SportsBet Magazine November 2016

NOVEMBER 2016

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE THOROUGHBRED RACING FROM MELBOURNE CUP TO BREEDERS CUP

NBA IS BACK +

NFL RANKINGS

& RATINGS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS IN EVERY ISSUE

Letter from the Editor 8 Masthead 10 Sports Betting 101 78 Fantasy Sports 26

IN FOCUS

Melbourne Cup 18 Breeders Cup 24 Holiday Gift Guide 12 Farewell The Legends 14

SPORTS

Horse Racing 18 NBA 40 NFL 52 MLB 60 Soccer 64 UFC 66 Surfing 68

M ANLINESS

76 Grillers’ Corner: Ultimate Stake 74 Manscaping 101: Grooming Jacks

FITNESS

75 Health is Your Wealth: Travel Workout

TRAVEL

70 Mancation Destination: Los Angeles, California

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

EDITOR’S LETTER

It is with a true passion I bring to you the November issue of SportsBet Magazine.

Authentic in our expert analysis, accurate in the reporting of stats while providing up to the moment sporting news, SportsBet Magazine provides betting trends and events coupled with irony and just the right amount of jest. I’m confident that SportsBet Magazine will be your ultimate sporting resource with its simplistic betting platform, and pure entertainment value for Sporting Enthusiasts.

What an epic month ahead for sports fanatics across the globe. Inside the issue we

take you thoroughbred racing from the Melbourne Cup down under all the way to the Hollywood thrills and spills of Santa Anita. We launch our NBA season campaign with our strengths and weaknesses of every organization, whilst highlighting the NFL ratings slide and rankings through almost half the season. Who can forget the movie script matchup we have on our hands in the World Series? Chicago or Cleveland, it’s all tears of joy! Our Manliness theme continues with what’s hot this Holidays as well as how to keep in shape.

We hope you enjoy the issue and SportsBet Magazine will continue to be your ultimate resource for always coming out on top.

Welcome to the issue and to SportsBet Magazine.

MICK MCCABE | editor-in-chief

MASTHEAD

PUBLISHER Michael McCabe

EXECUTIVE M AN AGING EDITOR Ian Wilson

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l l e w e r Fa

s d n e g e L THE

THE LEGENDS TH AT CH ANGED A GENERATION. SOME WE SAY GOODBYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE, OTHERS WE MOURN WHILE WE WAIT FOR A REPL ACEMENT. EITHER WAY, HERE ARE THE BIGGEST N AMES TO DEPART THE NBA IN 2016.

KOBE BRYANT RE TIRED: April 13, 2016 REGUL AR SEASON: 33,643 points (3rd all-time), 7,047 rebounds, 6,306 assists (29th all-time), 44.7 percent career field-goal percentage PL AYOFFS: 5,640 points (3rd all-time), 1,119 rebounds, 1,040 assists (9th all-time) CH AMPIONSHIPS: Five WH AT HE'LL BE REMEMBERED AS: The second-greatest shooting guard of all-time behind Michael Jordan. The greatest Los Angeles Laker of all-time, which is a great deal better than "the greatest Indiana Pacer" or "the greatest Memphis Grizzly." Bryant will be remembered as the fiercest competitor the sport has ever seen after Jordan, and his 2006 season will remain etched in history as perhaps the finest individual scoring season ever. A divisive player due to the drama that followed him on and off the court, Bryant was the subject of constant arguments over his effectiveness and results vs. his inefficiency and decision making.

He did things his way, and walked out after scoring 60 points on 50 shots in what couldn't have been a better finishing stat line.

H A L L O F FA M E ? F I R S T B A L L OT.

TIM DUNCAN RE TIRED: July 11, 2016 REGUL AR SEASON: 26,496 points (17th all-time), 15,091 rebounds (7th all-time), 3,020 blocks (6th all-time) PL AYOFFS: 5,172 points (6th all-time) 2,859 rebounds (3rd all-time), 568 blocks (1st all-time) CH AMPIONSHIPS: Five WH AT HE'LL BE REMEMBERED AS: The greatest power forward of all time. All the success of Kobe Bryant without any of the baggage. A player whose contributions extended far beyond the box score, and who had a huge impact from his first season in the league all the way through the 2015 season. Duncan's game transcended the game defensively, and the absence of a Defensive Player of the Year Award for him shows the issues with how that award is configured. Duncan left very little imprint on the culture of basketball; he kept to himself, and would wear sweatpants instead of suits after games. He just did his job, better than anyone, and won, constantly. He was the biggest reason for the Spurs winning in four of the five title seasons, and helped San Antonio rattle off 19 straight 50-win seasons.

H A L L O F FA M E ? F I R S T B A L L OT.

AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE RE TIRED: July 26, 2016 REGUL AR SEASON: 15,994 points, 6,632 rebounds, 1,050 assists, 1,054 blocks PL AYOFFS: 1,461 points, 574 rebounds, 104 blocks WH AT HE'LL BE REMEMBERED AS: The fierce finisher of Seven Seconds or Less.

Stoudemire, at his peak, was an MVP-caliber player; from 2007-2010 it was Stoudemire, Duncan and Kevin Garnett for best power forward in the league. His defense was never good, but he was as pivotal to D'Antoni's Suns as Steve Nash was. His versatility left offensive devastation in his wake. Stoudemire's dunks were strikes from Thor's hammer, his elbow jumper when the defense panicked to close off the drive were as precise as assembly-line maneuvers. Stoudemire brought style and intellectual curiosity to the game. In New York, he helped revitalize a franchise that had become a punchline. His time with the Knicks was a disappointment due to the effects of injuries that robbed him of what would have been a perennial All-Star career well into his mid-30s. There are a lot of what if's with Stoudemire's career: What if he hadn't had microfracture surgery, which was phased out in subsequent years by doctors for the most part? What if Robert Horry doesn't hip-check Steve Nash, or the league hadn't suspended Stoudemire in the 2007 series vs. the Spurs? What if Stoudemire stays in Phoenix with the training staff? What if the Knicks never trade for Melo? Lot of questions, but for the time Stoudemire was a star, he was dominant.

H ALL OF FAME: Possible, but it's going to take some time. Stoudemire is 19th among active players on the Basketball Reference index, and the all-time players nestled around him (Dennis Rodman, Mitch Richmond) are in. Stoudemire was a top-five player for a five-year stretch between 2006 and 2010, part of a team that redefined offensive basketball and was a perennial title contender.

However, all of those things should apply to Chris Webber, and he's constantly snubbed. It could take a while for STAT to get in.

HORSERACING

→

MELBOURNE SPRING RACING CARNIVAL

MELBOURNE CUP P R E V I E W, O R D E R O F ENTRY & ODDS

(AT TIME OF PRINT)

Its that time of year again, the first Tuesday in November when the race that stops a nation is upon us. The 3200m Handicap for 3yo’s and up is one of the Worlds richest and most competitive turf races, the 2016 edition of the Emirates Melbourne Cup is no exception boasting staying stars from all across the globe. Weve done our homework and shared our runner by runner formline and review below, remember to note at time of print the Lexus and barrier draw are not available.

1. JAMEKA (CI ARON M AHER) 53.5KG (INCLUDING 2.0KG PEN ALT Y) Myboycharlie-Mine Game 4yo bay mare Starts: 19: 5-4-4

Prizemoney: $3,670,725 Biggest win: 2016 Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) Melbourne Cup odds: $5.50 Stormed to victory as favourite in the Caulfield Cup. Last spring she bolted in the Crown Oaks over 2500m at Flemington. The step up to 3200m should not be a worry and will be hard to beat. Ethereal was the last mare to win the CaulfieldMelbourne Cup double in 2001.

2. ALM ANDIN (ROBERT HICKMOT T) 51KG (INCLUDING 1.0KG PEN ALT Y) Monsun-Anatola 7yo bay gelding Starts: 11: 4-3-1 Prizemoney: $349,958 Biggest win: 2014 Group 2 Unterneher (2200m) at Baden Baden, Germany; 2016 Group 3 Bart Cummings (2500m) Melbourne Cup odds: $11 Lloyd Williams bought the former German stayer with the Cup in

mind. Looks to be timing run to perfection after scoring two strong wins, including an impressive triumph over 2500m in the Bart Cummings at Flemington. Right in the mix.

3. BIG ORANGE (MICH AEL BELL) 56KG

Duke Of Marmalade-Miss Brown To You 6yo bay gelding Starts: 18: 7-2-1 Prizemoney: $1,495,511 Biggest win: 2015, ‘16 Group 2 Goodwood Cup (3219m) at Goodwood Melbourne Cup odds: $15 Brave fifth in last year’s Melbourne Cup and has been sparingly raced since. Talented and tough on-pacer who beat Wicklow Brave in the Goodwood Cup. Jamie Spencer will again take the mount.

4. OUR IVANHOWE (LEE & ANTHONY FREEDM AN) 56KG Soldier Hollow-Indigo Girl

7yo bay horse Starts: 21: 6-2-1 Prizemoney: $1,467,973 Biggest win: 2015 Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) Melbourne Cup odds: $26 Prepared by five-time Cup winner Lee Freedman. Finished 10th in last year’s Melbourne Cup and was working home well for sixth behind Jameka in the Caulfield Cup. In the right hands but has delicate hoofs.

5. CURREN MIROTIC (OSAMU HIRATA) 55.5KG Heart’s Cry-Star Mie 9yo chestnut gelding Starts: 37: 6-6-6 Prizemoney: $4,005,361 Biggest win: 2013 Group 2 Kinko Sho (2000m) at Chukyo Melbourne Cup odds: $21 Group 1 placed against high class opposition. Moody, but devastating on his day and, if he ran to his top, could easily contend. Needs to set history as the first nine-year-old to win the Cup.

6. H ARTNELL (JOHN O’SHEA) 55KG Authorized-Debonnaire

6yo bay gelding Starts: 27: 10-6-1 Prizemoney: $2,673,999 Biggest win: 2015 Group 1 The BMW (2400m) Melbourne Cup odds: $4.20 Was no match for Winx in the Cox Plate but his form for the Cup looks spot on. Cruised to victory in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, leaving subsequent Caulfield Cup winner Jameka in his wake, before his second to Winx at Moonee Valley.

Ran 15th in last year’s Cup, but he is going much, much better this year.

Has won over 3200m and is the one to beat.

7. WHO SHOT THEBARM AN (CHRIS WALLER) 55KG

Yamanin Vital-Ears Carol 8yo bay gelding Starts: 36: 9-6-2 Prizemoney: $2,235,446 Biggest win: 2014 Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m), 2015 Group 2 Zipping Classic Melbourne Cup odds: $26 Veteran stayer has produced some of his best runs over 3200m, including a third in the 2014 Melbourne Cup. Ran 11th in last year’s Cup and

indicated he’s on track for the ‘Big One’ again with a second in the Moonee Valley Cup.

8. WICKLOW BRAVE (WILLIE MULLINS) 55KG

Beat Hollow-Mondaine 8yo bay gelding Starts: 29: 9-3-5 Prizemoney: $897,408 Biggest win: 2016 Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) Melbourne Cup odds: $16 Stunned Order Of St George in the Irish St Leger. Strong form line through Lonsdale Cup (4th).

Trained by masterful Irishman, who produced Max Dynamite when second in Cup last year. Has settled in at Werribee well, supremely fit.

9. BONDI BEACH (AIDAN O’BRIEN) 55KG

Galileo-One Moment In Time 5yo bay horse Starts: 10: 4-3-2 Prizemoney: $559,619 Biggest win: 2016 Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes (2800m) at Navan.

Melbourne Cup odds: $11 Followed Melbourne Cup 16th to Prince Of Penzance with a decent

spell before returning with a pair of black type wins in Ireland. Stronger and more mature this year.

10. EXOSPHERIC (LEE AND ANTHONY FREEDM AN) 55KG

Beat Hollow-Bright And Clear 5yo bay horse Starts: 11: 4-0-3 Prizemoney: $521,115 Biggest win: 2016 Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes (2414m) at Newmarket.

Melbourne Cup odds: $16 Ran on well for third in the Caulfield Cup at his Australian debut. Will be better for the experience and has three-time Cup winner Damien Oliver in the saddle. Has never raced beyond 2414m, but Lee Freedman knows what is required to win the Cup. Must be considered.

11. TALLY (JOHN O’SHEA) 52.5KG

Street Cry-Itemise 4yo brown horse Starts: 14: 5-3-2 Prizemoney: $565,610 Biggest win: 2016 Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) Melbourne Cup odds: $35 Placed in the Australian Derby in the autumn and was third to Hartnell and Jameka in the Turnbull Stakes. Drew wide, went forward then faded to run 12th in Caulfield Cup. Talented stayer but he’s not in the same league as stablemate Hartnell. Next year might be his time to shine.

12. GRAND M ARSH AL (CHRIS WALLER) 53.5KG

Dansili-Marqarula 7yo brown gelding Starts: 37: 8-6-5 Prizemoney: $2,028,792 Biggest win: 2015 Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) Melbourne Cup odds: $26 Failed to fire in last year’s Cup. Returned to run third in the Sydney Cup in the autumn, then stepped up to 2500m and regained his winning touch in the Moonee Valley Cup. Will stay the trip.

13. GALL ANTE (ROBERT HICKMOT T) 53.5KG Montjeu-Crazy Volume 6yo bay gelding

Starts: 16: 4-1-3 Prizemoney: $2,001,794 Biggest win: 2016 Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) Melbourne Cup odds: $51 Another from the Lloyd Williams team. Scored a bold frontrunning win in the Sydney Cup in the autumn to put his name in mix for the Cup. Followed a good second in the Naturalism first-up with a disappointing seventh in the Moonee Valley Cup.

14. ALMOONQITH (D & B H AYES AND T DABERNIG) 53.5KG

Dynaformer-Bohemian Lady 7yo bay horse Starts: 31: 6-3-1 Prizemoney: $765,125 Biggest win: 2015 Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) Melbourne Cup odds: $16 Won the Geelong Cup last year before poor run in the Melbourne Cup. Came out after the Cup and won the Listed Sandown Cup over 3200m. Autumn form was average then burst back into Cup calculations this year with a strongfinishing fourth in the Caulfield Cup.

15. REAL LOVE (DARREN WEIR) 52KG

Desert King-Flaming Heart 6yo chestnut mare Starts: 32: 10-6-6 Prizemoney: $1,421,910 Biggest win: 2015 Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) Melbourne Cup odds: $35 Has been a consistent performer since coming from the west to join Darren Weir’s stable. Won the JRA Cup in good style before running fifth in the Caulfield Cup. In her only start over 3200m, she ran third in the Adelaide Cup.

16. SIR JOHN H AWKWOOD (JOHN THOMPSON) 53KG

Sir Percy-Athene 8yo bay gelding Starts: 29: 8-6-1 Prizemoney: $1,172,843 Biggest win: 2016 Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) Melbourne Cup odds: $35 Has taken his game to another level this campaign. Kicked away

at the top of the straight and kept going to win The Metropolitan at Randwick. Didn’t look comfortable in the Caulfield Cup, but has thrived since the run. Will be better suited at Flemington.

17. HEARTBREAK CIT Y (TONY M ARTIN) 53KG

Lando-Moscow Nights 7yo bay gelding Starts: 22: 6-0-3 Prizemoney: $506,210 Biggest win: 2016 Ebor Handicap (2816m) at York Melbourne Cup odds: $14 Sealed Australian trip with dominant York win. Intriguing entrant from stable renowned for landing massive betting plunges.

Another visitor to thrive at Werribee.

Has Joao Moreira for the Cup.

18. BEAUTIFUL ROM ANCE (SAEED BIN SUROOR) 51.5KG

New Approach-Mazuna 5yo bay mare Starts: 10: 3-0-3 Prizemoney: $375,678 Biggest win: 2016 Group 2 Middleton Stakes (2000m) at York.

Melbourne Cup odds: $35 Group performed with a winning range from 1600m-2300m. Classy type from the Saeed bin Suroor’s stable.

19. EXCESS KNOWLEDGE (GAI WATERHOUSE & ADRI AN BOT T) 52.5KG

Monsun-Quenched 7yo brown horse Starts: 25: 5-6-3 Prizemoney: $740,742 Biggest win: 2015 Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) Melbourne Cup odds: $51 Ran seventh in last year’s Cup after earning a start with victory in the Lexus Stakes. Form this campaign has been steadily building towards the Cup. Followed a third to Almandin in the Bart Cummings with a fourth in the Moonee Valley Cup.

20. ASSIGN (ROBERT HICKMOT T) 51KG Montjeu-Belesta 6yo bay/brown gelding Starts: 14: 5-2-2

Prizemoney: $529,006 Biggest win: 2016 Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) Melbourne Cup odds: $51 Lloyd Williams runner earned a Cup start after winning the Herbert Power Stakes. Will be ridden by Katelyn Mallyon.

Prizemoney: $149,057 Biggest win: 2015 Prix de Laigneville (2000m) at Chantilly.

Melbourne Cup odds: $35 Strong second behind Qewy in the Geelong Cup and highly-promising young stayer on the rise. Should sneak into the field.

21. SECRET NUMBER (Saeed bin Suroor) 51kg Raven’s Pass-Mysterial 7yo bay gelding Starts: 13: 5-2-2 Prizemoney: $565,908 Biggest win: 2013 Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes (2414m) at Ascot Melbourne Cup odds: $35 Missed Melbourne Cup start last season before finishing second to Dandino over 2500m at Flemington.

Only one start since, winning at Listed level at Ayr.

23. QEWY (CHRIS APPLEBY) 50.5KG (INCLUDING 0.5 PEN ALT Y)

22. GREY LION (M AT T CUM ANI) 51KG Galileo-Grey Lilas 5yo grey horse Starts: 11: 4-1-2

Street Cry-Princess Nada 7yo bay gelding Starts: 22: 3-4-5 Prizemoney: $179,616 Biggest win: 2014 Listed Heritage Stakes (1609m) at Leopardstown Melbourne Cup odds: $26 Tough, brave on-pacer who led all the way to win the Geelong Cup. If he is allowed to dictate terms at Flemington, he will be hard to run down.

24. PENTATHLON (JOHN WHEELER) 50.5KG Pentire-Pinders Prize 5yo chestnut gelding

Starts: 24: 5-1-3 Prizemoney: $158,628 Best performance: 2nd 2016 Group 1 Wellington Cup (3200m) Melbourne Cup odds: $51 Tough Kiwi stayer who has a win and a second in three tries over 3200m. Was working home nicely for third in the Moonee Valley Cup. CURRENTLY OUTSIDE THE ORDER OF ENTRY

25. ROSE OF VIRGINI A (LEE & SH ANNON HOPE) 50KG

Thorn Park-Centapin 7yo bay mare Starts: 36: 6-4-3 Prizemoney: $251,548 Best performance: 2nd 2016 Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) Melbourne Cup odds: $301 Ran second in the Auckland Cup over 3200m but form this campaign has been average.

26. VENGEUR M ASQUE (MICH AEL MORONEY) 50KG Monsun-Venetian Beauty

5yo bay gelding Starts: 10: 2-2-0 Prizemoney: $184,496 Best performance: 4th 2016 Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) Melbourne Cup odds: $101 Former French stayer secured a start in the Caulfield Cup and wasn’t disgraced, finishing eighth. Trainer Michael Moroney won the 2000 Melbourne Cup with Brew so knows what it takes to win the race.

27. OCEANOGRAPHER (CH ARLIE APPLEBY) 50KG

Sea The Stars-Que Puntual 5yo bay gelding Trainer: Charlie Appleby Starts: 9: 3-1-0 Prizemoney: $63,627 Biggest win: 2016 100-rater (2112) at Doncaster Melbourne Cup odds: $26 Followed seventh to Heartbreak City in competitive edition of the Ebor with a powerful finish for third in the Geelong Cup. Needs a miracle to get a run, but can’t be ruled out if he makes the field.

H I S T O R I C A L D ATA T O N OT O V E R L O O K

FAVOURITES’ RECORD

In the past 154 years, 22% of favourites have saluted for punters. Fiorente, winner of the 2013 Melbourne Cup, was the first favourite to get up since the great mare Makybe Diva tasted victory for the third time back in 2005.

WEIGHT RECORD

Over the past decade the average weight carried to victory in the Cup is 54.5kg, which also happens to be the weight most often carried to victory (8 times). Historically it is difficult for top weights to win the Cup; the last being Makybe Diva nine years ago.

BARRIER RECORD

Barrier 5 has proven the most successful with 8 wins while barriers 10 and 11 have seen off 7 winners apiece. Since 1924, when barrier stalls were first introduced, not a single winner has jumped from barrier 18.

INTERN ATION ALS’ RECORD

Internationals have won 4 of the last 11 Cups, including 3 of the last 6 renewals. And if you throw imported horses into the mix, they’ve won 7 of 11 and 5 of the last 6 - these are staggering numbers!

They have really have come to the fore in recent times with lots of overseas trainers and owners targeting the Cup many months in advance of the race. Since Dermot Weld’s trailblazing Irish raider Vintage Crop won in 1993, we’ve seen Media Puzzle salute (also hailing from Ireland and trained

by D. Weld), Delta Blues lead home a Japanese quinella and even back-to-back French victories from Americain and Dunaden in 2010-11. Last year’s Cup saw 10 internationals take on the local contingent and the 2016 Cup is expected to attract similar numbers.

The strong international presence means that only the best local stayers will gain a place in the final field.

HORSERACING

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BREEDERS CUP

Every sport has a definitive yearending event to crown its champions.

In Thoroughbred racing, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships is the culmination of the horse racing season worldwide and the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic is the defining event of the international racing season. The Breeders’ Cup is the richest two days in thoroughbred racing and all of sports for that matter, with $28 million in purses allocated over the two day carnival.

The Breeders cup attracts the very best in Thoroughbreds from all across the globe, with a unique win and you're in and points platform that allocates entries to pre qualified and restricted horses. It's a spectacle not to be missed, and we've previewed every race down to every runner!

RACE TO RACE PREVIEW BREEDERS' CUP CL ASSIC $6 MILLION, 1 1/4 MILES, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

California Chrome

Art Sherman

Ranked as the best horse in the world and has demonstrated why in his biggest assignments this year

8-5

Arrogate

Bob Baffert

His Travers win was explosive in terms of final time and win margin; trained to this to avoid a bounce

4-1

Frosted

Kiaran McLaughlin

His Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby 8-1 efforts last year say 1 1/4 miles is no problem; odd ride in last

Found

Aidan O’Brien

A tremendous filly, but this would be her dirt debut and third start in a major race in the last five weeks

10-1

Highland Reel

Aidan O’Brien

The Turf is his first preference; game second to Found in the Arc, this also would be his first dirt start

12-1

Hoppertunity

Bob Baffert

Snared a rich prize in the Jockey Club Gold Cup most recently, but has never been as good as the very best

15-1

Melatonin

David Hofmans

Has two Grade 1, 10-furlong scores over the track this year; was ill, comes into this off four-month layoff

15-1

Effinex

Jimmy Jerkens

A decided cut below, though he does pop up with an occasional big try, like his second in this last year

20-1

Keen Ice

Todd Pletcher

Not only does he require a total pace meltdown, he also needs a handful of others to not show up

20-1

Nyquist

Doug O’Neill

Agree with the notion that he hasn’t been the same since being cooked in that Preakness speed duel

20-1

Shaman Ghost

Jimmy Jerkens

Thanks to an overconfident ride given to Frosted, he prevailed in a blanket Woodward finish with Lasix added

20-1

Gun Runner

Steve Asmussen

Thanks to an overconfident ride given to Frosted, he prevailed in a blanket Woodward finish with Lasix added

30-1

Win the Space

George Papaprodromou

Wasn’t in the same ballpark with California Chrome in his last three, not expecting that to change

30-1

War Story

Miguel Penaloza

Only win the last two years came in an allowance race at Thistledown; yeah, sure, he fits in this spot

50-1

BREEDERS’ CUP DISTAFF

$2 MILLION, 1 1/8 MILES, FILLIES AND M ARES 3-YEARS-OLD & UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Songbird

Jerry Hollendorfer

Undefeated champion, BC Juvenile Fillies winner 2015, likely to set pace in first start versus older, 3-year-olds have won 10 BC Distaffs

2-1

Beholder

Mandella Baffert

Three-time champion, two-time BC winner prefers to stalk, third consecutive loss earned one of career-best figs

5-2

Stellar Wind

John Sadler

Champion 3-year-old filly of 2015, light 2016 campaign plus aggressive strategy produced successive Grade 1 upsets versus Beholder

3-1

Curalina

Todd Pletcher

Runs best fresh, two romps this year followed layoffs, big works first two months, Filly and Mare Sprint is second preference

6-1

I’m a Chatterbox

Larry Jones

Crossed the wire first in four Grade 1’s, strategical miscue in Grade 1 at Saratoga two back?, confidence-building romp versus modest foes in last

10-1

Forever Unbridled

Dallas Stewart

Two-time Grade 1 winner this year relegated to longshot status in tough race, Midwest filly scheduled to ship to California on Friday

10-1

Carina Mia

Bill Mott

Runner-up twice to Songbird, would apply pace pressure if she starts, has Filly and Mare Sprint listed as first preference

15-1

Land Over Sea

Doug O’Neill

Runner-up in Kentucky Oaks, off the board in three starts since, affinity for Santa Anita, connections never shy to roll dice

30-1

Corona Del Inca

Guillermo Frenkel

Argentina WAYI upset in May was validated when runnerup returned to romp in Group 1, connections won 2012 BC Marathon

30-1

BREEDERS’ CUP TURF

$4 MILLION, 1 1/2 MILE TURF, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Flintshire

Chad Brown

Victim of a surprising upset in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on yielding ground he disliked; expect a rebound at Santa Anita

5-2

Found

Aidan O’Brien

Won this last year and won the Arc last month; this would be her third start in five weeks, however

7-2

Highland Reel

Aidan O’Brien

World traveler runs well far more often than not and is a contender off his second to Found in the Arc

5-1

Ectot

Todd Pletcher

He upset Flintshire in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and though the footing was a significant factor, he still ran quite well

10-1

Seventh Heaven

Aidan O’Brien

Did not run back last time to her big win over Found two back; Filly and Mare Turf was named her first choice

12-1

Erupt

Francis-Henri Graffard

Beat a weaker group in the Canadian International and must improve to contend with the top ones

15-1

Mondialiste

David O’Meara

Has been effective in North America, but has given no sign he’ll handle 12 furlongs; Mile first choice

15-1

Ashleyluvssugar

Peter Eurton

Narrowly got the best of much softer company winning the last two turf distance stakes in California

20-1

Da Big Hoss

Mike Maker

Admirable veteran looking for his fifth straight and is in career form, but still needs a big step forward

20-1

Money Multiplier

Chad Brown

Was an excellent second to Flintshire two back and maybe he didn’t like off turf in Joe Hirsch Turf Classic; intriguing

20-1

Ulysses

Michael Stoute

Lightly raced European doesn’t class up on paper, but because of his trainer, he still merits respect

20-1

Metaboss

Phil D’Amato

Has morphed into a crazy late-finisher; it remains to be seen if he can duplicate his kick at this level

30-1

Pretty Perfect

Aidan O’Brien

Backed by a top barn, but is a big cut below Group 1 level in Europe; Filly and Mare Turf is her first preference

30-1

Twilight Eclipse

Tom Albertrani

Admirable veteran was third in this race at Santa Anita in 2014; he’s 7 now, though, and has lost a few steps

30-1

ALSO ELIGIBLE (IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE) Texas Ryano

Carla Gaines

Second to Ashleyluvssugar in the John Henry blanket finish; 30-1 that was his best yet, but he must do even better

Ralis

Doug O’Neill

Has been doing better since switching to grass, but this is an 50-1 unlikely spot to get one’s first turf win

Win the Space

George Papaprodromou

Only has a maiden win on turf; Classic is his first preference, he’s in very deep in either spot, though

50-1

BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY AND M ARE TURF

$2 MILLION, 1 1/4 MILE TURF, FILLIES AND M ARES 3 & UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Lady Eli

Chad Brown

She’s a remarkable story, made all the better by a Flower Bowl victory that makes her a top win threat

3-1

Seventh Heaven

Aidan O’Brien

Was as dull last time out at Ascot as she was terrific beating BC Turf and Arc winner Found two back

7-2

Alice Springs

Aidan O’Brien

Boasts three Group 1 scores from her last four starts, all at one mile; indeed, Mile is her first preference

6-1

Sea Calisi

Chad Brown

No match for Lady Eli when third in the Flower Bowl, but was coming off a two-month break that day

8-1

Sentiero Italia

Kiaran McLaughlin Very game finishing second to Lady Eli in the Flower Bowl, although she controlled a comfortable pace

Al’s Gal

Mike Maker

Has gone from a $35,000 claimer to a Grade 1 stakes winner, 15-1 but must improve more to contend here

Catch a Glimpse

Mark Casse

One time top 3-year-old grass filly flopped in the QE II; can do better, but might not be good enough here

15-1

Photo Call

Todd Pletcher

In and outer upset Tepin in the First Lady at a mile, which is likely why the Mile is her first preference

15-1

Queen’s Trust

Michael Stoute

Has picked up minor shares in Group 1’s in her last three starts, but without really threatening to win

15-1

Avenge

Richard Mandella

She’s vastly improved, though the Rodeo Drive she won at distance over course was not a strong race

20-1

Zipessa

Michael Stidham

In career form, but the Rodeo Drive she was second in wasn't 20-1 a tough spot; distance also is a question

Nuovo Record

Makoto Saito

Japanese mare has that one race four starts ago last December that would put her in the picture here

30-1

Ryans Charm

Armando Fillipuzz

Peruvian star will be meeting much, much tougher in her U.S. debut, and off a June layoff to boot

30-1

Spectre

Markus Munch

Surprising second in a French Group 1 last time was her best yet; distance a question; Mile her first choice

30-1

12-1

ALSO ELIGIBLE (IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE) Pretty Perfect

Aidan O’Brien

Off her European form, the Group 2 level appears to be her ceiling right now, so she must improve

20-1

Kitcat

Sebastian Silva

Has a right to improve off her recent U.S. bow off a layoff; that said, Chilean filly looks in over her head

30-1

BREEDERS’ CUP MILE

$2 MILLION, ONE MILE TURF, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Tepin

Mark Casse

Defending Mile winner wasn’t emptied out at Keeneland, but that’s two so-so races from her since England

4-1

Ironicus

Shug McGaughey

Just missed in Shadwell Mile in first start in four months and figures to only improve on that big effort

9-2

Alice Springs

Aidan O’Brien

She is a 3-year-old filly facing elders and males but comes off 5-1 two straight Group 1 wins for top outfit

Midnight Storm

Phil D’Amato

Looking for his fourth straight stakes score; horses he has beaten recently have since run very well

8-1

Limato

Henry Candy

Winner of two Group 1 sprints this year, but wonder who he’s beaten, and a mile is a stretch for him

10-1

Miss Temple City

Graham Motion

Has won two Grade 1’s this year over males all while avoiding Tepin; the time for avoiding Tepin is over

10-1

Tourist

Bill Mott

He doesn’t have the speed he used to, often a sign of decline, but not with him; recent form is solid

12-1

Mondialiste

David O’Meara

Beat a suspect field in the Arlington Million and had no real excuse when fourth in Shadwell at his best distance

15-1

What A View

Kenneth Black

Had bad post in Shadwell and was coming off a six-month absence; can improve a lot, he’ll have to

15-1

Dutch Connection

Charles Hills

It has been 15 months since he was effective at the Group 1 level, and his recent form also is spotty

20-1

Photo Call

Todd Pletcher

Shocked Tepin in the First Lady most recently with a bold, front-running gambit; let’s see that again

20-1

Spectre

Markus Munch

Despite on the board finishes in two Group 1’s in France this 20-1 year, it doesn’t really look like she classes up

Kitcat

Sebastian Silva

Chilean filly ran okay, but not nearly good enough for this, in U.S. debut; Filly and Mare Turf is her first choice

30-1

Ring Weekend

Graham Motion

His best efforts this year were against weaker company; doesn’t look good enough for the best here

30-1

ALSO ELIGIBLE (IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE) Cougar Mountain

Aidan O’Brien

It seems established now that he’s a Group 2 horse, and no higher; doesn’t appear good enough

30-1

Home of The Brave Hugo Palmer

Has been razor sharp all year, but against decidedly softer company than he would face in this event

20-1

Vyjack

Phil D’Amato

Won the local prep for this with a very favorable pace setup, but he might get a similar setup again

15-1

Karar

Francis-Henri Graffard

Was a surprising and soundly beaten second to Limato most recently; not sure he wants to go a mile

20-1

Om

Dan Hendricks

Nothing wrong with his efforts in narrow defeats in his last two; must raise his game now, however

20-1

Obviously

Phil D’Amato

Can’t help but like this speedy veteran, but even at his best, he was never quite Breeders’ Cup good

15-1

Suedois

David O’Meara

Sports respectable Euro form, but last 24 starts were in races shorter than a mile; Turf Sprint his first choice

20-1

Latharnach

Charlie Appleby

Got the job done in his recent return from a long absence and has some interesting back form

20-1

Hit It a Bomb

Aidan O’Brien

Winner of last year’s BC Juvenile Turf has struggled this year; must turn it around quickly to contend

30-1

BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE

$1 MILLION, ONE MILE, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Dortmund

Bob Baffert

Massive chestnut welcomes class relief after chasing 8-5 California Chrome in last three, versatile style, legit favorite

Runhappy

Laura Wohlers

2015 BC Sprint winner will try to carry speed one mile around two turns, needed recent comeback, can improve

Gun Runner

Steve Asmussen

Consistent 3-year-old millionaire in the money in every start 4-1 on a fast track, appealing upward pattern commands utmost respect

Vyjack

Phil D’Amato

Earned $1 million of $1.3 million total on dirt, yet possibly more effective on turf, first preference is BC Mile

Tamarkuz

Kiaran McLaughlin East Coast figs say contender, though two turns represents challenge for one-turn/1 1/2-turn specialist

10-1

Accelerate

John Sadler

Improving 3-year-old overcame impossibly wide trip last out to win third straight in Grade 2 versus dubious Los Al competition

15-1

Point Piper

Jerry Hollendorfer

Deep closer requires pace meltdown, career-best 15-1 performance was race-shape aided Grade 3 upset at Emerald Downs

Tom’s Ready

Dallas Stewart

Most effective as one-turn closer, was losing ground at the finish in all six starts around two turns

20-1

Texas Chrome

J.R. Caldwell

Honest Texas-bred 3-year-old has won 8 of 13, closing in on million-dollar mark, yet seems in steep

20-1

Midnight Storm

Phil D’Amato

Surprising pre-entrant considering subpar dirt form, top turf 20-1 miler first preference BC Mile

War Story

Mario Serey Jr.

Allowance-caliber gelding would be the stunner of all stunners, overmatched in this race

4-1

10-1

30-1

BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT

$1.5 MILLION, 6 FURLONGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

Masochistic

Ron Ellis

Was freakish and very fast in both of his starts this year and 5-2 comes into this assignment suitably fresh

Lord Nelson

Bob Baffert

Most accomplished this year with three straight Grade 1 wins; last wasn’t fast, but it was off a freshening

3-1

A. P. Indian

Arnaud Delacour

East’s top sprinter finished first in his last five; had to work unexpectedly hard in Phoenix most recently

4-1

Drefong

Bob Baffert

Impressed in King’s Bishop win, albeit with soft first quarter; dangerous 3-year-old has every right to improve

9-2

Delta Bluesman

Jorge Navarro

Was found wanting against A. P. Indian at Saratoga and seems to be a level or two below the best

12-1

Joker

Charlton Baker

Snagged a big one in Vosburgh, but in the mud at Belmont, both of which he loves; gets neither here

12-1

Limousine Liberal

Ben Colebrook

Gave A. P. Indian all he wanted in the Phoenix in his first start with blinkers; was that his hole card?

12-1

Noholdingback Bear

Michael De Paulo

An honest, hard tryer who is in top form, but was no match for Drefong two back and is in deep here

15-1

Clunk up runner-up to Noholdingback Bear at Parx seems very much out of his element against these

20-1

Mind Your Biscuits Robert Falcone Jr.

ODDS

BREEDERS’ CUP TURF SPRINT

$1 MILLION, 6 1/2 FURLONGS TURF, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

A Lot

Chad Brown

His second to Tourist despite trouble in the Fourstardave was his best race ever; shorter distance suits

5-1

Pure Sensation

Christophe Clement

Won the prep for this at Belmont off a three-month layoff; has thrived with his light racing schedule

6-1

Celstine

Bill Mott

Probably needed the First Lady outing and her Just a Game win two back was huge; a real contender

8-1

Obviously

Phil D’Amato

This is easier than the Mile, his first choice; he has the speed 8-1 to withstand the cutback in distance

Om

Dan Hendricks

Sharp seconds in his last two starts were among his best efforts ever; the Mile is his first preference

8-1

Ambitious Brew

Marty Jones

Downhill specialists have been very strong when this race is run at Santa Anita; he’s a true downhill specialist

10-1

Home of The Brave Hugo Palmer

Is a solid Group 2-level performer; that might well be enough to win this; Mile is his first preference

10-1

Suedois

David O’Meara

Finished fourth or better in four straight Group 1 events, but has not yet won beyond the Group 3 level

10-1

Karar

Francis-Henri Graffard

Can contend with a duplicate of his second in a Group 1 in France last time out; Mile is his first preference

12-1

Washington DC

Aidan O’Brien

European finished second in three of his last four, beating a staggering 41 opponents in the process

12-1

Mongolian Saturday

Enebish Ganbat

Upset this race last year over Lady Shipman at Keeneland; 15-1 snapped a slump recently at Keeneland; this isn’t Keeneland

Catch a Glimpse

Mark Casse

Comes off a dud effort and would seem out of her element in this spot; Filly and Mare Turf is her first choice

Undrafted

Wesley Ward

Was a close third in this race at Santa Anita in 2014, but his 20-1 efforts since the summer have been uninspiring

Calgary Cat

Kevin Attard

A win in the Nearctic last time says he’s in good form; his good form doesn’t seem quite good enough

20-1

30-1

HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

ALSO ELIGIBLE (IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE) Holy Lute

Jim Cassidy

Lady Shipman

Kiaran McLaughlin Disappointed in first division of Eddie D, her weakest effort in a long time; can she do the downhill?

15-1

Green Mask

Brad Cox

When it comes down to it, he doesn’t like to win, though he’s probably better than he looks on paper

20-1

Guns Loaded

Doug O’Neill

Was a creditable third in Holy Lute’s Eddie D off a layoff; can improve, and he is a downhill specialist

15-1

Mehronissa

Ed Vaughan

Her recent form is good, but English-based filly seems in over her head against Grade 1 competition

30-1

Successful Native

Aubrey Maragh

Beat weaker in the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint most recently; seems a notch below the best here

20-1

Full Mast

Bill Mott

Has disappointed lately in spots he should have performed much better in; big back races still beckon

30-1

Acapulco

Wesley Ward

Excellent turf form, but she’s a 3-year-old filly meeting older males and has not raced since middle of May

15-1

Prize Exhibit

Jim Cassidy

Is a graded stakes winner on the downhill, but her recent form isn’t nearly good enough for this group

50-1

Hunt

Phil D’Amato

Sports an excellent career record on the downhill course, but has never beaten the likes of these

20-1

Toowindytohaulrox Phil D’Amato

Another who is well familiar and has run well over the downhill layout; appears a cut or two below

20-1

Ready for Rye

Either he lost his early speed this year, or they took it away from him; either way, it didn’t work out

30-1

Tom Albertrani

Ambitious Brew won first division of the Eddie D, he won the second, faster division, yet he’s an also-eligible?

8-1

BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY AND M ARE SPRINT

$1 MILLION, 7 FURLONGS, FILLIES AND M ARES 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Curalina

Todd Pletcher

Cross-entered in the Distaff, her first preference, but she can 3-1 definitely handle the distance cutback here

Haveyougoneaway

Tom Morley

Won the Ballerina, perhaps the purest prep for this event, and beat several in here in the process

5-1

Carina Mia

Bill Mott

She’ll be happy to not have to chase Songbird yet again, but her third in the Ballerina was only okay

6-1

By the Moon

Michelle Nevin

Narrowly beaten second in the Ballerina, and a duplicate of that performance makes her a win threat

10-1

Tara’s Tango

Jerry Hollendorfer

No Stellar Winds or Beholders here, and she won sprinting two starts back; big shot despite light Beyers

10-1

Finest City

Ian Kruljac

Ran well on turf in last two, but her prior two on dirt, one a sprint, also were quite good; interesting

12-1

Paulassilverlining

Michelle Nevin

Flattered the Ballerina form when she came back to win the Gallant Bloom; seems a notch below

12-1

Wavell Avenue

Chad Brown

Won this last year, but won’t repeat unless she runs much better than she has just about all this year

12-1

Texas Chrome

J.R. Caldwell

Honest Texas-bred 3-year-old has won 8 of 13, closing in on million-dollar mark, yet seems in steep

15-1

Gloryzapper

Phil D’Amato

Won the L.A. Woman, the local prep for this, but over decidedly weaker opposition; must improve

15-1

Paid Up Subscriber Al Stall Jr.

Another intriguing proposition off the distance cut back; faced better in the Spinster, Personal Ensign

15-1

Irish Jasper

Chad Brown

Came up a live rail to win the TCA Stakes, a race that wasn’t tough and wasn’t that fast; an outsider

20-1

Living The Life

Gary Mandella

Synthetic-track speciliast will be seeking her first career win 20-1 on dirt in what would be her 36th start

Spelling Again

Brad Cox

In here on the basis of her Princess Rooney win four starts back; last three efforts were uninspiring

30-1

Paola Queen

Gustavo Delgado

Shocked the world in the Test Stakes at 55-1 and bombed since; must prove that score wasn’t a fluke

30-1

ALSO ELIGIBLE (IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE) Enchanting Lady

Bob Baffert

Has not been able to break through at the stakes level this year, and her Beyer Speed Figures seem stagnant

30-1

Gomo

Doug O’Neill

Has a license to improve on her recent return from a layoff, but has never run fast enough to contend

30-1

Wonder Gal

Leah Gyarmati

Her last two victories came at the expense of New Yorkbreds; recent open stakes tries are not strong

30-1

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE

$2 MILLION, 1 1/16 MILES, 2-YEAR OLD COLTS HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Classic Empire

Mark Casse

Impressed in Breeders’ Futurity win going a route in what was his first representative start in 3 months

9-2

Not This Time

Dale Romans

Was very much taken with the powerful finishes he displayed winning his last two; believe he’s for real

5-1

Gormley

John Shirreffs

Walloped odds-on Klimt in the FrontRunner in just his second start, though with an uncontested lead

6-1

Practical Joke

Chad Brown

Won the Hopeful and Champagne in game style, the latter after a bad start; has not gone two turns yet

6-1

Syndergaard

Todd Pletcher

Ran huge in narrow Champagne defeat after contesting a scorching early pace; also has not routed

6-1

Klimt

Bob Baffert

Was farther back early than expected in FrontRunner, but had no excuse otherwise; prior form good

8-1

Theory

Todd Pletcher

Think he was rusty in the Futurity off an unusual layoff; can 12-1 improve, but is stretching out considerably

Good Samaritan

Bill Mott

Won both starts on grass, including the high Beyer Speed Figure Summer, yet this race is his first preference

15-1

Texas Chrome

J.R. Caldwell

Second to Classic Time and Not This Time in his last two; would seem to require a total pace collapse

15-1

Three Rules

Jose Pinchin

Unbeaten and untested in all five of his starts, but they were 30-1 all at Gulfstream over questionable company

Star Empire

Wesley Ward

Finished second to Theory in Futurity because, well, someone had to be second in that five-horse field

30-1

Term of Art

Doug O’Neill

Comes into this off a desperate maiden win in modest time; seems seriously overmatched here

30-1

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF $1 MILLION, 1 MILE, 2-YO COLTS

HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Good Samaritan

Bill Mott

Circled field and toyed with foes in Grade 2 at Woodbine, packs powerful kick, 2 for 2 with room to improve, star in making

9-2

Oscar Performance

Brian Lynch

Back-to-back blowouts setting slow pace, likelihood of faster pace poses new challenge, good colt may be up to it

5-1

Intelligence Cross

Aidan O’Brien

Dominant European trainer has won 3 of the last 5 Juvenile Turfs, horses prepping in Europe have won 7 of 9, intriguing Group 3 shipper

6-1

Lancaster Bomber

Aidan O’Brien

Group-1 placed European shipper, War Front colt is sibling to multiple Group 1-winning turf miler Excelebration, fits here

6-1

Big Score

Tim Yakteen

Earned highest turf Beyer (85) of year by 2-year-old male in United States while dominating local stakes on lightningfast Santa Anita turf

8-1

Made You Look

Todd Pletcher

Grade 2 winner off since August, trainer won two BC Friday races last fall skipping final preps, second dam is Serena’s Song

10-1

Keep Quiet

Chad Brown

After finishing second to Made You Look in Grade 2 at Saratoga, he returned with workmanlike victory in Grade 3 at Keeneland

12-1

Ticonderoga

Dallas Stewart

Tough trip last out: broke slow, throttled in traffic, lost ground into lane, narrowed gap, remains work in progress

12-1

Bowies Hero

J.R. Caldwell Phil D’Amato

Bombed in local prep, with an alibi: foot issue caused interruption in training schedule, first two wins impressive

15-1

Wellabled

Larry Rivelli

Fast colt is 3 for 4 in sprints, stretches out as likely pacesetter, dam is sibling to San Juan Capistrano marathon winner

15-1

Pleaseletmewin

Ralph Beckett

Would be wheeling back in 13 days after Group 3 upset in England, trainer won 2008 BC Marathon with Muhannak

20-1

Channel Maker

Daniel Vella

No match for Good Samaritan at Woodbine, each start has been better than the one before based on speed figures

20-1

Favorable Outcome Chad Brown

Lone pre-entrant with zero turf experience, sibling to local sprint stakes winner Bellamentary was third in Champagne

20-1

Rodaini

Four-race win streak in minor races in England came to an end when tried in Group 3, finished ninth with tough trip

30-1

Simon Crisford

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES

$2 MILLION, 1 1/16 MILES, 2-YEAR-OLD FILLIES HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Union Strike

Craig Dollase

Possible favorite off Del Mar Debutante win, but passed her two-turn prep and now races for a new barn

9-2

Noted and Quoted

Bob Baffert

No match for top one in Debutante, but she really improved winning Chandelier going long over track

5-1

American Gal

Bob Baffert

Won her first two starts with style, but sprinting against much lesser and not all that fast, either

6-1

With Honors

Keith Desormeaux

Game in close second in Chandelier after winning first two on turf; Juvenile Fillies Turf is her first choice

6-1

Valadorna

Mark Casse

Humbled only maidens most recently, but looked good doing it going long at Keeneland; should only improve

10-1

Yellow Agate

Christophe Clement

Just got up to win Frizette in modest time, but feel she can do better; this will also be her route debut

10-1

Daddys Lil Darling Ken McPeek

Form looks okay with a win in the Pocahontas, a second in the Alcibiades; they were slow races though

12-1

Dancing Rags

Graham Motion

Took a step forward with Lasix in upsetting the Alcibiades, but the Beyer Speed Figure she earned was weak

12-1

Sweet Loretta

Todd Pletcher

Made it 3 for 3 with a shared win in Spinaway; purposely trained up to this, her first two-turn outing

12-1

Jamyson ‘n Ginger

Rudy Rodriguez

Earned a Beyer so huge in maiden win at Belmont that it begs skepticism, especially since it was in slop

15-1

New Money Honey

Chad Brown

Got maiden win in Miss Grillo on yielding turf; would be dirt 15-1 debut; Juvenile Fillies Turf first preference

Champagne Room

Peter Eurton

Soundly beaten fourth in the Chandelier and doesn’t appear to be progressing the way you’d want

20-1

Colorful Charades

Rudy Rodriguez

Was a distant third of six in the Frizette; must take a massive leap forward to contend in this race

30-1

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF $1 MILLION, 1 MILE (T), 2-YEAR OLD FILLIES

HORSE

TRAINER

COMMENT

ODDS

Intricately

Joseph O’Brien

Ireland upset was first Group 1 win for trainer Joseph O’Brien, age 23; former jockey won BC Turf on St. Nicholas Abbey at 18

5-1

Hydrangea

Aidan O’Brien

Runner-up three times in prestigious races Europe, trainer won 10 Breeders’ Cup races, father of Intricately trainer

6-1

Spain Burg

Kathy Ritvo

Won 4 of 5 in Europe, including WAYI, subsequently sold for more than $1.6 million, will be making U.S. debut

6-1

Vyjack

Mark Casse

Followed Saratoga romp versus good maiden field with Grade 3 stakes romp at Keeneland, would be first Jessamine winner to win race

8-1

La Coronel

Aidan O’Brien

Upward pattern all season in Europe, runner-up in a Group 1, War Front filly produced by multiple Grade 1 winner Misty For Me

8-1

Roly Poly

Aidan O’Brien

Was crushed by Intricately when the even-money favorite two back, bounced back with a fine second in a French Group 1

10-1

Promise To Be True

Keith Desormeaux California filly among the most impressive turf winners at Santa Anita this fall, gets stiff class test, might be this good, like her a lot

10-1

Victory to Victory

Mark Casse

Blitzed 13 foes in Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine, same race produced 2015 Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Catch a Glimpse for same trainer, jockey

12-1

New Money Honey

Chad Brown

Runner-up to La Coronel in debut, won Grade 3 Miss Grillo next, trainer won Juvenile Fillies Turf twice with Grillo winners, including Lady Eli

12-1

With Honors

Keith Desormeaux 2 for 2 on turf, runner-up in modest Grade 1 on dirt last time, expected to stay on dirt for BC Juvenile Fillies

Cavale Doree

Christophe Ferland

Owner put up $100K to make French Group 3 winner eligible, 15-1 compromised by speed bias last out, so goes the story

Lull

Christophe Clement

Distant runner-up in Grade 3 Jessamine, improving form, top trainer seeking first Breeders’ Cup win, 29-0-5-3 BC record

15-1

Coasted

Leah Gyarmati

No match for New Money Honey while a distant third in first try against graded company, yielding ground a possible alibi

20-1

Rymska

Chad Brown

Runner-up in Miss Grillo in U.S. debut, finished in front of Coasted, European form appears rather nondescript

20-1

15-1

BASKETBALL

→ NBA After an offseason full of free-agent drama and super team discussions, the much anticipated first tipoff of season 2016/17 is finally upon us.

With that in mind, we preview the league, giving an overview of what each team can expect this season from strengths to weaknesses.

We've broken down our top 4, playoff contenders to follow and organizations on the up. Let’s dive into the East, where some upstart young squads are looking to challenge the defending world champion Cleveland Cavaliers for conference supremacy.

EASTERN CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS TOP 4

THE CREAM OF THE CROP

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers head into the 201617 expecting to win another championship, and there’s no reason to think they can’t do exactly that.

That being said, there are some key questions surrounding the 2016-17

Cavaliers. Although LeBron looks like an unstoppable force and is a physical specimen, he’s 31 and will be 32 by the time the year comes to a close. On top of that, he’s played A LOT of basketball. Thirteen NBA seasons (going into his 14th) is a lot of wear and tear to put on anybody.

was far from a vital member of the Cavs in their playoff run, he was instrumental to their success throughout the regular season. On top of that, the Cavs lost Anderson Varejao and could potentially run into some issues against opponents with dominant centers.

On top of that, this will be Tyronn Lue’s first full season as the head man in Cleveland. He proved more than capable during the second half of the year for the Cavs, but keeping your team ready to play and managing a roster for 82 games is a different story.

TORONTO RAPTORS – 56-25 L AST SEASON (2ND IN EAST)

STRENGTH The Big 3 – One member of the Cavaliers’ big three might be viewed slightly less favorably than the other two, but he’ll be just as big of a component for the Cavs if they’re going to make a run at a championship in 2016-17.

Kyrie Irving is just 24 years old and should only be better, and LeBron can be counted on to be the world’s best player every night.

WEAKNESS Center – While Timofey Mozgov

The Raptors have cleared an impressive number of organizational hurdles over the last few years, vaulting from an afterthought of a franchise to a yearly contender. It’s been no small feat for management to pull this off, and as a result, ownership has extended the contracts of two of the main men behind the team’s success, GM Masai Ujiri and coach Dwane Casey.

Now, after advancing to the Eastern Conference finals and playing the Cavaliers tight in six games, the Raptors have one more great big hill to climb.

STRENGTH Guard Play – This shouldn’t come as a shock to NBA fans, but the Raptors

starting guards, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, are second to none.

Per NBA.com, the duo averaged 44.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg and 10.4 apg, and both made the Eastern Conference’s AllStar team. This team goes, as Lowry and DeRozan go.

Coach Brad Stevens got the most out of his team both years he’s been in the league and now has his best roster yet. The combination of coaching, talent and timing all seem to be coming together for Boston in 2016-17.

WEAKNESS Injuries – Last year the Raptors lost DeMarre Carroll for much of the year with a knee injury that might just be recurring and lost center Jonas Valanciunas in the middle of their playoff run. The Raptors at full strength would be hard pressed to beat the Cavaliers, but without anyone in their starting five it’s essentially impossible. They’ll need key cogs to stay healthy throughout the season and most importantly the postseason to continue last year’s success in 2016-17.

STRENGTH Coaching, Brad Stevens – In just three years in the league, Stevens has morphed into one of the best coaches league-wide for the job he’s done with a young Celtics squad.

His calm demeanor and innate knowledge of the game gives the Celtics a leg up over most teams before the game even begins.

BOSTON CELTICS – 48-34 L AST SEASON (5TH IN EAST)

After a few years of rebuilding once their big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen moved on to less-Celtic green pastures, Boston is ready to compete with the big dogs in the East once again.

WEAKNESS Youth – The youthful exuberance that has the basketball world so excited about the Celtics could also be the potentially dangerous team’s undoing. According to RealGM. com, only the 76ers have a younger average roster age than the Celtics, whose average is 24.9 years old. If there’s any man that can get these young stars to mature quickly, it’s coach Stevens. On top of that, Al Horford’s veteran presence in the starting lineup should also help

move this team along maturity wise

INDI AN A PACERS – 45-37 L AST SEASON (7TH IN EAST)

Even though the firing of coach Frank Vogel still doesn’t sit well, it’s hard not to believe that this Pacers team will be better than the one that won 45 games last season.

With Paul George’s game back in form, Jeff Teague joining the fray and a supposedly “rededicated” Monta Ellis, this Indiana team has the makings of a fourth or fifth seed in the East again, capable of doing some damage come playoff time.

STRENGTH Paul George – George is one of the best two-way players in the game, and last year was a triumph for him on the court. Now is George’s time to really shine in Indiana and lead this team to a deep playoff run.

WEAKNESS Secondary Scoring – In a league built around big threes and fours, the Pacers really only seem to have a big one in George. Teague, a rejuvenated Ellis and Thaddeus Young are all good players in their

own right, but there’s no Robin to George’s Batman in Indiana this year.

P L AY O F F CONTENDERS

ATL ANTA H AWKS – 48-34 L AST SEASON (4TH IN EAST)

The Hawks will look much different in 2016 without Al Horford, than in years past. Taking Horford’s place is local boy Dwight Howard, who’s looking to regain his place among the NBA’s top centers.

STRENGTH Defense – Last year the Hawks were one of the stingiest defensive units in the NBA, ranking second in defensive efficiency (98.8) behind on the San Antonio Spurs. Now, with Dwight Howard protecting the rim, the Hawks could be poised to have an even better defense.

WEAKNESS Guards – It’s probably unfair to label the Hawks’ guards as a weakness — perhaps potential weakness would be more apt — but there is some cause for concern. After lighting the league up from three in the 2014-15 season, Kyle Korver was nowhere near the force he was from outside last season and actually shot under 40 percent from downtown for the first time since his 2008-09 season with the Utah Jazz. Additionally, Dennis Schroder, who is still raw and will need time to develop into an NBA-caliber starting point guard, could hamper the Hawks in the early going.

CHICAGO BULLS – 42-40 L AST SEASON (9TH IN EAST)

The Derrick Rose era is over, but Bulls fans have a lot to look forward to going into the season. Key freeagent acquisitions Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo and first-round draft pick Denzel Valentine, a standout at Michigan State, should keep the Bulls competitive.

STRENGTH Experienced Stars – Wade and Rondo bring this Bulls team a wealth of championship experience, which they’ll need with Pau Gasol fleeing to San Antonio. These two

can help further the development of Jimmy Butler and Valentine and help instill a winning attitude sooner than later.

WEAKNESS Shooting Range – Outside of Wade and Butler, the Bulls severely lack quality outside shooters.

Rondo’s limitations from a shooting perspective are well documented by this point, leaving the 34-yearold Wade and Butler as the Bulls’ primary perimeter threats.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS – 48-34 LAST SEASON (6TH IN EAST)

After a 48-win season that surprised many around the NBA, the Hornets won’t be sneaking up on anybody this year. Can they turn last year’s success into a lengthy playoff run in 2016-17?

STRENGTH Well-Rounded – The Hornets are pretty good at everything. They were a top-10 defensive team in 2015-16, top 10 in three point percentage, top 15 in rebounding and fell just outside the top 10 in overall scoring.

They’re roster is rock solid, and they’re not ripe for the picking on either end of the floor.

WEAKNESS Center – While Cody Zeller has been solid, the Hornets need more from him this season if they’re going to get past the first round of the playoffs. Roy Hibbert’s grasp on the starting center position is tenuous, and most in Charlotte are hoping Zeller does enough to win the job from him.

NEW YORK KNICKS – 3250 L AST SEASON (13TH IN EAST)

It was a busy offseason for Phil Jackson and the Knicks. And the end result is a completely overhauled roster surrounding star forward Carmelo Anthony. As there have been for quite a few years now, there are many more questions surrounding the Knicks than there are answers.

STRENGTH

Scoring – With Carmelo Anthony leading the charge, Kristaps

Porzingis range and ability to score both in and out of the paint along with Derrick Rose at point, the Knicks should be able to shoot the lights out against even the stingiest defensive squads.

WEAKNESS Injuries – The Knicks’ starting five could be among the best in the league… if they can stay healthy.

Every single player in their starting rotation has had a history of injuries or has injury concerns surrounding them. If the Knicks can stay healthy, they’ll likely find their way into the playoffs, but that’s about the biggest ‘if’ of any.

DE TROIT PISTONS – 44-38 L AST SEASON (8TH IN EAST)

Detroit is one of many upstart teams in the Eastern Conference looking to take the next step this season after a playoff berth. Led by Andre Drummond and head coach and president Stan Van Gundy, the fledgling Pistons are a team to watch in 2016-17.

STRENGTH Coaching – Stan Van Gundy has had the opportunity to craft this team has given himself quite an arsenal of young talent to work with. Obviously Drummond is the superstar of the bunch, but Van Gundy has proven that he can get the most out of his young team and should be able to maximize their output in year three of his tenure.

WEAKNESS Shooting – Detroit’s offense left something to be desired last year.

They finished shooting just 43.9 percent from the field, good for 25th in the NBA. That number will have to improve if Detroit’s going to make and escape the first round of the playoffs this season.

MI AMI HEAT – 48-34 L AST SEASON (3RD IN EAST)

Dwyane Wade is out, and it’s a whole new Miami Heat team from the days of the big three. They’re young, looking to play some uptempo basketball and could be one of the more exciting teams in the Eastern Conference to watch from night to night.

STRENGTH Coaching – Miami’s continuity these days comes from head coach Erik Spoelstra, who has proven that he’s one of the best in the business, whether LeBron James is in his corner or not. He might just have his toughest coaching job yet ahead of him, with lots of young and new faces on his roster.

WEAKNESS Chemistry – There’s a lot of talent on this Miami Heat team but how, and whether it can all come together will be the biggest questions for them throughout the year. Those were questions asked about the Heat back when the big three first came to town, and they managed just fine. So hopefully for the Heat coach Spoelstra can push all the right buttons this time around as well.

O N T H E W AY U P

MILWAUKEE BUCKS – 33-49 LAST SEASON (12TH IN EAST)

The Bucks seem like a team in transition in 2016-17. While there are bright spots on their roster in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Miles Plumlee, almost everybody else in their starting five has a serious question mark next to them heading into the year.

STRENGTH “The Greek Freak” – If you’re looking for a reason to tune into Bucks games throughout this year’s campaign, it’s Antetokounmpo. The 21-year-old budding superstar put up monster numbers last year and is a triple-double threat on any given night.

WEAKNESS Three-Point Shooting – The Bucks are built to dominate in the frontcourt, and as a result, they finished last in the NBA in 2015-16 in three-pointers per game. They don’t have many shooters capable of connecting on the long ball, and in today’s NBA, that’s a problem.

They really didn’t do anything to address the issue either, and their leading three-point shooter, Khris Middleton, will likely miss most, if not all of the season due to a torn hamstring suffered in preseason workouts.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS – 41-41 LAST SEASON (10TH IN EAST)

By any measure the Wizards underachieved last season and will be looking to turn things around under new coach Scott Brooks. They have the talent, and Brooks can get his teams to perform. So this could

be a much better year than 2015-16 for the Wizards.

STRENGTH

Backcourt – Personal strife can turn a dominant backcourt tandem into a dreadful one, as we’ve seen with the talented yet often at odds Bradley Beal and John Wall. But these are two of the best in the business.

Players who have played for Brooks all seemed to love having him as their coach so there’s no reason to think Brooks can’t calm these two and get them on the same page.

WEAKNESS Defense – Injuries crushed the Wizards last season, but so did defensive inefficiency. The Wizards were 21st in the league in points allowed, allowing an average of 104.6 points per game. Opponents shot over 46 percent from the field against them. They’ll have to improve on the defensive side of the ball if they want to return to the playoffs.

ORLANDO MAGIC – 35-47 LAST SEASON (11TH IN EAST)

The Magic have been irrelevant in the East for the better part of the decade. But they now have the players and coach to actually be

competitive this season. In fact, one could argue that the Magic could get a No. 7 or 8 seed if they stay healthy and buy into what Frank Vogel is selling.

STRENGTH Frontcourt – The Magic boast an embarrassment of riches in Bismack Biyombo, Serge Ibaka, Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green. Vogel will be able to use them to help buoy the team’s backcourt, which lacks any real star power.

WEAKNESS Backcourt – As mentioned, the backcourt really leaves something to be desired and could be an issue for the Magic throughout the year.

on this Nets roster. They have some nice options outside of Lopez but nobody worth writing home about.

Lopez is the core of this team and off of arguably the best year of his career in 2015-16. He’ll have to go above and beyond that if the Nets are going to be competitive this season.

WEAKNESS Talent – It seems harsh, but the Nets truly just lack the talent to compete. Hopefully for the Nets and their fans their first-round draft selection Caris LeVert can get healthy and perform at a high enough level to present some optimism in Brooklyn heading into 2017-18.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS – 10-72 BROOKLYN NETS – 21-61 LAST LAST SEASON (15TH IN EAST) SEASON (14TH IN EAST) Trust the process. Those words rang

An abysmal 2015-16 campaign for the Nets might just be the beginning of things. The Nets have an abundance of issues at key positions, and rookie head coach Kenny Atkinson will likely have his hands full in year one trying to get the Nets to remain competitive on a nightly basis.

STRENGTH Center – Brook Lopez is about the only real strength you can point to

hollow for years, but now-departed GM Sam Hinkie’s vision is beginning to come into focus. The 76ers have a wealth of talent heading into 2016, and there should be some visible improvement this year for the first time in a long time.

STRENGTH Young Talent – This one’s pretty obvious. Even though Ben Simmons is hurt, Joel Embiid is finally ready to play. Dario Saric has arrived in

the U.S. and Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor round out the fruits of the labor of tanking for the last handful of seasons.

WEAKNESS Unproven/Inexperienced – The disclaimer that follows right behind “young talent” is that they always have a lot to prove. This bunch in Philadelphia is no different and has their work cut out for them. They basically have to start validating years and years of tanking by winning/showing potential on the hardwood. No pressure, guys.

THE WESTERN CONFERENCE TOP 4

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS – 73-9 L AST SEASON (1ST IN WEST)

Since conceding a 3-1 lead in the Finals, the Warriors went out and signed the free-agent prize of the year: Kevin Durant. However, to do so, they had to jettison key pieces from last year’s roster, including center Andrew Bogut and small forward Harrison Barnes.

Expectations are astronomical

for this team, and it’s clearly championship or bust.

The team, with Durant, is unquestionably more talented. But how will the stars will fit together once the season starts? We’ve seen this movie before (Miami, 2010-11), and we know how difficult it can be for superbly talented players to cohesively play together. That said, the Warriors, who move the ball better than any team in recent memory, seem likely to gel.

Being the “villains” will affect them at some point, but a squad this talented usually makes the NBA Finals at least.

STRENGTH Shooting – It has been this team’s bread and butter, and they just replaced Harrison Barnes with a former MVP who’s a better shooter.

Barnes was a good defender, capable of playing multiple positions.

Durant, as he showed in last year’s Western Conference Finals, can be a game-changing force on defense.

Like Barnes, he allows the Warriors to maintain that amorphous, position-less style of basketball they love.

WEAKNESS Center – Golden State is predominantly a small-ball team, with Draymond Green playing “center” alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Durant and Andre Iguodala. However, they did still use Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli a combined 36 minutes per game on average last season. Now, their center position will be held down by the combination of ZaZa Pachulia (solid), Anderson Varejao (perpetually injured) and Javale McGee (umm… entertaining?).

There’s also less depth here due to the addition of Durant’s contract.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS – 67-15 L AST SEASON (2ND IN WEST)

Death. Taxes. Gregg Popovich and the Spurs winning 50+ games.

Seriously, the Spurs have now won 50 or more games in 17 consecutive seasons and in 18 of the 19 seasons that Popovich has been head coach.

This franchise is the model of consistency and they have most of

the core group back from the team that won 67 games last season.

Tim Duncan retired, which leaves a big hole to fill at center. The Spurs signed Pau Gasol to try and do so. Gasol was an All-Star the last two years in Chicago and can certainly help on offense. But the front-court combination of him and LaMarcus Aldridge leaves questions on defense. One thing to watch is the team possibly trading Aldridge.

Rumors have been swirling for a couple weeks now that he could be moved. If he is, I would expect them to get back a true center and move Pau to the four spot where he’s a bit more of a natural fit on this team.

Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are both coming off down seasons.

The team drafted guard Dejounte Murray out of Washington and he’ll be expected to contribute along with steps forward from both Jonathan Simmons and Kyle Anderson.

The Spurs have some questions to answer, but they’ll win 50+ games again.

STRENGTH Gregg Popovich – The players change, the coach hasn’t. Granted, this will be his first year without oncourt leader Tim Duncan, but Pop is the best coach in the game. He will have this group ready to go come the season opener and will have guys like Parker and Ginobili rested come playoff time.

WEAKNESS Defense – Duncan’s absence will be felt. He wasn’t the same offensive player the last several years, but his defensive impact was unquestioned.

The Spurs were the best defensive team in the league by Defensive Rating, allowing just 99.5 points per 100 possessions. Gasol is a fine player, but he’s never been a particularly staunch defender. The defense will likely take a step back.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS – 53-29 L AST SEASON (4TH IN WEST)

Another year, another go-round for the Clippers and Doc Rivers.

They’re basically the same team they were last year with the additions of Brandon Bass, Marreese Speights and rookie Brice Johnson. The rest

of the cast — Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, JJ Redick, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Paul Pierce, Austin Rivers and Luc Mbah a Moute — are all back.

After an injury-riddled season, the Clippers are hoping first and foremost to stay healthy. Secondly, they’re looking to actually contend at playoff time.

STRENGTH Continuity/better injury luck – Injuries are largely unpredictable.

Last year, the Clippers were hit by a perfect storm that eventually forced an early playoff exit. This year, they should be healthier and enjoy some continuity with the team largely intact. Marreese Speights should help the second unit as a complementary scorer to Jamal Crawford.

WEAKNESS Backup center – This remains an issue, even with Speights, who isn’t exactly known for his defense. And outside of him, the only other option at the five spot is rookie Diamond Stone or going small with Brice Johnson/Brandon Bass.

OKL AHOM A CIT Y THUNDER – 55-27 L AST SEASON (3RD IN WEST)

The Thunder are still a threat in the West, despite losing Durant. Russell Westbrook seems determined to prove that point, and an angry Russell Westbrook is breathtaking on the court. The “Big Three” of Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka is now just Westbrook, but that doesn’t mean the roster lacks talent.

The Thunder were proactive about Ibaka’s pending free agency after this season, trading him to the Magic for Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova. Ilyasova offers solid shooting off the bench while Oladipo brings good perimeter defense, but is still developing his offensive game. A starting five of Westbrook, Oladipo, Andre Roberson, Enes Kanter, and Steven Adams could dominate defensively. But spacing will be an issue on offense with Roberson’s inconsistency and Oladipo’s work-inprogress shot.

There’s talent enough here to make the playoffs. But the loss of Durant knocks them down a bit, even with Westbrook going scorched earth on the league.

STRENGTH Angry Westbrook – Seriously, it will be so much fun watching him try to destroy rims, collect every rebound and flex on the entire league every game. Also, Billy Donovan proved to be a very good coach in the playoffs, getting his team to within a game of the Finals.

WEAKNESS Shooting – There are some okay options off the bench, but most of their perimeter players are inconsistent shooters at best. It will be interesting to see how they space the floor and attack.

P L AY O F F CONTENDERS

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS – 4438 LAST SEASON (5TH IN WEST) The Trailblazers surprised many last year, ripping off 44 wins en route to the 5-seed and a secondround playoff trip. A huge year from CJ McCollum to pair with Damian Lillard certainly helped, and the

Blazers now appear to have one of the league’s best young backcourts.

The Blazers also strengthened their bench by re-signing Allen Crabbe, signing free agent Evan Turner and bringing in Festus Ezeli from Golden State. They adapted well after losing Wes Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge prior to last season and look primed to be one of the Western Conference’s playoff teams.

significant changes this offseason.

The team fired head coach Dave Joerger (now in Sacramento) and brought in David Fizdale (formerly of the Heat). Then, in free agency, they lavished Chandler Parsons with a big contract and handed Mike Conley the largest deal in NBA history.

STRENGTH Offensive efficiency – The Blazers were 6th in offensive rating and 8th in effective field goal percentage last season using Lillard and McCollum in pick-and-roll games with their big men. Adding a depth scoring talent like Turner will help the bench unit.

Fizdale wants to play a more uptempo style than their traditional “Grit-N-Grind.” Whether they can do it largely depends on the health of Parsons and the development of younger players like Jordan Adams, JaMychal Green, and rookie Wade Baldwin. A healthy Grizzlies should make the playoffs again and challenge for a top-four seed.

WEAKNESS Defense – The Blazers were middle of the pack last year defensively as neither Lillard or McCollum rate as plus defenders and none of their big men really offer serious rim protection. They’ll need to improve in a big way on this end of the floor to move up in the West.

STRENGTH Defense – The Grizzlies have consistently been one of the best defensive teams in the league because of their playing style. Their numbers may drop a bit this year because of the move to the uptempo style of play. But this should still be a top-10 unit.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES – 42-40 L AST SEASON (7TH IN WEST)

WEAKNESS Shooting – They brought in Parsons to fix the problem, and the young guys could help. But there are still some issues. Parsons is out

The Grizzlies were decimated by injuries last season and made some

indefinitely after offseason surgery.

And who knows how the young guys will develop?

UTAH JAZZ – 40-42 L AST SEASON (9TH IN WEST)

The Jazz are one of multiple young, hungry teams competing for a playoff spot in the West. They’ve built this team slowly through the draft and look fully capable of snagging a playoff spot in this difficult conference.

There’s no superstar on this team, but certainly potential All-Stars.

Gordon Hayward has developed every year he’s been in the league.

Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors are a dominant low post duo. Alec Burks has developed into a nice scorer on the wing.

STRENGTH Rebounding/Rim Protection – The Jazz finished 4th and 7th respectively in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage last season. As one of the league’s better rim protectors, Gobert is a major deterrent in the paint for opponents.

Favors is a solid rebounder at both ends. Adding a veteran like Boris Diaw should help these two continue to develop.

WEAKNESS Injuries/Chemistry – Burks and Hayward, both recovering from injuries, are expected to miss several weeks to start the year. That means Rodney Hood, Joe Ingles and veteran Joe Johnson will likely be holding down the wing spots. Also, can point guard Dante Exum, who missed last season with an ACL tear, bounce back?

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES – 29-53 L AST SEASON (13TH IN WEST) This team could be really fun this season. It’s year two for KarlAnthony Towns and year three for Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine.

Add in rookie Kris Dunn, and let Tom Thibodeau run the entire operation. There’s a good young foundation here for Thibs to build upon in his second head-coaching gig.

Thibs purportedly learned a lot in his year away from the game, so we’ll see how he implements it with this roster. A jump to playoff contender in his first year is unrealistic. Topping 30 wins and showing improvement as the season wears on seems more likely.

STRENGTH Depth – This team has young star power mixed with solid veteran role players. Dunn and Tyus Jones at the point; Cole Aldrich, Gorgui Dieng, Jordan Hill, Adreian Payne and Nemanja Bjelica in the frontcourt and Rasual Butler, Brandon Rush and Shabazz Muhammad on the wings. With so much ability, the rotation will be interesting.

WEAKNESS Finding playing time for everyone/ defense – How do you find playing time for all that young talent? The stars — Towns, Wiggins, Lavine and Dunn — will get plenty, but Muhammad, Dieng, Payne and Jones deserve minutes too.

HOUSTON ROCKE TS – 41-41 L AST SEASON (8TH IN WEST)

The Rockets were a dysfunctional mess last season. Harden and Howard soured on each other, and the team seemed disinterested in playing together, particularly on defense. This year, Howard is gone, they added Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and Nene in free agency.

Mike D’Antoni has turned the keys to the offense over to Harden as the de facto point guard.

The offense should be fun, as Mike D’Antoni groups always are. But can he and new assistant Jeff Bzdelik get this group to care at the other end? A nonexistent defense won’t get them anything beyond a playoff spot.

STRENGTH Team Chemistry/Offense – With Howard gone and D’Antoni at the helm, this unit will rely on Harden’s playmaking ability and the shooters who surround him. Anderson and Gordon should help if they can stay healthy (though that’s a big if).

WEAKNESS Center/Defense – The loss of Howard may ease the dysfunction, but the

dropoff from him to new starting center Clint Capela is significant.

Outside of Capela, 34-year-old Nene and rookie Chinanu Onuaku are their only options to play the five this year. That’s not ideal. Harden, Patrick Beverley and Trevor Ariza can all play good defense. But will they?

ON THE RISE

DALL AS M AVERICKS – 42-40 L AST SEASON (6TH IN WEST)

The Mavericks swing and miss on the big free agents year after year, but they never stop trying. This season, they did benefit from Kevin Durant’s signing in Golden State though, scooping up ex-Warriors Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut.

Both should help Dirk with one more hopeful playoff run.

Point guard is the biggest hole in the starting five. Devin Harris and Deron Williams, two older guards, are still effective, though not dynamic enough for the main playmaker spot. Wes Matthews is a good shooter but isn’t known for his playmaking abilities at the twoguard.

The Mavs are hoping for more from last year’s first-round, pick Justin Anderson, as the team looks for the next young core piece to build around. It will be interesting how Barnes handles himself with a larger offensive role. He will be the number two guy, along with Wes Matthews, behind Dirk, whereas he was the 4th option at Golden State.

STRENGTH Coaching – Rick Carlisle is one of the league’s better coaches, and he consistently gets the most out of his roster. This year’s team is younger and more talented than last year’s and should push opponents in the playoffs.

WEAKNESS Defense – The Mavs got some help for Dirk with Andrew Bogut, but Bogut’s health is a huge question mark. Barnes and Matthews have been plus defenders, but Dirk and both point guards are below-average on defense at this point in their careers.

PHOENI X SUNS – 23-59 L AST SEASON (14TH IN WEST)

The Suns jumped out to a terrible start last season, getting Jeff Hornacek fired in favor of Earl Watson. But they played better basketball down the stretch. This roster has some good veterans, but is still building for the future.

Eric Bledsoe (27), PJ Tucker (31), Jared Dudley (31) and Tyson Chandler (33) will all start, with young gun Devin Booker (20) likely to hold down the two spot. The Suns must also find time for this year’s two first-round picks Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss. It’s a difficult balance between winning and gaining experience, with the Suns doing mostly the latter this season.

STRENGTH Shooting – Bledsoe (37.2%), Booker (34.3%) and Dudley (42%) should all be above league average this season, assuming that Booker continues to develop.

WEAKNESS Offensive efficiency – This team was 28th in offensive rating last year, 25th in effective field goal percentage and 30th in turnover percentage. The Suns will have to improve all of these to even sniff one of the final playoff spots.

DENVER NUGGETS – 3349 LAST SEASON (11TH IN WEST)

The Nuggets are another young team that could take the next step this season. But playing time could also be an issue, with the logjam they have at most positions.

Mike Malone must find playing time for guards Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray, Malik Beasley and Will Barton. On the wing, he has Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler. In the post, there’s Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, Juan Hernangomez, Darrell Arthur, Kenneth Faried, and Mike Miller.

Malone has a young, deep and talented roster on his hands, so there’s a lot to figure out rotationwise. Balancing between winning and getting guys minutes will be the trick. It will be interesting to see what he does.

STRENGTH Depth and rebounding – The depth we’ve explained. But this team, with the combination of Jokic, Nurkic, Arthur and Faried, was top 10 on both ends in rebounding percentage.

That should continue.

WEAKNESS Shooting – As a team, they shot 33.8% from three last year, tied for 26th in the league. Adding Murray should help, but Mudiay (31.9%) and Harris (35.4%) need to develop more consistent outside shots to improve this area.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS – 17-65 LAST SEASON (15TH IN WEST)

The Lakers will be much better than they were last year under Byron Scott. The Kobe farewell tour is done, and new coach Luke Walton is looking to develop the next

generation of stars. D’Angelo Russell will be let off his extremely short leash. (He’s averaged 18.2 points per game in the preseason.) Add in Jordan Clarkson, rookie Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle, and the Lakers have a nice young core.

Signing Luol Deng, the consummate pro, should help alleviate the pressure on Brandon Ingram to be the guy right away. They also gave a massive deal to Timofey Mozgov who the Cavs benched in the playoffs last season because he was getting killed on pick-and-roll defense. Nick “Swaggy P” Young is still here, so there’s an entertainment factor outside of seeing the young guys develop too.

STRENGTH Luke Walton – Walton showed his coaching ability last year, leading the Warriors to a 44-3 record out of

STRENGTH DeMarcus Cousins – Cousins is an All-Star talent, the kind that teams build around. (And that’s what the Kings have been trying to do basically since drafting him.)

An absolute force down low, he’s averaging a double-double for his career.

WEAKNESS Chemistry/Identity – Another year, another roster turnover. Most of the starters are new to the team. Gay wants out. Cousins is an attitude case. Can’t imagine why top free agents avoid Sacramento.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS – 30-52 L AST SEASON (12TH IN WEST)

the gate while Steve Kerr recovered from back surgery. He’ll be installing his system, which will take some time to learn. But there’s no pressure to win right now.

WEAKNESS Defense – Last year’s team ranked dead last in defensive rating allowing 112.4 points per 100 possessions. That’s horrendous. Even the 10-win 76ers were a full two points better in that category. For all the talk of what Walton can do for this offense, he’ll need to improve this defense. The slow-footed Mozgov at center likely won’t help matters

SACRAMENTO KINGS – 33-49 LAST SEASON (10TH IN WEST)

The Kings have been a mess for quite awhile now, and this rebuild still seems a work in progress.

Maybe new coach Dave Joerger

can develop some chemistry with the team’s temperamental star DeMarcus Cousins. Rudy Gay has made it known that he won’t be back after this season. And approximately 11 big men are fighting for one starting spot alongside Cousins. So there are some question marks here.

The backcourt has two solid veterans in Darren Collison and Arron Afflalo, some solid youth in Ben McLemore and Malachi Richardson, and a former starter in the league in Ty Lawson. The front court is Cousins alongside some combination of: Kosta Koufos, Skal Labissiere, Georgios Papagiannis, Anthony Tolliver and Willie Cauley-Stein.

Gay is a potential trade candidate, but Omri Casspi and Matt Barnes can step in if that happens.

With all that, this looks like another lottery year for the Kings, even as they open their new arena.

The Pelicans are back to rebuilding, as the roster looks to be in a state of transition. Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson are gone. Point guard Jrue Holiday is out indefinitely while helping his wife deal with brain surgery to remove a tumor, replaced by Solomon Hill and E’Twaun Moore. Tyreke Evans is also out until sometime in December after multiple knee surgeries this offseason. The team did add sixth pick Buddy Hield, who should help space the floor around all-world talent Anthony Davis. Omer Asik is a solid rim protector, but doesn’t bring much offensively, and Lance Stephenson hasn’t been the same since leaving Indiana. The Pelicans will miss the playoffs again barring a superhuman effort from Davis.

STRENGTH Anthony Davis – Davis is a superstar, but he’s battled injury throughout his young career. The Pelicans hope he stays healthy and takes the next step in his development, since he’ll have to carry this roster at least until Holiday and Evans return.

WEAKNESS Surprisingly, defense – Despite two good rim protectors in Davis and Asik, they finished 27th in team defense last year. Any hope of making the playoffs would require a vast improvement. And with the guys they have missing to start the season, a jump seems doubtful.

FOOTBALL

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3 MAJOR REASONS THE NFL RATINGS HAVE SLUMPED

You’re not alone in thinking the start of the NFL season has felt a bit off. Good teams are bad, bad teams are good and a list of the top-10 quarterbacks in the league includes: Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, Dak Prescott, Brian Hoyer, Carson Wentz and Derek Carr. The NFL media is hyper-focused on declining television ratings, and TV writers are asking whether a rough six weeks signals the end of the medium as we know it. (Seriously.) Are things really that bad or is the NFL just going through a brief downturn? Whatever the answer (and we’re inclined to think this is a dip) here are three reasons the 2016 NFL season has underwhelmed:

POOR SCHEDULING

The first game of the season was a Super Bowl rematch featuring a former Northwestern quarterback in his first NFL start. The Bears were placed in back-to-back primetime games early in the season (and will be again starting this week).

Indianapolis vs. Houston was a Sunday Night Football game instead of a 1 p.m. regional game that should have gone out to 14 percent of the country. There were some avoidable potholes here - the league should have forgotten about its decade-old tradition of having the Super Bowl champs host the first game the instant Peyton Manning retired.

(While the game was great, there’s no reason to kick off everybody’s favorite 256-game schedule with Trevor Siemian.) Nobody should have expected the Bears to be good enough to have four primetime games by Halloween. And putting Houston in primetime is just playing

with fire. The prime time scheduling to be put quite blunt has been awful, now competing with the NBA telecasts and the World Series, it’s only going to get worse.

INJURIES/ SUSPENSIONS

Last week’s Patriots at Steelers game was to be one of the highlights of the first half of the NFL season.

Then Ben Roethlisberger got hurt.

The Pats had two primetime games without Tom Brady. Because Teddy Bridgewater and Adrian Peterson were out, it took everybody some time to realize the Vikings were actually good. And Dak Prescott is the real deal but he’s not exactly a known entity like Tony Romo. This falls under the same category as the last one: The game is unpredictable and with so few dominant teams in 2016, this year feels more unpredictable than most.

G O O D T E A M S H AV E B E E N B A D ( O R N OT VERY COMPELLING)

But before you just rip the schedule, take a look at it. You’ll see that the NFL’s national slate has been much better than you think. It’s simply been a victim of unfortunate circumstance. Here are a few of the solid games on the national TV lineup thus far: Giants at Cowboys, Patriots at Cardinals, Packers at Vikings. Steelers at Eagles. Giants at Vikings. Giants at Packers. Dallas at Packers. Those are great games.

Most involve the NFC East, sure, but they’re games any football fan would want to watch.

The problem comes in a few forms.

The reigning Super Bowl champions are boring to watch. (Sorry, it’s

true. Defense wins but it doesn’t sell.) The most famous player in the game wasn’t around for a month.

Thursday Night Football hasn’t caught on as big as anyone had hoped and maybe waters down the product. And there are very few great teams in the league (if any).

When teams such as the Rams, Bills, Raiders, Texans and Falcons are 4-2, it means parity has taken over, which doesn’t sell. People want the hits.

How much can the schedule makers be blamed? Not as much as you think. Sure, sometimes there’s just a dog game that never should have been on the schedule (Colts at Texans for Sunday Night Football?).

Most of the time though, a bad national game happens because a team expected to be good has been

playing poorly. The Bengals, Bears, Cardinals and Panthers have all been major disappointments, which affects the quality of games. Who would have seen Carolina’s collapse coming or the Cardinals’ struggle?

For as boring as they are, the Bengals are consistently good and play in interesting games, for the most part? And though the Bears stinking was a bit more predictable, they’re a team that’s always going to get primetime games because they have national interest. As a schedule geek, I can find only two egregious mistakes thus far: No Seattle games and only one NFC East game on national TV. (That’ll change soon enough.) But other than that, what’s the NFL supposed to do? Make the Panthers un-suck? It’s a weird season and with that comes weird games.

NFL RANKINGS after week 7

1. NEW ENGL AND PATRIOTS

3. DENVER BRONCOS

5. MINNESOTA VIKINGS

2016 record: 6Week 7 ranking: 1 Tom Brady is completing 75.2 percent of his passes this season and has yet to throw an interception.

When targeting his tight ends, he’s completing 82 percent of his passes.

New England travels to Buffalo for a Week 8 divisional grudge match.

The Bills shut out the Patriots earlier this season, but Brady wasn’t under center for that game and Rob Gronkowski wasn’t 100 percent.

2016 record: 5-2 Week 7 ranking: 5 The Broncos moved into a tie with Oakland for the AFC West lead as well as improved to 5-2 after a victory over the Texans on Monday night. Denver is 5-1 with QB Trevor Siemian, who hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 2. Siemian’s one loss? The Chargers, whom Denver hosts in Week 8.

2016 record: 5-1 Week 7 ranking: 2 What a difference a week makes.

The Vikings’ unbeaten season ended at Philadelphia, and QB Sam Bradford’s three turnovers sort of reminded us of, well, the old Sam Bradford. Can the Vikings get back on track Monday night against the 1-6 Bears?

2. SEAT TLE SEAH AWKS

4. DALL AS COWBOYS

6. GREEN BAY PACKERS

2016 record: 4-1-1 Week 7 ranking: 3 The Seahawks have lost only one game so far this season, but things are off in Seattle. For starters, the team is averaging only 3.1 yards per rush this season, second worst in the NFL. A trip to New Orleans could help the Seahawks get the running game back on track.

2016 record: 5-1 Week 7 ranking: 4 We’ll find out soon if the Cowboys stick with Dak Prescott or go back to Tony Romo as the team’s starting QB. The decision comes at a critical time for the Cowboys, as they could take a big lead in the NFC East with a win against the Eagles in Week 8. If Romo starts, keep in mind he has won five of his past six games against Philadelphia.

2016 record: 4-2 Week 7 ranking: 10 Green Bay picked up the win in Week 7, but how long can it survive with wide receivers playing running back? The Packers got seven yards from halfbacks, which worked against the Bears, but the host Falcons will provide a much tougher test this week.

7. ARIZON A CARDIN ALS

2016 record: 3-3-1 Week 7 ranking: 13 The good news is the Cardinals haven’t lost games and haven’t committed a turnover in each of their past three games. But it could be tough to feel good after that Week 7 tie with Seattle. Arizona looks to get revenge on the Panthers in Carolina this week.

8. PIT TSBURGH STEELERS

2016 record: 4-3 Week 7 ranking: 7 QB Landry Jones looked pretty good Sunday until the fourth quarter, when he went 9-of-20 passing. The Steelers’ bye this week will give Ben Roethlisberger time to heal without missing a game, but Jones could be in line for a few more starts before Big Ben returns.

9. KANSAS CIT Y CHIEFS

2016 record: 4-2 Week 7 ranking: 11 The Chiefs continue to find ways to win, but does anyone fear them?

They have a 4-2 record and the fourth-best turnover differential but only a plus-13 point differential.

The Chiefs head to Indianapolis this week riding a two-game winning streak.

10. ATL ANTA FALCONS

13. CINCINN ATI BENGALS

11. OAKL AND RAIDERS

14. SAN DIEGO CH ARGERS

12. PHIL ADELPHI A EAGLES

15. DE TROIT LIONS

2016 record: 4-3 Week 7 ranking: 6 The Falcons still sit atop the NFC South despite losing two in a row but they need to stop the bleeding.

A home game against the Packers, who have won three straight against Atlanta, and two tough road games (Bucs, Eagles) await the Falcons before their Week 11 bye.

2016 record: 5-2 Week 7 ranking: 14 The Raiders are still chilling at the top of the AFC West standings, but are they for real? Of the five-win teams this season, the Raiders by far have the worst point differential (plus-6). A trip to Tampa in Week 8 could help bolster that margin though.

2016 record: 4-2 Week 7 ranking: 15 The Eagles have one offensive touchdown in their past two games.

Their defense has one touchdown in that span, and their special teams unit has two. It’s never a bad thing to get points from defense and special teams, but QB Carson Wentz needs to start moving the ball again, especially at Dallas in Week 8.

2016 record: 3-4 Week 7 ranking: 16 If you can’t stop A.J. Green, it’s going to be tough to beat the Bengals. Case in point: Green is averaging 10 receptions and 174 yards in wins this season, compared with five receptions and 63 yards in losses. Washington will take its turn trying to stop Green this week.

2016 record: 3-4 Week 7 ranking: 19 The Chargers’ defense still has some problems, but pass rush is not one of them. Rookie defensive end Joey Bosa has recorded 4.0 total sacks in two of his three games and San Diego ranks in the top 10 in sacks and pressure percentage. They’ll be chasing after the Broncos in Week 8.

2016 record: 4-3 Week 7 ranking: 21 Matthew Stafford has thrown 11 touchdowns with no picks in the Lions’ four wins this season, leading a fourth-quarter comeback in each game. Eventually the Lions may win by more than a score, but they’ll have their work cut out for them in upcoming games at Houston and at Minnesota.

16. BUFFALO BILLS

2016 record: 4-3 Week 7 ranking: 8 The Bills couldn’t get their ground game going against the Dolphins and they lost, a common theme for them this season. The Bills are averaging 73 rushing yards in losses and 212 rushing yards in wins. They ripped off 134 the first time they played the Patriots in Week 4. Can they do it again this week?

17. HOUSTON TEXANS

2016 record: 4-3 Week 7 ranking: 17 The Texans have been held without an offensive touchdown twice this season. They have nine offensive touchdowns on the year, fewest in the NFL. If they can’t find the end zone against the Lions in Week 8 -- who rank in the bottom five in defensive efficiency -- Houston will have a problem.

18. NEW YORK GI ANTS

2016 record: 4-3 Week 7 ranking: 12 The Giants head into their bye 4-3, having won two straight after losing three straight after winning two straight. It has been a streaky season for first-year head coach Ben McAdoo and the G-Men, who are one of three teams with a winning record and a negative point differential this season.

19. WASHINGTON REDSKINS

22. CAROLIN A PANTHERS

20. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

23. TENNESSEE TITANS

2016 record: 4-3 Week 7 ranking: 9 The Redskins have allowed a gamewinning score in the final five minutes in two of their three losses this season. Those could come back to haunt them with the NFC East as tight as it is. The Redskins travel to London to face Cincinnati this week.

2016 record: 3-3 Week 7 ranking: 28 Raise your hand if you thought it would be Jacquizz Rodgers who would be saving the Buccaneers’ season. Rodgers has posted his first two career 100-yard rushing games his past two games, rushing a total of 56 times. Rodgers & Co. will look to repeat against the Raiders in Week 8.

2016 record: 1-5 Week 7 ranking: 23 The Panthers return to the field after a bye in hopes of ending a fourgame losing streak. It won’t be the NFC Championship Game rematch we all expected at the start of this season, but it could be a chance for Carolina to right the ship. The Panthers scored 49 against Arizona in the 2015 playoffs.

2016 record: 3-4 Week 7 ranking: 22 The Titans could be a lot better if they didn’t have to play at home (1-3 this season). Tennessee is 2-10 at home with a minus-15 turnover differential the past two seasons (4-7, minus-3 on the road). Another home game awaits for the Titans on Thursday against Jacksonville.

24. INDI AN APOLIS COLTS 21. BALTIMORE RAVENS

2016 record: 3-4 Week 7 ranking: 18 The Ravens have lost four straight games for the first time since 2007 (when they lost nine straight), so this Week 8 bye probably couldn’t have come at a better time. QB Joe Flacco has a lot to figure out: He has just two touchdown passes in his past five games.

2016 record: 3-4 Week 7 ranking: 24 QB Andrew Luck is on pace for career highs in completion percentage, touchdown-interception ratio and Total QBR this season, yet the Colts are below .500. After winning in Week 7 at Tennessee, Luck has a chance to win consecutive starts for the first time since 2014 when Indy hosts Kansas City in Week 8.

25. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

28. NEW YORK JE TS

31. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

26. MI AMI DOLPHINS

29. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

32. CLEVEL AND BROWNS

2016 record: 2-4 Week 7 ranking: 20 It’s rare for the Saints’ defense to hold opponents to fewer than 30 points, but New Orleans has not taken advantage of those rare instances. They are 0-2 in such games this season. The defense could hold again against Seattle this week, but points will be tough to come by.

2016 record: 3-4 Week 7 ranking: 27 O.J. Simpson. Earl Campbell. Ricky Williams. Jay Ajayi. Those are the only players in NFL history to rush for 200 yards in back-to-back games.

The Dolphins are on bye this week, though, so we’ll have to wait until Week 9 to see if Ajayi can make it three straight.

27. LOS ANGELES RAMS

2016 record: 3-4 Week 7 ranking: 26 The “case for Case” is starting to run thin as the Rams have lost three straight, with Keenum throwing an interception on the Rams’ final drive each time. With a bye this week, will the Rams have made any changes when we see them against Carolina in Week 9?

2016 record: 2-5 Week 7 ranking: 25 Since QB Geno Smith is done for the season, the Jets will have no choice but to believe in the Fitz-magic again. It shouldn’t take much magic, no matter who starts, to beat the 0-7 Browns this week.

2016 record: 2-4 Week 7 ranking: 29 The Jaguars get their opportunity to shine in primetime Thursday against the Titans. If their first six games are any indication, they won’t be making a good first impression at the start of the game: The Jaguars have an NFL-worst minus-44 point differential in the first half.

30. CHICAGO BEARS

2016 record: 1-6 Week 7 ranking: 30 QB Jay Cutler is back. He was hurt on Monday night in Week 2 and he’ll make his return on Monday night in Week 8. He’ll have to face the Vikings, against whom he has lost three straight. They boast a defense with the most takeaways and fewest points and yards allowed this season. Good luck with that.

2016 record: 1-6 Week 7 ranking: 31 Forget the 49ers’ quarterback situation for now. In seven games, the 49ers have allowed 1,296 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Only three running backs have hit those marks for an entire season since 2013, and the 49ers have yielded it in seven games.

Guess what they’ll be working on during their bye?

2016 record: 0-7 Week 7 ranking: 32 Six Browns have thrown a pass this season. The researchers at Elias Sports Bureau say the last team in a non-strike year that had six players throw a pass in the first seven games: the 1976 Buccaneers, who went 0-14. The 0-7 Browns are halfway there and host the Jets this week.

BASEBALL

→ WORLD SERIES Major League Baseball could not have asked for a better story line for the 2016 World Series. The Cleveland Indians who haven’t won a title since 1948 square off against the Chicago Cubs who haven’t been to the series since 1945 yet alone win it since 1908. Both of these franchises have had difficult paths since their last championships, but that’s all behind us now. Cleveland made easy pickings of both the LDS and LCS opponents by demolishing the Red Sox in 3 games and then quieting the once powerful Blue Jay lineup in 5 games. The story for the Indians has been their timely hitting, Francisco Lindor, and their unreal pitching staff. Corey Kluber has put up some historic postseason numbers and their bullpen trio of Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen have been lights out. For the Cubs, it was a more difficult road to the World Series. They had to overcome the even-year magic of the San Francisco Giants in 4 games and then used 6 games to eliminate the LA Dodgers needing to come back

from a 2-1 deficit. Chicago has been up and down this postseason with some excellent performances both offensively and defensively.

SCHEDULE

Game 1: Tuesday, Oct. 25, in Cleveland, 8 p.m. ET (TV coverage on Fox) Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 26, in Cleveland, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 3: Friday, Oct. 28, in Chicago, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 29, in Chicago, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 5*: Sunday, Oct. 30, in Chicago, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 6*: Tuesday, Nov. 1, in Cleveland, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 7*: Wednesday, Nov. 2, in Cleveland, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) *if necessary

P R E V I O U S LY

There actually is no previously for the Cubs and Indians since they didn’t face each other in 2016. They did play a four-game interleague

series in 2015, which they split 2-2.

Even though that was last year, there are a few interesting nuggets.

Trevor Bauer and Jake Arrieta faced off in the first game of the series, and while Bauer pitched seven scoreless innings, Arrieta gave up four runs on three hits and only lasted five.

In the second game, the Cubs made up for being blanked by the Indians by scoring 17 runs and shutting out their opponents.

The final game of the series featured a preview of Game 1 of the 2016 World Series. Corey Kluber took on Jon Lester, and both players pitched their brains out. Kluber went 7 2/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits, and Lester went 8 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits.

Those games were all played well over a year ago, and things have changed for both teams. But they’ve both had ample time to scout each other this postseason, so they’re going in with their eyes open.

PITCHING

The Cubs boast one of the best, and deepest, rotations in the game.

Because of that, John Lackey, who would easily be the No. 2 starter for the Indians, will pitch in Game 4.

He’ll pitch after postseason hero Jon Lester, reigning National League Cy Young Jake Arrieta and current Cy Young contender Kyle Hendricks have already taken the mound for Chicago.

before the start of the postseason.

Corey Kluber is the club’s ace and will oppose Lester in Game 1. After that, uncertainty creeps in. Manager Terry Francona has said Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin will start Game 2 and Game 3, but has not revealed the order of his rotation just yet. Tomlin is coming off an exceptional performance against the Toronto Blue Jays, while Bauer lasted two-thirds of an inning in his last start due to a finger injury.

Because of that, Bauer remains a huge question mark. No one really knows how his finger is doing and whether it has healed enough for him to pitch deep into a game. With all that uncertainty, it could make sense for Francona to go with Bauer in Game 2. If his start turns into another bullpen game, the Indians’ relievers will have a day to recover as the club travels to Chicago for Game 3.

Cleveland came into the year with that same level of depth, but injuries decimated the club’s rotation just

Game 4 also presents an interesting dilemma for Francona. If Cleveland is down, he could opt to throw

Game 1: Jon Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA) vs. Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14 ERA) Game 2: Jake Arrieta (18-8, 3.10 ERA) vs. TBD Game 3: TBD vs. Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13 ERA) Game 4: TBD vs. John Lackey (11-8, 3.35 ERA) Game 5*: TBD vs. TBD Game 6*: TBD vs. TBD Game 7*: TBD vs. TBD *if necessary

Kluber again on short rest. If they are up, he might go with rookie Ryan Merritt, who dazzled in firstever postseason start during the American League Championship Series.

Or he could go with Danny Salazar.

The 26-year-old righty has been working his way back from a forearm injury, but recently declared himself “100 percent.” If true, that could be a major boost for the Indians’ rotation.

Salazar, however, hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since September 9. Going with Salazar in Game 4 is as high-risk, high reward as it gets.

Given the streak they are on, Cleveland’s bullpen deserves the nod over Chicago’s relievers. Andrew Miller has been an absolute monster during the postseason, and Cody Allen hasn’t been far behind. Their ability to take over games and pitch for multiple innings has already single handedly won some games for Cleveland.

With that said, you can’t sleep on the Cubs’ late-inning options. The

club boasts five pitchers who struck out more than a batter per inning during the regular season: Aroldis Chapman, Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon, Carl Edwards Jr. and Justin Grimm. The Indians may have the edge here, but it’s closer than you think.

THREE KEYS FOR THE CUBS

GE T AN EARLY LEAD

As we’ve seen, the Cleveland bullpen is a murderers row of relievers. They have a 1.67 ERA in the playoffs and have been nearly unhittable. The Cubs need to put their offensive woes firmly in the rearview mirror, because they have to score on Cleveland’s starters and get a solid lead by the fifth inning. If they don’t, Cleveland’s bullpen won’t give them a chance to make up for it. After being shut out by the Dodgers twice in the NLCS, the Cubs offense broke through in Game 5 and Game 6. If they can keep that up, they won’t have to worry about the Indians’ bullpen.

KEEP ON PITCHING ON

Cubs pitchers haven’t been perfect, but they’ve gotten the job done and more. Jon Lester has been amazing throughout, Kyle Hendricks pitched a superb game in NLCS Game 6, and both John Lackey and Jake Arrieta have the ability to start clean after stumbling. That foursome was one of the most powerful and talented pitching rotations in baseball this season, and if they draw on that talent, they’ll be able to handle whatever the Cleveland offense can throw (or hit) at them.

DON’T GIVE AN INCH

The Indians have cut through the playoffs like a buzzsaw, sweeping the Red Sox and taking the Blue Jays 4 games to 1. They have been relentless, and so the Cubs can’t relax for a second. Their offense has to be hitting on all cylinders, their defense has to be on point, and their pitching staff has to be exemplary.

The playoffs haven’t been easy for the Cubs so far, and the World Series doesn’t stand to get any easier.

THREE KEYS FOR THE INDIANS

Get to the fourth inning: The Indians’ postseason success can be summed up with that sentence. As long as the team’s starting pitchers can make it to the fourth inning without completely imploding, Cleveland’s fantastic bullpen should give them a chance to win the game.

That’s not really an issue for Corey Kluber, who is normally a lock for six or seven strong innings. Getting Josh Tomlin, Trevor Bauer, Ryan Merritt and maybe Danny Salazar to that point will be the bigger challenge.

Use your relievers carefully: Andrew Miller’s numbers this postseason are absolutely staggering. Over 11 2/3 scoreless innings, he’s allowed just five hits and two walks. He’s struck out an incredible 20 batters. Cody Allen has been almost as impressive, striking out 12 over 7 2/3 scoreless frames. It’s not just their ability to completely shut down opponents this postseason, though, it’s the fact that both guys always seem to be available no matter how many pitches they threw the night before.

That hasn’t caught up to either player yet, but their workload could be something to watch in this series.

Allen and Miller have been used at a relentless and grueling pace over the past few weeks. The Indians can’t afford to have fatigue set in right now.

Find a way on offense: Fifteen of the Indians’ 27 runs this postseason have come due to the long ball. That’s somewhat of a new development, as the club finished 18th in baseball with 185 home runs in the regular season.

The postseason surge isn’t just the usual suspects either. Sure, Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli have gotten in on the act, but Francisco Lindor, Lonnie Chisenhall and Coco Crisp have all joined in on the fun as well.

After looking strong against the Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series, Cleveland’s bats went somewhat quiet in the ALCS. That’s gone a bit under the radar since the team’s pitching

absolutely steamrolled Toronto.

We’re not breaking any new ground here by saying home runs are good, but as the ALCS showed, a measly solo shot in the second inning could prove to be enough for Cleveland to come out on top based on how well the team’s pitching has performed lately.

F I V E I M P O R TA N T NUMBERS

• 1 — The Cubs’ rank in a number of significant stats during the regular season. Chicago led baseball with a 38.7 fWAR, posted the highest defensive UZR in the league according to FanGraphs and had a league-leading 3.15 ERA. They are not only dominant, but they are wellrounded.

• 5 — The number of plate appearances Kyle Schwarber received during the regular season.

Schwarber tore his knee up in early April and was expected to miss the entire year while rehabbing. That may not be the case. Schwarber is ahead of schedule, and there’s a chance he could make the Cubs’ 25man World Series roster and start Game 1 as the team’s DH. • 0.92 — Combined ERA of both Game 1 starters this postseason.

Corey Kluber has given up just two runs over 18 1/3 innings. Jon Lester has given up two runs in 21 innings.

• 5,673 — The number of games played at Wrigley Field since the 1945 World Series. That includes postseason games and three All-Star games.

• 176 — The combined number of years both teams have gone without a World Series championship. That number is going to get significantly smaller in just a few days.

* BETTING CHICAGO CUBS 1.50 CLEVEL AND INDI ANS 2.65

SOCCER

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YOU CAN’T STOP THE KLOPP

WHY LIVERPOOL CAN BE PREMIER LEAGUE CH AMPIONS THIS SEASON

Liverpool have blown teams away this season with 30 goals so far – and now find themselves joint top of the Premier League alongside Arsenal. Jurgen Klopp’s heavy metal football seems to be in full swing at Anfield after bringing in his own players over the summer and having a full pre-season to work with them.

The Reds have only suffered one defeat and it came in the surprising shape of a 2-0 defeat away to Burnley, where they dominated. But if Klopp can keep complacency away, here’s a glance at 5 reasons the Reds will have every chance of getting their hands on the Premier League trophy for first time ever.

1: THEY TURN UP ON THE BIG STAGE

Liverpool have already faced Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United so far this season and they have handled themselves well in every major clash.

They kicked the season off with an enthralling 4-3 win over the Gunners at the Emirates, before being held to a 1-1 draw to Spurs.

The Reds then outplayed Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to win 2-1 before being frustratingly held at home to Manchester United.But from this strong set of results, if Liverpool can continue to outshine their main competitors in the league, then they have the perfect platform to clinch the title.

2: RAMPANT IN FRONT OF GOAL

As previously mentioned, Liverpool have scored 30 goals already this season after 11 games.

But something which is particularly encouraging about this statistic is that the goals are coming from range of players.

Philippe Coutinho (6), Sadio Mane (5), Roberto Firmino (4), James Milner (4), Adam Lallana (3), Divock Origi (2) and Daniel Sturridge (2) have all scored more than one goal

already this season. Whilst Jordan Henderson, Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren have also chipped in with one goal each.

This will please Klopp as it means they are not reliant on one or two players to provide the majority of their goals. There power in front of goal is so adamant that English striker Daniel Sturridge has been benched on occasions this season. A luxury not too many other Premier League teams have, nor the National side for that matter.

3: PL AYERS WILL NOT FL AG MIDWAY THROUGH SEASON

On arrival to Liverpool in 2015, Klopp hinted that he could not fully implement his plans straight away as his players were not prepared midway through the season to step up their workload. But now that the German has had a full pre-season with his players it has given him the chance to work on them physically and he has also been able to get all

of his plans and tactics across to the players.

Last summer also allowed Klopp to improve his squad as he has spent £60million on seven new players as well as shipping off 16 players.

4: BEST BUY

People raised their eyebrows when Liverpool splashed £30million on Sadio Mane, with people thinking they had paid over the odds to sign him from Southampton.

But critics have quickly changed their tune as the Senegal international is now being touted as one of the best buys of the season.

Critics were unsure if he would be able to handle the pressure of playing for Liverpool but he has already netted four times for the Reds.

Not only is it his goals that have made a difference for Klopp’s side,

as his electric pace and tireless work rate has made him one of the most feared forwards in the league this season.

* BETTING

5: PROVEN PEDIGREE

Jurgen Klopp has proven he has what it takes win a league title.

As manager of Borussia Dortmund he defied the odds as his side beat favourites Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title on two occasions.

In his first title-winning season (2010-2011), Dortmund topped Bayer Leverkusen by seven points as they made the most of Bayern Munich’s poor campaign, as they went on to finish third. But Klopp impressively managed to guide Dortmund to the top of the Bundesliga the following season as they maintained the league title.Bayern Munich looked to redeem themselves after disappointingly finishing third in the previous season, but despite their best efforts they trailed Klopp’s side by eight points.

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE WINNER M ANCHESTER CIT Y 2.50 LIVERPOOL 4.20 ARSEN AL 6.00 CHELSEA 7.00 TOT TENH AM 11.00 M ANCHESTER UNITED 21.00 EVERTON 251.00 LEICESTER 401.00 SOUTH AMPTON 401.00 BOURNEMOUTH 751.00 CRYSTAL PAL ACE 751.00 STOKE 1,001.00 WATFORD 1,001.00 WEST H AM 1,001.00 SWANSEA 1,501.00 WEST BROM 1,501.00 MIDDLESBROUGH 2,001.00 BURNLEY 2,401.00 HULL 3,001.00 SUNDERL AND 3,001.00

UFC

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GRUDGE MATCH

UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is looking to make history when he faces Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title at UFC 205 on Nov. 12. McGregor (20-3) will become the first person in the organisation’s history to hold two belts if he defeats Alvarez (28-4) in front the crowd at Madison Square Garden, New York City. Unsurprisingly the two fighters have already exchanged heated words, with the American questioning McGregor’s ability to endure a lengthy battle and the Irish fighter laughing off Alvarez’s claim to the belt.

“He got blessed,” McGregor said of Alvarez’s fight against Rafael dos Anjos, as per Michael Kelleher of Sky Sports. “He got blessed with a lucky shot. His UFC career has been horrendous. “He’s very, very lucky to be in the position he is. He understands that. That’s why he

took this fight for the money he was on for the last fight. I mean, that says it all.”

In retaliation Alvarez claimed, per Kelleher, that “this guy’s got eight minutes of fight in him and that’s it. He quits after eight minutes every fight. He’s not a championship fighter. He’s never been. And he’s never ever fought anyone in the UFC like me. Ever.”

It should be a fascinating matchup between two different fighting styles.

Alvarez is more of an all-rounder capable of adapting his game to each new opponent, while McGregor is an explosive fighter who looks to get things done early.Both are very aggressive and possess phenomenal career records. The fight hangs on a knife edge, and looks set to be one of the most watched in history.

K E Y B AT T L E S

MCGREGOR’S OPENING BL AST VS. ALVAREZ’S ENDURANCE

The Irish fighter’s biggest asset is his powerful left hand, which he will look to use repeatedly in an attempt to end this fight as quickly as possible. He enters the contest with 18 career KO/TKOs, with six of these coming in UFC. McGregor’s desire to win early is partly due to the fact that he seems to fade as fights go on—as we saw during his second bout with Nate Diaz—and so Alvarez will do everything he can to absorb the early onslaught and tire his opponent out.

Firas Zahabi, head coach of Tristar gym, thinks that going for an early KO is the only option for McGregor: “Forget about pacing. It’s do or die,” he said, per Anton Tabuena of

Bloody Elbow. “Round one or two.

You either become two-division champion in round one or two, or you are going to go down.”

However, McGregor’s explosive tactics failed to put Diaz away in both of their fights. During the first clash, he was easily choked into submission after Diaz absorbed the early punches and found a big shot of his own. A similar story could unfold against the dynamic fighting style Alvarez, whose durability gives him a slight advantage.

MCGREGOR’S CONFIDENCE V ALVAREZ’S FAST START

Alvarez has only been beaten by KO once in his 13 year career, and so McGregor’s early pressing need to be more considered than ever. As seen during his recent blitz of Dos Anjos, the current lightweight champion is more than capable of springing into an instant barrage of his own.

Despite being the underdog against Dos Anjos, Alvarez stopped his opponent in the first round after some ferocious early pressure. McGregor will be wary of this, but won’t lack for confidence and will back himself to inflict early damage. This can leave him open to punishment if Alvarez decides to quickly move forward.

Conor often has a stalking style when his opponent is on the backfoot, something Alvarez is unlikely to allow.

“Whenever I get a guy that everyone is high up about, that he’s really dangerous, that he’s killing opponents, I usually knock those guys out,” Alvarez said after the Dos Anjos fight, per Danny Segura of MMA Fighting.“It has nothing to do with me being good or me having a certain technique. I get scared. I literally get afraid to the point where my body reacts in ways that it just makes for phenomenal performances.”

Given that McGregor is the hypedup favourite who strikes fear into his opponents, Alvarez will feel he can capitalise just simply by applying pressure from the offset. It should be a tight encounter, the American is smart and savvy but the Irishmen is a ferocious competitor.

* BETTING

CONOR MCGREGOR 1.62

PREDICTION: MCGREGOR, BUT THIS WILL BE A LOT CLOSER THAN ANY VEGAS LINE SUGGESTS.

EDDIE ALVAREZ 2.25

SURFING

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JOHN JOHN MEETS HIS DESTINY

The surfing world knew John John Florence was the best. In Portugal, he made it official.

His mother, Alexandra Florence, notoriously first put John John on a board at 6 months old.

With more than a month to go in the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, Florence, 24, a native of Oahu, Hawaii, claimed the title of world’s best surfer at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal in Peniche.

At 13, he became the youngest surfer to compete at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. In 2011, he became the youngest surfer to win it. Florence qualified for the world tour in 2011, and placed third in 2014. In 2015, he released “View From a Blue Moon,” a surf film he helped direct and edit.

The movie — the first surf film shot in 4k resolution — is considered one of the greatest surf movies made by many.

The tour’s conclusion, in December, at Florence’s home surf break Pipeline in Hawaii, will now be a victory lap. Florence seemed destined for greatness as soon as he started surfing the Banzai Pipeline.

“We’ve all watched him since he was 7 or 8 surfing around the North Shore and paddling out at Pipe,” Kelly Slater, the 11-time world champion, said. “I think if he didn’t win, it would seem like the natural order was out of place.”

It is the second major victory Florence added to his résumé this year, after the Eddie Aikau invitational in February. But Florence’s world tour season got off to a rough start in March with a fifth-place finish on the Gold Coast, followed by two disappointing 13thplace finishes at Bells Beach and at

Margaret River, all in Australia.

His season turned around with a win at the Oi Rio Pro in Brazil in May, followed by consistently strong finishes in events around the globe.

Florence has long been considered the world’s best free surfer. But earning a world title demands a strategic, tactical approach. The question was not whether Florence would win a world title, but when, and whether he even wanted to.

“There’s a whole history of guys who were nowhere near as good as John John Florence who have titles on their mantelpieces,” Matt Warshaw, author of The Encyclopedia of Surfing, said.

Last year’s world champion, the Brazilian Adriano de Souza, was one of the first to admit that after clinching his maiden World Title and back to back for Brazil. “He’s the best in all conditions, and he blows me away”, Adriano quoted.

Florence is known as a surfing purist, and his style is punctuated with a look of ease in all conditions.

While his Brazilian competitors are known for a disciplined work ethic and a drive for self-improvement, Florence is known less for his tactics and more for his comfort in dangerous waves. It was that way with the previous Hawaii resident to win the title of world’s best surfer, Andy Irons, who won the title in 2004 (and died in 2010).

“John is the guy that is going to stand there with his hands dangling around his waist just like Andy used to,” Warshaw said, listing dangerous breaks where Florence looked as if he was “just standing in a parking lot.”

“He’s riding waves that everybody else on tour would just be clenched up and barely making it, and he’s just slouched — calm as can be — in the middle of the most ridiculous circumstances.”

Florence credits his demeanor in the ocean to growing up in Hawaii, and to pure joy.

I’m excited to go surfing every time,” he said. “I have fun in any kind of wave in the ocean.”

He will return to the North Shore to compete at Pipeline Masters in December. He said it had been a dream of his to win the event in his own backyard.

“I think this is just the beginning,” he said. “Winning a world title has always been the dream and ultimate goal. I still can’t believe I won it.”

So what exactly is next for Florence?

Whatever he wants.

“John John has done so much,” Slater said. “He could really just say, ‘I got my world title’ and walk away.”

MANCATION

DESTINATION SLS BEVERLY HILLS

slshotels.com Conveniently located between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, The SLS offers a quiet, luxurious haven for visitors and weekend getaway guests, combining a boutique setting with expansive views of the city. With its striking Philippe Starck-designed interiors and a dining program crafted

by James Beard Award-winning chef, José Andrés, the SLS is one of Los Angeles’ top destinations for those seeking a hotel that mixes contemporary style and extraordinary food. Each guest room is equipped with a floating bed, exquisite custom furniture and comforting alcoves while deluxe accommodations offer a dreamy marble, free-standing tub – bubbles included, of course –a garden terrace, and panoramic views.

If you’re really looking to maximize the luxury, the SLS’ Afternoon Indulgence package is the route to take, offering relaxing treatments from Biologique Recherche at Ciel Spa by Pearl Wellness ($200 credit) and a dining experience at acclaimed restaurant Tres by José Andrés, where lunch is elevated by the chef’s famed innovative creativity married with traditional comfort food fare. The package is sold in combination with superior, premier, terrace, and studio rooms with a starting rate of $599 (valued at $800).

PHOTO COURTESY OF SLS HOTEL AT BEVERLY HILLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF SLS HOTEL AT BEVERLY HILLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF SLS HOTEL AT BEVERLY HILLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF JILL PAIDER

Once spa’d and fed, check out the hotel’s recently debuted Bar Blanca, located on the terrace of award-winning restaurant The Bazaar by José Andrés. As a nod to Andrés’ Spanish heritage, the contemporary lounge features a seasonal menu of tapas and traditional porron service – that is, a wine pitcher for serving sidra (cider), Fino sherry, or Basque wine either into a glass or straight into your mouth, which we highly suggest in order to really look authentic. Some of our favorite whimsical appetizers include their Tortilla de Patatas “New Way,” Jamón with Idiazábal, and Catalan Style Toasted Bread. Pair a light meal there with one of Andrés’ signature Gin & Tonics, Vermut, or Rebujito.

310 640 8989

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S ’ N E M g n i m o o Gr S K C HA 1. DON’T FEEL THE BURN

All your efforts at looking sharp with a close shave can be wasted if you wind up with a neck, and chin that appear to have been hacked with a vengeance. It’s easy to prevent razor burn, it just takes patience and preparation. First, ensure you’re using a sharp razor. Second, shaving in or after a shower, or simply apply a hot wet towel to your face before you get started helps by opening the pore and softening the hair follicles. Third, lather well with a good quality shaving cream or gel that includes hydrating moisturisers and lastly, splash your face with cold water to close your pores.

TRY: JACK BL ACK SUPREME CREAM TRIPLE CUSHION™ SH AVE L ATHER $24 GE TJACKBL ACK.COM

2. NOSE H AIR: THE BIG NO-NO’S

Nose hairs which escape the boundaries of your nostril is a must-remove immediately moment.

Plucking those nasty nostril strays isn’t necessarily the way to go.

Instead, shell out for a batteryoperated nose-hair trimmer. They’re easy to use, safe and will keep your nostril hair at a nice healthy length.

TRY: PAN ASONIC WE T/DRY EAR & NOSE TRIMMER WITH VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEM, BAT TERYOPERATED. $19.99 PAN ASONIC.COM

3. IT’S NOT ONE EYEBROW, IT’S 2 EYEBROWS That big hair caterpillar. Not so cool and they’re staring you right in the

face in the bathroom mirror every morning. Do something about it.

Fortunately, ensuring you keep your eyebrows tidy isn’t difficult. You can deal with a monobrow by tweezing, shaving, waxing or using a hairremoval solution. Remember your eyebrows should frame your eyes, so don’t go overboard.

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4. BANISH DOG BREATH

To ensure you’re not guilty of not so fresh exhalations, make sure you practice basic dental hygiene, which means brushing, flossing and using mouthwash. You can also easily keep fresh with chewing gum, mints or freshening sprays.

TRY: FOREO ISSA™ TOOTHBRUSH $199 FOREO.COM

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GRILLERS' Corner GRILLING STEAKS

IF YOU CAN RELI ABLY GRILL A STEAK TO MEDIUMRARE OR A SAUSAGE UNTIL IT’S JUST READY TO BURST, THEN YOU’RE READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL. GO FROM A BBQ ROOKIE TO A GRILL SERGEANT WITH THESE TOP TEN SM ART TIPS.

1. GL AZE VEGE TABLES WITH M AYO

Chef Nate Appleman swears by coating vegetables with a mayonnaise-based marinade. It creates a beautifully blistered crust when grilled. His recipe is delicious on asparagus, broccoli and fennel.

2. GIVE VEGE TABLES AN ICE BATH

Before grilling, chill vegetables down in ice water. It will ensure that they come off the grill moist and crisp.

3. TENDERIZE WITH ONION JUICE

If you’re grilling lean meats like chicken breast or lamb, tenderize the meat by adding some onion juice or pureed onion to the marinade.

4. LEAVE SOME FAT ON STEAKS

Chef Tim Love always leaves at least a quarter-inch of fat around steaks and chops in order to keep them juicy.

He also advises scoring the fat in advance so that the meat doesn’t curl up while cooking.

5. BASTE WITH HERBS

Tie fresh herbs to a basting brush for extra flavor.

6. ONLY FLIP ONCE

Meat won’t develop killer grill marks if you flip it every 10 seconds. To achieve crosshatch greatness, rotate steaks 90 degrees after a few minutes of grilling.

7. GRILL YOUR SAUCE

For the ultimate smoky feast, thread ingredients for a sauce onto a skewer and grill them alongside the meat.

While the meat is resting, puree the ingredients in a blender.

8. COOK OVER EMBERS

Chef Michael Chiarello warns against cooking over flames—you’ll wind up with food that tastes like creosote. Instead, cook over red-hot embers.

9. WRAP FISH

Instead of losing half of a flaky fish fillet to the grilling gods, wrap delicate fish in briny grape leaves like Anita Lo does in her fantastic bluefish recipe.

10. PROTECT YOUR BONES

Wrap exposed bones in foil to keep them from charring.

Health IS YOUR

Wealth

THE PERFECT JET-SETTER WORKOUT Just because you’re jetting out of town when the Holidays arrive (and ditching your regular workout routine), doesn’t mean you have to let all that hard work go to waste. Sportsbet caught up with renowned fitness trainer, Billy Richards, in the stunning resort town of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico who shared his go-to travelfriendly moves that you can do while you relax pool or beachside, or even while still in your hotel room. These simple exercise moves won’t make you feel like you’re doing much work at all.

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As a personal trainer, when I go away on vacation, I find it important to still maintain a level of fitness.

Recently I went to Hotel Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta, México. It was a great chance to relax. Some of the activities I took part in were a Sea Turtle release, day on the beach, I visited some of the local markets, had the opportunity to see how tequila was made in the papaya fields, and also went snorkeling off of a yacht.

In between these activities, I needed to find ways to keep up with my workouts in order to maintain my level of fitness. Puerto Vallarta had plenty of places to go running. The neighborhood’s had hills for high intensity cardio, and a long shorefront to go for a light jog. I also got a chance to go for a short run in the fields on a break during the tequila tour. At the hotel itself there was enough equipment to get in a full body workoutsuch as dumbbells and at least one machine for every major muscle group, elliptical machines and treadmills.

Here are 7 simple exercises to keep you fit on your next vacation: 1. Lunges leg extensions 2. Go for a jog 3. Pushups 4. Sit-ups 5. Side planks 6. Hill sprints x 5

SPORTS BETTING STRATEGY 101 TO BET SMART, A STRATEGY IS A MUST. HERE IS SOME FOUNDATION TIPS FOR STARTING OUT AND DEVELOPING A WINNING SPORTS BETTING STRATEGY OF YOUR OWN.

M AN AGING YOUR INVESTMENT – BANKROLL, STAKING & RECORDING

Without an edge in the market it can be very difficult to make money.

Time and effort needs to be put into defining your edge as well managing the money you invest. If you poorly manage your funds, you may find yourself unable to execute your betting strategies. Your bankroll is the entire amount of money you set aside for investment over a certain period. Determining this amount is dependent on how aggressive or conservative you choose your betting strategies to be.

Once you have this amount determined it’s crucial to then decide how you will best stake against your bankroll to optimise your strategy.

There are a range of staking plans that can be applied to wagering.

There is no right or wrong method so it’s important to have a detailed understanding of the varying methods that are available.

Percentage staking method applies a consistent percentage of your bankroll on each bet. The method attempts to protect the wagerer from losing their entire bankroll.

It assumes equal value of each bet, this could mean that you may be investing the same amount on a $1.50 (66.7% probability) as an investment which is $6.70 (14.92% probability). This method doesn’t consider value.

Proportional staking involves betting a share of your bankroll in proportion to your advantage within

the market or in relation to the market price. There are a range of methods that can be implemented into your plan.The Dutching method of staking involves dividing your stake over a number of selections in a market so that a consistent amount is won regardless of which selection wins. This method utilises the market price and your proposed return amount to determine your stake.

RECOGNISING VALUE & H AVING AN EDGE

Value is when the odds available represent a probability that is less than the actual or perceived probability of an event. Another way of saying this is that the odds available are larger than your perception of what the odds should be. Take, for example, the toss of a coin. There are only two possible outcomes and they both have an equal chance of occurring. Therefore, the true odds of the coin landing on a head or a tail is $2.00 regardless of how many times you toss it. If five heads have landed in a row, it makes no difference. The odds are always the same – 50-50, or in betting terms $2.00 or ‘even money’.

As a punter, it’s your task to identify the event where the odds available represent value. Still using the above example, this could mean finding the odds of $2.20 for heads or tails. To determine a value proposition in a market the investor first needs to be able to determine a perceived value.

Punters differ in their methods to determine their perceived value

of an event. Some may utilise a mathematical approach based on historical data and others may use other information such as form, weather, opinion etc. Regardless of the approach to determine the probability of an event, punters need to be able to determine an edge between their perceived value and market value within their betting strategies. The key to any strategy whereby a punter has used historical data and analysis, is to rigorously test and refine their strategy before investing with real money. Further to this, if you have thoroughly tested and believe that your model/strategy works, you must trust your work.

If the first week or two don’t yield your expected returns, be patient and remember that it is a long-term strategy, not a smash and grab job.

FORM AND M ATHEM ATICS

There are a plethora or racing’s analysts, tipsters and professionals in racing and sport that can provide their insight into the results of an event. When it comes to form analysis, punters can follow their preferred analyst or work the form themselves to determine the outcome. Sometimes a combination of the two can be the approach in sports betting strategies.

Determining the outcome of an event can also be determined by utilising mathematics to model and predict the outcome. This can range from basic to complex statistical testing on past performance to determine an edge. If you read other tipsters or analyst’s thoughts, they might just give you a factor that you hadn’t even thought of to include in your model or strategy. Even though your model might yield positive results, there is nothing saying it could be even more efficient and yield even better results.

And lastly, sport is forever changing.

Just because your betting strategies are working for you during a specific period, doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work for the next. Don’t get complacent. Be stringent and always make sure you track your results and revise if and when it’s needed.