🦬 Prime Time in Boulder
Glory days are returning to Colorado.
It's Friday. I'm Eric.
🎸 Let's roll: July 7 is National Day of Rock 'N' Roll.
🎶 Sounds like: "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry.
This newsletter is 1,185 words — a 5-minute read.
💪 QUICK HITS
🏈 The Colorado Buffaloes are closer than you think.
⚾️ Elly De La Cruz could be NL Rookie of the Year and MVP.
🏒 The Golden Knights are not favored to repeat as Stanley Cup champs.
🏆 Every Underdog Has Its Day
Colorado is ready for college football. After decades of irrelevance, the Buffaloes are back on the map with Deion Sanders. And it's more than hype in Boulder.
🏟️ Where the Buffaloes roam: Colorado has a whole new look with dozens of players leaving the program and 51 incoming transfers. They include Sanders' son, Shedeur Sanders, a proven quarterback, and defensive back Travis Hunter, a five-star athlete. Defensive powerhouses like Jordan Domineck from Arkansas and Florida State’s Derrick McLendon II also strengthen the Buffs.
👀 Still no respect: The massive overhaul hasn't won over sportsbooks. After winning one game in 2022, Colorado's win total is listed at 3.5, with the over at +130 and under at -150.
✅ Teams make dreams: The Buffaloes are more than just Coach Prime. The Colorado football team has 49 coaches on its coaching staff, and they’re focused on building a top-notch program. Sean Lewis is the new offensive coordinator after developing an explosive offense at Kent State as head coach. Charles Kelly is the defensive coordinator with two national championships on his resume at Alabama and Florida State in a 33-year coaching career. Colorado legend Darian Hagan is a link to CU's past success, and they even have a character coach.
👏 People's choice: Most experts still expect Colorado to finish at the bottom of the Pac-12, but the public isn't buying it. In June, the Buffaloes, at 250/1, accounted for 8.5 percent of BetMGM’s tickets to win the college football playoff. DraftKings have Colorado at +30000 to win the national title.
2024 National Championship Game Winner
Georgia +215
Alabama +600
Ohio State +650
Michigan +850
LSU +1100
USC +1600
🤔 Gridiron intrigue: Colorado hasn't won a bowl game since 2004 and has endured a losing season in 15 of the last 17 years. But Coach Prime and Colorado are already rankling opponents. "Either he’s gonna be really good really fast and leave for another gig, which, looking at that roster doesn’t seem possible. … The alternative is that they’re gonna be bad, and they’ll end up firing him in a big circus," an anonymous Pac-12 coach said.
🍿 CU soon: That’s why they play the games. Don't be surprised if Colorado shakes things up on the field in the Pac-12 and across college football. Despite a tough schedule, they can win more than four games and be better than expected.
Pac-12 Championship Game Winner
USC +210
Oregon +300
Washington +340
Utah +500
Oregon State +1200
UCLA +1400
Washington State +4000
California +6000
Arizona +8000
Arizona State +9000
Colorado +10000
Stanford +15000
💰 Colorado Betting Insights
Colorado was massive underdogs (+13 or higher) in every game in 2022 and had a 2-10 record against the spread.
Nine Buffaloes games went over the point total.
Colorado ranked 127th in college football in total offense with 281.2 yards per game, 130th in total defense with 509.7 yards allowed, and 131st with 44.5 points allowed.
The Buffaloes were 1-5 at home and 0-6 away.
Colorado had one victory (1-11), against California, when they were +15 underdogs.
Source: Odds Shark
All odds are subject to change.
RELATED COLLEGE FOOTBALL STORIES ON STADIUM TALK
⚽ Quote du Jour: Miami Nice
"Impossible is coming."
—Adidas slogan outside its New York City store in SoHo on July 5 with large photos of Lionel Messi wearing an Inter Miami No. 10 jersey, according to The Athletic. Messi is expected to come to Major League Soccer, play for Inter Miami, and have the richest contract in MLS history.
🔥 De La Cruz Control
Elly De La Cruz might be better than advertised. Since making his big league debut on June 6, De La Cruz is batting .325 (37-for-114) with 4 home runs, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 15 RBIs, 12 steals and 1 cycle in 27 games. The Reds have gone 22-6 and moved from third place to first in the NL Central with a 49-39 record. If De La Cruz keeps up this pace, he could become just the third MLB player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same year — after Boston Red Sox outfielder Fred Lynn (1975) and Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (2001). De La Cruz, who declined an MLB Home Run Derby invitation at the All-Star Game, cares more about helping the Reds win a World Series (+7000) than building his brand. That's great maturity for a 21-year-old.
2023 National League Rookie of the Year
Corbin Carroll -550
Elly De La Cruz +400
Matt McLain +3500
Ronald Acuna Jr. -350
Freddie Freeman +1200
Mookie Betts +1500
Corbin Carroll +2000
Luis Arraez +3000
Juan Soto +4000
Matt Olson +4500
Paul Goldschmidt +6000
Fernando Tatis Jr. +6000
Pete Alonso +6500
Sean Murphy +8000
Elly De La Cruz +10000
🎧 Listen Up
⛳️ Quality thoughts: Betting Predators podcast host SleepyJ and Uncle Dave Essler talk John Deere Classic and give their picks.
📈Number of the Day: 1,432
That's how many players have appeared in one career NFL game, according to Pro Football Reference. They are the Cup of Coffee Club. While less than 1 percent of NFL players make the Hall of Fame (371 members after the Class of 2023 is enshrined on Aug. 5), less than 1 percent of all college football players make it to the NFL.
🧠 Sports Betting Tip
Manage your bankroll wisely.
It is possible to hit over 55 percent of your games and still lose. You need good bankroll management if you want to win over time. Most professional sports bettors use the Kelly Criterion as a rule of thumb. Without going into the mathematical minutiae, it states that you should bet between 1-5 percent of your bankroll per bet. —Steve Reider, NFL, Betting Predators
🥶 Golden Knight Watch
The Las Vegas Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup after six years as an expansion franchise. But they are underdogs to repeat (+1200). While the Toronto Maple Leafs are the favorites to win the 2024 Cup (+900), the Knights could make oddsmakers pay for doubting them.
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Have any questions or issues? Email us at bettingpredators@gmail.com.