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Ken Hoffman bets against ESPN 97.5 host's 3-point shootout success

ESPN 97.5's Raheel Ramzanali (pictured in this photo illustration) looks to sink at least 14 shots. Raheel Ramzanali/Twitter

This article originally appeared on CultureMap.

UPDATE: Official results: Raheel made 11 of 25 shots, and the over/under was 13-1/2 ... so "Under" won the bet.

There also was a prop bet: "Will Raheel make three shots in a row during the shootaround?" He did not. So "No" won the bet.

"I am disappointed that I didn't make more shots, and I must admit that I got nervous when I made two in a row. I was never able to hit the money ball," Raheel explained.

"Hey, I'm not happy, either. I bet on myself to hit three in a row."

---

Ten minutes after noon Friday, October 26, ESPN 97.5 host Raheel Ramzanali will shoot 25 3-point basketball shots at the Downtown Club at the Met. He believes that he will make at least 14 of them.

You can bet on it.

Or, like me, against it.

The online gambling site, My Bookie, is posting odds and taking action on Raheel’s 3-point accuracy. Yes, you can wager real money on Raheel. They’ve set the over/under at 13-1/2, meaning if Raheel sinks 14 or more shots, the “over” wins. If he makes 13 or fewer, the “under” takes the money.

He will shoot the 25 shots like the NBA 3-Point Contest — five shots from five different spots beyond the 3-point arc. 

There is a $100 limit on the over/under wager.  Let’s not get too crazy here, Raheel is a talk show host, not a pro athlete (his deluded fantasy doesn’t count).

There is an interesting prop bet, too: Will Raheel make three shots in a row during the shoot-around? You can bet up to $100 on that, too.

Naturally, I pulled Raheel into the Gow Media interrogation room, aimed a bright light in his face, and grilled him for insider information. (Talk to me. Look, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.”)

“I’ve played basketball since I was 5 years old. I played for Clements High School,” Raheel says.

Wait, did you actually “play” for Clements High?

“Okay, I was on the team at Clements High, but I played a lot in daily practices. And now I play twice a week in an adult recreation league,” Raheel clarifies. “I’m a much better player now, I’m much stronger. I wish I could go back and play high school ball. I’d get more than 5 minutes a game this time.”

I’m in. Eric Sandler, CultureMap’s food editor and I set up a My Bookie account. We’re betting $50 on the “under,” that he’ll make fewer than 13-1/2 shots, and $50 on yes, he will make three shots in a row. 

Here’s why I think Raheel will come up short of the over/under. The NBA 3-point line is 22 feet in the corners and 23.75 feet at the top of the key. Raheel brags that he’s a dead-eye shooter. Okay, but the NBA 3-point line is not a natural jump shot for an amateur – yes, Raheel you are an amateur. He will have to put extra oomph to reach the hoop from 23 feet. That will cut into his accuracy.

Steph Curry may be the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history. Last year, he made 46 percent of his 3-point attempts. For Raheel to go “over,” he will have to make 56 percent of his shots. Raheel waved that fun fact away, “I am better than Steph Curry.”

Remember what I said about deluded fantasy?

“The Met has NBA leather balls. Uh-uh, I’m bringing my own soft college ball. Another thing, I’ve heard the rims at the Met are nice and loose, so the ball has a better chance of falling in,” Raheel said. “I’ve done a few practice sessions and I’m telling you, I’m going over.”

What’s a five-letter word for “deluded” that start with a C and ends with a Y, and is worth 19 points in Scrabble? I’ll spot you the Z.

Continue reading on CultureMap.

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With the end of the regular season in sight, the Houston Astros host the Kansas City Royals on Friday night, coming off a huge walk-off 2-1 win against the Orioles.

Two players from the finale against Baltimore really stood out for the 'Stros. Jeremy Pena, who had a clutch double late in the game, and Cristian Javier.

Javier struck out 11 batters over 5 innings surrendering only one run, which was exactly what the Astros needed in possibly the most important game of the regular season.

Both Pena and Javier were critical pieces to the Astros title in 2022, and it looks like they're rounding into form at just the right time.

Javier's struggles have caused many to question who would be the team's third starter in the postseason, behind Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander. Let's put this to bed right now, it's Javier.

This should be everything you need to know. Let's start with Hunter Brown. Brown has given up 5 earned runs or more in 4 of his last 7 starts.

How about JP France? France has surrendered 5 or more earned runs in 3 of his last 5 games.

However, Cristian Javier hasn't allowed 5 or more runs in a start since July 3. Javier may only give you 5 innings, but that's actually pretty common for starters in the playoffs. Teams typically remove their starters before the third time through the order.

Prime Time Pena

While the power hasn't been there for Pena this year, he is swinging the bat much better of late. Over his last 30 games, he's hitting .325 while slugging .453. Pena may only have 10 bombs on the year, but he's getting on base and hitting plenty of doubles.

If these two can contribute at a similar level to last postseason, the sky is the limit for the 2023 Astros.

Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion!

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