by AAA Sports
Saturday, Jun 15, 2024By just about every account, the presidential race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is as tight as a tick. Most polls this past week show Biden with a slight one- or two-point edge, though every now and then one will indicate just the opposite.
Trump is now a convicted felon awaiting sentencing, and that may have a little to do with computer simulations by the Nate Silver-run website 538 (formerly FiveThirtyEight) recently showing that Biden’s chances of re-election are at 53 percent. The site explained that among the factors that entered into the simulation were adjusted polling averages, economic numbers, political indicators, and demographics.
Two major factors could turn the race on its head, however. One is the first of two Biden-Trump debates, which is scheduled for June 27. Exactly two weeks after that, Trump will find out his sentence after being found guilty of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment for adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels. Most observers believe that Trump will avoid jail time.
Hawks figure to take Sarr
With no apparent Victor Wembanyama-type franchise-altering player available, it looks like the Atlanta Hawks will be taking French big Alex Sarr as the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. Sarr, whose brother plays for the OKC Thunder, has been in leagues all over the world – most recently in Australia, where he had modest numbers as he battled a hip injury that kept him out of the lineup for four weeks. Sarr is -200 to be first off the board, while Zach Risacher, also a French product, is +185. Washington has the No. 2 pick, and just needs players who can play at this point of its re-build.
NFL Division favorites
Betting favorites to win each division in the NFL:
NFC East – Philadelphia and Dallas (both +135)
NFC West – San Francisco (-195)
NFC South – Atlanta (-115)
NFC North – Detroit (+145)
AFC East – Buffalo (+165)
AFC West – Kansas City (-230)
AFC West – Houston (+105)
AFC North – Baltimore (+145)
Clark spikes WNBA wagering
She’s on one of the worst teams in the WNBA, but that hasn’t stopped punters from betting on Caitlin Clark and her sad-sack Indiana Fever team. With Clark leading the way, wagering on WNBA games has increased by nearly 300 percent this year – and last year’s take was nearly 200 percent over the year before. ESPN Bet reported that Clark herself was responsible for a staggering 35 percent of all prop wagers. Clark’s numbers aren’t all that great; for example, she’s shooting less than 30 percent from deep. But she’s still the overwhelming -700 favorite to win the league Rookie of the Year award.
Nathan’s to Chestnut: Sit your buns down.
July 4 on Coney Island just won’t be the same this year – unless organizers can figure out a way to sandwich perennial champ Joey Chestnut into the mix.
The 16-time winner had been a heavy favorite before he was banned from the event recently when Chestnut opted to endorse a vegan brand of wieners instead of Nathan’s, which sponsors the holiday event and supplies the ammunition. With Chestnut fasting, oddsmakers have made James Webb the favorite at -150. Webb finished third last year behind Chestnut and 2023 runner-up Geoffrey Esper, who is listed at +110 this year. Chestnut’s fans can take solace in the fact that he and old rival Takeru Kobayashi will square off on Labor Day in what is being billed as “The Unfinished Beef.” Get it? They haven’t competed against each other since 2009. Netflix has the air rights to that one.
Trump is now a convicted felon awaiting sentencing, and that may have a little to do with computer simulations by the Nate Silver-run website 538 (formerly FiveThirtyEight) recently showing that Biden’s chances of re-election are at 53 percent. The site explained that among the factors that entered into the simulation were adjusted polling averages, economic numbers, political indicators, and demographics.
Two major factors could turn the race on its head, however. One is the first of two Biden-Trump debates, which is scheduled for June 27. Exactly two weeks after that, Trump will find out his sentence after being found guilty of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment for adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels. Most observers believe that Trump will avoid jail time.
Hawks figure to take Sarr
With no apparent Victor Wembanyama-type franchise-altering player available, it looks like the Atlanta Hawks will be taking French big Alex Sarr as the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. Sarr, whose brother plays for the OKC Thunder, has been in leagues all over the world – most recently in Australia, where he had modest numbers as he battled a hip injury that kept him out of the lineup for four weeks. Sarr is -200 to be first off the board, while Zach Risacher, also a French product, is +185. Washington has the No. 2 pick, and just needs players who can play at this point of its re-build.
NFL Division favorites
Betting favorites to win each division in the NFL:
NFC East – Philadelphia and Dallas (both +135)
NFC West – San Francisco (-195)
NFC South – Atlanta (-115)
NFC North – Detroit (+145)
AFC East – Buffalo (+165)
AFC West – Kansas City (-230)
AFC West – Houston (+105)
AFC North – Baltimore (+145)
Clark spikes WNBA wagering
She’s on one of the worst teams in the WNBA, but that hasn’t stopped punters from betting on Caitlin Clark and her sad-sack Indiana Fever team. With Clark leading the way, wagering on WNBA games has increased by nearly 300 percent this year – and last year’s take was nearly 200 percent over the year before. ESPN Bet reported that Clark herself was responsible for a staggering 35 percent of all prop wagers. Clark’s numbers aren’t all that great; for example, she’s shooting less than 30 percent from deep. But she’s still the overwhelming -700 favorite to win the league Rookie of the Year award.
Nathan’s to Chestnut: Sit your buns down.
July 4 on Coney Island just won’t be the same this year – unless organizers can figure out a way to sandwich perennial champ Joey Chestnut into the mix.
The 16-time winner had been a heavy favorite before he was banned from the event recently when Chestnut opted to endorse a vegan brand of wieners instead of Nathan’s, which sponsors the holiday event and supplies the ammunition. With Chestnut fasting, oddsmakers have made James Webb the favorite at -150. Webb finished third last year behind Chestnut and 2023 runner-up Geoffrey Esper, who is listed at +110 this year. Chestnut’s fans can take solace in the fact that he and old rival Takeru Kobayashi will square off on Labor Day in what is being billed as “The Unfinished Beef.” Get it? They haven’t competed against each other since 2009. Netflix has the air rights to that one.
