The Best Home Court in College Hoops 🏀

Plus: NFL recap, NBA All-Star Bets, and more!

This week’s newsletter is brought to you by our partners AVI & Oofos. They outfitted us and our NFL players in Arizona last week, so show them some love and check out their deals below!

The 2022 NFL season has come to an end! Shout out to the Chiefs and Eagles for giving us an incredibly exciting game to close out another amazing football season. We owe you.

Hopefully you all have recovered from the big game by now. Here’s my recap as we move forward into what should be an exciting NFL offseason:

  • Andy Reid is in the conversation for being the best head coach of all-time. What he’s done with both the Eagles and the Chiefs is remarkable. He has 247 wins in 24 seasons of coaching. He has the most wins as a coach at each organization. He also has 22 playoff wins, which is 2nd in NFL history

  • Mahomes is HIM. I don’t enjoy bragging about him, but he’s the most talented quarterback in football. He had another MVP season even without one of the most dynamic wide receivers in football. Even in the face of adversity and injuries, he prevails.

  • Jalen Hurts’ progression from last season is the biggest leap I’ve seen. Philly wasn’t even sure if he was going to be their guy before this season. You can chalk it up to the “system,” but we’ve seen what happens when another quarterback plays in that system and it’s not the same.

  • Hurts passed the test on the biggest stage with flying colors. He completed 71% of his passes, had 304 passing yards, and he had 15 rushes for 70 yards on the ground. The guy can do it all and yes, he does have an incredible supporting cast, but what great quarterback doesn’t?

  • The Eagles got out-coached. John Gannon, the defensive coordinator, got exposed. Andy Reid schemed up plays he knew the Eagles were susceptible to miscommunication, in particular, with motion plays that put the Eagles DB’s responsibilities in jeopardy. He ended up taking the head coaching job with the Cardinals, good luck bud.

All in all, it was a great season filled with drama and great football. Coming in 2nd in fantasy wasn’t a bad ending either. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already looking forward to next season.

Get 25% OFF AVI Gear 😎

Ben St-Juste of the Washington Commanders

AVI creates elevated performance wear for on and off the Pickleball court. They’re also the first clothing line made with Pickleball in mind over any other sport. They approach performance wear from an athlete’s perspective and sports-specific needs.

Check out our favorite items and get 25% off with promo code: 25OFF.

Another Loaded College Hoops Weekend 🏀

Credit: Marvin Gentry/USA Today Sports

This weekend has just two matchups between ranked teams and both happen to be within the Big 12. But fear not, there’s a handful of other stand out matchups on the slate:

  • No. 9 Baylor at No. 5 Kansas. This is the best matchup this weekend. Ride with the Jayhawks spread or money line because Allen Fieldhouse is probably the BEST home court advantage in all of college basketball. They also have the best player on the court in Jalen Wilson.

  • No. 19 Iowa State at No. 12 Kansas State. This is a great matchup, and one that will be very low-scoring because of how good each defense is. Kansas State is the play here because they’ll be at home and have Keyontae Johnson, who will be the best player on the court too.

  • Illinois at No. 14 Indiana. This is an underrated matchup in a messy Big Ten conference. Indiana should win here, but Illinois has recovered really well from a rough start. Take the Hoosiers at home with Trayce Jackson-Davis.

  • No. 10 Tennessee at Kentucky. This is another big game because Kentucky is on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament and Tennessee seems like they’ve recovered from a slump. Tennessee is the play here because Kentucky can’t be trusted right now and Tennessee already lost to Kentucky at home.

  • Oklahoma State vs No. 22 TCU. TCU has struggled recently without their best player, Mike Miles Jr., but they have a prime opportunity to rebound in this spot. There’s a chance Miles is back and they’re at home, ride with the Horned Frogs

OOFOS Supports Human Performance with Active Recovery

Elevate both your game and style with OOFOS Active Recovery - the Official Recovery Footwear Provider of EXOS and the Las Vegas Raiders. OOFOS teams up their proprietary OOfoam™ technology with a patented footbed design that absorbs impact, so your body doesn’t have to – reducing load and stress from the ground up.

See why athletes like QB Derek Carr, Olympic Gold Medalist Ashley Caldwell, goalie Jeremy Swayman, Undisputed Boxing Champion of the World Alycia Baumgardner and others are using OOFOS footwear to recover faster between training and competitions – and take their performance to new heights.

Join the OOFOS rewards program at OOFOS.com to receive instant benefits and stay up to date with the latest athletes, stories, collaborations and product launches from the global leader in Active Recovery footwear. Experience the benefits of OOFOS Active Recovery and feel the OO!

The 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend has officially tipped off, which means sadly we’ll have no NBA games this week- not what I want to hear for the first weekend without football.

But at least we can still bet on NBA basketball.

The NBA Dunk Contest will take a back seat to a loaded three-point contest this year, but it should still be a good one. Mac McClung is the smart bet because he was known for highlight dunks going back to his high school days.

The Three-point Contest is absolutely loaded this year. The best bet to make here is on Damian Lilliard, BUT pay attention to Kevin Huerter and Tyler Herro potentially winning the contest at all. Herro especially has a chance to get really hot here.

There is already a line out for the game with LeBron’s team being favored over Giannis’ by 3-points. This is a smart bet at face value because LeBron’s teams have won every matchup since the All-Star game changed formats, but don’t bet it until close to tip-off because the teams are being drafted before the game, playground style.

And when games return next week, you’ll want to check out these NBA betting trends. You’re welcome.

Bet w/ Your Head 🧠

  • Remember to bet responsibly

  • Bet with your head and not over it

  • Take breaks

  • Use money you can afford to lose

  • Set limits for yourself

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN THE PLAYMAKER NEWSLETTER?

Fill out this survey and we’ll get back to you soon!

More stuff you might like:

  • The Playmaker Newsletter - Check out our regular sports newsletter for the biggest storylines in sports with a fun twist. Subscribe now.

  • Playmaker Hoops Basketball Show - Check out the latest episode: Russell Westbrook to Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and All-Star Weekend! Listen now.

  • In Shambles Podcast - The HOTTEST sports takes in the game brought to you by Playmaker Garf and Head of Playmaker Talent Manager, Polo Kerber. Watch here.

  • The Spew - A comedic interview series hosted by Playmaker Garf with regular guest appearances from big names throughout sports. Check out the latest episode with Lavar Ball. Watch here.

  • Pretty Big Plays - A female-led sports podcast hosted by Playmaker Nyrie & Playmaker Treasure. Watch here.

  • PlaymakerOP - Overpowered by Playmaker. Follow now.