When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >
A new episode of the “Ride The Line” podcast is out now, and co-hosts Grant Mitchell and Tanner Kern spared no words in dissecting the NBA playoffs, the NFL Draft, and many of the top MLB storylines.
The show starts with reactions to Jimmy Butler’s shocking 56-point game against the Milwaukee Bucks that helped give the eight-seed Miami Heat a 3-1 series lead. Butler set a franchise record for playoff scoring (ahead of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and other all-time greats) and tied the fourth-highest postseason scoring total in league history.
After that, the show reacted to LeBron’s first-ever 20-point, 20-rebound game in the Los Angeles Lakers’ Game Four win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The winner of that series will move on to play the winner of the Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors series, which is where Grant and Tanner disagreed for the first time in the show.
Tanner is riding with the reigning world champion Warriors, while Grant believes in the youthful Kings who have a decided advantage because they play at home in four of seven games in the series. The Warriors are just 2-22 on the road against teams that are .500 or better but held serve at home and knotted the series at two apiece.
NBA talk finished with a recap and pick for the New York Knicks’ and Cleveland Cavaliers’ ongoing series. Both Grant and Tanner declared their respect for the Knicks, but Grant in particular reserved optimism for the Cavs.
The show then transitioned over to the diamond for some baseball talk. Among the stories discussed were the Boston Red Sox’s early-season performance and the dominance of the American League East. At the time of recording, every team in the division had a record of .500 or better, led by the Tampa Bay Rays’ league-best record.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, and several other unheralded teams have also gotten off to red-hot starts against the grain of many expert predictions.
While those teams are enjoying life early in the 2023 campaign, National League West contenders, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, are not. Tanner theorized that the Dodgers are treading water until Shohei Ohtani shows up in the next free agency period but also believes LA has a World Series roster as presently assembled.
Grant and Tanner then transitioned to a podcast-favorite segment called “Did You Hear?” where the co-hosts review the wackiest and wildest moments, situations, and developments in the world of sports, like one Chicago White Sox broadcaster that shared a very NSFW story on the air.
The show closed out with a preview of Thursday’s NFL Draft, and both Grant and Tanner delivered some of their favorite predictions and betting picks. Both are high on Texas running back Bijan Robinson going to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 10th overall pick, which had +850 odds at the time of recording (now +750).
Grant and Tanner also did a full first-round NFL mock draft in a bonus episode Monday. Spoiler alert: they picked Alabama quarterback Bryce Young to go to the Carolina Panthers with the first overall selection, and also came up with a blockbuster trade involving the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Grant is a sports and sports betting journalist who prides himself on delivering breaking news and insightful analyses of the industry. Grant graduated from Virginia Tech in 2021 and is feverishly pursuing his ambitions in the sports betting field.
In his free time, Grant can be found passionately watching sports, doing a workout, or searching for adventure with his friends.
More info on Grant Mitchell
© Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.)
We support responsible gambling. 21+ Only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey
Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID
89744,
with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by
the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number
117656-1,
possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account
number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board,
an
interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery
Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director
of
Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a
Vendor
Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our
affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various
sportsbooks.