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Does Brian Kelly fit at LSU? Here’s why that doesn’t really matter – Yahoo Sports

Posted: April 15, 2022 at 1:01 pm

Brian Kelly has done a bunch of interviews of late discussing his earth-shattering move from Notre Dame to LSU.

Hes hyped up the power of the Tigers. Discussed the limitations of the Irish. Defended his timing of taking the job leaving ND while the team was still in playoff contention. He even tried to explain his pronunciation of FAM-u-lee.

He told Sports Illustrated thats how he always pronounces it, which doesnt actually hold up. But whatever. It doesnt matter. Of all the things to discuss about Kelly and LSU teaming up for a run at a national title, so-called cultural fit will prove to be the least consequential.

First off, all anyone in college football cares about is winning. If Kelly leads the Tigers to a national title, or at least back into serious contention, then Kelly will be hailed all over the state.

If he doesnt, he wont.

Whether he is at home at a crawfish boil or not isnt really going to matter.

After all, LSU fired one of the most uniquely Louisiana coaches of all time, Ed Orgeron, just 19 months after he won a national title because the program was slipping fast. No amount of Cajun charm, no gravely throated accent, no amount of tears over understanding what the program means to the fans could save him.

Everyone is like, Aw, its going to be this white guy from the Midwest going down there and its going to be crazy! Kelly told SI. Theres a little more spice to the food, maybe a little bit more roux than Im used to, but it hasnt really been an adjustment that Ive felt like this is really outside of my comfort zone.

The man is in Baton Rouge to coach, not cook.

And Brian Kelly can coach.

Is it enough to become the fourth LSU coach to win a national title since 2003, joining Nick Saban, Les Miles and Coach O? Thats a topic on the latest edition of the College Football Enquirer.

Kelly might. If nothing else, hes proven to be a much better coach and leader of a program than both Miles and Orgeron. Saban, who rebuilt the program, is another level, of course.

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Kelly won two national championships at Division II Grand Valley State (Michigan), captured a Mid-American Conference title at Central Michigan and went 34-6 at Cincinnati, including a 12-0 season. You dont do all of that by accident, luck or just acquiring some talent.

At Notre Dame, hes the winningest coach in program history and got the Irish to a BCS title game and two playoffs. They were non-competitive at that level, but there havent been too many programs that are competitive against Alabama and Clemson.

Kelly isnt known as an ace recruiter or a charismatic personality in nearly any setting. He was good enough to improve Notre Dames talent that it went from being forever hailed as nothing but hype to a top-10 program, though.

Kelly is counting on the institutional power of LSU to overcome that. Despite arriving just days before the early signing period last December, Kelly signed two Rivals.com five-star recruits in the Class of 2022. Thats the same amount as his last five Notre Dame recruiting classes.

In the Class of 2023, 11 of the top-100 recruits nationally per Rivals.com hail from Louisiana. Thats about par for the course.

Many years, LSU is going to get most of those guys. Maybe all. Kelly is even focused on working the northern part of the state which big linemen tend to hail from but are less attached to the Tigers to shore up a rare weakness.

After that, he said they will focus on Houston, East Texas, Atlanta, Florida, and some national recruits (where Kelly has lots of contacts) when needed. LSU always has talent. Kelly will get his.

Any recruit making a college choice based on the head coachs gumbo recipe (or lack thereof for the Massachusetts native) probably isnt worth much anyway. Its not like Saban is known as a charmer, and hes the one who is best at swiping prospects across the state border.

This is a business deal. Its always a business deal. LSU didnt hesitate to fire a coach who was the perfect cultural fit to drop nearly $100 million on a somewhat awkward guy who just wins games.

So Brian Kelly will have to win games. If he delivers, hell be beloved. If not, hell be fired like Orgeron and Miles.

Nothing else matters. This is college football, after all.

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Kirk Cousins says he wants to retire with Vikings, but has to ‘earn the right to do that’ – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 1:01 pm

Quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a one-year extension with the Minnesota Vikings last month, which will keep him in Minneapolis through the 2023 season. But Cousins wants to stay with the Vikings much longer than that.

Cousins spoke to the media on Monday for the first time since signing his extension on March 14, and while discussing his reasons for agreeing to the extension, revealed the ultimate goal of his football career: to retire in purple and gold.

"The short answer [for why I signed the contract extension] is, I wanted to be a Minnesota Viking," Cousins said via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I wanted to help create some cap space so that we could put together a roster that you do feel really good about. It's just always trying to find win-wins. I think it was a way to create a win-win, and then hopefully that leads to a lot of wins this fall.

"My mind-set was really to be a Viking. I would like to retire as a Viking, and so I would like to play my way into that, if you will. I know I've got to earn the right to do that."

Cousins is definitely correct that he needs to earn his way into retiring as a Viking. There were a handful of reports earlier in the offseason that the Vikings were thinking about moving on from him, which is what happens when a team isn't totally confident in its quarterback. Those rumors eventually dissolved, which is what happens when a team realizes it can't upgrade at quarterback so they have to make do with who they have.

The Vikings are sticking with Cousins for now, signing him to an extension that will have him hit free agency in 2023. What happens after that is anyone's guess, but if it's up to Cousins, who will turn 34 in August, he wants to stay with Minnesota until he decides it's time to go.

"If I could draw it up, it'd be, 'Play well enough that you never have to play or wear another jersey anywhere else,'" Cousins said via the Star Tribune. "I'm going to work really hard to try to make that possible."

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The Daily Sweat: Hawks, Clippers are favored to be the last teams in NBA playoffs – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 1:01 pm

The NBA playoff field will be officially set Friday night.

Atlanta visits Cleveland to play for the final spot in the Eastern Conference (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) while New Orleans visits the Los Angeles Clippers for the final spot in the West (10 p.m. ET, TNT).

The Hawks are favored by 2.5 points at BetMGM over the Cavaliers and the total for that game is 222.5. Atlanta won the regular-season series 3-1 over the Cavaliers though its been one of the worst teams against the spread this year. After covering against Charlotte in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game, Atlanta is 38-45 against the spread.

Cleveland is 43-46-4 ATS so far this year after overachieving relative to its preseason expectations while Atlanta underachieved. The Cavs made a big leap this season though they faded down the stretch, thanks to injuries.

Jarrett Allen, one of the Cavs key injured players, is going to attempt to play Friday night. The big man has been sidelined with a broken finger since March 6 and his return will be pivotal, especially on the glass. Allen is the team's second-leading scoring at 16.1 points per game in the regular season and grabbed 10.8 rebounds.

If Allen plays he wont be going up against the Hawks John Collins. Hes been out since March 11 because of a finger injury and a foot injury.

Out West, the Clippers are favored by 3.5 points after getting outscored by 11 in the fourth quarter by Minnesota in their loss to the Timberwolves on Tuesday night. The Pelicans beat the Spurs on Wednesday. The total is a paltry 214.5.

The Clippers have been 40-42-1 against the spread this year while New Orleans is 42-40-1. Thats basically a draw over the course of the season.

It will be fascinating to see how the Clippers attack a New Orleans team thats been at its best while playing with both Jonas Valanciunas and Jaxson Hayes on the court at the same time with Brandon Ingram on the wing and CJ McCollum as the lead guard. Los Angeles eliminated the Jazz from the playoffs a year ago by going small and itll be unsurprising if the Clips try a variation of that against New Orleans big men.

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Home teams went 3-1 in the first four play-in games this week and the under hit in all four. The totals have been adjusted as a result of that. All four of the first play-in games had higher totals than Friday nights games, and bettors like both the Hawks and Clippers to cover.

We think the home teams are going to go 1-1 on Friday night. If Atlanta plays anything like it did against Charlotte, it should have no problem with the Cavaliers. And the Clippers experience should be key late in the game against the Pelicans. Were going with a Clippers win straight up at -175 and over 214.5 points.

Its a great Friday to bet on baseball if you havent gotten into the swing of things so far this season. And you can get started early. The Diamondbacks and Mets start at 1:10 p.m. ET and the Twins and Red Sox are at 2:10 p.m. ET.

If youre new to baseball betting you may notice that every game has a spread of 1.5 runs. Thats not an accident the real value is in the odds given on the spread. For example, the Mets are -105 as a 1.5-run favorite. The Red Sox, meanwhile, are -185 as a 1.5-run underdog. Pay close attention to the juice when youre placing a bet.

There are five players at +1100 or better to win the RBC Heritage after the first round. Cam Young shot an 8-under 63 to lead Joaquin Niemann by two strokes. Niemann is +800 to win the tournament after the first day alongside Patrick Cantlay. Young is at +850 and Shane Lowry is at +900. Corey Conners had an ace on Thursday and hes at +1100 to win.

The Brewers took care of the Cardinals with a 5-1 win on Thursday behind a strong performance from Brandon Woodruff. The Yankees shut out the Blue Jays 3-0 and made under bettors happy. Over bettors were thrilled with the Rangers 10-5 win over the Angels as bettors who backed L.A. and Shohei Ohtani were very disappointed. The Padres demolished the Braves 12-1.

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Betting 101: If you are going to parlay, heres how to do it – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 1:01 pm

Whats the most popular type of wager? Parlays.

What gets the most attention in the betting world? Parlays.

What should you not do but probably still do? Parlay.

OK fine. Lets be honest, you will continue doing the thing that you probably shouldnt be doing but its fun and it makes things more exciting, and for those reasons, you wont stop. The potential of hitting a big score or sweating out the last leg to only get burned, its both of these emotions that keep you coming back for more.

What if theres a way to parlay responsibly? I think of this now because my betting strategy for tennis is correlated.

In football, favorites are typically no more than maybe -300. In ATP tennis, favorites can be upwards of -2000 because the talent gap between a top-25 player and an opponent outside the top 100 is so large that it lends to creating big moneyline favorites. Theres the option to play a game spread, set spread or game total, but sometimes its best to consider a moneyline parlay.

Outside of ATP, I dont parlay much. Its fools gold in my opinion. In tennis, however, it works for me. I find that it works best in major tournaments, which are best-of-five matches. Playing a parlay in a best of three becomes more tricky, adds volatility and I try to avoid as much as possible. Im comfortable playing ATP parlays, not so much in other sports.

Here are some parlay concepts I use in tennis that can apply to all sports.

Parlays are popular because of the longshot value it could offer. You lay $10 on a +1000 parlay and if it hits, then your $10 is converted into $100. Risk small to win big. The problem is, bettors like to wager real small in an attempt to win real big. In order to do that, bettors create an eight-leg parlay or 10-team parlay, essentially putting together lottery tickets.

Ask yourself, how often have you tried just a two- or three-team parlay? Placing $25 on maybe a 2-1 or 3-1? It may be a smaller payout, but by keeping it to two or three max, then it has a higher probability of working out. The more variables you add, the more risk, then theres more room for volatility.

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When I do a two-player parlay in tennis, its because one leg, Ill call it my base, is a high-conviction, cant lose option. I then pair it with the higher-risk option in order to lower the odds for my low-risk leg.

Example: If I like Rafael Nadal (-350) to defeat his opponent in a clay-court match, Ill pair that with Diego Schwartzman, priced at -200. Nadal is my for sure not necessarily because the odds are higher but because Nadal is the best on clay, in great form, has been dominant and I like all to continue with the idea that he could win in straight sets. Schwartzman is my high risk leg because, although I have confidence in him winning, his opponent could surprise and put up a fight to make the match more competitive than Id like, perhaps going a full three sets.

Essentially what I am doing is now paying a -110 price for Schwartzman. Instead of risking his -200 original price, I paired him with something I consider an auto winner and lowered the odds on a higher-risk play.

Those are my two tips but heres what people get wrong about parlays. Bettors keep adding and adding because they want to increase the payout odds. If your three-team parlay is paying out +110 but you want to add a fourth leg to make it +120 what are you doing? You as a bettor think you are increasing the payout odds but what youre doing is adding more risk.

The one thing I say over and over again, its about cashing tickets, not about grabbing more perceived value. Weather, injuries, wrong calls and other oddball things happen all the time in sports. Keep the risk low with the potential of a payout high.

Lets be real, youre likely still going to put together eight and 10-team parlays but perhaps this could help you better construct these wagers by grouping higher-conviction options instead of just adding lower-probability legs to increase the value.

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NBA series betting: Memphis and Minnesota are looking to win their first series in years – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 1:01 pm

Memphis and Minnesota are aiming to break postseason streaks.

The Grizzlies havent made the second round of the NBA's Western Conference playoffs since losing in the semifinals in 2015. Memphis has lost in the first round three times in the past six seasons and broke a three-year playoff drought by snagging the No. 8 seed a season ago.

The Timberwolves streak is even longer. The No. 7 seed is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and hasnt made the second round of the playoffs since 2004 when it lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Memphis enters this series as a big favorite at -300 at BetMGM (Game 1, 3:30 p,m. ET Saturday, ESPN). The Grizzlies were easily the second-best team in the conference over the course of the season and were fantastic without star point guard Ja Morant. The Grizzlies went a staggering 20-5 without Morant in the lineup.

Morant had been out since March 18 because of a sore knee but returned to the lineup on on April 9 for the penultimate game of the regular season. He scored 21 points in 27 minutes and looks ready to go for the playoffs.

Minnesota is at +250 to win the series after beating the Los Angeles Clippers in a play-in game on Tuesday night. The Timberwolves beat the Clips despite Karl-Anthony Towns fouling out early in the fourth quarter. Anthony Edwards had 30 points in 37 minutes while DeAngelo Russell had 29.

Even though Minnesotas a significant underdog, this series could be the most fun of the first round. Its not often that you get to see two young and emerging teams facing off in the playoffs and Morant, Towns and Edwards are positioning themselves as faces of the NBA for the next decade.

Memphis is also hoping that its preferred starting lineup will gel quickly despite getting very little time together during the regular season because of injury. The lineup of Morant, Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane started just 10 games all season because of injuries. Now that everyone is healthy, Memphis can hope to blitz Minnesota with that lineup and bring players like DeAnthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Brandon Clarke off the bench.

The series outcome with the lowest odds is a 4-2 Memphis win (or better) at -125. The Grizzlies are +175 to win the series 4-1 or 4-0 while Minnesota is +450 to win the series at 4-2 or better. A five-game series either way is +220 while a six-game series is at +230. A seven-game series is the slight favorite at +200. We dont recommend betting the series over/under unless youre convinced itll be a sweep. Over 4.5 games is at -800 and under 4.5 games is at +550.

A Grizzlies win in Game 1 on the way to winning the series is at -175 while a Timberwolves Game 1 win and a series win is at +500.

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Kia Niro crossover is the ‘trifecta of electrification’: Kia COO – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 1:01 pm

Korean automaker Kia (000270.KS) kicked off this years New York Auto Show with a splash, with world premieres for two of its best selling models.

First up comes the all new for 2023 compact Kia Niro. The Niro is something of a tweaner vehicle, bridging the gap between a crossover and small compact hatchback, but it also bridges the gap, if you will, between Kias internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and its full electric line, such as the EV6 and EV7.

The Niro is the trifecta of electrification, there's three distinct powertrains, Steve Center, Kia Americas CEO, told Yahoo Finance. The first car is a hybrid. The second one is a plug-in hybrid, which has about 30 miles of full electric range. And then you have the full electric Niro, which is 250-miles pure electric car.

The Niro has been a top seller for Kia, with sales more than doubling in Q1 of this year compared to last year. And Center believes a lot of that success is due to the product ranges flexibility.

It's actually the gateway to electrified products, and depending on someone's life stage or living circumstances, you can have a hybrid, which doesn't require any extra special treatment or charging at all; you have the plug-in, which requires some charging, gives you enough range to get by; and the electric vehicle, which is full electric, which requires more planning and having a place to charge at home, perhaps, and at work, Center says.

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 13: Kia Concept EV9 is seen on display during the press preview for the International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, United States on April 13, 2022. The NYIAS returns after two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Kias all-electric offerings, the EV6 compact SUV and the full-size EV9 production compact, were both on display in New York as well. The EV line at Kia will all be built using a dedicated EV platform shared with sister brand Hyundai (005380.KS), dubbed the E-GMP. The Niro does not use this EV platform since it uses hybrid engines.

ICE and hybrid engines are still very popular in America, especially those paired to mid- and full-size SUVs. And one of Kia's sales stars, the Telluride SUV, also received some important updates ahead of its global debut in New York.

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Since its introduction three years ago, Kia has sold over 200,000 Telluride SUVs in the United States, with 75% of those buyers new to the Kia brand. And according to Kia, those buyers also are the most loyal in the midsize SUV segment when returning to the market to buy another midsize SUV.

The 2023 Kia Telluride is unveiled at the 2022 New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

What we're doing is adding some improvements to allow it to keep pace with the rest of the Kia line early in its life cycle, Center said. We changed the instrumentation to the full-curved display. We included connectivity, which the current car doesn't have. We made some styling cue upgrades. We also have two additional models, the X-Line and the X-Pro, and the X-Pro being more off road in focus and capability.

Center says customers have been telling Kia they want the flexibility to take the Telluride off the beaten path, especially younger buyers who tend to be adventurous, Center said.

While the customers are focused on Kias SUVs and crossovers, Center knows down the line, 5 to 7 years from now, the brand will have to go where it believes those customers will be, and hes pretty blunt about what that future will look like.

More electric cars. We want to be the number one electrified vehicle company in the world, Center says. Right now, we're number two in the U.S., and the cars are all sold out.

Pras Subramanian is the senior autos reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

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Gregg Popovich never thought about tanking as an option for the Spurs: Its not who I am – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 1:01 pm

Gregg Popovich easily could have led his team down a path and tanked during the second half of the season.

Its not hard to argue that it would have been beneficial for him and the San Antonio Spurs in the long run to have done so, too.

Yet on Sunday night, ahead of their final game of the regular season, Popovich said that was simply never an option for him.

Part of it is, its just not who we are. Its not who I am, Popovich said, via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. I cant operate like that. Which might not be the most intelligent overall philosophy to have, and I get that. But we am who we am. Were going to go ahead and compete.

After a tough start to the season, the Spurs rallied and secured the final spot in the postseason play-in tournament earlier this month. That, paired with the Lakers' late-season struggles, got Popovich back in the play-in for the second straight year. Theyve gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, too, and will take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

That run, with a very young roster that doesnt have a true star like most of Popovichs previous teams, is undoubtedly impressive. Getting them to that point, though, was the only thing he was willing to do.

I think the young players gain a real understanding of a philosophically moral space where its the right thing to do, to continue to compete, Popovich said. Frankly, I dont know how I would go to my team and say, OK guys, were not going to compete the way we should, or how youd get that across, or with a wink and a nod. I think you do the players a disservice if theyre not able to go out and perform at the best of their ability.

I think the lessons to be learned are very important as their careers advance. You hope that in the long run, that value they gain from that will help them compete at an even higher level later. I understand the opposite, I just cant do it.

While Popovichs mindset is a noble one, its not one thats necessarily universal across the rest of the league.

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been trying to curb taking or the strategic resting of star players for years. He spoke about it earlier this month, too, and actually credited the play-in tournament as one of the things to help stop teams from tanking in order to get a lottery pick in the draft.

Though Popovich likely has plenty of ideas that could help shape the future of the league, hes keeping them to himself for now. Silver, he said, has things under control.

Adam and his staff are pretty smart people, Popovich said, via ESPNs Tim MacMahon. If there was a silver bullet in that regard, they would have already shot it.

Gregg Popovich said he never thought about tanking as an option for the Spurs this season. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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Lawrence Wong likely to lead Singapore without clear direction: SDP – Yahoo Singapore News

Posted: at 1:01 pm

Finance Minister Lawrence Wong speaking at a media conference chaired by the multi-ministry COVID taskforce and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) logo. (PHOTOS: Mediacorp screenshot/SDP website)

SINGAPORE The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) on Friday (15 April) congratulated Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on his selection as the next Peoples Action Party (PAP) leader but said he is no different from his colleagues in terms of his outlook for Singapore.

Decades of groupthink and conformity has made PAP leaders unable to see that Singapore is in dire need of reform of its economic, social and political systems, SDP said in a media release.

SDPs statement comes a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Wong has been selected as the leader of the PAP fourth-generation (4G) team. With his new position, Wong is expected to succeed Lee as Singapores PM.

The eagerly awaited announcement by Lee comes a year after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat stepped aside as the leader of the 4G team, prompting the ruling PAP to rejig its leadership succession planning. Lee said on Thursday that he will announce adjustments to cabinet appointments in due course.

If the PAP is unable to govern with openness and democracy instead of its archaic practice of intimidation and manipulation, Wong is likely to continue to lead Singapore without clear direction, SDP said.

Wong has not articulated a bold vision for Singapore and looks set to rely on past practices that will keep Singapore from achieving its full potential, the opposition party added.

Different person, same story. Therein lies the danger for Singapore, SDP said.

In the 2020 General Election, the SDP fielded a team to contest in the Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency and lost to the PAP team led by Wong, which won by a margin of 26.36 per cent.

In response to his appointment, Wong said on Thursday that he is humbled and grateful for the trust and confidence of his colleagues.

"It is my privilege to be called upon to lead this team. I will do my utmost to uphold this responsibility."

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

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NBA betting: Suns are obvious favorites to win the title, but are they a good bet? – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 1:01 pm

There should be no argument over the rightful favorite to win the NBA Finals. It's the Phoenix Suns. Bang the gavel.

That doesn't mean the Suns will win, or that they're a good bet before the playoffs begin. Favorites lose all the time in every sport. It's hard to get those 16 playoff wins to take home an NBA title.

The Suns are +260 to win the championship at BetMGM. The Bucks are a distant second at +500.

The Suns have been great this season, and it looks like they have a good shot at taking the next step after losing in the NBA Finals last season. But does that make them a good bet?

Nobody seems to mind the short odds on the Suns.

Almost 30 percent of the money bet at BetMGM on this season's NBA champion is on the Suns. More than 55 percent of money bet on the Western Conference champions is on Phoenix.

The thing about betting Phoenix, as is the case with most clear favorites in any sport, is there's no great case to make against them. At 64-18, the Suns were eight games better than any other NBA team. They didn't seem bothered by injuries, whether it was Chris Paul, Devin Booker or Deandre Ayton. All three of them missed at least 14 games. It didn't matter.

The Suns are a top-five team in offensive and defensive efficiency. They rank in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (Phoenix led the NBA in FG%), 3-point percentage, free-throw percentage, assists, fewest turnovers, points scored, points allowed, field-goal percentage allowed, blocks, turnovers forced and a few other categories as well. The Suns are a fantastic team.

In addition, the West isn't that strong. You can perhaps talk yourself into the Memphis Grizzlies or Golden State Warriors knocking off the Suns, but the Grizzlies don't have much playoff experience and Steph Curry's injury situation is still uncertain. Anything can happen, but it's hard to talk yourself into any other West team knocking off Phoenix in a seven-game series.

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In other words, if you wanted to take the Suns at those short odds, nobody could tell you it's a terrible idea.

Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns were the best team in the NBA this regular season. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

The Suns' title odds give them about 27.8 percent chance to win the championship. That seems high.

Five Thirty Eight and ESPN's BPI project the Suns to win the title about 21 percent of the time (both projections are really, really high on the Boston Celtics, for what it's worth). It's hard to give any team more than a 28 percent chance to win an NBA championship as the playoffs start, but that's what you'd need to project for the Suns to be good value.

The Suns could lose to a team like the Warriors. Anyone who comes out of the loaded East would have a shot to beat the Suns in a seven-game series. Injuries happen. Upsets happen. Favorites lose.

You probably will find better betting value on teams like the Milwaukee Bucks or Miami Heat. But if you just want a ticket on the best team in the field, it's the Suns. Who you're riding with might depend on your overall betting philosophy.

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Baker Mayfield says he feels ‘disrespected’ by how Browns have treated him – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 1:01 pm

Quarterback Baker Mayfield has never been one to hold back his feelings. And even as he waits for the Cleveland Browns to trade him, he's not stopping.

Mayfield recently appeared on the podcast "Ya Never Know," spending 90 minutes talking to the host about a variety of things, but most notably the Browns. In the episode, which was released Wednesday, Mayfield was candid about how he felt the Browns handled his situation this offseason.

"I feel disrespected, 100%, because I was told one thing and they completely did another. Thats what Im in the middle of right now. And you know what? OK. I got my taste of it because Ive had four different head coaches in four years, a bunch of different coordinators. Ive had the highs and they always come back."

The 2021 season was a tough one for the Browns, but for Mayfield especially. The team was beset by injuries, and he played nearly the entire season with a torn labrum. He also battled a number of other injuries while still managing to start 14 out of 17 games. But even though the torn labrum wasn't in his throwing arm, he wasn't the same Baker fans had come to expect on the field. By the end of the season, the Browns barely limped to an 8-9 record and had to watch the playoffs from home.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry told the media in January and again in March that he fully expected Mayfield to be the starting quarterback once the 2022 season kicked off. But in the NFL, things change fast. It only took a day for the Browns to acquire Watson after Mayfield requested a trade.

That all happened nearly a month ago, yet Mayfield remains on the roster. He doesn't know when or where he'll be traded.

Despite all that, he has no regrets about his four seasons with the Browns.

I really, truly, honestly have no regrets of my time in Cleveland of what I tried to give that place," Mayfield said. "True Clevelanders and true Browns fans know that, and thats why I can walk away from the whole situation feeling like I did it.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield feels 'disrespected' by how the Browns have treated him. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

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