Case of the Mondays: Nationals Fail to Capitalize on Rare Opening

by Ricky Dimon - 8/17/2015

The Washington Nationals' 2015 campaign may be coming to an end sooner rather than later if they are not careful as the stretch run of Major League Baseball's regular season approaches. On the pigskin, meanwhile, it remains to be seen if the New York Jets can even make it to the regular 16-game slate. Their training camp, of course, has been highlighted by Geno Smith's teammate-induced broken jaw.

All odds provided by Bovada Sportsbook.

Washington Nationals . The New York Mets won seven games in a row and 11 of 13 earlier this month to storm ahead of Washington in the National League East. Finally, however, New York gave the Nationals an opportunity by getting swept at the hands of the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates this past weekend. But the Nats could not take advantage; not even close. They are on a six-game losing streak after getting swept in four straight outings at the San Francisco Giants. Washington has also been shut out three times in this current skid. Matt Williams' club is 4.5 games back of New York in the division and 9.5 games out of a wild-card spot. The Mets are -250 to win the division and +500 to win the NL Pennant.

Geno Smith . Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the Jets' quarterback got socked by a little-known teammate and will be out for six to 10 weeks. IK Enemkpali delivered the blow during an alleged disagreement about who owed who money and how much. For what it's worth, Enemkpali promptly got released by New York and picked up by-you guessed it-Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills. More importantly, the Jets have to go back to the drawing board for their signal-caller position. Ryan Fitzpatrick has the inside track on the starting job. Meanwhile, head coach Todd Bowles blasted Smith this past weekend for playing catch with a friend just two days after surgery. The Jets are +2500 to win the AFC championship.

Arkansas . The Razorbacks will be without running back Jonathan Williams for an "extended" period of time, according to head coach Bret Bielema. Williams suffered a foot injury during a scrimmage this past weekend and will require surgery. There is no timetable for his return. The senior was a preseason All-SEC second team selection-and for good reason. Last year he led Arkansas in rushing with 1,190 yards on 211 carries (5.6 average) while scoring 12 touchdowns. The Razorbacks are +1000 to win the conference title and +5000 to win the National Championship.

Chelsea . To say Chelsea's season-and title defense-in this 2015-16 Premier League campaign is off to a poor start would be putting it kindly for the Blues. It has been downright awful. Chelsea opened with an unceremonious 2-2 draw against Swansea and sank to another depth altogether when the club got blown out by rival Manchester City 3-0 on Sunday. Outplaying the Blues from start to finish, City got a goal from Sergio Aguero in the 31^st minute before scoring clinchers in the 79^th and 85^th minutes. You have to go all the way down to 16^th (tied) on the EPL table to find Chelsea, which has one point and a -3 goal differential. The Blues are -155 favorites over West Brom on Saturday and +350 to win the league title.

Novak Djokovic . The world No. 1 has been dominant this season, with two Grand Slam titles (Australian Open and Wimbledon) and one runner-up major finish (French Open). Prior to last week, he had also won every single second-tier event (Masters 1000) in which he participated in 2015 (four for four). Djokovic came close to staying perfect in Masters 1000s at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, but he got upset by second-seeded Andy Murray on Sunday. Murray ended an eight-match losing streak in the head-to-head series by prevailing 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in exactly three hours. Djokovic is a -105 favorite to win the U.S. Open next month.

Kevin Harvick . The most consistent driver in NASCAR with 20 Top-10 finishes on the season and a comfortable lead in the Sprint Cup points standings, Harvick has been unable to build on his two victories in 2015 since mid-March. The No. 4 car crossed the checkered finish line in third and second place, respectively, the past two weeks. It ran out of gas seconds before a would-be victory at Watkins Glen before getting outclassed by Matt Kenseth in Michigan on Sunday.

Jordan Spieth .Spieth will not be too bummed out by his second-place showing at the PGA Championship. After all, he simply ran into a 20-under buzz-saw in the form of Jason Day and still surpassed Rory McIlroy for the No. 1 ranking in the world despite failing to lift the massive Wanamaker Trophy. That being said, it almost hard to believe how close Spieth came to winning the calendar-year Grand Slam. After triumphing at the Masters and U.S. Open, the 22-year-old missed a playoff at the British Open by just one stroke in addition to his runner-up performance at Whistling Straits. Spieth and McIlroy are +650 co-favorites to win next year's Masters.

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 3:30 PM
Expert:	Scott Spreitzer
Free $60 Account Sign Up

Most Recent Weekly Sports Betting and Handicapping