Significant shifts in the win totals for two NFL teams have occurred since their opening at BetMGM, indicating potential changes in the betting landscape.
The Panthers, who opened at 4.5, now have a new win total of 5.5 at BetMGM with the OVER -115 and the UNDER -105 in the odds.
Under the leadership of new head coach Dave Canales, there is a wave of optimism in Carolina. Canales, known for his role in turning around Baker Mayfield's career in Tampa Bay, is now expected to guide Bryce Young to a step forward in his second season.
The Panthers also made significant additions to their roster, including pass-catcher Diontae Johnson from the Steelers, linebacker Josey Jewell, edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum, guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt, safety Jordan Fuller, defensive end A'Shawn Robinson and corner Dane Jackson. Texas running back Jonathan Brooks was also drafted to strengthen the team's running back room.
Bryce Young has talent, but getting this team to six wins with Canales as a first-time coach is a big ask. If you aren't bullish on the Panthers, take advantage of this line more and grab the UNDER.
Interestingly, most are bullish on Carolina. According to the latest data from BetMGM, the Panthers have the third-most OVER tickets at that 5.5 win total. 72% of bettors took the OVER, and the OVER also has 82% of the handle (money). Only the Steelers (7.5) and the Bears (8.5) have more tickets outstanding for the OVER.
A combination of a new starting quarterback, a new head coach, and arguably the most challenging season schedule likely caused this shift. Whether Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett gets the start, there are plenty of concerns with an inexperienced offensive line and a less-than-exciting receiving corps. The Patriots are currently underdogs in every game this season, and they have just +1200 odds to win the AFC East at BetMGM.
According to sources at Bet MGM, 61% of tickets are for the OVER on the 4.5 win totals for the Patriots. However, only 38% of the handle (money) is on the OVER, indicating sharp bettors are bearish on this season for New England.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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The Los Angeles Lakers are set to interview ESPN NBA analyst JJ Redick for the franchise's head coaching job this weekend. A strong performance is expected to propel Redick to the forefront of the head coaching search, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The report from Wojnarowski confirms reporting from media rival Shams Charania of The Athletic, who has been insistent all along that Redick was high on the team's list of candidates for the open role. The Lakers appear to have pivoted back to Redick after swinging and missing on UConn coach Dan Hurley earlier this week.
Redick spoke with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka last month at the Chicago draft combine, according to Wojnarowski. This additional interview this weekend will dive deeper into what the role will entail should Redick ultimately land the job.
Redick has never coached high level basketball, but had a productive 15-year NBA career and has since turned into a successful podcaster, hosting two shows about the NBA, one of which is with Lakers star LeBron James. Additionally, Redick has settled into his role alongside Doris Burke and Mike Breen on ESPN's top announcing team for its NBA media package.
Redick interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets job that ultimately went to Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee, and has made it clear that he wants to coach. The opportunity to potentially coach James, as well as veteran Anthony Davis, will certainly be appealing for a first role as a head coach.
The Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-99 on Wednesday at American Airlines Center to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks made a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, but fell short after star Luka Doncic fouled out on a couple questionable calls that he really did not agree with.
The home crowd was understandably dead as the Celtics pulled away in the third quarter, which is when the Mavericks X account tweeted one of the saddest things you'll ever see. The X equivalent of "please clap."
This near the end of the third as the Celtics lead ballooned and Jaylen Brown prepared to put a stamp on a 35-19 quarter with a thunderous dunk that took them to the fourth with a 15-point lead. Meanwhile, back on the Internet, the team's post was getting roasted.
The funny thing is, it must have worked. During the break between quarters and the Celtics extending their lead to 21 fans must have had time to check their phones and get the message. What else could explain the team's 22-2 run?
Sure, they ultimately came up short, but what a social media effort. If there's ever been a case for posting through it, this is it.
When the Boston Celtics jumped out to a 91-70 lead at the start of the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, many watching believed the game was over.
The Mavericks seemed spent, and the Celtics were firing on all cylinders offensively for what seemed like the first time in the series.
Then Dallas started getting stops, the crowd got back into the game, and the Mavericks were all of a sudden delivering on the offensive end to the tune of a 20-2 run that eventually cut the Boston lead all the way down to one.
Boston closed the game with a 13-6 spurt following Luka Doncic's sixth foul with just over four minutes to play, and closed out Game 3 staring adversity square in the face - something that Celtics teams of the recent past may not have done. So how does Boston prepare for moments of intense adversity? It's an interesting approach, according to Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
"Joe [Mazzulla] does a great job of showing us clips and things from different sports," Tatum began. "He's a big UFC fan, showing us fights of people that...I don't know the terminology of UFC, but put him in a chokehold and s---. Like they're about to tap out, and to see the guy or woman relaxing because they know they're about to win and you give the other person life. Just trying to translate that to the game of basketball where the closer you are to winning, the closer they are to surviving. Basically just trying to remind us in a group that we've still got a long way to go. We still have to play the right way. We still gotta win. They're not going to quit and we should expect the best from them from here on out."
JT on how Joe Mazzulla uses UFC film to help the Celtics and motivate them to never quit pic.twitter.com/A3VQUfvHUY
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 13, 2024
The Celtics take a 3-0 series lead into Friday night's Game 4, as Boston looks to raise banner No. 18, while the Mavericks will fight to keep their season alive.
PUMA Golf teams up with SI to get a behind the scenes look at one of their newest collabs between PUMA x Palm Tree Crew which were inspired by PGA Tour player, Rickie Fowler and world renowned DJ, Kygo. Between their friendships and bringing their two worlds together, the PUMA x PTC team brings fans golf and lifestyle products that promote a hustle hard but relax easy mentality. In true spirit, the teams debuted the product at this year’s WM Open which is known to be the biggest party on grass.
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Following the Boston Celtics’ 106-99 Game 3 win over the Dallas Mavericks to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the NBA Finals, the Celtics media thought they would have a little fun with Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
NBA fans and analysts alike were well-aware of Doncic’s foul-baiting antics and incessant complaints throughout the game, and one Celtics media member decided enough was enough.
Doncic finished with 27 points on 11-of-27 shooting, but he fouled out with roughly four minutes left in the fourth quarter. NBC Sports Boston took the latter of those statistics and turned it into a savage graphic on X (formerly known as Twitter) paired with a screenshot of Doncic at the postgame presser.
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 13, 2024
Doncic appeared to tut at the officiating after the game, as his fifth and sixth fouls were arguably very close calls. One game away from suffering a Finals sweep, the Mavericks will host the Celtics for Game 4 on Friday night.
Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks are now a loss away from being swept by the Celtics in the NBA Finals after losing Game 3 at home, 106-99, on Wednesday night.
Dončić, who wasn't happy with the officials after the game, had a simple message for his team when asked what they can do now being down 3-0 and having their hopes of winning a championship all but dashed by Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics.
The 2024 U.S. Open begins on Thursday, June 13 and runs through Sunday, June 16 at Pinehurst Course No. 2 in North Carolina.
With the tournament around the corner, fans can still snag tickets to attend the third golf major of the year to see the top golfers in the world.
There's a variety of tickets fans can purchase to enjoy the event at Pinehurst, ranging from just a single day ticket to multi-day passes to V.I.P. club packages. It all depends what the fan wants to see and do while attending the tournament.
Here's more information about specific ticket prices to attend the 2024 U.S. Open.
How Much Does It Cost for a Single Day Pass to the 2024 U.S. Open?
Fans can go just one of the four days to the U.S. Open. If fans want to have the ability to walk the course alongside their favorite golfers for a cheaper price, the gallery tickets are the way to go. The cheapest gallery tickets are selling on the official U.S. Open site for $175 plus fees for Thursday's round, while Saturday's third round is the most expensive ticket for $235 plus fees. Both Friday and Sunday are selling for $225 plus fees.
Resale websites, such as StubHub, are selling tickets at a cheaper rate. For instance, a gallery ticket for Thursday is selling for $117 plus fees, while Saturday's round is set at $175 plus fees.
How Much Does It Cost for a Grandstand Ticket on the 11th Green?
The U.S. Open is selling specific tickets for fans to be able to sit in the grandstand bleachers on the 11th green throughout the tournament. On the official tournament website, Thursday's grandstand tickets are selling for $325 plus fees, while Sunday's final round is selling for $350 plus fees. Both Friday and Saturday are sold out on the website.
Fans will still have access to the entire Pinehurst Course No. 2 with these tickets, they will just have the opportunity to sit on the 11th green. Seating is determined on a first-come, first-serve basis.
How Much Does It Cost for a Daily Garden Ticket?
The U.S. Open also has a special Daily Garden package for this year's tournament. These tickets include access to a reserved area that mimics an outdoor bar. Food and beverage packages can be added on to this ticket.
The Daily Garden tickets for Thursday are selling for $260 plus fees, Friday is sold out, Saturday is selling for $325 plus fees and Sunday is selling for $300 plus fees.
How Much Does It Cost to Sit in the Carolina Club at the 2024 U.S. Open?
The hottest tickets for purchase, and the most expensive, are for the Carolina Club at Pinehurst Course No. 2. These tickets include an air-conditioned facility on the 16th tee box, all-inclusive food and beverage and access to the gallery and Daily Garden.
On the official tournament website, only tickets for Sunday's final round are still available for the Carolina Club, selling at $850 plus fees.
Dallas fell behind by 21 points in the fourth quarter and then had their furious comeback fall short thanks mostly to the fact that Luka Doncic fouled out with just over four minutes left in the game and couldn't help his team in the final stretch.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst was asked after the game by Scott Van Pelt about what he thought of Doncic's sixth foul and he did not hold back, blasting the guard for that play and crushing him for the way he's acted and played all series long.
"I thought it was perfect that Luka fell on on to the ground there in an unacceptable position to put himself in with four minutes left and five fouls and then immediately looks at the bench and says you better bleeping challenge it, as if its the bench’s fault that he just made a terrible play," Windhorst said.
His rant then got even more personal:
"I’m standing here in the Mavericks tunnel. Over there is the Celtics tunnel. That’s where the winners are. If Luka is ever going to be a winner coming out of this tunnel here he’s going to have to use what happened in this Finals as a learning experience. His defensive performance is unacceptable. He’s a hole on the court. The Celtics are attacking him. They are ahead in this series because they’ve attacked him defensively. And you’ve got a situation here where Luka is complaining about the officiating. They have begged him, they have talked with him, they have pleaded with him—he’s costing his team because of how he treats the officials. He’s a brilliant player, he does so many things well. They are here because of how he did. His performance in this game is unacceptable and the reason why the Mavericks are not going to win. He’s got to get over this. The fact that he came out after the game and blamed the officials showed me he’s nowhere close yet. So maybe over the summer someone will get to him because nobody with the Mavericks or anybody in his life has and that’s why the Mavericks are at this point. They’re never going to this tunnel with the trophy if he doesn’t improve" those aspects of his game."
Here's the video of that:
Brian Windhorst BLASTS Luka Dončić on 'SportsCenter with SVP' after Game 3 of the NBA Finals. 🏀🔥🔥🔥
Game 4 is Friday in Dallas. We'll see if Doncic and the Mavs can bounce back or if the Cetlics can close out their 18th championship in convincing fashion.
Tua Tagovailoa is capable, but he's also imperfect. Unfortunately for the Miami Dolphins, having such a quarterback in the NFL is the ultimate franchise-altering dilemma when it’s time to decide on a new contract.
Speaking to league sources, opinions on what Tagovailoa’s future with the Miami Dolphins should be are scattershot.
“The best way to look at it is, you prepare for the speed at skill positions and Mike McDaniel, and then Tua,” a longtime NFL defensive coordinator says. “… He doesn’t like to get hit or read coverage. When is he at his best? RPOs and the quick game. Next question to ask yourself is how many quarterbacks would you take before him?”
Despite playing behind an average offensive line, Tagovailoa was protected by McDaniel’s scheme. He only faced pressure on 15.7% of dropbacks, the third-lowest figure of 2023 for qualifying quarterbacks. This is due to his 2.1 seconds in the pocket per dropback, the quickest release time in the sport.
Regardless of the split opinions on the quarterback, the formula worked.
Last year, Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yardage (4,624). He also threw 29 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, leading the Dolphins to their second straight playoff appearance. In 2022, the Alabama product paced the league in yards per attempt (9.2), yards per completion (13.7) and passer rating (105.5), albeit while missing four games due to concussions.
“[The Dolphins] should pay him [between the] fifth- and 10th-ranked quarterbacks,” a veteran front office executive says. “He has some talent and fits the system, but there’s no real upside and the medical is scary. He will only be as good as the players around him.”
Based on current deals, putting Tagovailoa somewhere between the fifth- and 10th-highest paid quarterbacks means a total value of $180–258 million. That’s a range which includes Josh Allen (fifth), Jalen Hurts (sixth), Kyler Murray (seventh), Deshaun Watson (eighth), Jared Goff (ninth) and Kirk Cousins (10th).
Most importantly, the guaranteed money would land between $130–179 million.
Speaking to an NFC general manager, he stated that if he were overseeing the Tagovailoa negotiations, he’d aim to pay him in the same ballpark as Goff.
Earlier this offseason, Goff signed a four-year, $212 million extension with the Detroit Lions, including $170.6 million guaranteed. The total value ranks ninth, with the guaranteed money being sixth.
However, there’s another path Miami could take as well.
“I would definitely stretch it out,” a former NFL general manager says. “I couldn’t pay him the $50 million [per year] at this stage with the information we have. Play this year out, then tag him next year if you have to. Just because he played one full season, that doesn’t alleviate everybody’s doubts about durability. Plus, I felt like at the end of last year his talents grew a wart or two.”
Should Dolphins general manager Chris Grier go this route, Miami is looking at a $23.1 million cap hit for Tagovailoa in 2024, before a tag which will be approximately $40 million in ‘25. The Dolphins would then have the option of another tag (a 20% raise over the first tag’s value), which would mean retaining the ability to either sign Tagovailoa long-term, or trade him away.
At 26 years old, there’s still the question of whether the Dolphins and Tagovailoa are good enough together to make meaningful noise.
In 2023, Miami went 1–6 against playoff teams. In those games, Tagovailoa threw eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions, never once surpassing 300 yards.
“He’s a good player but will never be elite,” another defensive coordinator who has faced Tagovailoa says. “… Try to make him read things. He just throws it to spots a lot of the time. Keep changing the windows on him and he will struggle.”
Clearly, though, he’s good enough to win plenty of games based on the existing roster around him.
Jun 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tagovailoa looks on during mandatory minicamp at Baptist Health Training Complex. Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Without a crush of injuries last season, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins might have won the AFC East and hosted a playoff game or two. Instead, Miami faltered late, losing to the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills before being blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round in a game played in sub-zero temperatures.
The big question is whether Tagovailoa is a driver of Miami’s high-octane offense or a product of it. Digging into the numbers, the 2020 first-round choice ranked 15th in intended air yards per pass attempt (7.7) last season, while benefiting from the second-most yards after catch (2,177), trailing only Patrick Mahomes. Tagovailoa also checked in 27th in scrambles (15), meaning when the play breaks down, it’s largely over.
To one of the sources' aforementioned comments, where does Tagovailoa rank?
While that’s not the ultimate question Grier must ask himself, it’s among them. For the Dolphins, getting to the Super Bowl and finally winning one for the first time since 1973 is the ultimate goal.
In the AFC, it’s impossible to make a good-faith argument that Tagovailoa is in the top-third of the conference’s quarterbacks.
Any general manager would pick Mahomes, Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and C.J. Stroud before him. Then there’s Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence, who all have strong cases to be placed ahead of Tagovailoa. Do that, and Miami’s signal-caller is suddenly in the bottom half of the conference.
As training camp looms, the Dolphins have to make a decision.
Pay Tagovailoa, get long-term cost certainty and continue building around him with top-tier weaponry and a defense designed to pressure opposing quarterbacks.
Or, let Tagovailoa play out his fifth-year option, hold the franchise tag as a strong option and see if the long-term move becomes obvious after these next 17 (and potentially more) games.
For Grier and the Dolphins, it’s a franchise-defining decision.
