Roman Reigns enters WM Backlash as the reigning, defending, undisputed...
WrestleMania Backlash starts tonight at 7 PM EST and is available on PPV, Peacock, and if you are outside the United States, the WWE Network.
As par for the course, the show takes place inside the ThunderDome at The Yuengling Center in Tampa Florida. The show features matches such as Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns vs. Cesaro, Charlotte vs. Asuka vs Rhea Ripley, and many more.
All betting odds are obtained from bovada.lv and are current as of 9:30 am EST on 5/16.
Lumberjack Match: The Miz +300 vs Damian Priest -500
Priest is favored in Vegas, and rightly so. As awesome as The Miz is, this is Damian Priest's time to shine as he is being built up for bigger and better things. He should be challenging for the World Title before the year is out, and quite frankly The Miz is going in the opposite direction.
History indicates that The Miz and Morrison are due for a break up, so don't be surprised if Morrison accidentally costs The Miz the match.
Winner: Damian Priest
Smackdown Tag Team Titles: The Dirty Dawgs (c) +210 vs Rey and Dominik Mysterio -320
I could see either team winning this one, but I am leaning more towards Los Mysterios. Ziggler and Roode have held the belts since January and they aren't exactly reinventing the wheel as champions. Usually when you throw two meandering mid-carders together in this type of situation it elevates at least one, if not both to better things. That doesn't seem to be the case this time however as I can't shake the feeling that once they drop the titles they will both fall back into lower mid-card obscurity.
On the flip side we have Los Mysterios, father and son teaming together. For Rey the tag team titles would be yet another of many championship notches in his belt, but for Dominik it would be the first title gold of his career. This is Family Wrestling Storyline 101 here. It is inevitable that Dominik is going to turn heel on his father at some point, and that point is most likely at the next PPV which just so happens to fall on Fathers Day.
So it would make perfect sense for them to win the titles at Backlash and drop them at Money In The Bank next month.
Winner: Rey and Dominik Mysterio
Smackdown Women's Title: Bianca Belair (c) -1,400 vs Bayley +650
This match is as close to a no-brainer as one can get. There is just no way that Belair is dropping the title this soon into her first reign. Furthermore, Bayley does not need the title to be relevant.
Everything is pointing towards a rematch between Bianca and Sasha Banks for the title at SummerSlam in August, so every woman who challenges for the title between now and then stands no chance unless Bianca should injure herself and they need to strip her of the title.
Winner: Bianca Belair
RAW Women's Title: Rhea Ripley (c) -175 vs Charlotte +180 vs Asuka +650
This matchup should be as cut and dry as the Smackdown Women's Title match, but sadly it is not. Having just won the title at WrestleMania and being one of the best up and coming talent in the WWE, Rhea Ripley retaining should be a no brainer. If she had been going up solely against Asuka I would stop the summary here and declare Rhea the winner, but then they went and added Charlotte to the match.
Her 12 Women's Title reigns make her a legitimate threat in any match she is in. You expect her to win each and every match. If they wanted to do things right, Rhea pins Charlotte to further cement her spot on the roster. It wouldn't harm Charlotte at all, and Asuka keeps her heat by not taking the fall.
If Charlotte does win, it will be the second time in little over a year that she will have ended a Rhea Ripley title reign. They are in danger of turning Rhea into an "also-ran" or "never-was" here if they truncate her title reign on Sunday. So this time I am going to give the WWE the benefit of the doubt and hope they do the right thing.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Universal Title: Roman Reigns (c) -1,000 vs Cesaro +550
Come next Friday, Roman Reigns will still be the reigning, defending WWE Universal Champion. His domination of the Smackdown roster is total, and unlikely to end anytime soon. While it is nice to see Cesaro get his biggest push ever in the WWE, it is just beyond the pale to buy into him as being a serious contender to Reigns.
So let us enjoy what is certain to be a great match with plenty of near falls, but in the end Cesaro must accept that his defeat is inevitable. Roman Reigns' is as constant as the Northern Star, and it'll probably take a Brock Lesnar or John Cena comeback to get the title off of him.
Winner: Roman Reigns
WWE World Title: Bobby Lashley (c) -300 vs Braun Strowman +800 vs Drew McIntyre +300
Bobby Lashley, with the help of his manager MVP, has been carrying the weight of the RAW brand on his back for the better part of a year now. He deserves a longer title reign than what he has had thus far. Braun doesn't make for a good draw as champion as has been proven in the past. It's alright for him to rise up and challenge for the title every now and then, but that is his ceiling. As for Drew, I do believe he will have more title reigns in his future but now is not the time.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
There you have it, I am predicting only one title to be changing hands tonight. It's a little too tidy for the remainder of the matches to seem to have such an obvious outcome, but here we are. Just keep in mind the infamous words oft spoken in the "Big Brother" house: "Expect The Unexpected". Enjoy the show, and please feel free to comment! I'll be back in two weeks with a preview for AEW Double Or Nothing 2021 on May 30th.
New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo, approved legislation allowing for legal online sports gambling starting in 2022 for New York residents
It was announced this week that Governor Andrew Cuomo approved legislation that will allow for online sports betting in the State of New York — starting just in time for the Super Bowl in 2022.
Cuomo signed the bill as part of the 2022 New York State fiscal plan, and New York State Senator Joseph Abbaddo Jr. believes that the first online bets to be placed will be on February 13, 2022, which is the same day as the Super Bowl. New York will become the fifteenth state to allow for some form of online gambling to take place.
Following the 2018 decision made by the Supreme Court to repeal the nationwide ban on sports betting, New York quickly saw casinos pop up across the state throughout 2019. These casinos were safe havens for sports bettors that had been forced to place bets illegally.
With this new legislation, all New York residents will have the ability to place legitimate bets through whichever platform providers win bids with New York State.
Gov. Cuomo ends briefing by predicting "Bills win, bet on it." The governor proposed legislation to legalize online… https://t.co/0ysl67un7A— News 8 WROC (@News 8 WROC) 1610139272.0
New York officials will begin accepting bids from platform providers such as FanDuel by no later than July 1 of this year. New York will be allowed to accept bids from two platform providers to operate in the state. Providers that win bids will pay a one-time fee of $25 million for the right to facilitate sports betting in the state and must also be physically housed in a New York casino.
There will be a recurring $5 million fee associated with operating their mobile betting servers at each casino. A maximum tax rate of 13% has been set for the providers, which would yield a massive boost to the state's tax revenue.
In 2020, online sports betting generated over $200 million in tax revenue for states that allow it. It's estimated that over $20 billion was spent on betting in the U.S. last year, and that's just accounting for legal bets placed.
Governor Cuomo leans toward the New York State Lottery running the online sports betting operation, as it's done in many other states where online gambling is legal; however, many lawmakers opposed this structure and favor allowing private entities to be making bids. Opponents to the state running the online sportsbook argue that it would allow for the state to essentially have a monopoly over the industry and discourage open competition from entering the arena.
Not everyone is pleased with this news, however, as New Jersey is set to take a big hit once online gambling is legal in New York. Currently, many New Yorkers place bets in their neighboring state, as it's been a legal activity there since 2012. Since that time, New Jersey has grown to become the largest sports betting market in America, due in part to the overflow of New Yorkers placing bets just by crossing the Hudson River.
Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to establish sports gambling so he can tax it to reduce the huge budget deficit. Projec… https://t.co/mJAqcXoauG— Ralph Nader (@Ralph Nader) 1610388318.0
As more professional sports embrace gambling and betting, it's to be expected that more states will join New York by legalizing online sports books. As states are finalizing budgets for 2022, many will be faced with how to make up for unexpected losses as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Legalization of cannabis and sports betting have long been controversial topics of debate, but as unemployment and social services have drained a lot of states' resources over the past 15 month they both may be states' saving graces.
As Ferris Bueller might say: The world of sports moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around at least once a week, you could miss it.
Here we'll review what you might have missed in the past week all in one place. Why spend hours scrolling through Twitter to catch up on the news you want? We've already done that for you, so remember to check back every Monday to get your dose of weekly sports review.
Golf
The 84th Masters Tournament saw history made this past weekend, as Dustin Johnson turned in a record setting performance at Augusta finishing at 20 under par in 72 holes. The World No. 1 continued his hot run of play in this major and added his first green jacket and second major victory of his career.
Dustin Johnson wins the 84th Masters Tournament. #themasters https://t.co/aI2zjbuE7h— The Masters (@The Masters) 1605469912.0
Tiger Woods looked primed to defend his title after the first two rounds, limiting mistakes and playing with the careful consideration for every shot he's been known for throughout his career. He stumbled on day three, though, and only managed to shoot par which allowed Johnson to put pressure on Woods and the rest of the field heading into day four.
Woods took a 10 on the 12th hole on Sunday which knocked him out of contention, but then followed up with five birdies over the next six holes, which saved his round allowing him to finish with a four over 76. Tiger finished tied for 38th place at -1.
That's how you respond. 💪 Tiger Woods never stopped fighting. https://t.co/CGAH1vxWre— PGA TOUR (@PGA TOUR) 1605464386.0
Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im finished tied for second at -15. Justin Thomas took fourth place at -12. Rory McIlroy and Dylan Frittelli were tied at -11 to round out the top five.
MLB
The 2020 Major League Baseball awards have been handed out to spotlight this year's winners:
AL MVP
The American League’s best in 2020. José Abreu is the AL MVP. 👏 https://t.co/eWMVJpr74T— MLB (@MLB) 1605223338.0
Abreu led the AL in RBI (60), finished second in HRs (19), and fourth in BA (.317). He helped a young White Sox team to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. Providing a steady bat in the middle of an explosive lineup, Abreu benefitted from having protection around him for the first time in his career. A former Rookie of the Year, Abreu now sits atop the American League as its most valuable player.
NL MVP
Freddie Freeman Atlanta Braves
#MVFree indeed. @FreddieFreeman5 is your 2020 NL MVP. 👏 https://t.co/FUBGRHnvy3— MLB (@MLB) 1605225131.0
Freeman put together an impressive campaign in the truncated season, finishing second in the MLB in OPS (1.102) and led the MLB in runs (51). Freeman also finished second in the NL in batting average (.341), on base percentage (.462), and slugging percentage (.640).
Although the Braves fell short of the World Series, Freeman's achievement, like Abreu's, represents a veteran leader helping the development of a talented young team around him. Expect a step forward for the Braves next year behind the reigning NL MVP.
AL Cy Young
Shane Bieber Cleveland Indians
UNANIMOUS! Congrats to 2020 Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber! 🏆 https://t.co/vOLku4Os3F— FOX Sports Cleveland (@FOX Sports Cleveland) 1605137196.0
For the first time since 2011, the AL Cy Young was awarded unanimously. Bieber had a historic season setting a league record for strikeout rate (41.1%) and recorded the lowest qualifying ERA (1.63) since 1969. Opposing batters averaged a paltry .167 against Bieber in 2020, which is also the best opposing BA since 1969. Considering the Indians are not in the business of keeping its talent once their payday comes due, enjoy him while you can Cleveland. Yankees, you're on the clock.
NL Cy Young
Trevor Bauer Cincinnati Reds
Name a better way to celebrate. You can’t. @budweiserusa https://t.co/9WxTXPC7C5— Trevor Bauer (@Trevor Bauer) 1605295731.0
Speaking of the Indians not retaining talent, the NL Cy Young winner is former Cleveland Indian, Trevor Bauer. Imagine if Cleveland was able to send out Bieber and Bauer on back to back nights this season with Bauer bringing his 1.73 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings. We can only speculate what the results would've been, but Bauer led a good pitching group in Cincinnati and brought them to the playoffs. Often outspoken, rarely outdueled.
AL Rookie of the Year
Kyle Lewis Seattle Mariners
Lewis burst onto the national scene with his five tool skills. He can hit home runs as well as rob them and is reminiscent of another transcendent talent that used to roam the outfields of Seattle.
Kyle Lewis x Ken Griffey Jr. (first 72 games) Lewis Griffey Jr. 17 HR 11 41… https://t.co/bPhJXlbweu— Danny Vietti (@Danny Vietti) 1600910043.0
NL Rookie of the Year
Devin Williams Milwaukee Brewers
Williams became the first reliever to win the ROY award since Craig Kimbrel in 2011. Williams posted a 0.33 ERA and struck out 53% of the batters he faced this season.
AL Manager of the Year
Kevin Cash Tampa Bay Rays
It was a foregone conclusion that the Yankees would win the AL East this year, but the Rays came out of nowhere with a bunch of unknown players to take the division convincingly. Cash's trademark is player usage and tinkering with lineups. The mind of Kevin Cash is a big reason the Rays got to the World Series, but his decision to replace Blake Snell in Game 6 might have cost them a shot at a Game 7 against the Dodgers. Still, the Rays have a bevy of young talent under cost controlled contracts and they should continue to compete for the AL pennant for the foreseeable future.
NL Manager of the Year
Don Mattingly Miami Marlins
Mattingly became the fifth person to win both an MVP award and Manager of the Year award after leading the Marlins to the postseason in 2020. It was their first appearance in 17 years in what was supposed to be a transition year as they look to rebuild. Mattingly certainly got the most from his players and may be the kind of presence to make Miami a free agent destination if ownership is willing to spend.
Don Mattingly has been named the 2020 National League Manager of the Year. He is the 5th former MVP to win the awa… https://t.co/iGeZvpfyaA— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPN Stats & Info) 1605050970.0
NBA
Now that the league has set December 22 as the start date for the 2020-2021 season the offseason, which historically provides plenty of rumors and player movement, has been dramatically shortened. That will likely mean less transactions preseason, but may set us up for an exciting trade deadline.
That doesn't mean there aren't some interesting rumors floating around, however. A deal appears to be in place to send Dennis Schroder to the Lakers in exchange for Danny Green and the Lakers' 28th overall pick in the upcoming draft. This would provide the newly minted NBA Champions a versatile scoring guard that can play both on and off the ball. Schroder will be coming from Oklahoma City, where he played with Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who are both ball handlers.
Lakers and Thunder have agreement in principle on deal to send Dennis Schroder to Los Angeles, and No. 28 pick in W… https://t.co/tyH2iPPZZJ— Shams Charania (@Shams Charania) 1605459149.0
Having to share ball handling duties with LeBron shouldn't affect Schroder's effectiveness, and the playmaking LA will be losing in Rajon Rondo will likely be made up for by a veteran free agent signing later in the offseason.
The biggest trade rumor going around NBA Twitter right now involves the future of James Harden. Now that Mike D'Antoni and Daryl Morey have parted ways with the Rockets, Houston has a problem. It was just a year ago that the Rockets were thought to have the team and the plan to win an NBA title. Now they're looking for a new identity.
ESPN Sources with @RamonaShelburne and @ZachLowe_NBA: As Houston’s James Harden considers his future with franchise… https://t.co/Uf9k102itA— Adrian Wojnarowski (@Adrian Wojnarowski) 1605477080.0
Harden's preferred landing spot has emerged, and it's in Brooklyn. That would reunite him with former teammate Kevin Durant and form a backcourt of Harden and Kyrie Irving. Brooklyn would likely have to send DeAndre Jordan and some players to match contracts up along with a slew of draft picks, but just the thought of this super team is making December 22 feel too far away.
NFL Quick Bites
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens fall on Sunday night to the Patriots. Baltimore falls to 6-3 and gives up some ground to Cleveland in the AFC North.
On Thursday night, the Colts dominated the Titans in an important division matchup. With the win the Colts draw even with the Tennessee at 6-3. The Titans have lost three of their last four games.
The Buccaneers get back on track with a 46-23 win over Carolina. Tom Brady made good use of his receivers in this one. Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Antonio Brown all had at least six receptions in this game.
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins keep rolling with their fifth win in a row. They beat the Chargers 29-21 and are now 6-3.
Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins connected on a last second Hail Mary to beat the Bills 32-30. A contender for play of the year, and a competitive game that may have been a Super Bowl preview.
Drew Brees left the game against the 49ers with a rib injury. His status for Week 11 is uncertain. If he's unable to go Jameis Winston will be under center for the Saints.
As Ferris Bueller might say: The world of sports moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around at least once a week, you could miss it.
Here we'll review what you might have missed in the past week all in one place. Why spend hours scrolling through Twitter to catch up on the news you want? We've already done that for you, so remember to check back every Monday to get your dose of weekly sports review.
NFL
Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans outlasted rookie QB Jake Luton and the Jaguars on Sunday 27-25. Both teams entered 1-6, but the Texans' record doesn't reflect how they've been playing of late. Watson is good enough to will his team to some wins down the stretch and he has developed great chemistry with wideout Will Fuller. J.J. Watt recorded his 100th career sack in this game, and only four players have reached that mark faster than Watt.
100th career sack for @JJWatt 👏 📺: #HOUvsJAX on CBS 📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/ul5IFJEdQc https://t.co/UwOhGODeFT— NFL (@NFL) 1604868806.0
A new competitor has entered the arena in the fight for the NFC North. Minnesota are winners of their last two games, and as the Bears continue to slide, the Vikings could ride Dalvin Cook all the way to a wild card spot in the NFC. Cook was yet again fantastic on Sunday as he amassed 252 total yards and two touchdowns in a 34-20 win over the Lions.
Josh Allen won a showdown with fellow MVP candidate Russell Wilson on Sunday, throwing for 415 yards and three touchdowns and added another touchdown on the ground. Wilson was stumped by the Buffalo defense for much of the first half, and it wasn't until the second half did the Seahawks start to get anything going offensively. A 17 point fourth quarter by the Bills kept the game out of reach and serves as a statement win for the Bills and a career defining moment for Josh Allen.
"Russell Wilson came in as the assumed MVP and top QB in the league. @JoshAllenQB came out and threw for 415 yards,… https://t.co/mCdysnqSNq— GMFB (@GMFB) 1604929977.0
The Steelers escaped with a win against the struggling Cowboys in Week 9. Thought to be a candidate for a blow out, instead we were treated to some good football between two of the league's most historic franchises. Dallas got some better play at the quarterback position from Garrett Gilbert, but it was the Cowboys' defense that impressed as they looked significantly better in this game than any other on the year.
The Dallas Cowboys are up double digits on the Pittsburgh Steelers https://t.co/x49Kzrz559— PFF (@PFF) 1604873865.0
The dedication to getting Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard involved in the offense seemed to be effective at both keeping the chains moving and dictating the pace of play. A strategy that should have been implemented from the outset of the season. The Cowboys brought a 10 point lead into the final quarter, but that lead was erased with the Steelers eventually winning the game 24-19.
The New Orleans Saints handed Tom Brady and his Buccaneers an embarrassing loss on Sunday night. The Bucs were excited to see what the offense looked like with Antonio Brown, making his debut and Chris Godwin coming back from injury. What they got was a huge plate of disappointment with a side of eight rushing yards, eight!
Live look at the Buccaneers trying to get their offense going https://t.co/baP5vXIt6C— FOX Sports: NFL (@FOX Sports: NFL) 1604888854.0
This is undoubtedly not how Tampa Bay envisioned this game going, but this isn't the first time this season they hit a bump in the road. They're still uber talented, but every opponent left on their schedule either has a winning record or is trending in the right direction of late including the Vikings and Falcons twice.
NASCAR
Chase Elliott became the NASCAR Cup Series champion on Sunday night becoming the third youngest driver to accomplish the feat at just 24 years old. His father, Bill Elliott, a NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1988 NASCAR champion was there to celebrate his son's greatest achievement.
Chase grew up around race tracks and the legends of the sport were "uncles" and mentors including Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson. Being the son of one of the most popular drivers in his era has been both an advantage and a curse as the family name brings both attention and expectations.
BURN IT DOWN, CHAMP! @chaseelliott gets it done in 2020! https://t.co/P7CFJkj134— NASCAR (@NASCAR) 1604876976.0
Just a few weeks shy of his 25th birthday, Elliott now sits atop the sport that he was born to be a part of. It's often easy for young prodigies to overlook the steps necessary to get them where they are, but that's not the case for Elliott. After his win he referred to the team of people that helped him get to this point.
"I just think about all of the people who worked so hard to get me to this point today," Elliott continued, "I think about my family, all of the crew members who built all of those race cars for me, Rick Hendrick for hiring me. Jimmie Johnson, who ran his last race tonight, and Jeff Gordon, both of whom took me under their wings as teammates and mentors. There were a lot of people that supported me. Even when there were a lot of people who didn't."
UFC
At UFC Vegas 13 this past Saturday, 41 year old Glover Teixeira defeated Thiago Santos convincingly with a third round submission to end it. Santos rocked Teixeira a couple times throughout the fight but was unable to finish him, and Glover dominated the fight on the mat which allowed him the window to apply the fight winning chokehold.
Teixeira has now won his last five fights and now owns the record for most finishes and most submissions in UFC history by a light heavyweight. Jon Jones, who is currently believed to be making a transition up to the heavyweight division has defeated both Santos and Teixeira in the lightweight division but was impressed with Teixeira's performance at UFC Vegas 13.
I’m proud to have beat this guy, I like him 🤙🏾— BONY (@BONY) 1604814825.0
Although it was previously believed that Israel Adesanya would move up to take on light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, but even the champ himself had a message for Teixeira following the Santos fight.
Great fight and incredible run by @gloverteixeira. You totally deserve to fight for the title and get taste of the… https://t.co/xrAUwcT5On— Jan Blachowicz (@Jan Blachowicz) 1604815414.0
If the Adesanya and Blachowicz super fight falls through in the immediate future, it appears that Glover Teixeira would be next in line for another title shot due to his excellent recent form. When Dana White was asked about Teixeira calling for the title shot his response was simply, "He's not wrong."
Golf
Carlos Ortiz became the first Mexican player to win on the PGA Tour in 42 years on Sunday at the Houston Open. Ortiz held off Hideki Matsuyama and top ranked player in the world Dustin Johnson to take the final tournament before the Masters. Ortiz finished at 13 under and this victory qualifies him for the Masters tournament next year.
His first PGA TOUR victory 🏆 Carlos Ortiz wins the Houston Open! https://t.co/IZMT247pAW— Golf Channel (@Golf Channel) 1604868688.0
As for Johnson, he will go into this year's Masters tournament on a hot streak. He hasn't finished outside of the top six in his last six tournaments and has earned two wins and two runner-up finishes in that timeframe. That's bad news for the rest of the field, as the world's best golfer is playing his best golf right before the most important major on the schedule.
MLS
The field is set for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Eastern Conference had 10 teams qualify for postseason play, so they will have two play-in matches to determine the final seeding. The New England Revolution (8) will play the Montreal Impact (9) and Nashville SC (7) takes on Inter Miami CF (10). The winners will either face Philadelphia (1) or Toronto FC (2) with Philadelphia getting the lower-seeded play-in winner.
The rest of the field looks like this.
Eastern Conference
(1) Philadelphia Union vs lower-seeded play-in winner
(2) Toronto FC vs higher-seeded play-in winner
(3) Columbus Crew SC vs (6) New York Red Bulls
(4) Orlando City SC vs (5) NYCFC
Western Conference
(1) Sporting Kansas City vs (8) San Jose Earthquakes
(2) Seattle Sounders vs (7) LAFC
(3) Portland Timbers vs (6) FC Dallas
(4) Minnesota United vs (5) Colorado Rapids
BRACKET = SET @Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs coming up! 🍿 https://t.co/prkYibJDec— Major League Soccer (@Major League Soccer) 1604886632.0