Here are the latest reports from The Washington Posts ‘Fancy Stats’.
Upset alert: Here are the NHL teams most likely to surprise the favorites
The NHL’s second season is here, and that means to expect the unexpected. Perhaps the Washington Capitals, this year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, will succumb to the Philadelphia Flyers. Or maybe Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks will fall in the first round to the St. Louis Blues. To decide how likely we are to see […]
Four unlikely heroes of the Stanley Cup playoffs
To succeed in the NHL playoffs, contributors need to be littered throughout the lineup. For every Patrick Kane, Jeff Carter and Henrik Zetterberg Stanley Cup-winning goal, there’s a Dave Bolland, Maxime Talbot, Mike Rupp and Frantisek Kaberle game-winner. Those bottom-six guys that rise from the muck are ultimately the backbone behind each and every Stanley […]
Fatal flaws: The reason your favorite NHL team will lose in the Stanley Cup playoffs
It’s OK to be optimistic about your favorite team’s chances at winning the Stanley Cup, but even favorites have flaws. Take the Washington Capitals for example. They won the Presidents’ Trophy almost a month ago, have the highest adjusted scoring margin in the league (0.70 goals per game better than average after adjusting for strength […]
Trevor Story won’t hit 189 home runs this season, but he could set a few records
Trevor Story is re-writing the record books. Projected to hit 18 home runs before the season started, he is currently on a 189-home run pace. The 23-year-old rookie is also the first player in MLB history to hit seven home runs over his first six major league games and has more home runs than 16 teams. Trevor […]
NFL Draft: An unorthodox pick at No. 1 makes sense for Titans
The Tennessee Titans got their franchise quarterback with the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, selecting Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, opening them up to address a different position with the 2016 draft’s top overall pick. While trading out of that position is certainly a possibility, most mock drafts have the Titans selecting Ole Miss left […]
The moment Jordan Spieth lost the Masters
Jordan Spieth was on a roll. He became the first player in Masters history to lead outright for five consecutive rounds and ended Round 3 with a one-shot lead, the first defending champion with the outright lead this far in the tournament since 1954. Then Spieth began to lose his grip on the Masters at 5:38 p.m. on Sunday. Just prior to […]
This golfer is a million times more likely to be injured by a toilet than six-putt at Masters
It’s a day Ernie Els would rather forget. On the first hole of the Masters, Els missed not one, not two, not four, but FIVE putts from inside three feet — two of those within 11 inches — to card a 9 on the hole, giving him the 23rd six-putt or worse in stroke play events on PGA Tour since […]
One victory doubled Warriors’ chances to set all-time wins record
The Golden State Warriors avoided losing two straight games for the first time this season after defeating the San Antonio Spurs at home on Thursday night, giving them 70 wins and a chance to catch and surpass the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the most wins in a season (72). The only catch: the Warriors can’t lose another game. […]
Jordan Spieth shows last year’s Masters win was no fluke
Jordan Spieth picked up where he off at Augusta National. After a dominating victory a year ago, the 22-year-old is trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back titles, joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Nick Faldo in this exclusive club. Spieth, who made the turn with a 33, birdied No. 3, nailed a 10-footer for […]
Penguins, not the Capitals, are the Stanley Cup favorite
The Pittsburgh Penguins are the hottest team in the NHL. The franchise clinched its 10th consecutive playoff berth and even without the services of forward Evgeni Malkin and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury this is a team no one wants to see in the playoffs. The Pens have the highest goal differential when leading (plus-30) showing they can slam the door […]
Russell Westbrook is a triple-double machine like Magic Johnson. But better.
One day after Stephen A. Smith called the Oklahoma City Thunder “very, very predictable,” Russell Westbrook logged his league-leading 17th triple-double. In a way — though not in the way he likely intended — Smith was absolutely correct: It took all of 26.4 minutes for Westbrook to craft his latest triple-double, which ties him with […]
These three holes at Augusta National will decide the Masters winner
Augusta National, the home of the Masters, has 18 of the best-known holes in the world of golf. The most difficult hole during last year’s major was No. 11 White Dogwood, the start of Amen Corner. The par-4, 505-yard is the longest par-4 at the course and had an average score of 4.3 with just 22 […]
Why Tiger Woods may never win another tournament
Tiger Woods will miss the Masters for the second time in the last three years with no timetable for his return from back surgery. However, Jack Nicklaus isn’t ready to proclaim Woods’s career over just yet. ”I don’t think he’s done,” Nicklaus said Tuesday afternoon before going to the champions dinner. ”I think Tiger is going to win more tournaments.” […]
Rory McIlroy doesn’t have the short game to succeed at the Masters
Rory McIlroy has a chance this week to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods as the only players to achieve a career Grand Slam, victories in all four major championships. McIlroy won the U.S. Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and the British Open in 2014, leaving the Masters […]
Warriors’ goal of reaching NBA’s all-time wins record just got a lot tougher
What a difference a day makes. Before Golden State suited up to face Minnesota on Tuesday night, it had a 54.7 percent chance at winning at least 73 games and breaking the all-time record. Then the Warriors lost to the Timberwolves 124-117, and now everything has changed. If the Warriors are going to best the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for most wins […]
For Celtics to make a playoff run, Isaiah Thomas needs to keep coming up clutch
Despite having played less than two full seasons in a Boston Celtics uniform, Isaiah Thomas has blossomed into the de facto leader of Brad Stevens’s offense. This was made abundantly clear in the team’s 109-106 win over the Golden State Warriors, when Thomas, who was held scoreless in the first half, exploded in the third […]
Keeping a boring Louis Van Gaal may not be the right move for Manchester United
Just two weeks ago, it was reported that Jose Mourinho had signed a pre-contract to become manager of Manchester United. And now the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf has a report that instead, Louis van Gaal will stay on as United manager for another season. At this point, it is nearly impossible to determine what is […]
Rickie Fowler will keep Jordan Spieth from winning back-to-back Masters
Jordan Spieth turned in one of the most dominating seasons in golf history last year. The 22-year-old had five wins — two in the majors and another two strong showings in the other two majors — and $23 million in course earnings. Spieth was also the fifth player to go wire to wire at the Masters, the first to do so […]
Why Antonio Conte may be the perfect manager for Chelsea
As a bizarre Chelsea season winds to a close, the club is setting pieces in place for next year. While major player transactions will have to wait until summer, this week Chelsea announced the hiring of Italian national team Coach Antonio Conte as its manager for 2016-17. He will take over a club that is […]
Let chaos reign in NBA playoff races
The NBA playoffs tip off later this month, and we can be almost certain the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers will be among the favorites to win a championship. But there is still a lot we don’t know about what the postseason will look like. Six teams from the Eastern conference have officially […]
How Villanova slowed down North Carolina and won the NCAA title
After the initial 20 minutes of the 2016 NCAA title game on Monday night, North Carolina appeared to have little regard for Villanova’s defense. This was a defense that had held Miami, Kansas and Oklahoma to 0.96 points per possession, but none of those teams is coached by Roy Williams, progenitor of the primary, secondary, […]
Three steps to choosing an MLB pitcher for your DFS roster
Baseball season has officially gotten underway, and that means daily fantasy players will start agonizing over who should and shouldn’t be in their lineups. The highest priority should be choosing your starting pitcher, and while everyone knows about how good Clayton Kershaw is, that knowledge comes at a steep price tag. Instead, here is a step-by-step guide to […]
Warriors have a good chance at breaking the Bulls’ all-time wins record
After beating the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, the Golden State Warriors, now 69-8, moved within four games of breaking the NBA’s win record held by the Chicago Bulls, who won 72 games during the 1995-96 season. The Warriors, one win ahead of where the Bulls were after 77 games, have a huge obstacle standing in their way: They have to play […]
A sweep? Sorry, Scottie Pippen, but your Bulls might not even beat these Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors need to win four of their remaining five games to finish this season with a 73-9 record, thus breaking the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls’ NBA record for most wins in a season. But former Bulls forward Scottie Pippen thinks that his Chicago squad, which of course included Michael Jordan, would not only beat Golden State in a head-to-head […]
Why Villanova will beat North Carolina to become the NCAA national champion
The Final Four didn’t offer much in the way of drama. Villanova clobbered Oklahoma by 44 points, the largest margin of victory in the national semifinal. North Carolina beat Syracuse by 17 points, and was in control midway through the first half. Together, they produced the largest combined margin of victory in NCAA semifinals history. The oddsmakers […]
Forget MVP, Steph Curry is chasing a more exclusive honor
There’s a club so exclusive in the NBA that just six players since 1979-80 have gained entry. There’s no velvet rope, no bouncer at the door — just a simple set of numbers that separate its members from the outside world. The 50-40-90 group, also known as the 180 club —is formed by players who cap a […]
Kevin Durant needs the ball in his hands much more if the Thunder hopes to go far
Next time you’re chatting with a basketball nerd, ask this question: “Where does Kevin Durant rank league-wide in front-court touches per game?” (You can explain, if you must, that that means: How often does Durant have the ball in his hands compared to everyone else in the NBA?) Their guess will probably range somewhere between […]
NL West preview: Dodgers should hold off Giants, but just barely
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to spend and should remain at the top of the division, but the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks threw some money around too, with the Giants within striking distance of the Dodgers for divisional supremacy. The San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies, on the other hand, need too much to […]
How Max Scherzer could beat Clayton Kershaw in Cy Young race
There is a reason Clayton Kershaw is the favorite to win another National League Cy Young award. The 28-year-old strikes out out more than 30 percent of the batters he faces, while walking less than 5 percent. Plus, he has three pitches in his arsenal — each more effective than the next. His fastball, which averages 93.6 mph, was responsible […]
Here’s what Aston Villa can look forward to after sacking its manager
Aston Villa will be relegated. With only seven matches to play in the Premier League season, the Birmingham side is 20th in the table and well behind its competitors. In my projections, the average 17th place team takes about 37 points. To get to 37 points and probable safety from 16 points with seven games […]
The case for Braden Holtby as NHL’s most valuable player
Chicago’s Patrick Kane has seemingly had a lock on the most valuable player award since before the all-star break. His 94 points puts him nine ahead of Jamie Benn, and only Alex Ovechkin has scored more goals than the Blackhawks star (44 to 39). But Chicago is the third best team in the Central division, leaving the door option for Washington Capitals […]
AL West preview: Astros poised to take division crown
The Houston Astros improved quicker than expected, winning 86 games and a first-round playoff series against the New York Yankees last season. The Texas Rangers, meanwhile, are positioned to go from first to worst in the division, creating a logjam for the rights to be called the second best team in the West. Teams are listed in […]
Mets’ Noah Syndergaard could slide into this year’s Cy Young award race
Opening Day kicks off on Sunday, and, not surprisingly, Clayton Kershaw is the overwhelming favorite to once again be named the National League Cy Young award winner. In the American League, it’s a toss up between Chris Sale, David Price and Corey Kluber. But the past two seasons have shown us we could see a surprise candidate break through […]
Buddy Hield is having a Stephen Curry-like NCAA tournament, and he’s not alone
Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield stellar shooting has become synonymous with the 2016 NCAA tournament. The senior guard is undeniably one of the top perimeter threats in Division I —he is not only converting 46.5 percent of his threes, but he leads the nation in both three-point makes and attempts. When Hield is on the floor, every single one of […]
After offseason moves, Red Sox should be taken as legitimate contenders again
The Red Sox have a messy few seasons. Boston finished last in the American League East in three of the past five years and saw its free agent pick-ups not only fail to meet expectations but cost the team wins. But the past is the past, and new General Manager Dave Dombrowski was selectively aggressive this winter, giving his team the […]
NL Central preview: Why the Cubs are the best team in baseball
It looks like there will be a changing of the guard this season. For three straight years, the St. Louis Cardinals have won the National League Central, but this year all signs point to the Chicago Cubs — the favorite to win the World Series — to be the best team in the division. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who are […]
Ichiro’s quest for 3,000 hits will fall short this season
Ichiro Suzuki arrived in the United States 15 years ago and is still among one of the most beloved players in baseball history. He was named the American League rookie of the year and most valuable player in 2001, batting .350, collecting 242 hits, and stealing 56 bases for a Mariners club that won 116 games. Now, the 10-time all-star and future […]
Bryce Harper has chance to go from freak to super freak
Let’s start with the obvious: Bryce Harper had a monster season in 2015. He hit .330 while tying for the National League lead in home runs (42), and led in runs scored (118), on-base percentage (.460), slugging percentage (.649) and wins above replacement (9.5), making him the seventh — and youngest — unanimous MVP in baseball history. He joined Hall […]
What a Syracuse upset over North Carolina looks like
Syracuse surprised just about everyone by winning the Midwest region as a No. 10 seed, and now faces the only remaining No. 1 seed in the tournament, the North Carolina Tar Heels. The number crunchers at FiveThirtyEight give the Orange a 30 percent chance to pull off the upset, while Pomeroy is slightly more bearish at […]
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