© Copyright khedmeh Wall
All good things must eventually come to an end.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were bound to lose eventually.
A road loss against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics wasn’t exactly a surprise to anybody.
The Celtics were bet up from -3.5 all the way to Celtics -7 prior to tip-off.
As it turns out, anybody who bet on Boston to hand Cleveland its first loss of the season cashed their bet.
Anybody who laid the points with the Celtics lost.
Despite leading by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, Boston was outscored by 18 points over the better part of the final two quarters and survived a late scare in a 120-117 victory.
Cleveland’s longest win streak in franchise history and the second-longest win streak in NBA history is officially in the books.
Now the focus shifts to the future, and whether the Cavaliers will have what it takes to challenge the Celtics when it matters the most in the spring.
While I had Boston moneyline on a couple of FanDuel Same Game Parlays, the focus for my FanDuel Best Bet in this column on Tuesday was a pair of late games.
Fortunately, my hot streak has not ended yet as the NBA has been very good to me early on this season.
With another NBA triple feature on TSN+ on deck, I’ll lock in another FanDuel Best Bet for tonight’s slate at the end of this column.
First, it’s time to take a closer look at a playoff dark horse in the AFC, and whether that team can stay hot with another victory in Week 12.
This is the Morning Coffee for Wednesday, November 20th, 2024.
The Detroit Lions are the Super Bowl favourite at FanDuel entering Week 12 of the NFL regular season.
Three of the other top four choices to win it all reside in the AFC.
The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens were all popular picks to win the Super Bowl.
The Houston Texans remain the clear frontrunner to win the AFC South and host a playoff game.
Will any other AFC team contend for the Super Bowl?
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the biggest mover as they can be found at +2100 to win it all this morning – a top 10 choice at the same odds as the Minnesota Vikings.
The Los Angeles Chargers are +2500 to win it all.
Then there’s the Denver Broncos at +7000.
The Broncos won’t win the Super Bowl this season.
At the same time, few bettors expected them to be in a playoff position in the loaded AFC entering Week 12.
Following an 0-2 start, Denver has won six of its previous nine games to climb into a postseason position at 6-5.
All four AFC teams they’ve lost to have shorter odds to win the Super Bowl in the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers, and the Chargers.
And they very nearly ended Kansas City’s perfect start.
Looking forward, the Broncos will face only two teams with a winning record over their final six games in the Chiefs and the Chargers.
At least on paper, Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders looks like a must-win if Denver is going to contend for a playoff spot.
If the Broncos can string together consecutive wins over the Raiders and Cleveland Browns the next two weeks, they’ll be 9-6 entering their bye with games against the Indianapolis Colts, Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Chiefs to close out the regular season.
Denver is currently considered a coin toss to make the playoffs at FanDuel at -110 odds.
Another win over the Raiders gives the Broncos more than a fighting chance to shock the NFL this season.
FanDuel bettors love their chances against Las Vegas.
Denver has been bet up from -2.5 to -5.5 at FanDuel.
The good news for anybody who missed the boat on Broncos -2.5 is that there are still plenty of Same Game Parlay and traditional parlay options to explore.
I’ll lock in a traditional two-team parlay with Denver to beat Las Vegas and the Washington Commanders to cover the alt spread -2.5 against the Dallas Cowboys as a FanDuel Best Bet at -120 odds.
While the Broncos are in the thick of a playoff race, the Raiders have already turned their attention to the future.
I can certainly envision something close a repeat of the Week 5 meeting between these teams that Denver won by double digits.
Meanwhile, the Commanders are looking to snap their first losing streak of the season, and I can’t think of a better spot for them to do exactly that then a revenge game for Dan Quinn at home against the Dallas Cowboys.
A traditional parlay at -120 odds with Denver to win outright and Washington to beat Dallas by three points or more is my first FanDuel Best Bet for Week 12 in the NFL.
In case you missed it, we cashed another NBA SGP+ in Tuesday’s Morning Coffee column.
We also hit a +504 no-sweat SGP for the late game.
First up, I’ll take Donovan Mitchell to score 15+ points, Darius Garland to record 4+ assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers to beat the New Orleans Pelicans.
Mitchell is coming off back-to-back 30+ point performances.
He’s scored at least 22 points in five straight games.
He scored 29 points in a win over the Pelicans earlier this season and has averaged 21.4 points in seven home games this season.
Meanwhile, Garland just shot 3-of-21 in last night’s loss to Boston.
He should be motivated to bounce back tonight at home and while we should see his shooting percentage regress to the mean, I prefer 4+ assists as an SGP+ leg here.
The Pelicans rank 29th in assists per game allowed to opposing point guards.
Garland has record six or more assists in four straight and nine of his last 10.
He’s registered four or more assists in every single game this season except one – he had three assists in a win over the New York Knicks back in October.
He had nine assists in a 131-122 win over New Orleans earlier this season.
I’ll start with Mitchell 15+ points, Garland 4+ assists, and Cleveland to win.
I’ll finish with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score 20 or more points and the Oklahoma City Thunder to beat the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Thunder are coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
They’re currently a 12.5-point favourite for tonight’s game against Portland, who they beat by 23 points on the road in their first meeting.
SGA went for 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting with seven rebounds and six assists in that victory.
He’s cleared 20 points in every single home game except one – an 18-point performance on 7-of-20 from the field against the San Antonio Spurs in late October.
Coming off back-to-back 30+ point performances, I expect SGA to step up tonight and lead Oklahoma City to a bounce-back win at home.
This NBA builder SGP+ can be found at +104 odds at FanDuel this morning.
Due to popular demand, I might mess around and post the longshot SGP+ to my X account later this afternoon.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Erling Haaland scored an outrageous backheel volley in the Champions League on Wednesday to issue a timely reminder of his own credentials as a potential Ballon d'Or winner.
A day after Vinicius Junior hit a hat trick for Real Madrid, Haaland scored an early contender for goal of the season with his acrobatic effort in Manchester City's 5-0 win against Sparta Prague.
Vinicius Junior is the favorite to win soccer's most prestigious individual prize when it is presented at a gala ceremony in Paris on Monday. But Haaland, who came runner-up to Lionel Messi for last year's award, once again showcased his scoring prowess with two goals as City set a new Champions League record of 26 games unbeaten.
Haaland's volley in the 58th minute at the Etihad Stadium was a moment of individual brilliance. From around six meters (20 feet) and with his back to goal, the Norway striker leaped in the air and flicked the back of his foot to meet Savinho's cross from the right. Connecting powerfully with his heel, the ball shot down into the turf and bounced high into the top corner beyond Prague goalkeeper Peter Vindahl.
“If I tried to do that I’d pull my groin. I don’t know how he did it, I just think it’s just his long legs. He’s a freak isn’t he?” Haaland’s City teammate Phil Foden said. “It shows he has this talent that no one else can do.”
City manager Pep Guardiola said the goal was not normal “for a human” and likened the forward to Sweden great Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“It’s unbelievable this talent that this guy has,” he said.
Haaland scored his second in the 68th to take his season's total to 13 goals in 12 games in all competitions. His record in the Champions League is now 44 goals in 42 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in European club soccer's elite competition with 141 goals. Messi is second on 129. Haaland is 17th and rising quickly.
But he is expected to miss out on this year's Ballon d'Or with Vinicius Junior seen as the man to beat, ahead of Haaland's City teammate Rodri.
Haaland, however, is likely to contend for years to come if he continues his goal scoring exploits, with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe leading a new generation after Messi and Ronaldo dominated the award for more than a decade.
Neither of those soccer greats, who won 13 titles between them, were nominated this year, appearing to usher in a new era.
Maryland Whipsnakes 16, Denver Outlaws 9
Adam Lamberti: Whipsnakes stay hot, win regular-season finale
You’re looking at the hottest team in the PLL right now.
After a slow start to the game, the Whipsnakes pulled away in the second half to win their fourth straight.
TJ Malone continued his case for Rookie of the Year with six points (4G, 2A).Ryan Conrad had a hat trick in his debut after the Whipsnakes acquired him this week in a trade.Joe Nardella is continuing to play at his 2020 MVP level, winning 65% of his faceoffs and scoring two goals. RookiesAdam Poitras andLevi Anderson had two goals apiece and are playing fantastic lacrosse.Zed Williams has scored in every game this season and is so difficult to stop. I could go on.
I’ve been saying all year that this team can be dangerous if it hit its full potential, specifically offensively, and we’re seeing everything come together now.
The Whipsnakes have done their part to try to nab the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the New York Atlas will likely lock that up, as they just need to win one of their next two games.
With a bye next weekend, the Whipsnakes will hope they can carry this positive momentum into the playoffs. If they can keep playing like this, they’ll be awfully hard to beat in September.
Up next for Maryland: Bye week
Topher Adams: Denver is not a championship team right now
For two quarters, this was a lively and competitive lacrosse game. Each team went on runs, and the action was fast and flying through the middle of the field. While Maryland held a one-goal lead, Denver looked poised to compete in its first Homecoming game.
In the third quarter, everything slipped away for the Outlaws. The defense was a step behind every dodge. The offense just missed passes or took a second too long to initiate a dodge. By the start of the fourth quarter, Denver trailed by five. and the Whipsnakes never looked back.
Brennan O’Neill andGraham Bundy Jr. are the heartbeat of the Outlaws offense, and neither did much of anything outside of one wicked O’Neill highlight.
A pattern has emerged down the stretch of this season. When Denver faces a lesser opponent, it takes care of business and looks unstoppable. When the Outlaws face the best teams in the league, they look outclassed.
There’s no shame in being the best of the rest, but unless something changes in the last two games of the season, Denver doesn’t look like a serious contender yet.
California Redwoods 13, Philadelphia Waterdogs 12 (OT)
Jerome Taylor: So you’re saying there’s a chance
In order to make the Cash App Playoffs, the Redwoods came into Denver needing to win their remaining two games and overcome a 32-point scoring differential—a tall task.
They’ll be leaving Denver with a 3-6 record, afterWes Berg (2G) put one pastMatt DeLuca in overtime at his alma mater.
“It’s a reason Wes is on the wall here," Redwoods head coach Nat St. Laurent said. "He’s got a national championship, and he’s won at every level played at. It’s because he’s a winner, and we’re going to get him the ball every time we can in crunch time."
Now with a -31 scoring differential, the Woods’ chances of making the playoffs are as thin as a twig.
It wasn’t the blowout they were looking, for but the Woods got experimental against the Waterdogs. It started withBJ Farrare, who was signed earlier this week, picking up his first career point, an assist in transition, showing off the prowess that made him a 2023 training camp favorite.
It felt likeRob Pannell (1G, 3A) played more above cage in this game than the entire time he’s donned a Redwoods uniform.Nakeie Montgomery played exclusively offense, and he rewarded the Woods with two points (1G, 1A).Ryder Garnsey (2G, 1A) was bumped to the midfield during the game. And the midfield in general had a good day asCharlie Bertrand (3G) andRomar Dennis (2G, 1T) tallied three points apiece.
With the playoffs seemingly out of the question for either team, a hard-fought, sometimes sloppy game highlighted the professionalism and pride that players in the PLL have.
With the Utah Archers, who could be fighting for the No. 1 seed, on the docket next week, the path to 4-6 looks dim. That said, it’s another opportunity for this Redwoods roster to continue to experiment and find some things that could work next year.
Up next for California: vs. Utah Archers (Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m. ET)
Wyatt Miller: Waterdogs fall to 0-5 in one-score games with overtime loss
The Waterdogs were 0-4 in one-score games entering this matchup. They’re now 0-5. They led 11-9 heading into the fourth quarter but lost 13-12 in overtime.
"I thought for three quarters we were the better team... but give the Redwoods credit for hanging in there,” said head coach and general manager Bill Tierney. This was a new-look Waterdogs team, though. After being eliminated from playoff contention last week, the Waterdogs mixed things up Friday night. Instead of the usual offense, Tierney gave the nod to some non-regulars, and they made an impact.
VeteranMikie Schlosser along with rookiesMichael Boehm andMatt Brandau all played and got on the scoreboard. Boehm, who had two assists, started at attack in place of a strugglingEthan Walker, and his proclivity for playing behind the cage opened up some different looks for the offense.Michael Sowers found passing lane after passing lane from above goal line expected and brought the Waterdogs offense back from the dead after they scored just six points a week ago. His four assists were a catalyst for the Dogs.
The Waterdogs have started looking toward the future, and they got some production from fresh faces in pursuit of that, but it ended in a familiar one-score loss.
Up next for Philadelphia: vs. New York Atlas (Saturday, Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m. ET)
New York Atlas 15, Utah Archers 11
Lauren Merola: Jeff Teat puts the exclamation mark on a 15-11 win
Seven points forJeff Teat? Sounds like old news at this point in the season.
But alas, the PLL regular-season record points holder had two goals and five assists in a must-win game against the Archers to move confidently into the last week of the season eyeing the highly touted first-round playoff bye. (And by must-win, I mean in hopes of solely securing the bye, as the Atlas already clinched a playoff spot.)
Connor Shellenberger, who had one goal and is one-third of the most efficient offense in the league, left the game with a left foot injury. Postgame, coach Mike Pressler said he had “absolutely no update” on his starting attackman, but with a playoff spot clinched, it’s not too much of a concern in the season right now. Shellenberger has until – at minimum – Sept. 2 (the quarterfinals) to rest (the Atlas’ last regular-season game is Aug. 17).
Even if New York (currently 7-2) loses and the Boston Cannons (currently 6-3) win next week in Salt Lake City, the Atlas could emerge with the first-round bye via the score differential. In the penultimate week of the season, the Atlas have a +28 SD to the Cannons’ +10. Regular-season records set the playoff standings, with SD as the first tiebreaker.
So it’s not yet time to worry about Shellenberger, but the Cavalier connection didn’t sideline itself with him.
Pressler moved midfielderDox Aitken down low to attack with Teat andXander Dickson once Shellenberger exited the game, and Aitken finished with three goals.
“Seeing a guy like Connor going down definitely shakes you a little bit,” Dickson said. “You want to know what’s going on and if he’s OK and make adjustments quickly because the game is so close. ... We brought Dox Aitken down to attack, which is hilarious because he said he never played attack in his life.