Oct 21, 2020
Morning Coffee: Dodgers take Game 1, NFL early leans
Payroll has been a fun topic of discussion for obvious reasons entering the 2020 World Series. As it turns out, some of the most highly paid stars from the Los Angeles Dodgers were ready and willing to make a statement in the opener.
Payroll has been a fun topic of discussion for obvious reasons entering the 2020 World Series.
As it turns out, some of the most highly paid stars from the Los Angeles Dodgers were ready and willing to make a statement in the opener.
Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and Clayton Kershaw each delivered memorable performances as the Dodgers (-160) beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night.
Here is the Morning Coffee for Wednesday Oct. 20, 2020
Dodgers Take Game 1
Betts was the star of Game 1.
The Dodgers outfielder joined Chase Utley as the only players in World Series history with a home run and two stolen bases in one game.
Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts are the 5th pair of former MVP winners on the same team to both HR in a World Series game.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 21, 2020
It's the first time that's happened since Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent both homered in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series.
h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/bZcHVsLM3t
Bellinger got Los Angeles on the board with a two-run home run in the fourth inning.
The Dodgers improved to 9-0 this season when Bellinger hits multiple RBI, including 3-0 this postseason.
Meanwhile, Kershaw gave up just one earned run on two hits with eight strikeouts over six innings of work for the win.
The Dodgers have jumped out to a 1-0 series lead over the Rays, taking Game 1 by a 8-3 score.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 21, 2020
20 of the last 25 World Series champions won Game 1, including 14 of the last 17. pic.twitter.com/Sns1fXEis7
Fourteen of the last 17 winners of Game 1 of the World Series went on to win it all.
Los Angeles, which entered the series as a -210 favourite, is now listed at -385 to win it all, which translates to a 79.4 per cent implied win probability.
Game 2 goes on Wednesday night with Tony Gonsolin set to start for the Dodgers opposite Blake Snell for the Rays.
Los Angeles is a -145 favourite to win Game 2.
Early Leans
‘The Big E’ Eric Cohen provided our first look at the lines for Week 7 in the NFL in his latest edition of Market Insights.
NFC East teams are a combined 2-15-1 versus opponents from other divisions so far this season. However, we won’t be able to capitalize on that trend this week with a pair of NFC East matchups.
The Philadelphia Eagles opened as 6.5-point favourites against the New York Giants, but that line is already down to 4.5, which might have something to do with the fact that the Giants are 15-3 ATS in their last 18 road games.
Meanwhile, Dallas opened as a three-point favourite against the Washington Football Team but that number is down to -1.
The Cowboys are one of just two teams that have yet to cover the spread in a game so far in six games this season (Jets 0-6). Dallas is 14-2 straight up and 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games against NFC East opponents.
NFL Network reporter Jane Slater tweeted this on Tuesday.
#Cowboys players initially bought into keeping things internal. Now as they sit 2-4 the discontent is leaking out. On the coaching staff “totally unprepared. They don’t teach. They don’t have any sense of adjusting on the fly.” Another “they just aren’t good at their jobs”
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) October 20, 2020
“They just aren’t good at their jobs.”
Can anybody trust the Cowboys right now?
While the coaching staff in Dallas is in the spotlight this week, the Atlanta Falcons are 1-0 in the post-Dan Quinn era following a win over the Minnesota Vikings.
After an impressive performance on the road, our NFL analyst Davis Sanchez is leaning towards the Falcons ahead of their date with the Detroit Lions this week.
Gaethje’s Upset Potential
UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will clash with interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 this Saturday.
As of Wednesday morning, Nurmagomedov is a -340 favourite while Gaethje is listed at +250 to pull off the upset.
While Nurmagomedov is undefeated at 28-0, he also hasn’t fought in more than a year.
Gaethje has lost twice before, but he’s won four straight fights dating back to 2018, including three first-round stoppages.
As our MMA analyst Robin Black explains, Gaethje’s past failures may be the key to a potential upset at UFC 254 on Saturday.
Blackhawks Rebuild
The Chicago Blackhawks issued a letter to their fans, explaining that they are committed to “developing young players and rebuilding our roster.”
The Blackhawks, winners of the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015, haven’t advanced past the first round since they last won it all.
Fans, including fantasy hockey league managers, have already started to speculate on what if anything will happen with core players like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane before the start of next season.
Chicago remains a +5000 long shot to win the 2021 Stanley Cup – only six other teams have longer odds.
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