The Action Network’s Cash Corner: Looking Back On Last Week’s Bets (April 13-20)

Whether you won or lost money this past week I can guarantee you one thing and one thing only: You had fun in the process.

You could have won $1 million, and I bet the most exhilarating part of that endeavor was the sweat leading up to the gigantic result. Week in and week out, we gamble on everything from the NBA to the PGA TOUR, and no matter the results, we move on to the next event without looking back.

While almost every bettor (including myself) tends to look ahead to what's next, it's never a bad idea to reflect on what happened in the prior week and try to take something away from the biggest moments.

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Last Week’s Big Things 

1. Jake Paul … The Boxer. 

Jake Paul’s current careers in order of importance:

1. Professional Boxer 
2. YouTuber/Blogger
3. Social influencer/Podcaster  

When Jake Paul stepped into the ring with a 5-foot-9 Nate Robinson and knocked him out like the 2012 Knicks playing LeBron and the Heat in the playoffs, it turned into a meme.

Fast forward to this past weekend, and Paul decided to do it bigger and better when he stepped into the ring with a former UFC champion.

Whether Ben Askren was a formidable opponent or not (he clearly wasn’t), Paul managed to step into an entirely new class in the boxing world.   

Did Askren enter Saturday Night’s fight a tad overweight and unprepared? Definitely. But that should not take away from what Paul accomplished.

Like him or absolutely hate him (most people do), you still have to give credit where credit is due. He walked into the ring with a devilish glare in his eyes and walked out smiling ear-to-ear after a first-round knockout.

You can't deny that Paul has legitimate technique and looks like he is going to have a future in the sport. He is a great athlete, has a freakish build, and I believe it’s time to put his training to the test and match him up against an actual professional boxer. 

I don’t care what anybody says about the knockout; Paul threw a vicious punch, and Askren hit the pavement within a second of taking that hit. 

All I can say is at least he lasted longer than when he fought Jorge Masvidal.

Biggest takeaway: Don’t believe in Jake Paul’s ability as a fighter? It doesn’t matter because Vegas does.

Oddsmakers have made him a favorite in both of his professional bouts, and both times he has come through with easy wins.

It’s time to start taking the YouTuber seriously instead of thinking you are stealing value betting on the underdog. Considering the criticism around Paul and the amount of money that can be made off of fighting him, I’m expecting his next fight to be a spectacle.

Although his career may seem fluky at the moment, his upcoming fight is going to be a must-bet/watch with your friends. 

2. New Look Knicks

Don’t look now, but the New York Knicks are currently the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended today, they would be making their first postseason appearance in seven years. Just like Jake Paul “the boxer,” the Knickerbockers are for real and are here to stay. 

The Knicks aren’t just the hottest team in New York or even the Eastern Conference, but they are the hottest team in the entire league. They have won six straight games and have covered the spread in nine straight. 

Top notes from the streak:

• Julius Randle has four straight games of 30+ points.
• This is the Knicks’ longest winning streak since 2014.
• They have covered the spread by 11.8 PPG during the nine-game cover streak.
• The Knicks are 36-21-1 against the spread this season, the most profitable mark in the NBA. A $100 bettor would be up $1,353 betting on them every game. 

Biggest takeaway: It really looks like the Knicks are finally back, and fans everywhere couldn’t be happier to shout it from their rooftops.

There is no denying that the NBA is just more entertaining when the team that plays in “The World Most Famous Arena” is competitive. New York City is the mecca of basketball, and it looks like the Knicks are finally fulfilling their potential.

Speaking of the Knicks and the playoffs — how does this $500 lottery ticket look?

4. Everything but the Kitchen "Cink"

4,075: The number of days between Stewart Cink’s sixth and seventh PGA Tour victories.

217: The number of days between Stewart Cink’s seventh and eighth PGA Tour victories. 

There is only one other golfer in the world besides Cink with two PGA wins this season, and his name is Bryson DeChambeau. That's some noteworthy company. 

With wins at the Safeway Open in September and this past weekend at the RBC Heritage, it's a career resurgence for the 47-year-old who has been on TOUR since 1995. But where is the mojo coming from all of a sudden? 

One of the biggest factors could be attributed to the fact that his son, Reagan, has been on the bag since the fall. The duo has already won two events together, and it doesn’t look like they are stopping there.

When Reagan was asked what moments were most special from the two TOUR victories, the son/caddie said, “Everything in between the shots. Walking on the fairways hanging out.”

All in all, Cink cruised to his victory at Harbour Town, cashing at 125/1 odds. Not many people were expecting him to become a two-time Heritage champion, as only .8% of tickets and 0.6% of the handle were on him at BetMGM. 

Biggest takeaway:  Harold Varner III might have had the quote of the weekend when referring to the guy he finished second place to this past weekend:

"He's old, and he's kicking everyone's ass.”

Cink already has two victories this season and is now in the conversation for being on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Find a course where iron play and putting comes at a premium, and Cink should continue to be a great bet moving forward. 

5. The Chef Has Been Cooking  

To say Steph Curry has been balling out of control is an absolute understatement.

The two-time MVP is tearing the league up and has vaulted himself into the MVP conversation. He is on one of the craziest shooting stretches in recent memory, and we have the stats to back it up. 

If you don’t bet player props, it’s time to start taking a look at Steph’s over/under on points each night. He has hit the over on his prop in 10 of his last 11 games, and he’s gone over his point total by an average of 9.6 PPG. When watching Curry plays every night, it looks like he is playing NBA 2K on rookie mode and everyone else is on superstar. 

https://twitter.com/ActionNetworkHQ/status/1384324253688877057?s=20

Biggest takeaway: Stop questioning who is the greatest shooter of all time and embrace Steph with the crown that is already on his head. The guy is in a class of his own, and no one can touch him. The Warriors are currently sitting in the 9-seed in the Western Conference, and if they make it to the playoffs, it will all be because of Steph and his ability to shoot the ball.

Could Steph be worth a look at MVP, or does Nikola Jokic have the award locked up? He currently has the fourth-best odds to win his third MVP at +1800. It could be too little too late at this point but could be worth a flier with the run he's on.

The Best Thing I Saw On The Action Network's Twitter

Is this the luckiest bet of all time, or is the person who placed this from the future? These are the only two acceptable answers. 

It’s hard enough hitting a straight bet or even a two-leg parlay, but this guy is out here winning $43K on an 11-leg same game parlay.

These are the types of wagers that bettors around the world dream can only dream about. I ask the gambling gods just once to let me hit one of these Hail Mary parlays, and I will never gamble again (just kidding). 

Speaking of sorcery, how in the world did this play result in a touchdown?

Notable Events on the Upcoming Sports Schedule  

• Thursday, April 22: NBA, 76ers vs. Bucks | MLB: Padres vs. Dodgers 
• Friday, April 23: NBA, Celtics vs. Nets 
• Saturday, April 24: UFC 261. Main Event: Usman vs. Masvidal 
• Sunday, April 25: PGA, Final Round of Zurich Classic | MLB: Padres vs. Dodgers (Sunday Night Baseball) 

Snippets 

• On April 16, a big bet came in on the Lakers at BetMGM: $35,000 to win $122,500 on Los Angeles +350. The bet moved the Lakers' odds from +350 to +325.
• Have you heard soccer news about the new European Super League but are a little confused? Same here. Michael Leboff explains what we know about it and why everyone hates it here.
• The NFL Draft is 10 days away, and our guys are getting ready. Chris Raybon and Stuckey break down the win total market, while Matthew Freedman talks about his best bets ahead of the draft on the Action Network Podcast here.
• Per FanDuel Sportsbook on April 16: “The Nets are the favorite in the outright market at +220 and Nikola Jokic is the MVP favorite at -175.” Jokic has since moved to a -350 favorite, and the Nets have stayed put in terms of odds with the Lakers, coming in at second at +350. 
• The Zurich Classic starts this Thursday, and bettors might have a tough time picking a pair of golfers to win it all. Jason Sobel breaks down how golf bettors should play this team event here. 

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