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Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Predictions Props, Odds, Lines, & Picks

Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Predictions Props, Odds, Lines, & Picks

The Thanksgiving matchup between the Ravens (6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS) and the Steelers (10-0 SU, 8-2 ATS) not only didn’t take place on Thursday, in the originally scheduled time, but it has been moved three times since. The Covid-19 outbreak raging through the Ravens squad caused the NFL to postpone the game to Sunday, then move it to Tuesday, and the latest news is that the game will be played on Wednesday, also moving Pittsburgh’s next matchup vs Washington to Monday. There’s been plenty of questions about why is this game even being played with over 20 Ravens players sent to the Reserve/COVID-19 list, but the NFL seems determined to make this match happen.

Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Line Movement

Due to the events surrounding this game we’ve seen line fluctuate more drastically than usual. The opening odds had the Steelers favored by just -2.5 with the line moving to -4.5 before Thursday when the game was supposed to take place. Further news from the Ravens camp has now pushed the line all the way to -10.5 in Pittsburgh’s favor. The total has also seen some change due to the new situation, dropping from 44.5 to 40.5.

Notes On The Baltimore Ravens

The troubles just seem to pile on for Baltimore. After losing three of their last four games and seeing their playoff spot slowly slipping away, they now have a Covid outbreak in the ranks and will have to enter the must-win game in Pittsburgh without some of the most important players. The Ravens did beat the Steelers last year with their backups playing the prominent roles, but that was under totally different circumstances and these teams are at a much different place now. After losing running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins on Monday, on Thursday the Ravens were hit by the news that their QB Lamar Jackson, among others, has also tested positive and is unavailable for this game. Robert Griffin III will start in his place. Losing so many players will certainly affect Baltimore’s strongest weapon, the running game, but we can still expect them to try to make things happen on the ground.

RGII is not on the level of Lamar Jackson, but he is the player in a similar mold and we can expect him to contribute to teams rushing at least to some extent. Still, the Ravens will mostly rely on RB Gus Edwards who could put up big numbers without having to share his carries with Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins.

Notes On Pittsburgh Steelers

The news from the Pittsburgh camp is that the Steelers players are pretty ticked off with the several postponements of this game. They see it as the league doing everything to accommodate the Ravens and apparently are not too happy about it. It just adds a bit more fire to the game which they were already entering fully motivated as it can effectively clinch them the top spot in the division. They also have a Covid case on their hands as running back James corner is on the COVID-19/IR list. We can expect the Pittsburgh defense to go aggressive against Robert Griffin III from the start to try to secure an early lead and lean on Benny Snell to move the chains for the rest of the game.

NFL Week 12 Prime Time Betting Picks

In the absence of James Conner, Snell could be in for a great game against the depleted Ravens defense. If the Ravens manage to keep the game close we may see some more actions from the receiving corp, especially rookie Chase Claypool who gets better with every game.

Tuesday Night Football Betting Pick & Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers -10.5

Due to so many unknowns, this game is very difficult to predict, but ultimately, all of the absent players should be too much for Baltimore, and we expect Big Ben and co to be able to handle the Baltimore second-stringers.

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Baltimore Ravens Vs. New England Patriots Betting Picks, Lines, Odds,& Predictions

Baltimore Ravens Vs. New England Patriots Betting Picks

A week after nearly losing to the league-worst New York Jets, the New England Patriots (3-5 SU, 3-5 ATS) will host one of the league’s best teams, the Ravens (6-2 SU, 4-3-1 ATS). The Baltimore Ravens has enjoyed being on the road lately winning their last ten games away from home and losing only 2 of their last 15. Also, they are 11-2-2 against the spread over that stretch. It’s hard to see New England getting anything out of this game as their slide to the bottom of the AFC East is prevented only by the mediocrity of the aforementioned Jets.

Baltimore Ravens Vs. New England Patriots Betting Line Movement

The Ravens opened as the early -6.5 favorites with a lot of early money backing them and moving the line to -7.5 before settling at -7. The total was set at 41.5 at the start of the week, but plenty of OVER action drove it to 43.5.

Notes On The Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens had three consecutive games against some of the toughest defenses in the NFL, the Colts, Steelers, and Eagles. All three matchups were close and Baltimore managed to come out on top in two of them. Especially impressive was the Week 9 game in Indianapolis when Lamar Jackson showed that he’s slowly returning to his MVP form. Jackson had 170 yards through the air on 19/23 passing and, as usual, added a rushing touchdown and another 58 yards on the ground. If he manages to keep this up and with the defense allowing only 17.8 points per game, we can once again consider Baltimore a serious Super Bowl contender.

After battling nasty defenses for three straight weeks, going against the Patriots whose defense ranks 30th against the pass and 31st against the run Jackson might have a field day, and we can expect a monster score. The RB situation gets complicated with the possible return of Mark Ingram so it may be best to sit this week out and observe the rushing dynamic on the Baltimore team. The Ravens WR core also doesn’t bring much value as we can expect Baltimore to use ground game mostly.

NFL Week 10 Prime Time Betting Picks

Notes On The New England Patriots

New England didn’t cover the -9.5 spread against the lowly Jets last week but still managed to snap their losing streak. It feels weird watching the Patriots play meaningless games at this stage of the season, but after a promising start, they just don’t seem able to get going. It was the first game of the season where the Jets covered the spread and that tells you all you need to know about this New England team. The defense is in shambles and Cam Newton is now in the four-game stretch without a passing touchdown.

Newton did throw for 274 yards and encouraging 77% completion adding once again two rushing touchdowns to his tally. Still, he’s facing a tough Baltimore defense and you should adjust your expectations accordingly. Similar to Newton, WR Jakobi Meyers remains heavily involved but is still without a touchdown this season. He had 12 catches for 169 yards on Monday and if the elusive touchdown finally comes, he could be an interesting fantasy option this week.

Week 10 NFL Betting Pick: Betting Pick: Baltimore -7

Although they’re playing at home, this is not the New England team we are used to seeing. The Ravens will be brimming with confidence after the road win in Indianapolis and should be able to easily take care of the Patriots.

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Company Involved in D.C. Sports Betting Deal Has No Employees

Washington DC Sports Betting Contract

The saga of the sports betting contract in the District of Columbia” href=”https://www.easymobilecasino.com/d-c-sports-betting-mad-rush-district-of-columbia/”>sports betting contract in the District of Columbia is like the gift that keeps on giving. And it may come to an unfortunate end for somebody. Currently, there are two members of the D.C. Council – Robert C. White Jr. and Elissa Silverman – who are asking that the government conduct an investigation of a company that alleges that it is a local enterprise, and as such, helps to meet the requirements for getting a government contract, but may not be much of an enterprise at all.
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Saga Of The Washington DC Sports Betting Contract

This all stems from a report in the Washington Post in which it was revealed that Veteran Services Corp., which was used by Intralot, the company that was awarded the $215 contract, as its local representative, in effect. This deal came without a bid, which looked dubious to begin with, and now it has been discovered that this company doesn’t have any employees, and some of the executives that it has listed on its website don’t even work for them.

It’s a somewhat complicated story, but the gist of it is that Intralot submitted documents that stated Veterans Services was going to, in its own words, “perform the ENTIRE subcontract with its own organization and resources.”

However, back in 2009, when Intralot was pursuing the D.C. Lottery contract, Veterans Services had been vetted by city inspectors for its eligibility as a “local business,” they found that the company was owned by a 75-year-old woman named Barbara Bailey, whose son Emmanuel Bailey actually operated the company but was a Maryland resident. They found that Veterans Services operated out of Mrs. Bailey’s home, with two desks and a computer. And although the inspectors came to the conclusion that it did not qualify as a local business, they were overruled. Emmanuel Bailey, it was revealed, had contributed in excess of $30,000 to D.C. candidates for office, so perhaps some influence had been pedaled.

D.C Lottery And Intralot

Problems arose from the corporate structure that existed when Intralot began operating the D.C. Lottery, because it did so through a subsidiary called DC09. Veteran Services owned 51% of DC09, but Barbara Bailey’s 51% of Veteran Services did not, of course, translate to that same percentage in DC09. Yet, Intralot controlled and financed DC09, so as a result, the Greek-based company was performing all tasks necessary to carry the lottery off, when much of that was supposed to involve local interests.

In 2013, when Veterans Services applied for certification as a local business, it had no employees for the previous three years, according to D.C.’s Department of Small and Local Business Development. There were again no employees or wage reports two years later. Certain parties who have been listed as “vice presidents” had no idea that information even appeared on the company website.

Three years ago, Intralot was bidding for the Maryland lottery, in conjunction with Veterans Services. And they listed a Maryland address. But when Veterans Services was evaluated by officials, the conclusion was that they had “no capital, very limited business or industry experience,” and that they could not really explain what role they would actually play in the lottery operation. Even Emmanuel Bailey himself expressed that his company did not have any financial resources to carry out its contractual responsibilities.

So these are the people who will be accepting wagers from the public in the name of D.C. sports betting. Perhaps pending an investigation, which might be long overdue.

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More Conflict of Interest Reported in D.C. Sports Betting Deal

More Conflict of Interest in D.C. Sports Betting Deal

As if the story behind the no-bid contract for sports betting in the District of Columbia wasn’t bizarre enough, now we have what appears to be a case of nepotism that was connected to the vote that made Intralot the sole vendor. And some say, with a certain degree of sarcasm, that it is almost refreshing that the new development does not concern beleaguered D.C. Council member Jack Evans.

Why Is There More Conflict of Interest In The D.C. Sports Betting Deal?

The Washington Post has reported that the council member who cast the deciding vote on the matter – Kenyan McDuffie, who oddly enough had expressed skepticism about the unusual arrangement, which was closed to competitive bidding – is the cousin of the man who has been identified as a beneficiary of the sports gambling contract, to the tune of $3 million over a five-year period.

Keith McDuffie is a partner in a company called J.L. Terrell Construction, but that is not what is at issue. The problem is that, listed at the same address, is another entity, known as “Potomac Supply Company,” which, as an adjunct to the sports betting deal, will get the $3 million to provide commercial paper products in the role of a subcontractor.

Keith McDuffie listed as Potomac’s chief executive officer and principal contact

And when asked to submit detailed information about their vendors to the Council, Intralot had Keith McDuffie listed as Potomac’s chief executive officer and principal contact.

And where did Intralot get that kind of information? Well, from McDuffie himself.

Yes, this much is true, according to the Post’s report. Keith had made this communication, as per the request, directly to Emmanuel Bailey, an executive with the Greek-based Intralot who is the company’s main contact in the D.C. area with regard to the contract.

The official filing with the city lists one Okera Stewart as the owner of Potomac Supply. And while he admits that Keith McDuffie is “a childhood friend,” he insists that he has no financial interest in the company.

However, Keith sent the information about Potomac from his own email account. And Stewart’s explanation about that is flimsy at best, as he was having “technical problems” with his own email account. It is perhaps strange that in earlier versions of the Intralot proposal that came before the Council, during a period when Kenyan McDuffie was not a proponent of it, there was no mention of his cousin or Potomac Supply. But he shifted gears later.

Kenyan McDuffie has defended his vote on the council on the basis that the contract with Intralot is good for the city. But it is, in fact, the competitive bidding process that ideally ensures that residents of the district will get the best deal possible.

And it is important to note, as his cousin Keith and Okera Stewart were scrambling around for answers, that this issue of the possible conflict of interest wasn’t even addressed until the Post uncovered these documents.

Jack Evans, the most vocal champion of the no-bid contract with Intralot, was stripped of his position as chairman of the Committee on Finance and Revenue for the Council and is under investigation by both the Council and the Department of Justice. He is embroiled in conflicts of interest about Intralot because it turns out that Intralot’s lobbyist in Washington, William Jarvis, is the registered agent for Evans’ private consulting firm, and has also given legal advice on its contracts.

There is a Campaign Finance Reform Act, which will ban on political donations from companies looking for large government contracts. But that does not go into effect until November 2020, so it has no impact on what is going on here.

This quote, from the Editorial Board of the Washington Post, sums things up pretty well:

“D.C. has established a procurement system that is steeped in politics and parochialism, with the checkered history to show for it. The shock would come from an absence of questionable practices and preferential treatment.”

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D.C. Sports Betting Deal is Swirling in Controversy

D.C. Sports Betting mad rush district of columbia

Somehow the notion of having legalized sports betting in this nation’s capital sounds pretty strange. But remember, the federal law against it (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) has been struck down, and in the mad rush for locales to enact legislation, perhaps it makes perfect sense for the federal district to follow suit.

Well, pretty soon the District of Columbia is going to see it. And when we say “mad rush,” we mean it, as they are racing to beat Maryland and Virginia to the money.

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Why Is This Washington D.C. Sports Betting Deal Swirling in Controversy?

Actually, the law to enable it has passed. But now there is an agreement, recently voted on by the D.C. Council, that brings an official vendor to the table.

And not everybody is happy about it. In fact, quite the opposite.

For one thing, the 7-5 tally approved a sole-source, no-bid contract. So what does that mean? Well, it means that it was awarded to one company and one company only, and without any competitive bidding process. And according to the city officials who have advocated for the eventual result, this solution was most desirable, giving the city the best possible return in the end.

The company that got the $215 million deal is Intralot, a Greek-based outfit that has brought a lot of controversy to the table with it. This is not just a matter of certain conflicts of interest between the company and the elected officials that pushed the arrangement through, but also the nature of the proposal itself.

The legislator who was most aggressive in bringing the deal to Intralot was Jack Evans, a council member who is not only well-connected politically, but also connected, it seems, to Intralot itself.

Evans is at the center of a literal and legal quagmire at the moment. There is a federal probe into alleged corruption on his part, and on Friday the D.C. Council voted to strip him of his position as chairman of the Finance and Revenue Committee, and they have hired a law firm to investigate any misconduct that involved him in his elected position.

FBI Raid On Georgetown Home

There is also a federal probe into his activities (which included an FBI raid on his Georgetown home) in which he may have used his public position for private gain. At the center of this investigation is a relationship in which Evans sponsored a bill to benefit a company called DigiMedia, then was later discovered to have received consulting fees and stock in the company.

He is also suspected of having a rather nefarious relationship with a lobbyist from Intralot, which his critics believe “greased the wheels” for this hasty vote on the no-bid contract.

It is important to note that Intralot will not be opening a sportsbook, but instead offering a “sports lottery” product that is similar to what has been offered in others states and Canada. It will be accessible through an app and a website. Intralot already operates the D.C. Lottery.

Is Real Money Gambling In D.C Unrealistic?

There are many who doubt Intralot’s claims as to what they will “hold” out of the sports betting revenues they are going to generate, which of course impacts what they will give to the district. Words like “unrealistic” and “faulty” are being used often to describe their estimates. And there is fear that if Intralot did indeed launch a product that remotely approached the forecast, it had no hope of being fair to sports bettors.

Ted Leonsis, the forward-thinking owner of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, is jumping right into sports betting, to the extent where he is going to be hosting a sportsbook at his venue, the Capital One Arena. Nats Park and Audi Field will also likely have sports betting establishments. Intralot is not going to be a part of the deal for those places, however. And the legislation expressly forbids betting on colleges that are based in the District of Columbia, such as Georgetown, George Washington, and American University.

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Will The Mega Million Powerball Jackpot Reach One Billion Dollars?

Mega Million Powerball Jackpot Reaches Almost One Billion Dollars

Have You Heard That The Mega Million Powerball Lottery Jackpot Is Almost Worth One Billion Dollars? Recently, People are playing the Mega Millions Powerball Lottery all over the United States of America. Currently, the jackpot sits at six hundred fifty-four million dollars. Above all, this is the second largest value for a multi-jurisdiction lottery game of all time. Furthermore, if you pair the current Powerball jackpot (which is three hundred forty-five million dollars), you will have a combined jackpot worth nine hundred ninety-nine million dollars. Will the combined value reach one billion dollars?

Find Out If The Mega Million Powerball Jackpot Reach One Billion Dollars

Well, the Mega Millions Powerball and the regular Powerball jackpot are one million dollars short of a billion dollars. That said, many people that play the lottery for money have interesting questions.

For example, one person (who wishes to remain anonymous) asks “Which states allow you to remain anonymous if you win the lottery?” Above all, this is a reasonable question to ask (unless you have seen the episode of American Greed where the head of the lottery commission scams the lotto). However, there are a few states in the U.S. that allow you to keep your identity anonymous. If you live in South Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Maryland, Delaware or Kansas , you should be able to keep your identity secret.

What Are The Betting Odds Of Winning Mega Millions & The Powerball Lottery Jackpots?

Indeed, even the folks that don’t want to keep their identity anonymous are playing the Mega Millions and the Powerball lottery. According to EasyMobileCasino.com, the betting odds of scoring all 6 numbers are 1/302.5 million. Yes, that is a long shot for sure! However, if you want to know the betting odds for selecting all six numbers on Mega Millions and The Powerball Lottery, you are looking at 1/292.2 million. Furthermore, Americans all over the country are betting on “A Dollar And A Dream” despite the 1/302.5 million and/or 1/292.2 million odds against them.

Indeed, tonight people will wait to see if they are the next lucky winner. Above all, the Mega Millions lottery draw is at 11 PM EST on October 16, 2018. Also, the Powerball draw takes place at 0:59 pm EST on October 17, 2018. Over the past few years, the Multi-state lottery commissions have charged the format of the games. As a result, this makes winning both of the lottery jackpots at the same time much harder.

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