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Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
College World Series Championship Series Odds, Picks: LSU Takes On Coastal
Coach Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers enter the College World Series Championship Series vs. Coastal Carolina as the betting favorites. Coach Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers enter the College World Series Championship Series vs. Coastal Carolina as the betting favorites. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The 2025 NCAA Men's College World Series culminates with an intriguing three-game Championship Series between SEC power LSU and red-hot Sun Belt juggernaut Coastal Carolina, which has won 26 (!) games in a row. Both the Tigers and the Chanticleers went 3-0 in Omaha to reach the winner-take-all series this weekend. LSU took down Arkansas (4-1), UCLA (9-5) and Arkansas (6-5) for a second time to emerge from Bracket 2. Coastal came to Omaha on a 23-game winning streak and remained unbeaten with Bracket 1 wins over Arizona (7-4), Oregon State (6-2) and Louisville (11-3). The Chanticleers' last L came in a midweek road game vs. College of Charleston, which Coastal lost 4-2 on April 22. CWS Championship Schedule, How To Watch Coastal vs. LSU Game 1: Saturday, June 21, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN+) Game 2: Sunday, June 22, 2:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN+) Game 3 (if necessary): Monday, June 23, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN+) Coastal Carolina vs. LSU Series Odds As you can see below, oddsmakers see 2023 national champion LSU as the clear favorite. Will the SEC's dominance of this tournament continue? Or are sportsbooks overlooking an impressive Coastal squad that has already won 56 games this year? DK FD bet365 BetMGM Coastal Carolina +155 +154 +160 +155 LSU -190 -192 -190 -190 CWS Championship Series Total Games Odds At bet365, you can bet on whether this series will feature a Game 3. Below are bet365's CWS Championship Series over/under total games odds as of Friday, June 20: Over 2.5 Games: -115 Under 2.5 Games: -125 Coastal Carolina-LSU Game 1 Odds: Moneyline, Run Line, Total DK FD bet365 CCU ML +130 +134 +130 LSU ML -166 -172 -160 CCU run line +1.5 (-135) +1.5 (-158) +1.5 (-150) LSU run line -1.5 (+105) -1.5 (+124) -1.5 (+120) Total 8.5 (o-115; u-115) 8.5 (o-113; u-113) 8.5 (o-110; u-120) CWS Championship Series Analysis, Picks Following a tense three-game series in last year's CWS Championship Series between Tennessee and Texas A&M, this year's clash between LSU and Coastal also promises to be a hard-fought battle. The Tigers' 2023 title and their 2025 resume make them worthy favorites, but the betting odds for this series strike me as too dismissive of Coastal Carolina. While the Chants did not play an SEC schedule, they've shown no reason to doubt that they can hang with a top team from the top conference in college baseball. Coastal has only played two games against an SEC foe this year, but its Super Regional road sweep of Auburn -- which went 17-13 in the SEC -- showed that it can more than hang with SEC competition. Doubting a Chanticleers team that has gone 8-0 this postseason while outscoring the opposition 64-25 (including a 3-0 record in Omaha while outscoring Arizona, Oregon State and Louisville 24-9) just does not seem like a great idea, regardless of who it is facing. While anyone who has watched Coastal's run to this point would agree they have a real chance in this series, that doesn't quite answer the question of whether it makes more sense to bet on CCU or LSU. The Tigers have few holes in either their lineup or their pitching staff, and they'll be starting two of the best pitchers in the country in Kade Anderson in Game 1 and Anthony Eyanson in Game 2. Coastal has three excellent starting pitchers of its own, though. Expected Game 1 starter Cameron Flukey boasts a 3.29 ERA, and likely Game 2 starter Jacob Morrison has been lights-out all year (ERA: 2.08; opp. batting avg: .194). If there's a Game 3, Coastal fans would feel great about No. 3 arm Riley Eickhoff. If Morrison can stay in the groove he was in during his last two appearances -- he allowed just two earned runs combined in 13.2 total innings vs. Auburn in the Super Regional on June 7 and Oregon State in the CWS on June 15 -- I like Coastal to take Game 2. Coastal Carolina vs. LSU CWS Championship Best Bets, Pick It's hard to predict how a head-to-head matchup between two well-rounded teams playing as well as LSU and Coastal will go, but right now, the best bets in this series are: Series Total Games: Over 2.5 (-115 at bet365) -- 1 unit Coastal Carolina run line +1.5 (-135 at DK) -- 1 unit And if I have to pick a national champ before this thing gets underway, I'm going to go with Coastal Carolina (+160 at bet365) -- 0.5 units. This series is just too evenly matched for me to recommend LSU at -190 or shorter. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MAA- An Apartment REIT with Diverse Properties, High Growth Potential
(MAA) specializes in acquiring, developing, and managing apartment communities. It owns and operates nearly 300 properties in 16 states and Washington, DC. The company's focus on innovation and technology presents opportunities for growth, enabling it to cater to evolving tenant preferences and expectations, advises Kelley Wright, editor of IQ Trends. To get more articles and chart analysis from MoneyShow, subscribe to our .) MAA caters to a varied demographic, providing housing solutions that range from luxury apartments to more affordable options. The Real Estate Investment Trust's operations are predominantly concentrated in the Sun Belt region, an area with robust population growth, economic expansion, and favorable climate conditions. MAA boasts a geographically diverse portfolio that spans multiple states, encompassing urban, suburban, and metropolitan areas. With thousands of units under management, the company has strategically positioned itself to capitalize on market demand while maintaining a strong emphasis on quality and customer satisfaction. MAA's success can be attributed to its well-defined strategic framework, which emphasizes both organic growth and expansion through acquisitions. By focusing on regions with high population density and economic activity, the company ensures a steady stream of demand for its properties. Additionally, MAA employs robust market analysis to identify emerging opportunities, allowing it to adapt swiftly to shifting trends in the real estate sector. MAA's primary challenges include fluctuating market conditions, regulatory changes, and the impact of economic cycles on the real estate sector. However, its strategic agility and diversified portfolio provide a strong foundation to navigate these uncertainties. See also: Fed: On Tap to Sit Tight Amid Mixed Inflation, Employment News The ROIC, FCFY, and P/EBV are 6%, 2%, and 3.9 respectively. Economic earnings are -$1.05 vs. $8.77 reported. Economic Book Value equals $38.29 per share. Finally, $10,000 invested five years ago is now approximately $15,326. Recommended Action: Buy MAA. More From NFLX: A Great Example of How Adaptation Can Pay Off LEN: A Beaten-Down Builder with the Worst Priced In? Market Minute 6/18/25: Investors Waiting to See if US Joins the Fight 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤
Fast Company
a day ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Housing market weakness triggers Lennar to offer biggest incentives since 2009
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert's ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. There is a consensus among major publicly traded homebuilders that the spring 2025 housing market—especially in many parts of the Sun Belt, where inventory has climbed above pre-pandemic 2019 levels—was softer than they expected. While some builders have started focusing more on maintaining margins—and some have slowed their housing starts—Lennar has continued to push forward. Instead of defending short-term profitability, Lennar—America's second-largest homebuilder—is using this period of housing market softness as an opportunity to capture market share and maintain sales pace through bigger affordability adjustments. Here are our top nine takeaways: 1. Lennar: 'All of the markets we operate in experienced some level of softening' According to Lennar, it has observed at least some 'softening' across all its markets this spring. Even its 'strongest' markets have lost some momentum. This aligns with ResiClub 's reporting. 'All of the markets we operate in experienced some level of softening [this quarter],' Lennar co-CEO John Jaffe said on the company's June 17 earnings call. 'Even in our strongest performing markets, buyers needed the assistance of incentives. Incentives will vary across the different markets, but primarily in the form of assistance with mortgage rate buy downs.' Jaffe added: 'The markets that experienced more challenging conditions during the quarter were the Pacific Northwest markets of Seattle and Portland, the Northern California markets of the Bay Area and Sacramento, the Southwestern markets of Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Colorado, and some Eastern markets such as Raleigh, Atlanta, and Jacksonville.' 2. Lennar is deploying bigger sales incentives Lennar's average sales price came in at $389,000 in Q2 2025—that's down 8.7% from $426,000 in Q2 2024. And oh, boy, is Lennar spending a lot on incentives. In Q2 2025, Lennar spent an average of 13.3% of the final sales price on sales incentives, such as mortgage-rate buydowns. At that incentive rate, a home with a $450,000 sticker price would come with nearly $60,000 in incentives. According to John Burns Research and Consulting [ see its historical chart here ], that's the highest incentive level Lennar has offered since 2009—and it's significantly higher than Lennar's cycle low in Q2 2022, when it spent 1.5% of the final sales price on sales incentives. Earlier this year, Lennar co-CEO Stuart Miller noted: 'These are outsized [incentives] for the moment and normalized incentives should be around 5% to 6%.' Pretty much: Where and when needed—especially in pockets of Florida, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas, where active inventory has bounced back and buyers have gained leverage—Lennar is cutting net effective prices through larger incentives to find the market and keep sales rolling. The biggest net price cuts occurred in Lennar's East division—which, while it includes Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, is dominated by operations in the Sunshine State— the epicenter of housing market weakness over the past year. 4. Additional margin compression During the pandemic housing boom, many publicly traded homebuilders achieved record profit margins as home prices soared and buyer demand ran red hot. Once the national housing demand boom fizzled out in the summer of 2022, many large homebuilders made affordability adjustments where and when needed to maintain their sales pace. Despite some profit margin compression, almost every major homebuilder entered 2024 with gross margins still above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. However, in recent quarters, margin compression has returned—especially for Lennar. During the company's December 2024 earnings call, Lennar CFO Diane Bessette stated that the company anticipates further margin compression, with gross margins expected to range between 19.0% and 19.25% for Q1 2025. Lennar's Q1 2025 gross margin ended up being 18.7%, and its Q2 2025 gross margin on home sales came in on June 16 at 17.8%. On the June 17 earnings call, Miller said he expects Lennar's gross margin to be 18.0% in Q3 2025. 5. Lennar: Sales pace > margin As highlighted above, amid the softening market, Lennar has chosen to maintain sales pace over margin. Among the big builders, it has been the most aggressive on that front. It's now spending 13.3% of final sales price on incentives—and doing some of the biggest net effective price cuts in the Sun Belt—in order to keep sales up. 'We are not there yet, but we are certain that we are finding a floor with margin and getting close to building it back even in a softer housing market environment,' Miller said on the June 17 call. 'As the current market softness unfolded, we focused on consistent [sales] volume by matching our production pace with our sales pace.' Miller added: 'Although some have questioned why we have maintained volume rather than protect our margin, we are very clear and steadfast on our strategy. Historically, we protected margin as market conditions stalled, and we generally led the way in protecting short-term profitability. But we learned through those times that once we step backwards and lose momentum, it becomes increasingly more and more difficult to restart and recapture volume. The machine slows and does not restart easily. We have concluded that by maintaining volume, we can create new efficiencies and new solutions that are durable for the future and will result in meaningful long-term efficiencies in our cost structure.' Lennar's Q2 2025 division-level performance was relatively steady once you account for its February 10 acquisition of Rausch Coleman Homes, which largely explains the sharp year-over-year jump in the South Central division. The Western division was a bit softer, reflecting broader cooling trends across many Western housing markets over the past six months. In contrast, Lennar saw a bit more growth in its Eastern division, particularly in Florida. Why? It's likely that Lennar's earlier and more aggressive discounting in Florida is now paying off, attracting buyers who are still encountering resale sellers resisting the shifted pricing environment in their local neighborhoods. 7. Lennar: No impact from tariffs—yet 'With respect to the question regarding tariffs, consistent with our commentary last quarter, we have had no impact to date on our costs from tariffs,' Lennar's Jaffe said on the earnings call. 'We work closely with the supply chain to prepare for alternative sourcing if it becomes necessary as well as the expectation that our trade partners will work with us to mitigate and offset cost impacts should they present themselves.' 8. Lennar: 'There's little evidence to support expectations of materially lower' mortgage rates this year 'Initially, many in the housing market held on to the hope that higher interest rates were temporary, expecting inflation to subside and rates to drift back to lower levels. However, this expectation has not materialized,' Miller said on the June 17 call. 'Looking ahead, there's little evidence to support expectations of materially lower interest rates in the near term. As a result, elevated interest rates have solidified as the new normal. The environment is about recognizing that short supply is keeping prices higher and that only lower prices enabled by lower cost structures will define affordability.'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Coastal Carolina thriving at 2025 College World Series by building an elite pitching staff
Coastal Carolina thriving at 2025 College World Series by building an elite pitching staff Show Caption Hide Caption Which NCAA baseball teams could blow up the bracket The Montgomery Advertiser's Adam Cole and The Southwest Times Record's Jackson Fuller break down who could wreck the tournament bracket. Coastal Carolina's pitching staff, ranked second nationally in ERA, is a key factor in its success. Most of Coastal Carolina's pitchers are homegrown talents who have shown significant improvement this season. The team's new pitching coach, Matt Williams, and catcher Caden Bodine have played crucial roles in the pitching staff's development. OMAHA, NE ― Jacob Morrison walked off the mound at Charles Schwab Field to a rousing standing ovation. The Coastal Carolina starting pitcher had just finished pitching 7⅔ scoreless innings. He didn't walk anyone and struck out seven. Four outs from the bullpen later, the Chanticleers had clinched their spot in the College World Series semifinals, where they will take on Louisville on June 18 needing one win to play for a championship. Morrison, the Sun Belt pitcher of the year, has a perfect 12-0 record this season with a 2.08 ERA. But Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall didn't choose him to start him in its CWS opener − the Chanticleers didn't need to. Instead, Schnall went with a combination of Riley Eikhoff, who is 6-2 with a 2.98 ERA, and Cameron Flukey, who is 7-1 with a 3.29 ERA. Coastal Carolina won that game against Arizona. Armed with a pitching staff that ranks second nationally in ERA, the Chanticleers are now in the driver's seat to advance to the College World Series finals for the first time since their 2016 national title run. "I think we can continue to be the best pitching staff in Omaha," Eikhoff told USA TODAY Sports after the win over Oregon State. Perhaps even more impressive than Coastal Carolina's pitching success is how it happened. There aren't any big-name transfers among the group. Nine of the Chanticleers' 10 most used pitchers began their college careers with Coastal; the one who didn't, closer Ryan Lynch, started at a junior college. The group is also relatively young, including two freshmen and three sophomores. The 2024 Chanticleers were in their final season under longtime coach Gary Gilmore. They were one of the last four teams to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. When Schnall, who was assistant under Gilmore since 2016, took over before this season, the team was picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt. A big reason why Coastal Carolina exceeded those expectations − winning the Sun Belt regular season and tournament titles and riding a 25-game win streak − was across-the-board improvement of the Chanticleers' returning pitchers. Many of those arms credit the success to the hire of pitching coach Matt Williams, who spent the 2024 season at South Carolina, as well as to the impact of catcher Caden Bodine, who is considered one of the top defensive catchers in the country. "Pounding the zone has been a huge part," Lynch said. "All of our starters are very efficient. Get early strikes, pound the zone, try to limit walks, then just having our defense behind us. ... And then having (Bodine) behind the plate, just him getting pitches that would be off the plate or low that he's getting strikes for us." Coastal Carolina's 8% walk rate is the lowest among teams in Omaha and fifth-lowest of all Division I teams in 2025. But while low walk rates are often associated with a lack of high-octane stuff, that's not the case for the Chanticleers, either. Morrison, whose fastball touches 95 mph at 6-foot-8, was ranked the No. 181 MLB draft prospect for 2025 by MLB Pipeline. Flukey, whose velocity has been up to 98 mph, is considered a top-three rounds prospect for the 2026 draft. Lefty reliever Dominick Carbone has a nasty slider. For Morrison, a big part of his development was working through Tommy John surgery rehab. He had a 6.55 ERA in 13 starts as a freshman in 2023 but missed the entire 2024 season with injury. "I've always been a big strike thrower," Morrison said in the press conference after the Oregon State game. "My freshman year, I threw a ton of strikes but I had a hard time keeping the ball out of the middle of the plate. That was a big thing, not only in my rehab last year, but even in freshman year development, throwing pitches where I want." FAMILIAR FACES Oregon State, Coastal Carolina led by former players Flukey, a sophomore who had a 5.73 ERA in 19 appearances as a freshman, credits his improvement to putting more trust in his stuff and becoming more willing to attack within the strike zone. This season, he has a 3.29 ERA and cut his walk rate from 10.9% to 5.7%. Eikhoff, a fifth-year, had an ERA above 4.43 in each of his first three seasons, but in 2025 he has a 2.98 ERA. He was the one Schnall trusted with the ball in the opening game. Part of Williams' impact has been the confidence he's instilled in the pitching staff. He came in during the fall and gave each pitcher a goal to work towards. From there, the pitchers went to work to build one of the country's best pitching staffs − one good enough to win a national championship. "Coach Williams has a lot of credit to (our success), I think," Flukey said. "But also, as a family, we've all kind of pushed each other and made sure everyone's on their stuff, but Williams has been the start of that, and then we all kind of took a leadership role." Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@ or on X @aria_gerson.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson basketball announces the hiring of Jon Uribe as new Director of Sport Performance
Clemson basketball announces the hiring of Jon Uribe as new Director of Sport Performance Clemson men's basketball has added a new face to its staff, as head coach Brad Brownell announced the hiring of Jon Uribe as the program's director of basketball sport performance. 'I'm excited to add Jon to our staff,' Brownell said. 'He has been mentored by some outstanding coaches in the field and has been a part of some highly successful programs, leading basketball sport performance at Furman, UAB and Louisiana-Lafayette. Having been a college basketball player, Jon understands how to use the weight room and translate that to elite performance on the court.' Uribe spent the 2024-25 season at Furman in the same role, helping guide the Paladins to a 25-10 finish, an appearance in the Southern Conference Tournament title game, and a berth in the NIT. Before that, he served four seasons as the head strength and conditioning coach for UAB men's basketball. His impact was felt immediately, with UAB setting a school record with 27 wins in 2022 and earning an NCAA Tournament bid. The Blazers followed that with a 29-win season in 2023 and a run to the NIT finals. In 2023-24, UAB returned to the NCAA Tournament after another strong campaign. Uribe was instrumental in the development of pro standouts Jordan 'Jelly' Walker and former Tiger Trey Jemison during his time in Birmingham. Prior to UAB, Uribe spent three seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette, where he helped the Ragin' Cajuns win the 2018 Sun Belt title and notch a program-best 27 victories. Uribe also brings SEC experience, having worked as an assistant strength coach for Florida men's basketball in 2016-17. That year, the Gators reached the Elite Eight and finished with 27 wins. His strength and conditioning career began at Arizona, where he interned with multiple Olympic sports. A former college basketball player at Texas Permian Basin, Uribe earned a degree in exercise science before completing a master's in sport management from Florida. He holds multiple certifications, including NSCA CSCS, USA Weightlifting Level I, fascial stretch therapy, and CSCCA strength and conditioning coaching. -some quotes, information courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
