Tag Archives: sportsbiz

The Falcons stun the Panthers in Thursday Night Football

If ever there were a time that the Carolina Panthers needed the services of running back Christian McCaffrey (CMC), it was last night against the Atlanta Falcons. Thursday Night Football in the NFL found these two NFC South teams pitted against each other, and the Falcons figured out the secret to stopping the Panthers offense, with CMC still out due to injury, almost from the start of the game. By all counts, it wasn’t a pretty contest, but the Falcons found their revenge after losing to the Panthers earlier in the season, and also found a little vindication after having become the butt of jokes for losing several games after having put themselves in a winning position.

The Panthers came out strong, but weren’t able to keep their offensive stamina up throughout the game. For the Falcons, they were able to continuously exploit Carolina’s defensive secondary to drop long passes right on their targets, leading to Matt Ryan picking up 281 yards in the game. The quarterback also ran into the end zone for his own touchdown, the first of the season, as the Falcons hammered away toward a 25-17 victory.

While the Panthers secondary seemed to be a little dazed and confused, overall, the defense did a decent job. Most of the Falcons’ points, with the exception of the touchdown by Ryan and one more by running back Todd Gurley, were off field goals. The Panthers were able to keep the Falcons from reaching the end zone throughout the game, but Ryan’s ability to find open receivers had done its damage – Atlanta repeatedly got close enough to allow Younghhoe Koo to kick the ball through the uprights. He went four-for-four on field goals, but also managed to miss a point-after kick that almost proved to be costly.

With just a little more than a minute left in the game, the Panthers and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a chance to threaten the Falcons, and Atlanta fans had to be stressing after watching their team give up several games this year after having a comfortable lead. However, cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson would save the Falcons by way of an interception, allowing Atlanta to capture just its second win of the season.

UFC fight night: Hall vs. Silva odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

After spending a month at its Fight Island facility in Abu Dhabi capped by last Saturday’s terrific UFC 254 event, the UFC returns to its Las Vegas Apex facility this Saturday for a Fight Night card headlined by a non-title middleweight bout between Uriah Hall and Anderson Silva. The main card is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET and is available on ESPN+ in the United States.

Hall and Silva were to meet way back in May 2014, but Silva had to pull out with something called acute cholecystitis. Silva had to have his gallbladder removed.

Israel Adesanya is the middleweight champion and neither of these guys is getting a title shot again. The 36-year-old Hall, who was born in Jamaica but now calls New York home, is 15-9 and ranked No. 10 in the division. He was a former Ring of Combat champion who joined the UFC in 2013.

Super Rugby Unlocked Round 4 Betting Preview & Tips

It’s an action-packed weekend of rugby, with the Six Nations finishing in the U.K. and the Rugby Championship continuing in Australia. Super Rugby Unlocked heats up, with spots in the finals up for grabs in round four of the competition. Below are our tips for Super Rugby Unlocked.

Lions vs Griquas

Both of these sides will be a little undercooked, with the Lions and Griquas having a bye last weekend. The Lions are yet to win a game this season in the new competition and will be hunting their first win this weekend; having lost their last six Super Rugby matches. The Lions will be confident of claiming a win this weekend, as Griquas have also struggled in the new competition. The Griquas have managed to claim a losing bonus point in their last two games. The Lions will take this opportunity to find some winning form and mount a serious charge towards the Super Rugby title. Elton Jantjies remains the player to watch for the Lions. Jantjies has scored a try and claimed two assists in his last three matches

Lions – 12/1

Turn off the lights and tarp the field, the 2020 World Series is over

It’s been a long 12 years for the LA Dodgers as they waited for an MLB World Series win. Since then, they have picked up 12 West Division titles and three National League pennants, but could never bring home the trophy. After starting strong in the Fall Classic this year, the Tampa Bay Rays threatened to deny the Dodgers once again after LA’s latest failures in 2017 and 2018, but some prudent planning by GM Dave Roberts may have saved the day. The 2020 World Series was pushed out to six games before a winner was found and before the Dodgers could feel vindicated. 

Roberts made a decision early on in the series to keep two relief pitchers in the dugout and the fact that they were able to rest up proved key in last night’s Game 6. Dylan Floro replaced Tony Gonsolin in the second inning and ended up leaving Randy Arozarena, the Rays’ go-to slugger – at home plate with two runners on base to stave off an attack. Alex Wood took over in the third and fourth innings, picking up three strikeouts and making quick work of the Rays. Gonsolin had been a big part of the Dodgers’ success in Game 5, but Floro and Wood, who were joined by four other pitchers throughout the rest of the Dodgers’ time on the field, gave him a much-needed break and performed above expectations. 

Austin Barnes, who protects home plate for the Dodgers, said of the pitching crew after the game, “They just made their pitches, they executed, they didn’t let the moment get to them. The first two innings were a grind for us, we were a little bit on our heels for the first part of the game, and those guys kept us in it. Those guys won us the game.”

The Rays got things started with a homer off the bat of Arozarena in the first. That gave him the MLB record for the most hits in a postseason with 29, as well as the record for the most total bases – at 64 – in a postseason. That was the only run on the board by the Rays for the entire game. The Dodgers made sure they shut down Arozarena for the rest of the night.

College football odds: Week 9 lines & trends

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Big Ten and Mountain West had their 2020 college football debuts last week, but there is no league making the same in Week 9 – we have to wait until Week 10 for the Pac-12 to be the last to join the party.

Clearly the marquee matchup of Week 9 is from the Big Ten and specifically the East Division as No. 3 Ohio State visits No. 18 Penn State at 7:30 p.m. ET. This lost a little bit of luster when the Nittany Lions were upset last week by Indiana.

Penn State also got bad news last week when star running back Journey Brown was revealed to be suffering with an undisclosed medical condition that likely will keep him out the entire season. Ohio State, meanwhile, had little trouble smashing Nebraska.

The Bears and Rams duke it out in Monday Night Football

The LA Rams and the Chicago Bears were both drawing a lot of attention heading into Monday Night Football. The two teams have superior defenses, and NFL fans expected this to be a low-scoring game. They weren’t wrong, and the turf was alive with great hits on both sides of the ball. By the time the clock ticked down to zero, though, the outcome may not have been what some had hoped to see. 

The Rams defense was able to stop quarterback Nick Foles at almost every turn. It kept the Bears to under three points in the second half – the sixth time it’s pulled that off – and added a touchback and two interceptions to keep the Bears on their toes. The Rams, off the foot of punter Johnny Hekker, put the Bears inside the ten-yard line five times, making it difficult for the offense to develop.

That LA defense got some help from a better-than-normal offense, as well. Quarterback Jared Goff, hoping to bounce back from a sluggish performance in last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, rose to the occasion and put up back-to-back touchdown drives in the third quarter as he went 23 of 33 and picked up 219 yards in the game. Goff said after the game, “We did well; that defense is tough. There were a couple careless errors by me that we got away with, but that’s the game. I thought we were able to distribute the ball pretty well and make some plays.”

The Rams would lead 10-3 when the teams hit the lockers at the half, and would come out swinging in the second half. The Rams put up another touchdown as the third quarter was moving forward, and Hekker then planted the ball on the one-yard line, pinning the Bears and making it difficult for the offense to move. Foles tried, but fell short on one play and forced one of the game’s interceptions and the touchback that would then turn into another Rams touchdown. The Bears were now in a bad spot, down 24-3 and trying to figure out what to do. 

Dodgers heavy favorites on updated World Series odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The World Series takes a break on Monday, but the Los Angeles Dodgers can win their first title since 1988 on Tuesday from Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, as they have a 3-2 series lead on the Tampa Bay Rays. The Dodgers also will be the home team for Game 6 and Game 7, if necessary. On the series line, Los Angeles is now a -550 favorite with Tampa Bay at +425.

The Dodgers have won three consecutive games with a chance to close out a playoff series (all this season), their third-longest streak in postseason history (five straight from 1988-2013 and four straight from 1978-1981).

However, the pitching matchup Tuesday seems to favor Tampa Bay, which is a +120 underdog for Game 6 (the Dodgers are -140). It’s lefty and former AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell on the bump for the Rays. Snell was dominant for a while in Game 2, striking out nine over 4.2 hitless innings before the Dodgers were able to score twice. He wouldn’t finish that inning, but Tampa Bay did win 6-4.

Bledisloe Cup game three preview & match tips

Australia is set to take on the All Blacks in the third game of the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney. The match is set to double as a fixture for the Rugby Championship, with points on the line in the tri-series tournament.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Australia must win the clash in Sydney to keep the four-game Trans-Tasman series alive. History is against the home side, with Australia failing to get their hands on the Bledisloe Cup in more than two decades.

After two games in New Zealand, Australia will welcome the opportunity to play in front of their home fans. Australia were unlucky to draw the first game in New Zealand but were absolutely smashed off the park in their last outing at Eden Park.

Six Nations round five preview & match tips

The Six Nations is set to conclude for this season with the final round to be played out with the title still on the line. Ireland holds a slender one-point advantage over England with one game left to play.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

The Irish will be confident after an impressive display last weekend against the hapless Italians at home in Dublin. England will be underdone after the last-minute cancellation of their match with the Barbarians side, due to COVID-19 biosecurity breaches.

England will be hoping that the unpredictable French side can rise to the occasion against Ireland, leaving England a chance of stealing the Six Nations title in the final round of fixtures. Check out our Six Nations match tips below.

One game separates the LA Dodgers from a World Series victory

The MLB World Series could be wrapped up in just one more game. The LA Dodgers pulled out in front of the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, making tomorrow’s Game 6 the most important one for the Rays this year. Lose it and they go home. Win it and they force Game 7 and a final chance at the pennant. 

This Fall Classic has been full of ups and downs as the Rays continued to thwart the Dodgers’ hopes of securing a quick win. However, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has been undeterred, continuing to chip away at the Rays batting lineup while getting some extra help from the outfield. He stayed in the game for five and a half innings yesterday, bullying the Rays the entire time and forcing them to go just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. He added six strikeouts and just two runs to an already impressive resume.

It wasn’t just Kershaw, though, that won it for the Dodgers. Mookie Betts picked up a leadoff double that was followed by a single by Corey Seager that brought him home. Seager was able to advance to third after Tyler Glasnow failed to live up to expectations on the mound for the Rays, and then brought it around to home plate when Cody Bellinger singled. This gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead and renewed energy to keep the pressure on, and they would add one more run in the second to give them a bigger cushion. 

That worked until the third inning, when the Rays found a little success. Wanting to do whatever they could to threaten the Dodgers, the Rays found an opening after Yandy Díaz put up an RBI triple to get in scoring position. He crossed the plate thanks to a postseason record-setting 27th hit off Randy Arozarena’s bat, and the Rays then had a chance to tie things up when Manual Margot tried to get his name in the spotlight by stealing home. It didn’t work out and the Dodgers turned up the heat to remind the Rays that they’re serious.

NFL Sunday brings everything from hot wins to freezing snow

This NFL season has already positioned itself in the history books as one of the oddest in recent memory. Divisions that are filled with losing records, massive amounts of injuries, upsets and a pesky COVID-19 that has threatened to call off the action have kept things interesting from Week 1. Yesterday’s Week 7 games added to the excitement, bringing everything from clutch plays for the win to blizzards. Sports gamblers had to like what they saw, too. 

The Green Bay Packers didn’t have too much to worry about with the Houston Texans, a team that is trying to find its direction after head coach Bill O’Brien was recently let go. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed the day with 283 yards as he threw four touchdowns, two of which went to Davante Adams, on the team’s way to a 35-20 victory. Bettors expected a blowout, and BetRivers saw 87% of the action going to the Packers, with another 77% covering the -3 Packers spread. 

The Washington Football Team had no trouble as it faced the Dallas Cowboys. Mike McCarthy might be the second NFL coach in the Lone Star State to be fired this season after the embarrassing 25-3 loss that saw Washington control the course of the game from the start. The Cowboys were able to stop the WFT on the first drive at the goal line, but that was about the end of any defensive performance. This game went to the sportsbooks, with 78% of the bets on the spread were in favor of the Boys, and 76% had them winning the game. 

The New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers met up in New Orleans, playing in front of just a handful of spectators, but it was enough to give the Saints a boost. Quarterback Drew Brees put up 287 yards, despite not having two top receivers, but the Panthers had their moments, as well. This game would be a battle all the way through and hinge on just one (controversial) play. Kicker Joey Slye was brought out to try a 65-yard field goal with two minutes still on the clock and almost pulled it off – it fell about a foot short, and the Saints would get the ball back to hold onto the 27-24 score. The good news for bettors is that the Panthers covered the spread, but the 61% of the bets on the Over/Under of 51 missed.

Premier League review – Gameweek #6

On a weekend where the last 100% in Britain’s top 5 divisions was smashed to pieces, Liverpool found a way to win and Manchester United and Chelsea somehow both kept a clean sheet, there were more shocks in store in the greatest soccer league in the world.

Let’s take a deeper look at three of the results that have crystalised the Premier League table after six games.

Southampton 2-0 Everton

It all went wrong on the South Coast for table-topping Everton as Carlo Ancelotti’s men were steamrolled by Ralph Hassenhuttl’s hard-working Saints side.

Election odds stand firm after ho hum Presidential debate

The final U.S. Presidential Debate has now come and gone, giving the candidates their final chance to directly address each other and win over voters. With former Vice President Joe Biden looking to secure a win, and President Donald Trump hoping to pull off another historic upset, there was a lot at stake. Looking at the election odds, before and after the all important 90 minutes of discussion, it looks like neither candidate accomplished very much.

How did the debate go?

The debate, which for the first time muted the candidates microphones to avoid excessive interruptions, ended up being much more within the norms of American expectations. That resulted in a more polite evenings, but with no less substance discussed. Trump attacked Biden on recently reported scandals, his support of the 1994 Crime Bill, and the prospect that Biden would shutdown the economy over Covid-19. In return, Biden focused on the casualties of the pandemic, Trump’s hidden bank accounts and accused him of being racist.

From my perspective, this debate ended up going much better for Trump than their first contest. Simply for the fact that he couldn’t interrupt everything Biden and the moderator said, he ended up looking more professional, and low-information voters may take his charges against Biden on face value.

Last-minute touchdown turns Thursday Night Football into a thriller

Blowout games in any sport are never fun, and being able to enjoy a battle that comes down to the final seconds is what sports fans live for. They got their chance last night, as Thursday Night Football in the NFL kept things interesting until the final seconds ripped off the clock. The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants had been expected to give football fans a thrill, but perhaps not in the way the game played out. 

It can safely be said that Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz saved the day for his team last night. The Eagles were down by 11 points with only five minutes left in the game, and fans were already starting to turn off the TV. Undoubtedly, more than a handful of gamblers who had taken the underdogs to win had torn up their slips or turned off their phones to not be bothered with scoring updates. However, the early exit cost them the chance to see an incredible five minutes of football. 

Looking at a 21-10 game with not much time left, Wentz was able to secure a long aerial pass to wide receiver John Hightower to set the Eagles up for a touchdown run by wide receiver Greg Ward from just a few yards out. With the game now 21-16, the Eagles opted for a two-point conversion to move within three on the Giants and Wentz took it in on his own to. 

The only thing the Giants needed to do from this point was manage the clock and chew up as much time as possible. Keeping the ball on the ground would have helped, and for the first couple of downs, that’s what the Giants did. However, they tried to switch it up and go for a pass on third down, which tight end Evan Engram failed to pull down, forcing a punt. Just like that, the Eagles had a shot – albeit a long one – to find the win. 

NRL 2020 Grand Final betting preview and match tips

The Melbourne Storm are set to do battle with the Penrith Panthers in the 2020 National Rugby League (NRL) Grand Final in Sydney. The young Panthers side have enjoyed a stellar season under coach Ivan Cleary and will be chasing a club record 18 straight wins in the premiership decider. Penrith just finished ahead of Melbourne at the end of the regular season to claim the minor premiership.

The Storm enters the Grand Final, injury-free and with a huge advantage in experience over a youthful Panthers side. The Storm were clinical in a 30-20 win over the Canberra Raiders in Brisbane. The Melbourne Storm remains the benchmark of the competition; appearing in four of the last five NRL Grand Finals, winning their last title in 2017.

Experience hooker Cameron Smith remains the fulcrum of the Storm’s attack. The Storm captain is the most experienced player in the game, and an NRL title after game 430 would be the perfect swansong to a stellar career. Smith’s ability to control the game is unparalleled in the NRL. Melbourne will head into the decider injury free, with playmaker Cameron Munster and Brandon Smith recovering from minor injuries sustained in the preliminary final win over the Raiders.

Penrith will feel that history is on their side; the last two occasions Penrith won the main prize, the finished as minor premiers in 1991 and 2003 respectively. The Panthers have blazed a trail through the competition this season and will be chasing a club record 18 consecutive wins in the Grand Final. Playmaker Nathan Cleary has enjoyed a stellar season in 2020 and will be the mainstay of a Panthers attack set to welcome back Second-rower Viliame Kikau.

Dodgers close to MLB postseason exit, Astros continue to fight back

The MLB season is one step closer to seeing the World Series championship after some thought baseball might not happen at all this year because of COVID-19. The season may have been shortened because of the global pandemic, but at least there’s been some action to enjoy. The National League (NL) and the American League (AL) are close to determining who will take their respective Championship Series (CS), and at least one of the two could be decided today. 

In the NLCS, the LA Dodgers are taking on the Atlanta Braves, but aren’t able to find a lot of success. They’re down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, and the Braves could send the Dodgers packing if they win today. The Dodgers gave a great performance in Game 3 to stay in the running, but couldn’t keep it up in Game 4 yesterday. The Braves showed that the 11-run grab by the Dodgers in the previous game was a fluke. 

In Game 3, the Dodgers won 15-3; however, the Braves flipped that upside down with a 10-2 victory last night. Marcell Ozuna picked up two home runs and drove in four runs, and potential MVP Freddie Freeman pushed the Braves ahead with a tiebreaking double. Righty Bryse Wilson, on the mound for the first time in a postseason game, had an outstanding night, stopping almost everyone who stepped up to the plate for the Dodgers. Atlanta can taste the victory and, with three games still on tap, it only needs to win one of them to advance to the World Series. 

Things are a little tighter in the ALCS, where the Houston Astros are giving the Tampa Bay Rays trouble. They Rays started the series on the road to a 4-0 shutout, but faltered in Game 4 to give the Astros their first victory of the series. Houston kept the pressure on by adding another win in Game 5 last night, making this a 3-2 series. It isn’t clear if the Astros are pulling out some old tricks from their bag to cause the Rays so much grief. 

Extra time flies: how the careers of Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy compare

Strikers are at a premium in the modern game. To be successful as the top of the pitch at the elite level of the game, you need pace, power and deadly finishing. Two men who became legendary strikers at Arsenal and Manchester United at the height of their 1990’s and 2000s rivalry were Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

How do the two men’s records compare and why do the paths of their very different careers intersect in so many ways? Let’s look at the story of two men who instinctively knew where the goal was, and more importantly, how to find it on an incredibly regular basis.

Youth and the Art of Finishing (1990-1994)

While both van Nistelrooy and Henry would become strikers with whom the first thought associated with them is goals, that wasn’t always the case. Van Nistelrooy began his career playing for Den Bosch in Holland, and it was while he was there that he changed from being a central midfielder to a central striker, preying on the ball and learning the art of finishing.

England’s Kieran Trippier caught in betting furore

England international Kieran Trippier has been hauled in front of the English Football Association (FA) to answer charges of a breach in betting rules for players. The defender was charged in July 2019 with several breaches of the betting code, after a high-profile switch from Tottenham Hotspurs to Atletico Madrid.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

The timing of the hearing forced England coach to drop Trippier from his England side that faced Denmark in the Nations League Group fixture at Wembley Stadium.

England coach Gareth Southgate refused to be drawn into the drama surrounding Trippier when asked by the media: