by Andrea Triunfo31. October 2024
NFL, trades begin with a trade deadline in mind and we are at the halfway point of the season. NHL, some big names in difficulty and Winnipeg continues to fly. NBA, idyllic start for Cleveland and OKC, Denver, LA Lakers and Milwaukee convince halfway. Let’s see everything in detail.
NFL 2024: Trade Deadline and Midseason on File
The NFL transfer window closes on November 5, which means almost all teams they have to understand whether to strengthen themselves or sell to accumulate valuable assets for the final part of the season. The Kansas City Chiefs were very quick to acquire two players with potential impact; DeAndre Hopkins from the Titans and Josh Uche from the Patriots are a warning to the rest of the league; the Chiefs go for the three-peat.
Tennessee is demobilising, in fact, after Hopkins, Ernest Jones was also sold to Seattle, and other last minute sales for the franchise coached by Brian Callahan cannot be ruled out. We saw other last-minute exchanges Cam Robinson passare dai Jaguars ai Vikings to replace the injured Christian Darrisaw and the Baltimore Ravens also acquired WR Diontae Johnson from Carolina.
NFL MLB NHL NBA 2024, match predictions and odds
For the football played however, a ninth day is coming which offers various ideas; the Jets in full crisis must win against the Texans to avoid reaching six consecutive defeats and say goodbye almost mathematically to the playoffs. We don’t trust Rodgers & co, Houston’s victory is priced at 2.00 on Sisal*.
There are the Browns, recharged by Jameis Winston’s winning performance, looking for an upset against the Chargers; their victory is given 1.95. Indianapolis ha panchinato Anthony Richardson to get Joe Flacco back on the pitch, Minnesota can then take advantage of it in a match that doesn’t seem to be balanced; Minnesota with a -5.5 handicap is priced at 1.87.
Let’s also take the Los Angeles Rams, who after recovering some injured players, have fully relaunched. In the divisional game against Seattlethe Rams are 1.80 favorites and given the recent situation of the Seahawks, with many doubts between defense and QB, it is a price not to be missed.
NHL 2024-2025: injury for McDavid, tough Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference is providing a spectacle but above all an almost total balance in these first weeks of play. Between the Ottawa Senators, ninth, and the New Jersey Devils, first, there are only 6 points, the equivalent of three victories. In addition to the usual suspects in relevant ranking positions, let’s point out the Bruins’ difficult startcurrently at the bottom of the table with a record of 4-5-1 and 9 points overall, and the recovery of the Hurricanes who are returning from four consecutive victories.
In the Western Conference, the Oilers are experiencing a similar situation to that of the Bruins, with ace McDavid out of action for a few weeks and fluctuating performance. There is still a lot of hockey to be played, but the start is not the best. Winnipeg continues to grind, with 9 wins out of 10 games, followed by Dallas and Las Vegas.
The scorers ranking sees the defender Cale Makar leads everyone with 19 points (4 goals and 15 assists), tied with Mark Stone of the Golden Knights. The top scorer is Nico Hischier, captain of the Devils, already in double figures, while among the rookies, the scepter of the record in points is disputed between Stankoven and Michkov. On the night, the game to follow is Boston against Carolina; the Bruins are priced to win 2.25 on Sisal*, a risk that can be taken.
NBA 2024-2025: perfect start for Cleveland and Oklahoma City
The first week of the 2024-2025 NBA season offered spectacle and surprises, highlighting some teams on the rise and others in difficulty. Among the revelations of the week there’s definitely Oklahoma Citywho started the season with four consecutive victories, impressing thanks to the defensive solidity and development of Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder have managed to limit high caliber teams, such as the Denver Nuggets, with aggressive and defensively solid play, proving ready to compete.
Another team experiencing strong growth is Cleveland, unbeaten in their first five games and capable of dominating the attack thanks to the performances of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. Cleveland averaged 128 points per gamethe most in the league in this first week, thus making it a formidable opponent in the Eastern Conference.
The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, started quite well, with three wins out of five, under the guidance of new coach JJ Redick. The performances of LeBron James and Anthony Davis were crucial in a start that seems to have given the team a new energy. However, there was no shortage of teams in difficulty. The Milwaukee Bucks, despite having Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo available, have lost three out of four games.
Finally, mention for Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic. With a record of 3-1the Suns seem in good shape thanks to the contribution of the usual Kevin Durant. Orlando too, led by Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero confirmed that it is ready to aim for the playoffs, showing notable growth compared to last season, winning three of the five races played.
At the bottom of the standings we find Utah, still without victories, and Detroit, now almost always destined for the slums of the league, waiting for better times. Denver, despite an MVP-trained Jokicstarted less convincingly than expected, but clearly there is all the time in the world to get back into rhythm and get back on top.
*Quotes subject to change
