Friday, January 3, 2020

Posted By on Fri, Jan 3, 2020 at 3:21 PM

click to enlarge Picks of the Dragon: NFL Playoffs Predictions!
Kelly Rashka
Tyler Vondrak a.k.a. The Dragon
With a hypothetical $100 and a dream, join Weekly betting guru Tyler Vondrak (aka The Dragon) as he takes his fictional dough and places bets on the big games of the week. This time around, The Dragon places his bets on the NFL playoff picture.

Game 1: Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans (Texans -2.5)

The whole season, bettors have jumped on and off the Buffalo Bill bandwagon. Josh Allen is a stellar sophomore season, and the supporting cast of John Brown and Devin Singletary catered a 10-win season and a slot in the opening weekend of the playoffs. The real star of this team however has been its defense, keeping teams to an average of 16.2 points per game.

Unfortunately for the Bills, they are running into one of the next generation of the NFL’s two greatest players: Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. Playoffs are often decided by experience and Josh Allen just doesn’t have any yet. While the whole country seems to be on Bills bandwagon I’ll fade and go with the short home favorite to pull this one out by more than a field goal.

Pick Texans -2.5 for $20 to win $18

Game 2: Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots (Patriots -5)


Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Posted By on Tue, Jul 9, 2019 at 1:04 PM

Members of the Tucson City Council signed off on a preliminary agreement for a proposed hotel and casino on land owned by the Pascua Yaqui tribe on Tuesday afternoon. 

The 14.38-acre development, which would be located atop an old movie theater near the intersection of Grant Road and Interstate 10, would allow the tribe to build a hotel and casino on the site.

The tribe has owned the parcel since the theater closed in 2011, and has long sought to build on the property, which is located within the traditional Yaqui neighborhood of Old Pascua Village.

The tribe and the city have struck an Intergovernmental Agreement, which includes a set of stipulations for both parties, including for which city services the property would be eligible, and how the property would receive groundwater, should the development not be in compliance with city statues. 

Pascua Yaqui Chairman Robert Valencia, in a prepared statement to the council, called the tribe's Intergovernmental Agreement, which designates the land into a trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as being mutually beneficial to both parties.

"This agreement will provide a structure for the City and the Tribe to operate under if the federal government takes approximately 15 acres into trust [sic] for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe," the statement reads. "...Because these lands are located in Tucson, we think it is important that the City and the Tribe agree on how services and economic development will be handled if the lands are taken into trust. This Intergovernmental Agreement does just that—it lays out the roles and responsibilities of the City and the Tribe and establishes an Oversite Group that can help resolve areas of concern if they develop."

In a statement, Tucson Ward 3 City Councilmember Paul Durham, whose district includes the area of the proposed development, said the two sides are far from a conclusion on the subject.

"The Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council and Chairman Valencia have not yet decided how to develop the land once it's put into trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs," Durham said. "That process alone may take years or even a decade. One, the land is in a trust, it will be up to the Tribal Council to decide how to develop the land. The land is currently significantly underutilized considering its prime location and I look forward to working with the Tribe in the future on this property."

Durham pointed out that item 9 in the IGA includes stipulations on future discussions for gaming on the trust land, which include a 90-day alert to the adoption of a Tribal Resolution that green-lights any regulations or requirements needed to conduct gaming on the site, as a window into how the process might move forward.

In addition to the 90-day window, tribal leadership would have to notify the city one calendar year prior to opening a casino on the site, so the two sides can reach an agreement on how the tribe will pay the city proceeds from gaming sales, according to the document.

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Thursday, February 28, 2019

Posted By on Thu, Feb 28, 2019 at 11:50 AM

Feeling Fortunate? The Wheelmobile Rolls into Town this Weekend
Courtesy Casino Del Sol
Have you always wanted to be on the Wheel of Fortune? This weekend you might just have the chance!

The Wheel of Fortune Wheelmobile rolls on into Casino Del Sol's AVA Amphitheater on Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3, from noon to 4 p.m.

Tucsonans will have the chance to fill out an application, have their name drawn randomly to play a simulated version of the game onstage, win prizes and be considered for the televised version of the show.

Wheel of Fortune staff will hand out applications one hour before each show begins, so make sure to be there at 12 p.m. 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. All ages are welcome at the event, however game show contestants must be at least 18 years old.

Gates open at 10 a.m. and applications will be handed out at the West Gate of the amphitheater.

“Every year, Wheel of Fortune receives over 1 million inquiries from viewers who want to be contestants,” wrote Executive Producer Harry Friedman in a release. “The Wheelmobile was created to give people all over the country an opportunity to realize that dream.”

Most Wheel of Fortune contestants were chosen for the show after meeting the Wheelmobile in their hometowns. Try your had at fortune at the Casino this weekend. 

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Friday, January 25, 2019

Posted By on Fri, Jan 25, 2019 at 4:17 PM

click to enlarge Picks of the Dragon: Breaking Down My NFL Playoff Picks (2)
Kelly Rashka
The Dragon himself, Tyler Vondrak
This Sunday was a gambit of emotions and despite ending up on the losing side I think 50 bucks was worth the price of admission. Things couldn’t have been looking better to start Sunday off with our under never being threatened in the Saints/Rams game. Then late in the 4th quarter at the 15 yard line the Saints looked sure to lock up the win. At that point the canary in the coal mine no call happened and the Saints ended up losing. Things did not get much better from there.

Split the first game one and one but I was still feeling good about the Chiefs/Patriots game. That was until about five minutes in when the Patriots defense completely owned Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. Our -3 bet was looking bad but our under bet looked to be the right call and my feelings remained that way all the way into the 4th quarter. The under 55.5 was all but locked up. The game needed an additional 38 points in 15 minutes to go over, something that both teams had not been able to do the entirety of the other three quarters. And that was when all hell broke lose.

Scoring back and forth in the last 10 minutes and our number still seemed to look good. Then the impossible happened! Chiefs drive the field and go up by four with the total still going under. With only two minutes left to play we are on the right side of both bets. Any other quarterback beside Tom Brady would be in a tough spot. Unfortunately I bet against a cyborg of a man. Brady drives down scores the touchdown, points go over, Chiefs back in a losing spot, and we all know how the rest of the game panned out.

So two tough weekends has us at 48 dollars left in the bank and a record of 5-6-1 after a solid start. We’ve got over 500 prop bets predicted for this Super Bowl weekend and I’ll be doing a deep dive on my favorites next week. Still plenty of cash left to get us back on top before the season ends so stay tuned!

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Friday, January 18, 2019

Posted By on Fri, Jan 18, 2019 at 4:27 PM

click to enlarge Picks of the Dragon: Who to Pick in Sunday's NFL Playoff Games
Kelly Rashka
Tyler Vondrak, a.k.a. The Dragon
This week Tyler lines up his picks for the NFL Playoffs. Pick your bets wisely with the knowledge of the dragon by your side.

Game 1: Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints
Line: Saints -3.5,
Over/Under: 57
Pick: Under 57
Bet: $25 to win $22.73

A rematch of our two NFC titans this year. The two best offenses meet again but this time around I’m expecting a different style of game. A few factors are pushing me to the under. Brees’ arm showing some wear and tear throughout this year, Talib sure to be all over Thomas (He was absent last game in the 10 points loss), McVay’s lack of confidence in the big pass play with Goff, Goff’s fall off in production since Cooper Kupp’s injury, and two teams with dual dynamic running backs has me grabbing the under 57 all day. While this isn’t the most exciting bet in the world it is what I feel a safe one. This is the NFC championship game and positions are more valuable than ever. We will see plenty of action from the four running backs in a grind it out type of game keeping that score below 57.

Game 2: New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs
Line: Chiefs -3
Over/Under: 55.5
Picks: Chiefs -3 and Under 55.5
Bet: $25 on -3 to win $22.73 and $25 to win $22.73

Couldn’t ask for a better AFC championship game in my opinion. The old guard coming into the new guards house as an underdog in a sub 20 degree game. Mahomes is playing lights out. The Chiefs defense, one of the NFL’s worst, has come alive in the postseason with an extremely impressive showing against the colts. All while the Patriots have been awful on the road this year and while they usually own this time of the year I can’t go against this Chiefs team at home. Mahomes I think will have us all talking around the water cooler on Monday after an impressive game on his way to making history this year.

The other bet on this game is far more data driven. There has never been a NFL game to go over 50 points in temperatures below 25 degrees. While the weather report keeps changing daily I haven’t seen anything forecasted above 22. I’ll take those odds and see what happens.

Pick = Chiefs to win -150 parlayed with Saints to win -160
Bet = $20 to win $34.17

Final pick of the week I’m throwing out a money-line parlay on the home teams. History is on our side with the home teams typically coming out ahead in these scenarios. 9 out of the last 10 years the AFC home team has won while 8 of the last 10 years the NFC home team has won. These teams are all so even that I think it really comes down to that edge of home field advantage and I’ll take that check to the bank.

Total Bets = $95 to win $102.36

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Posted By on Fri, Jan 18, 2019 at 4:13 PM

The second installment of Tucson Weekly's newest podcast, All Bets Are On, is live, with co-hosts Christopher Boan and Tyler Vondrak breaking down the latest in sports and betting information.

The hosts this week tackle the Wildcats' 59-54 loss to Oregon, as well as their upcoming clash with Oregon State University on Saturday evening.

The two also break down the Pac-12 as a whole, giving their picks for the other men's basketball games scheduled for Saturday.

The dynamic duo finish their 30-minute podcast with a segment on this weekend's NFL playoff games, and whether anyone can knock Patrick Mahomes off to win the league's MVP award.

Check out the episode in the link above, and make sure to abide by the suggestions that the Dragon himself, Tyler Vondrak, lives by.

Happy betting, ladies and gents. 

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Friday, January 11, 2019

Posted By on Fri, Jan 11, 2019 at 4:31 PM

click to enlarge Picks of the Dragon: Playoff Picks, NFL Week 2
Kelly Rashka
Tyler is back with another week of picks
Editor's Note: The Weekly gave sales rep Tyler Vondrak a hypothetical $100 to wager on the NFL playoff season. Last week, Vondrak went undefeated, winning three games and tying in the fourth, leaving him with a grand total of $175.49 to wager this week. Here are his picks.

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
Line: Chiefs -5.5
Pick: Colts +5.5
Bet: $60 to win $52.17

Colts had a dominant performance last week on both sides of the ball and are looking like the best team in the NFL. We got an offensive line giving Luck plenty of time to do what he wants, Mack running the ball like a maniac, and a defense that has been suffocating. They are going to need it this week going into Arrowhead stadium. Patrick Mahomes is having the season of a lifetime but this is the playoffs and history hasn’t been kind to first timers. That, coupled up with a third string running back, a defense that has trouble stopping anybody, and Andy Reid’s postseason track record, has me grabbing 5.5 points all day.

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams
Line: Rams -7
Pick: Cowboys +7
Bet: $40 to win $36.36

The first half of the season the Rams looked like they could demolish any team they came across but down the stretch they have been anything but impressive against the Vegas line. Cowboys haven’t been anything to write home about on the road either, but we are talking about a game in Los Angeles where half the stadium could easily be fans of “America’s team.” That, along with a weak run defense from the Rams and an elite running back in Elliott, has me thinking that they can keep it close if not win outright. Give me a touchdown buffer and we will see how it plays out.

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
Line: Patriots -4
Pick: Patriots -4
Bet: $50 to win $45.45

When I first saw this line I wanted to jump all over the Chargers but then I came back down to Earth. No need to overthink this one. So much going for the Pats; Bye week, cold weather, Gillette stadium, Brady, better coach, and enough experience in this situation has me saying Rivers will be at home to welcome his ninth child.

Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints
Line: Saints -8
Pick: 7-point, 4-team teaser (Saints -1, Colts +12.5, Cowboys +14, Patriots +3)
Bet: $25.49 to win $50.98

This game, out of all of them, has me the most nervous. Foles is back in form and could do God knows what with the football. However, I just can’t see them beating a excellent Saints team with a veteran QB, two elite running backs, and a Top 3 wide receiver. Saints defense hasn’t been anything to shake a stick either this year. With the Eagles' secondary depleted, I think they will get exposed, but 8 points is a little rich in a postseason game. I’ll take my other likes this week tease them 7 points to win a cool $50.

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Monday, January 7, 2019

Posted By on Mon, Jan 7, 2019 at 3:55 PM

click to enlarge Rolling in the Dough: Vondrak Goes 3-0-1 With First Week of Playoff Picks
Kelly Rashka
Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Editor's note: Last week, we gave Tucson Weekly sales rep Tyler Vondrak a hypothetical $100 to wager on the first week of playoff games. He won three, tied on one and didn't lose a single bet. Here's his Monday update.

I couldn’t ask for a better start to a playoff run. After all the dust settled from kickers getting injured, kickers hitting not one but two bars on the goalposts, and a couple of thwarted fourth-quarter comebacks, we are sitting pretty with a 3-0-1 record.

That puts us at $175.49 in the bank. This is like a trip to Vegas when you hit on the first slot machine you put $20 bucks into. We are playing with house money now! With the spreads already up for the next round, got a great feeling about next weekend again. See you all on Friday with another round of hopeful winners.

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Thursday, August 24, 2017

Posted By and on Thu, Aug 24, 2017 at 10:00 AM

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

¡Cultura!

Día de los Muertos Opening Reception. Tohono Chul’s next exhibit honors and remembers the dead in a celebration that is full of color and joy. Pieces by local artists will be displayed until the exhibit ends on Nov. 8, and artists whose work is on display will be present at the opening night reception. 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24. 7366 Paseo del Norte. Free.

Closing Reception and Sewing Circle. Bordando por la Paz y la Memoria is a group made of citizens from Mexico and other cities abroad who embroider the names of victims of Mexico’s War Against Drug Trafficking onto white handkerchiefs. These stitched stories are a beautiful and sobering visualization of the suffering real people face in the reality of war. Handkerchiefs will be displayed in the café area, and, while supplies last, materials for visitors to embroider their own tributes and testimonies will be provided. 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. Joel D. Valdez Main Library 101 N. Stone Ave. Free.

Museums

Space Night 2017. Sleepovers at friends’ houses are fun, but are they educational? Are there opportunities to use state-of-the-art telescopes? Are there real meteorites available to be touched? We didn’t think so. The Children’s Museum Tucson will be showing sleepover guests how to get a party started with pizza, pajamas, binoculars, thermal cameras, and even meteorite-touching ops. Families are welcome to pitch tents in designated areas in the museum and in the main courtyard, for that highly sought after “pitch-a-tent-in-the-living-room-or-backyard-but-still-be-surrounded-by-fascinating-artifacts-and-unique-educational-opportunites” feel that many a sleepover party host has strived for and not attained. 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26 to Sunday, Aug. 27. Children's Museum Tucson 200 South Sixth Ave. $50, $45 for museum members.

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Thursday, February 9, 2017

Posted By on Thu, Feb 9, 2017 at 3:30 PM

click to enlarge Here’s Your Chance to Win Thousands of Dollars
BigStock
You, after this weekend.
Here’s Your Chance to Win Thousands of Dollars
Press Release from Wheel of Fortune Media
Over a million fans have attended the Wheelmobile events. Here's what it looks like, can't miss it.

Have you got game show ambitions? If you think you've got what it takes to be on Wheel of Fortune. Well, this is your chance because the Wheelmobile is rolling into Tucson and looking for contestants on their next show.

The Wheelmobile is the show’s promotional bus that travels from city to city in search of the most, high energy, fun and spunky contestants in America.

The event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 11 and Sunday, Feb. 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Casino Del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater. Gates to AVA will open at 10 a.m.

“We usually have about 1,000 to 3,000 people a day. All attendees are welcome to fill out an application which are then chosen at random from a raffle drum,” said Rachel Hartz of Wheel of Fortune media.

Once people are selected, they will come up on stage and do a speed round of the game. Hartz said it is not possible for everyone to be selected on stage but everyone who fills out an application can still become a contestant and can be contacted at a later date for an audition.

The majority of contestants who appear on the Wheel of fortune are chosen from these events in their hometowns. Since this began in 1999, the Wheelmobile have driven over 350,000 miles which has visited more than 300 cities.

If you or a family member is chosen and want to get the DVR ready, Wheel of Fortune airs weeknights at 6:30 p.m. on KGUN 9.

So don’t miss your opportunity to potentially wins thousands of dollars by visiting the Casino del Sol this weekend.

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