Jan 6, 2021
Morning Coffee: Team USA upsets Canada to win gold, NFL playoff power rankings
Team USA upset Canada 2-0 on Tuesday night to win gold at the World Junior Championship. Canada, which entered the tournament at +140 odds to win it all and was a -350 favourite to beat the U.S. in the final. Meanwhile, Team USA was +375 to win it all at the start of the tournament – the third choice behind Canada and Russia (+300). Here is the Morning Coffee for Wednesday Jan. 6, 2021.
Team USA upset Canada 2-0 on Tuesday night to win gold at the World Junior Championship.
Canada, which entered the tournament at +140 odds to win it all and was a -350 favourite to beat the U.S. in the final, went undefeated until falling just short in the championship game.
Meanwhile, Team USA was +375 to win it all at the start of the tournament – the third choice behind Canada and Russia (+300).
In the end, the U.S. beat both Russia and Canada on their way to a championship.
Here is the Morning Coffee for Wednesday Jan. 6, 2021.
Team USA Upsets Canada For Gold
Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win and was named tournament MVP after finishing as the leading scorer at the World Juniors.
Spencer Knight turned aside all 33 shots he faced to give the Americans their first ever shutout win in a medal round game at the WJC.
Team USA has now defeated Canada in four consecutive gold- medal meetings. In fact, Team USA has five gold medal game wins and four of them have come against Canada. The other was against Sweden in 2013.
DeVonta Smith Wins The Heisman
Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith is this year’s Heisman Trophy winner.
Smith is the first wide receiver to win the award since Desmond Howard in 1991.
It’s a remarkable accomplishment for a player who wasn’t even an option to place a wager on when the betting odds were first released.
Just three weeks ago, Smith was a +2200 long shot to win the award. By Monday, the Crimson Tide wide receiver was the betting favourite at -1000 odds.
Smith still has one more trophy left to chase.
Alabama (-8) will take on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship next Monday night right here on TSN.
NFL Power Rankings
As expected, there was nothing from Week 17 that forced me to reconsider what I think are the five best teams in the NFL heading into the playoffs.
Here are the five teams I think have the best chance to win the Super Bowl in order.
1. Kansas City Chiefs +190
So much has been made about the Chiefs not blowing teams out over the second half of the regular season.
After all, Kansas City covered just once over its final eight games.
That said, when was the last time the Chiefs really needed that next level sense of urgency to win a game? I don’t think it’s happened since they won the Super Bowl.
Patrick Mahomes and company have been on cruise control since Week 1.
Kansas City went 14-1 in games that Mahomes started.
This team barely scratched the surface of its max potential throughout the regular season, yet they still rolled to the best record in the NFL, earned a bye and home-field advantage for the playoffs, and remain healthy heading into the most important time of the year.
The Chiefs are still the best bet to win the Super Bowl.
2. Buffalo Bills +700
There is a difference between playing better than the Chiefs in December and going into Arrowhead Stadium in January and winning a playoff game against Mahomes and company.
For as impressive as Buffalo has looked over the past few weeks, it isn’t enough to make me forget what Kansas City did in last year’s playoffs, which was the last time they were in a must-win situation.
Josh Allen is the league’s most improved quarterback. A big part of that has to do with the addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who has had a greater impact than any other player that was traded last off-season.
In addition to the offence, the Bills defence has demonstrated a significant improvement over the second half of the season.
Buffalo is still the team I consider most likely to upset the Chiefs in a playoff game.
That doesn’t mean that I’d bet on it to happen.
3. Green Bay Packers +450
Remember when Carson Wentz had shorter odds to win NFL MVP than Aaron Rodgers? That feels like a long time ago now.
In 17 weeks, Rodgers went from a +2500 longshot to win MVP to the betting favourite to win that award at -2400 odds.
The Packers delivered another reminder of how important home-field advantage is for them in their 40-14 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 16.
With a bye and home-field advantage for the playoffs, Green Bay is still the top NFC contender.
4. New Orleans Saints +750
Is this the year that the Saints finally win it all?
New Orleans went 12-4 despite missing several key players at different points in the season, including Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and even Alvin Kamara last week.
The Saints will need all three of those players to be healthy and playing to their immense potential in the playoffs in order to make a serious run.
If healthy, New Orleans still has the best chance to take down the Packers in the NFC.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1000
A few weeks ago, I moved the Buccaneers to the No. 5 spot in my power rankings despite the fact that they weren’t among the teams with the five shortest odds to win the Super Bowl.
At the time, some considered it a reach.
Fast forward three weeks later, and the perception of Tampa Bay has changed a little bit following four straight wins to finish 11-5.
For one thing, the Buccaneers are in fact now the fifth choice to win the Super Bowl at +1000 odds.
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay offence really hit its stride over the past few weeks, the defence is good enough to hold its own, and this group has heard all year about how they aren’t good enough to compete with the top contenders.
I still think the Packers and Saints are better teams.
However, if I had to choose one sleeper team outside of my top four that has what it takes to surprise this postseason, I’d take Tampa Bay.