Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu
Case of the Mondays: NFL Preseason Off to Rough Start with Game Cancellation

by - 8/8/2016

Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees

The NFL Preseason was supposed to begin on Sunday. That did not exactly happen. The annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio-this time scheduled to feature the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers-was cancelled because of unsafe field conditions. As for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, however, those have kicked off without any serious issues standing in the way.

Odds provided by Bovada Sportsbook unless otherwise indicated.

NFL . The Hall of Fame Game was cancelled because…wait for it…the paint used on the midfield logo and in the endzones had become "like cement." Workers tried feverishly to fix the problem, but their efforts reportedly made things worse when they used heat in an attempt to dry the paint. According to sources, the paint was so hard that cleats could not penetrate it. Colts' quarterback Andrew Luck said that at first he though it was all a joke. Tom Benson Stadium instead held a fan-fest type of event, but all of the fans who paid for tickets to see Indianapolis vs. Green Bay are expected to get refunds. The Packers are a +850 second choice to win the Super Bowl.

San Diego Chargers . There is no end in sight to the Chargers vs. Joey Bosa stalemate. The third overall pick has been holding out amidst a contract dispute, and now even his mom is getting into the controversy. Cheryl Bosa made a comment on Facebook earlier this week, writing, "It bums me out for him so much. Wish we pulled an Eli Manning on draft day." That, of course, referenced Manning's demand for a trade after being drafted by San Diego No. 1 overall in 2004. Bosa, a linebacker out of Ohio State, is the only first-round selection who has not yet signed. The two sides have not had any contact since the start of August, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. San Diego is +650 to win the AFC West.

Alex Rodriguez . Rodriguez will play his final Major League Baseball game on Friday, but not because he wants it that way. The New York Yankees have decided to release the 41-year-old slugger, who is batting .204 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 62 games, and that is exactly what they are going to do. But they have agreed to let A-Rod play one last game at Yankee Stadium before he plans to become a special adviser and instructor with the team. New York is +2500 to win the American League East.

Martin Truex Jr. Truex has slumped since winning for the first time during this Sprint Cup season on May 29 in Charlotte. He has at least managed to record three Top-10 finishes in the last nine events, but he has been unable to make another appearance in Victory Lane. The No. 78 Toyota came close on Sunday at Watkins Glen, where it pulled to within a few feet of Denny Hamlin heading into the last turn on the final lap. But Brad Keselowski was making an even more aggressive move, and he spun Truex out, sending him to seventh place instead of what should have been at worst a runner-up performance. Hamlin soon secured his second win of the year.

Daniel Berger . Berger fired a 62 at the Travelers Championship during third-round action on Sunday to give himself a three-stroke advantage. But not only were three strokes less than enough, but the 62 was also made to look relatively pedestrian one day later. That's because Jim Furyk, who was already one of six players to ever shoot a 59 on the PGA Tour, carded a record 58. As for Berger, he made four straight bogeys to open the back nine and finished with a 74 that left him tied for fifth at 11-under. Russell Knox ended up winning the tournament by one stroke over Jerry Kelly. At the Olympics, meanwhile, Henrik Stenson is a +500 favorite to capture gold.

International Cycling Union . The ICU has been called out for making the Olympic road race course too difficult. It certainly proved to be dangerous on Sunday, when Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleutenwas was leading on a quick descent before wiping out. Currently hospitalized in intensive care, van Vleuten suffered three small fractures to her spine."It's a difficult descent because you can go really fast, but you also have to corner," Dutch teammate and eventual gold medalist Anna van der Breggennoted. "After the men's race, I think we were all warned we needed to take care of the descent, and we did. Of course, if you're riding in front, maybe you take too much risk." Speaking of the Netherlands, Dafne Schippers is a +155 favorite to win the 100-meter dash.

Novak Djokovic . The world No. 1 is out after just one match in Rio. Dealt a brutal first-round draw (for both players), Djokovic had to go up against Juan Martin Del Potro on Sunday night in a rematch of the 2012 bronze-medal showdown, and the Argentine pulled off a stunning 7-6(4), 7-6(2) victory. Unseeded due to having missed extensive time as a result of recurring wrist problems, the 2009 U.S. Open champion and 2012 bronze medalist at the London Games battled past Djokovic in two hours and 27 minutes. Thus the top-seeded Serb will have to wait four more years before he has another chance to win Olympic gold in singles. Prior to falling just short of the podium in London, Djokovic captured the bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, is a -525 favorite to win his second-round match against Andreas Seppi on Tuesday ( BetOnline Sportsbook).

Read more articles by

Most Recent Weekly Sports Betting and Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers