Washington Wizards | Insider Trading, from PredictionStrike and Alex True... plus UFC!

 

What’s up everyone, and welcome to a very special Saturday newsletter! This morning we will be bringing you a 2 for 1 special! For the first time ever, we will be giving you an Insider Trading article, and then also give you a couple BCPS stocks for tonight's action. By tonight's action (1PM Eastern on ESPN+), you mean basketball right? No sir! In this newsletter we are celebrating UFC Fight Night, and we have some stocks that I am investing in detailed below! UFC stock shares move on all types of events, not just Pay-Per-View mega cards, so don’t snooze on another money making event. I gave out Bobby Green (+27.25%, $1.31/share) last week, whose stock mooned when he recorded a knockout in UFC 268, and I have two more that should equally impress.

But before we get to the UFC action, I promised you an Insider Trading interview. Now, usually we have done NFL content, but we cannot forget about our beloved NBA! This will be our inaugural NBA Insider Trading article, and what better team to start with then the Washington Wizards. For one thing, the Wizards are tied for the best record in the East, and two, the Wizards are one of the biggest surprise storylines so far this season. Those two reasons are good, but the real reason we are going with the Wizards are because they are my absolute favorite team, so I would be remiss if I picked anyone else to lead off NBA Insider Trading. Joining me today to discuss all things Washington Wizards is Ed Oliver! You can find Ed on Twitter, @EDtoooFLATT, on YouTube, and on the Locked On Network show, “Locked on Wizards Podcast.” You can find Ed’s podcast anywhere podcasts are streaming. We have a lot to get into today, so without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Ed!

Alex: I think it’s fair to say the Wizards’ record has surprised everyone so far this season. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. has really gotten the most of his squad, and I’m curious to see whose game you are most surprised with now that we are a couple weeks into the season?

Ed: It is between Kuzma (+6%, $3.88/share) and Montrezl Harrell (+13%, $1.38/share)… I would have to go with Montrezl Harrell. Right now he is 6th on the MVP tracker list, per Basketball Reference. He is a fan favorite and is the heart and soul of the team. The former 6th man of the year is averaging 18 points and 9 boards. The post-game press conferences with Trezz and Bradley Beal (-5%, $3.37/share) have been hilarious. Harrell is the vocal leader and has arguably been the best player on the team through 11 games.

Alex: The record is impressive, especially considering they are still without up and coming forward Rui Hachimura (0%, $1.49/share). For those of you who are not familiar, Rui has been absent from the team since training camp for personal reasons. By all accounts, Hachimura will be making his season debut within the next two weeks. Do you think Rui is immediately slotted back into his starting spot, or does Coach Unseld make him earn it? Once he returns, who’s usage changes the most? Is Rui a stock you would be interested in investing right away, or is it a wait and see scenario?

Ed: Rui has been a starter for the first 2 years of his career. I think that Wes Unseld Jr will ease him back into the rotation and have him come off the bench. The chemistry is working well right now so I think Rui will have to earn his starting spot back. Rui is a good player who will eventually get it once he puts some good games together. I would wait and see if I buy stock in Rui since there are so many new players playing well for the Wizards right now.

Alex: One of the Wizards biggest strengths this season is team depth at all positions, something us fans have not been able to say for quite a while. We mentioned Rui coming back in a couple weeks, Bertans (0%, $1.13/share) is currently injured, but coming back soon, and Thomas Bryant (0%, $1.34/share) will be back in late December, early January from an ACL injury he suffered last season.

This might be a bit pre-mature, but if the Wizards stay on this pace, and are considered a contender at the trade deadline, do you think they package some of this excess depth, and go after someone to round off the roster? If so, who do you think they package, and who do you think they can acquire?

Ed: I love the depth that the Wizards have right now and it might be in their best interest to keep the depth they have in case injuries or the team is hit by COVID. If they do acquire someone I would look at Karl Anthony Towns (-3%, $5.30/share). A package may include Thomas Bryant, Bertans, Rui and some 1st round picks. Beal and KAT with Harrell and other depth guys could make a deep playoff run.

Alex: Last question. If you could invest in only one player for the rest of the season, who would it be, and why? This player can be on any team across the league, not just the Wizards.

Ed: Steph Curry (+8%, $10.30/share) is my pick. He is still a great scorer and shooter. The Warriors have the best record in the NBA and of course Steph is a big reason for that.

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There we have it folks! Our first NBA insider trading article is in the books! If you haven’t jumped on the Wizard’s hype train yet, don't worry, it’s not too late. Ed and I will have a seat saved for you. Like I mentioned earlier, the Wizards play the Orlando Magic tonight, so make sure to listen to Ed’s advice, and go buy up some Kuzma and Harrell before tipoff. They have impressed him so far this season, and I don’t see them stopping their impressive run any time soon. Ed, thank you once again for helping out with our inaugural NBA Insider Trading article, and for all you reading, make sure to check out the “Locked On Wizards Podcast” for all the latest Wizard’s news.

Now, like I teased in the opening, UFC Fight Night is LIVE from Las Vegas, and the prelims start in literally a couple hours. My prayers must have been answered, because today’s prelim card starts at 1:00 PM Eastern, with the main card starting around 4:00 PM Eastern. That means the main event will be underway around 7:30 PM. And to top it all off, it will be on ESPN+. College football is going to take a back seat for the day, because my eyes will be glued to UFC action, and hopefully by the end of the night, my portfolio will have some extra spending money with some dubs. I’m not going to break down the entire card, but I want to give you a couple fighters I will be investing in, and maybe give you something to consider before today’s bouts. Let's get after it.

Max Holloway | +6.64%, $5.07/share | 22-6

If you follow me on Twitter, @ChipsStocks, you know I had a Buy Alert yesterday for Max Holloway, and in the tweet, I added a video tweeted out by the UFC. It was basically six minutes of Max overwhelming his opponents, and showing his abilities as one of the greatest pound for pound fighters in the sport today. Max headlines tonight's card alongside Yair Rodriguez (0%, $4.25/share). Let me make this breakdown short and sweet. Yair is a fantastic fighter, but he belongs in a whole different stratosphere than Max. I will argue until I am blue in the face about how Max is one of the best fighters on the entire UFC roster right now, and Yair just simply doesn’t compare. Yair will only win this fight if he can KO Holloway. Sounds simple enough, but when you consider the fact that Max has never been knocked out, let alone ever been knocked down, the path to victory for Yair becomes a bit harder. No disrespect to Yair and his camp, but this is not the fight he should be taking. I know it is the opportunity of a lifetime, and the payout is probably nice to be in a main event, but Holloway is on a totally different level.

If you are new to UFC, and want to watch someone put on a boxing clinic, tune into this fight. Max will pick his spots, and decide when to end the match. I am expecting a KO or TWO within the first two rounds, and we will be cashing our investments with ease.

Khaos Williams | +.12%, $0.86/share | 12-2

Khaos Williams will be facing Miguel “Caramel Thunder” Baeza (+.03%, $1.00/share) later today, and regardless how the fight goes, these two have already won a place in my heart for best named athletes. The only thing more viscous than Williams’ first name, is Williams’ power. Khaos can graze you, and it can still put you out cold. This fight has “Fight of the Night” honors written all over it. If this fight goes the distance, I will be shocked. Baeza is no slouch himself, sporting a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If Baeza wants to make this a technical jitsu bout, then Williams might be in trouble, but I don’t see it going that way. I think this fight has been hyped up enough that both of these fighters are going to prove to the world they have what it takes in the UFC octagon, and try and end this fight with a devastating blow. If Baeza keeps this standing up, it will play right into Khaos’ strengths. This fight is really a toss up, but if it follows the script I believe it will follow, Williams will have the advantage. Additionally, Williams is the slight underdog, so if he does come out victorious, we should profit very handsomely from it. I am investing in Williams, and expecting a knockout within the round and a half.

Enjoy the fights, enjoy the Wizards tonight, and get a good night sleep knowing we have a full day of NFL action tomorrow!

Happy trading,

Alex True