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Tampa Bay Rays look to extend dominance over Orioles in Memorial Day pitching matchup

Mon, 25 May 2026 06:25:14 -0400

Happy Memorial Day to everyone. I hope your beers are cold, your grills are working and most of all that you have a happy and safe day. Take a moment to remember why we have this day, as well. Many brave men and women gave their lives for us to enjoy days like this, and we should be thinking about them a bit today as well.

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the best teams in baseball. I suppose that shouldn't come as much of a shock because the team has been one of the better franchises in the sport for many years. They somehow find a way to win no matter what team they have on the field. More than almost any franchise, they make diamonds out of starting pitchers, and their team plays good, fundamental ball. This year, they are almost 20 games over .500 and lead the American League East. They have, however, not been great on the road.

With a 15-11 road record, it isn't like they are terrible, but they definitely have room for improvement. Today's starter, Shane McClanahan, is one of the better pitchers in baseball, but injuries have kept him down for a couple of years. This season, he is throwing very well to a 5-2 record with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. His numbers are worse on the road, but they really aren't that much different than his home starts. He faced the Orioles last week and allowed four earned runs on six hits over five innings.

The Baltimore Orioles were supposed to be improved this year. They made a lot of additions in the offseason and looked to try to get back into the playoffs. The team is 23-29 for the year, and in fourth place of the AL East. The team was 18-34 last year on Memorial Day, so there is at least progress. But, they are already 12 games back of the Rays, which means they will need quite a bit of help if they want to make a run for the postseason.

Looking to try to give him a bit of that help is today's starter Kyle Bradish. I read on X from a sportsbook operator that their biggest liability (before the season started) was for Bradish to win the Cy Young. I don't think the books have to worry about that. Bradish is 2-6 with a 4.13 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. He has good stuff, but injuries hurt him too. He's made 10 starts this year, which is more than he made in either of the past two seasons. In fairness, most of his outings haven't been bad, but the Orioles aren't giving him much support. He faced the Rays in his last game and allowed two earned runs on four hits over 5.1 innings.

This should be a pretty good matchup. Looking across the board, I'd say this is likely the best pitching matchup of the day. That doesn't mean it will definitely be a pitcher's duel, but on paper the signs point to that. I'll probably stay off of the total, though.

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I am going to back the Rays. Tampa Bay swept Baltimore, so I'm sure the Orioles are looking for some revenge. Unfortunately, I don't think they will do that against McClanahan. The Tampa pitcher didn't have a great game last time, but he rarely has two bad performances in a row. Bradish has been decent this year, but he is also allowing a lot of traffic on the basepaths which are converting into crooked numbers. Give me the Rays to win.

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Carolina's Conference Finals curse looms large as Hurricanes host Canadiens in must-win Game 2 tonight

Sat, 23 May 2026 13:00:07 -0400

At what point do you start feeling bad for teams? It can be hard to have empathy for sports teams and professionals who make millions to play a game. However, I find myself rooting for teams that continuously knock on the door, but don't find their way to knock it down. The Hurricanes are a team that I've felt bad for, and they host the Canadiens in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

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The Montreal Canadiens put together a fantastic season with a 48-24-10 season. They were excellent on the road all year with a 24-9-8 record as a visiting team. In the opening round of the playoffs, they took Tampa to the distance, alternating wins and losses. In the second round, they found themselves again facing a tough test, taking on Buffalo. The Sabres couldn't get the job done against them, but took them the distance as well.

In the series opener against Carolina, the Canadiens got six goals to find the back of the net. They are now 7-2 in the postseason on the road. Tonight, they are putting Jakub Dobes in the net. He had a strong regular season with a 29-10-4 record and a 2.78 goals-against-per-game average. He also was tied for 22nd in the league with a .901 save percentage. He has been even better in the postseason, posting a .911 save percentage and a 2.48 goals-per-game average. Improving on his regular season numbers against tougher competition is quite impressive.

The Carolina Hurricanes are a team that I have a lot of sympathy for. I know the team had a good season, as they have for years. However, they keep stumbling in the Conference Finals. They went 1-4 last year against the Panthers, 0-4 three seasons ago, and 0-4 in 2018-19 when they got there. They are now 1-13 in their past 14 Conference Finals games. It is kind of depressing seeing it happen to them.

Of course, this was also the first loss of the playoffs for the Hurricanes, so you have to wonder if it is all mental or if it is just a fluke that they lost the first game. In the first round, they won all four games, but it wasn't like they blew out their opponent in any game. Against the Flyers, they had two wins in overtime, and the other two wins were by three goals. They should have Frederik Andersen in the net and he has been locked in for the playoffs. He has a .932 save percentage in the playoffs compared to .874 in the regular season. The same with his goals allowed dropping from 3.05 to 1.51.

Tonight should be a game the Hurricanes come out and look to get the stigma off their back. A win here would give them a completely new series and relieve a little bit of pressure off of them. Just because you need to win, doesn't mean you'll do it, though. I like the way the Canadiens played in Game 1 and think there is a ton of value on them.

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This doesn't mean that Montreal will win the game, but it does give us a good opportunity to bet on them. Dobes has been tough to score on, but certainly easier than Andersen. Still, he is playing with house money at this point. I expect the Canadiens to play without pressure, full of confidence, and win this game. They may have found something after getting six goals in Game 1. Give me Montreal at plus money.

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Knicks will take commanding 3-0 lead as Cavaliers face must-win Game 3 at home in Conference Finals

Sat, 23 May 2026 11:00:57 -0400

Some series and games just feel inevitable. There are others that have a lot more mystery and suspense. Unfortunately, the Eastern Conference Finals is not a series that has much intrigue. Going into it, I think the vast majority of us expected the Knicks to win the series. The question wasn't so much whether the Cavaliers would lose, but in how many games. Game 3 looms as a must-win for the Cavs to prove any doubters wrong.

In the first round of the playoffs, the New York Knicks looked like they were purposefully trying to find ways to make the series more difficult. They eventually beat the Hawks in six games and lost two games by a total of two points. In the second round, the 76ers couldn't even put up a fight against the Knicks. In this series, they have taken the first two games of the Conference Finals.

Game 1 is the game that most people will talk about. The Knicks looked like they were going to drop the opener of the series, and they were down 22 points with about seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They outscored the Cavs 44-11 in the fourth quarter and overtime. It was a brutal stretch for the Cavaliers, and an even worse look for James Harden, who was exploited over and over again.

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't even bother putting up a fight in Game 2 of the series. Sure, they won the first quarter, but then they were outscored in the following three quarters. We've known they aren't very good on the road in the postseason. They have two wins on the road, both against the Pistons. The Game 7 win against Detroit was the only truly convincing win they've had as a visitor.

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Harden is taking a lot of flak for his defense in Game 1, but the reality is that it is a coaching problem, not a Harden problem. When you're up that many points, and you see Harden being exploited, you have to take him out of the game. You need to change match ups and strategy, but instead, they assumed they would win, and the Knicks made them pay. The Cavs look lost, but a return home, where they are 6-1 in the postseason, could be what they need to get right.

In this game, I expect the Cavs to throw the kitchen sink at the Knicks. That doesn't mean they are going to win, but this is a game they have to win. If they lose it, this one won't go more than five games. Even if they win, it might not go more than five.

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I'm taking the Knicks here because the Cavs are the more tired team, have no momentum, and are not making adjustments. This series has always felt like a formality, with the expectation that New York makes it to the Finals. Give me the Knicks with the points in this one.

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Spurs expected to get favorable whistle in Game 3 after Thunder flopping complaints dominated Game 2

Fri, 22 May 2026 14:24:41 -0400

The NBA can't seem to get out of its own way. I've said something along these lines before, but they need to figure out some sort of PR or marketing campaign to help them. Maybe they just need some rule adjustments or enforcement. Whatever the solution is, they have to find a way to get people to appreciate the great games that are happening instead of just talking about the referees and flopping. No series has seen as much of that talk as this one between the Thunder and Spurs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are seven games away from winning back-to-back championships. Former champions who have accomplished this feat often will tell you that it is harder than getting to the mountain top the first time. The Thunder are still the favorites, and there is good reason. They have a deep team, and it took a historic, double-overtime performance from a freak-of-nature to hand them their first loss in the postseason.

The Thunder tied it up with relative ease in the second game of the series, but most of the narrative was not around how well they played. Instead, it was around how much the Thunder flopped and how dirty they were playing against Victor Wembanyama. These narratives aren't new, but they were certainly highlighted and discussed ad nauseam on shows. This will factor into my handicapping.

The San Antonio Spurs are young, hungry, and confident. That's a dangerous combination, but I think they are still a year away from getting past the Thunder. They have had a fairly easy path through the playoffs. In the opening round, they took on the Trail Blazers, and they won the series 4-1. In the Conference Semifinals, the Timberwolves took them to six games, but even that felt like an inevitable win.

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Now, they face the Thunder, a team they beat four times in the regular season. Most of the games weren't even that close. The Spurs like to play defense, they have some outside shooting, and they have Wemby, who might be the best player in the game. Still, this series feels like they had to give their best shot to OKC to take the first game. I'm not saying they need a perfect game to win, but I do think they need some luck or help on their side.

If you search Game 2 on Twitter/X, you'll probably see a long list of flops or fouls from the Thunder. None of those were called. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander probably had at least two or three shots where he wasn't touched and fell to the floor instead of just landing. Isaiah Hartenstein was another complaint from those who watched the game. Hartenstein had a ton of plays where he was caught pulling hair or arms of Spurs players.

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Expect the Spurs to get a favorable whistle in this game. They are going to get some of those non-calls against them to be in their favor tonight. I'm backing the Spurs at home -1.5. The home court will be behind them, and I think the NBA has already looked at these clips and will encourage a favorable Spurs whistle. Additionally, bet on under 7.5 points. I'd expect very soft calls on him and for him to be in foul trouble tonight.

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White Sox surprise season faces struggling Giants as Davis Martin's dominant pitching takes center stage

Fri, 22 May 2026 13:10:26 -0400

Going into seasons, we form opinions based on last season and whatever they did during the offseason. As the season progresses, we need to figure out if those opinions are valid or not. Sometimes it can be a challenge to let it go, but as a sports bettor, we absolutely cannot hang onto thoughts and be stubborn. Two teams on different ends of my opinions are the Chicago White Sox and the San Francisco Giants, who play Friday night.

Coming into this year, I did expect that the White Sox would be better, but I didn’t expect that they would be this good. They are above .500, which isn’t exactly going to launch them into the playoffs, but for a team that has been awful the past few years, this is progress. There is still work to be done, but the good news for them is that they have assets to trade or bring guys in if they want. Additionally, they are in a very winnable division.

I’d still be surprised if the team wins 80-plus games this season, but I suppose it is okay for Chicago fans to be happy for now. They’ve found some very good pitching in the past few seasons, and this year they have another in Davis Martin, tonight’s starter.

Martin is 29 years old in his fourth season. He has been phenomenal this year. For the season, Martin is 6-1 with a 1.61 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. He hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in his past eight starts, and what really impresses me is that he doesn’t allow a ton of hits in games. The Giants are 4-for-15 against Martin in his career.

I was wrong about the San Francisco Giants. I thought they would be fairly competitive this season, and to this point, that has not been the case. The team is 10 games under .500, and they look lost out there. I knew the division was a complete long shot, but this team should be better. Are they bad because they don’t respect their new manager? That seems a bit unlikely, but whatever the case is, they are not playing great baseball. They don’t score runs. They have a .244 batting average, which is solid and 12th in the league, but the 173 runs are last in the league.

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With Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames, I’d figure they would eventually start getting some more consistent scoring. Those three have combined for a .236 batting average and 12 homers. On the pitching side, Trevor McDonald has turned in a solid season so far. He is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. Those numbers have come in only three games this season. He turned in seven innings of two hits and one run in his lone home start.

I think there are two good options for this game – the Giants have lost three straight games and don’t look great at home or on the road. The White Sox are playing better baseball, but they lost their last series against the Mariners. I think they have a great chance to win this game with Martin on the mound, though. I think the best bet here is to take Martin’s earned runs allowed under 2.5 runs.

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I think the overall game should go under as well. I really like what I’ve seen out of McDonald and think he and Martin on the mound could combine to keep the offenses off the board. Give me the under 7.5. The Giants team total under and the White Sox team total under are great looks as well.

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Playoff hockey is always fantastic, but putting a bet on the game makes it even more entertaining

Fri, 22 May 2026 12:38:25 -0400

This is always a strong time of year for the sporting calendar. We get both NBA and NHL playoffs, but we also have baseball every day. The WNBA has started, and there is even conversation around the looming NBA Draft. The only thing that has mild news is the NFL, and that still dominates conversations. Tonight we have a Western Conference Final game in the NHL.

The Vegas Golden Knights have found their way to the Conference Finals once again. This team hasn’t been in existence for very long, just since 2017-18. In those nine seasons, they have reached the Conference Finals five times. They’ve only missed the playoffs once in their existence. This has been a strong season for Vegas, and they have a chance to make it even better.

The Golden Knights went 39-26-17 in the regular season, but struggled a bit on the road. In the playoffs, they’ve been very good. They won 4-2 against the Mammoth in the first round. In the second round, they went 4-2 as well, beating the Ducks. Now they have to face the toughest team in the Western Conference, but they already took the opener 4-2. They are going to have Carter Hart in the net again. He’s had a strong postseason with a .920 save percentage and allowed just 2.35 goals per game.

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The Colorado Avalanche are the top team in the NHL and were the favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup for most of the season. They are so good that it seems like their third line might be just as good as many other teams’ first lines. They put together a fantastic 55-16-11 record in the regular season, and they were even better at home with a 26-9-6 record. They are now just two series wins from completing the goal, but they are behind in the series, so there is work to be done.

The Avalanche have had a fairly easy run in this postseason. They swept the Kings in the first round. Two of the games were close — the first two of the postseason were 2-1 wins. In the second round, Colorado won 4-1. These games weren’t very close. The team won three of their four games by three goals. The close-out game was a 4-3 win in overtime. They should have Scott Wedgewood in the net tonight. He was the league’s best goalie with a 2.02 goals-against per game average and a .921 save percentage. His save percentage has gone down to .911 in the postseason.

In Game 1, the Avalanche struggled to get things going on offense. They still had 10 more shots than the Golden Knights, but they couldn’t find the back of the net. They won in virtually every stat with the exception of the one that matters most — goals scored.

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Tonight in Game 2, expect a mad Avalanche team. They haven’t lost two games in a row this postseason, and during the regular season, they only lost two or more games in a row six times. I’m not backing them on the puck line or the money line because I don’t like the odds. Instead, I’m taking the under 6.5 goals. Both goalies have been very strong and should continue to be locked in here. Give me the under.

Mets-Nationals NL East showdown features two starters who have been hit hard by opposing lineups

Thu, 21 May 2026 13:18:08 -0400

The weekend was filled with what Major League Baseball was referring to as "rivalry weekend." To start this week, they paired up divisional matchups for almost every team in baseball. These games feel more like the real rivalries, and they probably have more meaning for most teams. The Mets and the Nationals take each other on in a National League East battle.

The New York Mets are one of the disappointments of the first quarter of the season. They come into today's contest with a 21-28 record for the year, and it isn't just a losing record on the road that is causing issues. The team doesn't have a ton of terrible stats, but they are struggling to hit consistently. As a team they are batting .232, which is 24th in the league. They are also at just 202 runs for the season, putting them at 22nd in the league.

The pitching staff has been surprisingly good. As a team, they have a 3.91 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. The ERA ranks at 11th in the league, and the WHIP sits at 15th. If the hitting comes around, which it should given their hitters, the Mets should be fine. Hoping for some run support is David Peterson, who makes the start for the Mets today. He is 2-4 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. On the road, Peterson has been a bit better, but his numbers still look ugly with a 4.50 road ERA. His past three road starts haven't been long, but he has allowed just two earned runs over 12.2 innings. Peterson has been hit hard by the Nationals in the past, going 27-for-97. However, only three of those hits went for extra bases.

The Washington Nationals are one of the bigger surprises of the first quarter of the season. They are 25-25 before the opening pitch of this one. They are just 10-15 at home, though. This was still expected to be a bit of a rebuild year for the club. However, the Nationals have found some success with a variety of their young talent. They even recently called up Dylan Crews, who is expected to be one of the mainstays in their lineup for years.

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The Nationals don't have a ton of great pitching they can rely on, unfortunately. Their starting pitcher for tonight's contest is Cade Cavalli, who owns a 2-2 record with a 4.05 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. He has been slightly better at home, going 1-1 with a 3.75 home ERA. He has only allowed four or more earned runs in one of his 10 outings, but only three of his starts have seen him complete at least six innings. The Mets have hit Cavalli well in the past, going 10-for-23 against him.

I have a couple of considerations for player props, and I think I will play both of these even if they aren't for full units. Juan Soto has gone 4-for-5 against Cavalli with two extra base hits. Soto getting 2+ total bases at +131 is worth a play. CJ Abrams has done poorly against Peterson, going 4-for-22. He does make decent contact against him, so this isn't a great opportunity, but under 0.5 hits at +147 is a solid look.

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I'm taking the over in this game. The total is at just 7.5 runs, and both offenses have shown success against the opposing starter. Both teams have had hot bats lately as well, and I don't expect that to slow down here. Give me the over 7.5. I also like the Nationals to win this game, but that's more of a lean than anything.

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Sen Blackburn says sports betting hearing likely first of ‘several’ as Congress weighs federal action

Thu, 21 May 2026 05:45:38 -0400

Sen. Marsha Blackburn says Congress is not done looking into the rapid expansion of sports betting and prediction markets.

In fact, Wednesday's hearing may have only been the beginning.

Blackburn, R-Tenn., who chairs the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy, told 91�� Digital/OutKick after the hearing that lawmakers now have to determine where Congress should step in and where states should remain in control. Plus, she stressed the importance of protecting the integrity of American sports before the problem gets worse.

"One of the things for consideration today [was] looking at the impact on the integrity of sports and gaming and then saying, all right, how do we make certain that we preserve fair play," Blackburn said.

The hearing, titled "No Sure Bets: Protecting Sports Integrity in America," examined the rise of legal sports betting, sports-related prediction markets, gambling addiction, social media advertising and recent scandals involving alleged manipulation in professional and college sports.

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Blackburn said one of the biggest takeaways was the need to figure out the proper role for federal regulators versus state gaming officials.

"You heard a good bit today about the regulation on the prediction markets, the difference there against what you have as betting and gaming," Blackburn told 91�� Digital/OutKick. "And we are going to have to parse out what part of that should be federal and what is best left to state regulators."

That question sat at the center of the hearing.

Sports betting is currently regulated primarily at the state level. But prediction markets, which allow users to trade contracts tied to future events, have argued that they fall under federal commodities law and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

That distinction has become more important as some prediction markets have moved into sports-related event contracts.

To critics, that looks a lot like sports betting with a different name.

"You do have to ask that legitimate question, what part of this prediction market participation is going to fall into that betting?" Blackburn said. "And what part is called by just another name, betting? And then what is more of a traditional prediction market, if there is such a thing at this point, and should stay with the CFTC."

American Gaming Association President and CEO Bill Miller was much more direct during the hearing.

Miller accused prediction markets of operating as "backdoor sports betting operations" and argued they are undercutting the state and tribal gaming systems that have been built since the Supreme Court struck down the federal sports betting ban (PASPA) in 2018.

"They are running sports books at a national level without any of the regulatory constraints and frameworks that have been created either in Tennessee or in any other state that has chosen to legalize sports betting," Miller testified.

Former Rep. Patrick McHenry, who now serves as senior advisor for the Coalition for Prediction Markets, pushed back.

McHenry argued that prediction markets are fundamentally different from sportsbooks because users trade against each other, while the platform collects transaction fees.

"In a casino or sportsbook, the house sets the odds and profits when customers lose," McHenry said. "In a prediction market exchange, participants trade with one another, while the platform earns transaction fees for facilitating the market."

Several senators were not buying it.

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said he would have a hard time explaining the distinction to people back home.

"If I were hearing that back in Utah, I would say I think something might happen, I’m going to put money down on it, and I have the chance of either making more money or losing money on that," Curtis said. "Tell me how that is not gambling."

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. put it even more plainly.

"If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it’s probably a duck," Rosen said.

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But prediction markets were only part of the hearing.

Blackburn also made clear she is concerned about young people being exposed to gambling content online.

In her opening statement, Blackburn said sports bring families together and teach young people about "teamwork, discipline, sacrifice, and fair play." But she warned that fans do not want to wonder whether games are being rigged or whether a player missed a free throw "to make an extra buck on the side."

She also pointed to the explosion of legal sports betting on mobile devices.

"What was once limited to a handful of locations is now available in almost every single corner of the country," Blackburn said during the hearing. "It is carried with you night and day. It is right there on your mobile device."

Currently, sports betting is legal in 39 states and Washington, D.C. Prediction markets are largely legal in all 50 states.

Blackburn then turned to young people.

"Our young men are in crisis, with over one third of boys between the ages of 11 and 17 admitting to gambling last year," Blackburn said. "Sixty percent of those who have seen gambling content online said they had it surfaced through their social media algorithms. It was served to [them]. They didn’t search for it. This is not safe. It needs to stop."

She added during the hearing that "advertising to minors is disgusting."

After the hearing, Blackburn told 91�� Digital/OutKick that companies cannot simply say they are not targeting minors while advertising in spaces where minors spend time.

"I do indeed think that they need to bring some clarity to this," Blackburn said. "I thought whether it was gaming or whether it was prediction markets, the fact that they’re both advertising on these social media platforms — now we know who is the primary audience and the target audience when it comes to these platforms like Instagram, like Snapchat, TikTok."

Blackburn said those platforms are designed to capture younger users and keep them engaged.

"You look at the fact that you’ve got these advertisements and these pop-up ads and algorithms that continue to bring things back to these children," Blackburn said. "It’s not a one and done... It is the repetition."

That, she said, is where the industry's defense is not good enough.

"It is insufficient to say, ‘We do not market to teenagers and we do not market to young people under the age of 18 or 21,’ when those are the places that they are advertising," Blackburn said.

Dr. Harry Levant, director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute and a recovering gambling addict, delivered some of the most forceful testimony of the hearing.

He warned that microbetting, bets tied to rapid in-game events, is especially dangerous.

"The human brain is not built to absorb an addictive product every 10 seconds or less," Levant testified.

Levant argued that sports leagues, gambling companies, data providers and technology companies have created a model that pushes fans toward constant in-game wagering.

"Sports have become the equivalent of a nonstop slot machine because of these data deals," Levant said.

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Scott Sadin, co-founder and co-CEO of Integrity Compliance 360, also testified that some bets are more vulnerable to manipulation than others.

"I certainly would categorize a couple of different types of markets as more vulnerable or more susceptible to manipulation," Sadin said. "Generally speaking, player props, microbetting, in-game markets, circumstances in which an individual or singular person may have more impact than a group."

That matters because recent scandals have already raised concerns about athletes, inside information and suspicious betting patterns.

Blackburn referenced "high profile examples of match-fixing in the NBA and MLB" in her prepared opening statement and said they challenge Americans’ trust in the integrity of sports.

One of the clearest examples is the federal case involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who were indicted on charges tied to an alleged scheme to rig specific pitches so bettors could cash prop bets. Both players have pleaded not guilty, and MLB said in March that the pitchers would remain on non-disciplinary leave without pay while the league’s investigation and legal proceedings continue.

Tennessee Sports Wagering Council Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas testified that Tennessee has already moved to block some of the highest-risk bets. She said the state bans individual college player prop bets, live team props for college sports and wagers tied to injuries or penalties.

Thomas also said Tennessee regulators had investigated 25 potential integrity cases involving suspicious betting activity that could have indicated the use of inside information. She said 17 of those matters had been closed and referred to sports governing bodies or law enforcement, including 13 referrals to the FBI.

Blackburn praised Thomas during the hearing and pointed to the work being done by state regulators. But she also said Congress now has to decide whether that state-by-state approach is enough.

"That is one of the issues that we as a committee are going to need to address," Blackburn told 91�� Digital/OutKick. "What is going to be a minimum federal standard and the states can set their regulation accordingly? Do we want to do this, or is this an activity that should be left directly to the states?"

Blackburn said the committee is not finished.

"This was the first of what I think will be several hearings," she said.

Blackburn said states are already exercising their authority, including through lawsuits against some prediction-market companies. But she warned that inaction could push more gambling activity into offshore or illicit spaces without real oversight.

"One of the concerns is the fact that you would see more offshore illicit, illegitimate activity, that there would be no way for there to be any governance or oversight," Blackburn said.

That, in her view, is why Congress cannot ignore the issue.

"Making certain that laws are in place in the physical space are replicated in some way in the virtual space is going to be important for Congress to step in and take an action," Blackburn said.

Betting outlook focuses on the total as the Brewers take on the Cubs in series finale

Wed, 20 May 2026 13:53:40 -0400

The Chicago Cubs have been in the news quite a bit this week, mostly because of their center fielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong. If you haven't seen the video of him this past weekend, it really isn't worth your time.

He said some unsavory things to a fan who was trash-talking him. As is the case with most things now, it was greatly overblown. The Cubs try to put that behind them tonight as they host the Brewers, and we try and capture a unit off of the game.

The Brewers are once again one of the best teams in baseball. There has to be some sort of Milwaukee Magic, because there really is no logical explanation for their success. I often wonder why it works for some franchises and not others. The Brewers continue to rid their team of their best players and big contracts, but it works.

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Is it good scouting? Great development? I really have no idea, but probably some sort of combination that other clubs haven't figured out. The Brewers get it, though, and have ridden this season to a 28-18 record as of today.

Their hitting is probably best described as professional. It is kind of a boring term to say about a team, but it is intended as a compliment. They tend to get the best out of their pitching staff as well, finding diamonds in the rough and developing good arms in the minors.

The Brewers send out Kyle Harrison to the hill on Wednesday night. He is 4-1 for the season with a 2.09 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. He hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any game this season, but he also has only completed at least five innings in five of his eight starts. Cubs hitters are 0-for-6 against Harrison.

It hasn't been a great stretch for the northsiders of Chicago. Aside from the "negative" publicity surrounding Crow-Armstrong, the team has fallen out of first place in the division, and lost four straight games. A cooling off was expected, but this has been a brutal stretch.

They won 10 straight games twice, going 20-3 from April 14 until May 8. Since that day, the Cubs have been 2-8. Even returning home hasn't cured what ails them, losing the first two games of this series.

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG GETS INTO UGLY, CURSE-FILLED SCREAMING MATCH WITH FEMALE WHITE SOX FAN

It is hard to decide exactly what to make of the Cubs this year. Are those winning streaks flukes? Or are the losing streaks? Or will this be a .500 club with high-highs and low-lows? We know their pitching staff has been decimated, so maybe that can be addressed. One person they went out and got during the offseason to address those issues takes the mound on Wednesday.

Edward Cabrera takes the pill against the Brewers. Cabrera is 3-1 with a 4.06 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He has been solid at Wrigley Field with a 3.60 home ERA. For the most part, he has consistently allowed three earned runs in his starts. That includes three allowed in six of his past seven outings. Brewers hitters are 10-for-41 against Cabrera.

I'm not really sure how you can support the Cubs at the moment. Their pitching looks really bad, and the Brewers are on a heater. After losing to the Brewers in the postseason, you would think they would've put up a better fight, but the Cubs have been outscored 14-5 in the two games this series.

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This game doesn't bode much better for the Cubbies. I would be surprised to see them win this one, but I do think they have a better opportunity than they did yesterday. This game has the lowest total on the board, but I don't see either team just posting zeroes. Give me the over 6.5 in this one.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

Dallas Wings look to capitalize on Chicago Sky's Rickea Jackson injury in WNBA road matchup tonight

Wed, 20 May 2026 13:33:12 -0400

I often think about how lucky we are that we are presented with sporting events every night. Sure, most countries have some sort of sport -- tennis or soccer, usually -- but America gets a ton of options almost every night. Tonight we have the NHL and NBA Playoffs, baseball, soccer and the WNBA. You may not watch it all, but I'll be betting on them, and I've got a play to share on the Wings vs. Sky game.

The Dallas Wings have won the past two WNBA Drafts. Coming into this year, I expected them to be one of the most improved teams in the league. It wasn't just that they took the best player available in Azzi Fudd, it was the other offseason additions. They added a defensive presence in Alanna Smith, mostly a 3-and-D player. That was one of their biggest issues from last year. They have a new coach, one that the team seems to respect this time.

It hasn't translated to excellence yet; the team is just 2-2, but it takes time for things to click and adjustments to be made. They still have one of the best young players in the game in Paige Bueckers, and one of the better scorers in Arike Ogunbowale. I think a bigger concern for me is that Smith is only scoring 4.3 points per game, and Fudd is shooting just 20% from three this season. Both numbers should improve as the year goes along.

I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong, and so far, I've been wrong about the Chicago Sky. I wasn't advocating that they keep Angel Reese, but they've traded away so many players from their team or released draft picks, so it made it hard to imagine that this team was going to have any success. They made some good offseason additions, and the team looks like they are clicking. Unfortunately for them, Rickea Jackson, who was having a great start to the year, just tore her ACL and is done for the year.

AZZI FUDD GOES NO 1 IN WNBA DRAFT TO WINGS, REUNITES WITH PAIGE BUECKERS WITH HISTORIC $500K SALARY

The team does have enough veterans to keep itself afloat. The question is mostly about who will take over the scoring load for the team. I guess it will be distributed to everyone on the roster, as they don't seem to have any one person that I can identify as making up the bulk of Jackson's shots. I'm still not convinced they are going to be a great team; three of the four teams they faced will struggle to make the playoffs, but I did expect the Sky to be one of the worst in the league.

I don't really like taking teams on the road as a favorite. However, I think this is going to be a very tough game for the Sky to figure out what to do without Jackson. They can certainly pull it out, because, as mentioned, they have veterans who know what they are doing. However, I think this gives the Wings a good opportunity to steal a road game.

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I want to take the over, but I only have a lean on the play. Everyone seems to score on the Wings, but I think the Chicago offense takes a step back. Given that the best players are on the Wings, and they have better shooting and playmaking, I'm taking the Wings to win and cover the -3.5.

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PGA TOUR: THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2026 best bets, 'One-and-Done' pick for TPC Craig Ranch

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:21:48 -0400

"No days (weeks) off" is my mantra when it comes to betting on the PGA TOUR. And man, you have to be a golf gambling sicko to bet THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas this week.

If it weren't for native Texans Scottie Scheffler (reigning Byron Nelson champion) and Jordan Spieth wanting to play in their home state, this field would be brutal.

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Out of embarrassment, because Scottie won last year's Byron Nelson by eight shots, with a -31, millions of dollars worth of renovations were invested into TPC Craig Ranch this offseason to make the course harder.

The fairways are now Zoysiagrass, the rough is Bermudagrass and the greens have Bentgrass. Bermuda is the trickiest grass to hit out of and the ball sits up on Zoysiagrass. So, there is a bigger penalty for missing the fairway this week. Bent greens are firmer and faster, which makes putting tougher.

That said, the average winning score over the last Byron Nelsons is roughly -26 and this will still be a birdie-fest. With that in mind, I'm not wasting units (u) on placement bets since this event is so volatile. Here are my best bets for TPC Craig Ranch this week.

2026 THE CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting card

The following odds are based on my previous bets on the golfers listed below. Subject to change.

Pierceson Coody +4579 at Kalshi (0.44u)
Michael Thorbjornsen +4800 at Kalshi (0.42u)
Davis Thompson +5400 at Kalshi (0.37u)
Tom Kim +7200 at DraftKings (0.28u)
Michael Brennan +7800 at Kalshi (0.26u)
Jhonattan Vegas +23400 at Kalshi (0.09u)

Pierceson Coody

A native Longhorn and University of Texas alum, Coody has to be familiar with playing in the windy, hot Texas weather conditions. He looked great at the beginning of the season, struggled in March and started picking it back up in April and May.

Coody didn’t qualify for The Masters, but he finished T16 at the 2026 RBC Heritage, T38 at the Cadillac Championship and T24 at the Truist Championship, all signature events.

Granted, Coody did miss the cut at last week’s PGA Championship. However, he was 14th in the field in putting in the first two rounds and Aronimink Golf Club (host of the 2026 PGA Championship) has Bent greens, like TPC Craig Ranch.

Last year, Coody was second in the Byron Nelson in Strokes Gained (SG): Off-the-tee (OTT) while finishing T25 with a -14. This season, he ranks 22nd on TOUR in proximity to the hole on approach shots from 200+ yards.

If he combines this year’s long-iron play with his driving at TPC Craig Ranch and last week’s putting in the PGA Championship, Coody will be in the mix to win the 2026 Byron Nelson.

Michael Thorbjornsen

I've lost so much money on this kid, but I'm not losing faith in his potential and these are great odds relative to the field strength and his prices at previous tournaments.

The 2024 PGA TOUR University valedictorian had the shorter odds to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (+4000), a signature event featuring the best players on TOUR, and the Texas Children's Houston Open (+3000), which also had a tougher field.

He was T33 at last year's Byron Nelson and gained strokes ball-striking (driving and approach). Over the last 20 rounds, Thorbjornsen is 10th on my model at Bet The Number because he nukes the ball OTT and is great with his long irons.

Davis Thompson

The Georgia Bulldog hasn’t qualified for the majors or signature events, so he’s been "out of sight, out of mind". Thompson has finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and T13 at the Myrtle Beach Classic in his last two starts.

Over his last 16 rounds, Davis is third in this field for SG: Tee-to-Green (T2G), behind Scheffler and the fourth-betting favorite, Brooks Koepka, according to Betsperts Golf.

Thompson might be someone to bet when he has good lead-in form because Davis finished T9 at the 2022 U.S. Open and T2 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in his two starts before winning the John Deere Classic that year.

Like the Byron Nelson, the John Deere is played at another easy TPC course. At the end of the day, I clicked Thompson because he is just 26 years old and a flusher, who I still believe has a bright future in golf.

Tom Kim

This is another talented golfer whom I'm "buying the dip" on. Kim has 10 professional wins, including three on the PGA TOUR, and has contended in big-boy events and majors. He is only 23 years old and I'm not ready to give up on him.

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The South Korean finished T6 at Myrtle Beach in his last start and T18 at the Valspar Championship four starts back. Despite struggling over the last two seasons, Kim is still elite with his irons and accurate with his driver.

Michael Brennan

Brennan is third in my model at Betsperts Golf. He ranks third in driving distance on TOUR this year and sixth in approach shots from 200+ yards. Brennan has gained strokes with his driver in five straight starts, including one signature event (RBC Heritage) and two majors (The Masters and PGA Championship).

The Wake Forest Demon Deacon burst onto the scene during the 2025 FedExCup Fall swing by winning the Bank of Utah Championship by four strokes at another easy, driver-heavy Tom Weiskopf course with Bent greens. Brennan hasn't been in the mix since, but this is a great price and course fit.

Jhonattan Vegas

The price (234-to-1) pretty much explains the bet. Vegas is a four-time winner on TOUR and showed some life at last week's PGA Championship, where he was second in the field in SG: T2G. Unfortunately, Vegas lost the most strokes putting (-7.62) and finished T44.

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Nevertheless, one of his four wins was the 3M Open in 2024 at another easy, driver-heavy TPC course (Twin Cities). Vegas's best finish this year is a T14 in the Houston Open and his third-best finish last season was T13 at the Byron Nelson.

_____________________________

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2026 'One-and-Done' Pick: Pierceson Coody

Mayo Cup Season Standings: 4,318th with $3,704,338

At this point, I'm playing for honor, because barring a crazy heater, my hopes of making money in this racket are over. "Contest strategy" and "contrarian plays" don't even matter anymore. I say this because I'm taking Coody here, even though he will be popular this week.

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.

Bet on Angels to ride momentum after Zack Neto's walk-off homer ended Athletics' no-hit bid

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:30:05 -0400

We were treated to a fantastic NBA Playoff game last night, and a very good NHL Playoff game as well, so I wouldn't blame you if you missed some of what happened in the baseball games. The Mets scored 10 runs in an inning, and the Diamondbacks, Rays and Marlins put up double-digit runs. The Padres shut out the Dodgers 1-0, but the best game was between these two, the Athletics and Angels.

The Athletics had a chance to make some history last night, but it didn't happen. They had a no-hitter going from J.T. Ginn. The Athletics finally scored a run in the top of the ninth inning and were leading the game 1-0. Ginn went out and was ready to complete the game. Unfortunately for him, the first batter he faced, Adam Frazier, hit a single. The next batter, Zack Neto, hit a two-run homer, winning the game for the Angels. It was a rough way for the Athletics to lose and put them under .500 for the season.

Looking to turn their fate today is Jacob Lopez. I'm sure that Ginn's start, while having a disappointing ending, inspired the team to try and deliver their absolute best. I'm not sure that Lopez has the stuff to get a no-hitter done or deliver a clean game at all. He is 3-2 with a 5.80 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP for the season. He is about the same on the road as he is at home in terms of performances. He has never faced any Angels hitters before today.

The Los Angeles Angels had hope for a little while in this season. However, the last 30 days have been a complete disaster. They were 11-10 on April 17. They are now 17-31, going 6-21 over their last 27 games. Here is what that stretch has looked like: four losses, a win, seven losses, a win, two losses, two wins, two losses, a win, six losses and Monday's win. That's a really tough stretch of baseball to deal with. The good news is that this division is still winnable if they can turn things around quickly.

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Mike Trout is having a somewhat resurgent season, but it looks like it will be wasted again. Maybe last night will give them some momentum. Looking to capture that momentum is Reid Detmers, who makes the start tonight. Detmers is just 1-4 for the season with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He has been about the same on the road as he has been at home. None of his starts have been terrible. He only has two outings where he has allowed more than three earned runs. Athletics hitters are 8-for-32 against him, but outside of Jonah Heim, the team is 3-for-14.

A day after the teams combined for three total runs, the teams have an opportunity to knock around a couple of pitchers. Detmers is the better starter in the game, and I think that type of thing matters. We should expect the Angels to win this game. However, I don't trust either team's bullpen. I'm going to take the Angels through five innings.

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I don't have a player prop, but I do lean to the over through five innings and for the full game. Both teams struggled to score yesterday, so I think the bats heat up a bit in this one. The problem is neither team is all that great on offense, so I would only sprinkle this, or just not play it at all.

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Brendan Sorsby’s lawsuit against NCAA could set a dangerous precedent in college sports moving forward

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:01:22 -0400

Brendan Sorsby's college football career should likely be over, according to rules put in place, after the gambling revelations detailed this week in a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by his own attorneys.

At a time when athletes are suing the NCAA over nearly every restriction tied to earning opportunities, this case feels far more straightforward. But because the lawsuit was filed in Lubbock, Texas, Sorsby’s legal team is clearly hoping a local judge grants an injunction that allows the Texas Tech quarterback back onto the field for the 2026 season.

Yes, that's what this case has come down to, which makes this situation so troubling on multiple fronts. At its core, it's clear that this young man is battling a disease, while his lawyers battle the NCAA.

BRENDAN SORSBY ADMITS TO GAMBLING ON HIS OWN TEAM, SUES NCAA IN LUBBOCK COURT FOR INJUNCTION

I’ll criticize the NCAA when it deserves it. The organization has repeatedly lost credibility in its attempts to regulate college athletics, especially in the NIL era. But this case is different. Schools and the NCAA have spent years warning athletes about the dangers and consequences tied to sports gambling.

For their part, programs like Indiana and Cincinnati — where Sorsby previously played — provide athletes with presentations, educational resources and guest speakers focused on gambling risks and NCAA rules. At some point, personal responsibility has to matter.

NCAA can only do so much, common sense has to prevail with gambling

Schools cannot monitor athletes every second of the day, at least not in person. This is why third-party integrity companies are hired by conferences and schools to keep track of athletes' potential betting.

And while gambling companies and integrity-monitoring firms can flag suspicious activity, there are countless ways around safeguards — offshore sportsbooks, third-party accounts or unregulated betting platforms.

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In reality, there's only so much the "betting-integrity" companies can do if an athlete is using an offshore account, or an unregulated betting company that makes it hard for regulators to keep tabs on through their integrated system.

But, in this case, the evidence is right there in the lawsuit filed by Brendan Sorsby against the NCAA.

"During his first football season, while on Indiana’s 'scout team,' Mr. Sorsby placed small bets—typically between $5 and $50—on the Indiana football team to win or for teammates to exceed expectations," the complaint reads. "He was not traveling with the team, and not privy to game plans; betting was his way of feeling connected to a team he could only watch from the sidelines.

"For clarity, he never bet on a game he played in or had a reasonable chance of playing in (he wasn’t playing in games at the time), and he never made any bets in a manner that could impact the outcome of any game or undermine the integrity of any game."

After placing thousands of bets on a plethora of events that included Romanian soccer, tennis, a hot dog eating contest and obviously football, the NCAA was finally made aware of his transgressions in April, years after he placed his first bets while in high school.

HAIL MARY IN LUBBOCK: BRENDAN SORSBY’S LAST SHOT AT BEATING NCAA GAMBLING ALLEGATIONS

Why would Sorsby feel the need to bet on a team he was playing for?

According to the lawsuit, Sorsby wanted to feel "connected" and have a real "stake" in games he wasn’t involved in at Indiana, having only participated in one game that season in which he redshirted.

That's it, right there. That's essentially one of the main reasons we're at this point today. As bad as I feel for someone who is battling an addiction of this magnitude, the rules were broken, even if they came to light years later. And sometimes, it takes being brought to the table with your problem to truly understand you need help battling this issue that has led to such poor decisions being made.

Seems as though Sorsby has bigger issues than playing for Texas Tech

There’s also a larger human element here that shouldn’t be ignored.

Addiction is real. It destroys lives, families, and careers. So, we should all show some grace during his fight.

In the case of Brendan Sorsby, I can't help but feel slightly perturbed by the lawsuit filed in hopes of getting him eligible for the upcoming season so he can potentially lead Texas Tech to a College Football Playoff spot.

In their filing, Sorsby himself submitted a plea to the judge that he hopes will sway the court to grant him an injunction.

"If I cannot practice with the team, it will be severely detrimental to my mental health and my development as an athlete. Without access to coaching, teammates and on-field repetitions, I cannot develop the chemistry and skills necessary to start at quarterback in the 2026 season—and each additional day away compounds that harm. These developmental opportunities cannot be replaced or replicated."

I'm sorry, but if this man is dealing with the type of addiction that has him placing somewhere around 10,000 bets over a four-year time period, and he's admitted himself to a treatment facility in hopes of beating this addiction, it should not matter that he wouldn’t be able to "develop the chemistry and skills necessary" to be the starting quarterback at Texas Tech, along with collecting a paycheck around the $5 million range.

Sorsby offered to take a two-game suspension and have his reinstatement contingent on him completing his addiction treatment. But, it seems as though we're missing the bigger point.

Football is not something that is going to disappear for Sorsby. He will get his shot at playing in the NFL, whether that's the supplemental draft or next year's annual NFL Draft.

"The NCAA has diagnosed the disease. Its response is to punish and abandon the patient," Sorsby's attorneys wrote in their filing.

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NCAA does have a right to investigate, especially unregulated gambling

While Texas Tech and attorneys for Sorsby claim that the data shows there are zero "integrity" issues that arose from the data provided by betting companies, his representatives were hesitant to provide bank statements, text messages, or Venmo transactions dating back to December 2023.

I would have to assume the NCAA was looking for any type of records pertaining to unregulated apps that are harder to trace compared to your everyday gambling sites.

In other words, the NCAA wanted more time to investigate, while Sorsby is essentially on the clock in terms of playing in 2026 or declaring for the NFL supplemental draft. Unfortunately for the quarterback, that's a personal problem that comes when you break the rules and not the NCAA's fault, especially when they were just made aware of this all in April.

For this matter, I can't fault the NCAA for wanting to do its due diligence, while also knowing Texas Tech could offer to keep him around the program and complete his education while helping him continue battling his addiction.

The NCAA didn’t create Brendan Sorsby’s gambling problem. In this case, a judge in Lubbock, Texas, could set a horrible precedent if he rules in the favor of Sorsby.

And while the organization deserves criticism in plenty of other areas, this probably isn’t one of them.

Maybe the attorneys for Sorsby should be suing the gambling companies, if this is the type of defense they are hoping a Lubbock judge agrees with.

Red Sox backed to beat Royals through five innings thanks to major pitching mismatch on the mound

Tue, 19 May 2026 11:42:42 -0400

It was a fairly average day in baseball yesterday. I had two main plays and some player props. The first play was between the Reds and the Phillies, with Cincinnati winning in the first five innings. They tied through five, so it was a wash. But, I did hit two player props, giving some profit. Unfortunately, the Guardians broke out the bats yesterday and took all of that away. I'm switching to a different series here as the Red Sox take on the Royals.

The Boston Red Sox are struggling to begin the season, and they've already made a move within their clubhouse. They fired manager Alex Cora, which was a bit of a surprise. I think the team was probably acting a little quicker than they needed to, but maybe they thought the shakeup would turn things around. It has worked for the Phillies, who made the same move. However, it hasn't worked for the Red Sox. They are in last place in the division and just 20-27 for the season.

They do have some reason to be encouraged about today's outing. They have their offseason signing, and arguably their best pitcher going today in Ranger Suarez. For the year, Suarez is 2-2 with a 2.44 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. It is still early, but this is the best WHIP of Suarez's career. He also has his best ERA since he was a mixture of a reliever and a starter. He has been solid on the road, despite it being just three starts. In 18.1 innings, he has allowed just 11 hits and four earned runs. He hasn't allowed a run in his past 17.1 innings, and actually has five starts with no earned runs allowed, and three with four earned runs allowed. Royals hitters are batting .286 against Suarez.

Coming into this season, the American League Central looked like a battle between the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians. Two teams have winning records in the division: the Guardians and the Chicago White Sox. The Minnesota Twins are above the Royals and Tigers. That should give you a bit of a picture of just how bad this year has been for the Royals. The good news is that the division is still jumbled up, and the Royals are just 6.5 games back.

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Their statistics are actually pretty decent as a team, so it might just be a matter of time before the wins start coming. They probably could use a bit of help in the pitching department, as the team has a 4.26 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Bailey Falter is making a start today for the club. He has thrown 5.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits and three walks. Falter has, well, faltered since coming over to the Royals last year. He has made seven total appearances since last year and has allowed 10 walks, 31 hits and 21 earned runs over 17.1 innings. Falter has allowed three hits to Red Sox hitters in 23 at-bats, so maybe there is a chance for a good outing.

Even though Falter has decent numbers against the Red Sox, I'm not betting on it happening today. The Red Sox and Royals are both fairly average. However, there is a major pitching disparity on the mound today. We've seen that Suarez is either completely locked in or it is a struggle to the tune of four earned runs. I'm backing him to be locked in. I prefer to take them through five at -125.

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I don't see any player props that stand out today, so I'll skip those for this game.

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Brendan Sorsby admits to gambling on his own team, sues NCAA in Lubbock court for injunction

Mon, 18 May 2026 16:29:48 -0400

Brendan Sorsby has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in hopes of a local judge granting an injunction that would allow him to play this season for Texas Tech, after admitting to gambling on games that involved a school he was enrolled at.

The complaint, filed on Monday, stems from an ongoing investigation into Sorsby for past gambling wagers he placed, which include his time playing for the Indiana Hoosiers.

"Mr. Sorsby is currently ineligible to play for Texas Tech due to prior violations of the NCAA's sports gambling rules. Rather than support a student-athlete's recovery from a gambling addiction, the NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity," the complaint reads.

Brendan Sorsby at crossroads: NCAA gambling probe could end Texas Tech QB's college career

According to lawyers representing Sorsby, they asked the NCAA for a "reasonable discipline," but not a full loss of eligibility at Texas Tech for the upcoming season. The NCAA did not want to negotiate with Sorsby, according to his lawyer, but rather stonewalled the process.

Sources tell OutKick that Texas Tech was made aware of the NCAA investigating its quarterback last month. Also, he placed nearly 10,000 bets over the years, most of them being small wagers on sports like the UFC, Romanian soccer, tennis, baseball and even the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.

But placing bets on college football would end up being the crux of where we are today. where we are today.

Lawsuit is based on time, as they admit gambling while at Indiana

In his defense for an injunction, the attorney representing Sorsby pointed to the "facts," as they perceive them.

"The facts are straightforward, Mr. Sorsby is a college quarterback who developed a gambling addiction. He bet on sports using only public information. He never bet against his own team or players on his team, never used or shared inside information, and never manipulated a game. The NCAA's own robust, real-time integrity-monitoring systems confirm this."

Hail Mary in Lubbock: Brendan Sorsby’s last shot at beating NCAA gambling allegations

However, Sorsby admits in his filing that he did place bets on his own team while at Indiana.

"Mr. Sorsby placed small bets -- typically between $5 and $50 -- in support of Indiana. In other words, he placed bets on Indiana to win or score more than a certain number of points or for the quarterback to throw for more than a certain number of touchdowns or yards. He rationalized these bets as a way to feel more connected to the team, rooting for his friends and feeling like he had a real "stake" in games despite being otherwise uninvolved."

A bevy of arguments against the NCAA that Sorsby hopes will work

So, one of the defenses for the quarterback is that he was betting out of the goodness of his heart, and for the Hoosiers while he was on the scout team.

Attorneys noted that when he was named the backup quarterback in 2022, he did not wager on any games involving Indiana football.

We will see if a judge decides that this defense is strong enough to show sympathy for the ongoing gambling addiction, in his push for eligibility.

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The NCAA has a strict policy on gambling, especially when it involves a player's own team. Even though Sorsby was redshirting that season, and played in one game, this is obviously still against the rules.

"The NCAA has manufactured an impossible bind: it delays its reinstatement decision while the NFL deadline closes in, forcing Mr. Sorsby to choose between surrendering college eligibility he wants to retain, while risking the loss of a full year of competitive football entirely. This is not equity. Mr. Sorsby has diligently pursued every alternative avenue for relief, but he is not obligated to continue doing so in light of the irreparable harm he now faces. Only this Court can hold the NCAA to its own rules -- and provide Mr. Sorsby and Texas Tech the timely relief they are owed."

In a statement to OutKick, the NCAA says they have not received any notice from the Sorsby camp around reinstatement.

"The NCAA has not received a reinstatement request for this case. The NCAA generally doesn't comment on pending reinstatement requests, but the Association's sports betting rules are clear, as are the reinstatement conditions," the organization noted. "When it comes to betting on one's own team, these rules must be enforced in every case for the simple reason that the integrity of the game is at risk.

"Every sports league has these protections in place, and the NCAA will continue to apply them equally because every student-athlete competing deserves to know they're playing a fair game."

Attorneys for Texas Tech QB say NCAA faces no harm

In reality, this move to sue the NCAA is Sorsby hoping to expedite this process and determine if he will be eligible in any way to play this upcoming season.

In his defense, Sorsby is claiming that his mental health condition is being used against him in this situation with the NCAA.

"The NCAA has refused to process his reinstatement request in a timely fashion as required by its own procedures, which typically call for review within 48 hours. The NCAA’s reasons have been pretextual. First, it demanded years of bank records, credit card statements, Venmo transactions, phone logs, text messages, and social media records and insisted on a live interview that would force Mr. Sorsby to interrupt residential treatment," the complaint reads.

In their overwhelming argument, Sorsby is claiming the NCAA will suffer no harm in allowing the quarterback to play this season, and their tactics in stalling a decision will lead to further harm. The complaint states that Sorsby only has until June 22 to make a decision regarding the NFL Supplemental Draft, and the NCAA is dragging its feet in this process.

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"The NCAA will suffer no cognizable harm from letting Mr. Sorsby play football while this case proceeds. But if this Court does not act, no future judgment can give Mr. Sorsby what the NCAA will have taken from him."

Now, we will find out if a Lubbock judge decides that this is enough to grant an injunction, though this would set a wild precedent if Sorsby is allowed to play for Texas Tech in 2026.

Greed meets greed: DraftKings to close its Wrigley Field sportsbook at the end of May over Illinois tax

Mon, 18 May 2026 12:33:22 -0400

After just two years, DraftKings announced it was closing its Wrigley Field sportsbook May 31. DraftKings threw Illinois' sports gambling tax structure under the bus in a statement published in the Chicago Tribune.

The Illinois "tax structure" that DraftKings references in its Chicago Tribune statement is a 25-cent tax on the first 20 million internet-based bets annually, then 50 cents thereafter, which went into effect on July 1, 2025.

OBVIOUSLY, THE ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO RUIN SPORTS BETTING FOR RESIDENTS

Not all the fun will be stopped at DraftKings' Wrigley Field spot. The restaurant, bar and sports entertainment establishment will stay open.

I'm sure the Wi-Fi will be stronger than ever to help patrons place bets through the DraftKings' app. Granted, that doesn't address the core issue because the tax applies to internet wagers, not to in-person ones.

It's hard to feel bad for anyone here. I definitely don't feel bad for DraftKings, which "floods the zone" with nonstop marketing and preys on junkies and college students.

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Nor the Illinois state government, whose legislation caused the licensed sports book operators to pass the tax on to their customers. This type of tax will push gamblers toward making illegal bets with offshore sports books and organized crime.

Also, based on my brief social media search of this news, Illinois residents have mixed reactions to the Boston-based gambling company shuttering its Wrigley Field location.

Some say that this is another example of Illinois, its state governor, JB Pritzker, and Democrats in general, being bad for business. Others called the location an eyesore on the national landmark and say sports betting is hurting society.

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Ultimately, the Wrigley Field closure exposes the messy conflict between corporate interests and state taxation. While these physical windows shut down, the debate over the societal costs of sports gambling is far from over.

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.

Reds vs. Phillies betting preview: Why Cincinnati is the play despite their 4-12 skid over 16 games

Mon, 18 May 2026 12:32:30 -0400

It was a good sports weekend with some entertaining baseball games, Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs, a wild hockey game that saw 11 goals and the PGA Championship. I still find golf a bit hard to watch if I don't have a bet on something active, but seeing the leader board bunched up as much as it was made this kind of neat. This week we have the start of a ton of new baseball series, the Conference Finals for the NBA and NHL and another golf tournament looming. Tonight, we take on the Reds and Phillies game, looking to steal a unit for ourselves.

The Cincinnati Reds were one of the best teams in baseball over the first few weeks of the season, but they've cooled off since then. As of today, they are still above .500, but they are barely hanging on with just one game above the mark at 24-23. All five teams in the National League Central are above .500, and they are just five games back of the division-leading Cubs. They've gone 4-12 over their last 16 games, and have only won one of their past five series.

Looking at their team statistics, they probably should be thankful that they are this successful. Their team is hitting just .226 as a club, and their pitching staff has a 4.81 ERA. Elly De La Cruz, as usual, is the main bright spot for the club with a .302 batting average, 11 homers and 31 RBIs. Tonight, Nick Lodolo is taking the mound, and he has had a couple of rough outings to start his season. He is normally a pretty solid pitcher, but he has allowed nine earned runs in 9.1 innings. Phillies hitters are solid against him with a .287 batting average over 80 at-bats.

The Philadelphia Phillies went from being one of the most frustrating teams in baseball to being one of the hottest teams in the sport. They still have a big hole to dig out of, but after firing their manager, the team is now 15-4 under Don Mattingly. They were 9-19 previously and now are above .500. They just swept the Pirates, but they are still eight games behind the Braves in their division.

THIS YEAR'S AMERICAN LEAGUE MIGHT BE THE WORST IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HISTORY

Their pitching still leaves a bit to be desired with a 4.22 ERA, and their hitting isn't exactly meeting their typical standards. Still, they have to be encouraged by this current stretch. Kyle Schwarber looks like he will make a run at MVP this season, or perhaps historic numbers. He has 20 homers through 47 games. At this pace, he would hit the most homers of anyone in one season.

On the mound tonight is Andrew Painter, who has a 1-4 record, a 6.21 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. Painter has been a bit of a mixed bag lately, allowing four or more earned runs in three of the past seven starts. The Phillies have lost the past six Painter starts. In the other four, he has allowed three or fewer earned runs.

This game features two teams on very opposite paths. The Reds are slumping, and the Phillies are surging, but I think the more reliable starter belongs to Cincinnati. I like the Reds to win this game at plus money with Lodolo, but he has looked rough. The Phillies have hit him well, too. Still, Painter is not a guy I'm ready to back. I think Lodolo will eventually settle in. Give me the Reds at -105 through five innings.

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I am also taking a shot at J.T. Realmuto under 0.5 hits today at +188. He has been very bad against Lodolo, going just 2-for-13 with seven strikeouts. Alec Bohm is worth a 2+ total bases play at +133. He is 6-for-15 with three extra-base hits.

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For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

It's Game 7, and we have a bet locked in as the Cavaliers and legacies are on the line against the Pistons

Sat, 16 May 2026 13:46:45 -0400

The NBA takes a lot of flak for having meaningless games, and I can definitely understand it, watching on a random Wednesday in January. However, the playoffs have delivered over and over to viewers and rewarded us for putting up with garbage regular-season games.

This will be the fourth Game 7 of the playoffs. Three series have been sweeps, and the other three have been six games. That shows competitive hoops. Now, how do we bet this Game 7 in the Eastern Conference?

The Cleveland Cavaliers blew it. After not winning a road game all postseason, they took Game 5 in surprising fashion. It looked like they were going to win in six games. After all, they hadn't lost a game at home in the postseason.

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Instead, Detroit came out and blitzed the Cavs, never giving them a chance to get their footing. They lost in an ugly fashion and now have to figure out a way to win a game on the road.

It isn't just the Cavs' fate that rests in this game. It is also the legacy of James Harden and, to a lesser extent, Donovan Mitchell.

We know that Mitchell is a very good player, but he isn't regarded as one of the best players ever. Harden is. Unfortunately, Harden has struggled in Game 7s. He's averaged 19.1 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. That's not terrible, but looking at his shooting percentages, he is at 35.3% and 22.2% in those games. He actually is 4-4 overall in the games, but in his past three, he has scored a combined 34 points over 113 minutes.

The Detroit Pistons seem to like playing with their backs against the wall. They are a gritty team, so I suppose it makes sense.

Cade Cunningham continues to deliver for the team, and he finally got some help in Game 6 from Jalen Duren. This was never going to be an easy series for Duren, but it feels like he is taking more time to mature than others. He definitely improved this year, but the consistency they need from him just isn't there yet.

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Now as the team goes home they will need Duren to be a beast on the glass. If he can keep the Pistons in the rebounding battle, they should win this game with ease. They won Game 6 by just three rebounds, but that takes away a big dimension of what Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley do for the Cavs. It isn't everything, though, as the Pistons won the rebounding battle in both losses in Cleveland.

I don't see this being a runaway game for the Pistons. Mitchell and Cunningham likely will cancel each other out with scoring. Harden needs to establish himself as the third-best player on the floor. I haven't seen him do that in the postseason, yet.

This is the second Game 7 of the playoffs for both of the clubs, so it isn't like either will be caught off guard about what this entails.

If I look at it objectively, I think the Cavs have the better players. However, the Pistons have looked significantly better this season, and definitely in the playoffs overall. Both are prone to issues and slipping. The Cavs shouldn't be as they are a veteran team.

This game has to be won by Cleveland, though. There is too much riding on the franchise and legacies of guys for them to not prepare properly for it. Maybe that's weak analysis, but I'm taking the Cavs with the points and I do think they win outright. I expect a monster game from Mitchell, and Harden should get 10+ assists.

Either way, whoever wins will lose to the New York Knicks.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

Yankees favored over Mets in rivalry week matchup as Carlos Rodon returns to the mound

Sat, 16 May 2026 13:23:52 -0400

It is rivalry week in baseball, and I can't say I fully understand what that looks like for some of these teams. The Toronto Blue Jays, for example, are playing the Detroit Tigers. Is that just because they are in close proximity? Or, is it because Canada is too nice to have a real rival, so they just assigned them the Tigers?

Who knows. Either way, we have an all-New York matchup, and I think we get a good price on one of the teams today.

The New York Yankees are among the best teams in baseball at the moment, and there aren't many reasons to believe that will change over the course of the year. For the season, they are sporting a 28-17 record, but they do have some road woes as they are just 14-11 away from home.

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If the Yankees keep up this pace, however, they are projecting to be a 100-win club. While that guarantees nothing, it should put them as a likely host for the majority of the postseason.

I'm sure there will be slumps and issues along the way, but so far it has been smooth sailing, and they look to get stronger with guys like today's starter coming back to the club. Carlos Rodon will take the hill today and look to improve on his shaky first outing. Against the Brewers in his last start, he went 4.1 innings, allowed two hits, three earned runs and five walks.

The walks are the biggest concern to me, but maybe he was just getting his mechanics down. Mets hitters haven't been very successful against Rodon, hitting just .215 over 65 at-bats.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but this was supposed to be a big year for the New York Mets. As an objective observer, I will at least give them credit for trying. There are a lot of big league clubs that don't put any effort.

The problem is that their throwing money at players doesn't seem to translate the way it does for, say, the Dodgers. The team is 18-26 for the season, with exactly half of their wins and losses coming at home. Their hitting is rough, with just a .225 batting average, and they are in the bottom quarter of the league in runs scored.

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Their pitching has been reliable, but they did just get an injury to one of their starters. What's crazy, to me, is outside of Freddy Peralta, the Mets' pitching doesn't have names you'd really recognize. However, they are turning in good outings. The hitting just doesn't get it done.

Saturday will be a bullpen game for the club with Huascar Brazoban taking the mound to open it. The Mets do have one of the better bullpens in the league, but I'm not rushing to the window to back them.

Saturday has the chance to be an ugly one for the Mets. Bullpen games can be good, and they've become increasingly popular over the years. I think this game likely goes under the 8.5 runs posted because the Mets can somewhat play the matchups. I also think Rodon is talented, and the Yankees also have a good bullpen.

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I don't feel overwhelmingly confident in both plays, so I'm taking a unit and splitting it on the Yankees winning the game. And, the other half of a unit will be on the under. The Yankees are a better club with more consistent hitting, and I think the pitching should have the edge overall.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

Sky vs Mercury betting preview: Why the over 166.5 looks like the play in this WNBA matchup

Fri, 15 May 2026 13:33:08 -0400

The WNBA season has been in session for about a week, so it is far too early to make assumptions about teams. That doesn’t mean we won’t make them; it's just too early to really believe it. I lost my first WNBA bet this season, so I’m hoping to avenge that loss here as the Sky take on the Mercury.

The Chicago Sky are one of the most poorly run franchises in basketball. They have had some great names on their team and only one championship to show for it.

There really isn’t a clear indication of what is wrong with the franchise, but they’ve never been able to retain their talent. Aside from Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t name a player on this team that they’ve actually drafted. They just seem to get good players and then show them the door.

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Even though they've had questionable front office decisions, they seem to have put together a solid team for this season – something I didn’t expect before the season started.

They are 2-0, which is too early to really say they are a good team. I also want to reserve judgment until they face a team with a longer history than last year. The Portland Tempo played their first-ever game against the Sky, and Golden State was good last year, but still is in just their second season of existence.

The Phoenix Mercury are actually considered one of the best franchises in the league. I’m sure there are issues that people have reported, but for the most part, they have good facilities, and people want to play for their team. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last season before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, they are looking to restart that journey and see if they can win the last game of the year.

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It will need to come with some better play than they’ve shown through three games this year. They are just 1-2 for the year with a 0-1 home record. The lone win was a blowout victory over the Aces (a clear revenge game if we’ve ever seen one). Then they lost the next two games against Golden State and Minnesota. Losing to the Lynx wouldn’t be a problem, but they didn’t have Napheesa Collier, who still has an ankle injury.

I expect the Mercury to make some adjustments for this game. They haven’t looked very crisp to begin the year, but they’ve been strong on offense, averaging 87 points per game.

The Sky are going to keep relying on their offense to do just enough and their defense to lock in. The Sky do have an edge on the interior, so they can get buckets fairly easily down low. I like the over 166.5 in this game.

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I also think it is worth betting on Kahleah Copper to go over her point total. Copper had two rough games before she broke out in the last game. Now she has the same sight lines and can attack the bigs from the Sky with her athleticism. Since going to Phoenix, she has scored 29, 7, 16, 25 and 28 points in five games against them.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

NFL’s grossly expanded national schedule is making RedZone and Sunday Ticket less essential

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:56:55 -0400

By continuing to increase the number of national broadcasts, the NFL has diluted the value of both RedZone and Sunday Ticket.

The 2026-27 season will begin on a Wednesday, followed by a Thursday night game from Australia. The league will also debut its first-ever Thanksgiving Eve broadcast this year, leading into three games on Thanksgiving and one on Black Friday. Another game is set for Christmas Eve, with three more scheduled for Christmas Day.

Beyond that, the NFL is extending its late-season Saturday package to four weekends, spanning Weeks 15-18. In total, the league will stage a record nine international games this season, all of which will air nationally.

And all of that comes on top of the league’s usual lineup of three windows on Sunday and one Monday.

JEMELE HILL BECOMES SURPRISING VOICE OF REASON IN CAITLIN CLARK-MORGAN WALLEN "CONTROVERSY"

The NFL saw the risks of overloading the national schedule last season. By midseason, there simply were not enough relevant teams to justify the number of standalone broadcasts.

Last Christmas, five of the six participating teams were either already eliminated from playoff contention or ultimately missed the postseason. On Thanksgiving, only one of the six teams in action reached the playoffs.

The Sunday slate used to be elite enough that fans could justify paying for Sunday Ticket to access every out-of-market matchup. This season, YouTube will charge returning subscribers roughly $480 for the package. However, the more games siphoned into standalone broadcasts, the fewer games remain in the traditional 1 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. windows, leaving Sunday Ticket with less to offer.

Take Thanksgiving week as an example. By Sunday morning, 10 teams will have already played. Another six teams will appear in the national Sunday afternoon slot, "Sunday Night Football" or "Monday Night Football." That leaves just eight games for paying Sunday Ticket viewers.

The same dynamic applies to RedZone. The channel was once essential to the Sunday viewing experience. It was the most efficient and thrilling way for viewers to follow every meaningful moment across a crowded Sunday slate. Yet with fewer games in the early and late windows, RedZone has become less of a necessity.

By mid- to late season, any game of substance will likely air nationally. Keeping track of the other, less consequential games may then only appeal to sports bettors and fantasy football players.

At the same time, fans are now required to pay for multiple streaming platforms — including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Peacock — to access the full NFL schedule. That added fragmentation could reduce consumers’ willingness to also pay for premium products such as Sunday Ticket and RedZone.

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More broadly, the NFL is eroding the scarcity that helped turn the sport into America’s dominant television property.

Sundays used to feel distinct. The concentrated schedule created a sense of occasion and urgency that is diluted when games are spread across Thursdays, occasional Wednesdays, Friday holidays, Saturday nights, Sunday mornings and multiple streaming-exclusive windows.

For the first time in decades, NFL games are beginning to feel skippable. There are simply too many of them spread across too many days. The combination of an overloaded schedule, international travel and shortened preparation time increasingly produces mediocre matchups in premium television windows.

The NFL is unlikely to reverse course because of concerns about the quality of play. The league has shown little evidence that competitive aesthetics matter as much as media rights growth and inventory maximization.

However, if the continued expansion of national windows ultimately weakens premium properties such as Sunday Ticket and RedZone, the league may eventually reconsider whether it has stretched the product too far.

Seth Lugo's dominant career numbers against the White Sox make Royals a strong bet to avoid sweep

Wed, 13 May 2026 11:40:11 -0400

Last year was my worst year of baseball plays for OutKick. It wasn't terrible by any stretch, but I never really found a footing, and I never went on a hot streak. I feel like I'm in the middle of a hot stretch or maybe at the start of one as I've hit five non-player prop plays in a row, and seven of my last eight plays. Baseball is typically my most profitable sport, so I hope we get our bankroll loaded this year.

The Kansas City Royals have been a bit of a disappointment this season. They are just 19-23 for the year and have lost twice as many road games as they've won, a 6-13 mark.

Overall, the team seems to be struggling to score. They are 22nd in the league in runs scored, averaging 4.1 runs per game. It isn't terrible by any stretch. Their batting average isn't terrible; they are ranked 15th in the league, which is right in the middle.

Their pitching hasn't been great, but one guy who has been fairly reliable is Seth Lugo. If you've read my posts in the past, you know I've made a ton of money on Lugo starts. He is 1-2 for the season with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. He has made eight starts this season, and two of them were poor. One was against the Los Angeles Angels, where he allowed seven earned runs over 6.1 innings. In his last outing, he allowed four runs on seven hits over four innings.

This will be the second time he has faced the Chicago White Sox this season. In the first outing, he went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs, one earned. He hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in a game against the White Sox in 41.1 innings of his career.

The Chicago White Sox are an early-season surprise. I live in Chicago, and I don't think most of the fans or residents here thought they would be this good. Good, I suppose, is a relative term in this situation. They are under .500 entering today's game at 20-21, but they do have a winning record at home at 10-9. Their offseason signing, Munetaka Murakami, has been a very good power hitter with 15 homers already this year. The team is only hitting .231 for the year, though, so there should be reason to be pessimistic about the team's future.

WHITE SOX AGREE TO DEAL WITH JAPANESE RECORD-BREAKING SLUGGER: REPORT

Wednesday's starter for the White Sox is Noah Schultz. His numbers aren't great at 2-2 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. However, not all of his starts have been bad. He has only made two home starts, going 10.1 innings and allowing five earned runs. I do have some concerns about his mechanics as he has already walked 16 guys in 25 innings. He is also a fly-ball pitcher, which is not ideal in Chicago, where wind can be a major factor. He has never faced the Royals.

I bet on the Royals last time Lugo took the mound against them. They lost the game 2-0. I'm running it back here as I'm not impressed with Schultz. Plus, this would give the White Sox a sweep and as bad as the Royals have been, I can't see them allowing themselves to get swept. Give me the Royals at a very reasonable price of -120.

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Additionally, I'm taking the Lugo prop that keeps on giving - under 2.5 earned runs allowed. It is -118, and he has been so good against the White Sox in the past. I'll back Lugo once again and hope we can get a 2-0 win for the Royals tonight.

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For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

2026 PGA Championship best bets: Picks to win, 'One-and-Done' selection for Aronimink Golf Club

Tue, 12 May 2026 16:14:56 -0400

The Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, right outside of Philadelphia, hosts golf's second major of the season, the 2026 PGA Championship.

Known for its daunting greens and strategic demands, Aronimink should provide a thrilling finish with a versatile leaderboard. Hence, many types of golfers can win the Wanamaker Trophy this week.

With all due respect for THE PLAYERS Championship and The Masters, the 2026 PGA Championship has the best field thus far this season. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler defends his title against 156 golfers, including back-to-back Masters champion, Rory McIlroy, and the best guys from the LIV Tour.

SCHEFFLER FEELS OVERDUE, SPIETH EYES THE SLAM AND CAM YOUNG'S MAJOR MOMENT TOP PGA CHAMPIONSHIP STORYLINES

My 2026 PGA Championship betting card reflects how many different types of golfers can win at Aronimink. I've allocated 2.43 units (u) across eight golfers to profit 20u if any of them win. Without further ado, let’s dive into the names most likely to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this Sunday.

2026 PGA Championship 'Horses For The Course'

The following odds are based on my previous bets on the golfers listed below. Subject to change.

*Cameron Young +7000 at DraftKings (0.29u)
Matt Fitzpatrick +2500 at Kalshi (0.8u)
Patrick Cantlay +5300 at DraftKings (0.38u)
Hideki Matsuyama +6567 at Kalshi (0.3u)
Robert MacIntyre +6700 at DraftKings (0.3u)
Sepp Straka +10390 at Kalshi (0.19u)
Keegan Bradley +11528 at Kalshi (0.17u)

*Cameron Young

I feel bad for "past posting" this bet. Usually, I post my bets on X, but I just forgot to tweet out this look. Give me a break, though. I’m transparent about my golf betting losses and this will probably be another loss.

That said, Young is a top-three golfer in the world right now. He won THE PLAYERS Championship in March, followed it up by playing in the final group and finishing T3 at The Masters, and won the Cadillac Championship earlier this month.

Young is doing everything right on the golf course and nearly won last year at my two favorite courses to Aronimink: Philadelphia Cricket Club (T7 at the Truist Championship) and Oakmont Country Club (T4 at the U.S. Open).

The 2025 American Ryder Cupper is currently +1600 to win the 2026 PGA Championship, which is still a fair price. If I didn’t get the +7000, I’d still be willing to build my 2026 PGA Championship card around Young. He is playing that well.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Recent winners have come into the PGA Championship with good lead-in form and Fitzpatrick certainly checks that box. He has three wins over his last six starts, albeit one was a team event with his brother, Alex.

Otherwise, Matt won the Valspar Championship and RBC Heritage. He finished second at THE PLAYERS and T18 at The Masters over that span, too.

The bottom line is Fitzpatrick is still underrated despite being on an absolute heater. Fitzpatrick is the eighth-betting favorite to win the 2026 PGA Championship at Kalshi, when he should be a top-five betting choice.

Patrick Cantlay

Low-key, Cantlay is "knocking on the door" of winning his first tournament since the 2022 BMW Championship.

He’s finished T14-or-better in six of his 10 starts this year, including four straight: T7 at the Valspar, T12 at The Masters, T8 at the RBC Heritage and T10 at the Truist.

The UCLA alum lost 2.11 strokes with his driver and 1.44 strokes with his putter at Augusta; you have to be playing well to finish T12 at The Masters while losing strokes off the tee and on the greens.

He has gained strokes tee-to-green in five consecutive starts, but his putter has been hot and cold. I’m willing to bet on Cantlay "flipping his putter," though, because Bent greens are his best putting surface and five of his eight career PGA TOUR wins have been on Bent grass.

Hideki Matsuyama

I’m almost always going to bet Hideki. But, at 60-to-1 or better, forget about it, especially because I like Aronimink for Hideki. It’s relatively short and the driver is the weakest club in his bag.

He doesn’t have to worry about hammering the ball off the tee. Aronimink tests your long irons more, which is where Matsuyama excels. He is 12th on TOUR this season in SG: APP and second in proximity to the hole on approach shots from 200+ yards.

Aronimink has difficult green complexes and Hideki has a world-class short-game. Most golfers are screwed if they miss the green, whereas Matsuyama is in scoring range from anywhere inside 50 yards.

He won the 2021 Masters because of his long-iron play and chipping. Oddly, when Hideki finished T15 at the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink, chipping was the only area where he lost strokes against the field.

With his current short-game, if Hideki plays Aronimink this week as well as he did in 2018, 60-to-1 is more than a fair price.

Robert MacIntyre

Bobby Mac’s irons have been terrible this season. But whenever MacIntyre hits them well, he contends because he is an elite driver and putter.

Per Betsperts Golf, MacIntyre has gained strokes on approach in just three tournaments this season. Here they are and how he did: Sony Open (T4), THE PLAYERS Championship (fourth) and Valero Texas Open (T2)Texas Open (T2).

Despite his poor iron play, MacIntyre is eighth on TOUR this season in par-4 scoring and there are 12 par-4s at Aronimink. Nonetheless, this place has large greens, which might mask MacIntyre's struggles with his irons and allow him to show off his putting.

Meanwhile, Bobby Mac finished second at the 2025 U.S. Open at another Pennsylvania golf course with tough greens. Speaking of which, MacIntyre is a dog and will win a major eventually, and his odds fit into my 2026 PGA Championship budget.

Sepp Straka

This price (104-to-1-ish) is too good for a four-time PGA TOUR winner and two-time European Ryder Cupper who is still in his athletic-golf prime. Straka is accurate off the tee, elite with his irons and can putt his way to victory.

His biggest weakness is chipping. But that won’t sink him this week because Aronimink’s greens are large and two-thirds of the course is short, so he will hit a lot of greens-in-regulation.

Plus, the two most important yardage buckets for approach shots at Aronimink are 50-125 yards (wedges) and 200+ yards (long irons). Well, Sepp is fifth on TOUR this season in proximity to the hole on approach shots from 50-125 yards and ninth from 200+ yards.

Finally, he won the Truist Championship around this time last year at the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course, which is similar to Aronimink.

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They are in the same area of the country and their defense is large, difficult bent greens and dry, windy conditions. If Straka can figure out the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s greens, he can figure out Aronimink’s.

Keegan Bradley

Keegan has been in a funk this season after the 2025 American Ryder Cup team lost when he was the captain. But he is showing some life, finishing T21 at The Masters, T12 at the RBC Heritage and T19 at the Truist Championship in three of his last four starts.

Bradley won the 2018 BMW Championship, the last PGA TOUR event held at Aronimink and usually plays well in the Northeast. Keegan is a Boston sports fan from Vermont who graduated from St. John’s in Queens, New York, in 2008.

He won the Travelers Championship twice in Connecticut in 2023 and last year. His second-best U.S. Open finish was a T7 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 2022.

KEEGAN BRADLEY KICKS OFF PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK WITH ODD QUOTE ABOUT THE 'SMELL' OF THE NORTHEAST

Also, Bradley has played much better than several guys ahead of him on the odds board. He won the 2011 PGA Championship. The Travelers is a signature event, featuring the best guys on TOUR.

And Keegan has won a tournament in four straight years, including the 2024 BMW Championship, which is the second round of the FedExCup Playoffs. Even though Bradley is having a down year, Aronimink is a good course for him, and anything better than 100-to-1 is a good bet.

_____________________________

2026 PGA Championship 'One-and-Done' Pick: Matt Fitzpatrick

2026 Mayo Cup Season Standings: 4,311th with $3,339,575

My options are limited because I've already used five of the seven guys ahead of Fitzpatrick on the betting board. The other two are Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, who I'm passing on because neither is on my betting card and I only like using golfers in One-and-Done that I've bet.

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.

Cubs' road woes meet the Braves' home dominance in a marquee baseball matchup

Tue, 12 May 2026 13:52:37 -0400

Baseball is one of those sports that I don't think the majority of people will watch just any two teams play.

For example, if you're not a fan of the Colorado Rockies and the Miami Marlins, are you going to flip them on during a random Tuesday night? Sports betting helps us have added interest in games. There is no need for added interest in tonight's game between two of the best teams in baseball, but I'm going to bet on it anyway.

The Chicago Cubs are 27-14 for the season, but they have a clear flaw of playing poorly away from Wrigley Field. They are just 9-9 for the season when they wear the road grays. They have scored just 91 runs on the road and are hitting just .238. At home, they've scored 124 runs and are hitting .263. That's a sizable difference in a reasonable number of games to compare. Only about 41% of their total runs have come on the road. They just lost a series to the Rangers and were shut out in the final two games of the series.

They obviously need to get the offense back on track, but they also need to worry about stopping their opponent. Colin Rea is the arm they rely on tonight for that effort. Rea is 4-1 with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. Like the offense, Rea has been worse on the road compared to at home. He has made two starts and four total appearances on the road, giving up 11 earned runs in 17.2 innings. Most of that was a bad start against the Dodgers when he went 3.1 innings and allowed six hits, four walks and six earned runs. Braves hitters are batting .286 against Rea with Matt Olson going 4-for-8 against him with three extra-base hits.

The Atlanta Braves have had a remarkable turnaround since last season. It should've been somewhat expected, because last year was mostly the result of the team being injured at virtually every position. They have one of the best records in baseball and have done it both on the road and at home. They are 28-13 overall, and they are 12-6 at home. The Braves are hitting .270 overall, and they are hitting .282 at home this season.

Their pitching has been equally impressive, throwing to a combined 3.14 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Tonight's starter is Grant Holmes, who is not exactly the best starter the team has. He is 2-1 with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He has actually been worse at home than he has been on the road this year, with a 5.40 home ERA. He only has three home starts, and none of them have seen him allow more than three earned runs, so the numbers look a bit worse than they are. Holmes has only faced two Cubs hitters, and they are a combined 3-for-7 against him.

On the one hand, we have two teams that are better on offense than they are on the mound. The problem is that the Cubs haven't scored in either of their past two games. Maybe they needed yesterday's day off to regroup. I think the under is probably the right way to go, but I think you're going to sweat this either way.

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I'm going to back the Braves in this one. Though these teams are both similar in record, there is a big disparity in performance on the road for the Cubs, vs. the home performance of the Braves. I'm going to take Atlanta at -121. I'll take a shot on Matt Olson 2+ hits at +202 (his 2+ total bases are -102).

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For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

Urban Meyer shares story about Pete Rose trying to get gambling intel out of him about Ohio State

Sun, 10 May 2026 15:32:43 -0400

As an Ohio native who grew up in the 1970s, Urban Meyer had quite the baseball team to root for in the Big Red Machine. Like most young fans who pulled for that Cincinnati Reds team, Pete Rose became a hero for the young Meyer, and one he managed to meet later on in his life.

During a recent appearance on the "Triple Option" podcast, Meyer addressed the ongoing gambling saga involving Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby. As is often the case, when a conversation turns to athletes and gambling, Rose's name is brought up, which is exactly what unfolded in this instance.

BRENDAN SORSBY AT CROSSROADS: NCAA GAMBLING PROBE COULD END TEXAS TECH QB'S COLLEGE CAREER

As Meyer explained, shortly after he was hired to be the head football coach at Ohio State ahead of the 2012 season, he met Rose at a Reds contest. The two also exchanged numbers, and the MLB legend wasn't exactly shy in reaching out.

"I was a huge Pete Rose fan, still am, we lost him several months ago, but he became a friend of mine. When I got hired at Ohio State, (the Reds) asked me to come down and throw out the first pitch … when I walked in the clubhouse, there was Pete Rose," Meyer explained.

"So we sat and talked for a couple of hours, exchanged phone numbers. I couldn’t get enough talking about the Big Red Machine, and he wanted to talk college football. And I (was) pretty naïve about the gambling thing, I’ve never really gambled in my life," Meyer continued.

"During the season, my first year in 2012, every once in a while I’d get a text … ‘Hey man, how’s the team look? How’s Illinois look? How’s Braxton Miller’s shoulder?’ or something like that. And I’d text him back, ‘Yeah, we’re doing fine.'

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Meyer didn't think anything of it, that is, until a person he explained the situation to painted a clear picture of what appeared to be going on.

"I told that to someone, they said, ‘You’re an idiot. You know he’s trying to get information from you for gambling (purposes), and you could get in trouble,’" Meyer continued.

"I never gave much, but from that point forward, (if Rose texted) ‘How’s Braxton’s shoulder?’ I’d say, ‘How are the Reds doing?’ and just kind of moved on."

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Rose, who passed away in September 2024, was banned from baseball after being accused of gambling on the Reds team he played for and managed in the late 1980s.

After also being made permanently ineligible to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, Rose was posthumously reinstated and became eligible for the Hall just months after his death.

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