Tag: COVID-19

Candlestick Chronicles: 49ers, NFL react to coronavirus

Chris and Kyle discuss the unprecedented situation facing the NFL with the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 has ground the sports world to a halt.

Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee and Kyle Madson discuss what the NFL has done to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, and how the 49ers are handling a truly unique situation in their draft preparations.

The guys also try and wrap their arms around what the immediate future of the NFL looks like with such an unprecedented situation facing the league.

https://candlestick-chronicles-a-49ers-pod.simplecast.com/episodes/49ers-and-nfl-react-to-coronavirus

XFL: Seattle Dragons player tested positive for COVID-19

The Seattle Dragons had a player test positive for COVID-19, aka the coronavirus, after he played in the team’s final two games.

The XFL, which has shut down operations for the 2020 season, announced that a player on the Seattle Dragons tested positive for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.

The player, who remained nameless, played in both of the team’s most recent games on February 29 and March 7. They self-reported symptoms on Tuesday and have been in quarantine ever since, and the results came out on Friday.

It’s unclear if this player’s symptoms played a part in the league’s decision to cease operations. However, considering the decisions made by the NCAA, the MLS, the MLB and the NBA, it’s unlikely the XFL would have continued playing regardless.

Playing in their first rebooted season since 2001, Vince McMahon’s XFL was enjoying a successful campaign, with lucrative tv deals and rule changes that had many fans interested in the product on the field.

However – recovering from a partial season and all the lost revenue from ticket sales, concessions and tv will be difficult, especially with the league pledging to pay their players in full despite not completing the season.

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NFL business as usual despite rampant COVID-19 concerns

The NFL does not plan to halt the start of free agency this week, despite the rapid spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.

The NFL season officially kicks off on Monday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m. PT when teams can officially begin signing unrestricted free agents, after a two-day negotiation period.

COVID-19, more commonly known as the coronavirus, has absolutely decimated the sports landscape over the last week, officially bringing about the cancellation or postponement of the NCAA tournament, the NBA season, all NCAA spring sports, the MLS, the XFL and the MLB in less than a week’s time.

The NFL has remained largely unchanged, although the league did prohibit draft-related travel, which shut down college Pro Days and a lot of potential visits with draft-eligible players.

However – despite the global pandemic and the draft-related travel ban, the league is planning to operate as usual this week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The decision has spawned concern and skepticism among league officials, who have a hard time believing the amount of travel and human contact that is required for free agent signings can reasonably occur while the disease is still spreading wildly.

With a few days until free agency officially kicks off, it’s worth paying close attention to the news cycle, as things could change in an instant.

As one of very few sports that hasn’t completely shut down operations – it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if free agency and/or the NFL draft are put on hold while the pandemic continues.

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NFL prohibits all in-person pre-draft visits, could affect free agency

The Jets pulled their coaches and staff from the road and will now conduct pre-draft interviews over the phone instead of at their facility.

The Jets have already pulled their scouts and coaches from the road amid the spread of the coronavirus and now they won’t be having in-person visits for draft prospects, either. Teams debated closing facilities and now it looks like this is the first step towards that, as the NFL forbade all teams from letting prospects from meeting team personnel.

Teams are allowed to conduct interviews with prospects over the phone or video conference call, according to a memo sent to teams by the league. The memo states all conversations must be recorded and sent to the Player Personel department upon completion with the dates, times, length and names of participants on the call. Additionally, teams aren’t allowed to hold more than three calls per week and each call can only last one hour.

One of the biggest issues revolving around this new procedure is discovering medical information on prospects. Typically, a team’s medical staff would run tests and take down information for their teams. The NFL said it will now work with the Competition Committee and General Managers Advisory Committee to figure out how to give out medical information to teams.

How this affects free agency and the beginning of the league year is unknown. Right now, the NFL says it plans to open up the legal tampering period for free agency as scheduled on March 16 with the 2020 league year beginning March 18.

Access will continue to be limited for the foreseeable future as teams and the league discusses next steps for the future of the 2020 season as well as the safety of players, coaches, staff, and prospects. This is a fluid situation that could easily change by the day or hour.

UFC on ESPN+ 28: Best three-fight parlay in Brasilia

Highlighting Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+28 with a three-fight parlay, with odds, analysis and picks.

UFC on ESPN+ 28 – also called UFC Fight Night 170 – is scheduled to go off at the Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia with the card getting underway in Brazil’s capital Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. The bouts will be fought in an empty arena due to the unfortunate COVID-19 situation. We’ll provide a three-fight parlay suggestion to help you build a nice bankroll.

Nothing is a sure thing, and it will be interesting to see how the fighters react to the empty seats. Once the bouts get underway and the first punch is thrown, the fighters should snap right into form. However, the walkout is going to be strange even for the most consummate professional.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:45 a.m. ET.

Place a sports bet on this mixed martial arts action or other events at BetMGM.

Amanda Ribas (-371) vs. Randa Markos betting odds

Per BetMGM, Ribas (-371) is heavily favored to top Markos in a women’s strawweight bout, and you have to like the Brazilian fighter. She holds advantages in Takedown Average (2.71-1.38), Takedown Accuracy Percentage (57.14-27.59) and Submission Average (1.35-0.26).

Gilbert Burns (-189) vs. Demian Maia betting odds

Burns (-189) is a big favorite over Maia in a Brazilian vs. Brazilian matchup. The more versatile fighter is Burns, who has a record littered with unanimous decisions, submissions and KO/TKOs since joining the UFC. His versatility, and the fact he is nine years younger than Maia, will serve him well.

Renato Moicano (-358) vs. Damir Hadzovic betting odds

Moicano (-358) is also heavily favored over Hadzovic, a.k.a. “The Bosnian Bomber.” Moicano has dropped his past two fights, but losses to Chan Sung Jung and Jose Aldo is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. They’re two of the top fighters in the division. If Moicano avoids the big punch, and perhaps takes this fight to the mat for some ground and pound, it should be a much-needed win for Moicano.

New to sports betting? A $10 THREE-PARLAY wager on RIBAS (-371), BURNS (-189) and MOICANO (-358) nets a profit of $14.84.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ESPN+ 28: Rani Yahya vs. Enrique Barzola odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Rani Yahya vs. Enrique Barzola UFC matchup, with UFC betting odds, picks and best bets.

Rani Yahya and Enrique Barzola battle in a bantamweight bout in a preliminary match at UFC on ESPN+ 28 – also called UFC Fight Night 170 – at the Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in Brazil’s capital.

Yahya (26-10-0) is one inch shorter than his Peruvian counterpart, and has a three-inch reach disadvantage. Barzola is well ahead with 3.93 Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute (LPM) to just 1.59 for Yahya. In addition, Barzola has a slight advantage in Significant Strike Accuracy percentage, and leads in Takedown Average at 4.56-2.92. Barzola is also well ahead with a 45.56 Takedown Accuracy percentage to just Yahya’ 32.59.

Yahya has won three of his past four bouts, all via submission, and he has been victorious in seven of his previous nine fights.

Barzola (17-5-1) has dropped two of his past three bouts, with only a split-decision win against Bobby Moffett on the Shevchenko-Carmouche card Aug. 10, 2019.

Place a sports bet on this mixed martial arts action or other events at BetMGM.

Rani Yahya vs. Enrique Barzola betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:10 a.m. ET.

BARZOLA (-193) is a heavy favorite on the 2-way line against Yahya (+160), so it’s a bit risky putting up almost two times your potential return. You might want to pair Barzola with another fighter or two in a parlay. Yahya is going to eat a lot of punches per minute from Barzola, and it’s a good play to bet BARZOLA BY KO/TKO OR DQ (+330) on a small-unit wager.

You might want to look into a two-fighter parlay of Barzola and GILBERT BURNS (-189) vs. Demian Maia for a payoff of 1.32-to-1. A three-fighter parlay involving Barzola, Burns and AMANDA RIBAS (-371) vs. Randa Markos pays +195.

New to sports betting? A $10 parlay of Barzola (-193) and Burns (-189) returns a potential profit of $13.21. A $10 parlay of Barzola, Burns and Ribas returns a net profit of $19.47.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ESPN+ 28: Elizeu dos Santos vs. Aleksei Kunchenko odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 fight between Elizeu dos Santos and Aleksei Kunchenko, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

Elizeu dos Santos and Aleksei Kunchenko lock horns in a welterweight bout in the prelims of UFC on ESPN+ 28 — also called UFC Fight Night 170 — at the Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia. The card gets underway in Brazil’s capital Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

Elizeu dos Santos vs. Aleksei Kunchenko preview

Dos Santos (21-6-0) is four inches taller than his opponent, and he also has a three-inch reach advantage. He also holds a slight edge in Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute (LPM) at 4.18-3.62, while Kunchenko is slightly more accurate at 42.45% in Significant Strike Accuracy to 39.96%. While Kunchenko is also better in Takedown Accuracy, dos Santos holds a slight lead in Takedown Average while posting a 0.6 submission average to zero for Kunchenko.

Dos Santos, nicknamed “Capoeira”, saw his seven-bout winning streak come to a close when he was knocked out in the third round against Li Jingliang Aug. 31, 2019 on the Andrade-Zhang card. During his seven-bout win streak, he recorded three KO/TKO victories, a win by submission and a pair of unanimous decisions and a split-decision win.

Kunchenko (20-1-0) has won two of his three bouts since making his UFC debut with a win over Thiago Alves on Sept. 15, 2018. He is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Gilbert Burns, who is on this card in the main event. He was a knockout machine in his earlier days, but at the highest level of MMA, he has had mixed results. He’ll want to keep the fight upright, and dos Santos is likely to want to follow suit. This one could be a brawl.

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Aleksei Kunchenko betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11 a.m. ET.

Place a sports bet on this mixed martial arts action or other events at BetMGM.

Per BetMGM, DOS SANTOS (-134) is a slight favorite on the 2-way line over Kunchenko (+110), and the favorite is the play. The Russian fell to a Brazilian fighter last time out, and he’ll be 0-for-2 in the past two bouts after this one. This is going to be the bout you want to see on the card, as it should be a toe-to-toe slugfest which the crowd really would have enjoyed if they were allowed to enter the arena. Unfortunately, Ginasio Nilson Nelson will be empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Betting DOS SANTOS BY KO/TKO OR DQ (+450) is worth a small-unit bet, too.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Dos Santos (-134) to win nets a profit of $7.50. A $1 wager on Dos Santos (+450) to win by KO/TKO or DQ secures a profit of $4.50.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ESPN+ 28: Amanda Ribas vs. Randa Markos odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Amanda Ribas and Randa Markos UFC matchup, with UFC betting odds, picks and best bets.

Amanda Ribas and Randa Markos tangle in a women’s strawweight bout in the prelims at UFC on ESPN+ 28 – also called UFC Fight Night 170 – at the Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia. The card gets underway in Brazil’s capital Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

Ribas (8-1-0) and Markos (10-8-1) are the same height at 5-foot-4, but Ribas owns a 2 1/2-inch reach advantage. She is 2-0 since making her UFC debut against Emily Whitmire June 29, 2019 on the Ngannou-Dos Santos card in Minneapolis.

Ribas would have been hugely popular in her home nation of Brazil, but the arena will be empty due to the COVID-19 situation. She is coming off an impressive upset victory of Mackenzie Dern at UFC on ESPN+ 19.

Markos replaces the injured Paige VanZant, who bowed out due to an undisclosed ailment. Ever since UFC introduced the women’s strawweight division Markos has been a part of the weight class. She will hold the divisional record with 14 appearances when she arrives in the octagon Saturday. She’ll be trying to avoid going down to the mat, as Ribas is roughly twice as effective on takedowns, holding advantage in submissions. Ribas has a 2.71 Takedown Average to Markos’ 1.38, with a 57.14 percent Takedown Accuracy to just 27.59 percent for the Iraqi-born Canadian Markos. Ribas holds a 1.35-0.26 Submission Average, too.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:10 a.m. ET.

Place a sports bet on this mixed martial arts action or other events at BetMGM.

Amanda Ribas vs. Randa Markos betting odds

Per BetMGM, Ribas (-371) is the overwhelming favorite on the 2-way line vs. Markos (+285). But you can’t risk nearly four times your potential return, so look for a fighter or two and include Ribas as part of a parlay instead.

RIBAS BY SUBMISSION (+450) might be a more lucrative way to go, as she is tremendous on the ground, and that’s not exactly a strong suit of Markos. As such, if you take UNDER 2.5 (+230) for the total number of rounds, you could make out like a bandit if Ribas can finish Markos either by submission, or with a KO/TKO or DQ before the middle of Round 3.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Ribas (-371) to win nets a profit of just $2.70. A $10 wager on Ribas (+450) to win by submission secures a profit of $45, and a $10 wager on the fight to go Under 2.5 rounds (+230) nets a profit of $23.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ESPN+ 28: Renato Moicano vs. Damir Hadzovic odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 fight between Renato Moicano and Damir Hadzovic, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and best bets.

Renato Moicano and Damir Hadzovic tussle in a lightweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 28 – also called UFC Fight Night 170 – at the Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil Saturday. The card kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Renato Moicano vs. Damir Hadzovic preview

Moicano (13-3-1) will be making his lightweight debut, moving up from the featherweight divison. He enters this bout with two-inch advantages in height and reach. He also holds a slight edge in Takedown Average at 1.16 to 0.68. In addition, Moicano has the 0.39-0.23 advantage in Submission Average.

Moicano is trying to slap the brakes on a two-bout skid, falling to Chan Sung Jung, a.k.a The Korean Zombie, in the man event in just 58 seconds last time out. He previously suffered a Round 2 KO/TKO at the hands of Jose Aldo. His last win came against Cub Swanson at UFC 227 back on Aug. 4, 2018, so he’ll be hungry. The Constrictor Team member will be looking to get this fight to the mat, as three of his past six victories have come via submission, including a rear-naked choke of Ismael Bonfim in his final bout before inking a deal with UFC.

Hadzovic (13-5-0), a.k.a. ‘The Bosnian Bomber’, represents Rumble Sports. The 33-year-old has split his past six bouts, as he is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Christos Giagos at UFC Fight Night on June 1, 2019. He is a heavy puncher who will be looking to stay upright and rain blows upon Moicano going toe-to-toe. If you remember his knockout of Marcin Held back on May 28, 2017, you know Hadzovic’s punch is no joke.

Place a sports bet on this mixed martial arts action or other events at BetMGM.

Renato Moicano vs. Damir Hadzovic betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Per BetMGM, Moicano (-357) is a heavy favorite over Hadzovic (+275) on the 2-way line in this lightweight debut. That’s a lot of lettuce to risk on a single bout, risking nearly four times your potential return. There is a chance Hadzovic pulls the upset if he can keep the fight upright and avoid being constricted by the Team Constrictor member. The lean here is to go lightly on the favorite, although Moicano won’t be able to tap into a pro-Brazilian crowd since the arena will be empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you like Moicano to win this bout, a parlay is the way to go, and you likely need to pair him with at least two other fighters to make it worth your while.

Try a Brazilian three-way bet, or a three-fighter parlay of Moicano (-357) Charles Oliveira (+115) vs. Kevin Lee and Gilbert Burns (-189) vs. Demian Maia has total odds of +321. For the less adventurous crowd, you can simply pair the two heavy favorites, with a two-fighter parlay of Moicano and Burns.

New to sports betting? A $10 three-fighter parlay of Moicano (-357), Oliveira (+115) and Burns (-189) returns a potential profit of $32.08.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ESPN+ 28: Johnny Walker vs. Nikita Krylov odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Johnny Walker and Nikita Krylov UFC matchup, with UFC betting odds, picks and best bets.

Johnny Walker and Nikita Krylov will battle in a light heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 28 – also called UFC Fight Night 170 – at the Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia. The card kicks off in Brazil’s capital at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Walker (17-4-0) will be fighting on his home turf in Brazil, although the advantage won’t be as great as normal since the fight will be in an empty arena due to the coronavirus situation.

The lanky Walker stands 6-foot-6, three inches taller than Krylov. In addition, he had a distinct 4 1/2-inch reach advantage. Walker also has the arrow pointed in his favor as far as Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute (LPM), leading slightly 5.17-4.86. He is much more accurate with his strikes, however, hitting to the tune of a 69.13 percent Significant Strike Accuracy to 57.6 percent for Krylov. While Walker trails in Takedown Average at 1.06 to 0.75, Walker is 100 percent in Takedown Accuracy to 38.46 percent, and his Submission Average is 2.26 to 1.90 for Krylov.

Walker will be looking to bounce back after being knocked out by Corey Anderson last time out at UFC 244. Before that he was on a nine-bout winning streak, including 3-0 in the UFC since his debut knockout win of Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC Fight Night (Nov. 17, 2018). He also made quick work of a very good fighter in Misha Cirkunov at UFC 235, recording a knockout in just 36 seconds.

Krylov, who fights in the style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is coming off a split-decision setback to Glover Teixeira. He has dropped two of his past three bouts, although he has fought some of the division’s top fighters in Teixeira, Ovince Saint Preux and Jan Blachowicz. If you’re looking for common opponents, Krylov lost to Cirkunov via first-round submission at UFC 206.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:35 a.m. ET.

Place a sports bet on this mixed martial arts action or other events at BetMGM.

Johnny Walker vs. Nikita Krylov betting odds

Per BetMGM, WALKER (-143) is a moderate favorite over Krylov (+120) on the 2-way line. As such, Walker isn’t a bad standalone play since the risk isn’t too severe. If he wins, it will likely be done by knockout. As such, Walker by KO/TKO or DQ (+105) is a sharp play.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Walker at -143 returns a profit of $6.99. If you bet the underdog Krylov, a $10 wager nets a profit of $12.00.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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