Tag Archives: #sportsgambling

Lockdown lunacy with Nick Kyrgios as Rafa refuses Instagram live

Going into lockdown has, for many, been a trial. But just imagine your partner or family member was replaced by a sportsman. Pick the most difficult, potentially uncompromising person you can think of. Now double it, treble it, throw in a wardrobe that would make Zoolander blush and you should have arrived at the same answer.

Nick Kygrios.

It’s impossible to say how unique the now 25-year-old Kyrgios is in the tennis world. He almost doesn’t belong in the game at all, so different is he to the others. He’s like a NBA basketball player in a Hollywood movie who woke up with his talent having been swapped with a Wimbledon champion.

The sad thing is that Kyrgios almost doesn’t know how good he is, doesn’t know how to be consistent enough to become a Grand Slam winner despite having the natural attributes to build that kid of tennis game.

Home or Away? The Premier League neutral ground question analysed

It’s the sporting Mexican stand-off that no-one seems to have a means of ending. The English Premier League wants to return, citing Project Restart as the method to do so. In order to come back, however, players need to be healthy, venues need to be approved and safety measures need to be carried out.

Currently, not one of those three protocols are being met.

Brighton and Hove Albion, who are potentially at risk of relegation, are one of the clubs who are opposed to what could be the key issue the Premier League faces in returning to our screens. They are currently blighted by three players who have tested positive for Coronavirus, and also see playing at neutral grounds as extremely disadvantageous to lower clubs who rely on their home stadiums for creating atmospheres where they could get a result that otherwise they might not.

Brighton’s potted history shows just how hard they found it to get to the Premier League and what they’ll do to stay there.

NFL season laid out, but schedule remains fluid

Less than four stand between us and what should be the start of the NFL regular season. The first kickoff is expected toward the beginning of September and the football league is determined, despite the global coronavirus pandemic, that everything will fall into place as planned. The upcoming schedule was released last Thursday, giving sports fans and sportsbooks something to look forward to, and no one wants to deviate from the current program. However, this doesn’t mean that the league isn’t ready to make changes if they aren’t absolutely necessary.

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell published the schedule last week, he made sure to leave himself a way out should he not be able to stick to his plan. As much as he hopes to have the first kickoff on September 10, which will find the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Houston Texans, he realizes that it’s important to remain flexible. He added as a caveat in the schedule’s release, “We will be prepared to make adjustments as necessary, as we have during this offseason in safely and efficiently conducting key activities such as free agency, the virtual offseason program, and the 2020 NFL Draft.”

With the proposed lineup of games, there are no divisional matchups in the third or fourth weeks of the season. This is important because, should any changes be needed, these weeks can be eliminated without affecting teams’ playoff runs. The first four weeks of the season include two home games and two away games, and the elimination of Weeks 3 and 4 would still leave seven games at home and seven on the road for the regular season.

With a little bit of luck, it won’t be necessary to alter the schedule. It’s beginning to look more likely that, for the most part, the coronavirus saga will be under control by September. However, there is still the question of team practices that have to be worked out, or the upcoming season may look more like a comedy show than a professional sports ensemble.

Kevin Durant out for NBA season, when and if it returns

In Game 5 of the NBA Finals last season, Kevin Durant, playing for the Golden State Warriors at the time, suddenly went limp on the court. The two-time MVP had ruptured his Achilles tendon, an injury that would sideline him for the 2019-20 season. Already expected to be traded away from the Warriors, the injury may have played into where he finally ended up, and the Brooklyn Nets may have gotten the steal of a lifetime. However, the 6’10” forward isn’t yet ready for game time and, even if the NBA picks up where it left off after suspending the season because of the coronavirus, Durant won’t be suiting up.

The initial idea was for Durant to finish his physical therapy and recuperation and be able to join the Nets sometime during the regular season. When the coronavirus hit, it was seen as a bonus for the star, as it would give him more time to recover. However, Brooklyn has a lot of money riding on Durant, and wants to make sure he’s going to be available for the long haul, not just a few games.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN confirms that Durant is out this season, no matter what. He asserts on his Woj Pod podcast, “Kevin Durant’s not coming back to the Nets this year. That’s not happening… They’re not playing him.”

When the Warriors were in the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, the team expected the championship to be a slam dunk because of Durant. He soared through the first four games and, in Game 5, picked up 11 points in just the first 12 minutes of play. It was then, though, that he suddenly went limp, clutching his right leg. The diagnosis was grim, and he went under the knife two days later to try to repair the tendon.

ePL Invitational won by James Maddison in fantastic final

A sensational final two days of action brought the ePL Invitational 2 Tournament to a close as Leicester City’s James Maddison ensured that the title of ePL Champion remains in The Midlands for a second successive event.

The original ePL Invitational was won by Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Diogo Jota, of course, after he sealed a memorable final with a golden goal winner. There was no need for a golden goal in the final this time, but plenty in the rounds before as Maddison sealed what, at points before his coronation, seemed the most unlikely of victories.

The Quarter-Finals

In the quarter-finals, Maddison’s crusade to make the semi-finals was almost over before it began. The mini midfield maestro was 2-0 deep into the first half against in-form Michael Obafemi of Southampton, only for a goal back on the stroke of half-time from Jamie Vardy to put Maddison back into firing range of the Saints player. Mind games were tense, with Maddison promising that he was ‘living rent-free’ in the head of his opponent and an equalizer from Maddison’s own in-game character proved pivotal. Maddison took the lead through Iheanacho, and while Obafemi equalised to take the match into ‘golden goal’ territory, it was Maddison himself who won it just eight minutes into that golden goal game.

Teams of the Century: Manchester City 2013/14

When anyone mentions a Manchester City team winning the Premier League, the first thought to come to mind is often the pirouetting figure of Sergio Aguero slamming home the winning goal in the 2012/13 season. The bedlam of Mancini’s side achieving their first title in the Premier League era and first title of any kind in decades was groundbreaking for the club as a whole.

In many ways, however, the 2013/14 Premier League title victory was a greater achievement. Under a new manager in Manuel Pellegrini, City triumphed against adversity time and time again during the season and with a twist in the tale, managed to lift the Premier League title.

The season began with the biggest change having taken place just across the Manchester ship canal, with the retirement after a quarter of a century of the most successful British manager of all time – Sir Alex Ferguson. In his place, David Moyes was brought into start what was supposed to be a new dawn of dominance for Manchester United under a passionate, hard-working Scottish boss. It didn’t work out like that at all, with United thrashed 4-1 at The Etihad Stadium by City just four games into the League campaign.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcpgNaQDo7c?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

Woods, Manning given odds to win upcoming charity golf tourney

Just because there’s not a lot of PGA action right now, as the leading golf organization makes preparations to get back to business, doesn’t mean golf fans have been left out in the cold. There have been a number of golfing events held recently to give some players a chance to stay limber, and an upcoming charity match will find two of the best golfers in the world teeing off with two of the best football players in the world. Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning will take on Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady this month, and oddsmakers have the Woods/Manning team as the clear favorites to take down the contest.

The Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida will host The Match: Champions for Charity event on May 24, with tee-time set for 3 PM Eastern Time (ET). The prize is $10 million, which is being donated by WarnerMedia and the athletes, and which will be handed out to a number of different organizations that have been working tirelessly during the coronavirus pandemic. Side bets during the event will also be collected, and earnings from those bets will also go to charity.

Currently, the Woods/Manning due is getting -220 odds to win, while Mickelson and Brady are looking at +170. Part of the reason for the preference is Manning’s handicap, which is officially listed at 6.4, compared to Brady’s 8.1. However, that’s not the only reason. The Medalist is in Woods’ back yard, giving him a “comfort” advantage since he plays on the course when he’s at home.

The first nine holes will be played in four-ball format, meaning the lowest score on each hole is the only one that is counted. The back nine will use a modified alternate shot format, with the team members rotating their shots as they move along the greens. This might be an opportunity for Mickelson to pull ahead as the underdog since he has experience against Woods in playoff matches.

The memo that means NFL action is coming soon

The NFL Draft may have taken place online, but virtual or not, the American Football NFL season is sure to go ahead at some stage. Plans about exactly how it is to be launched have been vague in the least since the Draft, but a memo to the participating teams from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has outlined some of the details we can expect to see when the teams take to the field on the opening day of the season.

The memo has told teams not to publicly comment on the specifics of the plans, because as Goodeel puts it, ‘it is impossible to project what the next few months will bring’.

Here’s the statement in full, revealed on Twitter by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero:

On the eve of the schedule release, Commissioner Roger Goodell also sent a memo to clubs discouraging public comment by club officials on hypotheticals surrounding the 2020 season, saying in part: “It is impossible to project what the next few months will bring.” pic.twitter.com/Zoyz2RLU5l

NFL betting props: Jaguars atop most losses board

There is no question that teams in baseball and the NBA “tank” games in order to land the highest draft pick possible – the team with the worst record in MLB gets the No. 1 overall pick in the following year’s draft, while the NBA has tried to tamper “tanking” with a reconfigured draft lottery.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

It’s tough to “tank” in the NFL because there are only 16 regular-season games and careers are very short so the players are always giving their all to keep a roster spot/get a new contract. Even the best players in MLB or NBA take a few nights off both physically and mentally.

That said, the 2020 season might be a good time to “tank” for the NFL’s worst teams because there’s a huge prize waiting at the top of the 2021 draft: Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He would have gone No. 1 overall in this year’s draft if eligible and is considered the top quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.

ePL Invitational 2: Day 2 action sees Bellew battered by Obafemi

The second day of action in the ePremier League Invitational tournament saw shocks galore as the reigning champions fell in their first game, a boxing icon was given a pummeling and a Liverpool legend kissed goodbye to their chances.

With the delayed James Maddison vs. Callum Wilson encounter being delayed by 24 hours, there were four games to enjoy. Each one was a cracker.

Jose Enrique (Liverpool) 1-6 Keinan Davis (Aston Villa)

The generation gap was well and truly bridged when former Liverpool player Jose Enrique took on young Aston Villa player Keinan Davis. Ahead of the game, Enrique spoke of his previous FIFA13 and FIFA16 competition wins, even digging out his old trophies and giving each of them a kiss.

No clear plan yet on when MLB Spring Training 2 will begin

Reports started to surface yesterday, reportedly from baseball insiders, that MLB might start Spring Training 2 sometime next month. One story was presented that had training reactivating on June 10, with Opening Day being held on July 1. However, this is apparently not the case, and there is not yet any definitive timeframe to get baseball players back on the field.

Trevor Plouffe tweeted this past Monday, “… I just heard from multiple sources that on June 10th, Spring Training 2 will start. July 1st will be Opening Day and all teams will be playing at their home ballparks…” It would circulate for about a day before being debunked by Jon Heyman, who said that league sources were still busy talking to health officials and politicians, and that no date had yet been established.

That resonates with statements coming out of the MLB Player’s Association. The group’s boss, Tony Clark, explained to ESPN that players definitely want to play, but only once it is considered safe enough for players, staff and everyone else to share close quarters and spaces with others. He added that the league hadn’t shared any plans with the union, stating, “Despite all that has been floated and all the rhetoric that is out there, we have not received anything formal that details an actual plan.”

The first step to seeing baseball again is to ensure that there won’t be any health risks associated with the games. This could mean reducing the number of fields where games are played, as well as changing salaries because of a potentially shorter season. These issues, and others, have to be worked out before any concrete plan can be put on the table. Clark adds, “As these ideas find their way into mainstream media, there are some ideas that seem to make sense, there are others that don’t track very well. All of them are being viewed against the backdrop of getting back on the field and affording our guys an opportunity to do what they love to do. At this point, it’s unfortunate that there are things that keep finding their way into the conversation and are being represented as proposals when they aren’t.”

UFC 249 Odds: Roundup of the Rest of the Card

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

UFC president Dana White was resolute in the fact that his organization would be the first major professional sports league in the United States and Canada to return from the coronavirus shutdown. White has accomplished that as a rescheduled UFC 249 this Saturday from Jacksonville, Florida, ends an eight-week hiatus for the company. There will be no fans in attendance from VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and likely no fans at any sporting event in the near future.

This card is so stacked that there are two among the prelims that would normally be on the main card: a welterweight matchup between Anthony Pettis (22-10) and Donald Cerrone (36-14), and a heavyweight bout between Aleksei Oleinik (58-13-1) and Fabricio Werdum (23-8-1).

Pettis, a former lightweight champion is a -145 favorite over Cerrone (+115). They fought way back in January 2013 at UFC on Fox 6 and Pettis won by first-round knockout (kick to the body). Pettis won the UFC lightweight title in his next outing when he submitted Benson Henderson and defended it once successfully before losing to Rafael dos Anjos. Counting that fight, Pettis has gone 4-8 in his past 12.

NFL London cancelled by COVID-19… But will it return?

The recent NFL Draft got everyone excited about American Football, with Joe Burrow’s switch to the Cincinnati Bengals and Tom Brady’s bromance rekindled with Rob Gronkowski at Tampa Bay. Recent enthusiasm has been tempered, however, by the news that the NFL won’t be coming to London this year, with plans for all four matches in the English capital scrapped.

The NFL coming to London has been a controversial subject since its first inception. The idea of travelling a domestic season abroad is one that has often been mooted for the Premier League but has never happened.

American Football in England has, to an extent, been a big hit. Recently, the Los Angeles Rams made the trip ‘across the pond’ and provided a fascinating glimpse into the logistical and physical challenges that come with crossing the Atlantic to play an NFL game.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ488zhh1I4?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

ESIC welcomes Midnite to anti-corruption programme

One of the biggest questions about sportsbetting and Esports has always been the integrity of the games available in the betting markets. On the surface, this is an understandable concern; we often can’t see the players as they battle, unlike in a game of football or tennis.

Just like corruption cases have come against footballers and tennis superstars, Esports players can be the opposite, that being players of great integrity. They shouldn’t be judged just as the industry shouldn’t be judged, either say Esports insiders.

It’s that ethical position that saw the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) become established. Just like in regular sports, having an overseeing body that regulates participation, investigates allegations and disproves or proves any impropriety is a good thing for all.

It’s therefore extremely good news that the U.K.-based esports betting company Midnite has signed up to join the ESIC as they throw their weight behind the company’s determination to fight corruption and eradicate cheating in any form in Esports.

UFC 249 Title Odds: Ferguson, Cejudo top board

Major professional sports returns to the United States this Saturday with a rescheduled UFC 249 card from VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. UFC president Dana White had to look far and wide for a place to hold this event after he had to postpone it last month due to the coronavirus.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

White picked Florida in large part because Gov. Ron DeSantis had deemed professional sports as an “essential service” in the state as long as the location is closed to the general public. The Florida State Boxing Commission also will regulate the event, whereas other states haven’t deemed sports as essential and/or their commissions wouldn’t regulate this card.

The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view and is headlined by two title fights: Tony Ferguson (26-3) vs. Justin Gaethje (21-2) for the interim lightweight belt, and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo (15-2) defending his belt against Dominick Cruz (22-2). All four are Americans.

Could the Premier League Circus travel with a safety net?

The return of the English Premier League is a drama that has almost been as tense as last-season’s title race between Liverpool and Manchester City. It’s certainly more entertaining than this season’s title race between Liverpool and Coronavirus.

With three weeks until UEFA’s deadline for receiving plans from the major European league as to whether they are able to resume or not, time is running out for the Premier League. Over the weekend, the problem of time has been added to by several other bumps in what is already a rocky road ahead.

There are so many factors that need to align for this season’s Premier League to return that it is starting to seem like the impossible job to reschedule the game we all love until next season. Even then, the season would usually start in August, with pre-season kicking off in six weeks time. That seems like dreamland with COVID-19 reportedly having infected 3.5 million people worldwide and led to the deaths of around 250,000 people.

Last week, Sergio Aguero expressed for the first time the concerns that players at all clubs must be having, saying that he and many of his teammates were ‘scared’ about the consequences of playing out the Premier League season. Kevin De Bruyne paused between hinting that a UEFA Champions League ban for Manchester City might lead to him leaving the Citizens to admit that the fear his Argentinian teammate at City spoke about was how anyone who caught the disease might affect their families.

NBA 2K League odds: Basketballs’ year to take over esports

The NBA 2K League is entering it’s third season this year, and it may be the most important year the league will ever know. With the regular NBA season still on ice, and esports getting the biggest spotlight it might see for a long time, the start of the 2K league on May 5 will likely see its biggest audience ever, and Bodog has odds on which team will win it all.

The league consists of 23 teams, each composed of five individual players who will compete remotely. Games will be broadcast at 7:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with four matchups each night, airing on Twitch and Youtube.

Each match-up of the regular season is a best of three series, with the winner taking the match for the season standings. The matchups for the first week of games have recently been published, with links to watch, although the league notes that they will show whichever game is most exciting at any given time.

“We are thrilled to officially tip off the 2020 NBA 2K League season remotely and hope the excitement of NBA 2K League competition provides both new and returning fans with a fun way to stay connected and engage with our league during these unprecedented times,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue.  “Our players have been quarantining with their teammates as they prepare for the season and will now have the opportunity to compete against one another and show they are the best players in the world.”