zach smith

My favorite Kyle Busch moment will forever be Chicagoland in 2018. One of the most iconic NASCAR finishes I have ever seen.

“Because you never know when the last one is” hits wildly different now… RIP to a legend and prayers for the whole Busch family. Just unbelievably sad

Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years. But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing teams. I was super eager for us to get on better terms. But it was he who made the effort for that to be possible. We did some media together also to laugh through some of the things we put each other through many years ago. Most recently we had even been discussing him running my Late Model at Wilkesboro this summer. He seemed extremely happy and we had planned to meet up next Thursday to get his seat to the shop. He laughed over the idea of his fans and JRM fans having to cheer in unison during that race. Kyle was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. No one can deny that. But he was also a father, a husband, brother, son, and a friend to many. My heart is broken for the Busch family. I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends.

Kyle Busch was in victory lane 6 days ago… unreal that he is gone today. Nothing but love and compassion for his friends and family.

This is so, so heartbreaking. Rest in peace Kyle Busch

We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport's greatest and fiercest drivers. He was 41 years old. We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community.

RIP Kyle Busch

The Ohio Cup? Seems like we’re missing an opportunity here. @trevorplouffe The new football fan, Canton Cup and you play for a Lombardi?!?! _ @TalkinJake @TalkinBaseball_ @MLB

Is it just me, or is this the most telling sign that Kirk has accepted the backup roll and just leaning into the nerdy mentor role?!? Just doesn’t seem like a guy trying to compete for a starting job @adamlevitan @evansilva

Former Dolphins WR Leonte Carroo tells an awesome Ben Johnson story back when he was an assistant in Miami: “I remember he came into the receiver room one day and he ripped Jarvis in front of the whole WR core. He’s like ‘I want to be at your Hall of Fame speech one day. That’s my message to you because I know where I’m going’ then points at himself and goes ‘I know I’m going to be in a gold jacket one day as a coach…I know that about me’……then he would leave the facility at 1AM and be back at five.” 🥶 via @lafamilia_444

At 4 am this morning, as I laid in a deep slumber, I was called to action by my wife who had discovered a spider the size of a half dollar in the bathroom. Without hesitation I arose to combat the intruder. Claire handed me the slant board I’ve been using for rehab, and I immediately knew the spider had no chance. It took but 1 attempt to strike down my opponent. I received hugs and kisses for my bravery and fell back asleep with confidence. Have a day gentlemen. 🕷️

We have MOB bosses at fundraising dinners but then we blame the kids for taking bribes and gambling? @PabloTorre @NCAA

@UncutGambitGems Do you have any preseason Soriano??

@TEAMGREEN31 I agree, it's a weaker field which means that either early great prices on Schlittler/Soriano or long shots available but do not touch Davis Martin, I wouldn't touch that one with a ten foot pole personally. Good early numbers but underlying are a different story.

For AL Cy Young, Trevor Rogers (+25000) is an interesting albeit hyper risky long shot in this market which now has been turned wide open with the elbow surgery knocking Tarik Skubal out for 6-8 weeks. He's someone that I highlighted several times in the preseason due to his outstanding comeback tour in 2025, which I believe deserves another revisit at an astronomical price in the market. He's someone on the DL due to a severe flu which has him eligible to return as soon as the beginning of next week. As a refresher, Rogers had a great 2025 after pessimism about his future in the majors was palatable after an excellent rookie season in 2021 (7-8, 2.64 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 157 K in 137 IP) via 9-3, 1.81 ERA, 2.82 FIP, 0.90 WHIP and 103 K in 109.2 IP in '25. His expected numbers weren't painted red across the board but still point to a floor of a dependable above average starter via 3.41 xERA (77th PER), .225 xBA (72nd PER), 24.3% K% (62nd PER), 6.9% BB% (69th PER) and 46.4% GB% (71st PER). His repertoire despite a hittable changeup (.259 xBA, 26.9% whiff %) and sinker (.340 xBA, 9.6% whiff%) did contain both a majority four seamer that was excellent (.196 xBA, 24.2% whiff%) along with a great slider (.115 xBA, 41.0% whiff %) and sweeper (.078 xBA, 37.7% whiff %). Few were more consistent start to start from a longevity perspective, as Rogers went 6+ IP in 13 of 18 starts while going 7+ in 7 of those starts which can goes a long way with building a narrative case as an innings eating ace that's required to even enter the conversation. Thus far, Rogers has been up and down after a good spring training (14.1 IP, .232 AVG, 0.98 WHIP, 2.51 ERA) via 2-3, 4.75 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 27 K in 30.1 IP but it's not as bad as one thinks at first glance as his xERA (3.69, 60th PER) and FIP (3.73) are both over a run below that eye sore of an ERA. While his xBA (.243, 51st PER) is merely average, he's still getting plenty of whiffs (27.0%, 62nd PER), avoiding barrels (6.4%, 65th PER) and hard hits (31.6%, 84th PER) while limiting walks (7.5%, 68th PER). A glance at the game log also shows a rift between his first three starts (20 IP, 12 H, 2 ER, 9 BB, 13 K) and his last three (11.1 IP, 19 H, 12 ER, 5 BB, 13 K) which could simply be a bad stretch on a team that collectively played well below its capability in March and April. Either way you slice it, Rogers is a hefty risk sitting well behind in this race with no track record of elite play outside of 2021 and 110 innings in 2025. Yet, what needs to be highlighted is not only the same for those like Cam Schlittler and Jose Soriano but also that the thresholds for contention change DRASTICALLY with Skubal out of the race. Unless Schlittler continues this level of dominance (which would be great as +2200 ticket already in place) or Soriano does (1.74 ERA but career 3.62 ERA along with 8 ER in past two starts after an opening 0.24 ERA in first six starts), the field suddenly becomes one where an ERA no longer has to be a miniscule 2.20-2.30 but something closer to Hunter Brown (2.43) or Garrett Crochet (2.59) in '25 or those like Framber Valdez (2.91) or Corbin Burnes (2.92) from '24. Point is, without Skubal this becomes a race of merely very good versus all-world which someone like Rogers showed in 2025 that he was capable of residing in. While some like Cole Ragans (elbow), Brown (shoudler) and Crochet (shoulder) are facing absence due to injury, Rogers is on the DL due to a severe case of the flu rampant in the Orioles clubhouse versus a physical injury which bodes well for his return to form. Simply put, if he can return to the mound and approach the level we saw from him last season with five months to turn those numbers into threshold grazing ones, Rogers has a shot at creeping into this race. #gambitgemfutures #gamblingtwitter

@UncutGambitGems Ya I totally agree, I was just saying after you made that point and I looked again. The amount of guys that would have to get hurt or Cole would have to have an Arietta type run to get it. So at that point Martin 100-1 is better hahah

@UncutGambitGems If he out pitches both guys on the Yankees and I just don’t see cease as a guy that wins a cy young, degroms health makes it where they won’t push him, Soriano on the angels and then we’re already into 20-1 or longer. Davis Martin at 100-1 or 70-1 even is prob way better

I would make sure not to add anything to that Gerrit Cole position, as I think he's already far too behind workload wise starting this late being another 2 weeks away, which is why Hunter Brown is another obvious non-starter being out likely two months by the time we next see him.

@UncutGambitGems I totally get it, I just think the AL cy young market might be one of the weakest and most fragile markets in awhile. We’re another injury or two away from that maybe not mattering if they are the much better per inning

@UncutGambitGems Can you send me a direct message?? Would love to have a thread we could talk shop at times

@UncutGambitGems Fair enough, I grabbed more of the griffin/skenes cy young at 45-1 and griffin/skenes mvp at 500-1. Then I hammered him 15-1 like 3 days ago at BetRivers, I kinda thought that was a juicy number

@TEAMGREEN31 Nope, haven't honestly added a cent to it since grabbing the +2500 and +3000 in December. He's got a great shot with so much of the season left but don't really like the price and already have enough on him to not need any more.

For the MLB National League Central Division Winner, the Pittsburgh Pirates (+725) offer one of the few appealing opportunities within these markets within a crowded division with little difference in talent team to team. As well, the NL manager of the year number on Don Kelly (+400) jumps out as a secondary play tied to this analysis as the Pirates seek their first winning season since 2018 (83-78) which might usurp Walt Weiss from a narrative perspective who merely re-engaged an elite Atlanta Braves roster that simply was riddled with injuries and inconsistency in 2025. The Pirates sit 19-16 with a +31 run differential on the season largely due to their starting pitching as well as hot starts from some within their lineup. Oneil Cruz (.264/.322/.822, 9 HR) has set the table well at the leadoff spot, while offseason acquisitions Brandon Lowe (.243/.356/.877, 8 HR) and Ryan O'Hearn (.308/.393/.868, 5 HR) along with a slowly improving Marcell Ozuna have combined with Bryan Reynolds (.258/.404/.831, 4 HR), Nick Gonzales (.328/.381/.752, 0 HR) and prized rookie Konnor Griffin (.262/.325/.723, 2 HR) to give them a respectable lineup that can put runs up on the board. It's led to the Pirates ranking 5th in AVG (.253), 6th in R (180), 13th in HR (38) and 7th in OPS (.732) which would've been a thing of fantasy a season ago. However, my optimism sits not within that lineup but the starting rotation which I believe when whole will be far and away the best unit in the entire NL Central: Paul Skenes: 4-2, 3.18 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 10.3 K/9 Braxton Ashcraft: 1-2, 3.02 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 9.7 K/9 Mitch Keller: 3-1, 2.85 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 6.8 K/9 Bubba Chandler: 1-3, 4.97 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 8.4 K/9 Jared Jones ('24): 6-8, 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 9.8 K/9 With Jones expected to rejoin the Pirates in late May or early June, the Pirates could find themselves with another possibly elite SP taking the ball every fifth day with high velocity and a killer slider that drew comparisons to pre-surgery Spencer Strider before his injuries put him on the shelf. With Cade Horton out for the season, Brandon Woodruff evidently out an extended period of time and the Reds missing Hunter Greene and finding few answers on offense outside of Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, an opportunity has presented itself for the Pirates to take advantage of these holes within the rest of the division to chase a division crown. While some regression should be expected for Keller and Ashcraft, the Pirates nevertheless present themselves as the most well rounded team in the division with the division's best player (Skenes) and highest upside talent (Griffin) which give them a great shot at contending here. #gambitgemfutures #gamblingtwitter