The game designers at EA Sports upgraded their player ratings for Madden Football 21, and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce earned much-deserved bump to a 99 rating, thereby becoming the newest member of the exclusive 99 Club. Four players entered this season with a 99 rating for Madden […]
Sports Betting
NBA 2021: Back-to-Back Pacific Titles for LeBron and LA Lakers?
The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers come into the 2020-21 NBA season as the favorite to secure back-to-back Pacific division titles at -143 odds, according to the most recent update by DraftKings. Last season, LeBron James and the Lakers secured the Pacific division title, ending a five-year reign by the […]
Kubrat Pulev Looks for Career-Defining Win vs. Anthony Joshua in Heavyweight Title Clash
Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will put his IBF, WBA, and WBO titles on the line when he fights Bulgarian challenger Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday night. Joshua comes into the fight as a massive favorite, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing the champion as a -1300 pick to […]
Washington Won’t Play Saturday vs. Oregon, Triggering Championship Game Repercussions
The University of Washington announced Wednesday that it paused football activities after a slew of positive COVID-19 tests. The Huskies scheduled matchup at Oregon (3-2) on Saturday for the Pac-12 North title is currently off. No game means Washington (3-1) will capture the Pac 12 North title as the only […]
Week 14 NFL Value Plays in DFS: Hurts So Good
Week 14 provides a big, 13-game slate with some juicy, high-priced options like Devante Adams and Derrick Henry. But there are also some tantalizing players to be found deeper in the salary pool. Here are five value players (OK, four this week) under $5,000 on DraftKings. Jalen Hurts, Eagles QB […]
Indiana Football on Pause Due to COVID-19 Outbreak, Big Ten Changes Rules to Let Ohio State Play in Championship Game
The Old Oaken Bucket game is in serious jeopardy, and a second Big Ten football rivalry with a 100-plus-year streak is on the line as the Indiana and Purdue football programs are both on pause due to COVID-19 issues. No. 12 Indiana announced Tuesday that it stopped all team-related activities […]
Magnus Carlsen Battles Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in Speed Chess Championship Semifinals
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen returns to action on Friday when he’ll take on French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave for the right to face Hikaru Nakamura in the Speed Chess Championship final. Nakamura booked his place in the final with a tight 13.5-12.5 win over fellow American Wesley So on Wednesday. […]
NFC Playoff Hunt: Arizona and Minnesota Fighting for Wild Card
The Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Minnesota Vikings currently occupy the three wild-card spots on the NFC side of the NFL playoff bracket. The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Football Team are currently on the NFC wild-card bubble with four weeks remaining. The New Orleans […]
Bellator 254 Odds: Undefeated Flyweights Macfarlane, Velasquez Face Off for Title
Bellator women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane will put her belt on the line Thursday against undefeated Juliana Velasquez in the main event of Bellator 254 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. Macfarlane (11-0) won the inaugural Bellator women’s flyweight championship in November 2017, and has successfully defended her crown four […]
FOX Looks to Ditch Thursday Night Football to Focus on Sundays and Sports Betting
FOX Corporation, which signed a five-year, $3.2 billion contract to broadcast “Thursday Night Football” two years ago, is looking to bounce out of that deal sooner than later. Since the contract was signed in December, 2018, FOX has had trouble finding an audience for “Thursday Night Football.” Those problems are […]
James Harden Still Wants Out Houston, Wants Trade to Philly
The Houston Rockets are in no rush to trade James Harden even though the disgruntled All-Star wants out ASAP, preferably in a trade with a contending team like the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden, 31, led the NBA in scoring over the past few seasons, but you know it’s a crazy world […]
Coach K: ‘I Don’t Think This Feels Right To Anybody’ as COVID-19 Sidelines College Basketball’s Top Programs
Duke’s legendary basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski looked sullen from the bench as No. 10 Illinois took his No. 6 Blue Devils to task, 83-68, at Cameron Indoor Stadium Tuesday night. At the post-game press conference, he questioned why the game is going on at all during the pandemic’s darkest days. […]
Aqueduct Records Daily Handle Increase During Shortened Fall Meet
Aqueduct continued the trend of spectator-free racetracks racking up handle increases, reporting a 12.8% increase in average daily, all-sources handle for its just-completed fall meet. The New York Racing Association announced Aqueduct checked in with an average daily handle of $9,261,276. This daily increase came despite a drop in overall […]
Champions League: Four Knockout Spots Up for Grabs on Final Day of Group Stage
Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Liverpool are among the teams that have already played their way into the Champions League knockout stages. Meanwhile, eight teams are still battling for the final four positions that will be decided on the final day of group stage play on Wednesday. Man City and […]
Instilled Regard Reinvents Himself Again, Retires to Stud
Instilled Regard, a horse who illustrated the upside of redefining himself, retired Tuesday, his owners OXO Equine LLC announced. And, according to OXO Equine, Instilled Regard already has his first date. That would be Blue Prize, the three-time Grade 1-winning Argentinian mare. She is currently in foal to Into Mischief, […]
Carmouche Breaks Into Big Time with First NYRA Riding Crown
Between 2008 and 2011, Kendrick Carmouche won seven riding titles at Parx, outside Philadelphia, staking his claim as that track’s dominant jockey and earning a spot in its Hall of Fame. But that was at Parx; a nice track, but a track out in the riding provinces. Now, Carmouche is […]
DraftKings, Foxwoods Reach Deal as Lawmakers Promise Connecticut Sports Betting Push in 2021
Connecticut hasn’t legalized sports betting yet, despite several attempts by lawmakers. Even so, DraftKings and Foxwoods Resort Casino announced a deal on Monday that positions the two gaming powerhouses to take advantage if the state finally allows regulated sportsbooks to begin operating in 2021. The multi-channel deal between DraftKings and […]
Hikaru Nakamura Faces Wesley So in All-American Speed Chess Championship Semifinal
Hikaru Nakamura stands two wins away from claiming his third straight Speed Chess Championship title. But he’ll face one of his toughest challengers in his semifinal match on Wednesday when he takes on fellow American grandmaster Wesley So. Nakamura and So matched up in the final of the 2018 Speed […]
Who Wants to Coach the New York Jets, Aside from Eric Bieniemy?
The New York Jets, currently 0-12 and hoping to avoid an 0-16 season, will have a job opening for a head coach at the end of the season when they finally part ways with Adam Gase. Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, is the […]
Michigan Officially Cancels ‘The Game’ Against Ohio State, Buckeyes’ Postseason Hopes in Doubt
For the first time in more than a century, the annual rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan has been called off due to a continued rise in COVID-19 cases in the Wolverines’ program. The Michigan athletic department, which announced the decision Tuesday morning, said they decided to continue their […]