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Morning Coffee: Steelers, Wilson longshots to find success
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If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, did it ever even fall?
That was the question on the first day of my Grade 12 philosophy class at Chaminade College Secondary School and it feels like the perfect metaphor for the news we saw in the NFL Sunday night.
If a team signs a quarterback and their Super Bowl odds don’t move, did it even really happen?
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Russell Wilson came to an agreement on a one-year deal Sunday night, inserting the 35-year-old quarterback into a Steelers offence that has lacked production at the position for far too long.
But oddsmakers don’t seem to think it moves the needle.
This is your Morning Coffee for Monday, March 11, 2024.
Steelers, Wilson agree to terms on one-year deal
After an unsuccessful stint in Denver, it appears the next chapter of Wilson’s career will take place in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2017 and now are hoping Wilson will be the answer.
The news has made no impact on the Steelers outlook on FanDuel.
Before the news broke Sunday night, they were +7500 to win the Super Bowl. This morning, they still sit at that number.
Prior to the news, Wilson was 150-1 to win MVP. That number remains unchanged.
The only movement caused by the news came in the AFC North divisional market.
Last night, before the news broke, the Steelers were 12-1 to win the division. This morning, they are 11-1.
The AFC remains a loaded conference with elite quarterbacks everywhere you look. The AFC North remains one of the best divisions in football.
It feels safe to say Wilson and Mike Tomlin will have to do some heavy lifting if instant success will be had this year.
MacKinnon emerging as Hart frontrunner
Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon extended his home point streak to 32 games with two assists in a 2-1 win Saturday night.
We’ve had you covered every step of the way here at TSN Betting as the Hart trophy odds continue to take shape. And now MacKinnon is separating himself from the group of four.
The Canadian centre currently is +100 to win the award, while no other player is shorter than 3-1.
Connor McDavid is the closest on the odds list at +300 coming off a three-point performance in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Meanwhile, Auston Matthews has just two goals in his past eight games and now sits at +350, and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov is +400.
No other player in the league is shorter than 50-1 after these four.
Scheffler wins API by five shots
It’s been the year of the longshot on the PGA Tour, but that wasn’t the case this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler lapped the field on the weekend, picking up his seventh career win on the PGA Tour.
Scheffler’s putting struggles have been well-documented the last 18 months.
Last season on the PGA Tour he ranked:
- First in strokes gained off the tee
- First in strokes gained on approach
- Fifth in strokes gained around the green
- 162nd in strokes gained putting
Statistically, he’s hit the ball like Tiger Woods in his prime for the past 18 months. Unfortunately, he’s also putted like me.
Scheffler made the switch to a mallet putter last week at Bay Hill and it immediately paid dividends.
Scheffler finished the week fifth in SG: Putting, gaining over two shots to the field on the greens.