the better-seeded team (Celtics and Raptors) on Sunday.

Thus, both matchups Tuesday are from the Western Conference.

At 6:30 p.m. ET, the third-seeded Denver Nuggets look to avoid elimination in Game 5 against the sixth-seeded Utah Jazz. Utah is a 3-point favorite to finish things off and advance to the conference semifinals. The Jazz have covered just four of their past 22 games as favorites.

The NFL has a COVID-19 problem as teams forced to cancel practice

This is the time that everyone should be in full training mode – running drills with full pads, fine-tuning their offenses and defenses and even participating in preseason games. The NFL regular season is set to get underway in 17 days, but events over this past weekend are forcing many teams to scramble. Several had to call off practices completely over sudden surges in positive coronavirus tests, and any outbreak now would be devastating to the NFL’s plans to start on time. However, football fans – as well as the league – are breathing a sigh of relief, as it appears the positive test results were nothing more than false positives, and they were all traced back to one particular lab in New Jersey.

The Minnesota Vikings had 12 false positives over the weekend, the New York Jets had ten and the Chicago Bears had nine. The Cleveland Browns also had some, and became the first team to cancel its practices. The Jets then followed on Saturday, but practiced on Sunday, and the Bears shifted their practice from the morning to the afternoon after they determined that the results were nothing more than false positives. The Vikings decided to bench those who had tested positive and keep them out of Sunday’s practice. Other teams impacted include the Buffalo Bills, the Detroit Lions, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In trying to determine why there was a sudden spike in the number of positive cases, the NFL was able to trace the problem to a single lab in New Jersey operated by BioReference. The league issued a statement about the issue, explaining, “Saturday’s daily COVID testing returned several positives tests from each of the clubs serviced by the same laboratory in New Jersey. We are working with our testing partner, BioReference, to investigate these results, while the clubs work to confirm or rule out the positive tests. Clubs are taking immediate precautionary measures as outlined in the NFL-NFLPA’s health and safety protocols to include contact tracing, isolation of individuals and temporarily adjusting the schedule, where appropriate. The other laboratories used for NFL testing have not had similar results.”

That’s good news and bad news for the NFL. It’s great because it could mean that there won’t be any issues as the league looks to get going on September 10. However, it is still concerning, because there needs to be definitive proof of no widespread COVID-19 appearance for the season to kick off. It also could be a financial loss to the league if it has to pay for all the tests to be retaken, instead of the lab assuming that cost. 

As the NBA picture changes, Bodog sets new lines for what’s to come

Basketball fans around the world suffered through months of withdrawal after the NBA season was halted due to the coronavirus. The delays, to some degree, were worth it, as the NBA Bubble in at Disney World in Orlando, Florida has brought non-stop excitement and more than a few remarkable achievements. As the league moved into the postseason, the action has only become more thrilling and it’s looking like the NBA Finals are going to be hotter than they’ve been in years. Of course, as some teams move up, others have to move down, and there are a lot of changes that will be seen in the offseason. As the sports world analyzes who’s coming and who’s going, global sportsbook Bodog is giving sports gambling fans a lot to look forward to. 

The Boston Celtics swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the postseason, eliminating the Sixers from championship contention. Not able to provide a solid performance in the best-of-seven series, Philadelphia is likely to see several changes at both the coach and player levels. Coach Brett Brown is expected to be looking for a new home after seven years with the team. During that time, he was able to lead the Sixers to three consecutive playoff appearances, but was stopped short of making a deep run. If he leaves, the former head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, Kenny Atkinson, who was fired this past March, is one of the most likely candidates to be his replacement and is currently getting +500 on Bodog. Sam Cassell, the assistant coach of the LA Clippers, is close behind at +600. The Clippers are currently in Round 1 of the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks, each with two wins, and part of that can be attributed to Cassell. He’s been with the Clippers since 2014, so it might be his time. 

Point guard Ben Simmons has been with the Sixers since 2016, the year he was picked first in Round 1 of the NBA Draft. However, he hasn’t been able to play in any of the postseason games this year due to arthroscopic surgery he was forced to undergo a few months ago. Still, the Sixers aren’t likely to give up their Australian big man and will look to him to help the team rebound next year. That’s why Bodog gives him -240 to still be with the team, while giving him only slight consideration for a move, possibly to the Phoenix Suns (+350) or the Chicago Bulls (+1200). 

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid could be seen elsewhere next season, but it wouldn’t be by choice. The 7’ 26-year-old center wants to stay with the team he’s played with for the past six years, but is smart enough to know that it may not be up to him. He told reporters after his team was eliminated from the playoffs, “I don’t make the decisions. I’m here in Philly. Whatever happens, happens. I’ve always said that I want to end my career here, and if it happens, good. If it doesn’t happen, well, you move on and all that stuff.”

Sportradar locks up grip on all four major US sports leagues

Despite a couple recent stumbles, DraftKings has still done really well for itself after having gone public. The sports gambling scene is picking up a lot of momentum and, within just a couple of years, will be a major component of the US commercial industry like it is in other areas of the world. It’s no surprise, then, that companies working in the sector are scrambling to get involved, and Sportradar has been busy securing deals that will allow it to be a major name for decades to come. The sports data provider now has another partnership to brag about, having hooked up with the NHL. This newest relationship means that the company is now tied, among others, to the four major sports leagues in the US – NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL.

The NHL and Sportradar had a partnership that dates back to 2015, but the new agreement takes it to a new level, allowing the company to use league data for sports gambling activity. Sportradar will have access to all league stats and can sell official league data to sportsbooks, as well as casinos. The partnership was consummated after Sportradar reportedly won a competitive bidding auction that will pave the way for the two entities to work together for the next ten years.

Sports is taking on an entirely new feel moving forward, and the NHL is running with the pack. Coming up, the league plans on putting chips in the pucks and in shoulder pads worn by the players, all of which will lead to the collection of massive amounts of data points unlike anything ever seen before. The idea is to be able to inject a new element into hockey that includes things like who is the fastest skater, who has the quickest shot and, not outside the realm of possibility, which player can slam another to the ice with more force than anyone else. 

This latest arrangement will prove very beneficial to Sportradar with its plans to go public. It announced last month that it was working on a deal with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) for a reverse takeover – similar to how DraftKings went public – and the relationship the company has with the four major US sports organizations, as well as all its other agreements, will give it a substantial boost. 

The NFL has a new advisory committee to address COVID-19 issues

The countdown to the 2020 NFL season, hopefully, continues on schedule, and the first game will be held on September 10 if everything goes according to plan. For that to happen, the league has put together a special committee to oversee its response to issues that may arise from the COVID-19 pandemic, calling upon the assistance of individuals intimately familiar with football, but who are no longer part of the league. Their goal is to help the NFL throughout the season as it looks to prevent any major coronavirus-caused catastrophes like those seen in MLB. 

According to different sources, the NFL’s advisory committee will be working hand-in-hand with commissioner Roger Goodell to address any issue that comes up as the year progresses. The group includes former cornerback Champ Bailey, former receiver Isaac Bruce, former GM Charley Casserly, former head coach Tom Coughlin, former head coach Marvin Lewis, former safety Troy Polamalu, former GM Bill Polian and former GM Rick Smith. 

Notably, the committee doesn’t include any health officials, a point that draws a little unwanted attention to the group. While all of the members of the committee have extensive football experience, the coronavirus warrants participation by at least one or two members of the health community, and the absence of these would seem to indicate that the group will often have to seek outside opinions before certain decisions can be made, which might slow down the implementation of any policies or procedures.

The idea behind the committee’s creation is to give the commissioner assistance in making decisions related to scheduling, seeding and more. However, each has a component directly linked to COVID-19 that cannot be ignored. The members selected for inclusion needed to be external to current league or team operations in order to avoid any possible appearance of conflict of interest and propel a sense of fairness across the board in all decisions the committee makes. 

UFC Fight Night: Munhoz vs. Edgar Odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

It’s back to the UFC’s Apex facility in Las Vegas this Saturday night with a Fight Night card headlined by a bantamweight bout between American Frankie Edgar and Brazil’s Pedro Munhoz. The main card will begin at 8 p.m. ET and is available in the United States on ESPN and ESPN+.

Edgar-Munhoz has been scheduled/moved around a few times, including once because Munhoz tested positive for COVID-19. It was most recently scheduled for last weekend’s UFC 252, but then the organization decided to make it the main event of this card.

The 38-year-old Edgar (23-8) has long been a fan favorite who won the UFC’s lightweight title way back in April 2010 over BJ Penn. “The Answer” defended it twice before losing back-to-back bouts to Benson Henderson. Edgar then moved to featherweight and lost a title fight to Jose Aldo. Edgar got another shot at Aldo for the belt at UFC 200 and lost again.

AOC leads odds for 2024 Presidential Candidates

Former Vice President Joe Biden will face off against President Donald Trump in the U.S. 2020 elections. Considering though Biden’s advanced age, and the general idea that he may only be a one term president, who’s going to be running for President on the Democratic side in 2024? Although America is a democracy and anything could happen in the next four years, these things tend to build up over time, so we have a pretty good idea of who the leading candidates might be, and who the sportsbooks favor.

Leading the odds at the moment is New York Congresswoman Alexandria Occasion-Cortez (AOC). By election day 2024, AOC will barely be 35 years old, the minimum age requirement for a presidential hopeful. According to polling by YouGov, She’s got the name recognition, comparatively decent favorability ratings, so she could pull it off.

Consider though that during her push to get Bernie Sanders nominated in 2020, she tried to downplay talk she could run in 2028:

.@AOC on 2028 rumors: I’m not a person who aspires to a position, I aspire to a mission. We have a lot of problems that need addressed, but we rely too much on saviors. We can’t just swing from person to person. pic.twitter.com/CnFS1R1xbx

AOC leads odds for 2024 Presidential Candidates

Former Vice President Joe Biden will face off against President Donald Trump in the U.S. 2020 elections. Considering though Biden’s advanced age, and the general idea that he may only be a one term president, who’s going to be running for President on the Democratic side in 2024? Although America is a democracy and anything could happen in the next four years, these things tend to build up over time, so we have a pretty good idea of who the leading candidates might be, and who the sportsbooks favor.

Leading the odds at the moment is New York Congresswoman Alexandria Occasion-Cortez (AOC). By election day 2024, AOC will barely be 35 years old, the minimum age requirement for a presidential hopeful. According to polling by YouGov, She’s got the name recognition, comparatively decent favorability ratings, so she could pull it off.

Consider though that during her push to get Bernie Sanders nominated in 2020, she tried to downplay talk she could run in 2028:

.@AOC on 2028 rumors: I’m not a person who aspires to a position, I aspire to a mission. We have a lot of problems that need addressed, but we rely too much on saviors. We can’t just swing from person to person. pic.twitter.com/CnFS1R1xbx

Bucks, Lakers seek Thursday rebounds as favorites

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The 2020 NBA playoffs were always going to be unusual and memorable because they are being played in front of no fans in the Orlando bubble and home-court advantage doesn’t exist. It gives off the feeling that anything could happen, and wow did it on Tuesday.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers finished with the top seeds in their respective conferences and had been the two favorites to win the NBA title essentially all season. They no longer are after both were stunned by No. 8 seeds in Game 1 of their quarterfinal series Tuesday, pushing the Los Angeles Clippers temporarily into the role of title favorites.

Milwaukee suffered one of the biggest stunners in postseason history as it was a 14-point favorite over the No. 8 Orlando Magic, who not just won Tuesday but largely dominated in a 122-110 final. Magic center Nikola Vucevic led six Orlando players in double-figure points with 35, adding 14 rebounds. He was the first Magic player to record a 35/10 game in a playoff contest since Dwight Howard did it in 2011.

Next NBA Draft Combine could go regional

The NBA has already faced – quite successfully – a number of challenges this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. After the season was suddenly halted as it entered its second half this past March, it was able to figure out an alternative to the NBA Finals, moving the top teams to Disney World in Orlando, Florida to play in what has affectionately become known as the NBA Bubble. The plan worked, and the remaining teams are now in the playoffs as they compete to see who will be the best team of this odd, 2019-20 season. If the LA Lakers keep going the way they have been, they’ll be eliminated quickly, but that’s a topic for another day. Now, it’s time to focus on other changes the NBA has to make in order to prepare for the future and allow up-and-coming stars to leave their mark on the world’s basketball league. 

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held tomorrow, adopting a virtual format similar to that used for the NFL Draft. Team representatives will participate in a large Zoom call, bringing together 14 teams that need the most help in the upcoming season. They include the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets, the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the Golden State Warriors, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New Orleans Pelicans, the New York Knicks, the Phoenix Suns, the Sacramento Kings, the San Antonio Spurs and the Washington Wizards. 

Sports gambling fans can even place bets on who will win the lottery. Following the lottery, the NBA Draft is expected to be held on October 16 – most likely, it will be virtual, as well. Where and at what time the draft will take place hasn’t been released.

In addition to the virtual draft lottery and a potential virtual draft, there is also another first for the NBA this year. It could be considering changes to how it runs the NBA Combine, an opportunity for second-round players to show off their talents and grab attention from teams and scouts. The details haven’t been completely worked out yet, but the idea is, instead of grouping all the players together at one facility, there could be regional Combines established, reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19. 

Paid not to play: The footballers who would cost a ransom no-one can afford

The landscape of football transfers has changed, so they tell us. A summer that was predicted to be full of nine-figure fees at the start of the year now looks completely different viewed through the haze of Coronavirus headlines and COVID-19 measures.

Football may have changed, with fewer fans now involved, but the cost of failure has, if anything gone up. Because of this, players with huge contracts and mammoth weekly wages are not the attractive prospects they once were. We’re taking a look at three men who could find a move hard to come by unless they’re prepared to take a massive pay cut.

Gareth Bale

It’s hard to argue against the footballing merits of Gareth Bale. Having helped drag Tottenham Hotspur into the Champions League Places and paved the way for their development over the last few years, Bale also earned his former employers in North London a ludicrous sum of £89.2m when he switched the Lilywhite shirt of Spurs for the… er, similarly white shirt of Los Blancos.