Odds to Win Charity Basketball Game: Ted Cruz vs Andrew Yang

• Andrew Yang and Ted Cruz are set to play a basketball game on Friday
• The loser will have to pay $5,000 to charity
• Cruz previously beat Jimmy Kimmel in a similar one-on-one showdown

As we get ready for the next debate featuring the candidates vying to become the Democratic Party nominee, one of them is looking to stand out from the crowd. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang has challenged Texas Senator Ted Cruz to a charity basketball game on Friday. Who is the best bet to win it?

Yang vs Cruz Basketball Odds

*Odds taken 09/12/19

Yang, Cruz Connect on Basketball Game via Twitter

If you’re wondering how all of this came about, it all began when Yang was playing basketball at a court in Houston, which is the site of Thursday’s Democratic debate. A Fox News producer actually put it out there that he’d like to see Yang go head-to-head with Cruz. Surprisingly, Cruz responded, taking a shot at Yang’s polling numbers.

Ted I would be delighted to beat you in basketball. ?? pic.twitter.com/RHFrdAfcZ9

— Andrew Yang??? (@AndrewYang) September 12, 2019

Yang and Cruz ended up going back-and-forth on Twitter, as it looks like a game has been scheduled for Friday. Cruz confirmed as much but we haven’t heard officially from Yang’s team. The loser will have to donate $5,000 to a charity, which is a nice gesture.

Will It Be One-On-One or Four-On Four?

There’s some debate as to how this game will actually play out. Originally, Cruz suggested a game of four-on-four. That would include Cruz, Yang and three paid staffers for each to round out the rosters. No ringers would be allowed.

Let’s play one-on-one. Give the fans a show. ?

— Andrew Yang??? (@AndrewYang) September 12, 2019

However, Yang stated that he’d rather go one-on-one with Cruz.

Cruz Played Jimmy Kimmel Before

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Cruz get a challenge like this. Him and Jimmy Kimmel once went head-to-head in a game of one-on-one. The Dallas Morning News was on-hand and they stated that they witnessed some really bad basketball. The two guys needed over 100 shots to get to the final score of 11-9.

Cruz is Taller, Yang is Younger

Of course, when it comes to basketball, measurables are quite important. Cruz is the taller of the two as he’s listed at 5’11. However, Yang is the younger of the two as he’s 44 years old. Cruz is 48. That seems like it could be important as Yang looks like he moves better than Cruz while Cruz doesn’t have much of a height advantage.

Yang’s Shot Looks Awful

We haven’t really seen much of Yang play basketball but from what we’ve seen, he doesn’t look like he’s very good. He failed to connect on a simple dunk as the ball rimmed out, then missed a jump shot and several layups. It’s possible it was just a rough little spell in front of the cameras but that’s not a good sign.

What’s the Best Bet?

You have to lay some juice with Cruz in this spot but he looks like the better play. Sure, he’s four years older but at least we’ve seen him look somewhat capable on the court before. He also has experience in these types of showdowns as he already beat Kimmel in this type of scenario. Bet Cruz in this spot.