The Weekly Assist: 10/19 to 10/25

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.


MLB

The World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays kicked off last Tuesday night. The Dodgers took the first game 8-3 behind a strong pitching performance from Clayton Kershaw. Mookie Betts homered and added two stolen bases and 3 RBI in the contest. Tyler Glasnow was lit up for six runs over 4 1/3 IP and took the Game 1 loss for the Rays.

Blake Snell and Tony Gonsolin went in Game 2. Snell went 4 2/3 IP and took a no hitter into the fifth inning striking out nine batters. Brandon Lowe homered twice for the Rays. Joey Wendle had a two run double and a sacrifice fly to match Lowe's three RBI on the day. Corey Seager mashed his seventh home run of the postseason in Game 2. Chris Taylor and Will Smith also went yard. The Dodgers dropped Game 2 by a score of 6-4 to draw the World Series even at a game a piece.

Game 3 went to the Dodgers 6-2 behind a fantastic outing from Walker Buehler who struck out 10 over six innings with one earned run surrendered. Austin Barnes and Justin Turner led the way offensively for LA with home runs. Randy Arozarena hit his eighth home run of the postseason which tied him with Barry Bonds, Carlos Beltran, and Nelson Cruz for most all time in a single playoff season.

Game 4 was not only an all-time installment of the Fall Classic, but we also were treated to some history from both teams. Randy Arozarena broke the all time record for home runs in a single postseason hitting his ninth homer of the 2020 playoffs. For the Dodgers, Justin Turner became the franchise's all time leader in postseason home runs with 12 surpassing Duke Snider.

The game itself saw three lead changes over the last four innings and included one of the craziest plays to end a World Series game in history as Brett Phillips singled to center field which tied the game scoring Kevin Kiermaier, but a routine grounder was bobbled by the Dodgers' Chris Taylor. This allowed Randy Arozarena to make a run for home. The Dodgers quickly recovered and got the relay in to the cut off man well ahead of Arozarena. Will Smith went for the tag too early and never secured the ball allowing Arozarena to make it home for the game winning run! Rays take Game 4 in a walk off win 8-7 to even the series at 2.

Randy Arozarena has had one of the most historic playoff seasons in history and Sunday night he became all time hits leader in a single post season (27). Unfortunately for the Rays, that was about the only good takeaway from Game 4. Clayton Kershaw was solid again as he struck out six over 5 2/3 IP earning his second win of this World Series.

Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger got to Tyler Glasnow early and after two frames the Dodgers' three runs were enough to allow them to never trail in this one. Blake Treinen came in and struck out two on his way to earning the save. Los Angeles is now just one win away from winning their seventh championship and first in 32 years.

Projected starters for Tuesday night's Game 6 are Blake Snell (2-2, 3.33 ERA) for Tampa Bay and Tony Gonsolin (0-2, 9.39 ERA) for Los Angeles.

NBA

Stan Van Gundy has agreed to coach the New Orleans Pelicans. He will assume the responsibility of developing last year's number one overall pick, Zion Williamson. David Griffin is one of the best general managers in the NBA and has four picks in the upcoming draft (13, 39, 42, 60) that could be used to move up and land a more impactful player. There aren't a lot of glaring holes for them and they're young at their core.

Nate Bjorkgren is set to be head coach of the Pacers. Bjorkgren is a former assistant with Toronto. These recent hires add to Ty Lue becoming the new Clippers coach, Billy Donovan to the Bulls, Steve Nash coaching Brooklyn, Doc Rivers to Philadelphia, and Tom Thibodeau to the New York Knicks.

Bucks "won't trade Giannis" if he turns down the max extension Milwaukee is expected to offer him once free agency begins later this year. Antetokounmpo is still under contract for one more year whether he agrees to a deal this offseason or not.

The reigning back-to-back MVP may force the team into a game of Russian roulette if there is uncertainty about his intentions as the trade deadline approaches next season. If the Bucks feel that Giannis may sign elsewhere, they may have no other choice than to trade him. It would be better to get some assets or free up cap space in a trade than to lose the Greek Freak for nothing.

UFC

Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje with a second round submission on Saturday to move to 29-0-0 in the UFC. He is one of the best pound for pound fighters of his generation and dominated the Lightweight division over the course of his career.

He shocked the world by announcing his retirement following the win. Khabib will retire as an undefeated champion and has earned the respect of everyone including Dana White.

Dana White Reacts to Khabib Nurmagomedov's Retirement After UFC 254 - MMA Fightingwww.youtube.com


NFL

Antonio Brown has agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and may join the team as early as Week 9 after serving his eight game suspension imposed by the league.

The Pittsburgh Steelers come out of Week 7 the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. The Steelers defeated the Titans in a battle of the undefeated 27-24. The Steelers are now 6-0 sitting atop the AFC North, and the Titans fall to 5-1 on the year.

The other undefeated team entering Week 7, the Seattle Seahawks, lost to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night in OT 37-34. Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray were both outstanding and finished with numbers typically reserved for Madden games. Murray finished with 360 yards and three scores through the air along with 67 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Wilson had 388 passing yards and three touchdowns to go with 84 yards on the ground.

Both quarterbacks led their teams in rushing, but it came down to three uncharacteristic interceptions thrown by Wilson that made the difference. The last of which allowed the Cardinals to seal the win with a field goal after missing one prior to that interception.

Todd Gurley scored a late 4th quarter TD but appeared to want to fall short to keep running clock. Instead he fell across the goal line and the Lions got the ball back with about a minute left to play.

A deep pass to Kenny Golladay set up the eventual game tying touchdown to TJ Hockenson. The extra point won it for Detroit 23-22.

In another thriller, Joe Burrow looked poised to celebrate a fourth quarter comeback win against the Browns. Baker Mayfield drove his team down the field and Donovan Peoples-Jones caught the game winning touchdown, stealing a win on the road. The Browns improve to 5-2 behind Baker Mayfield's five touchdown passes.

With Football and March Madness in our rear-view window, you must think that there is nothing good to bet on these days. However, there’s so much going on right now that even we are having a hard time keeping up!

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on to help you out.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, they are offering new users their No Sweat $1,000 promotion. This means you will get up to $1,000 back in Bonus Bets if you lose your first bet!

Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!

It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!

It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

Terms & Conditions: 21+ and present in CO, IA, IL, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA or WV. New users only. Must wager in designated offer market. $10 first deposit required. $150 max bonus. See full terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call: 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, IL, VA), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).