A Word on the Profitability of Spread Betting in the NHL Playoffs

June 8, 2016

If you’re thinking about betting the NHL playoffs in the future, know this: when in doubt, take the underdog with the spread. Before getting into some statistics that support this notion, I want to explain the theory first. The NHL playoffs are widely regarded as the most competitive postseason in the four major sports, and it’s really not up for debate. For instance, only four of the past sixteen President’s Cup trophy…

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Chin Up, Cleveland: There’s Hope with the Indians

June 8, 2016

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in big trouble. After two blowout losses in Games 1 & 2 of the NBA Finals, it’s hard to imagine the Cavs winning four out of the next five games in order to win the title. That’s why many betting websites now have the Golden State Warriors as monster favorites to win it all at -1,000. Other sites like Fivethirtyeight give the Cavs a mere 11%…

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Assessing the AL & NL All-Star Rosters

June 5, 2016

With the All-Star game voting underway, get ready to hear Omar Infante’s name in the news. Yep, Royals fans are once again stuffing the ballot box, which means Infante-who is 27th in WAR among second basemen-is second behind Jose Altuve in the American League All-Star vote so far. Over in the National League, Cubs fans seem to be doing the same thing now as well. Since fan voting has clearly gotten out…

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Visualizing the Various Sales Pitches to Kevin Durant

June 4, 2016

The courtship of Kevin Durant will soon become the biggest story in sports (if it hasn’t already). Does Durant want to come back to Oklahoma City? Will he sign a short-term deal to cash in on the salary cap rise expected in 2017? Or will he join forces with a superpower like Golden State or San Antonio? So much speculation. Very few answers. The following teams reportedly have a chance…

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The Case for Novak Djokovic as the World’s Most Dominant Athlete

June 4, 2016

The stakes will be high for the number one tennis player in the world when he takes the court Sunday at Roland Garros. That’s where Novak Djokovic will look to become the eighth man to capture a career Grand Slam. He’ll take on Andy Murray, who is appearing in his first French Open Final. Djokovic was the favorite entering the tournament and he is the favorite again Sunday. But this isn’t…

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Close, But No Cigar: Five Stanley Cup Finals Observations

June 3, 2016

After two straight one-goal games, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a 2-0 lead over the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Finals. Here are five observations based on what I’ve seen so far. This series reminds me of Bruins/Canucks in ’11 In the 2011 Finals, the Bruins lost the first two games in Vancouver, each by one goal. Like Pittsburgh is now, the Canucks were favored beforehand, which led many…

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Chasing Jordan: Why This is the Watershed Moment of LeBron’s Career

June 2, 2016

There is more on the line for LeBron James in this year’s NBA Finals than ever before. That might seem odd because it’s not like he’s still searching for that elusive first championship. At this point, it seems like LeBron has cemented his status as an all-time great. He has now been to six straight Finals; he has won multiple MVP’s; he’s got two rings and he even has quieted many…

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Ranking the Best Games in the NBA Finals since 2000

June 2, 2016

With Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals set to tip-off in a little under 24 hours, I have been feeling reminiscent. I mean, how can you not love the NBA Finals? For me, it’s chill city before the game even starts once the ABC introduction begins. And I know the NBA playoffs has its critics, but I mentioned yesterday how the NBA Finals is as epic as any sporting…

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I Have a Few Gripes with this “Most Famous Athlete” List

June 1, 2016

ESPN come out with something called the “World Fame 100” today. Here’s an explanation of what it is: “It started off with a simple question: Who’s the most famous athlete in the world? Ben Alamar, ESPN’s director of sports analytics, devised a formula that combines salary and endorsements with social media following and Google search popularity to create the ESPN World Fame 100 rankings. The names might be familiar, but…

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NBA Finals: Complete Preview and Predictions for Cavaliers vs Warriors

June 1, 2016

I’ve heard a lot of people knock the NBA, saying that its postseason is inferior to both the NFL and NHL playoffs. There is some validity to that sentiment, particularly given how anticlimactic the first and second rounds usually are in basketball. But admit this: at its best, when two heavyweights like the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers meet in the Finals, the NBA is absolutely epic. Just look…

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