Latest news with #MarkBickerdike
Fox News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
2025 Gold Cup, Odds: For Bookmakers, 'USA-Mexico Final Is Preferred'
When Gold Cup futures odds first went up, the idea of a USA vs. Mexico final was quite appealing to bookmakers. With the U.S. men's national team and El Tri on opposite sides of the bracket, that contest stood a good chance of happening. Then the U.S. nearly blew up the potential marquee matchup, narrowly surviving a penalty-kick shootout Sunday night vs. Costa Rica. But Team USA and Mexico are still on track, as both sides head to Wednesday's semifinals. And the bookmakers are grateful. "A USA-Mexico Final would be great for soccer fans, and we'd expect to see lots of interest, should it happen," said Mark Bickerdike, head of soccer trading for Caesars Sports. "Five out of the top six highest-handle events in the tournament so far involve either USA or Mexico. "So we'd expect a USA-Mexico final to be huge." Ahead of the semifinals on FS1, Bickerdike helps dive into Gold Cup betting odds and action. Perfect Result The U.S. and Costa Rica were tied 2-2 after regulation. This year, the Gold Cup instituted a new rule: For a knockout match prior to the final, a draw won't go to overtime, but rather directly to penalty kicks. So Team USA and Cosa Rica engaged in a riveting session of penalties, with the U.S. winning 4-3 to advance. In three-way betting — wagering on which team wins in regulation, or if regulation time ends in a draw — that was the perfect result for Caesars Sports. The USMNT was hugely popular in three-way betting. Caesars was hoping to thread the needle of the USA advancing, but not in regulation time. And that's what happened. "Draws are always a book-friendly result. This game was certainly no different, as 85% of handle on the 90-minute market was for USA, with only 3.5% coming for the draw," Bickerdike said. "Overall, the match was a very good result for the book and turned out to be the most profitable match of the tournament so far. "The USA inching toward a marquee matchup [with Mexico] was certainly a result we were looking forward to seeing." Semifinal Showdowns To get that USA-Mexico matchup, though, there's still the matter of Wednesday's semifinals. The U.S. meets Guatemala at 7 p.m. ET in St. Louis, followed by Mexico vs. Honduras at 10 p.m. ET in Santa Clara, Calif. The U.S. is a healthy -360 favorite in three-way betting, with Guatemala a +900 underdog and draw +425. "Early action in the 90-minute market is fairly well split. Sixty-eight percent of money has been for USA to get the job done in 90 minutes," Bickerdike said. "However, interestingly, 40% of wagers have been for Guatemala to win at +900, making them the best potential result for bettors." Indeed, there's some appeal to wagering $100 to win $900 by betting on the big underdog. In the second semifinal, Honduras is an even bigger 'dog at +1000, with Mexico -320 and draw +360. "Similar to the USA-Guatemala game, the big-priced outsider Honduras is currently appealing to our customers for straight bets, with 51% of wagers going the way of the Hondurans," Bickerdike said. "However, there is plenty of time for this to change as we get nearer to kickoff, where we expect to see a flurry of interest for Mexico." Looking Ahead As noted above, Bickerdike and the Caesars risk room want to see the Gold Cup's two most popular teams square off in Sunday night's final in Houston. "Currently, Mexico is the only losing selection remaining in the [championship futures] book," Bickerdike said. "However, given customers are favoring Honduras in the semifinal, a USA-Mexico final is preferred." Furthermore, Caesars would love to see a USA-Mexico match settled on penalty kicks. For that to happen in the final, though, the match would first have to get through a 30-minute overtime. "The U.S. ultimately getting the job done, preferably on penalties, would be the most favorable for the book." Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Fox Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 Gold Cup, Odds: For Bookmakers, 'USA-Mexico Final Is Preferred'
Gold Cup 2025 Gold Cup, Odds: For Bookmakers, 'USA-Mexico Final Is Preferred' Published Jul. 1, 2025 1:23 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link When Gold Cup futures odds first went up, the idea of a USA vs. Mexico final was quite appealing to bookmakers. With the U.S. men's national team and El Tri on opposite sides of the bracket, that contest stood a good chance of happening. Then the U.S. nearly blew up the potential marquee matchup, narrowly surviving a penalty-kick shootout Sunday night vs. Costa Rica. But Team USA and Mexico are still on track, as both sides head to Wednesday's semifinals. And the bookmakers are grateful. "A USA-Mexico Final would be great for soccer fans, and we'd expect to see lots of interest, should it happen," said Mark Bickerdike, head of soccer trading for Caesars Sports. "Five out of the top six highest-handle events in the tournament so far involve either USA or Mexico. "So we'd expect a USA-Mexico final to be huge." Ahead of the semifinals on FS1, Bickerdike helps dive into Gold Cup betting odds and action. Perfect Result The U.S. and Costa Rica were tied 2-2 after regulation. This year, the Gold Cup instituted a new rule: For a knockout match prior to the final, a draw won't go to overtime, but rather directly to penalty kicks. So Team USA and Cosa Rica engaged in a riveting session of penalties, with the U.S. winning 4-3 to advance. In three-way betting — wagering on which team wins in regulation, or if regulation time ends in a draw — that was the perfect result for Caesars Sports. ADVERTISEMENT The USMNT was hugely popular in three-way betting. Caesars was hoping to thread the needle of the USA advancing, but not in regulation time. And that's what happened. "Draws are always a book-friendly result. This game was certainly no different, as 85% of handle on the 90-minute market was for USA, with only 3.5% coming for the draw," Bickerdike said. "Overall, the match was a very good result for the book and turned out to be the most profitable match of the tournament so far. "The USA inching toward a marquee matchup [with Mexico] was certainly a result we were looking forward to seeing." USMNT beats Costa Rica in a penalty shootout — can the USA win the Gold Cup? Semifinal Showdowns To get that USA-Mexico matchup, though, there's still the matter of Wednesday's semifinals. The U.S. meets Guatemala at 7 p.m. ET in St. Louis, followed by Mexico vs. Honduras at 10 p.m. ET in Santa Clara, Calif. The U.S. is a healthy -360 favorite in three-way betting, with Guatemala a +900 underdog and draw +425. "Early action in the 90-minute market is fairly well split. Sixty-eight percent of money has been for USA to get the job done in 90 minutes," Bickerdike said. "However, interestingly, 40% of wagers have been for Guatemala to win at +900, making them the best potential result for bettors." Indeed, there's some appeal to wagering $100 to win $900 by betting on the big underdog. In the second semifinal, Honduras is an even bigger 'dog at +1000, with Mexico -320 and draw +360. "Similar to the USA-Guatemala game, the big-priced outsider Honduras is currently appealing to our customers for straight bets, with 51% of wagers going the way of the Hondurans," Bickerdike said. "However, there is plenty of time for this to change as we get nearer to kickoff, where we expect to see a flurry of interest for Mexico." Looking Ahead As noted above, Bickerdike and the Caesars risk room want to see the Gold Cup's two most popular teams square off in Sunday night's final in Houston. "Currently, Mexico is the only losing selection remaining in the [championship futures] book," Bickerdike said. "However, given customers are favoring Honduras in the semifinal, a USA-Mexico final is preferred." Furthermore, Caesars would love to see a USA-Mexico match settled on penalty kicks. For that to happen in the final, though, the match would first have to get through a 30-minute overtime. "The U.S. ultimately getting the job done, preferably on penalties, would be the most favorable for the book." Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! share
Scotsman
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
13 playground crazes which have been banned by schools, and the reasons why
Some were banned for obvious reasons, but with others the logic was less apparent Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Many popular toys and games have been banned by schools over the years They have been outlawed for various reasons, from being too disruptive to causing injuries One toy was even banned at some schools due to privacy concerns They are among the most popular toys and games to have swept the nation over the years, from traditional pastimes to the latest must-have gadget. Yet they have all ended up being banned by some schools after driving teachers to distraction. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In some cases, it was because they were disrupting lessons, in others it was due to concerns over injuries - with one popular game reportedly the cause of many a broken bone. Below are some of the biggest playground crazes from recent times back to the 1970s and beyond which have been banned, and the reasons which were given. Clackers A youngster playing with some clackers in 1971 | National World Clackers were the fidget spinners of the 70s - an addictive but ultimately pointless game which a generation of youngsters wasted hours playing. They consisted of two acrylic balls dangling from a length of string which you had to knock against each other to make the distinctive 'clacking' sound. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sadly, the balls had a worrying tendency to 'explode', which led resulted in them being banned by many schools due to safety concerns. One person recalled: 'I loved clackers. But fair play they were nasty if they broke. ' Furbies Emma Carle pictured with a family of Furbies in 1999 | Mark Bickerdike Cute or annoying? Your verdict on Furbies probably depends on how old you were when the fluffy interactive 'pets' first hit the shelves in the late 90s. Teachers were not generally big fans, it's fair to say, with the popular toy considered an unwelcome distraction at many schools, especially due to the noises they made. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There were also unfounded concerns over privacy, with some people believing they could record and transmit conversations, even though their maker explained they did not have the ability to record. One person recalled how Furbies were banned at their school as everyone took theirs in with them one day and there were 30 of them all asking to be fed at the same time. British bulldog How many of you remember playing British bulldog in the school playground? The aim of the game was to make it from one side to the other without getting stopped by the catcher, or 'bulldog'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you got stopped then you became one of the catchers, and the game continued until there was just one runner left. Trouble was there were no real rules beyond that, and the methods used to stop someone or to escape the bulldogs often bordered on physical assault. Given that, it's perhaps unsurprising the game was banned by many schools and is rarely played today. Many veterans of the game recalled a game of British bulldog ending in serious injury at their school, including broken bones. Slap bracelets A child with a collection of slap bracelets, which were popular in the 1980s and early 90s |Slap bracelets, or snap bands, were big in the 80s and 90s. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Children back then fell for the simple pleasure of slapping the straight bands against their wrists and watching them satisfying coil around into a bracelet shape. The trouble is they typically consisted a thin piece of flexible steel inside a fabric or plastic covering, and there were concerns that poorly made versions could cause injuries. Many people recalled slap bracelets being banned at their school, though this was often due to them being a distraction rather than anyone actually getting hurt. Battling tops/Beyblades Beyblades - a jazzed-up version of the 60s game battling tops - were huge in the noughties |Children in the 60s and 70s had battling tops, while noughties youngsters had Beyblades. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They both involved launching spinning tops into an arena and hoping yours was the last one standing, but Beyblades were a jazzed-up, highly customisable version which resonated with a new generation of schoolchildren. Whichever version it is you remember, lots of people recalled the game being banned at their school. That was usually because it led to fights or due to sought-after Beyblades getting stolen, though some people recalled injuries resulting from playing the game. Conkers Conkers used to be a hugely popular playground game | National World Playing conkers is a classic autumn pastime which used to be an essential part of growing up in Britain. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From the thrill of finding an unbeatable conker to the huge upsets as a 'none-er' beat a trusty giant of the arena, via the inevitable claims that a rival had baked their conker or soaked it in vinegar, the game had it all. Conkers is certainly not as common as it once was but it's up for debate whether that's a case of 'health and safety gone mad', as some people love to tell you, or children today having more options when it comes to entertainment. Lots of people recalled conkers being banned at their school, in one case because a teacher tried to stop a contest and apparently ended up with a broken nose after taking a direct hit. Yo-yos Youngsters showing off their yo-yo skills in the late 80s | National World The humble yo-yo is a toy which has endured, delighting many generations of youngsters while other fads have come and gone. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From the basic enjoyment of getting your yo-yo to fall and then magically rise, to the excitement of mastering ever more challenging tricks, it has provided hours of harmless fun. That fun has not always been harmless enough for some teachers, however. Lots of people told how yo-yos had been banned at their schools, usually after they ended up being wielded as weapons, with reports of the toys causing numerous black eyes and broken teeth. Sticky slap hands Surely nothing could be more harmless than these sticky, stretchy hands, which have been around since the 1980s? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Yet apparently they were banned at a number of schools due to concerns they could strangle pupils. And there was me thinking the only danger was them getting covered in carpet fur and losing their ability to cling to walls and windows. Pokemon/TMNT cards Children have been trading Pokemon cards for nearly 30 years | Getty Images Pokemon trading cards have been around for nearly 30 years and lots of people remember them being banned at their school. This was sometimes because disputes over the cards led to fights, it seems, and sometimes because teachers considered it to be a form of gambling. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The same logic has been applied to similar games, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle trading cards and Pogs. Loom bands Loom bands were the big craze of 2014 | AFP via Getty Images Loom bands were everywhere in 2014. The tiny, multicoloured elastic bands which could be woven into bracelets swept the globe as the craze took off. Unsurprisingly, they ended up being banned at various schools. This was sometimes because they were viewed as a distraction and in other instances because they were blamed for fights, with the loom bands reportedly even being used as weapons in some cases. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They were also a pain to clean up, as any parent who has tired of finding them all over the floor and behind the sofa will attest. Fidget spinners Fidget spinners were all the rage in 2017 | AFP via Getty Images Originally designed to help children with autism, ADHD and other conditions deal with stress, these pocket-sized toys really took off in 2017, when they had youngsters around the world in a spin. The gadget, featuring three rounded blades which spin mesmercially around the central bearings, became a must-have item after YouTube videos of people performing tricks with them racked up millions of views. Many schools banned fidget spinners because they were considered a distraction, with some teachers reporting children throwing them around the classroom. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bottle flipping Bottle flipping was the skill everyone was trying to perfect back in 2016 after a video of someone performing the trick went viral. It involves throwing a partially filled plastic bottle so that it spins in the air before landing upright on its base or, more impressively, on its cap. Many schools banned it because it was a noisy distraction, but there are reports online of it causing more serious problems. One person told how someone accidentally hit a fire alarm with a bottle, setting it off, while another person recalled how a pupil had been hit in the face with a bottle, drawing blood, after it was tossed high into the air by a classmate. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tamagotchis Tamagotchis first became popular in the 90s | Adobe Stock/Ana Belen Garcia These virtual pets in their egg-shaped cases originated in Japan and were first big in the 1990s and early noughties. It was your job to raise them from egg to adult, taking care of their every need, from feeding them and cleaning up after them to playing with them and looking after them if they became sick. They were banned in many schools due to the constant beeping noises from the electronic pets seeking their keepers' attention, and the fact pupils were distracted as they didn't want their Tamagotchi to die. One person, writing on a popular Reddit thread, described how Tamagotchis were 'basically animal cruelty once the teachers caught on'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Because pupils were banned from getting them out in class, they explained, many Tamagotchis just fouled themselves 'until they starved to death in your pocket'. How many of these toys and games do you remember, and were any banned at your school?
