#first half under 1.5 goals predictions

[devilsupdates]

5 Bargain Free Agents the Devils Must Target

May 21, 2024 by Josh Reinitz

Heading into the offseason, the New Jersey Devils have multiple issues. The most pressing is finding a new head coach. With the search narrowed to, at most, four potential candidates and with a decision expected before the holiday weekend, the next focus should be planning for free agency. The Devils will head into the offseason with almost $19 million in available cap space (Per CapFriendly). They will be 16th in the NHL in available cap space. However, those numbers may change drastically should the team enter into an extension with pending restricted free agent (RFA) Dawson Mercer and/or acquire a top-level goaltender without offsetting salary.

Earlier this week, AFP Analytics released detailed projections for every free agent to hit the market this summer. While no model is ever 100% predictive, AFP’s version gives a good baseline on what players can expect to cost in the offseason. The Devils are fortunate to have their core locked up on long-term, team-friendly deals or entry-level contracts. The only core member they have to decide on is the aforementioned Mercer, who they could even punt on for the time being and tender a qualifying offer, as he is still a year removed from having arbitration rights.

Even with the core locked up, the Devils are not without needs. General manager Tom Fitzgerald has indicated he wants to construct a team that is more difficult to play against and made up of players you can win with. He has considerable assets ready to compete in any trade market he deems appropriate with a top-ten draft pick and young, talented, inexpensive players like Alexander Holtz and Seamus Casey who could be made available. With the bigger moves likely to come in the trade market, the Devils should use free agency to build depth and fill in around the edges. The most glaring places needing depth are a bottom-six forward, penalty-killing/defense-first defenseman, and middle-six depth on the wing. Here is a look at five players projected to cost under $3 million per year, who the Devils should kick the tires on July 1.

Kevin Stenlund, Center – Projection: 2 Years x $1.34 Million

Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito signed center Kevin Stenlund as a free agent on July 1, 2023, to add depth to his bottom six due to his familiarity with him from both their days in Columbus. Stenlund has fit well in head coach Paul Maurice’s system and bolstered a strong bottom-six in Florida’s run to the Eastern Conference Final. The Devils spent much of the second half of last season trying to fill the enormous void left by the departure of Michael McLeod after being charged with sexual assault in conjunction with other members of the 2018 Canadian World Junior Team. Stenlund, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-handed center, could be the answer New Jersey has been seeking. Stenlund would be the only right-handed primary centerman on the Devils, but he is also a dangerous penalty killer with two short-handed goals in each of his last two seasons. His underlying numbers in 2023-24 were not perfect for a bottom-six center. However, it was only his first full season in the NHL, and there is room for improvement. Getting in on Stenlund at this time in his career could be a boon for whichever team ultimately signs the Swede. It is difficult to find a center entering his prime who stands 6-foot-4, is right-handed, wins faceoffs over 50% of the time, kills penalties, and will cost you less than $1.5 million a season. He has been an integral part of Florida’s success, having logged over 106 bottom-six minutes at 5v5 in this year’s playoffs without having been on the ice for a goal against. He has also shown improvement in handling the puck, limiting his giveaways to 14 total this season after being credited with 12 in just 54 games last season. Stenlund would be a welcome addition to the Devils’ bottom six, forming an intimidating line with the likes of Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian/Kurtis MacDermid, and his ability to kill penalties would also allow the new coach to better focus the ice time of some of their forwards drafted into PK service last season. On balance, Stenlund is a fit for New Jersey in terms of play and price.

William Carrier, Left Wing – Projection: 2 Years x $2.4 Million

The Golden Knights do not have a selection in the second through fifth rounds of this year’s NHL Draft. Carrier is one of the diamonds in the rough of this year’s free agent class. He could even be someone the Devils wisely target before July 1 by expending capital to acquire his rights in a trade with Vegas for a later-round pick. Watching the playoffs this season, Carrier’s skill was fully on display. He is a capable puck-transporter as a winger and has the speed to threaten defenses and the bite to hamper opposing offenses. Notably, in a series his team lost, the save percentage at 5v5 with him on the ice was still almost 93%, and only two goals were scored against him in nearly 75 minutes of ice time. In this year’s playoffs alone, he was ranked in the 81st percentile in top speed and 92nd percentile for the number of speed bursts above 22 mph while only playing in one round. (Per NHL Edge)

The only nagging concern about Carrier is his inability to stay healthy. He has never played a full 82 games in a season but has always been available in the postseason for Vegas. The Devils should have enough depth with Lazar, Bastian, MacDermid, and Nolan Foote to rest Carrier throughout the season as needed. With the style of play he brings, it is natural to need additional rest, and it is a trade-off the Devils should be willing to accept for the chance to add a fast, 29-year-old winger who averages 244 hits per 82 games for under $2.5 million.

Brenden Dillon, Left Defense – Projection: 2 Years x $2.86 Million

While a bit pricier than the others on this list, defenseman Brenden Dillon solves enough of New Jersey’s issues to be worth the extra cash. At 33 years old, he is closer to the end than the start of his career, but with that age comes a vast amount of regular season and playoff experience. Two seasons ago, the Devils learned that playing defensemen with top-four talent on your third pair pays huge dividends and should strongly consider doing the same with Dillon. He mostly closely resembles former Devil Ryan Graves in size at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, but even though he is six years older, he is still a better, faster skater than Graves (Per NHL Edge) and brings more edge and aggression.

Dillon has never been shy about standing up for his teammates, a quality that is valued by New Jersey. This season, he participated in seven fights, many of which were in response to liberties taken by opponents on other Jets. He is also a premier penalty killer and defensive defenseman without sacrificing mobility and the ability to move the puck out of danger by passing or skating. This season he was credited with 241 hits and 111 blocks, both would have led New Jersey as would his career 82-game average of 198 hits and 110 blocks. Dillon has demonstrated durability throughout his 13-year career, having played at least 76 games every full season since his rookie year. The Devils may have to go up for a more favorable average annual value (AAV), but a three-year deal at $2.5 million AAV makes sense for both parties.

Jordan Martinook, Winger – Projection: 3 Years x $2.765 Million One of the easiest ways to improve your team is to take talent from your competitors. Signing middle-six winger Jordan Martinook would do just that for New Jersey. In his end-of-season press conference, Fitzgerald said he needed players he could win with on his roster. Martinook is that type of player. His counting stats belie his value, but every good team has players like him. The 31-year-old winger can play on either side of any line in the bottom nine and kill penalties. His play to save a goal in Game 6 vs. the New York Rangers in this year’s playoffs will be replayed forever. His success last season against the Devils in the playoffs should also not be lost on Fitzgerald.

The Carolina Hurricanes dominated in the regular season at 5v5 with Martinook on the ice. His expected goals for percentage (xGF%) and Corsi For percentage (CF%) were over 60. The team also had 218 more scoring chances than their opponents with Martinook on the ice. Forming a line of Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula, and Martinook would provide the team with one of the peskiest third lines in the NHL. He also brings durability. He has never played less than 77 games in his six non-COVID-impacted seasons. His skating would fit in with the Devils’ style of play as his speed bursts rank him in the 80th percentile in the NHL for bursts above 20 and 22 mph. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 33 points per season, but the offense is not on top of the Devils’ list. However, his ability to score in the clutch and provide secondary scoring in the playoffs is highly valued. Martinook’s signing would signal a power shift within the division, and the Devils should be all in for the winger.

Jani Hakanpaa, Defenseman – Projection: 1 Year x $1.51 Million

Much like Dillon, Jani Hakanpaa would bring size, stability, and experience as an affordable third-pair defenseman. Also, like Dillon, Hakanpaa may be forced out of the Dallas Stars lineup, not due to his play but the emergence of young prospects. The 6-foot-6 225-pound Finn has less mileage on him than Dillon but is equally effective and is right-handed. Should the Devils decide to hold onto Kevin Bahl and/or move John Marino, they may see the need for depth on the right side, making Hakanpaa a perfect fit.

Hakanpaa has been forced out of this year’s playoffs with an injury but will slot back into the Stars lineup once he is physically able. He spent most of the season as the Stars’ shutdown pair teamed with Esa Lindell. The pair was also the team’s first choice on the penalty kill. Like Dillon, Hakanpaa also brings unique physicality with an 82-game average of 265 hits and 127 blocks. Hakanpaa would be a welcome addition to New Jersey, especially if he only required a one-year deal; he would essentially take the cap hit and role that was envisioned for Colin Miller at the start of the season and not encumber the Devils’ long-term plans on the back end with contracts for Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec coming due in short order.

There are bargains to be had in free agency this season, and the Devils must be buyers if they want to reclaim their place in the postseason. These five players are a good start, but others out there could fit the bill, like former Devils Tomas Tatar and Stefan Noesen, to name two. How Fitzgerald decides to build around his core will go a long way toward determining for how long the team’s championship window remains open.

[startwinningnow]

Understanding Different Types of Soccer Betting Odds

Soccer is the world's most popular sport, and with its popularity comes a thriving betting industry. Betting on soccer matches has become increasingly popular among sports enthusiasts, providing them with an opportunity to make predictions and potentially earn some profits. However, to be successful in soccer betting, it is crucial to understand the different types of judi bola odds and how they work. In this article, we will explore the various types of soccer betting odds and shed light on their significance.

Fractional Odds: Fractional odds, also known as traditional odds or British odds, are commonly used in the United Kingdom. These odds are represented in fractions, such as 2/1 or 5/2. The first number in the fraction represents the potential profit, while the second number represents the amount needed to place the bet. For example, a 2/1 fractional odd implies that for every unit bet, you will win two units if your prediction is correct.

Decimal Odds: Decimal odds are the most widely used format globally. These odds are presented in decimal format, such as 3.50 or 2.25. The figure indicates the total payout, including both the initial stake and the profit. For instance, if you place a $10 bet on a match with odds of 3.50, your total payout will be $35 (including the $10 stake).

Moneyline or American Odds: Moneyline odds, primarily used in the United States, are represented as positive or negative numbers. Positive odds, such as +150, indicate the potential profit on a $100 stake, while negative odds, such as -200, represent the amount you need to wager to win $100. Positive odds reflect the potential profit if you bet $100, while negative odds indicate the amount required to win $100.

Asian Handicap: Asian handicap betting is prevalent in soccer wagering, particularly in Asia. This type of bet eliminates the possibility of a draw by giving one team a head start and the other a handicap. The handicap is expressed in whole and half numbers, such as +0.5 or -1.5. If you bet on the team with a +0.5 handicap, they need to either win or draw for your bet to be successful. Conversely, if you bet on the team with a -1.5 handicap, they need to win by at least two goals for your wager to win.

Over/Under or Totals: Over/under betting, also known as totals betting, involves predicting the total number of goals scored in a match. The bookmaker sets a line, such as 2.5 goals, and you can bet on whether the total number of goals will be over or under that line. For example, if you bet on over 2.5 goals and the final score is 2-1, you win the bet.

Understanding these different types of soccer betting odds is essential for making informed decisions when placing your bets. It allows you to evaluate the potential risk and reward associated with each type of bet and choose the one that aligns with your predictions and strategies. It is important to note that different bookmakers may offer different odds for the same event. Therefore, comparing odds from various bookmakers can be beneficial to ensure you are getting the best possible value for your bets.

Furthermore, as with any form of gambling, it is crucial to gamble responsibly and within your means. Soccer betting should be seen as a form of entertainment, and it is advisable to set a budget and stick to it.

In conclusion, understanding the different types of soccer betting odds, such as fractional, decimal, moneyline, Asian handicap, and over/under, is key to becoming a successful bettor. Each type of odds has its own unique characteristics and calculations, and being familiar with them will enable you to make well-informed decisions when placing your bets. Remember to research, analyze, and gamble responsibly to enhance your soccer betting experience.

[mycryptosuite]

Multi Goals Prediction For Today Matches

Multi Goals Prediction For Today Matches

Multi Goals Prediction For Today Matches Multi goals prediction for today will focus on possible goals prediction and don’t forget that we have a winning recode on our name Abc Naija. (more…)

[safedraws-blog]

best football prediction site in the world

https://www.cr7tip.com/ How do your experts practice their advice? Here at Free Super Tips, our tipsters experts analyze statistics, team news, form and much more before making their choices. Using all the information they can, they go through basic analysis to ensure that today's tips have the highest chance of a positive outcome. Given their wealth of experience and knowledge, it is easy to trust them.

There are many ways to bet on our football tips, but the best is free betting. You can check out the best of this on our free betting page, which includes the best special offers for UK major bookmakers and puts you in one place.

What football tips on Saturday do you offer? Saturday is the first day of league action, so naturally most of our tips are for the Premier League and other top European leagues. Due to the sheer volume of league activity on this day, our most popular Saturday football tips tend to be accumulators.

Free Football Betting Tips

Cr7tip is the best source of free football betting tips and football predictions and betting statistics, football results, football statistics and trends. We also keep you up to date on how to get accurate football predictions, league tables, betting tools, the latest free bet offers, and we cover more than 120 worldwide soccer leagues and competitions. Cr7tip gives you almost 20,000 predictions every season!. Our football tips and football accumulator tips are based on our extensive knowledge of football stats. At Cr7tip we have one of the most complete football statistics sections that covers both teams to score, BTTS and win, over/under 2.5 and 1.5 goals, half-time under/over, doublechance, and much more.

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[worldticketsandhospitality]

Qatar World Cup: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Kazakhstan-Bosniaks to secure a comfortable win

These two teams have yet to win a game in the Qatar Football World Cup 2022 qualifiers. Who will break the bad form? Our prediction: the Bosnians will come closer to success!

Fans from all over the world are called to book Football world Cup tickets from our online platforms WorldWideTicketsandHospitality.com. Football World Cup fans can book Bosnia Football World Cup Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.

                        Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina have never qualified for the mainland competition in their history but managed to participate in the World Forum in 2014. But they didn't make it out of the group. And now Bosnians have also failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022. They got only 2 points in three matches. Yes, they met world champions France twice, but the Bosnians managed to get one point here as well. Is that enough to qualify for second place in Group D and the relegation playoffs?

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has never been selected for a major international tournament in its history. That will not change this year. After the draw it was clear that Kazakhstan would play the main role in group D. They lost 0-2 and 0-1 to France and Finland, correspondingly, but managed to take points from Ukraine 1-1 and 2-2. That's why the Kazakhs are last in Group D.

History of meetings between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kazakhstan the teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kazakhstan have never faced each other. The forthcoming match will be their debut. For more details about Football World Cup Tickets.

Expert betting tips

The teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kazakhstan are currently in second place in Group D, while the Bosnians still have a chance to fight for second place. The hosts will certainly have more motivation in such a situation. Yes, Talgat Baysufinoff's guard always shows character and doesn't give up without a fight, but here it will be quite difficult for them. You can bet on a win for Bosnia and Herzegovina with a handicap of (-1.5), which corresponds to odds of 1.90.

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kazakhstan did not perform particularly well in the first half of their qualification for the Football World Cup 2022. They have played a very cautious and risk-free game. The Bosnians have scored only seven goals in three games, while the Kazakhs have scored nine goals in four games. The best bet is a Total of under 2.5 goals with odds of almost 2.04.

Dzeko experienced a mixed last season at Roma and moved to Inter in the summer. The 35-year-old has already scored in friendlies for his new club before scoring in the first round of Serie A. In this case, it's worth keeping an eye on Dzeko's goal, which is rated at 1.80.

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[sciencespies]

Dire once-in-a-century storms could become annual events soon, scientists warn

https://sciencespies.com/environment/dire-once-in-a-century-storms-could-become-annual-events-soon-scientists-warn/

Dire once-in-a-century storms could become annual events soon, scientists warn

The best case scenario for the climate crisis is looking increasingly disastrous for much of the world, especially when it comes to rising seas.

Even if we can limit global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, in line with the Paris Climate Accord, by 2100 many coastal regions could be experiencing once-in-a-century sea level threats, such as storm surges, high tides and threatening waves, at least once a year.

That’s a 100-fold increase in coastal flooding, and according to new global models, that’s if we’re lucky. If we do nothing to change our behavior, the world could soon blow past 2 degrees Celsius of warming, at which point sea level scenarios will grow significantly worse.

Recent projections for more than 7,000 coastal locations around the world suggest that at 1.5 degrees of warming, at least half of the sites studied will be annually affected by extreme sea level events.

At 2 degrees Celsius of warming, a further 14 percent will experience the same by 2100.

In all likelihood, some locations will suffer these effects even sooner. Under the 1.5 degree scenario, for instance, some coastal locations could experience a 100-fold increase in extreme sea level events by as early as the 2070s.

The authors say this is “overwhelmingly true” for places in the tropics, like Hawaii and the Caribbean, as well as the southern half of North America’s Pacific coast, all of which appear particularly vulnerable to rising seas. As more sea ice melts, parts of the Mediterranean coast and the Arabian Peninsula could also become hotspots for extreme sea level activity. 

“The tropics appear more sensitive than the northern high latitudes,” the authors write, “where some locations do not see this frequency change even for the highest global warming levels.”

The results align with recent sea level projections, which suggest we have been seriously underestimating the rise of our oceans at the lower ends of global warming.

Already this year, a study found sea level rise is impacting coastal areas four times faster than we thought. The miscalculations have a lot to do with uncertainties regarding projected sea level rise and how it will shake out the world over – there are a lot of variables to include in the calculations.

The new model seeks to make up for these limitations. It is based on a ‘voting’ system, which helps to balance out various different scenarios of sea level rise and the many uncertainties involved.

For all six scenarios of warming by 2100, researchers took the median values at which sea level events become annual and used these as individual ‘votes’. The ‘majority vote’ was therefore the lowest warming level at which the frequency of storm surges and other sea level events became annual disasters.

This democratic system was first applied to data on extreme sea level events from a smaller subset of 179 coastal locations, before being expanded to a larger set of 7,283 locations.

In the end, the authors found a majority vote that agreed 43 percent of all coastal locations studied will experience extreme sea level events on an annual basis, even at the lower end of 1.5 degrees of warming.

What’s more, many of these coastal regions will experience these effects before the end of the century, possibly even as soon as 2070.

At 2 degrees of warming, the majority vote suggests a further 15 percent more coastline will be affected. At 3 degrees of warming, this dire scenario could hit as early as 2060.

Still, that’s just what the majority vote suggests. Some of the more pessimistic data points on each of the six distributions indicate that 99 percent of all locations could experience extreme sea level events at 1.5 degrees of warming.

The findings highlight a “substantial level of disagreement among the six estimates“, which suggests there’s still a whole lot of uncertainty in our models.

The most optimistic voting outcome, for instance, suggests only 2 percent of all coastal regions studied will experience extreme sea level events under the same warming scenario. But that optimistic scenario requires a “very strict” unanimous vote across all six estimates that probably wouldn’t happen often.

Once again, the new study highlights we need further research to refine our sea level models to see where the worst effects will strike first. While some parts of North America’s Atlantic coast could be hit by dramatic flooding, the study predicts other nearby regions will remain entirely unaffected.

Why this wild variation occurs in such nearby locations will need to be further analyzed, but it’s something that other researchers have noticed before – an artifact of the scientific difficulties involved in putting firm numbers on sea level rise.

For instance, even in a terrible scenario where global warming reaches past 5 degrees Celsius and ice sheets virtually disappear the world over, the majority vote suggests approximately 20 percent of all the coastal sites studied will remain unaffected by extreme sea level events.

Northern coastal regions like Alaska and northern Europe are those that seem to be most safe from these future disasters.

“Our findings have important policy and practical implications as they highlight that even if the Paris Agreement goals will be achieved, extreme events potentially conducive to coastal flooding will be experienced at unprecedented frequencies in many parts of the world’s coasts,” the authors write.

That’s a big ‘if’.

The study was published in Nature Climate Change.

#Environment

[eagle-eyez]

The new IPCC report is "a code red for humanity", says UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Established in 1988 by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assesses climate change science. Its new report is a warning sign for policy makers all over the world.

This was the first time the approval meeting for the report was conducted online. There were 234 authors from the world over who clocked in 186 hours working together to get this report released.

For the first time, the report offers an interactive atlas for people to see what has already happened and what may happen in the future to where they live.

“This report tells us that recent changes in the climate are widespread, rapid and intensifying, unprecedented in thousands of years,” said IPCC Vice-Chair Ko Barrett.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen that scientists have been issuing these messages for more than three decades, but the world hasn’t listened.

Here are the most important takeaways from the report:

Humans are to be blamed

Human activity is the cause of climate change and this is an unequivocal fact. All the warming caused in the pre-industrial times had been generated by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, wood, and natural gas.

Global temperatures have already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 19th century. They have reached their highest in over 100,000 years, and only a fraction of that increase has come from natural forces.

Michael Mann told the Independent the effects of climate change will be felt in all corners of the world and will worsen, especially since "the IPCC has connected the dots on climate change and the increase in severe extreme weather events... considerably more directly than previous assessments."

We will overshoot the 1.5 C mark

According to the report's highly optimistic-to-reckless scenarios, even if we do everything right and start reducing emissions now, we will still overshoot the 1.5C mark by 2030. But, we will see a drop in temperatures to around 1.4 C.

Control emissions, Earth will do the rest

According to the report, if we start working to bring our emissions under control, we will be able to decrease warming, even if we overshoot the 1.5C limit.

The changes we are living through are unprecedented; however, they are reversible to a certain extent. And it will take a lot of time for nature to heal. We can do this by reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While we might see some benefits quickly, "it could take 20-30 years to see global temperatures stabilise" says the IPCC.

Also read: Leaders and experts speak up after the release of the new IPCC report

Sea level rise

Global oceans have risen about 20 centimetres (eight inches) since 1900, and the rate of increase has nearly tripled in the last decade. Crumbling and melting ice sheets atop Antarctica (especially in Greenland) have replaced glacier melt as the main drivers.

If global warming is capped at 2 C, the ocean watermark will go up about half a metre over the 21st century. It will continue rising to nearly two metres by 2300 -- twice the amount predicted by the IPCC in 2019.

Because of uncertainty over ice sheets, scientists cannot rule out a total rise of two metres by 2100 in a worst-case emissions scenario.

CO2 is at all-time high

CO2 levels were greater in 2019 than they had been in “at least two million years."  Methane and nitrous oxide levels, the second and third major contributors of warming respectively, were higher in 2019 than at any point in “at least 800,000 years,” reported the Independent.

Control methane

The report includes more data than ever before on methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas after CO2, and warns that failure to curb emissions could undermine Paris Agreement goals.

Human-induced sources are roughly divided between leaks from natural gas production, coal mining and landfills on one side, and livestock and manure handling on the other.

CH4 lingers in the atmosphere only a fraction as long as CO2, but is far more efficient at trapping heat. CH4 levels are their highest in at least 800,000 years.

Natural allies are weakened

Since about 1960, forests, soil and oceans have absorbed 56 percent of all the CO2 humanity has released into the atmosphere -- even as those emissions have increased by half. Without nature's help, Earth would already be a much hotter and less hospitable place.

But these allies in our fight against global heating -- known in this role as carbon sinks -- are showing signs of saturatation, and the percentage of human-induced carbon they soak up is likely to decline as the century unfolds.

Suck it out

The report suggests that warming could be brought back down via “negative emissions.” We could cool down the planet by sucking out or sequestering the carbon from the atmosphere. While this is a viable suggestion that has been thrown around and there have been small-scale studies that have tried to do this, the technology is not yet perfect. The panel said that could be done starting about halfway through this century but doesn’t explain how, and many scientists are skeptical about its feasibility.

Cities will bear the brunt

Experts warn that the impact of some elements of climate change, like heat, floods and sea-level rise in coastal areas, may be exacerbated in cities. Furthermore, IPCC experts warn that low-probability scenarios, like an ice sheet collapse or rapid changes in ocean circulation, cannot be ruled out.

With inputs from agencies

from Firstpost World Latest News https://ift.tt/3AIvTTk

[mycryptosuite]

Over 0.5 First Half Goals Predictions Today - Goal 1x2 Tips

Over 0.5 First Half Goals Predictions Today – Goal 1×2 Tips

Over 0.5 First Half Goals Predictions Today – Goal 1×2 Tips Over 0.5 first half goals predictions today is the best soccer forecast of the day and you have to play it so you can win big – half with most goals strategy. (more…)

[orbemnews]

Analysis: Volkswagen could soon steal Tesla's crown After years as the undisputed king of the electric car, Tesla (TSLA) could be matched sale for sale by Volkswagen (VLKAF) as early as 2022, according to analysts at UBS, who predict that Europe’s biggest carmaker will go on to sell 300,000 more battery electric vehicles than Tesla in 2025. Ending Tesla’s reign would be a huge milestone in Volkswagen’s transformation into an electric vehicle powerhouse. Badly burned by its diesel emissions scandal in 2015, Europe’s largest carmaker is investing €35 billion ($42 billion) in electric vehicles, staking its future on new technology and a dramatic shift away from fossil fuels. “Tesla is not only about electric vehicles. Tesla is also very strong in software. They really run the car as a device. They are making good progress on the autonomous thing. But yes … we are going to challenge Tesla,” Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess told CNN’s Julia Chatterley on Tuesday. Volkswagen this week underscored the scale of that ambition. It said it would sell more than 2 million electric vehicles by 2025, build its own network of vast battery factories, hire 6,500 IT experts over the next five years, launch its own operating system, and become Europe’s second biggest software company behind SAP (SAP). UBS analysts told reporters last week that investors have failed to appreciate the speed at which Volkswagen is gaining ground on Tesla, and how much money the German company stands to make by going “all in” on electric cars before other established carmakers including Toyota (TM) and General Motors (GM). UBS has hiked its target price for Volkswagen shares by 50% to €300 ($358). “We have more confidence than ever that Volkswagen will deliver the unique combination of volume growth, making them the world’s largest [electric] carmaker, together with Tesla, as soon as next year, while their margins will be stable or even grow from here. That is something that is totally unappreciated,” said UBS analyst Patrick Hummel. Volkswagen, which owns Porsche, Audi, Skoda and SEAT, sold 231,600 battery electric vehicles in 2020. That’s less than half the number of sales Tesla made, but it represents an increase of 214% on the previous year. Rapid growth is expected to continue as Volkswagen launches 70 electric vehicles before the end of the decade. It will operate eight electric vehicle plants by 2022, producing models in nearly every segment — from small cars to SUVs and luxury sedans. The global race to electric car market domination will come down to the Californian upstart and the German industrial giant, according to UBS. It predicts that Volkswagen will exceed its own goal by producing 2.6 million electric vehicles in 2025, followed by Tesla with 2.3 million. Toyota, which sold more cars than anyone else last year, ranks a distant third with 1.5 million electric sales (excluding hybrids). Hyundai Motor Group (HYMTF) and Nissan (NSANF) will churn out roughly 1 million vehicles, followed by General Motors with 800,000. Shifting into overdrive Volkswagen is in a better position than its rivals because of its modular production platform, or MEB. The platform, which was used to produce the ID.3, an electric compact hatchback, will allow the carmaker to quickly produce a huge number of vehicles while slashing costs. UBS estimates that manufacturing an ID.3 currently costs Volkswagen €4,000 ($4,770) more than producing an equivalent Golf powered by gasoline or diesel. But a sharp decline in the cost of battery packs — the single most expensive part of an electric vehicle — mean the difference in production costs will be eliminated by 2025, according to UBS. Volkswagen on Monday unveiled plans to open six battery-making “gigafactories” in Europe by 2030, with the aim of slashing the cost of its battery cells by as much as 50%. “Lower prices for batteries means more affordable cars, which makes electric vehicles more attractive for customers,” said Diess. The huge scale of production at Volkswagen, which sold 9.3 million cars last year, will also help reduce costs. In addition to the MEB, the group is developing a separate platform for premium brands Audi and Porsche, allowing it to launch electric vehicles across its entire product range. Investors are starting to reward the company. Shares in Volkswagen jumped 6.5% to €207 ($247) on Tuesday, bringing gains so far this year to 35%. Where Tesla leads Despite the recent rise in its share price, Volkswagen is worth significantly less than Tesla. The market value of the challenger led by Elon Musk first overtook that of Volkswagen in January 2020, and the gap has increased dramatically since then. Volkswagen has a market capitalization of €111 billion ($133 billion), compared to $680 billion for Tesla. Part of the difference can be explained by Tesla’s continued superiority in battery costs, software and the profitability of its electric cars. According to UBS, Tesla has “a more sophisticated IT hardware architecture,” and its “software organization is on a different level.” Volkswagen lags Tesla in autonomous driving technology by several years. Some investors believe that Tesla will be able to capitalize on its software advantage in a big way. In addition to delivering wireless updates to its cars — a concept the company pioneered — Tesla may soon be able to do things like charge owners a subscription fee to use its autonomous driving software. It’s much closer to changing the nature of car ownership than established carmakers such as Volkswagen. UBS reckons that the earnings potential from software accounts for roughly two thirds, or $400 billion, of Tesla’s market value. “We think the lion’s share of this [$400 billion in] value can be generated by software, mainly autonomous driving. With that, Tesla has the potential to become one of the most valuable software companies,” its analysts wrote. There could be setbacks along the way, however. Tesla recently expanded its “full self-driving” software to roughly 2,000 owners, but some drivers had their access revoked for not paying close enough attention to the road. Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, said earlier this year that the electric vehicle market is “Tesla’s world and everyone else is paying rent.” But with 150 carmakers all pursuing the same goal, Tesla will need to execute on its strategy, he added. “While growth will be key, its profitability profile will be under the microscope from investors going forward to better discern how quickly Tesla can ramp its margin structure, especially with higher margin sales coming out of China over the next few years,” said Ives. For both Volkswagen and Tesla, their ambition to dominate the electric car market depends on their ability to become more like the other. Volkswagen needs to quickly upgrade its software capabilities, while Tesla would benefit from the German company’s ability to churn out million upon millions of high-quality vehicles each year. Volkswagen announced earlier this month that the first wireless software updates would be delivered to the ID.3 this summer. Ives predicts that Tesla will be making 1 million cars a year in 2022, and could be approaching 5 million annually by the end of the decade. With consumers now searching out electric cars, especially in Europe, the race between Volkswagen and Tesla will accelerate quickly. According to UBS, electric cars will make up 20% of global new vehicles sales in 2015 and 50% in 2030. “We find ourselves in a new playing field — up against companies that are entering the mobility market from the world of technology,” Diess said on Tuesday. “Stock market players still regard the Volkswagen Group as part of the ‘old auto’ world. By focusing consistently on software and efficiency, we are working to change this view.” Source link Orbem News #Analysis #Business #Crown #Steal #Tesla:Volkswagencouldsoonstealtheelectriccarcrown-CNN #Teslas #Volkswagen

[dipulb3]

Analysis: Volkswagen could soon steal Tesla's crown

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/analysis-volkswagen-could-soon-steal-teslas-crown/

Analysis: Volkswagen could soon steal Tesla's crown

After years as the undisputed king of the electric car, Tesla (TSLA) could be matched sale for sale by Volkswagen (VLKAF) as early as 2022, according to analysts at UBS, who predict that Europe’s biggest carmaker will go on to sell 300,000 more battery electric vehicles than Tesla in 2025.

Ending Tesla’s reign would be a huge milestone in Volkswagen’s transformation into an electric vehicle powerhouse. Badly burned by its diesel emissions scandal in 2015, Europe’s largest carmaker is investing €35 billion ($42 billion) in electric vehicles, staking its future on new technology and a dramatic shift away from fossil fuels.

“Tesla is not only about electric vehicles. Tesla is also very strong in software. They really run the car as a device. They are making good progress on the autonomous thing. But yes … we are going to challenge Tesla,” Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess told Appradab’s Julia Chatterley on Tuesday.

Volkswagen this week underscored the scale of that ambition. It said it would sell more than 2 million electric vehicles by 2025, build its own network of vast battery factories, hire 6,500 IT experts over the next five years, launch its own operating system, and become Europe’s second biggest software company behind SAP (SAP).

UBS analysts told reporters last week that investors have failed to appreciate the speed at which Volkswagen is gaining ground on Tesla, and how much money the German company stands to make by going “all in” on electric cars before other established carmakers including Toyota (TM) and General Motors (GM). UBS has hiked its target price for Volkswagen shares by 50% to €300 ($358).

“We have more confidence than ever that Volkswagen will deliver the unique combination of volume growth, making them the world’s largest [electric] carmaker, together with Tesla, as soon as next year, while their margins will be stable or even grow from here. That is something that is totally unappreciated,” said UBS analyst Patrick Hummel.

Volkswagen, which owns Porsche, Audi, Skoda and SEAT, sold 231,600 battery electric vehicles in 2020. That’s less than half the number of sales Tesla made, but it represents an increase of 214% on the previous year. Rapid growth is expected to continue as Volkswagen launches 70 electric vehicles before the end of the decade. It will operate eight electric vehicle plants by 2022, producing models in nearly every segment — from small cars to SUVs and luxury sedans.

The global race to electric car market domination will come down to the Californian upstart and the German industrial giant, according to UBS. It predicts that Volkswagen will exceed its own goal by producing 2.6 million electric vehicles in 2025, followed by Tesla with 2.3 million. Toyota, which sold more cars than anyone else last year, ranks a distant third with 1.5 million electric sales (excluding hybrids). Hyundai Motor Group (HYMTF) and Nissan (NSANF) will churn out roughly 1 million vehicles, followed by General Motors with 800,000.

Shifting into overdrive

Volkswagen is in a better position than its rivals because of its modular production platform, or MEB. The platform, which was used to produce the ID.3, an electric compact hatchback, will allow the carmaker to quickly produce a huge number of vehicles while slashing costs.

UBS estimates that manufacturing an ID.3 currently costs Volkswagen €4,000 ($4,770) more than producing an equivalent Golf powered by gasoline or diesel. But a sharp decline in the cost of battery packs — the single most expensive part of an electric vehicle — mean the difference in production costs will be eliminated by 2025, according to UBS.

Volkswagen on Monday unveiled plans to open six battery-making “gigafactories” in Europe by 2030, with the aim of slashing the cost of its battery cells by as much as 50%. “Lower prices for batteries means more affordable cars, which makes electric vehicles more attractive for customers,” said Diess.

The huge scale of production at Volkswagen, which sold 9.3 million cars last year, will also help reduce costs. In addition to the MEB, the group is developing a separate platform for premium brands Audi and Porsche, allowing it to launch electric vehicles across its entire product range.

Investors are starting to reward the company. Shares in Volkswagen jumped 6.5% to €207 ($247) on Tuesday, bringing gains so far this year to 35%.

Where Tesla leads

Despite the recent rise in its share price, Volkswagen is worth significantly less than Tesla. The market value of the challenger led by Elon Musk first overtook that of Volkswagen in January 2020, and the gap has increased dramatically since then. Volkswagen has a market capitalization of €111 billion ($133 billion), compared to $680 billion for Tesla.

Part of the difference can be explained by Tesla’s continued superiority in battery costs, software and the profitability of its electric cars. According to UBS, Tesla has “a more sophisticated IT hardware architecture,” and its “software organization is on a different level.” Volkswagen lags Tesla in autonomous driving technology by several years.

Some investors believe that Tesla will be able to capitalize on its software advantage in a big way. In addition to delivering wireless updates to its cars — a concept the company pioneered — Tesla may soon be able to do things like charge owners a subscription fee to use its autonomous driving software. It’s much closer to changing the nature of car ownership than established carmakers such as Volkswagen.

UBS reckons that the earnings potential from software accounts for roughly two thirds, or $400 billion, of Tesla’s market value.

“We think the lion’s share of this [$400 billion in] value can be generated by software, mainly autonomous driving. With that, Tesla has the potential to become one of the most valuable software companies,” its analysts wrote.

There could be setbacks along the way, however. Tesla recently expanded its “full self-driving” software to roughly 2,000 owners, but some drivers had their access revoked for not paying close enough attention to the road.

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, said earlier this year that the electric vehicle market is “Tesla’s world and everyone else is paying rent.” But with 150 carmakers all pursuing the same goal, Tesla will need to execute on its strategy, he added.

“While growth will be key, its profitability profile will be under the microscope from investors going forward to better discern how quickly Tesla can ramp its margin structure, especially with higher margin sales coming out of China over the next few years,” said Ives.

For both Volkswagen and Tesla, their ambition to dominate the electric car market depends on their ability to become more like the other. Volkswagen needs to quickly upgrade its software capabilities, while Tesla would benefit from the German company’s ability to churn out million upon millions of high-quality vehicles each year. Volkswagen announced earlier this month that the first wireless software updates would be delivered to the ID.3 this summer.

Ives predicts that Tesla will be making 1 million cars a year in 2022, and could be approaching 5 million annually by the end of the decade.

With consumers now searching out electric cars, especially in Europe, the race between Volkswagen and Tesla will accelerate quickly. According to UBS, electric cars will make up 20% of global new vehicles sales in 2015 and 50% in 2030.

“We find ourselves in a new playing field — up against companies that are entering the mobility market from the world of technology,” Diess said on Tuesday. “Stock market players still regard the Volkswagen Group as part of the ‘old auto’ world. By focusing consistently on software and efficiency, we are working to change this view.”

[perfectirishgifts]

Prepare For A Post-Pandemic World: But, First, Feed The Children

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/prepare-for-a-post-pandemic-world-but-first-feed-the-children/

Prepare For A Post-Pandemic World: But, First, Feed The Children

Children may ultimately be the pandemic’s biggest victims

We are now nearly a year into the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus that became a global pandemic and upended life as we knew it.

More than 60 million people have fallen ill worldwide and almost 1.5 million have died. Even so, an increasing number of public intellectuals and social sector leaders are looking to a post-pandemic world. Renowned New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently predicted “When we emerge from this corona crisis, we’re going to be greeted with one of the most profound eras of Schumpeterian creative destruction ever.” J-PAL’s Radhika Bhula and John Floretta, writing in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, posited that “Perhaps one positive outcome of the pandemic is that it will push us to overcome the many remaining global educational challenges sooner than any of us expect.” (I also explored implications of the pandemic on education in two previous articles)

As CEO of a foundation that seeks to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the world’s poorest people by multiplying the impact of high-performing leaders and organizations, I also look forward to the opportunities a post-Covid world will present—and encourage social sector leaders to prepare for these. But, even as we anticipate the future, we still have a crisis to get through–the true costs of which are under the radar of a fatigued public.

Top among these is the little-known fact that children may ultimately be the pandemic’s biggest victims. As UNICEF recently explained, while the direct impact of Covid-19 on child and adolescent mortality appears limited, “the indirect effects on child survival stemming from strained health systems, household income loss, and disruptions to care-seeking and preventative interventions like vaccination may be substantial and widespread.”

Undernutrition is the number one killer of children each year

Consider these dismal facts, offered by UNICEF and other UN organizations (writing in The Lancet) including the World Health Organization:

Children are dying—an additional 10,000 each month in the first year of the pandemic, as Covid-related restrictions undermine nutrition services and disrupt food and health systems worldwide.

Wasting, meaning low-weight-for height (and essentially the technical term for life-threatening undernutrition), could strike an additional six to seven million children this year—on top of the estimated 47 million children under five affected by wasting pre-pandemic.

The pandemic’s socioeconomic impact may increase other forms of child malnutrition, including stunting (low height-for-age) and deficiencies in vitamins and other micronutrients that are essential for physical growth and brain development.

Covid-related disruption of immunization programs puts eighty million children under the age of one at risk of diseases like measles and polio.

To put this in context—and learn how the world can address this unacceptable situation—I spoke to two outstanding experts who devote their lives to helping children avoid, or survive, malnutrition: Dr. Víctor Aguayo, Global Chief of the UNICEF Nutrition Program, and William Moore, CEO of the Eleanor Crook Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting global malnutrition.

To start, both told me, it is essential to understand the pre-pandemic situation. “Many people may not realize that in the first two decades of this century we have seen amazing progress on malnutrition,” said Aguayo. “We have reduced by one third the number of undernourished children, which means that today the number of undernourished children is 55 million lower than in 2000, and that is without taking into account population growth.” Moore agreed, saying, “Over a 30-year time horizon since 1990, the world has cut hunger and malnutrition in half, even in spite of major population growth. That’s an amazing accomplishment.”

L-R: Dr. Víctor Aguayo, Global Chief of the UNICEF Nutrition Program; William Moore, CEO of the … [] Eleanor Crook Foundation

But, there is still much work to be done. Indeed, in 2019, one in three children did not get the nutrition they needed, according to UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children. They suffered, Aguayo wrote, from a triple burden: undernutrition, which is still the number one killer of children each year, and led to conditions like stunting and wasting, reflecting a profound nutritional failure in the first 1000 days of life; hidden hunger, which included deficiencies of vitamins and micronutrients like vitamin A and iron; and overweight and obesity, a problem increasingly impacting children even in poor households and countries.

The pandemic’s onslaught threatened both progress that had occurred and that which was still needed, but the rich world, blindsided by its own problems, has hardly seemed to notice. “There just really hasn’t been much media coverage at all,” said Moore. He continued:

“For folks in the sector, we are watching as everything we’ve accomplished in the developing world over decades just falls apart at a really alarming clip. I think it’s safe to say that it is probably the worst time in decades to be a mother or a young child in the developing world. I mean, it’s never a good time, but things have gotten better for moms and kids in developing countries over the last three decades. And, suddenly, for the first time in modern history everything is really sliding backwards very quickly.”

Severe Secondary Impacts

In developing countries, said Moore, the secondary impacts of Covid-19 are often more dangerous than the virus itself. “The food system disruptions and the health system shutdowns—that’s what’s probably going to have a much greater toll at the end of the day.” 

Indeed, lockdowns and other measures meant to mitigate viral spread also disrupted planting, harvest, and trade, which led to price spikes on staple foods. This, explained Aguayo, “put large numbers of children and families at risk of malnutrition and many have had to resort to poorer diets and nutrition practices that are negative to children.” While adults and children alike could suffer from malnutrition, it was children under five—and especially under two—who were most at risk. “That’s when people die from malnutrition,” explained Moore, “and that’s also the period of growth and brain development that’s most critical from a nutritional standpoint.” In addition to mitigation measures, general socioeconomic disruption could send millions of families into poverty and prevent them from feeding their children enough food to be healthy.

Health systems disruptions due to shutdowns, social distancing requirements, and fear also had devastating consequences. “We’ve watched community health systems around the world just go dark,” said Moore. “Community health workers who move from house to house are the lifeline for the world’s bottom billion and all of a sudden most of those routine services are no longer operational.” This included immunization against childhood diseases and distribution of vitamin A to the 250 million young children worldwide who were deficient in it and thus at risk of preventable blindness, severe illness, and even death.

Covid-19 poses devastating secondary impacts on the health of young children

To make matters worse, the universal impact of the pandemic has meant that donor countries are also affected and many are unwilling or unable to increase contributions that would help stave off malnutrition in other countries. “We’re seeing donor dollars more at risk on issues like malnutrition than we’ve seen in recent years,” said Moore, “and we already have a $7 billion annual funding gap for what’s needed to end malnutrition.” 

Solutions

Fortunately, solutions are readily at hand—if only the world would muster the will to act.

For starters, said Aguayo, it is essential to see that families have access to minimum diets and to reestablish nutrition services. He elaborated:

“Bring essential nutrition services for children back to normal: protect breastfeeding, promote and support nutritious foods for young children and mothers; and provide therapeutic foods for children who are undernourished; make children go back to school safely so schools can become a delivery intervention for healthy meals, vouchers, micronutrient supplements, and fortified foods.”

This has already started to happen, he added, as a number of countries in Africa and Asia worked to strike a better balance between “protecting everyone against the virus and protecting children against threats that might be deadlier than the virus itself.”

It is also essential to counter fear and misinformation that is rampant the world over. Fear keeps parents from accessing primary healthcare systems and the preventive care their children need. Fake news spreads harmful lies—like the falsehood that the virus could be transmitted from mother to child through breastmilk.

Finally, it is necessary for governments, foundations, and even individuals to contribute to the achievable goal of ending global malnutrition. Said Aguayo:

“Support UNICEF… We build national systems and work with national and international NGOs delivering services to children with the highest risk, often in fragile countries and humanitarian settings; so if you are a philanthropist or even an everyday donor who feels outraged by these figures, and you’re wondering, what can we do—well, support our vision, which is help us deliver a package of essential nutrition interventions to children in the first two make-or-break years of life. These are the children that we need to protect because this is when mortality is happening… most child malnutrition deaths happen to children in the first two years of life.”

The average cost of these essential interventions, added Aguayo, is strikingly low. For an average of $4.70 per child—less than it costs to buy a Starbucks latte—UNICEF and its partners can support the delivery of these essential interventions to millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa for a year.

In July, four UN agencies issued an urgent call to action—“Child malnutrition and COVID-19: the time to act is now”—in which they estimated that at minimum US$2.4 billion is needed to protect at-risk children, prevent and treat malnutrition, and avoid human loss; they also called for four life-saving interventions and five urgent nutrition actions. Moore responded with his own plea, “It’s Time for the Global Nutrition Sector to Finally Act,” in which he praised the call to action but urged that a specific plan be created to back it. Wrote Moore:

“A $2.4 billion funding appeal will not fundraise itself—we need a pledging moment and designated leadership to ensure resources materialize… All nutrition stakeholders must now push for swift development of a roadmap and fundraising framework that builds on this Call to Action. Millions of people without lifesaving services today cannot afford to wait another eight months—or worse, have these actions never materialize at all.”

Congressman Andy Levin visits a UNICEF-supported malnutrition treatment center in Cox’s Bazaar

In our interview, Moore noted that he was optimistic that donors would soon come to the table with meaningful commitments. ECF planned to make a $50 million pledge for wasting treatment and he hoped that other private donors would step up, too; in the long run, persuading more multibillionaires to help combat malnutrition—as the Gates Foundation has done for many years—would be critical.

Philanthropists and even small or medium-sized donors can increase their impact by joining the Coalition of Philanthropies for Global Nutrition, a collective of philanthropies advancing investments to combat malnutrition around the world. The Coalition grew out of the 2017 Nutrition for Growth Summit in Milan when several philanthropies made major commitments to nutrition and demonstrated an interest in convening with peers to take collective action on malnutrition. It serves as a vehicle through which emerging philanthropists can find ways to invest within the global nutrition landscape, find synergies between investments, and opportunities for co-investment.  It also provides a venue where emerging and in-country voices can be highlighted and receive the attention and investment they need. And, finally, the Coalition offers a forum for global philanthropies and philanthropists to enhance the efficacy of their own work, as well as drive collective impact and expand the network of funders for ending malnutrition.

Post-Pandemic Possibilities

As they look to the future, both Moore and Aguayo are cautiously hopeful.

“All of a sudden, health ministries, for example, are willing to take risks to strengthen nutrition policies, scale up prevention programs, and simplify treatment protocols,” said Aguayo. “So we see opportunities to accelerate innovation and results.” Moore agreed, adding that innovations undertaken were often based on research and pilot projects in which ECF and other funders had been investing for years. “Countries are a lot more willing to take a risk on those right now in order to still be able to deliver care,” he said.

One example of this is a new-found willingness to equip caregivers with MUAC (mid-upper arm circumference) measures that are a reliable, fast, and cost-effective way to identify children at risk of malnutrition rather than requiring them to go to a clinic or wait for a community healthcare provider. “We were imagining a 5 to 10-year time horizon before we really saw something like family MUACs scaled up,” said Moore. But, it is happening now—and ECF is funding UNICEF to scale its use in certain contexts.

Optimism and determination, insisted Aguayo, provide the only path forward “I would like the world to know that it is our obligation to remain optimistic and determined and to always believe there is a way out,” he said. “The Covid-19 pandemic can be a catalyst for change, and we will not lower our ambition for children.”

From Leadership Strategy in Perfectirishgifts

[mycryptosuite]

Over 0.5 Half Time Prediction - Under1.5 Halftime

Over 0.5 Half Time Prediction – Under1.5 Halftime

Over 0.5 Half Time Prediction – Under1.5 Halftime Over 0.5 half time prediction will give us the winning we need in today’s ticket and we are going to get it – under 0.5 goals strategy. Streaks matches list Over 0.5 HT streaks Today’s matches – first half draw prediction tomorrow, over 1.5 goals football predictions confirm bets. (more…)

[nflfanpointii]

Saints deliver knockout blow to Buccaneers for sixth straight win

NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints' sixth straight victory was so thorough and dominating that the only time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers really put up a fight was during a sideline skirmish in the third quarter.

Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans was flagged 15 yards for drilling Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the back after Tampa QB Jameis Winstonand Lattimore exchanged shoves; Winston wasn’t even in the game at the time.

Other than that, it was All Saints Day in this first week of November, with Lattimore and the Saints' defense continuing their stellar season, holding Tampa Bay to 200 yards in a 30-10 rout.

Young Saints cornerbacks like Lattimore and De'Vante Harris (who shoved Evans off of Lattimore) said they feel like there is no doubt they have been getting under opponents' skin with their play -- this being the most over-the-top example.

"Oh, yeah, definitely, they were frustrated. I could tell they were frustrated," said Lattimore, who continued his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign by helping to shut down both Evans and DeSean Jackson.

"Man, the swag level of this secondary is unmatched right about now," Harris said. "You got guys getting in guys’ heads for the most part, and they ain’t liking it. With us being young, they’re not liking it. But we’re not here for them to like it."

Meanwhile, Saints running backs Alvin Kamara (two touchdowns) and Mark Ingram both thrived as they overcame recent fumbling issues. And New Orleans’ special teams got things going in the first quarter with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by undrafted rookie CB Justin Hardee.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, New Orleans is now just the third team in the Super Bowl era to go from 0-2 to 6-2. The others (1993 Cowboys and 2007 Giants) went on to win the Super Bowl.

It’s a little early to predict the Saints will make it 3-for-3, but this was probably their most complete victory yet, and they remained in control of the NFC South by climbing to 2-0 in the division.

Up next is a trip to Buffalo that should tell us even more about what the Saints are made of in a matchup of two of the league’s surprise teams of 2017.

Dominant defense: One of the most unlikely stories of this NFL season continues to get better, as New Orleans’ defense had another stifling performance. In addition to Lattimore's lockdown play, defensive ends Cameron Jordan (1.5 sacks) and Alex Okafor (half a sack) were both excellent, among many others.

After the game, Jordan refused to acknowledge a win streak, saying the Saints are 0-0 now to start the second half of the season. But then he compared the defense to the X-Men and the Justice League -- so the confidence clearly isn't lacking.

What I liked: A little bit of everything, but especially Kamara, who continued his stellar rookie season with 10 rushes for 68 yards, six catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns. His 33-yard TD catch on a screen pass in the second quarter was his highlight moment of the season to date. He appeared to be down around the 12-yard line, but braced himself with his hand, escaped the tackle and made another defender miss on his way into the end zone. He had four catches for 67 yards on that TD drive, which immediately followed his first career lost fumble on the previous drive.

Ingram also bounced back nicely from his two fourth-quarter fumbles last week. He had 16 carries for 77 yards. Kamara got the start, but the Saints proved that both backs will continue to play key roles.

What I didn’t like: The Saints had some ugly special-teams gaffes after that early TD. Receiver Willie Snead fumbled away a punt during a fair-catch attempt in the fourth quarter that set up Tampa Bay’s only touchdown. Ted Ginn Jr. muffed one earlier that he recovered. And kicker Wil Lutz missed one field goal attempt and had an extra point try blocked.

Fantasy fallout: Ginn continues to be a big part of New Orleans’ offense, especially as a home run threat. He and Drew Brees failed to connect on what would have been an easy 87-yard TD pass early in the game when Ginn broke wide open. It’s unclear whether Brees made a bad throw or expected Ginn to run a different route. Either way, it was a miss that Brees clearly regretted. Later in the game, they made up for it with a 36-yard TD connection. Ginn finished with four catches for 59 yards.

Brees finished 22-of-27 for 263 yards.

Injury update: The Saints didn't escape cleanly. LT Terron Armstead (chest) and S Kenny Vaccaro (groin) both left the game early. But Fox reported that Vaccaro’s absence was precautionary. Armstead said after the game that he plans to get an MRI.

[pharmaphorumuk]

FDA rejection scuppers AZ’s hopes of a COPD triple clash with GSK

The FDA has just handed an advantage to GlaxoSmithKline’s triple therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by rejecting AstraZeneca’s PT010, a close competitor.

AZ has confirmed that the US regulator issued a complete response letter (CRL) for PT010, a triple therapy for COPD that would compete with GSK’s already-marketed Trelegy.

A spokesman for AZ told Pharmaphorum that the CRL “states that more clinical data are required to support the application” but that the company has additional data in hand ready to be submitted which will “further characterise PT010’s strong clinical profile.”

PT010 is based on the inhaled corticosteroid budesonide, long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) glycopyrronium and long-acting beta agonist (LABA) formoterol fumarate, and has been filed for approval based mainly on the results of the KRONOS trial. It has already been approved in Japan as Breztri and is under regulatory review in Europe and China.

In KRONOS, PT010 achieved statistically significant improvement in eight of nine lung function goals in patients with moderate to severe COPD.

“We will work closely with the FDA regarding next steps, including submitting for review recent results from the second positive phase 3 trial, ETHOS, which was not completed at the time the [New Drug Application] was submitted,” said the spokesman.

ETHOS went a step further than KRONOS as it looked not just at lung function but also at the rate of COPD exacerbations – a sudden worsening of symptoms that can often lead to hospitalisation.

The FDA has form on this issue, rejecting GSK’s IL-5 inhibitor Nucala (mepolizumab) last year for COPD because it felt that the data on exacerbations wasn’t strong enough.

Trelegy – based on corticosteroid fluticasone furoate, LAMA umeclidinium and LABA vilanterol and approved in 2017 – is central to GSK’s efforts to replace its COPD blockbuster Seretide/Advair (salmeterol/fluticasone propionate), which has lost patent protection and seen revenues slide to around $1.1 billion in the first half of the year, well down from its $8 billion-a-year peak.

Trelegy isn’t yet close to scaling those heights, with sales coming in at around $250 million in the first half of the year, although it is growing fast and GSK recently reported new data in uncontrollable asthma that could inject further momentum if approved.

Analysts at Jefferies have previously predicted $1.5 billion in sales at peak for Trelegy, mostly from COPD but with asthma contributing a portion of that total.

It already competes with a triple COPD therapy from Chiesi called Trimbow (beclomethasone/glycopyrronium/formoterol) which was approved in 2017. It is delivered twice-daily, versus once-daily for Trelegy. Privately-held Chiesi doesn’t publish sales data for individual products in its portfolio.

The post FDA rejection scuppers AZ’s hopes of a COPD triple clash with GSK appeared first on .

from https://pharmaphorum.com/news/fda-rejection-scuppers-azs-hopes-of-a-copd-triple-clash-with-gsk/

[andresonphlip-blog]

Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Angels odds, predictions, picks and best bets

The Detroit Tigers (30-71, MLB's 30th) kick off a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels (55-52, third in AL West) on Monday at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The first version is scheduled for 22:07. Oriental. Are you an Angels of Anaheim Fan? Find some amazingly Discount Angels of Anaheim Match Tickets from Bbtix and have fun at their upcoming game.

Detroit Tigers in Los Angeles Angels: first pitchers screened:

RHP Jordan Zimmermann against HRP Jaime Barria:

 Zimmermann between Monday with an efficiency of 7.57 in season but a mark of 14.09 in 15 1/3 innings in July. The 33-year-old defeats only 58.3% of the base riders, while his opponents hit .361 in the balls in play. His hard contact rate of 40.6% with the opponent is the best of his career. Last match: Zimmermann allowed eight hits, one goal, two homers and four straight points in four sets and one-third to take his eighth win of the year without a win. Bbtix is offering Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Tickets Discount Coupon get them now to go watch your favorite team play.

 Barria is up to date with a 4-3 record but an efficiency of 6.63 in nine games and four starts. The opponents have a BABIP of 0.38 and Barria less than 64% of the base runners. He runs 3.08 hitters for every nine innings and allows 1.66 homers for every nine. The 23-year-old has been much better at home with four of his 28 runs allowed in 17 2/3. Last exit: Barria had his best start of the season, allowing only a solo circuit for a five-game win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Looking for Cheap Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Tickets? They are here at Bbtix. Get them now till they are still not sold out.

 Detroit Tigers in Los Angeles Angels: In Numbers:

 The Angels won two out of three games in a three-game series in Detroit earlier this season. The three games were decided by several races and the series was 2-1 against the plus / minus.

Los Angeles ranks eighth in baseball with a .786 OPS against the right-handed pitchers. Only the Miami Marlins have a lower group rate than Detroit, 658. The Tigers have the worst exclusion rate of the team. Bbtix is offering Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Tickets Discount Coupon get them now to go watch your favorite team play.

Both fields are ranked in the bottom half of the league for effectiveness. The combined rate of 4.49 Angels is 16, the efficiency of 5.05 Tigers is 26.

The Tigers are 1-9 in a straight line over their last 10, 4-5-1 from the expected totals. The angels are 5-5 both in SU and against O / U.

 Detroit Tigers to Los Angeles Angels: Major Injuries:

 Nicholas Castellanos' tigers are expected to return on Monday after sitting down on Sunday due to an abdominal problem. Are you an Angels of Anaheim fan? Do you love to watch them play? Then we’ve got just what you need, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Match Tickets. With amazing rates and handsome discount Bbtix is the right choice for you.

 Detroit Tigers in Los Angeles Angels: Betting tips and tricks:

 Moneyline: The Angels are an easy -240 game with Zimmermann giving their team an excellent chance to lose every game that starts. It's a lot of chalk, but it's free money.

Race line: Angels have a slightly better value to cover -1.5 (-130) and win by two or more. They should also do it safely.

Over / Under: Take the UNSE (10.5, -116) with the Tigers unable to provide their share of the offense.

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