WHAT WE LEARNED – NFL WEEK 1
BY ADAM GREENE Of all the incredible things to talk about after Week 1, there’s only one thing we’re focused on this week. AARON RODGERS IS OUT FOR THE YEAR Here’s the deal. No one, and I mean no one, has made more fun of Aaron Rodgers and his ridiculous “inoculation” lies, ivermectin love and ayahuasca retreats than I have. The fact that he’s a 9/11 truther and suffered this season ending injury on 9/11 while playing for a New York team should not be lost on anyone who believes in karma, which I do. But, as a football fan, this really sucks. Because here’s the thing. As much as I’ve made fun of Aaron Rodgers, I was just as excited as everyone else to see him take the field with the New York Jets this year and see how it all turned out. In spite of the Jets trying everything they could to get out of being on HBO’s Hard Knocks, it turns out their season was the best in the history of the show. And Rodgers came off great. Yes, I think trutherism is despicable. I think the fact that he lied about his vaccination status, and the pathetic “punishment” from the NFL delivered in response was ridiculous, but he’s a hard guy not to like. Yes, I still made the jokes on Twitter about hoping the Jets’ shaman was on call to check his chakras after the injury and that maybe rubbing ivermectin on it would help, but my own truth is, I’m bummed. I’m still going to make the jokes about a guy that trusts Joe Rogan more than the medical science he must now depend on to recover from this injury, but I’m not happy about it. This isn’t schadenfreude. I don’t know if German has a word for what I’m feeling right now. Which is crazy, because they usually have a word for everything. Regardless, Rodgers will be watching from the sidelines this season as a loaded Jets team, maybe with some offensive line issues, struggles to hit .500 when they would have, unquestionably, made the playoffs with a healthy Rodgers at QB. And, once you’re in the tournament, anything can happen. Frankly, if Rodgers hadn’t been hurt, they would have blown out the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, which means they not only could have won the AFC East, but with the Kansas City Chiefs seeming suddenly mortal, maybe landed homefield advantage in the playoffs. If you’re a Jets fan right now, I hope you pace yourself. Drink some water in between shots of whatever is getting you through this. It’s going to be a long and frustrating year. Here’s the thing. I keep reading, seeing and hearing all the ideas about what the Jets should do at quarterback now that Rodgers is out. I know exactly what you should do — roll with Zach Wilson. Yes, I’m the guy that said back in 2021 that drafting Wilson in the first round was a stupid mistake and that he was all but guaranteed to bust out,,, that comparing him to Josh Allen (which has its own irony now after Monday night’s game) was stupid and you can’t count on that kind of talent leap from a player that never showed it in college but hear me out. He’s there. And Rodgers is still there as a coach and mentor and, if Hard Knocks can be trusted (and I love NFL Films, so I hope it can be), Wilson really leaned into the whole Danel-san to Mr. Miyagi relationship with Rodgers in the preseason. It looked like it was working and that keeping Wilson, who wouldn’t have been a bad pick if he’d be taken in the third round, was a good idea. Let it play out. What’s the worst that could happen? They’re terrible and have a shot at one of the top quarterbacks in next year’s draft. They’re already off the hook for a first-round pick because Rodgers won’t play 60 percent of the snaps. That means they’ve just given up a 2024 second rounder for his rights. And I believe, without question, that Rodgers will fight back to form to play next season just to spite people like me, who made fun of him for lying about taking the vaccine but then took the monoclonal antibody treatment created by that same evil big pharma that he claims to hate while talking to Joe Rogan, who apparently thinks the HRT therapy that Rogan himself takes to stay ripped comes from some artisanal farm in Vermont and not some evil pharmaceutical company. We live in the stupidest multiverse timeline. What if, and hear me out, Zach Wilson turns into a serviceable quarterback? It’s why the Jets drafted him in the first place for God’s sake. They have a phenomenal defense. They play in an AFC East with a New England Patriots team that should be garbage and a Buffalo Bills team they’ve not only already beaten but shown that Josh Allen might just be an above average quarterback instead of the superstar that all of NFL punditry (and EA) has decided he must be. After Week 1, it’s hard to see the Miami Dolphins not running away with the division, but a Wild Card berth is still there and New York already as a game advantage on the only other team in realistic contention. Stop all this craziness about calling other teams about their quarterbacks. If anyone believed the Los Angeles Rams were “tanking” in the preseason, their 30-13 route of the Seattle Seahawks ended that “thought” for good. The Rams are playing for real and Stafford is their QB. Don’t even bother making that call. Carson Wentz? Colt McCoy? Do they really give you more than Zach Wilson? And what if they did? You’re not winning a Super Bowl with either of those guys. Is making the playoffs enough. I legitimately think it would be insane, after how well coached the
XFL Week 3 Picks & Previews
Our third iteration of the XFL is having a little trouble, and it’s not the play on the field. The league’s changes to the extra point, kickoffs and review process are interesting, even if the NFL will never implement any of them. The overall performances have been solid and the football has been fun to watch. There’s just one problem. Not a lot of people are watching. While the USFL debuted strong last season, the XFL can’t say the same. Even with better football and the league kicking off this close to the NFL season’s end, ratings are down from the 2020 version that was killed by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The league lost half of its viewers in Week 2 and the four games broadcast averaged just 643,000 viewers. The best performer? Sunday’s San Antonio Brahmas vs Orlando Guardians match up which brought in 781,000 viewers. I will say that, while they can claim attendance isn’t great, the stadiums look a lot fuller than the USFL’s did a season ago. According to Pro Football Talk the games average around 12,712 fans per contest, which is probably a solid FCS stadium turnout. All the league can do is power through and put a quality product on the field. And, maybe more importantly, retain our attention with solid lines, odds and totals to keep us interested even if we’re not emotionally invested in the teams. That’s the part that any new league will be lacking from its inception. XFL WEEK 2 POWER RANKINGS 1. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (2-0) As the season began, the Roughnecks looked like one of the weaker offensive rosters in the league. Turns out, you don’t need a great offensive roster when Wade Phillips is your head coach and puts his signature defense on the field. Watching this team play, the only thing keeping Phillips from getting back into the NFL as a defensive coordinator is his age. 2. ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-0) The Battlehawks have owned the fourth quarter of their two games and boast, what looks like, the best quarterback in the league in AJ McCarron. Their defense is good enough to make it to the end, so this could very well be our Top Two pretty much the whole way. 3. WASHINGTON DC DEFENDERS (2-0) While they sit at 2-0, the Defenders don’t look particularly strong and could easily drop the rest of their games. Well, the games they don’t play against the Guardians. 4. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-1) Did the Brahams break out last week or were they just facing off against the worst team in the league? They’ll get the chance to show us Sunday when they square off against the Roughnecks. 5. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (1-1) The Renegades rode an opportunistic defense to their victory their opening week, but didn’t find the same luck in Week 2 against Houston. They should be able to get over .500 Sunday, but need to find more consistency on the offensive side of the ball. 6. SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS (0-2) The Sea Dragons have been a hard luck team that’s stumbled at the end of games. They could turn it around, but I don’t see this as anything better than a .500 squad. 7. LAS VEGAS VIPERS (0-2) Vegas has disappointed me this season. I had high hopes for this squad, thanks mostly to the roster’s experience on offense, but it’s not paid off. Turnovers have killed them and last week’s lackluster performance doesn’t portend well. Still, I think they can turn it around and go on a run here, starting Saturday against Seattle. 8. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (0-2) While I had high hopes for the Vipers, I can’t say the same about the Guardians. Someone has to be the worst team in the XFL, this league’s Michigan Panthers if you will, and Orlando has stepped up, took a few practice cuts and stuck its head right into the strike zone. SATURDAY SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS AT LAS VEGAS VIPERS (+3, O/U: 38) The Sea Dragons couldn’t hold on in the final stanza against the St. Louis Battlehawks, falling 20-18. Seattle’s Ben DiNucci finished 19 of 29 for 196 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the loss. Morgan Ellison rushed 10 times for 50 yards. Jahcour Pearson hauled in four passes for 78 yards and a score. Emmanuel Smith led the team with 10 tackles, Antoine Brooks recorded nine. After an early touchdown drive, Vegas saw its offense bog down as they lost 18-6 to the DC Defenders last Saturday. Former Green Bay Packer Brett Hundley went 11 of 18 for 98 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions for the Vipers. He added 5 tushes for 24 yards. Jawaun Johnson led Las Vegas with seven tackles. Maximillian Roberts recorded two sacks and a forced fumble. Someone is going to pick up their first win of the season in this one. I’ve been disappointed in Vegas, considering the roster they’re putting on the field. I think the dam breaks in this one. Vipers 20, Sea Dragons 15 SUNDAY ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS AT WASHINGTON DC DEFENDERS (-2, O/U: 37) After a contest of losers to open the week’s action, we get a battle of unbeatens to start our Sunday XFL triple header. Last Thursday, the Battlehawks unleashed a nine point fourth quarter to hold of the Seattle Sea Dragons, 20-18. Former Cincinnati Bengal AJ McCarron finished 22 of 36 for 184 yards and a touchdown in the victory. He was sacked three times. He led the B-Hawks (we’re going to try that condensed name out) with 41 yards and a TD on the ground. Hakeem Butler caught four passes for 61 yards and a score. Willie Harvey led St. Louis with seven tackles. LaCale London recorded three tackles and forced two fumbles. The Defenders scored two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take down the Las Vegas Vipers 18-6 last Saturday. Jordan Ta’amu had another lackluster performance under center, finishing 11 of 23 for 93 yards, no touchdowns and
NCAAB Top Picks For The Weekend Games
In this week’s edition of the BetOnline All Access show, Basketball BETTING expert Nick Bahe joins Drew Butler to preview a HUGE weekend in basketball, with big games over at college hoops and the race for the playoffs in the Association heating up. But first, Ally Melendez will give us an update of the most recent odds over at BetOnline with XFL Week 3 odds, Justin Verlander as the current odds on leader to win the CY Young next season as well as Houston coming on as the favorite to make the upcoming 1st pick in the NFL draft.
POWER RANKINGS: NFL WEEK 17
BY ADAM GREENE I don’t remember the NFL being this settled with two games to go, but this year, as odd as it’s been, has allowed us to get a firm handle on the good teams from about Week 8 on. We do have a new No. 1 this week, but our old top team didn’t fall far. The Top 9 are all the same squads, with just a few changing a position. After that, it gets more interesting as teams that are technically alive for a postseason appearance don’t seem particularly interested in going. At the bottom, well, those franchises might as well be written in stone. Still, there’s plenty of opportunities to screw it all up, meaning their draft position, in the final two weeks of the season. Let’s rank some teams! SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (11-4) I’m not sure when Brock Purdy’s glass slipper is going to break, but I feel as if it’ll be in the playoffs and he’ll end up losing a toe. Last week: No. 2 CINCINNATI BENGALS (11-4) The Bengals have the chance to sweep both the other top AFC contenders Monday night when they host the Buffalo Bills. Of course, the Bills can say the same thing. Their combined 23 wins at this point in MNF game is tied for the top mark all time with the 1997 Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers contest. Last week: No. 3 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (12-3) The scariest thing about the Chiefs right now is that no one is talking about them. They could be back in the AFC driver’s aeat if the Bengals knock off the Bills Monday night. That is if they don’t lose at home to the Denver Broncos. Yes, I typed that out without spitting a beverage all over my computer screen. A true Herculean task. Last week: No. 4 BUFFALO BILLS (12-3) The Bills can pretty much cement home field with a win at Cincinnati Monday night, which (as I mentioned earlier) would give them victories over both their current top AFC rivals in the same regular season. More importantly, it could earn them a week off in mid January before the AFC Divisional Round. Last week: No. 5 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (13-2) The Eagles are being awful fishy about Jalen Hurts’ injury status and how serious it is. What they couldn’t hide is how bad Lane Johnson got hurt. He’s out the rest of the year. For a team that looked as if it could make it to a Super Bowl in a crazy year where the conference’s best team and last year’s champion Los Angeles Rams nosedived due to injuries, they could face an inglorious ending, especially if they have to face the Dallas Cowboys at full strength in the NFC Divisional Round. Last week: No. 1 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (12-3) The 2020 wide receiver class might be the best all time, but what Justin Jefferson is doing is even more historic. In his three seasons (with two games to go) he has 4,772 receiving yards. That’s unreal and nearly 1,400 more than his next closest competitor, CeeDee Lamb (with 3,244, also pretty outstanding). Jefferson’s number is a new NFL record, surpassing another former phenomenal Viking and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Randy Moss (4,163). Last week: No. 6 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (9-6) For whatever reason, everything with the Chargers looks more difficult than it should, but Brandon Staley has guided the team back to the playoffs. And, more importantly, Justin Herbert is about to make his postseason debut. Here’s another fun tidbit, the only player to have as good a two year run scoring touchdowns as Austin Ekeler from 2021-2022 was Todd Gurley from 2017-2018. Last week: No. 7 DALLAS COWBOYS (11-4) Who saw this wrinkle coming? There’s a chance that Terrell Owens, the 49 year old Pro Football Hall of Famer, could rejoin the team for its playoff run. Why the hell not? And with the receivers all wearing teen numbers now, his 81 should be an easy get. Last week: No. 8 BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-5) Lamar Jackson has still not practiced this week and probably won’t play Sunday, which is something I predicted would happen in the preseason and will continue to predict as long as this team employs Greg Roman as its offensive coordinator. Last week: No. 9 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (7-8) Regardless of what happens this Sunday (and the Jags are favored over the Houston Texans), Jacksonville will play for a chance to go to the postseason and an AFC South title in Week 18 when they face the Tennessee Titans. Who predicted saw that happening in the preseason? Last week: No. 14 GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-8) Maybe the problem with all these Packers playoff faceplants is they didn’t come in as a Wild Card? Aaron Rodgers’ lone Super Bowl was won all on the road. Can he do it again? I know he can’t, but we have to hype up his eventual loss to the San Francisco 49ers some way. Old Aaron might not get the chance as he’s been held out of practice so far this week with some bum ribs. Last week: No. 15 NEW YORK GIANTS (8-6-1) All the Giants need to do to officially punch their ticket to the dance is win one game over the next two weeks. Sunday, they host the Indianapolis Colts, coached by Jeff Saturday, so let me go ahead and congratulate Brian Daboll and the whole gang. Last week: No. 10 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (7-7-1) Just in case you thought the Commanders might hold onto that final Wild Card spot in the NFC, they’re going back with Carson Wentz at quarterback. This is a team that needs to go all in on acquiring Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo next season. Last week: No. 11 MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-7) Miami is barely holding onto the No. 7 seed in the AFC and just found out
POWER RANKINGS: NFL WEEK 16
BY ADAM GREENE We’re in the NFL’s home stretch and kicking off Christmas week the way we do every single week on the schedule, by arbitrarily ranking teams through a criteria I’ve invented in my own head. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (13-1) Jalen Hurts is probably out this week. While everyone in Philly would love to get a season sweep of the Dallas Cowboys, there’s no reason to risk your team MVP when you’ve got this kind of lead in the division with three to play. Also, we all want to see Gardner Minshew rip his jersey off like Hulk Hogan entering the ring after beating the Cowboys. Last week: No. 1 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (10-4) One thing that Brock Purdy’s emergence has done is allow the Niners to finally move on from Jimmy Garoppolo. Since Jimmy G went down, Purdy is undefeated with a 69 completion percentage, 612 passing yards, seven total touchdowns, just one interception and a 108.8 passer rating. Last week: No. 2 CINCINNATI BENGALS (10-4) A week after nearly having his finger torn free of his body, Tyler Boyd made the catch for the go-ahead touchdown that beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When asked about it after the game, Boyd said, “I got nine other fingers to help me catch the ball.” He’ll need to save another finger for a Super Bowl ring if Cincy continues to play like this. Last week: No. 3 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-3) Patrick Mahomes is on pace to throw for 5,459 yards this season, which would be the third highest total in NFL history behind only Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. He’s also on the way to another NFL MVP award. Last week: No. 4 BUFFALO BILLS (11-3) The Bills currently hold the No. 1 seed in the AFC and need to do everything they can to keep it. Cincinnati is in postseason form and the best way to keep them from going to their second Super Bowl is to make them play in four feet of snow. Last week: No. 7 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (11-3) The most important thing to come of the Vikings unleashing the “greatest comeback in NFL history” is that it didn’t immediately kill my Saturday parlay. Justin Jefferson continues to show he might be the best wide receiver in the league. He’s surpassed 1,600 receiving yards for the second consecutive season and he’s only been in the league three years. Last week: No. 9 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8-6) Emmanuel Acho is probably going to die on this hill, but, for the rest of us, there’s no question that Justin Herbert is one of the best QBs in the league. And “social media” concurs. Last week: No. 10 DALLAS COWBOYS (10-4) There are a few things you can count on every year in the NFL and Mike McCarthy getting outcoached by Doug Pederson is high on that list.. Last week: No. 5 BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-5) I wasn’t feeling good about Baltimore’s chances against Cleveland without Lamar Jackson, but when Justin Tucker missed a field goal inside the 50, I checked to make sure it wasn’t raining frogs outside my house. Last week: No. 8 NEW YORK GIANTS (8-5-1) The Giants finally got over the hump against the Commanders, put themselves one game away from securing a playoff spot and halted a losing/not winning streak that was a real bummer for those of us thinking Brian Daboll was in the Coach of the Year conversation back in October. Last week: No. 13 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (7-6-1) We’ve seen some egregious ref calls this season, but absolutely nothing will match the flag thrown on the Commanders with under a minute left that literally cost them the game. Last week: No. 11 MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-6) Here’s what’s concerning about the Dolphins’ three game losing streak. It’s the second three game losing streak they’ve suffered through THIS SEASON. And every loss has been to a real contender, which is good in that they aren’t “bad losses,” but also shows how far behind the playoff field Miami actually is. Preseason: No. 12 DETROIT LIONS (7-7) For the fourth consecutive game Jared Goff kept his scoresheet clear of interceptions in a game where he attempted at least 35 passes. The last Lion to do that? The guy Goff was traded for, Matthew Stafford. Goff has not had a single turnover of any kind in six straight games. Last week: No. 15 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-8) The craziest thing about Doug Pederson beating Mike McCarthy is that anyone ever doubted it would happen in the first place. Last week: No. 20 GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-8) Aaron Rodgers kept the Packers’ playoff hopes alive for a week by knocking the Rams completely out of the bracket. They realistically have to win out to make the postseason and they have to get through the Dolphins, Vikings and Lions to do it. It’s not looking good. Last week: No. 21 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-7) NFL Films used to put together a “Football Follies” film, where they would show all the craziest plays while Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, narrated. Mel’s been gone a while now, but I can still hear his voice as Chandler Jones took that fumble to the house to knock the Pats out of the playoff bracket. It’s one of my favorite things that’s ever happened. Last week: No. 14 TENNESSEE TITANS (7-7) In a single season the Titans went from being the worst No. 1 seed in recent history to being the worst AFC South champion in recent history. Last week: No. 16 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-7) Reality has been a harsh mistress for the Seahawks and the Kansas City Chiefs come with a whole lot of it Saturday in Arrowhead. Last week: No. 17 NEW YORK JETS (7-7) Zach Wilson is getting his second start for an injured Mike White, so go ahead
NFL WEEK 15: POWER RANKINGS
BY ADAM GREENE Week 15 of the NFL season is upon us and we must sound the trumpet to begin it as we always do, by arbitrarily ranking teams in a sport where pretty much every honest debate is actually settled on the field. For maybe the first time this season, we have had no change in the Top 5, with the entire group ensuring they’d ride into the Yuletide atop the rankings. The bottom three too seem etched in stone, but there is a caveat. One of those teams is pretty entertaining to watch. Which bodes well for its future and that of the entire league. We have movement everywhere else, especially in the teens and early 20s, as squads vie for the chance to triumphantly make the postseason, only to lose in blowout fashion in the Wild Card round. But all we want is hope! Let’s rank some teams. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (12-1) You want to know a big reason why the Eagles are not only No. 1 in this (and likely every) Power Rankings along with the best record in the league? They have 19 successful fourth down conversions this season out of 25 attempts, the most in the NFL. And if you think that’s probably related to their success in the red zone, I’m guessing you’re right./ Last week: No. 1 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (9-4) Well, would you look at that. Kyle Shanahan’s offense that doesn’t require elite quarterback play to be successful turns out to be successful without an elite QB. You’d think I would have figured all this out by now. Still, it’s hard to believe that Brock Purdy can keep this up. Los Angeles Rams fans just need it one more night, particularly Thursday night to hang another loss on Seattle. So, of course, you know what’s going to happen. It doesn’t that Purdy spent the week on the injury report. Last week: No. 2 CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-4) There’s getting “hot at the right time” and then there’s coming out of the kitchen as a sizzling skillet of fajitas. The Bengals are doing that second thing and everyone in the restaurant is watching them make their way to the table wishing they’d ordered the same. Also, good news, Tyler Boyd should be able to play, at least some, Sunday at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last week: No. 3 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-3) The Chiefs have taken losses from the two top AFC contenders, but can still absolutely rob both the Bengals and the Buffalo Bills by simply winning out on one of the easiest December and January schedules in the league. They play at the Houston Texans Sunday. It might as well be an extra bye. Last week: No. 4 DALLAS COWBOYS (10-3) The Cowboys have won four straight, are within striking distance of not only the NFC East title, but home field advantage and absolutely none of us, not a single person on Earth, believes they’ll do it simply because Mike McCarthy is their head coach. Now, if was a Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, they’d be the No. 1 seed. Last week: No. 5 BUFFALO BILLS (10-3) I have bad news for the Bills. No team has won a game this season with Covid-19 Superspreading Plague Rate Cole Beasley on the roster or practice squad. What have you done? Last week: No. 7 BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-4) It’s probably going to be Tyler Huntley again for the Ravens with Lamar Jackson still sidelined. They’ll need a significantly better performance from him to knock off a Cleveland Browns team with its actual quarterback on the field and not setting a new Fruit Ninja high score on his Microsoft Surface tablet. At least, I hope that was what Deshaun Watson was doing on that tablet. No one check his history. Last week: No. 9 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (10-3) The Vikings have experienced an odd few weeks, knocking off garbage teams, but getting outclassed across the board when facing a team with even a modicum of real coaching. Of course, that shouldn’t be a problem hosting the Indianapolis Colts this Saturday because of, ironically, a guy named “Saturday.” Last week: No. 6 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (7-6) While Sunday’s game against the equally 7-6 Tennessee Titans might not be an elimination game for their opponent, Los Angeles can’t afford to take the home loss. Tennessee is the last squad with a winning record left on their schedule. They should be thinking about running the table and grabbing the No. 5 seed. Last week: No. 14 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (7-5-1) Remember when everyone was calling out Ron Rivera for “badmouthing” Carson Wentz? This team has gone 5-1 since Wentz got hurt in Week 6. Maybe we don’t doubt Riverboat Ron anymore, how about it? Last week: No. 15 MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-5) Miami has lost two in a row to realistic contenders and now their coast to the playoffs is looking significantly more rocky. It doesn’t help that they play at Buffalo Saturday, a franchise that is cleaning a literal ton of snow out of its stadium as I write this. Preseason: No. 8 NEW YORK GIANTS (7-5-1) Reality seems to be finally coming home for the Giants, but they’re currently the No. 6 seed and could get a boost from a full go Saquon Barkley in a must win Sunday Night Football contest against the Commanders. There really can be no bad outcomes for the G-Men this season, but a playoff berth would be pretty sweet. Last week: No. 10 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-6) The Pats should be out of the playoff race at this point, but they’re hanging around like an HPV infection. And if we had any hope of that ending this week, I have bad news. They play the Las Vegas Raiders. Last week: No. 17 DETROIT LIONS (6-7) The Lions opened the year as the NFL’s
Introduction To Live Betting
Contrary to what many novices believe live betting is nothing new. Sportsbooks have offered in-game or in-running betting for a couple of decades at least. European sportsbooks were likely the first to dabble in live betting since soccer lends itself particularly well to the discipline thanks to its low scores and leisurely pace. The reason live betting seems like a new and revolutionary concept is that technological developments have taken it to a new level with no end in site to the innovation. This digital revolution has allowed sportsbooks to offer live betting on a wider variety of sports and offer a greater variety of wagering options. Live betting is exactly what it says on the marquee—placing bets on a game while the game is in progress. At one point only a limited number of sportsbooks would offer this option but today virtually every bookmaking establishment has at least a nominal live betting presence. Many sportsbooks, however, are making live betting a focal point of their product mix. They like it because players like it and to a large degree the oddsmaking processes is automated with complex algorithms making the in-game adjustments to the betting odds by crunching massive amounts of data. LIVE BETTING OPTIONS VARY FROM ONE BOOKMAKER TO ANOTHER The specific sports and bets offered by bookmakers vary widely. At the very least, books will offer updated lines at halftime or between quarters/periods. The more serious live betting providers will offer new prices and betting options during play stoppages like time outs or TV breaks. The basic live betting options will be revised sides and totals based on interceding action from when the line was originally posted. A NFL football favorite might be -3’ before a game and quickly score a couple of touchdowns after kickoff. In live betting the line might quickly be revised to -7’. Other live betting options have been driven by the improving technology and are proliferating due to creative bookmaking and player demand. For example, many books now offer in game prop bets such as statistical over/under wagers (eg: passing yardage by a quarterback) or event driven propositions such as ‘next team to score’. Many live betting platforms offer players the opportunity to parlay these options and in some cases set up ‘open parlays’ that they can add new wagers to as play progresses. LIVE BETTING APPEALS TO PLAYERS OF ALL TYPES Sportsbooks like to offer live betting for a variety of reasons but one of the most compelling is its wide range of appeal. Recreational players and ‘action junkies’ enjoy the adrenalin rush of placing and (hopefully) winning bets in a matter of seconds. If a player likes to wager on a sporting event to ‘make it interesting’ live betting lets him take it to a even higher degree of immersion. Traditional sports wagering is essentially a passive activity. A player places a bet and waits to see the outcome. He may watch the game on television or follow along on a score ticker but that is the extent of his involvement. Live betting requires that the player play very close attention and the never ending stream of betting options makes it a very mentally and emotionally active process. Sharp players also like live betting. In fact, some bookmakers give the ‘wise guys’ credit for driving the initial adoption of live betting. It provides a greater number of wagering opportunities from start to finish and that gives an adept player countless options. He can take advantage of a bad line when they occur, he can increase the size of a pre-game or hedge due to changing circumstances. He can also get off a bet entirely or set up a middle opportunity. The discipline and comprehensive knowledge of the game that the best bettors possess can be leveraged for even more profit and winning bets.
Popular Sports For Live Betting
In theory, live betting will work with any sport. The reality, however, is that some sports lend themselves to in game wagering more readily than others. In addition, certain sports resonate more with the general public and generate a higher level of live betting interest. This article will provide an overview of the most popular sports for live betting and what you can expect when you get involved: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: It’s not surprising that the most popular sport on the planet is also the most popular live betting option. Soccer has a long history of live betting (which will more typically be referred to as ‘in running’ wagering in Europe) and technology has opened up even more options for bookmakers and players alike. Soccer lends itself particularly well to live betting. It’s deliberate pace gives players a chance to ‘get down’ and bookmakers a chance to methodically adjust the line. The deep statistical framework facilitates proposition bets and the wide array of leagues means plenty of games for parlays. AMERICAN FOOTBALL: At North American facing sportsbooks gridiron action is king. Although live betting is offered on both college and pro football the NFL is by far the most popular. Since the NFL is the most popular betting sport overall at sportsbooks in that region it’s not surprising. Football offers plenty of time between plays for players and bookmakers to do their work. There’s a ton of statistical categories that lend themselves to proposition bets. On a busy NFL Sunday there’s a lot of games going on simultaneously and they’re all televised—perfect for parlays. TENNIS: While this might be a surprise to North American bettors tennis is an extremely popular wagering sport in the rest of the world. The pace and format of tennis makes it perfect for live betting. While tennis might not offer the variety of proposition bets that other sports do it’s otherwise excellent for live betting. There’s plenty of time to post updated odds and let players get down on them. There’s a decent number of individual games and sets on which to wager and a wealth of statistical information for handicapping. BASKETBALL: Basketball enjoys international popularity as both a spectator and betting sport. It also works well for live betting. The fast pace does make it more difficult to book and bet but the relatively high and frequent scores makes up for it. There’s plenty of statistics and games and leagues all over the world. HOCKEY: Offers many of the same live betting benefits as basketball. Fast moving and exciting sport engages fans and betting only enhances that. At the same time, it facilitates many of the same bets as soccer such as ‘next to score’ and other propositions. BASEBALL: Baseball is a seriously underrated betting sport and that includes the live wagering component. Slow pace allows for plenty of time for updating odds and placing bets. Extensive statistical information available making it easy to set prices and handicap bets. With nine innings of play there are new betting opportunities all of the time. Lends itself well to proposition bets such as ‘next team to score’, game/inning/team totals, and on game events such as ‘will there be extra innings This list just scratches the surface of the live betting options available online. Your best strategy is to check out the live betting interface at some of the better online sportsbooks and see what other sports and bet types are available. You might find you enjoy watching and betting a new sport like cricket or darts—both of which are easy to find on live betting boards.