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Aug 5, 2026
A Numbers Game | August 5, 2026
A Numbers Game | August 5, 2026
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45:12
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Transcript
0:00
[upbeat music] The numbers told the story, they always do. So I'm one of those idiots who believe in analytics. This is a numbers game with Gil Alexander on VSiN. [upbeat music] No, I am not Gil Alexander.
0:14
Dustin Sweetolson filling in today, tomorrow, Friday on the program. Kelly Bidlin, as always, is here. Lot to get to here this hour with our next guest.
0:25
Will Hill, VSiN betting analyst, foxsports.com, hanging out with us now in studio. Also, the host of the critically acclaimed Should've Bet More podcast. And just so you feel normal, like Gil's here- What are you doing?
0:38
... we get tweets. Kelly? We get tweets. We get tweets. He's my echo here. We get tweets. We get tweets. Uh, we get tweets. So people writing in, correcting us about some things real quickly.
0:47
I wanna give credit where credit is due. Jason Stark, the franchise tag is collectally, collectively bargained. That makes it legal. Same way MLB players are under control for six seasons.
0:56
I still think it's unconstitutional, the, the, the franchise tag in the NFL. Chris writes in, BigTampaChris05. This is where sometimes I think I remember my notes and sometimes, uh, I don't.
1:07
I, I said the, the offense for Tampa Bay was gonna be half Josh Grizzard, half Zach Robinson. It's half Liam Cohen's offense, Kelly. There you go. Which makes a little bit more sense. That was more successful there.
1:17
More tweets coming in at VSIN Live, at Dustin Sweetolson, at Kelly Bidlin, and now you can follow our next guest on X at not the Will Hill. He is. Will Hill. What's up, buddy? What's going on?
1:29
I think you said the next hour we have a lot to do. I think I signed up for a half hour. Yeah, half hour. So, okay. I was just- Well, well, we, we-... closing stuff out...
1:34
I, I don't know if you know this, the show continues after you leave. [laughs] Oh, good point. Good point. I figured, you know, after I go, it would just shut down. And then sometimes into my own car on the way home.
1:41
Yeah, well. You know, it's a dangerous game. Yeah. There you go. I'm not, I'm not your therapist. Again- No [laughs]... you, you confuse me sometimes.
1:45
I'm on the phone yelling about JVT and Stormy and something they're talking about on their show. So I was just yelling at Kelly. I was reprimanding him. The NFC South. News coming out now.
1:56
Jaylon Walker, the, the outside linebacker, he's done for the year with an ACL. James Pierce is probably suspended. But Kelly tells me that you kinda side with him.
2:03
You think the Falcons might be worth a look at four to one to win the, win the division? Yeah, I think you can get a le- a little over four to one, which, which I like.
2:09
But it's just, it's not a division where you're gonna need 11, 12 wins. I mean, the division winner last year had eight wins and all right, everyone loves the Saints. May- maybe, like I, I know the schedule.
2:19
Everyone, you know, Shuck played well. Maybe that team will pop. But, you know, Tampa did not play well the second half of last year. And, uh, you know, Carolina, are, are they really gonna duplicate it?
2:27
So I just think it's a, it's kind of a low bar to win that division. There's a lot of talent. I mean, how long we've been waiting for Kyle Pitts? They got some skill guys. They got some guys on defense.
2:37
And I, I, I don't care what you think of Stefanski. Even if you think he's maybe a little overrated, he's a two-time coach of the year. Going from Raheem Morris to Stefanski is a massive upgrade.
2:46
Mor- Morris didn't even know when to call timeouts. [laughs] Things like that. And plus, you know, let's just say it's Tua. You're keeping him indoors. He's not playing in New England or at the Jets- Yeah...
2:54
or at the Patriots where you get these 25 degree games and he's warming up and you know the game is over and he can't throw the ball 13 yards. You're at least keeping him in his habitat. So I don't know.
3:03
Could they go 9 and 8, 10 and 7 and, and seal the division? Crazier things have happened. I think that four to one's a little too high. Now, have... To, to be fair to Dustin, have you bet it? Have you bet it?
3:12
'Cause I have not bet it. I don't think I've bet it yet. I, I- Okay... I, but I, I will. You will? Yeah. Okay. I, I- A lot of these are just, you know- Yeah...
3:18
where and when and shopping and just finally getting around to. But I, I, I will definitely bet it. Well, yeah. And I...
3:22
Look, a lot of these, and I think this, this is one of them where, like, you kinda wanna see what happens in training camp, right? And if injuries rack up.
3:28
And look, if this keeps happening on the defensive side of the ball, yeah, I don't think I'm gonna be in on it. Yeah, I just think the defense was so critical last year in losing [laughs] those two guys.
3:36
It kinda eliminates everything that they, they picked up some ground on. You mentioned Raheem Morris. It just got me thinking. Outside of, the only argument I can make is Adam Gase.
3:44
Is Raheem Morris the worst two-time head coach in the NFL? Ooh. Yeah, man. I mean, I'm- Gotta be up there. Adam Gase is pretty bad. I'm trying to think of who the other candidates would be. I... There's...
3:56
I know there's one. Listeners will, will, will, will, will tweet in, but I'm tell... I know there's one we're forgetting that's major. But to get two cracks at it and to be that bad, it's almost impossible.
4:07
He's on the shortlist. [laughs] For sure. He's on the shortlist if nothing else. It's a few guys. You're... Will Hill's in studio. Host of the Should've Bet More podcast. VSiN betting analyst.
4:16
You see him all over the network of course. Let's go over to the NFC North, because this is the division that I can make a case for all four teams here, Will. Mm-hmm.
4:25
Like, I, I don't really understand the Lions love other than the schedule. I, I... The schedule is why, but they're starting a rookie tackle on offense.
4:35
They still need a second edge rusher on the other side of Hutchinson. They needed cornerback help before they lost Terrion Arnold. Now he's not gonna be playing football anytime soon.
4:45
I get that they're plus 170, but to me, doesn't this feel like a dis- division you take a shot on a little bit further down the board?
4:51
I like Minnesota and I didn't like them last year, but it feels a little bit to me like the team two years ago where- Mm-hmm... can Murray do his best Sam Darnold impression where you put him?
5:01
And I think O'Connell's a little overrated. I mean, he's been there f- five years now and, and his performances in big spots have not been inspiring.
5:07
They had a chance to beat the ones, uh, be the one seed and play the Lions that Sunday night, and really, you could point to that date.
5:12
And since then everything has gone downhill because they got destroyed on Sunday night against Detroit. The next week they get buried by the Rams and they let Darnold go and they missed the playoffs last year.
5:20
But, uh, I could see Murray. Murray had some really good years in Arizona. Mm-hmm. And just under a better system with better weapons. You know Flores is gonna put a top 10, maybe even better defense on the field.
5:31
Schedule's not horrible. They avoid the Seahawks. They avoid the Rams. They play the NFC South.
5:36
And you're gonna beat each other up in that division, so nobody I don't think is gonna go, you know, 5 and 1, 6 and 0 in division.
5:42
But as long as you maybe go 4 and 2 in that division, again, a little over five to one, uh, I, I think there's value there. And Detroit to me is gonna be an over team game to game. Yeah.
5:51
Because I, I don't like their defense at all. I think they'll still be able to move the ball with Gibbs and St. Brown and Goff and, you know, playing indoors.
5:58
But, uh, yeah, I, I, I think they're gonna be really challenged. That's not a championship defense. Just not.
6:02
Isn't, isn't it funny how we, a lot of us go from, "Eh, I don't know if you can win with Kyler in Arizona," but Kevin O'Connell says he likes him, and if Kevin O'Connell likes him, I like him.
6:11
Like that, that's just kinda my mindset. If, if- If you're gonna get the, the sign-off from KOC, then, uh, he, he knows he can utilize you in a way you haven't been used before. [sighs] I, I...
6:21
The only thing I'm saying is, like, I don't even know if I need that, Dustin. Like, I, I've always been a little bit higher on Kyler, I think, than most.
6:26
It's just for more it's can Kyler stay healthy- No, the problem is-... can he stay on the field, right? The problem is K- Kyler's eyes aren't higher on Kyler because- [laughs] That's right. [laughs]...
6:34
because, uh- His, his hiatus... I, I, I know people think it's a joke. The more I watch him, the more I think he legitimately doesn't see receivers downfield. Like, I just- He's tiny...
6:42
I just don't think he can see them unless he rolls out of the pocket- Yeah... is the problem, but you have Jefferson. Jauan Jennings was a very sneaky signing by them. Yes.
6:50
I think those two guys can take that short stuff that, that, that he likes to throw and do the most, whether it's Jennings moving the chains, whether it's Jefferson picking up yak. And then you touched on Flores.
7:02
They benefit from... Ryan Flores will never be a head coach again in the NFL. His defenses are always elite. He turns regular corners into superstars. W- where are you at with Green Bay and Chicago?
7:14
'Cause I think we're all a little low on Green Bay, and maybe we should give Matt LaFleur a little credit, but I, I... I'm having trouble getting there. Chicago has the hardest schedule, Will.
7:22
I think Chicago [laughs] might be the best team in the NFC potentially. I mean, Ben Johnson's really good. [sighs] Caleb Williams showed th- that growth. But what were they? Plus 22 in turnovers.
7:31
They won so many close games. They had so many comebacks. That stuff, I mean, we talk about it all summer, that stuff usually does even out. And, and by the way, I think Minnesota gets Green Bay week one, so no Parsons.
7:41
When you play Green Bay kinda matters because- Yeah. Yeah... you wanna play them before Parsons c- comes back. And I think they play Green Bay kinda before the, uh, the tundra starts to freeze.
7:50
And, and I know Minnesota's been hit pretty hard here. Not pretty hard, but they, they went from being, you know, a week one underdog to a, to week one favorite, so the, the market seems to like Minnesota.
7:58
I, I'm kinda torn on Green Bay. I, I'm a little downer on Detroit than, than most people, I think, the more I look at it. I, I'm kinda torn on Green Bay. I, I think Chicago probably regresses.
8:06
But Green Bay's an interesting team because middle of the season, I mean, they looked like a, uh, like a legit contender to win the whole thing. Yeah, yeah.
8:12
And then they just, they lose their last five or six games just, uh, when, when you include the playoffs, and that loss in the playoffs is just oh my God. Well, no Parsons, no Hafley. Romeo Doubs is gone.
8:20
It, it's, it's a lot of transition- Mm... and a lot of pressure on Matt LaFleur, [laughs] who's been a really good coach. You're right, by the way. They go, the Bears, to Green Bay week five.
8:29
Parsons says he expects to come back week six. And by the way, th- shout out to the listeners. They always come through. Boudin Boy writes in @NateBSaucy, "You're thinking of Dennis Allen." Den- That's a good one. Yeah.
8:41
Dennis Allen. That's a really good one. That, that's probably the holy trinity, though, of getting two cracks at it. Yes, he is. Dennis Allen, Adam Gase, Raheem Morris. And then, uh, ooh, we should just touch on this.
8:50
Figlish 50 writes in, "Apparently Will, not the Will Hill, does not skip arms day." Oh, not at all. Yeah. Look, we should've- What, what's, what's your routine?... all done sleeveless shirts today, man. Look at this.
8:59
Yeah. Or I should've gone with Will. How many days a week are we hitting arms, Will? Pa, uh, I mean, a few days a week. I've got a little routine, but I've, uh- [laughs]... I've packed on a couple- Look at-...
9:07
pounds since, uh, [laughs] since last time... look at those cans, man. Geez. I need to get on the, uh, I need to get on the Kelly routine here of, uh- I, I did arms day yesterday... losing a couple.
9:13
I'm hurting, but they ain't looking like yours, man. Well, I, I did chest day yesterday. Oh, we should've worked out together. I wish I could've done belly day. That's the one I need to work out the most.
9:20
[laughs] There's not enough of that. I'm still working on the, that, that, uh, alleged ab muscle that exists, so, so can't wait to see those one day, Dustin. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure.
9:28
Maybe in 20 more years? Yeah. I love when people go, "No, you, you have abs. It's just hidden underneath all of that." I'm like, "It's gonna take a long time- It's gonna take some- [laughs]... to get there, brother."
9:35
[laughs] Will Hill is in studio hanging out with us. We're gonna do a double shot with Will. We'll do some baseball- I'm gonna ju- I'm gonna jump in real quick, Dustin.
9:42
The NFC North, bets have, that you guys have made- No, I haven't placed any... have you made anything? I did make the Vikings one. You made the Vikings one? Yeah.
9:49
So I do think w- w- it's another division, we've talked about this before, Will. See it pretty similar to the, to the South, it's just opposite, right?
9:57
Like, all these teams I think are more bunched together than what a five to one on the Vikings would indicate. I think you've mi- ma- make a stab at the Bears. That's a good one.
10:06
The one bet I made on the Bears, you might like this one, Dustin, over their total points scored for the season. Oh. So 415 and a half, where I'm just isolating that on the offense.
10:15
I don't need to worry about where they finish at in the division. I don't need to worry about the win total. Uh, just worry about that offense continuing to hum, which I think they're gonna do just fine.
10:23
It's two separate conferences, obviously. But explain to me how the Vikings are plus 154 to make the playoffs, but the Steelers are plus 140 [laughs] to make the playoffs. Like- Yeah, different conference.
10:35
By the way, I did bet this too, Vikings 22 to one to be the one seed. I don't, maybe- I don't, I don't, I g- I don't think it's crazy. Okay. I, I mean, they were there with Sam Darnold a couple years ago. There you go.
10:46
I, I, I, I regret when I w- when I look back at the, the VSiN NFL betting guide, 'cause I had the Giants over seven and a half wins. I wanted to have a long shot in there as a playoff team.
10:53
The Vikings are a playoff team. Like, I, I think they're at the very least a wildcard team, but they, you're right, they can win this division.
10:59
And a lot of this stuff, obviously, I mean, we talk about these teams till we're blue in the face all summer. You lose your quarterback, now maybe McCarthy can be okay, but if Kyler Murray- No... loses- No, he can't.
11:08
Yeah. I mean, it's, it's- He can't. Come on, as a Vikings fan. He showed some pro... I, I was never a fan of the pick, never a fan of him. He showed some progress at the end of the year.
11:16
I mean, I know it was, like, the Cowboys late in the year on a Sunday night. He showed some season. Okay, I at least see it, but I mean, that's, you have to caveat all of these statements. Well, you know what?
11:24
Hey- If you lose your quarterback, you're done. He's better than Max Brosmer. I can say that confidently. [laughs] There you go. But I, like Max Brosmer is maybe the worst thing I've ever seen on a football field, so.
11:32
Yeah. Well, one of the best things you'll see happened at Yankee Stadium last night. Have the Bronx Bombers found their savior for the rest of the way for their offense?
11:41
We'll ask Will Hill about that when we return on A Numbers Game. [upbeat music] You're here because you want an edge. That's what separates listeners from winners. But let's be real, mindset alone doesn't get bets home.
11:58
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12:06
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12:10
Tap the link and see why serious bettors are turning knowledge into profit with VSiN Pro[upbeat music]
12:25
A numbers game on VSiN, the sports betting network. Justin Sweetolson, Kelly Fidlin hanging out here on a numbers game.
12:37
Thanks for hanging out with us however you may be tuning in, Sirius XM channel 158, YouTube TV, VSiN Watch App, radio affiliates across the United States of God bless America. Second segment here with our guy Will Hill.
12:49
We went football first. We gotta talk baseball next. He will be a part of Bet Bash later today, live taping of the Bears Bets podcast, I believe. More... That seemed like more of a question, but yeah. Yeah.
13:01
I think so now I'm, I'm, like, questioning it. I don't know if it's a li- Is it? I think so. Is it a live show or is it a live taping? I don't know, I don't know what we're doing. I think it's a live show.
13:07
I think there's gonna be audience members there, so I think we- Oh, really? Oh, wow. Okay... I think we'll all find out at the same time, apparently, but- Oh, maybe we st- we storm the stage then.
13:14
Yeah, but, I mean, look. Hopefully no one throws a shoe at you like the president had a while back. [laughs] Yeah. All right. Uh, last night you were traveling. Your family's with you here in Vegas.
13:24
Were you able to ca- ca- uh, see any of what went down with the Yankees? The debut of George Lombard Jr., he turns a couple double plays.
13:33
He hits a home run where, I mean, he looked like he was ready for that pitch his entire life. How do you feel about what you saw last night from the Bombers?
13:40
Yeah, and I don't know if you saw this, but his brother, I think, made his, uh, pro debut in, like, single A and hit a home run. Yeah. Same exit velocity, same launch angle, which is just almost bizarre.
13:51
But, I, I mean, look, it's long overdue. I think part of it was, you know what? We didn't have the greatest trade deadline. We didn't get the big splash, although I think Garcia's a tremendous addition, a good bet.
13:59
Oh, yeah. I think a little bit it's, you know what? Let's make the fans happy here.
14:02
Let's just try to, try to save the relationship this way and bring up the kid and, and make everyone forget that we didn't really add a reliever, add a catcher. But this all comes down to Judge.
14:10
If Judge isn't back, uh, forget it. Yeah. If Judge is back, that's all of a sudden, you got Judge, you got Rice, you got Garcia.
14:16
You got a hell of a one, two, three with, uh, w- with Fried and Schlittler and Cole, and maybe Rodon comes back, and, you know, you could move the Weathers and the Warrens of the world to the bullpen.
14:25
So it's all dependent on Judge, and nobody knows. Cashman says, "You know what? We'll see. We're optimistic, but there's nothing concrete."
14:33
And you run the risk, if you bring him back too early, where you're so tempted to bring him back, but if you- No... bring him back too early, he's done.
14:38
He has a, uh, you know, he, he resets it or, you know, he, he re-injures it. Y- you gotta forget it. You, see you next year if there is a next year. So the, it, it all comes down to that, and that's a big unknown.
14:48
No, no chance to, to do what you wanna do, which is win a World Series if Judge isn't healthy. So I, I, I agree with the moves in that retrospect. But one, over under Anthony Volpe starts at shortstop.
15:00
I'll put the number at five and a half the rest of the way. The rest of his career, or...? The rest of the season. [laughs] Oh, under. Under. It's over.
15:08
Uh, I mean, maybe they try to make him learn second because- Yeah... Chisholm's a sec- Chisholm's a free agent, and they just, they go that route where all right, we move Volpe to second.
15:17
Uh, Lombard's the shortstop of the future. But I would say under, I think it's, it's...
15:21
u- unless he gets hurt or just completely, you know, a, a few weeks from now he's hitting 130, you probably stick with Lombard, I would think. Yeah, they, they, they moved DeVol.
15:29
They didn't make an addition in the bullpen. No. But I, I think the thought is Weathers goes to the bullpen where he has experience in the past.
15:35
Maybe, you know, Warren goes to the bullpen once you get into the postseason. Catcher, though, feels like the head-scratcher. Why they didn't make a move there.
15:43
Now, Austin Wells, I believe, homered the first game after the trade [laughs] deadline. Yeah. But it, it's a little bit... Do you anticipate...
15:50
I, I know the reports are saying that he's not going to, but do you think the Yankees get forced and have to play Ben Rice at catcher? [sighs] I, I think if he could, he would.
15:58
I just, I think he might be so bad at catcher that that's probably- [laughs]... not gonna happen. And look, I, I mean, uh, you, you need a catcher.
16:04
Uh, Wells' numbers are just, it's almost like the, when the pitcher used to hit in the National League. But here's the thing, we talked about this a lot doing these shows before the deadline, Dustin.
16:11
There weren't that many sellers. No. Uh, the, the Rockies were gonna ask for an arm and a leg for Goodman. Uh, the Twins are right there, so everyone's, "Oh, I'll just get Jeffers." The Twins are in a playoff spot.
16:19
The Twins are right there for a playoff spot. So there's just, when there's not that many sellers, there's not that many teams to choose from.
16:24
I guess you coulda, you know, forked over the prospects for Adley Rutschman, but that's just, that's, that, it's, again- Well, the, the Red Sox are getting crushed. Yeah.
16:32
So the, the Red Sox, despite winning and being the hottest team in baseball, they got annihilated 'cause they gave up way too much for Adley Rutschman. That's a price the Yankees weren't willing to pay.
16:40
Nobody wanted that trade, apparently. That's what, that's what I've learned over the past couple days. Well, now if, if, if the Red Sox do win a World Series, then they- Then they win... then they win.
16:47
[laughs] Uh, Will, Will, who's the, uh, it... Are these odds fair right now to win the AL? Is it still the Yankees? Should they be that big a favorite at plus 260? No, I mean, I wouldn't bet them at plus 260.
16:57
Rays plus 450, I would need more. The Red Sox- Who scares you? I mean, everybody. It's- Everybody? Once you get in, it's just... Boy, I, I, if I had to bet right now, Baltimore at 35 to 1 just- I do...
17:08
because you know what? Will. If they get in, who knows? Will, I've been doing it all season. I'm [laughs] so wrong about this Orioles team. I have them at the same number to win the World Series and the American League.
17:19
That's how disappointing they've been. Hey, it's the American League. A good week, and al- all- It's true... is forgiven, and you're right there. I mean- Well, how about, how about Texas? Texas gets swept by Houston.
17:28
I know. They go from buyers [laughs] to sellers. I know. I know. And just a week ago they, it looked like they put the finishing touches on Seattle. They won three out of four, had a chance to sweep them.
17:37
They lost that Sunday game, then they played terribly since. I can't deal with Texas. They've drove me nuts for two years ago, for two years now. Last year I had them- Yeah... win the division.
17:43
This year I had them plus 450. I wish I had gotten off it once they took a nice little lead against Seattle. Yeah, I had- I don't trust them... I had plus 340 to win the division.
17:51
I was, I was being offered a pretty good cash out. Yeah. And I went, "No, they're, they're up. Right... why am I gonna do this?" Of course. The ca- and the cash out's never really- No, I know...
17:58
a fair bet, and you're better off maybe just betting one of the other teams. The problem is it's not a two-team race. It wasn't just them or Seattle- Yeah... or them or Houston.
18:04
There's three in the mix, and you, once you start, "Well, I'll bet the other two teams," it's not even worth it.
18:08
Well, I was told over the weekend after the Dodgers traded for Tarik Skubal, it's a one-team race for the World Series. They're plus $1.60 to win it all. And don't look now, but they've lost five in a row, [laughs] Will.
18:19
I mean, it's, isn't it baseball? It's wide open. I, I know we all, like, hype up th- these loaded rosters.
18:26
You live this as a Yankee fan, and I tried references, referencing this on social media and got crushed over the weekend. It was good for baseball when everyone hated the Yankees.
18:35
And I think it's good for baseball that everyone hates the Dodgers. Do you believe the Dodgers are inevitable here? No. No. I mean, the favorite, the rightful favorite, but- Yeah...
18:44
last year they took, I mean, Toronto not only could've won, should've won. I mean, it took a million different things for them not to win. And two years ago, the Padres were up 2-1 at home with Cecil on the mound.
18:53
Uh, the Dodgers were, were throwing a bullpen game. They were very lucky to get out of that. And remember, it was, uh, wasn't that long ago where, you know, the Dodgers were chokers.
19:00
They lost in the first round to Arizona and to San Diego, and they couldn't win despite all the talent. The last couple years, you know what? The ball broke their way, and they won. Ball bounced their way.
19:08
I like what the Cubs did, though- Oh... because they've got a good defense, a good offense, and they got guys that can pitch into that defense. Holmes. Garrett's an underrated pickup. Gausman doesn't walk people.
19:18
He's been a little unlucky. I think they really revamped... The, the reliever from the Angels is good. I think they really revamped their pitching staff. I think they're still 18 to 1 to win the whole thing- Yeah...
19:26
in some spots. I bet 'em 20 to 1 at the deadline. I just- That's a good mo- that's a good bet. Uh, no, I, I did bet it when I thought they were getting Detmers. There was that one report out there- Right...
19:32
and it seemed legit. But I, I'm good with Clay Holmes as the, as the other guy to, to Detmers. I th- that was a really smart move. And then you mentioned the defense.
19:40
Up the middle, when you're that strong defensively with PCA, Swanson, and Horner, you're taking away so many hits that would break through another team right now.
19:49
I, I think the Cubs are the biggest threat right now to the Dodgers, and we're seeing that they're, they're favored to sweep 'em today. The, the Cubs are the favorite i, in the third game of the series.
19:58
Which you can't get the Dodgers too often at a plus price, but I don't know that I want any piece- I am, I, I'm-... of Eric Lauer. I, I don't know. Oh, I'm on 'em. I'm on 'em. Oh, you're on the Dodgers? Yeah, I hate it.
20:06
I hate it, but it's just- Yeah... they're gonna lose six in a row. [laughs] Yeah, I mean, that's a da- that's a dangerous thought process. [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] Is it better? Like, you know. I know, I know.
20:13
It's not gonna happen again, is it? Then you just... Yeah, it's... But I know what you mean. I just, I, I don't know that I want any part of Lauer. But yeah, I, I like what the Cubs did. Holmes is a ground-ball machine.
20:21
Gau- Gausman doesn't want people. I, I think they're live and I saw at Caesars, and maybe these numbers changed overnight, Cubs to beat the Red Sox in the World Series exact is 100 to 1. Red Sox- Hmm...
20:31
to beat the Cubs is 150 to 1. I think it's one of those years. Now, the last couple years have been a little choppy.
20:36
I think this is one of those years where you could play some long shots with, uh, with, with the exacts, whether it's in the ALCS or in the World Series. I like that. Uh, I, I don't think...
20:44
I think it, it's completely... I know it's a cliche. I think it's completely wide open.
20:47
We are, we're always pretty much a- as a group, everyone at the beginning of every year is all in on the Mariners because of their pitching, and then the games start happening, and then you're all out on the Mariners.
20:58
I hate saying this out loud. They're 22 to 1 to win the World Series. [laughs] Would you consider it just 'cause the number is so drastically different now? I mean, I don't think it's crazy.
21:08
I get it, but I'm, I'm not betting it. I'm, I'm not saying it's gonna happen. I have 12 to 1 from the pre-season, so I, I, I don't really want any more exposure.
21:15
I bet them every year a- a- and they pretty much let me down every single year. Where do you come down on the MVP debate? Because Shohei Ohtani not gonna be pitching here. He's still pretty favored at minus $1.40.
21:25
PCA's plus 110. I gotta tell you, Will, I, I don't think Ohtani's having a year that warrants being the MVP. It's like the Judge thing. It all comes down to if he pitches.
21:34
I think if Ohtani pitches again, he's got enough good pitching banked where he's... I think he's eight and two with a 170 ER, even though he hasn't pitched well recently. He's gonna hit, what's he at, 28 homers?
21:43
So he's gonna get to- Yeah... 35, and that's, that's still a hell of a resume. I would...
21:47
If I had to bet it right now with current numbers, I would bet Ohtani, but again, a lot of that is the uncertainty of when Ohtani's gonna pitch. I think he's gonna, gonna push to pitch.
21:54
I think he's got more pull in the organization than he lets on, and he wants these MVPs. He wants all these personal accolades. Ar- are you nervous about Slittler? Minus 130 AL Cy Young.
22:03
Are we starting to see some of the cracks because he, he just has never thrown this many innings? I think he, I, I think that's fair, but I also think every time he has one of these starts where he pitches bad...
22:11
He had a Tigers one a couple months ago. He pitched terribly. You know, he's wearing down, he's tired, and then he comes out and he shoves the next game, so a mild concern. I think it's fair to have some mild concern.
22:20
All right, a minute to go. Tell us, where can everyone find you guys today doing the live Bears Bets podcast at Bet Bash? Yeah, Bear Bet podcast I think is 1:00 Pacific, so 4:00 Eastern.
22:31
I think we're doing that live from, uh, from Bet Bash. Then I'm hosting VSIN Prime Time tonight with Femi Abegunde, 4:00 to 8:00 Pacific.
22:38
Oh, it's like the old days, the, the Mike and Mike double header where they'd host Mike and Mike in the morning, then do SportsCenter at 6:00. I, I... This is gonna sound dumb.
22:44
Is this is your first time-- This isn't your first time hosting a show in this studio, is it? Uh, so I've recorded podcast segments and been, I've been a guest, but to host a four-hour- This... Okay...
22:53
show in the studio, this'll be the first time. All right. It's all yours. Well, hey- It's all yours I want, I want you to enjoy watching live action with three cameras blocking your view.
23:01
[laughs] Also should have bet that team. Hey, go to the podcast. Check it out. He's Will Hill. Give him a follow next at not the Will Hill. We should probably go country clubbing when we return. Yeah. Let's do it.
23:10
The Wyndham Championship. Breakdown on the other side of a Numbers Game.
23:14
[upbeat music] A Numbers Game on VSIN, The Sports Betting Network.
23:28
[upbeat music] It's a Numbers Game. I'm Dustin Sweetolson. That is Kelly Bidlin. We are the bearded brothers hanging out for the next few days here on ANG.
23:42
Still to come on the program, you are 15 minutes away from Nick Whalen dropping by. Get his thoughts on the Hall of Fame Game coming up, as we ju- did just get news that Jeremiah Love is not going to play.
23:53
I know that is a big shocker for everyone out there [laughs] that... Yeah. And we were talking to Will Hill about this last segment.
23:58
If you missed that conversation, you can go back, download the show wherever you get your podcasts.
24:03
I was so bummed out, kind of at the level where I was annoyed at the trade deadline in baseball where, where the Brewers didn't get Skubal. I thought Jeremiah Love was the perfect fit for the Minnesota Vikings. Mm.
24:14
I was... I thought they were gonna trade up for him. If there was a chance he fell, I thought they'd scoop him up.
24:20
To me, you put Jeremiah Love in that offense with Kyler Murray coming in and that defense, and the way Kevin O'Connell can, can manipulate his run game and play off the play action, I thought that's a Super Bowl team next year, like, legitimately, [laughs] even with Kyler Murray at quarterback.
24:33
I, I st- I, I still cannot believe that the Cardinals ended up drafting him. Uh, just was, man, af- after seeing him- No, but it, it's, it's good... how much work there is to do.
24:42
No, no, it's, it's, it's a really smart business move because you have this guy whose asset actually-- It's like buying a new car.
24:49
The second you drive off the lot- The, the, it depreciates immediately Right Utilizing their, their best skill sets.
24:55
So what they're gonna do is, in his prime years, they're gonna put him into a tandem with Tyler Allgeier, and then w- in their window of when they decide to actually be a winning franchise, which is probably, what, two, three years down the road at the earliest, they'll have to start paying him more money, still have a ton of money and cap space tied up to the running back position, which is definitely something that's been successful for teams in the past in winning Super Bowls.
25:16
It's just like you have, you have no idea. I mean, who is the starting quarterback three years from now, right? We, we, we haven't even begun to start that process in Arizona. No. Yeah.
25:27
[laughs] Like it's- Now, look, Carson Beck, and you know what? We, we get tweets, @VSINLive, @DustinSweedelson, @KellyBidlin. Someone did tweet in here. I wanna find their tweet. It's Jeremiah Westgate.
25:37
He said, "You guys are talking Hall of Fame game. Just wanna go on record. In my opinion, Carson Beck was the second best quarterback in the draft.
25:43
No skin in the game, just thinks he's, he's got the tools, plus is very gutsy the way he hangs in the pocket." Carson Beck feels very Tyler Shuck-like, where you're trying to win college football games.
25:54
Maybe he doesn't get to show off everything he can do. If you go back to Georgia, when he had Ladd McConkey and he had Brock Bowers, they opened up that playbook.
26:02
Todd Monken, I believe, might have still been the OC, not Mike Bobo at the time. I have to go back and look. But my point is, Carson Beck has all the tools to be successful at this level. Mm-hmm.
26:14
Tyler Shuck had decent numbers at Louisville, but I think there's a chance he does the same thing Shuck did, and he's better in the NFL than he is at college for some reason. I totally think so.
26:22
I, I think that's completely fair. Um, and I, I don't even think, I don't think that's that crazy of an opinion. I think a lot of people would agree with that.
26:29
I, I think, I mean, look, it was a bad quarterback draft, right? I think you could easily make the case that he was second-best quarterback to go, to go in this draft.
26:36
And yeah, I, like Carson Beck, we were talking about it earlier when we were going through some of the college coaches that, that have moved.
26:42
Like, this is, this is a different college football universe we live in now, and that means it's gonna be a different rookie quarterback world that we live in now.
26:49
And, I mean, we've all seen Carson Beck play about 120 football games before. And by the way, I, there was one crossover year.
26:56
It was not the year that Beck started at Georgia, though, or one of the years where Todd Monken was still there his sophomore year.
27:03
In 2023, Carson Beck threw for 3,900 yards in 14 games, had 24 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and there were people, I remember, projecting him to be a t- one of, if not- Oh, yeah... one of the first quarterbacks. Yeah.
27:16
Then 2024, he gets injured when it matters down the stretch, but still had a good year. Issues with turnovers, but 28 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and he threw for almost 3,500 yards.
27:27
And last year at Miami, he became a game manager because they just won in the trenches so much. He didn't have to- Mm-hmm... you know, unleash it and, and throw it around 30, 40 times a game.
27:36
But when they needed to make big throws, he came through a few big times for them as they made a push all the way into the national title game. More tweets, @VSINLive, @DustinSweedelson, @KellyBidlin.
27:47
Patrick Kelly writes in, "What? You've jumped the Shuck?" Get it? Instead of jumped the shark, jump the Shuck. [snorts] I think that's pretty funny. That was, that was- Good... that was well done there. Uh, let's see.
27:56
Brian Moranian writes in, "The defensive to his back not keeping him out, uh, with Dustin Sweetelson as his head, which will likely bounce off the turf week one versus the Steelers."
28:05
Thought that was pretty- It was pretty good... I mean, he's gonna get hit at some point, right? That, that's inevitable here for that. So we, we'll, we'll read more tweets throughout the show.
28:13
I, I just, I can't tell if, I, Brian, I don't know if it's you every time or just e- or, or if someone else every time we bring up Kyler Murray br- sends in the reminder tweet that Call of Duty comes out on October 23rd.
28:25
You wanna do it? To the club. Let's go clubbing. [upbeat music] That girl's trying way too hard in the back. There's alway- there's always something else I notice.
28:42
Uh, it's something new I notice every time we run this. D- well, that was supposed to be for a Viagra commercial, right? Oh, d- I mean, look, you, you shoot those types of things, and then you cast a wide net.
28:51
[laughs] Yeah. Who wants to buy this stuff? I mean, that is definitely a pharmaceutical commercial. It is. [laughs] Like, that's the goal when you make that. Joi- joint pain, right? Yeah.
28:59
Yeah, whatever they're taking for their joint pain, look at how much fun they're having, right? Look at, look at these guys having fun. The only thing it's not is a Life Alert watch. [laughs] It's totally not.
29:06
I don't think they'd be pounding, uh, we're pounding mimosas and screwdrivers, whatever they have going on there. All right, talk to me, buddy. Let's go. Wyndham Championship coming up this week.
29:15
It is the final event of the regular season. Yep. And after Sunday, only the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings advance to the playoffs. What do we make of the course and the situations we're walking into?
29:25
Yeah, big deal, uh, tournament. Last, last one of the regular season. As you said, the top 70 from here will move on to next week when the playoffs begin.
29:32
If you lock up a top 50 spot, uh, this week, that's a big deal as well.
29:37
You get your PGA Tour card cleared for the next two years and into every signature event next season, which is where the big time money is at on the PGA Tour, uh, these days.
29:47
So Wyndham Championship, unlike last week, back to a course that we are very familiar with, which is nice to always end the season with.
29:55
Can always kinda rely on some of the same old statistics that we're used to seeing every year. But we got 147-man field.
30:01
It is a top 70 in ties cut week for everybody out there that, that, uh, might factor in for bets or DFS. Par 70, so normal par 70 setup this week. Loose to par 5.
30:12
7,100 yards is not an overly long course, but accuracy is a premium off the tee. 29 yards is your average fairway width.
30:20
You can, it's relatively easy to find the fairway here, Dustin, but we are ba- this is full Bermuda from fairways to rough to the greens, which we have not seen in a while, and what you'll always hear people talk about with Bermuda rough, much harder to hit out of.
30:36
So it might only be two and a half inches out there on the rough, but you get into that mess, it is harder to get clubs underneath the ball. The, the grass tangles around the ball more. You can get more flyers.
30:47
So very important to keep it in the fairways this week. If you do that, you should have good looks into some s- uh, some bigger greens at 6,000 square feet. There are some bunkers.
30:57
This is one of the tougher courses on the PGA Tour to gain strokes around the green.
31:02
The problem is, it's so easy overall where we see winning scores at, that if you're playing that much around the green, Dustin, you are not gonna be contending. Defending champ is Cam Young. Yep.
31:11
Based on everything I read, course history matters here maybe more than a lot of other courses. It, top 10 more, uh, most predictive course on the, on the tour.
31:18
And Chris- So yes, guys that have played well here or played poorly here usually continue to do that... previously known as the Webb Simpson Open unofficially. Yeah, [laughs] that's right. Has he dominated this event?
31:28
He's, he's won, I think, twice, by, maybe three times.
31:30
With all that said, who jumped out to you as some guys in the field, Tom Kim, Aaron Rai, they've had success here in the past Who are you targeting a- a- as some of your favorite outrights?
31:40
Yeah, so look, I think for stat-wise what you're looking for is a- or accuracy on the tee, heavy on approach, par four scoring, uh, and then putting always matters here.
31:48
I- it's unfortunately, I think it's a great course set up, but usually whoever catches the hot putter, uh, ends up winning. Your odds board right now at DraftKings, Cameron Young, a little over 8/1 now, plus 830.
31:59
Jackson Koyman continues to get bet, 18/1 or shorter out there for this. Hideki's taken money this week. He's down to 23/1.
32:07
Justin Thomas has taken money this week, down to 26/1, who I landed on, uh, for this week, Dustin. I, I've been, I've been riding Hideki here. He's been playing some really good golf re- uh, recently.
32:19
Maybe not the perfect course setup for him, just because accuracy off the tee is so, is so paramount here, but he will be able to take driver out of his hands. You don't have to hit driver off the tee on every hole here.
32:32
So that gives some of these guys, I know Justin Thomas is one of the guys you were looking at. Yeah. Same sort of thing. When those guys can take... They, they can get wayward with the driver.
32:41
So just taking it out of their hands and hitting an iron off the tee or a, a, a fairway w- uh, wood, that, that can make things a lot easier for these guys. So Hideki, man, I'm all over this week.
32:52
Last 16 rounds, he is 30th on approach, 24th on, with the putter, second birdie or better, first in par four scoring in this field.
33:00
He has recent results, fifth place, a third place, and two 14th places in the last four tournaments. So Hideki really on a heater here, and he's doing it, he's actually doing it off the team with the putter.
33:11
The approach game is where it's been lacking, and that's his strongest part of his game. So really like Hideki this week. Played him outright top 10.
33:18
And then also Tom Kim, guy who's won here before back in 2022, playing some good golf right now. Uh, T20 at the 3M Open.
33:26
Yes, he missed the cut at the British Open, but won at the Scottish, rounding into form here this season. His approach game is out of control good right now. Really like Tom Kim this week.
33:36
Outright played him top 10 as well. And then Emiliano Grillo is my out- uh, real long shot this week. 80/1, uh, rated out very well for me.
33:44
The, uh, has put up some great approach numbers the past couple weeks, so played him outright in top 20, uh, at long numbers. And then top 20s on some guys I've played pretty regularly here.
33:53
Ben Coles +210, some of the best approach numbers heading into this week.
33:57
And Blade Brown, the other kid out there that kind of everybody's forgetting about, one of the best, uh, young golfers out on the PGA Tour, Blade Brown +250 for a top 20. You can see Kelly's picks, vsin.com/picks.
34:09
Additional breakdowns on the Long Shots podcast. When we return, fantasy drafting strategy. How should we approach it this year?
34:17
[upbeat music] A numbers game on VSiN, the sports betting network.
34:36
Come come with the kick drum. See if we can get that r- movie reference for you. I'm Dustin Sweetolson. That's Kelly Bidlin.
34:42
We will examine the quarterback tiers put out by Mike Sando of The Athletic later on in the program. Still to come, Kelly found a fun market to go head-to-head with win totals in the NFL.
34:53
The ones that jump out to you that might be worth looking at as we get set for the NFL season. The Hall of Fame game right around the corner on Thursday. It's Carson Beck versus Kenny Pickett.
35:02
And when you're drafting- Pick your teams... your fantasy teams this year, if, uh, you wind up with either of those, things have gone very poorly. [laughs] For, for either the, the Panthers or yourself.
35:10
One, one or the other. Right, yeah. I, I, I like to say this, Kelly, and by the way, you can tweet me your answers, @dustinsweetolson, @kellybidlin, @vsinelive.
35:18
I can tell everything I need to know about a person based on their favorite cheese and what type of toilet paper they purchase for their home. Oh, God.
35:27
Everything I need to know about you, I can tell with those two things. I also feel like the next thing I'm gonna say is a great way to identify who someone is.
35:34
How you approach putting together a fantasy football roster- Hmm... says everything that I need to know about you. For example, I am a running back hoarder.
35:44
I will have starting running backs on the bench before I have, like, wide receiver two sometimes. I am someone that just, and it's an old-school mentality- Yeah, it is...
35:52
that has not done well for me, but I just, I don't wanna have to deal with screaming bad running backs.
35:58
And to help us put together our rosters this year, our guy Nick Whelan's gonna join us, Rotowire senior analyst @Whelan. You can find him on X. The L is a one.
36:06
And he comes up after us on Prop Points with Jeff Erickson every day. Nick, if you're gonna give me your identity as someone who puts together many fantasy rosters, how would you describe yourself as a fantasy owner?
36:21
Late quarterback and usually late tight end. Uh, I am not willing to pay a premium for the quarterback position unless, unless you're getting extreme value. There, there of course are exceptions.
36:32
If you're playing in some of these big overall contests, you know, where your league is just one of 100 plus and you're playing for a big prize, then, you know, I think maybe there is an argument to, to lock in someone like Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson in the past.
36:45
But guys, I, I just can't get on board with, you know, so many elite running backs, as you said, Dustin, and elite receivers available early on with, you know, paying a second or third round price for Josh Allen.
36:57
And to me, it's even more of a sin, you know, paying a fourth, fifth, sixth round price on some of these quarterbacks who, by the end of the year, I, I think could be finishing behind players like, I don't know, Matthew Stafford last year, who was, you know, right at the top of the board in terms of fantasy there with Josh Allen.
37:13
Jared Goff, uh, is another guy I really like. You can get him well after pick 100. Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence are widely available in that range.
37:21
I will tell you, I have an embarrassing amount, a questionable amount of Kyler Murray already on my fantasy teams.
37:27
Well- I am all in on Kyler Murray, Minnesota Viking, and again, this is somebody you can get in the 10th or 11th round in a lot of drafts. So I like to wait on quarterback.
37:35
That has served me well for the most part in the past. And this year, guys Look, I, I'm not gonna tell you not to draft Brock Bowers because maybe he comes out and has the greatest tight end season we've ever seen.
37:45
He's certainly capable of that. If you took Trey McBride early last year, yes, it worked out, but again, I don't wanna be drafting a tight end in the middle rounds. Mm.
37:52
I think you're sacrificing a ton of value when, hey, you could get Mark Andrews, who has been a perennial top five tight end with the exception of last year, in the 11th or 12th round sometimes. Yeah.
38:03
I, I just fired up a, uh, fantasy league for the first time in years, Nick. I as well ended up with Kyler Murray, which I was not surprised about at all.
38:11
[laughs] I don't wanna say it was a strategy, but I was very okay with getting him late. I'll put it that way.
38:17
Uh, the other one, you sent us over a list of running backs, and I think for kinda the basic fantasy strategy Dust- Dustin, how do I handle things, this always used to be something of mine too.
38:26
I'm avoiding older or injury-prone running backs- Yeah... and running backs just on bad football teams. Well, yeah.
38:32
And Nick, you sent us a list of three running backs that you're trying to avoid early, and I think all three of these kinda check this, that box.
38:42
Yeah, look, I, I will say I don't necessarily have a problem drafting veterans.
38:46
You know, I, I tend to go for the reliable production as opposed to trying to get ahead of the market and, you know, be the guy who, you know, kinda cashes in on the, the huge value of the year because in my opinion, more often than not, that's how you, you end up losing your league.
38:59
But I am 100% with you on avoiding what, what I will admit are good players- Mm... on bad teams.
39:05
And there are two of those guys, especially early in drafts, who I, I just can't get on board with, and, and one is Astrageni, who is all the way up to an ADP now of nine overall. Wow.
39:15
I'm looking at the last two weeks over at the NFC, which is where you see a lot of these high-stakes contests that have been going on for months.
39:22
And it, it, it just bucks the trend that we normally see in fantasy football, which is reacting to the previous season, right? And usually overreacting oftentimes. But Astrageni was a huge letdown last year.
39:33
We, we were taking him at the one-two turn, and despite me really liking the player, the situation was brutal in Vegas. And I know the Raiders went shopping in free agency. They made all these additions.
39:43
Maybe most importantly, they have a better head coach in, in Clint Kubiak.
39:46
But I, I just can't believe we're not getting more of a discount, uh, given what we saw last year from this team, and the fact that, yeah, on paper, they look better, but it's still the Raiders.
39:56
Do we really expect this offense to take a massive step forward? And look, the problem I have with, with dr- drafting Astrageni at that eight, nine, 10 spot is you, you are paying for peak production.
40:06
Like, just a, an okay or even a, a well above average season for Astrageni, you still might be taking a loss- Mm-hmm... on that pick.
40:12
So I, I just can't quite get on board with it as much as I want to make Astrageni happen. And then the other guy is Devon Achan, who I, I like even more as a player.
40:21
We saw what he could top out as last year even in a bad situation with the Dolphins, but I mean, this is just a full-on strip down of the roster, like, that we have not really seen [laughs] in the NFL in quite some time.
40:31
I mean, how many, how many Dolphins players overall- [laughs]... could the average NFL fan name right now? Especially if you're taking Achan out of the mix. Maybe they can name Malik Willis.
40:39
Maybe they can name Greg Dulcich, who could very well be the leading receiver- [laughs]... for this team as a tight end. It's just a brutal situation in Miami.
40:46
I know we expect the volume to be there, but Achan is somebody we had serious, serious injury concerns about just two seasons ago, and I, I think that could resurface.
40:55
I'm not willing to pay a second round price for the only good player on the Miami Dolphins. Nick Whalen is our guest, dropping thought bombs here. Love it.
41:03
You catch him on Prop Points coming up after us on VSiN, and read him over at rotowire.com. Let's talk about value.
41:10
Let's look at some, maybe some sleepers that aren't the conventional guys at the top of the board that you think make some sense.
41:15
This time a year ago, all the hype, Nick, was a, a running back out of Washington named Jahkori Crosskey Merritt. I drafted him in several- Mm... leagues. That did not end well.
41:24
Feels like the wide receiver version of that right now in training camp is Kansas City's Cyrus Allen, [laughs] who I'm sure he's just gonna be sitting there, and I'm gonna take him over some veteran who looks like a wide receiver four on a team that has a better year.
41:36
Where are you seeing value in some guys that people probably aren't thinking about? Yeah, I mean, Cyrus Allen is somebody you probably don't even need to draft in, in most leagues.
41:45
You know, if you're in a, a really deep format or, or an overall contest, maybe you pop him with the last pick.
41:50
But I, I think the average player in your home league is not even thinking about Cyrus Allen, which is a, a good name to bring up. Look, I, I find myself liking a lot of players ar- around or after pick 100.
42:00
Specifically, you know, we talked about the quarterbacks and, and the tight ends, but I, I think there's some running back value in that range as well.
42:07
You know, someone like Rashaad White in Washington, and he's been steamed up now into the 90s in some leagues in more competitive formats.
42:14
But again, in your home league, you're probably getting Rashaad White after pick 100. The same goes for Kenneth Gainwell now in Tampa Bay.
42:20
And this goes hand-in-hand with some of the injury concerns and the falloff that we saw last year for Bucky Irving. But I've been drafting a ton of both of those guys.
42:29
You know, one of the, one of the last running backs I'm really comfortable taking, and you know, you don't want him to be your RB2, but I'm okay in theory with him as an RB3, somebody you can slot in when you have a plus match-up, is Jordan Mason with the Minnesota Vikings.
42:43
Look, I, I'm here in Wisconsin. I watched Aaron Jones for a number of years. He was incredible with the Packers. This is not the same version of Aaron Jones. He's had health issues throughout his entire career.
42:52
I don't think that's just going to magically disappear as he gets into his mid-30s. It crept up once again last season. And look, I told you I'm all in on Kyler Murray.
43:00
I'm all in on this Vikings offense taking a huge step forward.
43:03
I think that trickles down to Jordan Mason, who had some really, really nice advanced numbers last year but was kinda sucked into this black hole that was the Vikings offense under JJ McCarthy and Carson Wentz.
43:13
So I, I think we're seeing some other players for Minnesota rise based on that Kyler Murray-led optimism. But you can still get Jordan Mason in the 10th or 11th round. All right, Nick Whalen, Wisconsin night.
43:23
Before you get out of here, what's, uh, what's your favorite cheese? Dustin led that, led us into that. I... Did we have this conversation with Nick last time? I don't believe so. I don't think we did.
43:30
Nick Whalen, what's the best cheese? I, I should start asking every guest this. You really should. [sighs] I, I feel like this always comes up, whether it's, like, movies or something like this. I'm not a big cheese guy.
43:40
I'm really not. I'll, I'll eat cheese. What? You're not a cheese guy? I like cheese curds- What?... quite a bit. Um, but I don't... I'm not, I'm not- Wow... putting cheese on most things.
43:47
You know, if, if, if I'm eating lasagna, for instance, you know, obviously I'm, I'm willing to indulge, but I'm- Okay... not going out of my way to add cheese. Like, when, when you ask me, "What's your favorite cheese?"
43:55
Like, I'm s- I'm scrolling through, like, some of the default names I know. I do not have a go-to answer by any means. Don't worry- I'm not a huge cheese fan. Don't worry, Nick. Dustin has the answer for you.
44:04
C- consider this- Okay, what is it? C- just... No, just consider the source here. That's the dumbest thing ever said in the history of VSiN. [laughs] I just wanna be very clear. I know.
44:12
As someone who had the record for a lo- I know. You don't like cheese? Oh, man. I, I, I will eat cheese, but I am not going out of my way to consume cheese. Cheese fries.
44:23
If I have the option, I'm probably not putting cheese on something. You, you represent your state so well. You, uh, uh, b- born, born in Green Bay? Self, self-hating. I know. Born in Green Bay, Jacksonville Jaguar fan.
44:31
Yeah, you, dude, you're, you're a self-hating- Oof... Wisconsinite. We're revoking your privileges. [laughs] We look forward to Prop Points later on today after us on the network. Thanks as always, Nick.
44:41
Appreciate the time. Yeah, tough way to end the segment, guys, but appreciate you having me. [laughs] So I saved the tough question for the end. Yeah. The Circus Survivor documentary, it's heating up.
44:49
Tonight's episode, The Turning Point. Oh. It's called that for good reason. Week five, chaos ensues. Number one pick of the week goes down in flames on a Thursday night. $18.7 million is on the line.
45:01
Watch tonight, 9:00 PM Eastern on VSiN. Need to catch up? Check out our YouTube, VSiN Live. Episodes one and two are up there. [upbeat rock music]
A Numbers Game
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