Hot Takedown

The HTD crew discusses how NFL rookies are being paid less than they're worth, and takes a look at The Undefeated's 50 Greatest Black Athletes list.

The HTD crew revisits our first ever stat school on baseball, breaking down batting average, OPS, and wRC+.

The HTD crew is joined by Carl Bialik for a special stat school on tennis.

The HTD crew breaks down the latest in free agency moves in the NBA, with a significant digit on competitive eating.

The HTD crew discusses NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, John McEnroe's recent comments about Serena Williams, and how Tim Tebow is failing upward.

The HTD crew discusses the latest rumors and developments in the NBA draft. Plus, a significant digit on baseball.

The HTD discusses the MLB draft, whether this year's Warriors are the greatest NBA squad of all time, and the French Open.

This week, we shake up our format and bring you our analysis on the latest NHL headlines, plus a deep dive on the current competitive balance in the NBA.

The HTD crew discusses the NBA and NHL championship finals.

The HTD crew does an appreciation of Manu Ginobili, tries to figure out what's going on with the Cubs and breaks down an NFL rule change.

The HTD crew discusses the latest developments in the NBA playoffs, whether Derek Jeter is over or underrated, and the potential advantages of games at home in the playoffs.

The HTD crew discusses Isaiah Thomas vs. John Wall, the Mets' most recent struggles, and Nike's Breaking2 endeavor.

Kate has a new podcast! Take a listen to the first episode and subscribe in your favorite podcasting app.

The HTD crew discusses the racial lines drawn around football positions, the NHL playoffs, and the retirement of Paul Pierce.

The HTD crew previews the NFL draft, recaps the first round of the NBA playoffs, and checks in on the Champions League.

The HTD crew talks with Nate Silver about why the save ruined relief pitching and investigates the sub-two hour marathon.

The HTD crew discusses five candidates (Curry, Leonard, James, Harden, and Westbrook) for MVP of the NBA this year and crowns our champ.

The HTD crew discusses the men's and women's NCAA championships and the controversy around resting players in the NBA.

The HTD crew breaks down the first two rounds of March Madness, examines the potential strike brewing in U.S. women's hockey, and previews the MLB's National League.

The HTD crew dives into March Madness, chatting the men's and women's brackets and offering advice for making your picks. We also break down the NFL's latest free agency news.

Our second live show! We chat with Ravens center John Urschel about math and football, debate what Kevin Durant’s injury might mean for the Warriors, and talk NHL trades.

The HTD crew talks about the intersection of athletics and politics, discusses Claudio Ranieri's firing from Leicester City, and imagines baseball without statistics.

The HTD crew discusses DeMarcus Cousins' move to New Orleans, checks in on men's college basketball and ponders if James Harden is as much of an MVP as he thinks he is.

The HTD crew breaks down the NBA trade deadline, reviews the collapse of the Red Wings' dynastic glory, and chats home runs in the MLB.

The HTD crew breaks down the record shattering Superbowl LI and investigates whether Terrell Owens deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Plus, a significant digit on the WNBA.

The HTD crew discusses the Super Bowl. Plus: the Australian Open, Charles Barkley vs. LeBron James, and more.

The HTD crew discusses the AFC and NFC championship games, chats with Duke's Lexie Brown on women's basketball, and takes a look at the Sixers' surprising hot streak.

The HTD crew breaks down the Packers' 34-13 victory over the Cowboys, the current state of the English Premier League, and whether Carmelo Anthony should leave the Knicks.

The HTD crew discusses Clemson's stunning fourth quarter defeat of the Crimson Tide, the possibility that a yacht made Odell Beckham Jr. play poorly, and streaks in the NHL.

The HTD crew previews Alabama vs. Clemson, chats on the quarterback injuries impacting the NFL playoff field, and investigates the Rockets' hot streak.

The HTD crew discusses college football and whether we've hit peak bowl numbers, Brock Osweiler's troubles in Texas, and if the Elo system can be applied to Christmas movies.

The HTD crew surveys the NFL playoff landscape, takes a deeper look at Andrew Wiggins' stats, and talks ties in Major League Soccer.

The HTD crew chats about college football playoff picks, the seemingly unstoppable Russell Westbrook, and what the new collective bargaining agreement means for the MLB.

The HTD crew discusses basketball, taking a look at men's and women's college teams as their seasons get underway. Plus, a return to the deadlocked World Chess Championship.

The HTD crew discusses the Packers' ongoing struggles, Thanksgiving football, and the firing of Jurgen Klinsmann as U.S. soccer coach.

Our series concludes with the "ultimate weapon," Randall Cunningham of the Philadelphia Eagles, who could do it all before anyone knew what to do with someone like him.

The HTD crew discusses the Steelers' insistence on going for two points, college football upsets and chats to Oliver Roeder about the World Chess Championship.

The crew discusses the choice between Dak Prescott and Tony Romo, 538's College Football forecast and chats to new 538 writer Chris Herring about bad teams in the NBA.

The story of Peaches Bartkowicz, Chris Evert, and the rise of a new way to hit the tennis ball. Reported by Emma Morgenstern.

Chad and Neil get together to break down the numbers behind the Cubs' historic victory. They also chat to Ollie Roeder about how that final out felt for a Cubs fan.

The HTD crew discusses the World Series, Russell Westbrook's extraordinary numbers and whether Tom Brady could win a Super Bowl on any NFL team.

Charles Reep pioneered soccer analytics, invented the long ball style, and helped ruin the English national team for a generation. Reported and produced by Joe Sykes.

The crew discusses the World Series with FiveThirtyEight's Rob Arthur, previews the NBA season and asks if the Warriors are the best true talent team of all time.

How Mike Smith, the Russia-obsessed coach of the Winnipeg Jets, changed the NHL forever. Part two of our five-part doc series, hosted by Neil Paine.

The HTD team discusses the MLB playoffs, the matchup between Candace Parker and Maya Moore in the WNBA and the start of the NHL season with Neil Greenberg.

Neil Paine tells the story of the rise, fall, and return of the defensive shift in baseball, which stumped Hall of Famer Ted Williams. The first in our five-part doc series.

ESPN's Mike Goodman joins the Hot Takedown crew to explain the strengths and weaknesses of soccer stats. Look out for Ahead Of Their Time in your feed this Thursday!

It's the NL Wild Card game tonight so we're bringing you a special episode of Chad Matlin's and Neil Paine's spin-off podcast about Mets fans' emotions, Panic City. Enjoy!

The HTD crew discusses the MLB playoffs with 538's Rob Arthur and then they ask each other whether the Carolina Panthers are done for the season. Plus, the Ryder Cup!

The crew discusses José Fernandez's extraordinary numbers, talks to SI's Lindsay Schnell about Louisiana firing Les Miles and hails Kevin Garnett's advanced metrics.

The crew discusses how much weight early season form has in the NFL, previews the WNBA playoffs and welcomes Mike Goodman to chat about Mourinho vs Guardiola.

The HTD crew talks to Bill Barnwell about the genius of Bill Belichick, breaks down baseball's movers and shakers and asks how 538 got its U.S. Open predictions so wrong.

Harvey Araton of The New York Times joins Carl to talk about Williams's upset loss, the globalization of tennis and Jimmy Connors's legendary run at the 1991 U.S. Open.

Carl Bialik talks to ESPNW's Jane McManus about the women's semis, the tennis media's gender gap and whether Kei Nishikori is on the verge of a breakthrough.

It's a pigskin special this week. HTD breaks down 538's NFL predictions, chats about the start of the college season and picks a new team for Blythe Terrell to root for.

18-time major winner, Chris Evert, joins Carl Bialik today. They chat about Serena Williams, the depth of women's tennis and what it takes to be the best in the world.

Carl Bialik chats to Louisa Thomas, a writer at the New Yorker, about the U.S. Open's brand new roof, the big four in men's tennis and Angelique Kerber's chances of success.

The HTD team is back together and this week they preview the EPL, talk to Carl Bialik about the U.S. Open and try to help 538's Blythe Terrell pick a new favorite NFL team.

FiveThirtyEight's U.S. Open podcast returns! Carl Bialik talks to Racquet Magazine's Caitlin Thompson and the WTA's Courtney Nguyen about their predictions for the tournament.

Hot Takedown digs into the vault this week to bring you two NFL Stat Schools back-to-back. Now's the time to pick your fantasy football teams using only advanced metrics.

Nate Silver joins the crew to tell us why the Olympic medal table is broken and how we should fix it. We also talk about the USWNT and Usain Bolt.

The HTD crew discusses the dominant performances by U.S. swimmers and gymnasts at the Olympics. Plus what Ichiro's stats would look like had he played his entire career in MLB

It's an HTD Olympics special. Allison McCann joins from Rio to preview the upcoming action. Then, Dave Zirin comes on to tell us why the Olympics are bad news for host cities.

The Hot Takedown crew discusses this year's Tour de France with the WSJ's Jason Gay, the Major League's trade deadline and the WNBA's stat-busting new star, Nnemkadi Ogwumike.

The HTD team discusses the developments in the Russian doping scandal, the mysterious return of the home run and Hungrybox, the Esports champ who's gone from god to GOAT.

The HTD Crew welcomes Mina Kimes to discuss Von Miller's fight against the franchise tag, Daniel Murphy's revenge tour and dead days in the sports calendar.

The HTD crew discusses Kevin Durant's move to the Warriors, the matchup between Bale and Ronaldo at the Euros and Djokovic's shock loss to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon.

The HTD crew discusses the legacy of women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, the Derrick Rose trade and Kevin Durant's potential move to the Warriors.

The HTD crew discusses the Cavs' miraculous comeback in the NBA Finals, the USMNT's performance at the Copa America and Cristiano Ronaldo's form at the Euros.

Justin Tinsley joins the team to talk LeBron's return to form, the Stanley Cup Finals and the Howard U. soccer team from 1971 stripped of its title because of a statistic.

The HTD team talks about the NBA Finals, the usefulness of statistics when discussing Muhammad Ali and the USMNT's poor start to the Copa America.

The HTD crew discusses the Warriors' return from the dead, are joined by Chris Herring to talk African-Americans and analytics and look at who is going to win the Stanley Cup.

The gang discusses the NBA Conference Finals, whether African-Americans talk about analytics with ESPN's Michael Wilbon and the goings-on at Rolland Garros.

Ben Lindbergh talks about taking over a baseball team with sabermetrics. This is a cross-post of a recent episode of What's The Point. Subscribe: fivethirtyeight.com/podcast

The HTD crew discusses the Western Conference Finals, concussions in women's sports and the centuries-old data set that helps us determine who really is the G.O.A.T in sumo.

The HTD crew discusses the Chicago Cubs, the WNBA stars who play overseas in the off-season and long shot candidates in sports and politics with 538's Harry Enten.

The HTD triptych discusses legendary Leicester City's EPL title win, the quality of quarterbacks in the NFL and the reasons behind the decline in Tommy John surgeries.

The HTD crew discusses how Steph Curry's injury impacts the Warriors' playoff hopes, the Cubs' fast start to the season and the Stanley Cup with the Wash Po's Neil Greenberg.

The HTD crew talks to Bill Barnwell about the mega-trade between the Rams and the Titans, discusses Kobe Bryant's fraught relationship with analytics and previews the NWSL.

Chad Matlin and Neil Paine look at the eye-popping numbers that describe the Warriors' record-breaking season, and ask if anyone has a chance of beating them in the playoffs.

The HTD crew discusses Jordan Spieth's historic collapse in the final round of the Masters, argues about the downfall of Sam Hinkie and previews this season's NHL playoffs.

The Hot Takedown crew get together to gab about UConn's fourth consecutive national championship and ask: Is this the end of an era?

The HTD crew discusses the NCAA men's final; Allison McCann joins to talk wage discrimination in women's soccer and Neil Paine delivers a special SigDig on the Warriors.

The HTD crew gabs about Syracuse's run to the final four in the men's and women's NCAA tournaments, the return of baseball and the Cricket World Cup with ESPN's Andrew Miller.

Sue Bird joins the HTD crew to discuss the data gap in women's sports, the madness of this year's NCAA tournament and the sexism row that's rocking the world of tennis.

The HTD team discuss NCAA tournament brackets, why Kansas is 538's favorite to win on the men's side and whether anyone has a hope in hell of beating UConn on the women's.

Shane Battier and Daryl Morey join HTD to discuss NBA box score stats, bracketology and what happened to the Rockets this season. Recorded in front of a live audience!

The Hot Takedown crew discuss why we shouldn't listen to the Warriors' critics, whether the NBA should move the three-point line back and if Gerrit Cole ought to be paid more.

The Hot Takedown crew discuss where it went wrong for Canadian hockey, how Daytona 500 races are getting closer and closer and why Anthony Davis's 59/20 game is so rare.

Chadwick Matlin, Neil Paine and Kate Fagan discuss whether fans want parity in NCAA basketball, NBA All Star defense and why trading Mike Trout might be good for the Angels.

Chadwick Matlin, Neil Paine and Kate Fagan discuss the supremacy of Denver's defense, Cam Newton's post-Super Bowl antics and the meteoric rise of little Leicester City.

Chadwick Matlin, Neil Paine and Kate Fagan discuss Cam Newton's confidence, Peyton Manning's terrible season and the hot takery of the Super Bowl's off week.

Chadwick Matlin and Neil Paine discuss whether the Patriots' loss was Stephen Gostkowski's fault, why the Cavs fired David Blatt and whether match fixing is rampant in tennis.

Neil Paine and Kate Fagan discuss why Mike McCarthy should have gone for 2, whether bad baseball plays are dying out and the potential of LSU's Ben Simmons.

Chadwick Matlin and Neil Paine discuss Alabama's onside kick magic, the unpredictability of this year's race to the Super Bowl, and rate just how good Alex Ovechkin really is.

Chadwick Matlin, Neil Paine, and Allison McCann discuss parity in the NFL playoffs, Ultimate Frisbee analytics, and conduct a statistical investigation into NBA Millennials.

Statman Neil Paine gives Kate Fagan and Chadwick Matlin a tour of basketball scoring stats, from points per game through usage percentage.

Special episode with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on the state of the draft, the Sixers tanking strategy, and whether he will ever ride a bear at the lottery.