Month: June 2020

Until play resumes, The Crossover will be examining one big-picture question for every NBA team. Today we take a look at the Denver Nuggets, who were 43-22 when the season was suspended.

Long time readers of Sports Illustrated who are also weirdly devoted to what I have to say will know the Nuggets are my team. I’ve picked them to make the Finals two years in a row. Their superstar center Nikola Jokic was rocking a quarantine body way before it became popular. And Paul Millsap is the NBA’s breakout star of TikTok. Yet, with all that said, Denver’s ceiling may still be only somewhere between really, really, really good and true title contender. The Nugs are a top-three team in the West, but it’s hard to see them toppling the Lakers or Clippers in a seven-game series. So what if Denver’s best path forward means significantly changing a good thing?

The Nuggets are the kind of team that benefit from being wildly competent at every position, with an All-Star in Jokic who seemingly falls slightly short of being able to carry a title team as the No. 1 guy. Jamal Murray is supposed to be the second breakout star, but he’s still the slightest bit inconsistent to be a true second banana. Gary Harris is a valuable player who took a step back this season. Monte Morris and Michael Porter Jr. were important finds. And vets like Will Barton and Paul Millsap are impactful though not necessarily high-level difference makers. The challenge for Denver’s front office will be figuring out how to enter the top tier of the West, and that could mean sending away pieces from a well constructed roster.

It would be risky to break up a team with such a high floor, but the Nuggets may be pushing up against their ceiling. Do they have time to wait for Porter to potentially break out when he’s struggling to earn consistent minutes? Is Murray definitely going to make a leap? Denver has to be seriously considering getting in on the next sweepstakes for a disgruntled star, even if the trade market is out of whack for the next couple seasons. Could some package of Harris, Porter, a rotation guy or two, and picks bring back somebody like Bradley Beal? Would Beal, Jokic, and Murray be enough to compete with the best of the conference?

The Nuggets are in a great position no matter what. The front office built a talented roster, and there is honor in being a team that’s consistently in the top half of the conference. Still, if Denver wants more, the current core seems to be awful close to maxing out. Taking a big swing with an already successful group may be the only way to take the hardest step up. 

What are the odds that the Texas A&M Aggies win the SEC West and/or the National Championship in 2020? We break it all down and tell you the best bets.

Head coach Jimbo Fisher has zero excuses entering his third season with the Aggie fan base expecting the program to build off its 8-5 campaign in 2019. 

Last season, three of their five losses (Clemson, LSU, Georgia) came on the road. The 2020 season will still have SEC West foes, but oddsmakers feel the schedule shouldn’t be as difficult. If Texas A&M can get consistent help around third-year starting quarterback Kellen Mond, the offense could be one of the best in the nation.

According to PointsBet Sportsbook, Texas A&M’s season win total projection stands at 9.5 wins, heavily juiced at odds of -154 to the under. 

2020 Texas A&M Aggies Regular Season Win Total Odds

2020 Texas A&M Aggies Schedule

Week 1 – Sept. 5 vs Abilene Christian

Week 2 – Sept. 12 vs North Texas

Week 3 – Sept. 19 vs Colorado

Week 4 – Sept. 26 vs Arkansas (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas)

Week 5 – Oct. 3 at Mississippi State

Week 6 – Oct. 10 vs Fresno State

Week 7 – Oct. 17 at Auburn

Week 8 – Oct. 24 at South Carolina

Week 9 – BYE

Week 10 – Nov. 7 Ole Miss

Week 11 – Nov. 14 vs Vanderbilt

Week 12 – Nov. 21 at Alabama

Week 13 – Nov. 28 vs LSU

Texas A&M should fire out of the gates 3-0 with games against FBS Abilene Christian, a North Texas Mean Green squad who went 4-8 last season, and then closing out their three-game home stretch against Colorado that finished 5-7 in 2019.

Also, the Aggies should not see much trouble in their first 2020 road game versus an Arkansas Razorback program that they have dominated in recent years with seven consecutive victories. Arkansas has not won a SEC conference game in two years and the boys in the desert do not see one in Week 4 installing the Aggies as 19-point favorites in their neutral site game at AT&T Stadium. 

Their October 3 showdown with Mike Leach and the high-powered Mississippi State Bulldogs is a game all bettors should be targeting the over with the scoreboard lighting up all day. The Week 5 matchup with Fresno State would normally jump out as a potential trap game, but hosting the game in College Station takes that out of the equation.

Heading into Jordan-Hare Stadium, potentially undefeated, poses as the first loss of the season for the Aggies against SEC West foe Auburn. The oddsmakers have Texas A&M listed as 3.5-point road underdogs in their battle with Gus Malzahn and the Tigers. Texas A&M has won the past six meetings with the Gamecocks and the oddsmakers envision that streak extending with the Aggies; appearing as a full touchdown favorite in Week 8 at South Carolina. 

After a deeper dive, their showdown with Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss does not appear to be very intimidating after discovering games against Baylor, Auburn, LSU, Alabama, and Florida before the Rebels make their trip to College Station.

Before another expected win in a home tilt with Vanderbilt, the Aggies will not have an easy path in their final two games of the regular season. The oddsmaker’s power rankings have Texas A&M as 13.5-point underdogs going into Tuscaloosa against perennial powerhouse Alabama. The boys in the desert currently have A&M’s regular season finale as a virtual coin-flip with a pick-em line versus the defending champion LSU Tigers.

Texas A&M Odds to Win SEC West Conference 

PointsBet Sportsbook is offering Texas A&M as the fourth overall betting choice to win the SEC West at odds of +750. All bettors who believe the Aggies will win the SEC West will get back $750 for every $100 wagered.

Texas A&M Odds to Win SEC Conference 

With projections that envision a potential two or three-loss regular season, the PointsBet Sportsbook is offering Texas A&M as the sixth choice in conference wagering at odds of 10/1 to emerge as SEC Champions for the first time in school history. All bettors who believe the Aggies will win the SEC Championship Game will get back $1,000 for every $100 wagered.

 Odds for Texas A&M Players to Win 2020 Heisman Trophy

As we have previously highlighted here at SI Gambling, Texas A&M currently has only one player listed in the Heisman Trophy odds at William Hill: quarterback Kellon Mond (40/1). The Aggies have had two Heisman winners in school history: running backs John David Crow (1957) and quarterback Johnny Manziel (2012).

Texas A&M Odds to Win the 2020-21 College Football Playoff 

The regular season schedule is very kind to Texas A&M and I land on eight very attainable wins in 2020. The biggest question all bettors have to decide is whether Mond and the Aggies can somehow earn a split in their four most difficult games (Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama, LSU). I am not so confident they can but I am also not willing to lay the heavy juice (-155) the season win total market currently demands.

Is Mond worthy of Heisman consideration? AllAggies reporter Cole Thompson examines:

“Everything at Kyle Field will rely on the shoulders of quarterback Kellen Mond. For his career, Mond has collected 7,379 yards, 52 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. Sprinkle on 1,385 yards and 13 touchdowns with the run, and this looks the part of a champion quarterback. It’s still too soon to see if the senior (signal caller) will still be the starter come December with the likes of Haynes King and Zach Calzada waiting in the wings. For now, Mond’s focus should be on keeping his job for another season rather than the Heisman.”

As Thompson highlights, there’s just too many question marks for a team that faces immense pressure combined with difficult SEC competition.

With Alabama, Georgia and Florida in their way of an SEC Championship, I can not land upon any valuable futures markets regarding the Aggies in 2020. There will be some excellent regular season betting opportunities (the over versus Mississippi State and the side versus Ole Miss) that all betting should look forward to targeting.

The Play: Pass on futures, target regular season individual game values

MORE FROM SI GAMBLING:

• Texas Longhorns Betting Preview
• Oklahoma Sooners Betting Preview
• Auburn Tigers Betting Preview
• Florida Gators Betting Preview
• Georgia Bulldogs Betting Preview
• LSU Tigers Betting Preview
• Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview
• Clemson Tigers Betting Preview
• Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Preview
• 2020 Heisman Trophy Odds: Justin Fields Alone at the Top

Mayweather has been in touch with Floyd’s family, according to Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe.

Former world champion Floyd Mayweather will pay for the funeral services for George Floyd, according to Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe.

Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. Floyd was stopped by officer Derek Chauvin, who held his knee on Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes. Floyd can be seen on video of the incident repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe,” before his death.

“He’ll probably get mad at me for saying that, but yes, [Mayweather] is definitely paying for the funeral,” Ellerbe told ESPN’s Steve Kim. “[Mayweather] has done these kind of things over the last 20 years.”

Floyd’s funeral isn’t the first one paid for by Mayweather in previous years. The retired boxer previously paid for the funeral of Genaro Hernandez, who lost to Mayweather in a 1998 fight. 

Our Gambling 101 series continues with a breakdown of “game total” betting options. Which sports offer total wagering and how do bettors get in on the action?

Part of the standard “big three” wagering choices, game total odds are posted along with point spreads and moneylines. Also known as Over/Under betting odds, game totals focus on the final score of a sporting event. Simply stated, bookmakers set a number and bettors are asked if the final total will go over, or stay under, the posted number. Game totals vary, depending on the sport, and range from 0.5 goals in soccer and up to 240 points or more in basketball.

Shop Around for the Best Game Total Odds

Bettors are advised to shop around for the best game total odds. The Baltimore vs. Cleveland NFL 2020 odds below illustrate that, as the total odds varied by 1.5 points at FanDuel and DraftKings. Players backing UNDER were getting their best odds at DraftKings (49.5) while FanDuel (48.0) offered the best line for those betting OVER. If players wanted to take a gamble, they could bet on both sides and cash two tickets if the final score was exactly 49 points.

Similar to point spread betting odds, game totals are posted with various amounts of juice. Standard (-110) pricing is common on many total odds. In the example above, a $110 bet on either side returns a $100 profit. While it is risky, covering both sides isn’t a huge monetary risk as players stand to lose $10 if the final score doesn’t add up to 49 points. Discrepancies. in total betting numbers between various bookmakers, are common across a range of sports markets.

Live and Futures Total Betting Options

Beyond standard full game odds, there are many opportunities to bet on totals before and during contests. Prior to a match, or while the action plays out, bettors can wager on timed events like periods in hockey or quarter and halftime results in basketball and football. LIVE betting on totals brings added excitement to baseball games as bettors can bet on options like total runs and hits during every inning. Posted at FanDuel – sports fans can even bet on table tennis.

Fans of futures betting also have access to a multitude of total options. Prior to the start of a season, players can bet on how many wins each team will have in a variety of sports. Illustrated in the 2020 NFL example below, Jacksonville was in for a long year while a successful season was the forecast in Kansas City. 

Player prop totals are popular and offered on many sports as well. Below are total passing yards odds for Joe Burrow prior to his rookie NFL season.

MORE GAMBLING TERMS YOU NEED TO KNOW