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NBA Finals betting guide: Nuggets-Heat odds, prop bets and key terms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

The NBA Finals have arrived in Denver for the first time and along with that comes all kinds of excitement, pomp and circumstance, media coverage and, of course, gambling opportunities.As sports gambling continues to proliferate in the United States, hoops fans and casual observers alike will see a raft of advertising, sponsorship and array of wagers to be made around the Finals.Here’s some betting information ahead of Game 1 between the Nuggets and Miami Heat on Thursday night. Bottom line: In both the game and the series, Denver is a heavy betting favorite.Series oddsFavorite: Nuggets -400Underdog: Heat +310* Odds are via DraftKings as of Wednesday morning. Game 1 OddsMoney Line:  Nuggets -390 / Heat +310Spread: Nuggets -9 (-106) / Heat +9 (+114)Point total: 219.5 (-110)* Odds are sportsbook consensus provided by vegasinsider.com as of Wednesday morningNBA Finals prop betsJokic’s stellar run continues: Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is the runaway favorite to win NBA Finals MVP, but he...

Kurtenbach: The 49ers were mocked for drafting a kicker in the third round, but they’ll get the last laugh

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

SANTA CLARA — If the Warriors or Sharks had their leading scorer in each of the six seasons leave the team, it would be a pretty big deal.But when that exact thing happened to the 49ers this offseason with kicker Robbie Gould’s exit, more attention was paid to when the team drafted his replacement.Kickers get no respect — even when you really need them.Kyle Shanahan knows how important they are, though. Gould’s reliability within 50 yards and ability to nail kicks in even the most adverse conditions were a significant part of the Niners coach’s offensive plan since both arrived here in 2017.So the 49ers selected Michigan kicker Jake Moody in the third round — a ludicrously early pick to folks in the “analytics community” — to be the next Gould, a steady and reliable force.And perhaps a bit more, too.Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | Inman: Brandon Aiyuk, 10 other things to stand out at 49ers’ practice San Francisco 49ers | ...

Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat: 5 things to watch and predictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

The Denver Nuggets enter their first NBA Finals in franchise history to face the Miami Heat. Here’s a breakdown of their matchup:Who has the edge?Guards: Maybe Nikola Jokic has inadvertently stolen some of Jamal Murray’s shine, but Denver’s combo guard has been almost unstoppable throughout Denver’s historic playoff run. Far from a bubble phenomenon, Murray’s averaging 27.7 points per game in the playoffs, which is, gasp, more than he averaged when the Nuggets were sequestered in Orlando. The Lakers didn’t have an answer for him when he filleted their backcourt, and outside of Heat star Jimmy Butler, there are no obvious defensive matchups for Murray. Gabe Vincent and Max Strus are both scrappy guards, each capable and willing to shoot from outside. The Heat is a team made up of more than the sum of its parts, but Denver’s got a significant advantage in the backcourt. Edge: Nuggets.Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets during the NBA Finals media day practice at Ball Arena M...

LGBTQ+ people flock to Florida for Gay Days Festival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

By Mike Schneider | Associated PressORLANDO, Fla. — Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ people are flocking to central Florida this weekend to go on theme park rides, mingle with costumed performers, dance at all-night parties and lounge poolside at hotels during Gay Days, a decades-long tradition.Even though Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers have championed a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ laws — spurring the most prominent gay rights group in the U.S. and other civil rights organizations to issue warnings the Sunshine State may no longer be safe — Gay Days organizers are still encouraging visitors from around the world to come to one of Florida’s largest gay and lesbian celebrations.They say a large turnout will send a message that LGBTQ+ people are not going away in Florida, which is continually one of the most popular states for tourists to visit. If the hoped-for 150,000 or more visitors come to the half-week of pool parties, drag bingo and thrill rides at Orlando’s theme parks ...

Grammy-winning pop act supports No. 1 album with 3 California shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

Luke Smallbone clearly remembers his Steph Curry moment.It came right after he and his brother Joel — collectively known as the pop duo For King & Country — had sung the national anthem before a game between Curry’s Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.As he was walking off the court, Smallbone — a huge Warriors fan — happened to cross paths with the future Basketball Hall of Famer.“We walked by him and (Curry) kind of motioned like ‘Hey, good job’ or whatever. And I just looked at him and said, “Sup, man” and kept on walking,” said Smallbone, realizing that had blown his chance at looking cool in front of his sports hero. “That was my terrible Steph Curry story.”“Luke had never said ‘Sup, man’ before,” Joel Smallbone adds for emphasis.Bay Area fans will have the chance to say “Sup, men” to the brothers Smallbone when For King & Country performs June 8 at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and tickets...

Single-family home sells in Oakland for $2 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

686 Mandana Boulevard – Google Street ViewThe spacious historic property located in the 600 block of Mandana Boulevard in Oakland was sold on April 21, 2023. The $1,953,000 purchase price works out to $854 per square foot. The house, built in 1915, has an interior space of 2,287 square feet. The property features five bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a garage. It sits on a 5,300-square-foot lot.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:On Longridge Road, Oakland, in June 2022, a 2,166-square-foot home was sold for $1,910,000, a price per square foot of $882. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,579-square-foot home on the 700 block of Santa Ray Avenue in Oakland sold in October 2022, for $1,815,000, a price per square foot of $1,149. The home has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In April 2023, a 2,473-square-foot home on Calmar Avenue in Oakland sold for $1,700,000, a price per square foot of $687. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Oakland gunfire wounds young girl; she’s in stable condition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

OAKLAND — Gunfire in East Oakland on Wednesday night injured a young girl, police said.Police were tight-lipped about the shooting and its victim, saying only that they were notified about 9 p.m. about the shooting in the 3400 block of 68th Avenue. Media reports indicated the girl was 4 years old and hit in the leg.Police said the girl was in stable condition at a hospital Thursday.Officers found the girl down when they arrived, police said. They confirmed she was suffering from a gunshot wound.Police asked the community to help them find the suspect in the shooting and urged anyone with information to contact 510-238-3426.Please check back for updates.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Blaming prior administration, Alameda DA dismisses 2 of 3 murder charges against Oakland man Crime and Public Safety | Bay Area man sentenced to federal prison for selling 60 lbs of meth to undercover agent Crime and Public Safety | Oakland hit ...

Mirra Andreeva is a teen who doesn’t like homework — and is winning easily at the French Open

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Mirra Andreeva is the latest teen sensation in tennis, a 16-year-old Russian who is the youngest player to win a match in the women’s main draw at the French Open since 2005.Do the math: That’s before she was born.The 143rd-ranked Andreeva made her way through qualifying rounds last week without dropping a set to earn her debut berth in the women’s bracket at a Grand Slam tournament — and she still is making things look easy so far at Roland Garros. A 6-1, 6-2 victory over Diane Perry of France in 77 minutes on Thursday put her in the third round; that followed a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Alison Riske-Amritraj of the U.S. that lasted 56 minutes.Next up could be a match against 2022 French Open runner-up Coco Gauff, who was scheduled to play later Thursday. Gauff is 19 and made her initial breakthrough by beating Venus Williams en route to the fourth round at Wimbledon at age 14.Before arriving in Paris, Andreeva showed what she can do by eliminating three players rank...

UK government refuses to hand over Boris Johnson’s unredacted messages to coronavirus inquiry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The British government on Thursday refused an order to hand over a sheaf of Boris Johnson’s personal messages to a COVID-19 pandemic inquiry that the former prime minister himself set up when he was the U.K.’s leader. The head of the probe, retired judge Heather Hallett, asked to see notebooks, diaries and WhatsApp messages between Johnson and other officials that represent key evidence in the inquiry. The government provided incomplete versions, saying it cut personal and private information that was “unambiguously irrelevant” to the investigation. Hallett, who has the power to summon evidence and question witnesses under oath, wants to judge for herself, and set a deadline of 4 p.m. (1500 GMT) Thursday for the government to hand over the unredacted documents, covering a two-year period from early 2020.Soon after the deadline passed, the government said it would seek to challenge the order in court.“The Cabinet Office has today sought leave to bring a judicial r...

Residents of collapsed Iowa building allowed to stay as reports noted crumbling wall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:30 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A structural engineer report issued just days before an Iowa apartment building partially collapsed indicated a wall of the century-old structure was in imminent risk of crumbling, yet officials did not order residents to leave and said Thursday they relied on the engineer’s assurances that the building remained safe.Three residents of the six-story building in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport are still unaccounted for and there are no immediate plans to demolish what remains of the extremely unstable structure, according to local officials. Crews were using drones to scan the building and consulting with experts about how to safely bring down the structure while being respectful of bodies that could be buried in a debris pile, Mayor Mike Matson said.“It’s dangerous, and it’s shifting,” Matson said.The six-story building partially collapsed shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday. Rescue crews pulled seven people from the building in their initial re...