BILLS ARE 60-TO-1 TO WIN SUPER BOWL 52…SUGGESTION TO BETTORS: PASS
Super Bowl 51 (LI to be NFL correct) is more than one week away, but Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook already has posted odds and is accepting wagers on winning Super Bowl 52.
Here are the odds to win SB 52: Patriots 5-to-1…Cowboys 8-to-1…Steelers 10-to-1…Falcons, Packers and Seahawks each 12-to-1…Broncos 16-to-1…Chiefs 18-to-1…Cardinals, Colts, Giants, Panthers, Raiders, Ravens and Vikings each 20-to-1…Buccaneers and Dolphins each 30-to-1…Bengals, Eagles, Redskins, Texans and Titans each 40-to-1…Bills, Chargers, Jaguars and Lions each 60-to-1…Bears, Jets and Rams each 100-to-1…Browns and 49ers each 300-to-1.
Last year at this time – more than a week before Super Bowl 50 – Buffalo was 30-to-1 to win Super Bowl 51. I hope you didn’t fall into that trap.
So why have the Bills jumped from 30-to-1 last year to 60-to-1 this year? Here are at least three good reasons: (1) uncertainty at quarterback; management has belittled Tyrod Taylor while proposing no reasonable option (granted, perhaps Terry Pegula and Doug Whaley have a QB plan that will surprise us all and help lift the 2017 Bills to a playoff berth); and reasons (2) and (3) to follow:
ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 11: Zach Brown #53 of the Buffalo Bills makes an interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers resulting in a touchback during the second half at New Era Field on December 11, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Michael Adamucci/Getty Images)
BILLS HAVE THE MOST UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
There are 447 unrestricted free agents (UFAs) entering this free-agent market. Buffalo’s 24 UFAs is the most in the NFL.
That is not necessarily a bad thing. Every team’s list of UFAs includes more expendable than must-keep players. But the shorter the list of UFAs, the fewer the spots to fill on the roster.
For the record, here are the most-to-fewest UFAs: Bills 24…Lions and Saints each 20…Bears 19…Cowboys and Falcons each 8…Buccaneers and Cardinals each 17…49ers and Giants each 16…Bengals and Redskins each 15…Dolphins, Panthers, Patriots, Seahawks, Steelers, Texans, Titans and Vikings each 14…Colts and Raiders each 13…Packers 12…Jaguars 11…Broncos, Rams and Ravens each 10…Jets 9…Eagles 7…Browns and Chiefs 6 (no data available for LA Chargers).
BILLS RANK 25TH IN SPACE UNDER THE SALARY CAP
The Buffalo Bills currently have $23,125,000 to spend under the $168-million salary cap for the 2017 season. That ranks 25th in the 32-team NFL.
The teams with the most space under the cap are Cleveland ($108,951,921), San Francisco ($81,046,264), Tennessee ($66,744,839) and New England ($65,561,801).
The teams with the least space under the cap for 2017 are Dallas (minus $8,916,063), New York Jets (minus $7,681,263) and Kansas City ($4,678,573).
You don’t need to be a genius regarding the ratio of fewest unrestricted free agents-to most-space under the salary cap, to deduce that the Bills ranking 32nd and 25th doesn’t seem like a plus.
CAN SU KEEP BOEHEIM’S WINNING STREAK ALIVE?
This is Jim Boeheim’s 41st season as head coach of Syracuse University’s men’s basketball team. Amazingly, he never has had a losing season.
His current SU team is 12-9 with 10 games remaining in the regular season (all in the ACC) – and perhaps this season period if the Orange aren’t invited to the NCAA tournament or refuse an invitation to the NIT or a lesser post-season tournament.
I believe SU will finish the regular season 17-14 but it wouldn’t be easy. One plus is that the road portion of the schedule appears easier than the home portion of the schedule:
Home – Florida State (6-2 in the ACC and 18-3 overall) Saturday…Virginia (6-2, 16-3) Feb. 4…Louisville (5-3, 17-4) Feb. 13…Duke (3-4, 15-5)…Georgia Tech (3-4, 12-8)
Road – North Carolina State (3-5, 14-7) Feb. 1…Clemson (1-6, 11-8) Feb. 7…Pittsburgh (1-6, 12-8) Feb. 11…Georgia Tech (3-4, 12-8) Feb. 19…Louisville (5-3, 17-4) Feb. 16.
SABRES AT THE NHL ALL-STAR BREAK
The Buffalo Sabres saw their three-game winning streak (all in overtime) end Thursday night with a 4-3 loss at the Dallas Stars.
The next game for Buffalo will be Tuesday night at Montreal. The next home game will be Thursday against the New York Rangers.
The Sabres have a 20-19-9 record through 48 games and are in a four-way tie for last place in the 16-team Eastern Conference with 49 points in the standings. But Buffalo is only seven points behind Boston for the eighth and final playoff berth in the conference and six points behind ninth-place Toronto.
If Buffalo can’t make the playoffs, most Sabres fans would love to see the Maple Leafs outside looking in, too. Games to circle: at Toronto Feb. 11 and home vs. Toronto April 3.
The Sabres are 11-8-3 home and 9-11-6 away. They’ve been outscored 136-118 (-18).
Buffalo has performed surprisingly well on the power play (22.5 percent; 34-of-151; sixth-best in the 30-team NHL) but has struggled ion penalty killing (74.1 percent; 106-of-143; 29th in the NHL.
RAZORSHARKS OFFER -- FREE BASKETBALL GAME AND A PROBABLE VICTORY
The Rochester RazorSharks will host the Jamestown Jackals Sunday afternoon (2:05) at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. It will be a tribute to the Orest Hrywnak, the local radio legend, former GM of the Sharks, and brother of Sharks founder-owner Dr. Sev Hrywnak.
General admission is free. Can’t beat that.
The Sharks will enter the game leading the Premier Basketball League with a 5-0 record, including a 128-77 romp Thursday night at the Chatauqua Hurricane in their first road game of the season. Chatauqua is getting closer. The Hurricane lost 128-75 to the RazorSharks in this season’s opening game.
Rochester has outscored opponents 623-74 (average score 125-74) but Jamestown could put up a de3cent fight. The undefeated Jackals (3-0) have outscored opponents 311-217 (average score 104-72).
YOU MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH ME BUT…
Carmelo Anthony is a lot of things that Kevin Love is not -- including a future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, MVP of an NCAA championship team and a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
The Cleveland Cavaliers this week reportedly rejected the New York Knicks’ offer of Anthony even-up for Kevin Love. I don’t blame them.
Anthony at his peak was better than Love at his peak. At this stage of their careers, I rate them roughly equal in value. But Love is a much better rebounder, works harder on defense and is more than four years younger.
GOOD NEWS FOR THE KNIGHTHAWKS
Dan Dawson (missed the last tgwo games for personal reasons) and Cody Jamieson (recovering from a knee injury) could both play Saturday night at the Toronto Rock.
The 1-2 Knighthawks need a boost in firepower and Dawnson and/or Jamieson should fill the bill.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO…
Friday, September 27 – Julio Teheran (26)…Gavin Floyd (34)…Marat Safin (37)…Rhett Warrener (41)…John Lowenstein (70)…Cris Collinsworth (58)…Brian Engblom (62)…Billy “White Shoes” Johnson (65).
Saturday, September 28 – Hunter Renfroe (25)…Brandon Guyer (31)…Andre Iguodala (33)…Sheamus (39)…Daunte Culpepper (40)…Lyle Overbay (40)…Magglio Ordonez (43)…Jermaine Dye (43)…Nick Price (60)…Gregg Popovich (68). Alan Alda (81) is invited to the birthday party.