By Spread Astaire (@spreadastaire)
This Week in Sports Betting 11-16-24
This Week in Sports Betting 11-16-24: Crisis in Chicago
Man did the Bears look smart going into last year’s NFL draft. They traded last year’s number one draft pick, who ended up being mediocre quarterback Bryce Young. They received in return this year’s number one draft pick. Caleb Williams was supposed to be a generational talent. All Caleb Williams has done is prove that we throw around the term “generational” far too easily these days.
Williams could end up being a cautionary tale for teams that want to blow it all up and tank for the elusive number-one draft pick. Not only do you endure a season, but sometimes you put all your hopes in the basket of one player.
I have to wonder how much the fact that Williams’ teammates don’t like him is really going to hinder his prospects for long-term success. I can overlook the mistakes on the field, but quarterback is a leadership position.
I’m sure Caleb Williams will improve as a passer he should have plenty of big games throughout this rookie contract. However, if he can’t get his teammates to respect him, he will never be able to become the player that the Bears had hoped.
NBA Cup
Let’s give the NBA credit for trying. Nobody watches the NBA regular season. To be fair, that is one of the problems with the way that the NBA media covers the sport.
I know everybody loves Inside the NBA. When Turner lost the contract, people lamented that they would no longer be able to see Inside the NBA. Allow me to be contrarian once again. Yeah, I know that’s kind of the point of this column.
As funny as Inside the NBA is, having your flagship show consistently diminish the product has been a net negative for the NBA long-term. Shaq in particular consistently will insist that the only thing that matters is winning a ring. So then why am I tuned in on a Tuesday night in November to watch the league and care about the results?
The NFL would never allow their broadcast partners to downplay the product in the way that the NBA does. Turn on an NFL broadcast, they will make a showdown between Anthony Richardson and washed-up Aaron Rodgers seem like a monumental occasion.
When discussing Lamar Jackson’s electric performance this season they are never included with the caveat that he has never won a championship. That his playoff performances have been disappointing and that makes what he did last Thursday night against the Bengals irrelevant. The NFL celebrates its product and promotes its stars, the NBA diminishes its product. And while it’s good for some laughs, (it is a funny show!), overall it has led the general consumer, as well as the players, to believe that the regular season does not matter.
So the NBA needed to do something and I personally enjoy the NBA Cup format. Eventually and hopefully, the lack of regional sports networks will allow the league to shorten the schedule and make the games more important but that still seems a long way off. Until then, I will enjoy the NBA Cup as something to make this long, drawn-out regular season more exciting.
My Favorite Bet for This Week in Sports Betting 11-16-24
I’m all aboard the Drake Maye train. The New England Patriots and Drake Maye got an easy win over the Bears last week. I expect them to continue their momentum this week against the LA Rams. There were worries about playing Drake Maye with the poor offensive line and ruining his confidence. However, he’s shown that he can make things happen even without a clean pocket.
When Maye is pressured, he’s averaging +.59 fantasy points per drop back, and a 42.1% accurate throw rate. Both are fourth-best in a league full of talented QBs. Maye is continuing to get it done even without protection. I’m going to back them right now before the market catches up to him.
This is a tough trip for the Rams, coming off of a short week. Miami might have landed the knockout blow on this team’s playoff hopes. I expect the Patriots to keep this game close and continue building off the momentum of their newly found franchise QB. Give me the New England Patriots +5. I hope you enjoyed this week in sports betting 11-16-24.
Best Bet: New England Patriots +5 (-110) at BetOnline.
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