October 24, 2025 • 53 mins
We chart a wild NFL week where the Giants found a real window with a rookie QB, the Jets hit a new low, and three overlooked games revealed who can actually travel in January. Then we go Knicks depth, rookie sparks, an NBA gambling storm, a Dodgers–Jays preview, and the case for protecting sports integrity before it frays.
• Giants’ fourth-quarter collapse balanced by Dart’s identity and rookie-deal window
• Eagles rematch keys: stay ahead of sticks, tight ends vs nickel, no free explosives
• Jets spiral: ownership noise, QB limbo, and a bleak path to first win
• Trade deadline reality and why Breece Hall is an airbag for a new QB
• Three games worth a rewatch: Colts-Chargers, 49ers-Falcons, Lions-Bucks
• Week eight watch list: Bears-Ravens tempo, Cowboys-Broncos fireworks, Steelers-Packers stakes
• Knicks’ grown-up opener, rotation depth, and managing Big Cat’s quad
• Rookie watch: Cooper Flagg’s poise, VJ Edgecombe’s eruption, Wemby’s monster line
• NBA gambling indictments, fragile prop markets, and the house with a microphone
• Concrete fixes: restrict micro-props, audit injury reports, lock access, real-time anomaly flags
• World Series preview: Dodgers’ frontline vs Blue Jays’ contact and gloves
• Aaron Judge and the no-ring pantheon warning
• Fantasy levers: buy lows, sell highs, and matchup-driven starts
• Five-pack card with rationale and bankroll discipline
If you want in on the Wednesday mic check, hit me on Instagram, drop your votes, talk your talk. Mailbags open all week, so fire questions, rants, or some grief counseling for your team into my DMs. If you’re listening on Apple or Spotify, toss a five-star and a quick review. YouTube crew, smash the likes, sub to the channel, clip anything you want to argue with, tag me so I can see it. Schedule-wise, new episodes every Friday, mic checks every Wednesday, and I post some reels throughout the week, so make sure you check those out too.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Eli siis mun week of my sites.
(00:16):
Right on the mice.
Hold up a chair, crack whateverit's called in the fridge.
Giants minus both rip your hardup and hand it back in a zip
bucket.
We'll talk about what thatfourth quarter told us from
Jackson Dark.
And why seeing Phil again inthis quickly is either the
perfect get right spot or areality check on where New York
(00:38):
Giant football actually is.
Then we're diving into the JetCircus.
Woody Johnson did the thingagain.
Front office, off-key, karaoke.
And now Aaron Glenn is playingguest the quarterback under the
banner of competitive advantage.
We'll also map out the path totheir first win because I
checked the schedule and itisn't exactly handing out
freebies anytime soon.
(01:00):
Around the NFL, three games fromlast week that deserve another
look.
The Colts walked into LA andmade the Chargers answer some
uncomfortable questions.
Sunday night, ChristianMcCaffrey turned Atlanta's
vaunted run defense into asuggestion.
And on Monday, Jameer Gibbs puton a track beat against Tampa.
Then the week A watch list.
Bears-Ravens does Lamar go, andwhat does that look like?
(01:22):
Cowboys Broncos, number oneoffense versus number three
defense.
And Steelers-Packers on Sundaynight.
Rogers reunion with good oldGreen Bay.
NBA time after that.
Knicks are 1-0 in the Mike Brownera and the undefeated parades
scheduled for June.
I'm just kidding.
But a clean, grown-up win withOG and Brunson setting the tone.
I do have some real concernabout Cat's quads lingering if
(01:43):
they're not careful.
Quick rookie watch, Cooper Flagdebut came with a Wemby-sized
welcome, and VJ Edgecombe walkedinto Boston and lit it up.
Then the big one, the gamblingmess.
Phillips, Rogier, Damon Jones,arrests, indictments, crime
bosses.
We'll talk about what it meansfor the league, and I got a good
(02:04):
rant about the house having amicrophone.
That'll roll us right intobaseball.
The Dodgers and Blue Jays areset for the World Series, and
we'll set the stakes withoutturning it into an Outonic
documentary.
Though, given his recent nothingto see here moment, the optics
of this week's news is not greatto say the least.
We'll preview the series a bit,then I want to revisit the Aaron
(02:24):
Judge conversation.
Is he tracking towards the bestwithout a ring table if the
Yankees keep coming up short?
Lastly, we'll close with thefantasy and wallet.
Buy lows, sell highs, week eightstarts and streams, and then
rolling the dice with Rex.
We went three and two again lastweek.
The slow climb is on.
Overall record is ugly, butwe're trending.
(02:46):
I got this week's five pack,three games, and both levels.
Alright, deep breath, lots tocover this week.
So buckle your chin trap, NFLfirst.
Let's do it to it.
SPEAKER_01 (03:00):
Tranquility base here.
The angle has landed.
SPEAKER_00 (03:04):
Okay, NFL time.
Let's eat.
And we're gonna kick it off withthe Giants.
Denver was a gut punch and aweird flex at the same time.
You're up 19 0 in the altitude.
Your rookie QB is dealing.
The defense is swarming.
And then fourth quarter turnsinto a fever dream.
Prevent defense prevents youfrom winning the game.
(03:26):
Denver scores 33 and 15 minutes.
You still answered behindJackson Dark.
You sneak it over the goal linewith 37 seconds left on a play
where his knee maybe went down,maybe didn't.
And then the extra point, youjust knew that the kid was going
to miss it.
And what happens?
Broncos go right down the fieldin two plays, and Lutz drills
(03:50):
the walk-off.
That's the NFL in a blender.
And that's why last week I saidthat the league has a kicking
problem.
Here's the real takeaway.
The Giants look different withDart.
The ball comes out hot.
He's aggressive on money downs,whether it's with his leg or his
arm.
And the offense actually has anidentity now.
(04:12):
Play action, middle of the fieldthrows, Scatabow and Tracy Juice
on the ground.
The mic check poll I ran thisweek had split vibes.
And a lot of you said that aloss is a loss, while others
were proud of how it looked.
And I get both sides, I do.
You should have had that game inthe bag.
(04:32):
But zoom out.
Rookie quarterback on the road,hostile environment, and you
still put up 32.
That travels.
I know you want wins, but itlooks like you actually have
something in Dart.
And this isn't the Daniel Jones,good one year, shit the rest,
(04:53):
roller coaster.
The kid looks like he canactually ball.
And the best part that no one istalking about, you don't have to
pay him for the next five years.
Guess what, Giant fans?
That's a real window.
You can now pour money into widereceiver opposite Malik
neighbors or stack the offensiveline or build up the secondary
(05:17):
on top of this great defensivefront you've built.
Remember Russell Wilson with theLegion of Boom?
They could stack a monsterroster because they weren't
paying Russ yet.
And then once they did, they hadto ship out two offensive
linemen for Jimmy Graham to makethe money work.
(05:39):
And that ended terribly.
So be happy, Giant fans.
You found a young stud at themost important position in
sports.
The wins will come.
Let the kid learn from themistakes.
Let the rookie be a rookie.
But enjoy this part of him beinga rookie before you have to move
(06:00):
the goalposts and start askingmore out of him.
I can't believe I'm going to saythis.
For the first time in a longtime, things look like they're
going to be alright for theGiants.
Now, Philly again.
Right away.
Seeing the Eagles twice in threeweeks is a pop quiz after a
midterm.
(06:20):
You learn fast what's real.
Philly's passing game woke uplast week, and their tackles are
still bullies.
And they're going to want someblood after last meeting.
So the keys for success for theGiants, keep Dart ahead of the
sticks and make Philly tackle inspace.
(06:41):
The Eagles can rush the passer,no doubt, but they don't love
living in nickel against tightends who can run.
And surprise, Theo Johnson hasmade a name for himself.
So that with a little bit ofplay action, some crossers,
you'll be alright.
And defensively, no freeexplosive plays.
(07:02):
Make Hertz drive the ball, makethem work, Saquon.
You can't give up two 75 yardplays and expect to win.
So it's a grown-up test.
Are the Giants fun or are theGiants for real?
So now, from a team that lookslike it has some hope to a team
(07:23):
that looks like it has no hope,that's right.
Your favorite time of the week,it's Jets time.
Deep breath, Jets fans, but nottoo deep, because the oxygen
tank has been empty sinceLondon.
Woody Johnson, our thankless andsavior owner, I say that in full
(07:46):
sarcasm, decided to do his bestJerry Jones impression and
hopped on a mic and said thequiet part out loud, quote, if
we can just complete a pass, endquote.
My brother in Christ, it is yourfranchise.
You can't light the quarterbackon fire in public in this media
(08:09):
market and then follow it upwith, I have full confidence in
Aaron Glenn.
You either empower your coach oryou don't.
And then Glenn's up there doingthe dance.
And to be fair, he he spun itwell at the podium.
I give him credit.
But now he's forced into thequote competitive advantage
(08:31):
routine on the QB decision.
And he's feisty with the mediabecause he has to be.
He knows what this is.
It's a five-year rebuild, whichis the length of his contract,
by the way.
So Aaron Glenn isn't goinganywhere.
And an 0-7 start that exposesevery single crack in the
building.
(08:51):
And the QB room, I mean, Fieldshas been brutal.
You thought you could bring himin, maybe see if you can
revitalize him, maybe he justneeds a receiver from his
college days.
No, he's terrible.
And Tyrod as your backup is agreat call, is a great signing,
but his knees are variable andhe's always hurt and he's a
(09:13):
statue back there.
I mean, the offense can't keep adrive alive long enough to
charge a phone.
And here is the reality check,too.
So you're 0-7.
Where does the first win comefrom?
I looked ahead at the schedule.
This week it's at Bangles.
And since he just found a pulsewith Joe Flacco, and those
(09:34):
receivers can catch everything,and they couldn't be happier
that they finally have someoneto throw them a ball.
Then you're on a buy.
Okay.
You can't lose.
That's not bad.
So you hope it's either amindset, reset, or it's going to
be a fire sale because that'swhen the trade deadline comes
up.
After the bye, Brown's at home.
(09:55):
And say what you want aboutCleveland, but that defense is
the truth, and it has traveledthe last couple years.
Miles Garrett versus offensiveline is going to be a horror
film.
Next up, at Patriots.
New coach, same hostility, andyou're 13-7 in the last 20
(10:16):
against them.
Mike Vrabel was a menace whenyou played against him, and he
hasn't softened with a headseteither.
Follow that game up with atRavens.
Lamar is going to be back.
He's going to be angry that theystarted 1-5.
The offense should be clickingby then.
And they're probably going to befighting for games that they
(10:39):
lost while Lamar was gone andtrying to challenge Pittsburgh
for the division.
Then November 30th, Falcons athome.
Okay, maybe.
Circle it as a coin flip.
If you can stop the run and youdon't trip over your own
shoelaces.
But if things go bad, Bichoncould put up another 200-yard
day.
(11:00):
So real talk, there is a worldwhere you're 0-12 by the time
Miami rolls in in earlyDecember.
Come trade deadline.
You're not even buying guys thatcould help sustain you in the
future.
You're answering every call.
If someone wants to overpay foran edge rusher that you're on
(11:22):
the fence about trading, tradethem.
If you have an expiring vet,trade him.
As far as Brees Hall, you onlymove him if you're going to get
a haul for him.
And all the reports are that,you know, because he's on the
trade market and teams knowyou're not going to pay him,
(11:43):
there's not going to be a bigmarket for him or a big return
for him.
Look, if you're going to bedrafting a quarterback next
year, a legit running back isthat young guy's airbag.
So hold him.
Feature him.
Simplify the pass game and buildaround that.
(12:03):
But just know that that meansyou're committing to him.
You're committing to paying himat some point.
Because franchising him is goingto get ugly.
And look, I was wrong in August.
I was.
I saw a path to competence forthis team.
And it's not that.
This is a full-blown burn itdown, send in the nukes,
(12:26):
rebuild.
And opposite of the timeline, Istill think that Aaron Glenn can
coach.
He was handed a 20-pound bag ofshit in a five-pound bag, and
now he's trying to get that onan airplane.
The bottom line with the Jets isWoody needs to zip it, which he
never will.
The GM needs to deep dive everycollege quarterback and find the
(12:48):
right one, which doesn't seem tohappen for the Jets.
And Glenn needs to set theculture, which is also a
monumental task.
But one band, one sound, right?
Oh God, the Jets are in so muchtrouble.
Well, just enjoy tailgatingseason, I guess, right?
Okay, quick spin from lastweek's games.
(13:10):
Games you might have missedwhile you were apple picking
with the wife.
First one on the list that Iwant to go over is the Colts and
Chargers.
Everyone, everyone tried to buryDaniel Jones.
And he walked right into LA andhanded out apologies seat by
seat.
He was calm in the pocket, hithis outside structure, Jonathan
Taylor played good, and Indy'sdefense hit Justin Herbert just
(13:34):
enough to rush a few layups.
That was a, you sure were afluke win for DJ, and good for
the kid.
Danny Dimes is no longer DannyPennies.
He's back to Daniel Dimes.
Next game, 49ers at Falcons,Sunday night football.
All week it was Atlanta's run Dis elite.
(13:55):
And Christian McCaffrey tookthat personally.
201 yards from scrimmage, twotouchdowns, and San Francisco
won the trench game without Bosaand with Mac Jones managing the
offense.
When they go heavy and play keepaway, you're toast.
Last game on the list, Bucks,Lions, Monday night football.
(14:17):
Jameer Gibbs, period, stop.
Threw on the track spikes, 136rushing yards and 80 receiving,
two scores, turned down oxygenon the bench at one point, said,
I'm good.
They were sloppy early, but ifGibbs gets 20 plus touches, plus
(14:38):
mix in some Amon Ross St.
Brown, mix in some Sam Laporta,mix in some Jamison Williams,
that offense is terrifying.
Now, want to touch on a coupleweek eight watch list games.
Some stuff to flip to if yourteam's getting cooked.
Like my Jets probably will bethis week.
First game I want to watch isBears at Ravens.
(15:00):
Looks like Lamar is going toplay.
I want to see the tempo and seeif he has any easy money throws
after the layoff.
Can Baltimore still playBulleyball?
Chicago's offense under BenJohnson is finding its form, so
this is going to be a litmustest for both.
These are big games for bothteams trying to compete.
(15:23):
Next game, Cowboys at Broncos.
Number one offense with theCowboys versus defense that just
survived a hundred-snap comebackwar.
If CD's cooking and Cowboys canprotect against that D-line,
fireworks.
If not, Dallas's D has tofinally try and do something
(15:43):
that it hasn't all year, andthat's get consistent stops,
actually play some defense.
And the last game on the list,your Sunday night football
marquee matchup, Steelers atPackers in Pittsburgh.
Aaron Rodgers says it's not arevenge game.
He doesn't care about goingagainst his old team.
Sure.
(16:04):
But that old, fiery, competitivepain in the ass would love to
twist a knife against Green Bay.
Pittsburgh's defense has fed offprimetime games, but Jordan Love
is no slouch when it comes tobig games on the road either.
(16:24):
Either way, this is Mondaymorning gloating material for
whichever team wins.
So that's the NFL chunk.
After the break, Knicks are 1-0with a very professional win.
Rookie Watch, Cooper Flag meetsWemby, BJ Edgecomb explodes in
Boston.
And then the big one, thegambling mess.
(16:47):
And why the house has amicrophone should make every fan
a little bit uneasy.
Stay tuned, NBA next.
(17:19):
And we'll get into the gamblingmess in a second.
But first, the New York Knickshave started their season.
The home opener felt adult.
OG Ananobi set the tone.
Jalen Brunson lived at the lineand controlled the last six
minutes.
Meanwhile, Mikhail Bridges didall the connective stuff, and
(17:39):
Big Cat gave you 19 and 11 whileclearly gutting through a bad
quad.
No Mitchell Robinson, so AerialHuck Porty, starting at the
five, and giving you glassworkand size, that's a different
look we hadn't seen yet.
Functional, simple, effective,and that's the big difference in
(18:02):
the Mike Brown era.
He's actually using the depth.
Miles McBride came in like amicrowave, drilled threes, swung
the momentum.
Landry Shamit spaced it and hadsome timely shots.
Tyler Kolick looked steady andunbothered running with the
second units.
Even Jordan Clarkson hunted acouple buckets while it stalled.
(18:23):
And you even had Trey JamesonIII and Gershon Yasubali say
that.
Sogan minutes without the wheelsfalling off.
Last year it was always bring inthe second unit, and they would
completely melt down, and thenyou had to bring in the first
unit.
That's 11 real contributorsgoing on right now.
(18:45):
Not a museum of DNPs.
Now, the cloud, Kat's grade 2quad isn't uh isn't really tape
it and forget it.
Quads linger.
The blessing is this roster canbuy him time.
You can keep his minutes saneand ride OG or bridges on the
(19:09):
wings, let Brunson steer when hehas to, and then lean on the
bench to soak up theback-to-backs.
Side note, by the way, Thibbsshowing up at Celtics practice.
I don't know if you guys sawthis.
Jalen Brown talked about Thibsshowing up and how they could
get better from how Thibbs beatthem last year.
(19:29):
Look, I get the politics of howit went after you got fired
unceremoniously, but it's that'sa weird optic, man.
But either way, this version ofthe Knicks looked organized,
physical, and deep.
Bank the win, 82 and oh still onthe board, managed a quad for
(19:50):
Big Cat and keep the rotationwide.
So before I get into thegambling scandal that is
currently running through theNBA, I just want to touch on a
little rookie watch, which wasgonna be the focus for this NBA
segment of the podcast untileverything broke this morning.
(20:13):
But Cooper Flag, who I talkedabout all offseason, all March
Madness, uh Dallas pretty muchgot the lottery rigged for them
to get him.
Well, his debut came with aWemby size welcome to the league
sign.
(20:34):
He missed some bunnies.
He looked a little sped up,still walked out with a
double-double and a handful ofgood reads, and that'll be fine.
He'll get better and grow biggerinto his role.
I mean, he's only 18 years oldand 10 months.
Do you do you know what you weredoing at 18 years old?
I know it wasn't being uhstarting shooting guard for the
(20:56):
Dallas Mavericks.
But the other rookie we got totalk about is VJ Edgecombe,
taking number three in thedraft.
Different story.
34 in Boston in his first game,highest debut for a sixer since
Wilt.
And he looked like the momentdidn't even raise his heart
rate.
He got after it.
(21:16):
I'd also be remiss if I didn'ttalk about Weminyama, who's now
in his second, third year, buthe was in that uh battle for
Texas against Cooper Flag,Dallas versus San Antonio.
Yeah.
40, 15, three blocks, 70% fromthe floor, and zero turnovers.
That's not a box score.
(21:37):
That is a screensaver.
The Spurs have an absolutemonster.
And the game looks small for himalready.
God bless us if he stays healthyand fills out like Giannis did.
Now, with all of that out of theway, it's time to get to the
thing.
(21:58):
The elephant in the room, thegambling story that broke early
this morning that is going tosend wavelengths through the
MBA.
Now, if you've only been halflistening or haven't had the
time to check ESPN or any ofyour favorite news sites, that's
(22:23):
what I'm here for.
That's what you listen for.
For Uncle Rice to break it downfor you so you could be the
smartest man at the water coolertomorrow at work.
And I'll give it to you in aclean English version, not
lawyer speak.
So first things first.
Federal agents ran two connectedinvestigations.
(22:47):
One track was illegal sportsbetting using inside info about
MBA injuries slash availability.
The other track was amafia-based rigged underground
poker scheme that used tech,meaning marked cards, camera
(23:08):
chip trays, even a loadedshuffler to fleece people out of
their money.
Now, these aren't, you know, meand you, where we're playing
two, three hundred dollar pokergames.
These are guys that have a lotof money.
We're talking six, seven hundredthousand dollar anties.
(23:30):
That led to 30 plus arrestsacross multiple states.
So some of the names you mightknow that popped up, well, first
on the list, Terry Rogier.
Well, he was arrested inFlorida.
The indictment alleges peopleused non-public info about his
status to hammer unders and thathe exited a game early after the
(23:54):
information moved money.
Former Cavs player slashassistant Damon Jones was also
arrested.
The feds allege he texted betterbefore a Lakers game in 2023
that a quote unquote prominentplayer, which is probably either
LeBron or A.D., wouldn't play,and bets were placed off that
(24:16):
non-public info.
Now on the poker side, ChaunceyBills, a name that any Knicks
fan should know, was arrested ina related case.
Prosecutors allege that he was aquote unquote face card, no pun
intended, in rigged games tiedto organized crime.
There's also a reference tosomeone whose resume looks a lot
(24:41):
like Chauncey Bills, sharingthat multiple Blazers wouldn't
play in a 2023 tanking game,which influenced some betting
also.
When the FBI puts together acase from 2023, they're not
fucking around.
It wasn't they just had someinfo and knocked on your door
(25:02):
and wanted to ask you somequestions.
This is two years later thatthey've been putting this case
together.
The government's words here arequote wire fraud conspiracy and
quote money launderingconspiracy.
These are indictments, notconvictions, but that's the
level that we're dealing withright now.
(25:23):
So why should you care if you'rejust here for the highlights?
Well, because this isn't a grayarea bad beat.
This isn't the quarterbackthrough a deep touchdown or
somebody missed a free throw.
This is a core compact betweenfan and sport.
(25:46):
You watch because you think thatthe thing you're watching is a
fair contest.
That I have the same informationthat you do.
Prop markets, points, rebounds,assists, first foul, early
exits.
They're all uniquely fragile.
If even one guy with a gate codeand a group chat can move five
(26:08):
figures based on uh he's notplaying or he'll be on a minutes
limit text, that's it.
Integrity isn't a vibe, it's asystem and it needs to be upheld
in sporting leagues.
Now, layer two the megaphone.
This is something I've beenwanting to touch on for a while,
(26:29):
but I haven't been sure how toapproach it.
And with the gambling scandalhappening now, I think it's a
perfect time to talk about it.
I'm gonna call this the thehouse has a microphone.
And what I mean by that is whenthe broadcast partner also owns
(26:50):
a sports book, everything yousee and hear has a shadow behind
it.
Which graphic gets pushed, whichstat is highlighted, which
injury gets floated in a teaseversus buried in a lower third.
(27:10):
And it's not that anyone isinstructing a host to tank your
parlay or go this way or thatway.
Most folks on air are pros, butmicro influencing is a real
thing.
Tone, repetition, what's framedas certainty, all those things
(27:32):
nudge bets in a certain way.
Meanwhile, the app link isliterally on the ticker below
the talking heads.
Now look, I I'm about to giveyou my picks later in this
episode.
But here's the difference.
I don't own a book, I don't clipyour losses, I'm not choosing
(27:55):
the camera shots or the injurylanguage on the crawl, how bad a
guy is hurt, what the defenselooks like.
The dual role asks fans to trustthat the entity selling you
action is also a neutralnarrator of the action.
(28:17):
And that's a big ask.
If you are tied directly to asports book that your company
owns.
The network has changed over thepast years.
Some people are good on it, somepeople are terrible on it.
(28:42):
It's one thing to get in bedwith gambling companies.
It's another thing to have anetwork and also own a gambling
company.
Something to think about.
And this isn't a uh fake news ordon't trust the media kind of
(29:04):
thing.
But it is a don't get lostlooking at the forest.
See the forest through thetrees, kind of thing.
See the macro, not the microgetting shoved in front of your
face every day.
So anyway.
So what do you do if you're theleague?
(29:24):
What do you do if you're AdamSilver?
What do you do if you're theMBA?
Well, if I'm Adam Silver, rightaway, I kill or severely limit
low minute player props and latebreaking availability props,
which he said he's alreadyhinted at.
Good.
(29:44):
So, but you gotta go further.
I uh I immediately harden theinjury reporting rules with
independent audits and realpenalties for gamesmanship.
No, he might play, he might notplay.
I understand, but if you Fudgethe injury report, you pay.
And most of the time, these guysare load management anyway, but
(30:07):
if he's going to be loadmanagement, load management, and
then all of a sudden he plays,or no info on anything, and then
all of a sudden he doesn't play,and he was never listed for any
reason, you're gonna have to paya fine.
The other thing I would do is Iwould lock access.
No more quote unofficialstaffers just drifting around
(30:28):
treatment rooms and walkthroughsand this, that, and the other.
Credentials.
Credentials, credentials,credentials.
And I know that might limit someyoung beat reporters trying to
get a scoop or something, butcredentials matter, man.
Proximity matters.
You need to be able to be vettedand trusted to be around this
(30:48):
information.
You know, a person is smart,people are dumb.
Again, one idiot and a groupchat because he heard something,
not great.
The other thing, too, is booksneed to throttle and flag
outlier prop action instantlyand feed that to the league in
(31:09):
real time.
There should be, if you're gonnabe in bed with the gambling
companies, you need to be in bedwith the gambling companies.
You need to be, your books needto be on top of each other.
They need to know whateverybody's betting, and you
need to tell them if there'ssuspicious betting activity.
If 30 max limit under bets hiton a niche player prop under in
(31:34):
20 minutes, the bells shouldring before tip, not after the
second quarter.
It's a little bit of an uhlittle bit of an ugly time for
the NBA here, only two days in.
Not exactly the publicity youwant at the start of your
season.
You know, you dealt with refsfixing games, and refs are a
(31:58):
little bit easier to handle.
You can fire them, you can trackthem throughout their games to
see their tendencies, but assoon as players start getting
involved, that's when that'swhen your league loses
credibility.
And the last thing you want ispeople talking about it being
(32:22):
rigged, and then actually it isrigged.
So where do you land?
Uh if you're a fan, bet if youwant.
But it's important to understandwhat's soft and what's sharp.
Markets on stars are harder togame.
Micro props on rotation guys areuh a jungle.
(32:47):
Be a little skeptical ofcertainty, and remember that
quote, inside info is just afancy way to say someone else
didn't get a fair shake.
We'll keep tracking this storyas it unfolds, and I'm sure
there's going to be so much morethat breaks out.
But sports are supposed to bethe thing we trust when
(33:11):
everything else is noisy orcomplicated or cumbersome.
Sports are supposed to be thething that we can unwind and
this team versus that team.
Root for some laundry, root foryour favorite player.
And all of a sudden now if itturns into WWE, and nothing
(33:34):
against wrestling or WWE, butI'm not trying to watch a
scripted Jets game or a scriptedKnicks game.
I'm trying to watch a realsporting event.
Something that you can't D VRbecause you need to watch it
live.
And that should weigh heavy onevery commissioner, not just
(33:54):
Adam Silver.
Alright, let's uh let's take abeat.
We will pivot to baseball.
Dodgers, Blue Jays, WorldSeries.
And before we even touch thefirst pitch, going from one
gambler to another, we'lladdress the other big elephant.
Shohei Otani being the face ofthis World Series, and probably
(34:19):
the face of baseball, while alsogoing through his own little
gambling predicament.
Then we'll actually talk balland make a pick for the World
Series.
And I also got a judge topicthat I want to talk about.
Stay tuned, MLB next.
(34:46):
On to the baseball, and we justgot done talking about the NBA
gambling mess, so this is theright moment to remind folks.
Baseball's been living in thatshadow too.
Quietly, but also there.
Shohei Otani.
Look, legally, he was cleared.
(35:06):
The feds called him a victim.
MLB closed its investigation.
His interpreter, Ipe Muzuhara,pled guilty to bank and tax
fraud after admitting that hesiphoned millions from Otani's
account to fund an illegalgambling habit.
And that's the official record.
But my opinion, as a gambler,who's seen a lot of bad action
(35:31):
and ugly parlays, the wholething still smells.
The story changed, the numberswere wild, and culturally, yeah,
sometimes the right hand maneats the blame so that the boss
never has to touch it.
Look, I can't prove a thing, andit's all hearsay.
And I'm not exactly saying thathe plays bets, but I am saying
(35:55):
that the optics are brutal, tosay the least.
And the timing couldn't beworse.
The face of the sport is chasingback-to-back World Series rings
while fans are more and moresuspicious of everything in
sports than they've ever been.
And that's just the reality thatwe're living in.
This story breaking in the NBAcouldn't have hit for a worse
(36:19):
time for the World Series.
Okay, speaking of the WorldSeries, Dodgers Blue Jays.
The October classic is set.
LA is a machine.
They're rolling out Blake Snellin game one.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto in game two.
I just love saying that name.
Lefty Chaos followed by hundredspitches of precision.
(36:42):
Dave Roberts hinted thatGlassdown and maybe Otani as the
series shifts, which is a nastyrunway if you're Toronto trying
to steal one on the road.
But the Jays are in a knifefight.
They just won two eliminationgames on defense and timely
bombs.
Springer's heating up.
Vlad looks free and easy andseeing the ball the size of a
(37:06):
beach ball.
And the kids don't seem to knowthat they're supposed to be
nervous.
They turn the ball on theinfield, they don't beat
themselves, and they'reperfectly content to win 3-2 if
you let them.
So game one script, you have tomake Snell work.
Traffic early, deny him thatchase count.
(37:30):
If Toronto can keep doing whatthey've been doing and foul off
pitches and work his pitch countup, you'll see LA's bullpen
early, and that's their lane.
Now, game two, Yamamoto lives inthe strike zone.
And this Toronto team swings ateverything.
So be ready to ambush firstpitch strikes, or you're gonna
(37:52):
spend the night down 01, 02, andeventually end up walking back
to the dugout after a dirtyslider.
Defensively, the Jays can't giveLA any extra outs.
If they do, Mookie, Freeman,Otani, Teoscar, they'll all tax
you for it.
My pick, well, my head saysDodgers in six, maybe seven.
(38:16):
Frontline pitching usually winsgames, but my heart wants chaos.
And a game seven in Toronto withSpringer writing another
chapter.
Oh, man, that would be nice.
Two coin flip games.
I'm taking Toronto just becauseI hate the Dodgers, but we'll
see.
(38:37):
Two quick dugout notes.
The Angels gave Kurt Suzuki aone-year deal to manage.
That's either a prove it ortrapdoor.
Catchers, especially backupcatchers, always make good
managers, but you can't manageyour way around soft pitching.
I think they had a deal withPujos in line, and he said, I
(38:58):
want to go look around, and theysaid, Screw you, we're going
Suzuki.
And the Giants, Buster Posey,just keeps doing things that
aren't in the normal andprobably working.
They just plucked Toly Vitellostraight from Tennessee.
First big league manager hireddirectly from college.
That's program builder thinkingover bullpen chess.
(39:22):
Bold.
And I'm kind of fascinated tosee if it translates.
Now, the Yankee bit.
Aaron Judge.
Is he creeping towards the bestto do it without a ring list?
Yeah.
(39:42):
That's where this goes if theydon't fix the build.
Rings are organizational.
Depth, reliable pitching, actuallineup balance, not one
superhero dragging eightquestion marks into October.
Judge is everything you want.
Elite production, silent leader,big moments.
(40:05):
But if the front office keepspatching holes with duct tape
and vibes, you risk burningprime year after prime year and
putting him in that unfairconversation along with Ted
Williams, Barry Bonds, TonyGwynn, Don Mattingley, Ken
Griffey Jr.
(40:26):
I mean, a great list to be on ifyou want to be a hitter, but not
the list that you want to be onif you never had a ring.
Like if you believe 99 gets aring in pinstripes, your winner
has to look like it.
You need real rotation help.
You need bat-to-ball balance andfewer.
Maybe he bounces back, flyerguys.
(40:50):
Alright.
That's it for baseball.
Fantasy and the wild are upnext.
Buy lows, sell highs, week eightstreamers.
Little roll in the dice withrice.
We went three for two again.
Climb continues.
Five pack ready.
Stay tuned.
(41:15):
Well, it's that time of theshow, boys and girls.
The fantasy and gambling corner.
Let's talk like grown-ups tryingto save a Sunday.
And I got a couple buy lows,sell highs.
If you're looking to make a movebefore the waivers lock, the
window is cracked on a coupleguys here.
(41:36):
Dalton Kincaid off a bye isexactly the kind of amnesia you
profit from.
Buffalo is going to scheme himfree against a Carolina defense
that has been soft in the seams.
And coming off back-to-backlosses, something tells me
they're going to go crazy.
George Kittle managers aredefinitely annoyed after a goose
(41:58):
egg.
They held on to him for all thistime after he's been injured and
just for him to put up a zero.
That's perfect.
That's exactly when you buy theweekly 25-pointer.
Ashton Jantey's touches dippedbecause of the game script.
The game got sideways.
(42:19):
Not because his role changed.
He's still living in the top 10of opportunity share, and he's
someone you want to buy ifsomeone's selling.
Roma Dunze had two quiet weeks.
Cool.
That's your discount on theBears.
He's the alpha over there, andCaleb and Ben Johnson seem to be
(42:41):
getting it together.
Buy on Rome.
BTJ, Brian Thomas Jr.
is dropping balls and people arebailing on him after his bad
couple weeks.
I'll buy the routery and theschedule.
Don't worry about TrevorLawrence.
They're going to figure it out.
Jakori Krosky Merritt, aka Bill,Bill, Bill, Bill.
(43:04):
Nah, the science guy.
Looks like.
Why is this so cheap?
Three down juice and receivingwork?
Yeah.
Go get him if you can.
And Matthew Golden.
His usage is inching up littleby little.
Stash him now while you can, andthank me and yourself in three
weeks.
(43:24):
Now, on the flip side, it's timeto be cold-blooded.
DeAndre Swift.
Look, he looks awesome.
But the role is getting noisierwith Kyle Menungay nibbling at
him.
He just scored his firsttouchdown, kid out of Ruckers.
So it seems like they're goingto maybe share roles here a
(43:46):
little bit.
And again, Ben Johnson is nostranger to dual running backs.
If someone's willing to pay,sell DeAndre Swift at his peak.
Next on that list is RamandreStevenson.
Look, the floor is fine, but theceiling is capped by
inefficiency and matchups, andhe's a super fumbler.
(44:09):
If you can trade that name intoa cleaner weekly starter, go for
it.
Jordan Addison, he's doingalright.
Heater was fun.
Waiting for McCarthy to comeback, and then we'll see what it
is.
But if someone wants to pay thatprice, don't be shy.
Go for it.
(44:32):
George Pickens, he's a stud.
But CeeDee Lamb is back and heis eating first.
Plus Jake Ferguson's stillgetting involved.
You're strapping into a rollercoaster.
The first couple weeks whenCeeDee was there, Pickens
struggled.
And then when CeeDee went out,Pickens ate.
(44:53):
Now that the big dog is back, Iwould expect uh Pickens' usage
to go down a little bit.
And last but not least, JoeFlacco.
Look, you might be in a leaguewhere it's two quarterbacks and
somebody's struggling and youjust happen to pick them up off
the waiver.
I love this story.
(45:14):
But if somebody wants them, goget them.
Jamar Chase and T.
Higgins, yeah, it's great, buteventually the roosters are
going to come home to roost.
Anyway, uh those are buy lows,sell highs.
So now starts it speed roundwith some reasons.
(45:35):
Bo Nicks is in all my lineups.
Dallas has been a faucet forquarterback points, yardage,
scrambles, all of it.
And it looks like the Broncosjust unlocked the design
quarterback run stuff, too.
So go for it.
Brees Hall, uh Brees Hall getsone more, I don't care how mad
(45:59):
you are, start.
Since he has bled both rush andreceiving production to backs,
and no Garrett Wilson again, thevolume matchup is there if the
Jets can take advantage of it.
Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakiragainst Carolina.
I'm bracing myself.
(46:22):
The Panthers have quietlysmothered wide receiver output,
and Buffalo seems to bespreading around a bunch.
Like I just mentioned withDalton Kincaid.
I wouldn't be surprised if hehas a good bounce back game
because both receivers are justsmothered by their defense.
Okay, that's enough fantasy.
(46:44):
It's week eight.
You're either in it or you'reout of it by this point.
So now it's time to take thewallets out.
It is now time for the rollingthe dice with rice segment.
Our gambling picks.
We went 3-2 again last week.
Still an ugly 11-21 on theseason.
(47:05):
But we're nudging in the rightdirection.
So here is where I'm planting myflags this week.
First game on the docket,Buffalo out of Carolina.
I'm laying it.
I'm laying it with the Bills,and I'm buying the hook to minus
seven.
Two weeks to stew afterback-to-back losses.
(47:26):
Get right opponent, and if JoshAllen stays out of the hero ball
bullshit, this can sell up totwo scores easy.
Coming off a bye, Bills by alandslide.
Next game on the list, Miami atAtlanta.
A game that probably a lot ofpeople don't want to touch,
don't know where to go with it.
(47:49):
I'll take it.
Give me Miami plus seven and ahalf.
I'm not saying they win, butseven and a half is a big
number.
And everybody's sold on Tua fromlast week.
Yeah, well, he played outside in50 degree weather.
If you know Tua, you know hecannot play in the cold.
(48:10):
That's why he thrives in Miamior thrives in a dome.
Well, guess what?
He's playing in Atlanta indoorsat a dome.
I think McDaniel leans into thequick game, and they watch some
tape from last week with CMCripping them up, and HN can
maybe do the same thing.
(48:32):
If they don't give possessionsand turn the ball over, this
number's fat.
Miami plus seven and a half.
Next game, Dallas at Denver.
And I'm taking the over.
50 and a half.
Simple math.
Dallas scores on anybody.
Dallas can't stop anybody.
(48:52):
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Denver's offense has just foundits spark.
Look, if you're the anxioustype, buy it down to 48.
Fine.
But the thesis is the same.
Dallas' defense is bad, andtheir offense is good.
Okay, now for the locals.
(49:15):
Since he minus six and a half.
I hate to say it.
I'm taking Sincy.
Flacco looks comfortable.
Chase and Higgins are vacuumingup targets.
And the Jets offense just cannotkeep a drive alive long enough.
I'm done letting Phandom lighttickets on fire.
I'm done taking Jets money linejust because.
(49:38):
Lay in Cincy minus six and ahalf.
And as for the Giants, I'mreally torn between this game
because of the number, but we'regoing to go Philly minus seven
and a half.
It did open up at 11.5 lastweek, and because of the Giants'
(49:58):
performance in Denver fell allthe way down to a touchdown and
a half.
That last meeting stung in thePhilly building.
And the Giants have real juicewith Dart, but the Eagles'
passing game has finally wokenup and those tackles tilt the
trench in their favor.
This feels like a business likestay ahead in the division win.
(50:22):
Give me Philly minus seven and ahalf.
If you're the spicy lotto tickettype player, the five-pack is
roughly 25 to 1 on a parlay.
I'm doing singles for a littlebit of money, maybe a little
round robin touchdown bet, butno chasing.
(50:46):
Bet responsibly.
No live tilt heroics.
And if you don't like a pick onthe card, don't bet it.
You don't have to take it.
It's your money, not my money.
Okay.
I've talked long enough today.
Let's uh let's land this plane.
(51:06):
After this, I'll give you thesocials, where to find the show,
and get you out of here on apositive note.
(51:39):
And I appreciate you hangingout.
Quick housekeeping.
If you want in on the Wednesdaymic check, hit me on Instagram,
drop your votes, talk your talk.
I'll read the best ones on theshow.
Mailbags open all week, so firequestions, rants, or some grief
counseling for your team into myDMs.
(52:02):
And if you're riding with therolling the dice with rice, pet
responsibly, set limits, andfade me if your gut says so.
It's your ticket, not mine.
If you're listening on Apple orSpotify, toss a five-star and a
quick review.
It helps a ton.
YouTube crew, smash the likes,sub to the channel, clip
(52:26):
anything you want to argue with,tag me so I can see it.
Uh tell a friend who lies abouttheir picks that we've got the
receipts over here.
Schedule-wise, new episodesevery Friday, uh, mic checks
every Wednesday, and I post somereels throughout the week, so
(52:46):
make sure you check those outtoo.
We'll be back with Nick's HeatChecks, Rookie Watch, Jet Shines
Fallout, World Series MomentumSwings.
You know the draw.
Be good to somebody today.
Text your people.
Tell someone you love them.
Spread good energy.
The world's loud enough withoutus adding any static.
(53:10):
I'm Ian Rice.
This has been episode thirty-sixof Rice on the Mikes.
I'm out.
Let's do it to it.
Eli siis mun week of my sites.
(00:16):
Right on the mice.
Hold up a chair, crack whateverit's called in the fridge.
Giants minus both rip your hardup and hand it back in a zip
bucket.
We'll talk about what thatfourth quarter told us from
Jackson Dark.
And why seeing Phil again inthis quickly is either the
perfect get right spot or areality check on where New York
(00:38):
Giant football actually is.
Then we're diving into the JetCircus.
Woody Johnson did the thingagain.
Front office, off-key, karaoke.
And now Aaron Glenn is playingguest the quarterback under the
banner of competitive advantage.
We'll also map out the path totheir first win because I
checked the schedule and itisn't exactly handing out
freebies anytime soon.
(01:00):
Around the NFL, three games fromlast week that deserve another
look.
The Colts walked into LA andmade the Chargers answer some
uncomfortable questions.
Sunday night, ChristianMcCaffrey turned Atlanta's
vaunted run defense into asuggestion.
And on Monday, Jameer Gibbs puton a track beat against Tampa.
Then the week A watch list.
Bears-Ravens does Lamar go, andwhat does that look like?
(01:22):
Cowboys Broncos, number oneoffense versus number three
defense.
And Steelers-Packers on Sundaynight.
Rogers reunion with good oldGreen Bay.
NBA time after that.
Knicks are 1-0 in the Mike Brownera and the undefeated parades
scheduled for June.
I'm just kidding.
But a clean, grown-up win withOG and Brunson setting the tone.
I do have some real concernabout Cat's quads lingering if
(01:43):
they're not careful.
Quick rookie watch, Cooper Flagdebut came with a Wemby-sized
welcome, and VJ Edgecombe walkedinto Boston and lit it up.
Then the big one, the gamblingmess.
Phillips, Rogier, Damon Jones,arrests, indictments, crime
bosses.
We'll talk about what it meansfor the league, and I got a good
(02:04):
rant about the house having amicrophone.
That'll roll us right intobaseball.
The Dodgers and Blue Jays areset for the World Series, and
we'll set the stakes withoutturning it into an Outonic
documentary.
Though, given his recent nothingto see here moment, the optics
of this week's news is not greatto say the least.
We'll preview the series a bit,then I want to revisit the Aaron
(02:24):
Judge conversation.
Is he tracking towards the bestwithout a ring table if the
Yankees keep coming up short?
Lastly, we'll close with thefantasy and wallet.
Buy lows, sell highs, week eightstarts and streams, and then
rolling the dice with Rex.
We went three and two again lastweek.
The slow climb is on.
Overall record is ugly, butwe're trending.
(02:46):
I got this week's five pack,three games, and both levels.
Alright, deep breath, lots tocover this week.
So buckle your chin trap, NFLfirst.
Let's do it to it.
SPEAKER_01 (03:00):
Tranquility base here.
The angle has landed.
SPEAKER_00 (03:04):
Okay, NFL time.
Let's eat.
And we're gonna kick it off withthe Giants.
Denver was a gut punch and aweird flex at the same time.
You're up 19 0 in the altitude.
Your rookie QB is dealing.
The defense is swarming.
And then fourth quarter turnsinto a fever dream.
Prevent defense prevents youfrom winning the game.
(03:26):
Denver scores 33 and 15 minutes.
You still answered behindJackson Dark.
You sneak it over the goal linewith 37 seconds left on a play
where his knee maybe went down,maybe didn't.
And then the extra point, youjust knew that the kid was going
to miss it.
And what happens?
Broncos go right down the fieldin two plays, and Lutz drills
(03:50):
the walk-off.
That's the NFL in a blender.
And that's why last week I saidthat the league has a kicking
problem.
Here's the real takeaway.
The Giants look different withDart.
The ball comes out hot.
He's aggressive on money downs,whether it's with his leg or his
arm.
And the offense actually has anidentity now.
(04:12):
Play action, middle of the fieldthrows, Scatabow and Tracy Juice
on the ground.
The mic check poll I ran thisweek had split vibes.
And a lot of you said that aloss is a loss, while others
were proud of how it looked.
And I get both sides, I do.
You should have had that game inthe bag.
(04:32):
But zoom out.
Rookie quarterback on the road,hostile environment, and you
still put up 32.
That travels.
I know you want wins, but itlooks like you actually have
something in Dart.
And this isn't the Daniel Jones,good one year, shit the rest,
(04:53):
roller coaster.
The kid looks like he canactually ball.
And the best part that no one istalking about, you don't have to
pay him for the next five years.
Guess what, Giant fans?
That's a real window.
You can now pour money into widereceiver opposite Malik
neighbors or stack the offensiveline or build up the secondary
(05:17):
on top of this great defensivefront you've built.
Remember Russell Wilson with theLegion of Boom?
They could stack a monsterroster because they weren't
paying Russ yet.
And then once they did, they hadto ship out two offensive
linemen for Jimmy Graham to makethe money work.
(05:39):
And that ended terribly.
So be happy, Giant fans.
You found a young stud at themost important position in
sports.
The wins will come.
Let the kid learn from themistakes.
Let the rookie be a rookie.
But enjoy this part of him beinga rookie before you have to move
(06:00):
the goalposts and start askingmore out of him.
I can't believe I'm going to saythis.
For the first time in a longtime, things look like they're
going to be alright for theGiants.
Now, Philly again.
Right away.
Seeing the Eagles twice in threeweeks is a pop quiz after a
midterm.
(06:20):
You learn fast what's real.
Philly's passing game woke uplast week, and their tackles are
still bullies.
And they're going to want someblood after last meeting.
So the keys for success for theGiants, keep Dart ahead of the
sticks and make Philly tackle inspace.
(06:41):
The Eagles can rush the passer,no doubt, but they don't love
living in nickel against tightends who can run.
And surprise, Theo Johnson hasmade a name for himself.
So that with a little bit ofplay action, some crossers,
you'll be alright.
And defensively, no freeexplosive plays.
(07:02):
Make Hertz drive the ball, makethem work, Saquon.
You can't give up two 75 yardplays and expect to win.
So it's a grown-up test.
Are the Giants fun or are theGiants for real?
So now, from a team that lookslike it has some hope to a team
(07:23):
that looks like it has no hope,that's right.
Your favorite time of the week,it's Jets time.
Deep breath, Jets fans, but nottoo deep, because the oxygen
tank has been empty sinceLondon.
Woody Johnson, our thankless andsavior owner, I say that in full
(07:46):
sarcasm, decided to do his bestJerry Jones impression and
hopped on a mic and said thequiet part out loud, quote, if
we can just complete a pass, endquote.
My brother in Christ, it is yourfranchise.
You can't light the quarterbackon fire in public in this media
(08:09):
market and then follow it upwith, I have full confidence in
Aaron Glenn.
You either empower your coach oryou don't.
And then Glenn's up there doingthe dance.
And to be fair, he he spun itwell at the podium.
I give him credit.
But now he's forced into thequote competitive advantage
(08:31):
routine on the QB decision.
And he's feisty with the mediabecause he has to be.
He knows what this is.
It's a five-year rebuild, whichis the length of his contract,
by the way.
So Aaron Glenn isn't goinganywhere.
And an 0-7 start that exposesevery single crack in the
building.
(08:51):
And the QB room, I mean, Fieldshas been brutal.
You thought you could bring himin, maybe see if you can
revitalize him, maybe he justneeds a receiver from his
college days.
No, he's terrible.
And Tyrod as your backup is agreat call, is a great signing,
but his knees are variable andhe's always hurt and he's a
(09:13):
statue back there.
I mean, the offense can't keep adrive alive long enough to
charge a phone.
And here is the reality check,too.
So you're 0-7.
Where does the first win comefrom?
I looked ahead at the schedule.
This week it's at Bangles.
And since he just found a pulsewith Joe Flacco, and those
(09:34):
receivers can catch everything,and they couldn't be happier
that they finally have someoneto throw them a ball.
Then you're on a buy.
Okay.
You can't lose.
That's not bad.
So you hope it's either amindset, reset, or it's going to
be a fire sale because that'swhen the trade deadline comes
up.
After the bye, Brown's at home.
(09:55):
And say what you want aboutCleveland, but that defense is
the truth, and it has traveledthe last couple years.
Miles Garrett versus offensiveline is going to be a horror
film.
Next up, at Patriots.
New coach, same hostility, andyou're 13-7 in the last 20
(10:16):
against them.
Mike Vrabel was a menace whenyou played against him, and he
hasn't softened with a headseteither.
Follow that game up with atRavens.
Lamar is going to be back.
He's going to be angry that theystarted 1-5.
The offense should be clickingby then.
And they're probably going to befighting for games that they
(10:39):
lost while Lamar was gone andtrying to challenge Pittsburgh
for the division.
Then November 30th, Falcons athome.
Okay, maybe.
Circle it as a coin flip.
If you can stop the run and youdon't trip over your own
shoelaces.
But if things go bad, Bichoncould put up another 200-yard
day.
(11:00):
So real talk, there is a worldwhere you're 0-12 by the time
Miami rolls in in earlyDecember.
Come trade deadline.
You're not even buying guys thatcould help sustain you in the
future.
You're answering every call.
If someone wants to overpay foran edge rusher that you're on
(11:22):
the fence about trading, tradethem.
If you have an expiring vet,trade him.
As far as Brees Hall, you onlymove him if you're going to get
a haul for him.
And all the reports are that,you know, because he's on the
trade market and teams knowyou're not going to pay him,
(11:43):
there's not going to be a bigmarket for him or a big return
for him.
Look, if you're going to bedrafting a quarterback next
year, a legit running back isthat young guy's airbag.
So hold him.
Feature him.
Simplify the pass game and buildaround that.
(12:03):
But just know that that meansyou're committing to him.
You're committing to paying himat some point.
Because franchising him is goingto get ugly.
And look, I was wrong in August.
I was.
I saw a path to competence forthis team.
And it's not that.
This is a full-blown burn itdown, send in the nukes,
(12:26):
rebuild.
And opposite of the timeline, Istill think that Aaron Glenn can
coach.
He was handed a 20-pound bag ofshit in a five-pound bag, and
now he's trying to get that onan airplane.
The bottom line with the Jets isWoody needs to zip it, which he
never will.
The GM needs to deep dive everycollege quarterback and find the
(12:48):
right one, which doesn't seem tohappen for the Jets.
And Glenn needs to set theculture, which is also a
monumental task.
But one band, one sound, right?
Oh God, the Jets are in so muchtrouble.
Well, just enjoy tailgatingseason, I guess, right?
Okay, quick spin from lastweek's games.
(13:10):
Games you might have missedwhile you were apple picking
with the wife.
First one on the list that Iwant to go over is the Colts and
Chargers.
Everyone, everyone tried to buryDaniel Jones.
And he walked right into LA andhanded out apologies seat by
seat.
He was calm in the pocket, hithis outside structure, Jonathan
Taylor played good, and Indy'sdefense hit Justin Herbert just
(13:34):
enough to rush a few layups.
That was a, you sure were afluke win for DJ, and good for
the kid.
Danny Dimes is no longer DannyPennies.
He's back to Daniel Dimes.
Next game, 49ers at Falcons,Sunday night football.
All week it was Atlanta's run Dis elite.
(13:55):
And Christian McCaffrey tookthat personally.
201 yards from scrimmage, twotouchdowns, and San Francisco
won the trench game without Bosaand with Mac Jones managing the
offense.
When they go heavy and play keepaway, you're toast.
Last game on the list, Bucks,Lions, Monday night football.
(14:17):
Jameer Gibbs, period, stop.
Threw on the track spikes, 136rushing yards and 80 receiving,
two scores, turned down oxygenon the bench at one point, said,
I'm good.
They were sloppy early, but ifGibbs gets 20 plus touches, plus
(14:38):
mix in some Amon Ross St.
Brown, mix in some Sam Laporta,mix in some Jamison Williams,
that offense is terrifying.
Now, want to touch on a coupleweek eight watch list games.
Some stuff to flip to if yourteam's getting cooked.
Like my Jets probably will bethis week.
First game I want to watch isBears at Ravens.
(15:00):
Looks like Lamar is going toplay.
I want to see the tempo and seeif he has any easy money throws
after the layoff.
Can Baltimore still playBulleyball?
Chicago's offense under BenJohnson is finding its form, so
this is going to be a litmustest for both.
These are big games for bothteams trying to compete.
(15:23):
Next game, Cowboys at Broncos.
Number one offense with theCowboys versus defense that just
survived a hundred-snap comebackwar.
If CD's cooking and Cowboys canprotect against that D-line,
fireworks.
If not, Dallas's D has tofinally try and do something
(15:43):
that it hasn't all year, andthat's get consistent stops,
actually play some defense.
And the last game on the list,your Sunday night football
marquee matchup, Steelers atPackers in Pittsburgh.
Aaron Rodgers says it's not arevenge game.
He doesn't care about goingagainst his old team.
Sure.
(16:04):
But that old, fiery, competitivepain in the ass would love to
twist a knife against Green Bay.
Pittsburgh's defense has fed offprimetime games, but Jordan Love
is no slouch when it comes tobig games on the road either.
(16:24):
Either way, this is Mondaymorning gloating material for
whichever team wins.
So that's the NFL chunk.
After the break, Knicks are 1-0with a very professional win.
Rookie Watch, Cooper Flag meetsWemby, BJ Edgecomb explodes in
Boston.
And then the big one, thegambling mess.
(16:47):
And why the house has amicrophone should make every fan
a little bit uneasy.
Stay tuned, NBA next.
(17:19):
And we'll get into the gamblingmess in a second.
But first, the New York Knickshave started their season.
The home opener felt adult.
OG Ananobi set the tone.
Jalen Brunson lived at the lineand controlled the last six
minutes.
Meanwhile, Mikhail Bridges didall the connective stuff, and
(17:39):
Big Cat gave you 19 and 11 whileclearly gutting through a bad
quad.
No Mitchell Robinson, so AerialHuck Porty, starting at the
five, and giving you glassworkand size, that's a different
look we hadn't seen yet.
Functional, simple, effective,and that's the big difference in
(18:02):
the Mike Brown era.
He's actually using the depth.
Miles McBride came in like amicrowave, drilled threes, swung
the momentum.
Landry Shamit spaced it and hadsome timely shots.
Tyler Kolick looked steady andunbothered running with the
second units.
Even Jordan Clarkson hunted acouple buckets while it stalled.
(18:23):
And you even had Trey JamesonIII and Gershon Yasubali say
that.
Sogan minutes without the wheelsfalling off.
Last year it was always bring inthe second unit, and they would
completely melt down, and thenyou had to bring in the first
unit.
That's 11 real contributorsgoing on right now.
(18:45):
Not a museum of DNPs.
Now, the cloud, Kat's grade 2quad isn't uh isn't really tape
it and forget it.
Quads linger.
The blessing is this roster canbuy him time.
You can keep his minutes saneand ride OG or bridges on the
(19:09):
wings, let Brunson steer when hehas to, and then lean on the
bench to soak up theback-to-backs.
Side note, by the way, Thibbsshowing up at Celtics practice.
I don't know if you guys sawthis.
Jalen Brown talked about Thibsshowing up and how they could
get better from how Thibbs beatthem last year.
(19:29):
Look, I get the politics of howit went after you got fired
unceremoniously, but it's that'sa weird optic, man.
But either way, this version ofthe Knicks looked organized,
physical, and deep.
Bank the win, 82 and oh still onthe board, managed a quad for
(19:50):
Big Cat and keep the rotationwide.
So before I get into thegambling scandal that is
currently running through theNBA, I just want to touch on a
little rookie watch, which wasgonna be the focus for this NBA
segment of the podcast untileverything broke this morning.
(20:13):
But Cooper Flag, who I talkedabout all offseason, all March
Madness, uh Dallas pretty muchgot the lottery rigged for them
to get him.
Well, his debut came with aWemby size welcome to the league
sign.
(20:34):
He missed some bunnies.
He looked a little sped up,still walked out with a
double-double and a handful ofgood reads, and that'll be fine.
He'll get better and grow biggerinto his role.
I mean, he's only 18 years oldand 10 months.
Do you do you know what you weredoing at 18 years old?
I know it wasn't being uhstarting shooting guard for the
(20:56):
Dallas Mavericks.
But the other rookie we got totalk about is VJ Edgecombe,
taking number three in thedraft.
Different story.
34 in Boston in his first game,highest debut for a sixer since
Wilt.
And he looked like the momentdidn't even raise his heart
rate.
He got after it.
(21:16):
I'd also be remiss if I didn'ttalk about Weminyama, who's now
in his second, third year, buthe was in that uh battle for
Texas against Cooper Flag,Dallas versus San Antonio.
Yeah.
40, 15, three blocks, 70% fromthe floor, and zero turnovers.
That's not a box score.
(21:37):
That is a screensaver.
The Spurs have an absolutemonster.
And the game looks small for himalready.
God bless us if he stays healthyand fills out like Giannis did.
Now, with all of that out of theway, it's time to get to the
thing.
(21:58):
The elephant in the room, thegambling story that broke early
this morning that is going tosend wavelengths through the
MBA.
Now, if you've only been halflistening or haven't had the
time to check ESPN or any ofyour favorite news sites, that's
(22:23):
what I'm here for.
That's what you listen for.
For Uncle Rice to break it downfor you so you could be the
smartest man at the water coolertomorrow at work.
And I'll give it to you in aclean English version, not
lawyer speak.
So first things first.
Federal agents ran two connectedinvestigations.
(22:47):
One track was illegal sportsbetting using inside info about
MBA injuries slash availability.
The other track was amafia-based rigged underground
poker scheme that used tech,meaning marked cards, camera
(23:08):
chip trays, even a loadedshuffler to fleece people out of
their money.
Now, these aren't, you know, meand you, where we're playing
two, three hundred dollar pokergames.
These are guys that have a lotof money.
We're talking six, seven hundredthousand dollar anties.
(23:30):
That led to 30 plus arrestsacross multiple states.
So some of the names you mightknow that popped up, well, first
on the list, Terry Rogier.
Well, he was arrested inFlorida.
The indictment alleges peopleused non-public info about his
status to hammer unders and thathe exited a game early after the
(23:54):
information moved money.
Former Cavs player slashassistant Damon Jones was also
arrested.
The feds allege he texted betterbefore a Lakers game in 2023
that a quote unquote prominentplayer, which is probably either
LeBron or A.D., wouldn't play,and bets were placed off that
(24:16):
non-public info.
Now on the poker side, ChaunceyBills, a name that any Knicks
fan should know, was arrested ina related case.
Prosecutors allege that he was aquote unquote face card, no pun
intended, in rigged games tiedto organized crime.
There's also a reference tosomeone whose resume looks a lot
(24:41):
like Chauncey Bills, sharingthat multiple Blazers wouldn't
play in a 2023 tanking game,which influenced some betting
also.
When the FBI puts together acase from 2023, they're not
fucking around.
It wasn't they just had someinfo and knocked on your door
(25:02):
and wanted to ask you somequestions.
This is two years later thatthey've been putting this case
together.
The government's words here arequote wire fraud conspiracy and
quote money launderingconspiracy.
These are indictments, notconvictions, but that's the
level that we're dealing withright now.
(25:23):
So why should you care if you'rejust here for the highlights?
Well, because this isn't a grayarea bad beat.
This isn't the quarterbackthrough a deep touchdown or
somebody missed a free throw.
This is a core compact betweenfan and sport.
(25:46):
You watch because you think thatthe thing you're watching is a
fair contest.
That I have the same informationthat you do.
Prop markets, points, rebounds,assists, first foul, early
exits.
They're all uniquely fragile.
If even one guy with a gate codeand a group chat can move five
(26:08):
figures based on uh he's notplaying or he'll be on a minutes
limit text, that's it.
Integrity isn't a vibe, it's asystem and it needs to be upheld
in sporting leagues.
Now, layer two the megaphone.
This is something I've beenwanting to touch on for a while,
(26:29):
but I haven't been sure how toapproach it.
And with the gambling scandalhappening now, I think it's a
perfect time to talk about it.
I'm gonna call this the thehouse has a microphone.
And what I mean by that is whenthe broadcast partner also owns
(26:50):
a sports book, everything yousee and hear has a shadow behind
it.
Which graphic gets pushed, whichstat is highlighted, which
injury gets floated in a teaseversus buried in a lower third.
(27:10):
And it's not that anyone isinstructing a host to tank your
parlay or go this way or thatway.
Most folks on air are pros, butmicro influencing is a real
thing.
Tone, repetition, what's framedas certainty, all those things
(27:32):
nudge bets in a certain way.
Meanwhile, the app link isliterally on the ticker below
the talking heads.
Now look, I I'm about to giveyou my picks later in this
episode.
But here's the difference.
I don't own a book, I don't clipyour losses, I'm not choosing
(27:55):
the camera shots or the injurylanguage on the crawl, how bad a
guy is hurt, what the defenselooks like.
The dual role asks fans to trustthat the entity selling you
action is also a neutralnarrator of the action.
(28:17):
And that's a big ask.
If you are tied directly to asports book that your company
owns.
The network has changed over thepast years.
Some people are good on it, somepeople are terrible on it.
(28:42):
It's one thing to get in bedwith gambling companies.
It's another thing to have anetwork and also own a gambling
company.
Something to think about.
And this isn't a uh fake news ordon't trust the media kind of
(29:04):
thing.
But it is a don't get lostlooking at the forest.
See the forest through thetrees, kind of thing.
See the macro, not the microgetting shoved in front of your
face every day.
So anyway.
So what do you do if you're theleague?
(29:24):
What do you do if you're AdamSilver?
What do you do if you're theMBA?
Well, if I'm Adam Silver, rightaway, I kill or severely limit
low minute player props and latebreaking availability props,
which he said he's alreadyhinted at.
Good.
(29:44):
So, but you gotta go further.
I uh I immediately harden theinjury reporting rules with
independent audits and realpenalties for gamesmanship.
No, he might play, he might notplay.
I understand, but if you Fudgethe injury report, you pay.
And most of the time, these guysare load management anyway, but
(30:07):
if he's going to be loadmanagement, load management, and
then all of a sudden he plays,or no info on anything, and then
all of a sudden he doesn't play,and he was never listed for any
reason, you're gonna have to paya fine.
The other thing I would do is Iwould lock access.
No more quote unofficialstaffers just drifting around
(30:28):
treatment rooms and walkthroughsand this, that, and the other.
Credentials.
Credentials, credentials,credentials.
And I know that might limit someyoung beat reporters trying to
get a scoop or something, butcredentials matter, man.
Proximity matters.
You need to be able to be vettedand trusted to be around this
(30:48):
information.
You know, a person is smart,people are dumb.
Again, one idiot and a groupchat because he heard something,
not great.
The other thing, too, is booksneed to throttle and flag
outlier prop action instantlyand feed that to the league in
(31:09):
real time.
There should be, if you're gonnabe in bed with the gambling
companies, you need to be in bedwith the gambling companies.
You need to be, your books needto be on top of each other.
They need to know whateverybody's betting, and you
need to tell them if there'ssuspicious betting activity.
If 30 max limit under bets hiton a niche player prop under in
(31:34):
20 minutes, the bells shouldring before tip, not after the
second quarter.
It's a little bit of an uhlittle bit of an ugly time for
the NBA here, only two days in.
Not exactly the publicity youwant at the start of your
season.
You know, you dealt with refsfixing games, and refs are a
(31:58):
little bit easier to handle.
You can fire them, you can trackthem throughout their games to
see their tendencies, but assoon as players start getting
involved, that's when that'swhen your league loses
credibility.
And the last thing you want ispeople talking about it being
(32:22):
rigged, and then actually it isrigged.
So where do you land?
Uh if you're a fan, bet if youwant.
But it's important to understandwhat's soft and what's sharp.
Markets on stars are harder togame.
Micro props on rotation guys areuh a jungle.
(32:47):
Be a little skeptical ofcertainty, and remember that
quote, inside info is just afancy way to say someone else
didn't get a fair shake.
We'll keep tracking this storyas it unfolds, and I'm sure
there's going to be so much morethat breaks out.
But sports are supposed to bethe thing we trust when
(33:11):
everything else is noisy orcomplicated or cumbersome.
Sports are supposed to be thething that we can unwind and
this team versus that team.
Root for some laundry, root foryour favorite player.
And all of a sudden now if itturns into WWE, and nothing
(33:34):
against wrestling or WWE, butI'm not trying to watch a
scripted Jets game or a scriptedKnicks game.
I'm trying to watch a realsporting event.
Something that you can't D VRbecause you need to watch it
live.
And that should weigh heavy onevery commissioner, not just
(33:54):
Adam Silver.
Alright, let's uh let's take abeat.
We will pivot to baseball.
Dodgers, Blue Jays, WorldSeries.
And before we even touch thefirst pitch, going from one
gambler to another, we'lladdress the other big elephant.
Shohei Otani being the face ofthis World Series, and probably
(34:19):
the face of baseball, while alsogoing through his own little
gambling predicament.
Then we'll actually talk balland make a pick for the World
Series.
And I also got a judge topicthat I want to talk about.
Stay tuned, MLB next.
(34:46):
On to the baseball, and we justgot done talking about the NBA
gambling mess, so this is theright moment to remind folks.
Baseball's been living in thatshadow too.
Quietly, but also there.
Shohei Otani.
Look, legally, he was cleared.
(35:06):
The feds called him a victim.
MLB closed its investigation.
His interpreter, Ipe Muzuhara,pled guilty to bank and tax
fraud after admitting that hesiphoned millions from Otani's
account to fund an illegalgambling habit.
And that's the official record.
But my opinion, as a gambler,who's seen a lot of bad action
(35:31):
and ugly parlays, the wholething still smells.
The story changed, the numberswere wild, and culturally, yeah,
sometimes the right hand maneats the blame so that the boss
never has to touch it.
Look, I can't prove a thing, andit's all hearsay.
And I'm not exactly saying thathe plays bets, but I am saying
(35:55):
that the optics are brutal, tosay the least.
And the timing couldn't beworse.
The face of the sport is chasingback-to-back World Series rings
while fans are more and moresuspicious of everything in
sports than they've ever been.
And that's just the reality thatwe're living in.
This story breaking in the NBAcouldn't have hit for a worse
(36:19):
time for the World Series.
Okay, speaking of the WorldSeries, Dodgers Blue Jays.
The October classic is set.
LA is a machine.
They're rolling out Blake Snellin game one.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto in game two.
I just love saying that name.
Lefty Chaos followed by hundredspitches of precision.
(36:42):
Dave Roberts hinted thatGlassdown and maybe Otani as the
series shifts, which is a nastyrunway if you're Toronto trying
to steal one on the road.
But the Jays are in a knifefight.
They just won two eliminationgames on defense and timely
bombs.
Springer's heating up.
Vlad looks free and easy andseeing the ball the size of a
(37:06):
beach ball.
And the kids don't seem to knowthat they're supposed to be
nervous.
They turn the ball on theinfield, they don't beat
themselves, and they'reperfectly content to win 3-2 if
you let them.
So game one script, you have tomake Snell work.
Traffic early, deny him thatchase count.
(37:30):
If Toronto can keep doing whatthey've been doing and foul off
pitches and work his pitch countup, you'll see LA's bullpen
early, and that's their lane.
Now, game two, Yamamoto lives inthe strike zone.
And this Toronto team swings ateverything.
So be ready to ambush firstpitch strikes, or you're gonna
(37:52):
spend the night down 01, 02, andeventually end up walking back
to the dugout after a dirtyslider.
Defensively, the Jays can't giveLA any extra outs.
If they do, Mookie, Freeman,Otani, Teoscar, they'll all tax
you for it.
My pick, well, my head saysDodgers in six, maybe seven.
(38:16):
Frontline pitching usually winsgames, but my heart wants chaos.
And a game seven in Toronto withSpringer writing another
chapter.
Oh, man, that would be nice.
Two coin flip games.
I'm taking Toronto just becauseI hate the Dodgers, but we'll
see.
(38:37):
Two quick dugout notes.
The Angels gave Kurt Suzuki aone-year deal to manage.
That's either a prove it ortrapdoor.
Catchers, especially backupcatchers, always make good
managers, but you can't manageyour way around soft pitching.
I think they had a deal withPujos in line, and he said, I
(38:58):
want to go look around, and theysaid, Screw you, we're going
Suzuki.
And the Giants, Buster Posey,just keeps doing things that
aren't in the normal andprobably working.
They just plucked Toly Vitellostraight from Tennessee.
First big league manager hireddirectly from college.
That's program builder thinkingover bullpen chess.
(39:22):
Bold.
And I'm kind of fascinated tosee if it translates.
Now, the Yankee bit.
Aaron Judge.
Is he creeping towards the bestto do it without a ring list?
Yeah.
(39:42):
That's where this goes if theydon't fix the build.
Rings are organizational.
Depth, reliable pitching, actuallineup balance, not one
superhero dragging eightquestion marks into October.
Judge is everything you want.
Elite production, silent leader,big moments.
(40:05):
But if the front office keepspatching holes with duct tape
and vibes, you risk burningprime year after prime year and
putting him in that unfairconversation along with Ted
Williams, Barry Bonds, TonyGwynn, Don Mattingley, Ken
Griffey Jr.
(40:26):
I mean, a great list to be on ifyou want to be a hitter, but not
the list that you want to be onif you never had a ring.
Like if you believe 99 gets aring in pinstripes, your winner
has to look like it.
You need real rotation help.
You need bat-to-ball balance andfewer.
Maybe he bounces back, flyerguys.
(40:50):
Alright.
That's it for baseball.
Fantasy and the wild are upnext.
Buy lows, sell highs, week eightstreamers.
Little roll in the dice withrice.
We went three for two again.
Climb continues.
Five pack ready.
Stay tuned.
(41:15):
Well, it's that time of theshow, boys and girls.
The fantasy and gambling corner.
Let's talk like grown-ups tryingto save a Sunday.
And I got a couple buy lows,sell highs.
If you're looking to make a movebefore the waivers lock, the
window is cracked on a coupleguys here.
(41:36):
Dalton Kincaid off a bye isexactly the kind of amnesia you
profit from.
Buffalo is going to scheme himfree against a Carolina defense
that has been soft in the seams.
And coming off back-to-backlosses, something tells me
they're going to go crazy.
George Kittle managers aredefinitely annoyed after a goose
(41:58):
egg.
They held on to him for all thistime after he's been injured and
just for him to put up a zero.
That's perfect.
That's exactly when you buy theweekly 25-pointer.
Ashton Jantey's touches dippedbecause of the game script.
The game got sideways.
(42:19):
Not because his role changed.
He's still living in the top 10of opportunity share, and he's
someone you want to buy ifsomeone's selling.
Roma Dunze had two quiet weeks.
Cool.
That's your discount on theBears.
He's the alpha over there, andCaleb and Ben Johnson seem to be
(42:41):
getting it together.
Buy on Rome.
BTJ, Brian Thomas Jr.
is dropping balls and people arebailing on him after his bad
couple weeks.
I'll buy the routery and theschedule.
Don't worry about TrevorLawrence.
They're going to figure it out.
Jakori Krosky Merritt, aka Bill,Bill, Bill, Bill.
(43:04):
Nah, the science guy.
Looks like.
Why is this so cheap?
Three down juice and receivingwork?
Yeah.
Go get him if you can.
And Matthew Golden.
His usage is inching up littleby little.
Stash him now while you can, andthank me and yourself in three
weeks.
(43:24):
Now, on the flip side, it's timeto be cold-blooded.
DeAndre Swift.
Look, he looks awesome.
But the role is getting noisierwith Kyle Menungay nibbling at
him.
He just scored his firsttouchdown, kid out of Ruckers.
So it seems like they're goingto maybe share roles here a
(43:46):
little bit.
And again, Ben Johnson is nostranger to dual running backs.
If someone's willing to pay,sell DeAndre Swift at his peak.
Next on that list is RamandreStevenson.
Look, the floor is fine, but theceiling is capped by
inefficiency and matchups, andhe's a super fumbler.
(44:09):
If you can trade that name intoa cleaner weekly starter, go for
it.
Jordan Addison, he's doingalright.
Heater was fun.
Waiting for McCarthy to comeback, and then we'll see what it
is.
But if someone wants to pay thatprice, don't be shy.
Go for it.
(44:32):
George Pickens, he's a stud.
But CeeDee Lamb is back and heis eating first.
Plus Jake Ferguson's stillgetting involved.
You're strapping into a rollercoaster.
The first couple weeks whenCeeDee was there, Pickens
struggled.
And then when CeeDee went out,Pickens ate.
(44:53):
Now that the big dog is back, Iwould expect uh Pickens' usage
to go down a little bit.
And last but not least, JoeFlacco.
Look, you might be in a leaguewhere it's two quarterbacks and
somebody's struggling and youjust happen to pick them up off
the waiver.
I love this story.
(45:14):
But if somebody wants them, goget them.
Jamar Chase and T.
Higgins, yeah, it's great, buteventually the roosters are
going to come home to roost.
Anyway, uh those are buy lows,sell highs.
So now starts it speed roundwith some reasons.
(45:35):
Bo Nicks is in all my lineups.
Dallas has been a faucet forquarterback points, yardage,
scrambles, all of it.
And it looks like the Broncosjust unlocked the design
quarterback run stuff, too.
So go for it.
Brees Hall, uh Brees Hall getsone more, I don't care how mad
(45:59):
you are, start.
Since he has bled both rush andreceiving production to backs,
and no Garrett Wilson again, thevolume matchup is there if the
Jets can take advantage of it.
Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakiragainst Carolina.
I'm bracing myself.
(46:22):
The Panthers have quietlysmothered wide receiver output,
and Buffalo seems to bespreading around a bunch.
Like I just mentioned withDalton Kincaid.
I wouldn't be surprised if hehas a good bounce back game
because both receivers are justsmothered by their defense.
Okay, that's enough fantasy.
(46:44):
It's week eight.
You're either in it or you'reout of it by this point.
So now it's time to take thewallets out.
It is now time for the rollingthe dice with rice segment.
Our gambling picks.
We went 3-2 again last week.
Still an ugly 11-21 on theseason.
(47:05):
But we're nudging in the rightdirection.
So here is where I'm planting myflags this week.
First game on the docket,Buffalo out of Carolina.
I'm laying it.
I'm laying it with the Bills,and I'm buying the hook to minus
seven.
Two weeks to stew afterback-to-back losses.
(47:26):
Get right opponent, and if JoshAllen stays out of the hero ball
bullshit, this can sell up totwo scores easy.
Coming off a bye, Bills by alandslide.
Next game on the list, Miami atAtlanta.
A game that probably a lot ofpeople don't want to touch,
don't know where to go with it.
(47:49):
I'll take it.
Give me Miami plus seven and ahalf.
I'm not saying they win, butseven and a half is a big
number.
And everybody's sold on Tua fromlast week.
Yeah, well, he played outside in50 degree weather.
If you know Tua, you know hecannot play in the cold.
(48:10):
That's why he thrives in Miamior thrives in a dome.
Well, guess what?
He's playing in Atlanta indoorsat a dome.
I think McDaniel leans into thequick game, and they watch some
tape from last week with CMCripping them up, and HN can
maybe do the same thing.
(48:32):
If they don't give possessionsand turn the ball over, this
number's fat.
Miami plus seven and a half.
Next game, Dallas at Denver.
And I'm taking the over.
50 and a half.
Simple math.
Dallas scores on anybody.
Dallas can't stop anybody.
(48:52):
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Denver's offense has just foundits spark.
Look, if you're the anxioustype, buy it down to 48.
Fine.
But the thesis is the same.
Dallas' defense is bad, andtheir offense is good.
Okay, now for the locals.
(49:15):
Since he minus six and a half.
I hate to say it.
I'm taking Sincy.
Flacco looks comfortable.
Chase and Higgins are vacuumingup targets.
And the Jets offense just cannotkeep a drive alive long enough.
I'm done letting Phandom lighttickets on fire.
I'm done taking Jets money linejust because.
(49:38):
Lay in Cincy minus six and ahalf.
And as for the Giants, I'mreally torn between this game
because of the number, but we'regoing to go Philly minus seven
and a half.
It did open up at 11.5 lastweek, and because of the Giants'
(49:58):
performance in Denver fell allthe way down to a touchdown and
a half.
That last meeting stung in thePhilly building.
And the Giants have real juicewith Dart, but the Eagles'
passing game has finally wokenup and those tackles tilt the
trench in their favor.
This feels like a business likestay ahead in the division win.
(50:22):
Give me Philly minus seven and ahalf.
If you're the spicy lotto tickettype player, the five-pack is
roughly 25 to 1 on a parlay.
I'm doing singles for a littlebit of money, maybe a little
round robin touchdown bet, butno chasing.
(50:46):
Bet responsibly.
No live tilt heroics.
And if you don't like a pick onthe card, don't bet it.
You don't have to take it.
It's your money, not my money.
Okay.
I've talked long enough today.
Let's uh let's land this plane.
(51:06):
After this, I'll give you thesocials, where to find the show,
and get you out of here on apositive note.
(51:39):
And I appreciate you hangingout.
Quick housekeeping.
If you want in on the Wednesdaymic check, hit me on Instagram,
drop your votes, talk your talk.
I'll read the best ones on theshow.
Mailbags open all week, so firequestions, rants, or some grief
counseling for your team into myDMs.
(52:02):
And if you're riding with therolling the dice with rice, pet
responsibly, set limits, andfade me if your gut says so.
It's your ticket, not mine.
If you're listening on Apple orSpotify, toss a five-star and a
quick review.
It helps a ton.
YouTube crew, smash the likes,sub to the channel, clip
(52:26):
anything you want to argue with,tag me so I can see it.
Uh tell a friend who lies abouttheir picks that we've got the
receipts over here.
Schedule-wise, new episodesevery Friday, uh, mic checks
every Wednesday, and I post somereels throughout the week, so
(52:46):
make sure you check those outtoo.
We'll be back with Nick's HeatChecks, Rookie Watch, Jet Shines
Fallout, World Series MomentumSwings.
You know the draw.
Be good to somebody today.
Text your people.
Tell someone you love them.
Spread good energy.
The world's loud enough withoutus adding any static.
(53:10):
I'm Ian Rice.
This has been episode thirty-sixof Rice on the Mikes.
I'm out.
Let's do it to it.
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