Tag: Raleigh

Social media reacts to Audric Estime TD right out of weather delay

Why wait to score after waiting to play again?

A weather delay can do crazy things to football players if it lasts long enough. Notre Dame and NC State had to wait nearly two hours to resume their game because of lightning in the Raleigh area.

As the ABC broadcast pointed out, the Irish were at a disadvantage as the road team because they lacked the amenities of the Wolfpack. They had to replenish their bodies with food and drinks from the stadium concession stands. But none of that mattered to [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag], who ran for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play out of the delay:

This run immediately squashed any concerns that the Irish would be unprepared once the time came to play again. Estime is a true impact player, and he can make these plays almost whenever the situation calls for it. As much attention as [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] gets, Estime deserves an equal amount. There’s no greater evidence than this score.

As you can imagine, social media was rampant afterwards. Here are some of the best tweets reacting to the touchdown:

What the experts are predicting: Notre Dame at NC State

What do you predict for this game?

Notre Dame could face its first real competition of the season in NC State. The Irish have to go on the road, and the Wolfpack will give them everything they’ve got. Worth noting is that even though this will only be the fourth time the programs have met, an Irish win would draw the teams even in the all-time series. While the Irish don’t have historical losing records against that many opponents, it sure would be nice to knock one of them off the list.

Let’s look at what some college football experts are predicting for this game:

Mike Brey, JJ Starling, Cormac Ryan speak after win over Louisville

Everyone was happy to get the win.

SOUTH BEND – For once, everyone associated with the Notre Dame men’s basketball program was in a relaxed mood. After the Irish’s 76-62 win over Louisville, there wasn’t a frown in sight.

[autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] (22 points) and [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] (11 points, career-high eight assists) came out first to talk about games that undoubtedly will be on their season highlight reels. Then, [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag], fresh out of the suit he wore for the game celebrating Coaches vs. Cancer at Purcell Pavilion, took his turn at the podium.

Make no mistake: A convincing win over the worst team in the ACC doesn’t do a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. However, the Irish needed something good in the worst way. They got it, and they have a whole week to enjoy it before reconvening at Purcell Pavilion against Wake Forest.

Here are some of things players and coach said as they basked in an enjoyable afternoon:

Texas lands commitment from 2021 forward Keeyan Itejere

UT has landed 2021 PF Keeyan Itejere. Not rated by any recruiting sites yet, Itejere is the first player in the 2021 recruiting class.

Texas has landed a commitment from 2021 power forward Keeyan Itejere. Not rated by any of the major recruiting websites yet, Itejere is the first player in Shaka Smart’s 2021 recruiting class.

Continue reading “Texas lands commitment from 2021 forward Keeyan Itejere”

UFC on ESPN+ 24: Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez odds, picks and best bets

Jordan Espinosa and Alex Perez battle during UFC on ESPN+ 24; we look at the fight odds and betting predictions around the matchup.

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Jordan Espinosa and Alex Perez square off in a flyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 24 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday evening. To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

Espinosa (14-6-0) heads into this one at 1-1 since signing with the UFC. He picked up a victory against Eric Shelton by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night in Nashville on March 23, 2019, before being submitted by Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night in Newark on Aug. 3, 2019. This will be a battle between two Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu style fighters, so look for plenty of upright action, especially on Espinosa’s part. He has solid significant strike accuracy at 58.04% to 48.17% for Perez. Both land plenty per minute, too, as Espinosa is at 4.52 significant strikes landed per minute, and Perez lands 4.68 per minute.

Want some action on Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez? Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM on this fight or other UFC on ESPN+ 24 matchups. Bet now.

Perez (22-5-0) is at a four-inch disadvantage in terms of reach (69.5″ to 65.5″), but what he lacks in that department he makes up for in terms of experience. He has five UFC fights under his belt, and he is 4-1 since joining the big time, including a win over common opponent Shelton back on Feb. 24, 2018. He is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Mark De La Rosa on March 30, 2019 on the Barboza-Gaethje card. Over his career he has won by a multitude of ways, picking up wins at the hands of the judges, with plenty of submissions and knockouts along the way. He also has been submitted on a handful of occasions, including twice by the guillotine. He might want to keep this one upright, but he can go to the mat, posting a 3.13 takedown average with a 47.62% takedown accuracy and 1.25 submission average.

Also see:

Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez betting odds

Per BetMGM, Perez (-278) is the heavy favorite, mainly due to his experience and overall success in the UFC. Espinosa (+200) has rather limited success, and he cannot be trusted on the 2-way line. He has just one path to victory, a knockout, while Perez can do it with his hands in an outright brawl, technical aspects to wow the judges if it goes the distance, or he can do it in the ground game. The possibilities are just more for Perez. Toss him in a two- or three-fighter parlay to get a better return, even if you bet the chalk in a few bouts.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Perez to win the fight returns $3.60 in profit. A $10 bet on Espinosa returns a profit of $20 with an upset victory.

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+ 24: Arnold Allen vs. Nik Lentz odds, picks and best bets

Arnold Allen and Nik Lentz fight at UFC on ESPN+ 24, with UFC betting odds, picks and best bets

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Arnold Allen and Nik Lentz will fight in a preliminary featherweight match at UFC on ESPN+ 24 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday evening. To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

Allen (15-1-0) was expected to tussle with Josh Emmett, an up-and-comer who is ranked in the Top 10 in his weight class. However, Emmett was forced to pull out due to an undisclosed injury, so Allen and Lentz will be paired together.

The Briton enters this fight on a seven-bout winning streak, and he is actually fairly lucky that Lentz’s opponent pulled out, too, putting these two together. Lentz is in the twilight of his career, but still a tough veteran who can give Allen another feather in his cap if he can pick up the win. The southpaw Allen holds a huge advantage in takedown accuracy at 56.25 to 34.69 percent for Lentz. He also holds a two-inch reach advantage (70″ to 68″) over Lentz. He’ll be looking to take Lentz to the mat and keep away from the veteran’s significant strike advantage.

Want some action on Arnold Allen vs. Nik Lentz? Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM on this fight or other UFC on ESPN+ 24 matchups. Bet now.

Lentz (30-10-2) was expected to square off with Nad Narimani, but he also pulled out due to an undisclosed ailment. While Allen had the misfortune of a better opponent bailing on him, Lentz actually gets a higher-profile matchup as a result of the situation. While Lentz is a little longer in the tooth, and he has a slight disadvantage in reach, he does get to tap into a portfolio of experience, and he also holds an advantage in significant strike accuracy, and a slight advantage in significant strikes landed per minute. He’ll look to keep Allen upright and try to wail on him, but if he is forced to the mat he does hold a 1.27-0.53 submission average, too.

Also see:

Arnold Allen vs. Nik Lentz betting odds

Per BetMGM, Allen (-334) will force you to risk more than three times your return on investment, while Lentz (+230) is a rather heavy ‘dog on the 2-way line. I’ve been suggesting to many interested in the favorite, and in this particular fight that is the way to go, find at least one or two other fights to pair with this in a two- or three-fighter parlay to minimize your risk.

Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Allen to win returns $3 in profit. A $10 bet on Lentz returns a profit of $23 with an upset victory.

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+ 24: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa odds, picks and best bets

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa fight at UFC on ESPN+ 24, with MMA betting odds, picks and best bets

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Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Chiesa fight on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 24 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday evening. To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

dos Anjos (29-12-0) faces Chiesa in a battle of southpaws, and he is at a disadvantage in terms of height and reach. Chiesa towers over dos Anjos at 6’1″ to 5’8″, with a 75.5″ to 70″ reach. However, dos Anjos outclasses Chiesa in the significant strikes per minute category at a 3.57 to 2.28 clip.

While dos Anjos will want to stay upright and land haymakers, trying to work over Chiesa in a toe-to-toe battle, Chiesa will be trying to get him on the ground.

Want some action on this fight? Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM now!

Chiesa (16-4-0) was in attendance at Tuesday’s NHL game between the Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes to sound the siren and pump up the crowd. As mentioned, he towers over dos Anjos and he has a tremendous reach advantage, although he’ll likely be wanting to get his opponent to the mat rather than exchange clouts horizontally. Chiesa has a solid 48.15 takedown accuracy percentage with a 1.23 submission average. After his loss to Anthony Pettis at UFC 226, when the tables were turned and he was submitted, he bounced back with a Round 2 submission win over Carlos Condit before a unanimous decision win last time out on July 6, 2019 against Diego Sanchez.

Per BetMGM, dos Anjos (-304) is very heavy favorite against Chiesa (+215) on the 2-way line. It’s a good idea to bet the favorite in this one, but you’re going to want to include RDA in a parlay with another fight or two. For instance, if you were to take RDA in a three-fighter parlay of favorites with Curtis Blaydes (-250) and Lucie Pudilova (-176), you can still double your money if all three fighters come through with a win.

Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on dos Anjos to win returns $3.30 in profit. A $10 bet on Chiesa, the underdog, returns a profit of $21.50 with a victory.

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.

Also see:

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+ 24: Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior Dos Santos odds, picks and best bets

Curtis Blaydes and Junior Dos Santos battle during UFC on ESPN+ 24; we look at the fight odds and betting predictions around the matchup.

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Curtis Blaydes and Junior Dos Santos will square off on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 24 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday evening. To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

Blaydes (12-2-0) heads into this one on a two-bout win streak, rebounding nicely after his victory Francis Ngannou at UFC Fight Night on Nov. 24, 2018. He rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Justin Willis, and a second-round TKO of Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 242.

He’ll be working to get JDS on the ground, as he owns a 7.05 takedown average and a 60.0 percent takedown accuracy mark. However, if this fight is more upright, he has the ability to go toe-to-toe and hold his own. He has a strong 51.68 significant strike accuracy percentage, while racking up 3.69 significant strikes per minute.

Dos Santos (21-6-0), like Blaydes, has a recent loss in Ngannou. In fact, JDS lost to Ngannou last time out, June 29 at UFC Fight Night, getting knocked out in Round 1 in just 71 seconds. Even though he is 6-5 across his past 11 bouts, he has losses to Ngannou, Stipe Miocic in a title bout, Cain Velasquez in a pair of title bouts and a knockout at the hands of Alistair Overeem. That’s nothing to be ashamed about, as that’s a who’s who of the weight class, and he did briefly hold the title when he beat Velasquez in the first of their trilogy back on Nov. 12, 2011.

Want some action on Blaydes vs. Dos Santos or other MMA fights this weekend? Place your legal sports bets at BetMGM now!

Per BetMGM, Blaydes (-250) is a rather heavy favorite over the aging Dos Santos (+180) on the 2-way line. Blaydes, 28, is on an upward trajectory, but Dos Santos has never lost back-to-back bouts in his professional career. The Brazilian veteran is a great value at this price level.

Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Dos Santos, the underdog, to win returns $18 in profit. A $10 bet on Blaydes returns a profit of $4 with a victory.

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

Also see:

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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