The Jason Smith Show with Mike HarmonJason Smith & Mike Harmon talk about Rick Pitino needs to be coach of the year. Plus, the guys chat with Todd Fuhrman and Mark Medina on bets, NBA, and more!
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Hello, Welcome inside, Happy Friday, the Jason Smith Show with my bes friend Mike Harmon. Yeah, let's go live from the ti rack dot com studios.
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An unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection at over ten thousand recommended installers. Tirack dot com is the way tire buying should be. Well, we're here, we made it. We are forty eight hours away from Super Bowl Licks. We have a big show tonight. We got the prop Betsley like we have our picks. We have mvy picks if you don't want to pick somebody that's not named Barkley or Mahomes. But before that, I gotta say this, Mike, because it's a Friday. It's happy. I'm happy the inner ten to eighteen year old in me is so unbelievably excited about Saint John's Yukon because, I mean, game on Big Fox right now, both teams are top twenty five. I mean, Saint John's was my team growing up in statn That's where Saint John's campus was, Staten Island, and I had to change when I went to Syracuse. Suddenly I was like, Okay, you're the bad guys all right now, Sorry guys, but like my whole life growing up like Saint John's, like that was the team that was our team, and here they are, and Patino has done an incredible job with them.
In just one year. They've gone from hey, I don't.
Know if Patino really, you know, still has it gets what's going on, and instead it's just watching Saint John's pull a big lead now here on Yukon, a big fast break layup. They're up by six with four minutes to go on the second half. If they win this game, they'll probably wind up being a top ten team. All of a sudden, you'll be seeing and references to Walter Berry and Chris Mullen and Mark Jackson and oh my goodness, I'm so excited. I mean, the ten to eighteen year old in me is so excited at Saint John's.
I just think of old radio listening way back in the day, and it would be Farrell on the bench sholling, who the hell wants to walk Saint John's. My brothers and I. Every once in a while we'll be sitting together and one of us will just scream it as matter a Genoperland or Jesse Ventura reference. But yeah, like this is great theater, right because, like you said, with Patino, all the questions and certainly you know, the off court and whatever else, but the man can coach, and it's good to see perhaps some of those thought pieces get reminded of what his legacy and history in this game is. And let's face it, you got the greatest heel in all of sports on the other sideline, part of the sideline right now. It's not the other sideline because he's just down the road there. But the idea just being that, you know, for Hurley and his history onics that maybe maybe we get some more chaos here in the final four minutes. So yeah, great theater.
I'll tell you you want, you want a great Saint John's. You want to want.
This is my this might be my favorite story about a member of my family.
And I've been for years.
You're ready for this, so you're not gonna get sued stash for whatever they may have done is done.
No, no, no, not at all, not at all. So this is it's nineteen. What year was this eighty six?
Eighty five? Eighty five?
Right?
Eighty five okay, yeah, eighty five, the big eighty five Georgetown Villanova year?
Right?
Where was the biggest upset in college basketball history? So it's the Big East Tournament and it's when the Big East had three teams in the final four that year. They had Villanova, Saint John's and Georgetown, right, so they were all in. And uh, it's the Big East Championship and you know, the biggest tournament championship. And this is back you know eighty five. Not everybody has cable, right, I mean, so it's a big deal. Like I'm fourteen years old, I really want to see this game. And my uncle, who this is before he became a fireman, was a bartender. He's bartending, worked for the gas company. He was like, come down to the bar, but you know, come down to the bar and watch you here, and I'm like, I'm fourteen years old. He goes, come down, have Pop bring it down. My grandfather who would watch basketball with he never watched basketball. When I watched Saint John's, he watched with me, and so he'said, have Pop bring it down. I'm like, Pop, you bring me down to the bars so I can watch Saint John's and he goes, yeah, okay, we'll go. So it's one of those nights where you remember, I mean, we had nights like this in bars until like the mid two thousands, I want to say, when no one had NFL network and people still would go out to watch the big Thursday night games. So we go down to the bar, and luckily my uncle, who's a bart and everybody liked him, he saved two seats for us, you know, right near the bar. The entire place is packed and there's it's standing room only, and everybody is just watching the game.
Right.
It's a really tight game, and this is super This is Pearl Washington at Sarah, and this is Walter Berry and Chris Mallin and Saint John's and I remember Ron Rowan of Saint John's hits a shot to give them the one point lead with like ten seconds left in the game, right, and so all of a sudden, it's a mad dash down court.
And Pearl Washington like triples.
By like three guys, just spinning him going oh my god, cause he was like men against boys in college. Man, Pearl Washington was unreal. He just goes by three guys. He goes into the lane and goes up and Walter Berry just swats him. With like one second left, the ball bounces and bounces up in the air. The clock hits zero. Everybody starts screaming. Everybody's clapping and high fiving. And my grandfather next to me, he stands up and he's clapping as hard as anybody. I'm like, ah, this is really cool, right everybody. The people are high fiving. People where my Saint John's sweatshirt, my Saint John's ad. We're all high five and you know, it starts to, you know, dull down a little bit with everybody clapping.
My grandfather turns me and goes, who won?
Ah, well.
That was that.
You get caught up in the excitement. Everybody's fired up, so sure, yeah, you get into it, but think about that. That just an old old way of doing things right. My uncle used to take us to the VFW hall that he belonged to. Same idea, right, It's it's just a bar. It's not like you could even make the argument that it was a quasi restaurant. Like they had some bags of chips and they had a couple of pinball machines. So people always gave us dimes to keep us occupied while they played cards, whatever other gambling was on, and of course watching whatever games. I'm like, he can't do that in twenty twenty five, they would throw you out immediately and they'd shut these places down. But I think those are some of the best times ever, Like you're just watching, you know, these cutthroat card games and arguments and getting to hang with adults in this in this kind of space. So for you to have that moment and those kind of things always the best. But to punctuate it with, hey, I'm excited, I don't know why it's really about it, because I mean, it just sums everything up. I mean, he wasn't, you know, terribly inebriated.
Was he was just no, no, no, he just he just I don't know that he could like at that point, my grandfather's probably in his early seventies. I don't care what I mean, maybe because it was a you know, it's a real tough play when when you're thinking about what TV was like in the eighties, it's not like what we see now.
And you also don't have a big, big picture either.
No, No, I mean in nineteen eighty it was one step away from you know, drawing stick figures and then like making it look fast.
I mean, there's no lower third, right, no score bug. Every once in a while you flashed it. And if it's loud in a bar and maybe they're playing music off a jukebox, you're not hearing the announcers tell you the score.
No. And but the one thing I would say is that.
Well, don't you, uh you think everybody's in here rooting for Syracuse? Like, why do you think you think he was just clapping because the game is over? Hey, that was a great that was a great game. Game is a ladies a gentleman?
The band you got. You gotta think that Saint John's won, don't you.
I mean, it's not something. I mean, it's crazy, but come on, Pop, you gotta you gotta get that, don't you. But no, apparently it didn't. But hey, that's one thing is that, like you know, everybody in the family you know that he raised, he kind of raised me is his as his sixth kid, and like everybody kind of brought a new sport to him. Like he you know, he was a big baseball fan his whole life, and then all my uncles really got into football when they were younger. His kids, he got into football there and and and you know, and he started watching basketball with me when I got into college basketball.
And he would never watch the Knicks with me. He's like, the Knicks is sad? Why am I watching them?
But he would watch Saint John's with me when they were on all the time. So and now he would sit and do that with me. And I always always thought that was a really cool thing, like even though he didn't know as much about it, he would just sit with me and watch the games, you know, And I thought that was pretty cool.
But I mean, who won it was?
If it was adult meat, I would have said, it's tied, and it's going to double secret over and they're gonna put both guys at the in the middle, and Vince Vaughan is gonna grab the ball and throw it at Ben Stiller, like I would have made up something incredibly crazy.
We got mad at me, but you know, I was four teenears. I was like Bop Saint John's one, Pop bop brother. This is back where they were the.
Red Men Pop the Red Men, One Red Men one pop Bop Pop Sat John's one.
But I just think back.
But it's cool that we have those moments and everybody that's got him, I mean share them. We love reading the evangelization of it all at Swollen Dome at how about a fresc at Fox Sports Radio? Building community continuing to grow and impress the pollsters. That's what we're all about. But it's the the idea of those seminal moments. If you remember, like those early sports foundational things. Right for me, I really jacked up my leg playing football one year, so I probably sat on the couch with my dad and my uncle and my brothers more watching football that year.
And ever that was the.
Year the ahead of the Super Bowl for the Bears all those many many years ago, the loss of the forty nine ers, but like it was a magical run. So like although moments that you had because everybody had to stop down because I couldn't walk that checked up my knees so bad. Yeah, So I was like, all right, what are you doing on Sunday?
I don't know.
He's sitting over in that corner again. So but like the same thing, like with your you know, your family, you know, you think of those things and it's like, yeah, those are those are seminal moments. Either that or chasing people around a parking lot at Kamisky Park because they were trying to wash your windows and you didn't want them to. But that's a whole other part of the family history we don't need to get into here.
You know, it's funny because I was thinking about my grandfather Latte because look, one of the big stories that we're getting ready to see on Sunday is probably probably the big precursor the Super Bowl is Hubie Brown is going to broadcast his final NBA game. Hubie Brown, who has been the soundtrack to Our Lives Yeah for ESPN other entities, at ninety one years old, is going to broadcast his final game. And it's been an unbelievable ride for him. He took some time off this year. He had a couple of deaths and his immediate family and I think he's just kind of done doing it.
But being ninety he look he was up till last a couple of years.
He's doing games, and he's and he sounds sharp, and look he keeps going out there. And at ninety one, being able to do this and being able to retire now say hey, I'm going to do one more game and I'm going to retire.
I mean eighteen NBA Finals.
Uh, He's been able to broadcast over the course of his thirty five years on national TV and radio. I mean, this is a life that I aspire to to kind of to kind of have as I get older.
Now.
I mean it's I still a few you know, knock Wood a few years away from that. But to be ninety one and to be still be that with it, to have the freedom to not feel limited, you know, whether I want to work and call a bleep in NBA game or or I want to just you know, enjoy life and hang out and go to trivia on Wednesday nights or whatever I want to do.
Like that's winning.
Like you know, you know, I've obviously, you know, everybody has different lives and there's ups and downs. You have highlights, you have tragedies, you know, But for Hube Brown at ninety one to be still doing this game, and he's gonna sound like boy, he's he could continue to do this for a long time. Like, I think that's winning. And I think that that's the that's the golden years, the post retirement years that I think is is is what you can hopefully aspire to to have something like that. Like really, you know, you want your health, you want your mental acuity, you want all of these, but basically you want the freedom to not feel limited to still live your life. And I think you know that that's Hugbe Brown winning in such a huge way.
Well, that's you.
You have a choice, right, It's not your being forced out because you know on air mistakes or gaps or you can't travel or any of those things. That it's it's a choice to say, you know what I've done my my years, It's been a rough go the you know, like you said, with with family stuff the last few months and and and trying to do that that you you still have the ability to make a choice. I mean we all should should aspire to those things, right. I've got a couple of friends who've who've hit retirement maybe a little earlier, and they're having their regrets already gone. Boy, I was still having fun, but the math worked out, so I said, I'm done.
Yeah, and it's like, well.
I don't want it to become come down to an equation. I you know, I'm and hopefully you know still some years left where folks are are still moderately entertained by what you and I do here. If you decide you hate me, then somebody decides they still like the sound of my voice. All of those things to say that, you know, you want to have some say in the matter and still have your your physical and mental.
About you.
But for Hube Brown, I mean, god, what's it's gonna be weird to turn on a game and here's someone else with Mike Breen and not you know, have have that back and forth and have Hubee Brown as part. And we've done this a lot, like you know, the last decade or so. I mean, how many guys get to really go out when they want to?
Yeah, I mean at ninety.
One, yes, not at sixty or seventy or seventy five.
At ninety one, he's getting to go out and say, hey, I'm gonna I got one more game. It's Philadelphia Milwaukee. I mean hopefully Joelleenbid will play in Hube Brown's last game. Uh you know, I mean that's I mean, that's I mean that that's that's that's going out. That's going out like in an unbelievably unbelievable way where I really it's amazing. I mean you think about I think about, you know, Marv Levy coaching as long as he did and how long he coached, and and this is just to be able to do something like this this long and still be this good at it, I don't I don't know the I think if you ask for anything more, you're being greedy.
Like think about think about one of the mantras of the show, right, the old the old joke, I don't feel so old so long as Rogers, Brady Lebron all these guys are are on the field. And that extends into the coaches and the broadcasters that you and I have been listening to, uh forever. You know, the guys that pass away, I mean you know part party you goes with them, you know, Harry Carey and in Chicago for me with and Uker and Vin Scully and these guys that are part of the soundtrack of what we do. Why you and I get emotional as we do with musicians that we're big fans of and all of you out there, it's that same resonance that it's it's just an amazing you know, part of the background of what you're doing and what you get to experience. And for him to be able to tap and man at ninety one, you know, it's it's one of those guys. All right, I feel a little older today.
Yeah, yeah, exactly, Yeah, yeah, you.
Know what I mean. It's like just one of those there's another one of our guys are tiring, which is why Pete Carroll coming back. Why did we celebrated the hell out of that? Yeah, Pete, you get back on that side.
Pete Carroll's almost twenty years younger than you. Be proud.
Let me think about that.
Yes, we talk about boy Pete Carroll, can he do what he's gonna be seventy four?
We talk about his energy, everything else going on.
He's almost twenty years but proud, but not to take it down the obvious highway. But look at all the people we hire back into Congress and to the presidential oval office. Man, It's like we do that all the time and nobody bats an eye yet. A guy that wants to coach when he's got a staff of administrators and folks that can pretty much do ninety five percent of his job, right Paterno in his final years at Penn State, or Bobby Bowden and guys like that, it's like they still were the figurehead.
They still you know, the bucks stop with them. But are you.
Telling me they were still working any of anywhere close.
To those hours.
Hell no, we didn't care. It's like, good for them, they're institutions. Same thing here, Huge Brown. He'll be missed and can't wait to watch that telecast. I can't wait to see some of the footage that they dredge up. Man, that's a long run and chance that you can have fun with.
They'll have him coach. When he coached, we coached all kinds of highlights.
Exit out about a Fresca exit, swalling down the Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Carbon What a phenomenal weeknd, Huge Brown, Super Bowl Sunday, getting that final game. Travis Matthew was apparel designed for confidence and comfort, no matter where the day takes you from performance driven styles to everyday essentials for men and women.
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First order when you sign up for email. So we'll have more updates.
Saint John's up maybe fifty five seconds away from beating Yukon, but coming up next. Yes, it is Super Bowl weekend. How about a hot take and an MVP pick? Yeah, let's go wait wait, wait, they did that yesterday.
What do you mean the MVP?
I mean the Super Bowl MV Oh bones to pick with that whole MVP comm No, not not that fixed one where Yeah, Lamar Jackson's good enough to win all probably not enough to win an MVP.
No, no, super Bowl MVP.
We got that coming up next right here, Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio. Now, look, I'm not a weather man, but I'll give you my forecast. Snow and ice are Cumming's going to make driving a challenge, Thankfully the experts are tirec no a thing or two about conquering winters, worst rain, sleet slush, whatever winter means to you. Ti Iraq has tires that'll elevate traction and break in, keep you safe, all season tires, all weather tires, and if you live where it snows a lot, dedicated winter tires.
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Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app Fox Sports Radio.
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon Live from the Tirack dot com studios. Speed up your hiring process with Express Employment Professionals. Reduce time to hire, cut costs, find the right talent for both contract and full time roles. Visit expresspros dot com today transform your hiring process. That's expresspros dot Com. So Mike and I gave you our picks for Super Bowl licks a few minutes ago. What does Vegas think? Nobody better to talk to? At our friend Vegas insider, former odds maker at Caesar's. Check out his bet the Board podcast. See him on CBS as well. He's on Twitter at Todd Furman. It is the aforementioned Todd Furman. What's happening, Bud?
Not much, Showman. I'm excited that we get to put a bow on a football season, and about you know, seven or eight o'clock Pacific time on Sunday night, it officially becomes met season. So I know you're extremely excited.
You know, I was going to ask you, like, obviously, the amount bet on the Super Bowl is an incredible number week, you know, year in, year out. Was there a big push this week for NBA betting after the trade deadline with Lakers' futures or Maverick's futures.
Did you see a big bup push there it anywhere?
You saw books being pretty proactive with those particular numbers. The Lakers number got haved and so you consent. His price you saw for them to win was right around thirteen to one to come out of the Western Conference and about double that to win the NBA title. The MAVs price continues to drift out, and I wonder where there'll be a little bit of resistance, because I'm not sure the MAVs I'll be losing a superstar and Luca fall off a cliff nearly as much as what the betting market suggests. I mean, we saw them last night with an upset win to the Boston Celtics, and while I don't use that as a litmus test, it may show some of the potential that that team does have. But for the most part, NBA regular season betting doesn't really move the needle. Everything pales in comparison. Although the books that I've spoken to this week have told me that handle for this game is significantly down from what they've seen over the last couple year. So we'll see if things really pick up in the thirty six hours now until kickoff.
Is that with the I guess more advent of state to state gambling, So it's not coming to Vegas the same way. Because I've been seeing all the tourism cries for help with the hotels.
It's definitely a big part of it. I think people that you know would normally come out to Vegas for an event of this magnitude, you know, don't feel incentivized quite the same way. I know slegalized sports betting may not get to the state of California until about twenty seventy two, but for a lot of other spots, especially on the East Coast, you can bet from your mobile phone, and for folks in you know, Philadelphia, Kansas City, they're going to check out to the game. But it's almost as though we're experienced a bit, experiencing a bit of a Super Bowl hangover, having hosted the event here last year and now being forced to fill you know, a couple hundred thousand hotel rooms with guests that you know may not be as intrigued by this matchup on paper, knowing it's the same one we saw a couple short years ago.
I saw you on your Twitter feed earlier today something insane. More people are betting Saquon Barkley to score a touchdown than they are betting anything else. I got that rightly, more people betting Barkley to score a touchdown than anything else.
You know. That was one of the news stories that's circulated from a guy who I know pretty closely having worked with them at some previous employers, in Craig Muckley, who's in charge of the trading team at Caesar's Entertainment, and it just I think puts things in perspective that when people get generally apathetic around such a tight number as we're seeing here with Kandon City fluctuating from a minus one point favorite to pick them, that people are looking to try and find other ancillary ways that they can invest their money, and in most cases it appears to be laying that price on Saquon Barkley to find pager, whether it's of the straight bet variety or tying him in as kind of the cornerstone of a lot of the same game parlays that we see out there. So just changing dynamics from a sports betting preference standpoint as we see more legalization take hold and it's much less traditional is probably the best way that I would describe it. During the prop handle continues to tick up, and some books have told me may represent seventy five to eighty percent of the overall handle that'll do on Sunday's Big Game.
When we talk about the individual stuff, and obviously folks love all the random, crazy prop bets of you know, Taylor Swift, you know visits and all that fun stuff, when we get inside the actual game, how much fluctuation do we see on individual lines on you know, player props, you know, from the initial release to game day and does it Why do we see a lot of variants or does those most of those hold.
But not nearly as much now in twenty twenty five as we would have if we had the same exercise about ten years ago. And a lot of that is because most of these players see over under set on a lot of their receptions, their carries, their yardage totals each and every week during the regular season. And I have to give credit to some of the bigger national books, but they don't have to go through the same experience we did, you know, fifteen years ago, when I was behind the counter of price discovery from some of these secondary weapons that you don't have props hung on on any given week, So it wouldn't be uncommon for us for some of the players that were a little bit more of an afterthought to have to move these number seven to ten yards. You don't really see that around the Travis Kelceys, the Saquon Barkley's, the Patrick Mahomes and the Jalen Hurts of the world now, and trying to find a little bit of an edge with game state if you thought one team was going to be chasing, becomes a little bit more difficult to do with a nuvember hovering right around to pick them as well. So it's a lot more precise science than what you've typically seen in the past. Some of the math props, though, will move substantially. For example, you saw over under on Harrison budker Field goals made in the game open right around one and a half minus a dollar ten and some prominent shops as high as minus a dollar nineties now. So professional betters will do everything they can and then some to try and extrapolate any semblance of an edge a percentage point here or there on markets that they feel give them the best opportunity to get to the window.
You know, Mike and I talked about our favorite prop bets a few minutes ago, and I like basically every offensive prop bet for the Chiefs. I like the over for Kelsey's receptions at six and a half. I like the everything over for a homes yards attempts, rushing attempts, like the Super Bowl is his time and the Chiefs aren't going to lose this game by giving the ball Isaiah Pacheco twenty two times. I like all the over and the Eagles are going to make him throw the football a ton. I like every single overprop that makes sense offensively for the Chiefs.
Well, one thing that I'll say first, you're not going out on a limb there Smith saying at Pacheco won't get the ball twenty two times in the game. I believe his over runner for rushing attempts right now fits at five and a half. So if you thought you.
Get what I'm saying, they're not going to run the football all day inside it's a super Bowl, it's myhomes.
I would agree completely. And you have seen money from professional betters coming in on the unders, not on Pachecko because his numbers have really been shortened as his workload has been reduced. But more on Kareem Hunt both his over under on attempts it opened at thirteen and a half that has now trended down to eleven and a half, heavily juiced under and his yardage total as well. But when you mentioned some of the marquee players, look there are usually substantial game scripts and significant advantages to be found if you feel that that's how Kaysas City is going to go about approach this Philadelphia defense. The thing with Kelsey, we've actually seen a little bit of under money on his reception number. Why the available six and a half, it's been the juice that shifted. Yardage totals remain largely unchanged and from homes. I'll echo your sentiments on it being a high volume passing game, but I would feel more inclined knowing that Kansas City may not have the explosive play in their arsenal to look at his overcompletions over attempts more so than some of the yardage markers that are out there.
Todd Ferman our guest Jason Smith Show with Me Mike Armin here Fox Sports Radio. Follow Todd on Twitter at Todd Furman. Check out the Bet the Board podcast get yourself that much smarter as you navigate the lines and get yourself ready for Super Bowl Sunday. Do you have one just wild one that you've uncovered in your research, you know, without giving away the farm from the podcast, I mean.
Obviously not so much one that's wild, But we do have a pair of best bets available, so appreciate you plugging the podcast that folks can go check out. We spend about an hour dissecting how the Chiefs run on defense and pass offense will look against the Eagles defense and the exact opposite on the other side of the ball. So a full deep dive that you can get there should you want to dig into some of those ex'es and o's. But sequel Barkley one of the more polarizing players in this particular game. I know we hit on, you know, the yes no for him to score a touchdown, but you look at his over under for rushing yardage setting that one to twelve and a half one thirteen range, and we haven't seen a running back accumulate that kind of tally on the ground. Dominic Rhodes did it back in two thousand and six. Before that, it was Michael Pittman in two thousand and two. And if we're talking about eclipsing even one hundred and twenty five yards rushing, it was Terrell Davis back in nineteen ninety seven. So I think Barkley is going to get a full workload. I think I'll have a chance to go over that number. But the area where I think is you have a little bit of whibber room. Is going under on his longest rushing attempt for the game, that's hit a twenty four and a half yards. And the reason I say that is because when the Chiefs have developed a defensive game plan, they're not one to try and completely stifle you at the line of scrimmage. But I think Steve Spagnolo is going to be perfectly content and I use that term relatively speaking to try and keep Barkley to five to six yard games. Forced Philadelphia to move the ball down the field methodically rather than giving up the explosive that we saw on the first snap against the Washington Commanders and how we've seen Barkley with those backbreaking runs more often than not. So I went under twenty four and a half yards for Saquon Barkley's longest rush. I believe that number even is available some books at twenty five and a half, but now heavily juiced as well.
All right, now, let me take you back to last night, cut because this is I thought about this. We almost called you last night because this was so insane.
Like how how I probably I probably as much as I love you both, I probably wouldn't have answered, but continue, ok, I trust me.
I started to do the text, but Todd and I already talked earlier in the day his availability fight. Yeah, we certainly had a couple of hey, what what do you think Todd would say? Moments gout.
So yesterday, over the course of the day, the MVP odds for Josh Allen really started to increase, right, He went from a from what a forty seven percent chance to like a ninety two percent chance to win.
And then Tracy Wilson.
Of CBS tweets out a graphic congratulating Josh Allen on winning the MVP when it still hadn't been announced. There was still about fifteen or twenty minutes between she tweets that out, then she deletes it and they announce the winner. Now after she did that, if I had called and said, Hey, I want to put all kinds of money on Josh Allen to win the MVP, could I have gotten that?
Would you have locked me out of it? What was happening last night?
Well, there are a couple of rincos to this story. First and foremost, you know, I'm unfortunately not on Tracy Wilson's speed dial. She has that kind of insightle you, knucklehead, sending me texts and asking me questions, not ones that I can profit from. But in this particular instance, guys, what's interesting about the dynamic and the way that number had moved In the build up to the awards ceremony last night? When Lamar Jackson was named to the All Pro team with a commanding vote share, most regulated books pulled the odds to win the MVP entirely.
Off the board.
Some books offshore actually reopened those prices made Lamar are a substantial favorite. But going into last night, the one exchange that you're mentioning with the odds changing on the fly was polymarket and you saw Josh Allen, I believe about an hour before the awards ceremony started drift out to about ninety six percent, And as we always say, the betting markets know before everyone else does, so there wasn't the same opportunity to move nearly as much freight as you'd like on that particular market. But for most of the offshore shops, of the handful that still kept it up, you know they were going to honor those bets until they pull the prices off. And you're seeing something similar with the over under on the national Anthem for Sunday's Big Game as well. As soon as they get bets that they respect starting to flow in on the under, they pulled that market off just as quickly. But that's why gaming control out here in the desert, and I can't speak to every jurisdiction has some of those checks and balances in place, and it's the main reason why to use the Heisman Trophy as kind of a litmus test as well. Those odds actually get pulled off the board as soon as games kickoff on Championship Saturday to make sure there's full transparency and no one has that kind of information once the vote starts withccumulate.
Now, Todd, I know you'll be locked and loaded with everything going on. Bet the board podcast is up, but your game day action? What's the war room look like? I mean, how many monitors or is there a simple app that you can buy into that has all the biggest books so you can chart action.
You know, a little calmer than what it's been in the past. Tomorrow will be a significantly busier day. I'll have to go old school, throw the backpack over my shoulder, get all of my parking passes and start hoofing it down Las Vegas Boulevard to make sure I can shop some of those numbers, because the limits that you can get over the counter when you blend in with the general public are significantly better than the amount of money that can you can move on a lot of the betting apps, or they can track it right to your counts. You have to get creative and figure out some of the asash no fake mustache. I don't have the Bobby Valentine incegnito costume, so if you have access to that smith it would come in handy. But for me, it's all about trying to get creative, and it's the cat and mouse game that we all like to play. And you hope that the public drives up some of the numbers and puts and range to prices that you otherwise didn't think we're going to be available on the open. So not nearly as sexy as some folks may make it sound. But I'll tell you one thing about every ninety minutes to two hours, you're constantly scrolling through all the apps trying to figure out if a number has come into range and looking to do everything you can to extract a little bit of value from an over under on player rushing or receiving yards from some of the penalty props that are out there. We're hoping that there may be a points rebound assist number that's moved a little too much in the NBA that gives you some crossboard action as well.
He's on Twitter at Todd Furman, That is at Todd Furman.
Check them out there. Check out the Bet the Board.
Podcast, all your needs, everything you want headed into Super Bowl. Licks, the picks, the upsets, the the big prop bets. The colors of Gator Do you do the colors of gatorade, Todd? Or is that something you'd be passed on?
You do the Gator You know what I haven't got involved in that. I used to have boots.
On the ground.
That could let me know exactly what color gatorades are going to be on each sideline, so you can parlay money lines with both teams to the color of gatorade and kind of eliminate one of those wrinkles. Unfortunately, I haven't given that intel yet, so I'm rather disappointed that my moles haven't leaked it back to me.
Again.
Todd on Twitter at Todd Ferman that is at Todd Ferman.
Is always buddy, appreciate it, man. We'll talk to you next week. You have a great one.
You got a gentlemen. Enjoy the game on Sunday.
Hit him hard, brother, There goes Todd Furman. Man outside.
I don't have Tracy Wilson on speed now, so we could have done that. We could have called and said, hey, here's here's all of our kids entire college money on Josh Allen to win the MVP. We would have made like ten bucks on it. It would have been like a crypto make Hey, look I made money already, but we would have made money on that.
Mic Well, I mean.
Look, profit is profit, right, whether it's a dollar, whether it's a multiple of ten thousand. Like everybody always laughs, like, why would you bet the one hundred thousand for what's the sure thing? Well, yeah, it can go wrong, but I mean seven hundred dollars or whatever the returns are, it's still seven hundred dollars you didn't have.
That's try the same thing here.
Even it's a pittance to the overall that you gotta lay. If it's trending towards that sure thing, and you still have an entryway, as Todd said, you still had one book where you might have been able to get in fast enough before the announcement, that's good. The other thing is, man, look he's got he's got to make those connections over at CBS. Man, I'm like, what's going on?
I got it? Yeah, I'll tell you. Gotta have it. Might be Romo. Gotta have Tracy Wolfson on Speedtile now.
Although I don't think she'll be leaking information again anytime soon.
Would be my guess. We got more coming up in ninety seconds.
But now it's time to find out what's trending from a man who's been called the Tracy Wolfson of Fox Sports Radio. He tells you everything way ahead of time and then deletes it all and waits until after the games are over and then we'll tell you who wins and loses.
I'll tell you if I could have that guaranteed ten bucks, that would buy a lot of hot dogs at the cart right next to the Brent Musburger studio on this trip. So we've got Super Bowl coming up on Fox TV this Sunday with the Chiefs and he Eagles. Philadelphia defensive end Brandon Graham practice fully today. He's questionable for the big game after triceps surgery in November. Wide receiver DeVante Smith was limited in practice again. He's had a bad hamstring but will play. Former Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley joined the forty nine Ers staff, and the NFL will hold a game in Ireland next season involving the Steelers. Tiger Woods will play in next week's PGA event, which benefits his foundation. It'll be held in San Diego this year instead of LA because of the fires last year. Woods completed only eleven rounds of golf in five total events. Thomas Detrie leads the Phoenix Open by two strokes. Jordan Speith is three back in college basketball Top twenty matchup on Fox TV tonight went to Saint John's winning at yukon sixty eight sixty two. Saint John's had trailed twenty four to ten. Early number seven per Due beat USC ninety to seventy two. Indiana Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson is stepping down after this season. They've lost six of their last seven games. He's sixty six years old. To the late game in the NBA, it's late third quarter at Phoenix. The Suns are up eighty three seventy eight over Utah, thirty points for Devin Booker. As Kevin Durant is out tonight with a sprained ankle. Lebron James, with a sore ankle, is doubtful for Saturday afternoon. Luka Donsich could debut for LA on Monday. Anthony Davis will debut tomorrow with the Mavericks. He's missed the last five games with an abdominal strain. Jimmy Butler, now with golden steak, cleared to play on Saturday. Oklahoma City is forty one and nine after beating Toronto. Cleveland's record forty two to ten after winning at Washington. Charlotte won on a last second three pointer, edging San Antonio one seventeen to one, sixteen Miles Bridges twenty five points, including the game winner. Home victories for Brooklyn, Atlanta, and Detroit, which whit Philadelphia won twenty five one twelve the final, Malik Beasley thirty six points as Kay Cunningham of Detroit was out with a sprained ankle. And news from the NHL that Winnipeg won its eighth straight game beating the Island four to three and it's now a final. Colorado wins at Edmonton five to four.
Back to you, Thank you, Steve.
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Carmon live from the ti Raq dot Com Studios. Coming up next, the hottest of hot takes for Super Bowl Licks, something that we have seen all season long, mainly for the last two or three years. We are not gonna see on Sunday. What is it that's next? Right here Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Fox Sports Radio.
The Jason Smith Show with My best friend Mike Harmon do live from the Tirack dot Com Studios where we are.
Getting set for a big weekend in the NBA.
Lebron James may not play tomorrow for the Lakers, but Luka Doncic is playing Monday.
It's the super Bowl on Monday night of the NBA.
Joining us now in the hotline to break it all down Lakers Insider.
You can follow him on Twitter at mark g Underscore Medina. That's at mark g Underscore Medina.
And Mark I know that you know all season long you've talked about being the underminer, trying to undermine JJ Redick at every turn to get the Lakers head coaching job. I think with what's going on the last ten days, it's going to be really hard for you to do that.
Now, well it'll be hard, But think about this. The Lakers thought about the big picture, the long term play with getting Luca Dodgic to secure their next superstar for whenever Lebron James retires. All this is saying up to warm the seat for me to coach Luca when he's in his absolute prime. So everything's still hitting on all cylinders.
So if you're looking back at the last few guys that we've had some time to digest what we've seen, the Luca trade, the Williams trade.
Now the Lakers are, they've been playing well.
It's been the best record they've had at this point in the season since twenty year they won it all. What are you thinking about now about the team after after digesting what you've seen and going forward.
Here's a few things I'm thinking about. One, they're the main winners of the trade deadline. The Lakers are scheduled to have a statue for pat Riley at some point, but rob the Lincoln Line after that. And then with Luka Doncic. You know, Genie Buss told me two years ago that they were going to retire Lebron James's jersey whatever he's in the Hall of Fame, because that's the custom. Put Luca dodcic jersey right next to Lebron's, you know, decades from now that Those are the things I'm thinking here, that Luca is that next Laker superstar and he's going to deliver multiple championships. And as far as the Dallas Mavericks go, man, I don't know if they'll even have a single fan by that point.
Difficult position. I mean, Ad tried to do his best today, Martin.
You know what's fascinating is in the short term, it's very well possible that the have a better season because even though the Lakers got Mark Williams, he's a great center. You know, he's a really efficient score in different parts of the court, there's an unknown on whether he can stay healthy. And they're not an elite defensive team with the Mavericks. Obviously, Anthony Davis has been a defensive Player of the Year candidate. I think guys like Daniel Gafford, Derek Wiley, the second PJ Washington are all great players. I think you know a d and the chemistry is Kyrie Irving is going to be good. But all this sets themselves up is to get to the second round and nothing more. But with the Lakers, while I am very bullish on their long term prospects, it's very high risk ky reward of the short term. They very well could put off a pull off a championship run here because they got Luca. But it's very well possible because of just trying to figure out the right chemistry, trying to find the right combinations, and trying to become a better defensive team, that they're a team that just gets the playing for them in the first round and more. But again, long term play is where it's at for the Lakers, And so you know, maybe pencil it down now for this season because the Cleveland Cavaliers coming out of the East. I mean maybe next season we'll see that Lakers next final showdown.
Well look, wow, I like how.
That's two side swipes in one statement there because the Knicks right there, and then you mentioned how bullish you are on the Lakers, And that's the only time Mike's Harmon's Bulls are going to be mentioned positively, even though it's not a reference to team, but at least the word bullish is huddered in a positive frame of mind.
Head they resigned Lonzo Jerk.
I love how they traded zach Lavine for like a bag of potato chips. That's a line that actually Draymond Green used in this podcast. It was hilarious listening to his episode most recently where he devoted almost like twenty minutes out of an hour long podcast just bashing the Bulls and talking about how terrible their ownership is.
Well, you thought that it was bad under garpacks, it's actually been worse since those guys were deposed. Let me go back to Mark Williams real quick. Is he a guy that you have to do load management with to the number of the games you miss? Right, Because I mean, what was the joke with Anthony Davis all the time? Well? Is he going to be available? This guy's not much better with his track record, except that he's.
A lot younger. Yeah, you know that is a fluid thing. We don't fully know the answer, but for what it's worth, when I did catch up with him last month when he was with the Hornets coming off his injuries, he assured me that he's fully healthy. He was off the minutes restriction, so that's obviously a comforting sign. The other comforting sign is that when you're looking at his play in the post along the block out the rim, he's incredibly efficient, great tick and role player, a great passer. He's not going to become a three point specialist, but there is a thinking that he could become that stretch five kind of player. So he does fulfill the lakers obvious spaking hole when they traded Anthony Davis and all of a sudden they don't have a center. They also actually could have used the center when they had Ad That's probably why they he vouched for it so he could play at the four. Because of just all the unknowns with Jackson Hayes and Christian Wood and Christian Coloco. They're all okay guys but not always available, and they're just solid players nothing more than that. So that moves the needle for them. But when you're looking at the Lakers defensively, they still have a long ways to go because they don't have a lockdown perimeter defender. But you know, in fairness, with having Luca Dacis and Lebron James, their identity is going to be on the offensive end. It's not about, hey, don't trial defense take plays off, But you know what, you have a lot of offensive magic. You have two generational talents I think will work together because of how skilled they are as both scores and passers that they're going to be pretty tough to stop.
All right, So right now, obviously it's all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows for the Lakers and what they have going forward. And I look at it, this gives me vibes kind of when they got Pau Gasol and how you could tell this was just they were going to take off from here, and they did. I think they won nine out of their first ten. They went to three finals with Gasol. Like I kind of get those vibes here of what's going on with the Luca and adding Williams. But if I said to you, Mark, what's the big worry? If you said, okay, if all this is going forward, the Lakers have everything going for me, get a generational talent in Luca. If I said to you, what's the big thing, what's the big worry for La, what would you tell me?
It is?
Well, there's only a few things that's obvious. Obviously Lebron James. He's forty years old, so you never can discount father time. But he's still playing at a high level. Defensively, can they have good perimeter defense? They don't have the personnel right now to tell me yes. And third, just trying to develop the chemistry on the fly. I don't think that there's going to be any push pool with Lebron and Luca. From a chemistry standpoint. There was only push pool with Lebron with deferring playmaking duties to players like Russell Westbrook and D'Angel Russell because he didn't he wound up not trusting them because of russell erratic play, DiAngelo's shooting inconsistency. Luca, even though he's been prodded, Hey trush your teammates more. He's a great scorer. So I think all that's fine. It's just about having to microwave all this in the last thirty games of the season. But the point that you made about the Lakers game Palgasol in two thousand and eight, three straight finals, I think it's a completely different dynamic here because you had Kobe Bryant still I wouldn't say in his prime, but before you know, injuries were getting the best of them, number one and number two. They had a complete team. Howl Gasol was that missing championship piece, but they still had a lot of great veteran talent around them, with Lamarro to Derek Fisher. You look at this current Lakers roster. You have Lebron James, who's obviously a generational talent, but their supporting casts are good but not great players. So you obviously had Luca the mix that puts them in another level. But I want to put them in championship contending status this season. I would think they're stealing second around and then seeing what they can do in the off season, and then building off the chemistry next season that would, you know, put themselves in a position to win the title.
It's built around the rest of the league. Mark you mentioned pat Riley before talking about the emotions he and Butler and everything. One did you think Jimmy Butler would win the standoffs and get himself out of Miami get a massive extension?
And two?
How does it play out and how long before he and Draymond fight?
A lot of good questions here. I was surprised that things worked out with Jimmy Butler and the Warriors because initially the signal I was going from the Warriors was that not interested. They don't want to have to give up the farm to get him. It's not worth the turbulence and the drama, especially because they'll won an extension. But things changed here from both sides. Jimmy Butler was not seeing that there was a market, and the Warriors they were seeing Okay, we have Steph Curry still playing recently well. We still have Draymond Green defending well and somewhat limiting the techs. But there's still eleven in the West, so they got to make a move, and the Warriors did find a sweet spot. They did have to give up a lot, most notably with Vanrew Wiggins in a first round pick, but they didn't have to give up any of their young players. They still have two first round picks left. So I think the way the Warriors see it is they have a secondary score with Steph, who plays offense completely different with gain to the rim, made a range game. He and Draymon. I think the feeling is that they're going to be fine because they are both cut from the same competitive cloth. You know. I actually asked Raymon after the game last night, what's that going to look like? And he noted, look, in today's NBA at this point of the season, we're not practicing a lot, so save it for next season. But he was saying that he was really looking forward to it, and he was dropping a bunch of expletives on how amazing it's going to be when they go toto in practice. But at this point they think it's going to be for the betterman of the team and no punches will be thrown.
Mark Medina breaking news. No punches will be well they think, so, Mark, let me ask you this, then I get getting away from the Lakers. If I said to you, the team that did the next best job at the trade deadline besides the Lakers, who would you give me?
Yeah, I would say the Santario Spurs. You know they got I'm with you. Uh, I'm just thinking about that picking roll game with six or one BA and that's gonna be amazing to watch. Hello.
Yeah, no good, I just said, yes, did you agree with you?
Were those were the cheers going on at Spurs game where the Spurs goats they're making highlight reels. Yeah, ticking roll game is great.
There.
They still have Chris Paul, Harrison, Barnes a great vet. This is a team that's equipped to make a playoff push. I don't put them in contending status yet. The bottom line is I see the Oklahoma City Thunder winning Hell of the West. I think that they will actually win the NBA title this season. But in the stacked Western Conference, I think the Spurs could get to the West Finals. Uh, that's their ceiling most likely second round. But this is a team that was kind of playing in that spot of maybe they're good enough to make in the play and not quite. They're not a lottery team, but give it some time. This thrust them even more. And look, fittroa Minama is going to be with the Spurs for decades to come. Daron Fox wants to have a home there. This is going to be a lethal one two punch.
You can follow on Twitter at Mark G Underscore Medina. That said, Mark g Underscore Medina. Marks, always appreciate the time. We'll talk to you next week is as your efforts to undermine JJ Reddick continue to get more difficult, appreciate it.
But I'll try to get a look at Dodgers this corner. You know, Veron came out here.
See you buddy, have fun there, it goes Mark Medina. No, look they can hear Mark.
Hey, hey, that guy keeps preaching Luca don't play d Yeah, yeah, yeah, he didn't worry about me. It's all about the offensive game.
Let's say, no one's gonna no one's gonna care. As long as you score forty points, no one's gonna care. If we can't guard anybody and we lose one forty five to one thirty eight, no one's gonna care. No one's gonna care. Look the the the thing is and and.
I love the Spurs. You know that.
I'm with Mark that I like the Deer and Fox trade. It's gonna it's a whole new world for the San Antonio Spurs. Gonna take them a little bit of time. Obviously, Yes, the picking, we talked about how they could, how they're gonna play off each other, How well they're gonna do that earlier this week. Look, you lose tonight on the road to the Hornets, who are terrible. It's gonna be a little bit of time, but they are going to peak and it is really gonna be something of all the of the teams that are gonna make the biggest leap standing wise. I mean it, by this time next year, we're gonna say the Spurs one of the top four teams in the NBA. Right like you had Steph Castle come off the bench night. Now he's coming off the bench thirty three tonight off the bench for San Antonio, you know, losing to the Hornets, right like, this is a This is an incredibly talented team now with with exactly what they needed. Like again, you want to go back to the whole Paalgasol thing. Hey, the Lakers needed a big who could do something. Who was that talented you know down low and they got pal Gasol and the Spurs needed a guard that could be really, really dynamic as good as as Steph Castle. As I told you, he's a guy I would have taken number one overall the draft. He's more of a combo guard, right, great defender as well. He can do a little bit of everything. But I mean, Darren Fox, he's an assassin. Like this is a guy that just gets to the hoop and he kills you on his way there. I mean, within a year, I'm telling you this time next year, it's gonna be how many titles in a row for Wemby?
Now he's gonna wait four in a row? Five? Like, what's it gonna be for this San Antonio Spurs team. Era of the Spurs is back.
Dearon Fox, also realizing the need for the do not hit send button yesterday, took his shots at the King's organization and then promptly deleted them.
Yeah yeah, yeah, all the.
Dysfunction and problem tonight. I mean that the ending of that game was just such a fun watch. The Hornets and Spurs LaMelo ball with the dish to bridges to give them the lead come back the other way and Fox can't get the shot off in time. He hits it, but it's waved off because the red light was up. So yeah, chaos ensues. But yeah, gonna be a fun watch and clearly a guy alongside Wembin Yama that you want to talk about the two man NBA jam game. We're gonna have some fun talking about them for a while.
Exit Out bout a Fresca, Exit Swallen Dome, The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Carmon Time Now to find out what's trending in the wide world of sports. But God has been called the Victor Wembin Yama of Fox Sports Radio because he's just taller than everybody else that works here.
It's Steve Disager. No, not quite.
Did you see the one block Wemby had tonight? He literally did not leave his feet in the lane?
Just thank you.
I like that. And yes, san Antonio did lose the close game at Charlotte Castle at thirty three off the bench, but Hornet's on a last second three point or one at one seventeen one, sixteen Miles bridges the hero twenty five points and what a finish to the night. In the NBA at Phoenix, Grayson Allen the tying three pointer at the buzzer of regulation. In overtime. The Suns beat Utah one thirty five one twenty seven as Devin Booker had forty seven points and eleven assists the Sons. Kevin Durant was out tonight with a sprained ankle, returning for Oklahoma City after three months off due to a fractured pelvis, which chet Holm gritty at four points four blocks. Ocasey one again won twenty one one oh nine over Toronto. Jalen Williams twenty seven points. Atlanta trailed by eighteen at the half and still came back and beat Milwaukee, won fifteen one ten. Jana Santenacumpo was out again for the Bucks with a sore calf. Bobby Portis in the lost twenty six points fifteen boards. Cad Cunningham at Detroit was out with a sprained ankle, but Malik Beasley had thirty six points in a win over Philadelphia won twenty five one twelve. It wasn't that close. Brooklyn, with a strong fourth quarter, beat Miami one o two to eighty six, and Cleveland won again, winning at Washington three four one twenty four despite forty five points from the Wizard's Jordan Poole, who from three point range was four of seventeen. The Lakers Lebron James is doubtful for Saturday afternoon due to a sore ankle. Anthony Davis will debut with the Mavericks on Saturday. Minnesota's Anthony Edwards is questionable for Saturday's game with a sore hip. Golden States Jimmy Butler is cleared to play Saturday. By the way. Stefan Castle, the Spurs rookie, is in the Slam Dunk Contest officially for NBA All Stars Saturday night in about a week, along with defending champ Mac McClung from the G League. Amongst those in the three point Contest, Tyler Hero, Jalen Brunson, and two time defending champion Damian Lillard. In college basketball Top twenty matchup on Fox TV went to Saint John's winning at Yukon sixty eight sixty two.
Saint No, you know, Yukon could have used to fund Castle tonight.
Absolutely, but they had the best coach in the game, that's right.
Much.
They didn't something less of a coach without on Castle on the roster. Didn't they beat everybody in the tournament by double digits last year?
Yeah?
Yeah, it seems like an ancient memory. Saint John's was down twenty four to ten early and still won at Connecticut. Indiana coach Mike Woodson will step down after this season. NHL Colorado won five four at Edmonton. The late hockey game has the LA Kings now tied with Dallas three three twelve minutes left in regulation?
Back to you, is a d playing in that game? Or is he? Is he not playing yet?
No?
That is an LA Dallas game. But okay, we're gonna wait a couple of weeks until the Mavericks Lakers LA because.
I guarantee if some people bought tickets in LA, Hey, oh we got AD and Luca.
Let's go.
Oh man, if you've got AD against Luca on skates, I would buy tickets for that.
Ah begs a lot, buddy.
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Carmon Lotthetirack dot Com Studios. Yes, it is an idol Friday Night in February. But did someone just clinch a big award earlier tonight? In sports that's next. Right here, Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio,
