
Getty Images
Last article I spoke about the word grind and what this game requires to be able to find success. This week we did just that and found a ton of winners. A 20-7 run is what we bring in our bag and now we look to continue our good fortune into the holiday weekend. Let's see if we can find some winners.
New Plays
Tuesday NBA 645 CST
Nets/Sixers FH over 113.5 3U
SUNDAY 353 CST
Warriors TT 3rd Q over 29.5 8U
UPDATE 554 CST
Argentina
INDEPENDIENTE VS ARGENTINOS JRS
INDEPENDIENTE TT over 1.5 15 U MAX
First half 3U
Game over 2.5 5U
UPDATE 1045 CST
Juventus TT over 1.5 5U
FH over 1 3U
Previous Plays 20-7 run
Warriors FH TT over 64 5u WIN
Juventus /Ajax Juventus ML -150 10U MAX LOSS
FH over 1 5U WIN
Game over 2.5 2U WIN
Ronaldo First goal 1U +250 WIN
Ronaldo Goal header +650 WIN
1U Ronaldo anytime goal 5U WIN
Juventus TT over 1.5 3U LOSS
AJAX TT over 1 1U WIN
Parlay 5U -120
Juventus TT over 1 -400 Barca/United FH over 1 -210 WIN/PUSH
Barcelona TT over 3.5 5U LOSS
Juve /Ajax over 4 8U WIN
Raptors TT over 111 10U MAX PUSH
small parlay 1 U Toronto -7 FH SAS/Den Under 210 OKC/POR Over 223 LOSS
Porto/Liverpool Both teams to score 5U WIN
Mane scores goal 3U WIN
City / Tottenham Over 3 10U MAX BOMB WIN
Both teams to score and over 2.5 +105 5U WIN
Man City ML First half 5U WIN
Aguero goal 5U WIN
First half over 1 -210 Risk 10U WIN
Detroit Pistons at Milwaukee Bucks Under 215.5 2U LOSS
VALENCIA VS VILLARREAL FIrst half over 1. 5U PUSH
Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets Nets TT over 113 8U WIN
First half over 117.5 8U WIN
Rockets TT over 110.5 3U C.Paul points+assists over 23½ 1U LOSS
Europa Frankfurt vs Benfica o3 10U MAX LOSS
Sixers/Nets over 226.5 10U live WIN
Spurs – 2.5 FH 5UWIN
20-7 L27
For any questions or comments reach me @JerryBoKnows Twitter.
Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Josh Jordan on ESPN 97.5. We're on every Sunday from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling. Also, be sure to follow us @Moneyline975 on Twitter.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
_____________________________________________
*Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!