Category Archives: NBA

STATS LLC launches daily fantasy sports data projections

Global sports statistics and information company STATS LLC has just announced a new product that could potentially be a boon to  players. Beginning this year – first in baseball before branching out into other sports – STATS will now have the capability to offer daily fantasy tools to its users and roster of media clients, creating a system by which the fantasy value of players can be tracked, opening up valuable information on which players offer value in daily fantasy sports leagues.

In line with this new tool, STATS will be offering projections directly tied into the scoring systems of both FanDuel and DraftKings, regarded as two of the biggest providers of daily fantasy sports games in North America.

“Broadcast, digital and print media are all focused on the explosion of daily fantasy sports and need content to support their audience,” STATS executive vice president of Pro Analytics Bill Squadron said in a statement.

Baseball will be the first sport to be covered under this new tool. It’s great timing considering that the upcoming Major League Baseball season kicks off next month. But it won’t be the only one. As STATS gets its feet comfortably planted on the ground with this tool, the company is expected to roll out similar daily fantasy projections for the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL, as well as other sports like soccer and college football and basketball.

STATS’ acquisition of Bloomberg Sports in September 2014 allowed the company to utilize the technology offered by Bloomberg to create a standard in predictive analysis through the integration of data-driven models centered on player and team performance. “We’ve combined Bloomberg Sports technology and analytics with STATS’ rich content and powerful data engines to provide the most accurate daily player projections to our customers,” Squadron added.

The content of STATS’ new daily fantasy sports projections will be made available through custom feed data or APIs, ensuring that players can have easy access to all the important information needed for them to build the best possible fantasy lineup in either FanDuel or DraftKings.

At the very least, you can expect this new offering from STATS will become a critical tool for a lot of daily fantasy sports players moving forward.

Sports gambling hot topic at Sloan Conference

The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has become an increasingly important event in the sports community, having in large part revolutionized the approach taken by professional sports teams regarding their day-to-day businesses both on and off the playing area. But one question posed at this year’s conference paints a picture on how analytics can have a sophisticated effect on sports betting.

Make no mistake; gambling, at its core, is inherently analytical, but there’s still a heavy appetite for increased coverage on this front. That’s a big reason why sports gambling was heavily discussed at the conference, specifically the way analytics can have an effect towards legalizing sports gambling in the US.

One of the key items was discussed by Florida State professor Ryan Rodenberg, who suggested that a heavy and sophisticated dose of analytics could quell fears of fraud and match fixing. Rodenberg pointed out that outside the US, a handful of private firms like Sportradar already specialize in this kind of analytics and it’s already being used by a wide variety of sports leagues and associations all over the world.

During the same conference, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred also took time to discuss his stance on legalizing sports gambling in the US. While he admits that the topic is complicated enough on its own right, he also acquiesced to the growing reality that there are inherent benefits in legalizing sports betting, especially with a sport like baseball that has seen its popularity wane in recent years.

Having that legalized betting element could drive up interest in the sport without circumventing any rules that would, as all these commissioners are so used to saying, “ruin the integrity of the sport.”

“I think that enough has happened that it’s incumbent upon me and my staff to take to the owners the developments in this area, to have a conversation about some of the rules that go beyond the play of the game on the field that we’ve had traditionally in baseball and revisit those,” the MLB commish added.

Manfred also took time to acknowledge his NBA counterpart for “starting the debate” on the issue, and while he doesn’t whole-heartedly embrace everything Adam Silver said, he agreed with Silver’s proposition that a universal federal system to govern sports gambling is the way to go, if it does end up going there.

May 2, 2015: Biggest sports gambling day of the year

May 2, 2015 is shaping up to a big day in the world of sports and sports gambling, and I say that without a speck of hyperbole. We already know that the day will be dominated by the Floyd Mayweather Jr. – Manny Pacquiao fight. Sportsbooks are already preparing for that day three months in advance. That’s how big the fight is going to be.

But if you’re a sportsbook, you’re also probably sweating at the amount of work you’ll be doing that day. If the fight isn’t already reason enough to keep your head spinning throughout the day, the fact that a number of other sporting events will happen on that same day might cause a lot of heads to explode.

Believe me. I checked the calendars of a lot of sports leagues and sports happenings for that day and as it turns out, all you sports fans who love to gamble might need to prepared your divorce papers, too. I honestly don’t know how you can spend more than an hour away from your TVs with what’s on tap. But if you somehow find a way to finagle your way into an agreement with your wife, girlfriend, or partner, enjoy this day because it doesn’t happen very often.

Not counting the fight for obvious reasons, here are the other sporting events happening on May 2, 2015, otherwise known as “Sportmaggedon”.

NBA/NHL Playoffs

At this time of the year, both the NBA and NHL playoffs are already in full swing. The NHL playoffs start a week earlier than the NBA, April 11 to April 18, so you could be watching a bunch of second round games on that end. As for the NBA playoffs? Early May is usually when a bunch of first round Game7s happen. In case you need a refresher, there were three – THREE! – Game 7 games that were played in May 3, 2014. If any of these first round series goes to seven games, there’s a reasonable chance that some of them, maybe even all of them, will be played on May 2.

European football conclusion

Why the RAWA won’t pass

 Nolan Dalla wrote a long, well-written piece for his NolanDalla.com site yesterday giving 10 reasons why online poker could be outlawed in the USA.

Nolan has been a great proponent for the game of poker. There are few people who promote the game and the players with such passion and fervency but his article seems to be little more than scare tactics to rally the troops to ward off the remote chance the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA) becomes law.

Let’s look at each of his arguments and we’ll do our best to ease your minds a little, as we’re confident that RAWA won’t pass.  Dalla’s arguments are in Italics.

RAWA supporters have made this a top political priority and they’re now in positions of power.

In Dalla’s first argument he made a list of Sheldon Adelson’s favored politicians, many of which hold key government positions that could influence the likelihood of RAWA passing.

Despite having staunch online gambling opponents Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Mike Lee (R-UT) holding seats on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, it doesn’t guarantee the bill will advance further. Back in 2010, Barney Frank’s HR 2267 passed the House Financial Services Committee and was never heard from again, despite having a Democratic-controlled House and Senate.

Even if the full House of Representatives passes RAWA, the Senate requires 60-votes for passage. Senate Dems Harry Reid and Dianne Feinstein may get behind RAWA but the bill would need the support of all 54 Republicans and four other Democrats for passage. And the Democratic caucus doesn’t owe Adelson any favours.

FanDuel planning new round of financing, looking to go public in 2016

Daily fantasy sports site FanDuel is eyeing a new round of fund-raising that could end up with the company being worth at least $1 billion.

Multiple sources have told Fortune of the Scotland-based company’s short and long-term plans to continue holding its mantle as the number one daily fantasy sports site in the business.

FanDuel’s goal is to add at least another $100 million in the latest fund-raising, adding to the $88 million it has already raised through numerous fund-raising attempts, including a score of $70 million from an investor group that includes Shamrock Capital Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, and NBC Sports Ventures. The company didn’t disclose the valuation for that fund-raising, although sources have told Fortune that the amount reached close to $400 million.

This time, FanDuel has become more ambitious, targeting a figure that would make it the first daily fantasy sports site to be worth ten figures.

The company’s braintrust has yet to decide on a course of action, although it is reported that the board of directors will proceed with this plan in the near future with an eye towards accelerating customer growth and tying up with more professional sports teams.

FanDuel already boasts of an impressive list of partnerships with a host of NBA teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls. The company has also struck a deal with the NBA itself and the NFL’s Washington Redskins.

More importantly, the company’s revenue numbers reflect the growing popularity of the industry. Revenue from Q4 2014 reached $37 million, a dramatic improvement from the $7.4 million it earned in the same period in 2013.

NBA Second Half Preview: Championship and MVP Props

We’re still a couple of days away from the start of the second half of the NBA season. You now what all this idle time means, right?

Yep, it’s time to roll out my not-so-annual preview of what lies ahead for the NBA, complete with odds info on who goes to the Finals, who wins MVP, who makes the playoffs, and which blog Dan Gilbert will bully next. I only made up one of those so I’ll leave it to you to guess which one doesn’t really have odds attached to it, even though there should be probably be a way to bet on it.

In any case, the most intriguing thing about the remainder of the 2014-2015 NBA season is the fact that there doesn’t appear to be any clear-cut favorite to win the title. It’s not like in year’s past when you have two teams that are so above the fray that their odds are dramatically lower than the rest of the contenders.

This season, it’s all bunched up with the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers posting the shortest odds at 9/2. In fact, five teams have single-digit odds right now, including the San Antonio Spurs at 13/2, the Atlanta Hawks at 7/1, and the Chicago Bulls at 17/2.

Not too far behind are a handful of teams with 14/1 odds, 18/1 odds, and 20/1 odds. All this should tell you one thing: there’s a lot of value here, especially from contenders with double-digit odds like, you know, the Oklahoma City Thunder at 11/1 odds. If the Thunder somehow makes it to the playoffs as the eight seed, you can’t tell me that the Golden State Warriors aren’t sweating that match up.

The same can be said in the Eastern Conference where the Indiana Pacers could be a dark horse if Paul George somehow makes a successful comeback and pulls them into the playoffs. You think the Hawks aren’t worried about that match up? Oh, and the Pacers are currently 150/1 to win the title. Food for thought, right?

Outside of the title odds, the other NBA prop bet that I consider a favorite is the Regular Season MVP. From the looks of things, there’s really only four viable nominees at this stage in the season. Stephen Curry is the short favorite at 5/6 odds with James Harden and LeBron James not too far behind at 6/4 and 11/4 odds, respectively.

NBPA exec Michele Roberts wants sports gambling discussion

National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts is jumping in on discussions surrounding legalized sports gambling, echoing the thoughts of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the possibility of expanding the scope of legal sports betting on more US states.

In an interview with ESPN’s “Mike & Mike” earlier this week, Roberts made it clear that while she and the player’s association have no stance on the issue at this time, it’s come to the point that there should at least be some kind of discussion happening on how the players and team owners can reap the financial benefits of an industry that’s estimated to be in the billions.

“Everyone has known for years that there is a ton of money being made that’s not being enjoyed, frankly, by the people who are creating the games, both the owners and the players,” Roberts told Mike & Mike. For her part, Roberts also told the radio show that she’s already had some discussions with NBA players about the possibility of seeing an expanded legalized sports betting environment.

It’s an admittedly brave to stance to take, especially since Roberts is representing the affairs of the players themselves and not necessarily the league and the team owners. Given how both players and team owners could stand to benefit from a legalized sports betting environment, it’s incumbent upon Roberts to encourage some kind of discussion on the issue because of the potential financial windfall the industry could have on the sport and its participants.

“I know all the negatives that up to today have kept gambling outside of the realm of what is appropriate in terms of sports,” Roberts added. “But let’s not ignore the big elephant in the room. There’s a lot of money being made.”

Her stance, or at least a part of it, is similar to what NBA Commissioner has said numerous times in recent months. Like the NBPA exec director, the commissioner also pointed out how the industry today has the potential to make more money from a legalized sports gambling structure given how much money is already being exchanged – reported to be close to $400 billion a year – in underground betting markets in the US alone.

Roberts added that she and Silver have yet to sit down and talk about the issue, but with the NBA’s next collective bargaining session on the horizon, it’s safe to say that the topic of legalized sports betting will be broached at one point or another.

FanDuel announces 2015 Fantasy Basketball Championship; DraftKings signs with LA Clippers

FanDuel is putting its reputation as the world’s largest daily fantasy sports site in the spotlight after announcing its plan to host the 2015 World Fantasy Basketball Championship in Miami, Florida from April 9 to 11, 2015.

The event, which is set to be held at the Ritz Carlton, is being prepared to be the first of what could be an annual gathering of daily fantasy sports users all competing to win a piece of the $1 million prize pool. Actually, the competition is open for everybody, but in order to be named as one of the 50 finalists of the tournament, players must go thorough a series of qualifying rounds that will be held on the FanDuel site. These qualifiers will run multiple times a week until all 50 finalists are identified.

Each of the lucky players who do make it to the championship in Miami will receive a posh three-night stay at the Ritz Carlton. In addition, each of the players will get free entry to a host of events, including the opening ceremonies on Thursday, the Finals on Friday, and the send-off party on Saturday.

Each player will be crying to stake claim to the $100,000 first prize, even though the second prize of $70,000 and the third price of $50,000 aren’t too shabby consolation prices themselves.

While FanDuel is busy preparing for the tournament, its main rival, DraftKings, is busy scooping up new sports partnerships. The Boston-based daily fantasy sports site has added the Los Angeles Clippers to its growing list of sports partnerships.

We are excited to partner with DraftKings,” Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker said in a statement. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the Clippers to associate with an innovative and progressive organization and we look forward to engaging our fan base through this new partnership.”

Just like its deals with other NBA teams like the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Clippers partnership allows DraftKings to have its brand name incorporated through various elements, including video board and LED Courtside signage, game day receptions, an extensive digital media package and a Fan Contest hosted on DraftKings.com.

On Deck: Michael Garcia, Rajon Rondo, and Muhammad Ali

Michael Garcia’s departure as FIFA investigator shows the messed up state of football’s governing body

Michael F. Garcia’s abrupt resignation as FIFA’s independent ethics investigator shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who knew that his task of fixing the abominable mess that is football’s governing body was beyond even his own reach. He still did his part since assuming the position in 2012, but all the work he put in the creation of a 430-page report on alleged corruption issues involving the bidding process for the World Cup went up in flames when the same people who put him in this position shrugged off the investigation they asked him to do.

It probably didn’t help Garcia’s cause when his report landed at one simple conclusion. The alleged corruption within FIFA is ingrained deep in the fabric of the organization and no amount of intervention will change its values unless sweeping changes are made in the hierarchy of the sport’s governing body. In his statement announcing his resignation, Garcia lamented the “lack of leadership” within FIFA and while he didn’t specifically identify anybody, it was clear that he was referencing FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has come under fire more times in his term than George H. W. Bush during his time as US president.

Garcia’s criticism of FIFA didn’t just end at the top. In the middle of his investigation, Garcia lamented on more than a few occasions the lack of transparency the organization gave him when it came time to securing information that would help him in his report. He was prevented from talking to witnesses and was, at various points during his term, being targeted for removal by the same people who gave him their blessing to launch the investigation.

The circumstances surrounding Garcia’s sudden resignation points to a FIFA system that will always be tied to all the allegations thrown its way unless somebody steps up and puts a kibosh on the madness. Michael Garcia couldn’t get it done, even if you can’t put the blame of his failure squarely on his shoulders.

How could you when the organization that bought him aboard in the first place was the first one to throw him under the bus when his aggressiveness became a little too much for them to bear.

Oh, FIFA.

Christmas Sports Betting Schedule

The Christmas holidays. Ahh, yes. It’s the most beautiful time of the year for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is unimpeded opportunities to enjoy watching sports. Unfortunately, not every league plays during Christmas so we’ll all have to make-do with what’s available. Fortunately, one such league is the NBA, which is always in the forefront of the Christmas sports-watching experience. So if you’re itching to get some bets up while you’re on your Christmas holiday, peruse this handy schedule guide to see what games are playing on what day and if they’re even worth your time and money.

NBA’s Showcase Christmas games

Over the past years, the NBA has dominated the Christmas day sports watching scene. This year won’t be any different as the NBA has scheduled five games on December 25, all playing one after the other. Just goes to show you how much the league wants you to spend time on your couch watching these games on the 25th.

The action begins with the Washington Wizards taking on the New York Knicks (12:00 pm ET). That would’ve been a good game if the Knicks are actually good this year. They’re not. Well, a least you can take comfort knowing that the next game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs (2:30 pm ET) has the potential to be a doozy…if Kevin Durant plays. Once these two games are down, one of the season’s most eagerly anticipated match ups takes center stage as LeBron James comes back to Miami for the first time since his returning to the Cavs (5:00 pm ET). That’s going to be a barnburner and a half. As soon as Heat-Cavs is finished, the action now turns to Chicago where the Bulls play host to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers (8:00 pm ET). Kobe Bryant vs Derrick Rose, anyone? When Bulls-Lakers is finished, the table is set for arguably the most exciting game of the day as Stephen Curry and the league-best Golden State Warriors travel to Los Angeles to take on Chris Paul and the LA Clippers (10:30 pm ET).

English football reigns in the holidays

A majority of Europe’s five major domestic leagues have begun their annual holiday breaks. The Spanish La Liga, the Italian Serie A, and the French Ligue 1 have shut down until the early part of January while the German Bundesliga isn’t expected to resume action until January 31, 2015. The only exception is the Engish Premier League, which has taken an ownership role of playing throughout the Christmas season.

There aren’t any games on Dec. 25 per se, but the EPL has a full schedule on Boxing Day, December 26, including matches between Chelsea and West Ham, Manchester United and Newcastle United, and West Brom and Manchester City. It’s not just the EPL that will be playing on that day. Even the English Championship, League One, League Two, and the Vanarama Conference are all packed with plenty of intriguing games.

New Year’s Sports Betting Schedule

So you’ve just finished Christmas and you’re now preparing for the calendar to flip to 2015. Depending on where you are in the world, New Year’s Eve is a celebration unlike any other. You prepare the fireworks, you write down your resolutions, and then you spend the rest of night reveling in merriment until you wake up the next day with the world’s worst hangover. It’s not the perfect way to start a new year, but at least you can enjoy the day watching sports from your bed whilst you try your best to recuperate from the alcoholic pasting you received the night before. So we’re doing you a favor and presenting a list of sports games/events that are scheduled to play between December 31, 2014 to January 2, 2015, or as some people in other parts of the world would call it, the three-day New Year celebration.

Unlike Christmas, the NBA will be in full swing in the days before and after January 1st, leaving only two games on the 1st itself. December 31 will feature a total of seven games, including the San Antonio Spurs hosting the New Orleans Pelicans, the Indiana Pacers taking on the Miami Heat, and the Cleveland Cavaliers playing the Milwaukee Bucks.

Flip to the new year and there will only be two NBA games on the schedule, neither of which appear to be appetizing in any sense. But hey, if you want to watch the Denver Nuggets take on the Chicago Bulls and the Sacramento Kings play the Minnesota Timberwolves, well, then that’s your call.

But should the two games not be worth your time, you can hold on to your money and then splurge it all on January 2 when there are a total of 11 games on the docket. We browsed through it and found some interesting ones, including the Washington Wizards taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Toronto Raptors playing the Golden State Warriors, and the Houston Rockets traveling to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans.

Over in the NHL, the same three-day New Year’s schedule applies just like the NBA. The 31st will feature a full schedule of 11 games, including barn burners like the Toronto Maple Leafs taking on the Boston Bruins, the San Jose Sharks locking sticks with the Anaheim Ducks, and the New Jersey Devils playing the Detroit Red Wings. On January 1st, only two games will be played, one of which is a nice dalliance between the Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Kings.

As for the other one, well, that’s going to be the 2015 Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Washington Capitals. The game will be played at Nationals Field in DC and if you’ve been paying attention to this game since its inception in 2008, you know that this is arguably the best sports game to watch in high definition TV. Yup. It’s even better than the Super Bowl.

As soon as the Classic is done, the NHL resumes to normal programming on January 2 with eight total games, including the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues traveling to Anaheim to face the Quacks.

On Deck: Oregon-Ohio State title game; NHL Winter Classic; Stuart Scott

I’ll be the first to admit that the holiday season always screws up my sports schedule. Non-stop parties constantly leaves me in a daze, scrambling to see what happened in the sports world on this day and that. I also celebrated my birthday, or at least I tried to, given how exhausted I’d become from all the holiday revelry. Oh, and out-of-town visitors also arrived and we all know how these visits always seem to throw a monkey wrench on anybody’s schedule. Through it all, I did find time to get up-to-speed with some of the biggest happenings in sports, including an unlikely college football National Championship game, a pretty exciting Winter Classic and the unfortunate passing of an iconic sports anchor.

Oregon – Ohio State set up National Championship date

No. I didn’t watch Oregon put a pasting on Florida State and I also didn’t get to see Ohio State wax Alabama to set up a date for the national title on January 12. Since both games happened on January 1, I was probably slumped over my couch, grabbing for the nearest ice bag to help drive away that massive New Year’s Eve hangover. At least that’s what I remember. I do remember checking up on both games and  while I was a little surprised to see Oregon and Ohio State beating their much-ballyhooed opponents to set up this title game, I didn’t really think much of it until I realized that this could be the first college title football game in a long time where we dedicate a majority of the hype to the actual teams playing in the game.

So, no Jameis Winston coverage and there sure as hell won’t be any of those “Roll Tide!” bellyaches to accompany it in the lead-up to the game. That’s a good thing because we get to focus our attention on two of the best programs in college football. No talk of this or that, or who did this and who said that. This one should be all about football between two teams that deserve to be playing in the National Championship game at Cowboys Stadium.

A quick peek at the betting odds and it shows a pretty surprising picture: Oregon is a -7 favorite against Ohio State. That’s taking into account the fact that when you look at these guys side-by-side, you’re looking at two teams that aren’t too different from one another. Public betting seems to be heavy on the side of the Ducks, too, but I expect those backing the Buckeyes to come in heavy as game day approaches.

Either way, this game should have plenty of fireworks, the kind that sets up very well in one of the biggest stages in football.

Winter Classic lives up to the hype…again

DraftKings strengthens NBA portfolio

US-based fantasy sports operator DraftKings has further expanded its presence in the North American NBA basketball market after it entered into a partnership with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Under the deal, the terms of which were not disclosed, DraftKings will become a presenting sponsor of the franchise’s TimberWolves Team Stats social media feature and the WolvesCast official team podcasts.

DraftKings will also benefit from a branding presence on digital courtside and basket stanchion signage during the team’s games at its Target Center home.

In addition, the operator will have a presence on the franchise’s official website and will activate a range of social media promotions in partnership with the team.

DraftKings will also introduce new ‘Live Like a King’ fan sweepstakes that will give supporters the chance to win VIP tickets to home matches as well as transport to and from the game, a custom team jersey, pre-match dinner, a pre-game bench sit and a centre court photo opportunity.

“Fantasy sports gaming is a huge and rapidly growing industry and is something that many of our fans are interested and engaged in,” Timberwolves senior vice-president and chief revenue officer Ryan Tanke said.

“This partnership and industry category opens up some great new opportunities to further connect and engage with our fans.”

Paul Liberman, co-founder of DraftKings, added: “We want daily fantasy sports to engage and electrify fans, and we’re looking forward to making that happen for Timberwolves fans by providing them with unique experiences and new ways to interact with the sport.”

The agreement marks DraftKings’ fourth partnership in the NBA, having already entered into similar deals with the Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.

The operator has also established relationships with North American NHL ice hockey league as well as NFL American football teams the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots.

 

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