Happy Friday. It's Eric.
🍟 It’s also Fryday: July 14 is National French Fry Day. Take all the fries you want. Just eat all you take.
🎶 Sounds like: "American Pie" by Don McLean.
This newsletter is 1,159 words — a 5-minute read.
💪 QUICK HITS
🏀 Forget about Victor Wembanyama being a bust.
💰 The Boston Red Sox are money, even in last place.
🥩 Patrick Mahomes owes Andy Reid a steak dinner.
📣 Curb Your Delusion
Victor Wembanyama is not washed up. Some people weren't so sure after a rough summer league debut. But reports of his NBA demise were greatly exaggerated.
🇫🇷 French reflection: There were a lot of jokes and irresponsible hot takes following Victor Wembanyama's introduction to the NBA, Britney Spears and her army. He handled the circus like a pro. "Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court," Wembanyama said after scoring nine points in his first summer league game. "I’m trying to learn for the next games. … [it’s] important to be ready for the season." That's the kind of honest assessment you want to hear from a No. 1 pick.
🎯 Second to none: Game 2 from Victor Wembanyama was more like what everyone expected. 27 points, 12 boards, three blocks, and only five missed shots. He won't be playing any more summer league. The San Antonio Spurs want the 19-year-old from France to rest, reset, and get ready for training camp and the 82-game regular season.
🏆 Building a winner: It takes time to rebuild. So don't expect any overnight dynasties in San Antonio. The over/under for Spurs wins in the 2023-24 season is 30.5, and they are +20000 longshots to win the NBA title. Only eight teams have longer odds.
Biggest Longshots for 2024 NBA Title
Washington Wizards +100000
Detroit Pistons +60000
Houston Rockets +50000
Charlotte Hornets +50000
Indiana Pacers +30000
Orlando Magic +30000
Utah Jazz +25000
Portland Trail Blazers +25000
🍿 Everyone's excited: The NBA knows a generational talent when they see one. From Gregg Popovich (the NBA's winningest coach who signed a new five-year contract) to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ("skill set") to Jerry West ("a bigger Bill Russell") to Spurs teammates ("he's amazing"), everyone is raving about Wemby.
NBA Rookie of the Year 2023-24
Victor Wembanyama -130
Chet Holmgren +350
Scoot Henderson +400
Brandon Miller +1200
Cam Whitmore +2000
🕰️ Go time: The kid himself is pumped. "There’s something great going on, starting," Wembanyama said. "We kind of knew it was going to happen, but now it’s, let’s get it rolling. We can get started now."
💯 Superfreak action: Victor Wembanyama doesn't just want to win. He wants to become a superstar, champion and icon. He's got the brains and ability to make it happen. That's why sportsbooks love him. DraftKings has future markets on Wembanyama's stats, Spurs results, and season-long parlays.
NBA Odds on Wemby
35+ Regular-Season Wins +190
Score 40+ Points in Any Game +300
40+ Regular-Season Wins +500
Score 45+ Points in Any Game +1000
Season Parlays
Average 20+ PPG, 2+ BPG +185
Average 20+ PPG, 10 RPG +240
Spurs Win West, Average 10+ RPG +15000
Spurs Win West, Average 1.8+ BPG +17000
Spurs Win West, Average 20+ PPG +20000
Spurs Win NBA Title, Win ROY +30000
All odds are subject to change.
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⚾ Quote du Jour: Better Watch Out
"In getting to know Paul, what you understand is that from his background, you would anticipate discipline and work ethic and a service-oriented teammate — all those things you sort of anticipate. But what you learn about Paul as you get to know him is that he's got this thirst for getting better."
—Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington on adding Paul Skenes to their organization. The Pirates took Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, and the hard-throwing pitcher out of LSU could be in the major leagues as early as 2024. Power-hitting outfielder Dylan Crews, Skenes' teammate on the LSU team that won the College World Series, was taken by the Washington Nationals with the second pick in the draft, becoming the first teammates to go 1-2 in draft history.
✅ Seeing Green in Boston
The Boston Red Sox are in last place, but it's not because they are playing bad baseball. The AL East is the toughest division. All five teams are over .500, and the Red Sox enter the second half with a 48-43 record, nine games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. It won't be easy for the Red Sox to win the East or even make the playoffs (-300). Whatever happens, the Red Sox are worth $4.5 billion, and the Fenway Sports Group (their owners) are always looking to add value.
Tampa Bay Rays -210
Baltimore Orioles +400
Toronto Blue Jays +750
New York Yankees +1000
Boston Red Sox +4500
🎧 Listen Up
⛳️ Driving for perfection: Betting Predators podcast host SleepyJ and Uncle Dave Essler talk Genesis Scottish Open and give their picks.
📈 Number of the Day: 77
That's how many Houston Astros draft picks from the last 10 years have reached the major leagues. It's the most of any team in MLB. The Astros have drafted 329 players in that time, meaning 23 percent have made the Show.
🧠 Sports Betting Tip
Shop your picks with key numbers in mind.
Key numbers are those that happen most often in sports. In the NFL, the following numbers are the difference in scores that occur the most: 3, 7, 10, 6, 4, 14. The NFL favorite wins by 3 points about 10 percent of the time. Because of this, the difference in laying 2.5 versus 3.5 is substantial. —Steve Reider, NFL, Betting Predators
🏈 Magic Influence
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes knows how important coach Andy Reid has been to his career. "He lets me be who I am every single day," Mahomes said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. "I think if I'd have went to some other places, I would've had to learn how to play the quarterback position a different way, and he just lets me play the quarterback position the way that I want to play it. I think that's what's made me such a different type of quarterback in this league." It's a big reason why the Chiefs (+600) are favored to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
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