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| DOCUMENTED RECORD / DETAILED PICKS HISTORY |
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WIN |
LOSS |
PUSH |
WIN % |
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33 |
26 |
1 |
56% |
+29.13 |
+4.41% |
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DATE / TIME |
SPORT |
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UNITS |
RESULT |
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PICKS
FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 (TODAY) |
[refresh] |
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9/29/2020
2:00 PM EST |
MLB |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:26 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
2:00 PM EST |
MLB |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:27 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
2:45 PM EST |
SOCCER |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:38 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
3:00 PM EST |
MLB |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:28 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
3:00 PM EST |
MLB |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:28 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
3:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:35 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
3:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:37 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
3:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:39 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
5:00 PM EST |
MLB |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:29 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
5:00 PM EST |
MLB |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:30 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
7:00 PM EST |
MLB |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:31 AM EST |
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9/29/2020
7:00 PM EST |
MLB |
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| PICK MADE TODAY AT 10:31 AM EST |
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PICKS
FOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 (YESTERDAY) |
[refresh] |
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9/28/2020
5:00 AM EST |
OTHER (NPB) |
YOKOHAMA DENA BAYSTARS VS. HIROSHIMA TOYO CARP
PICK: YOKOHAMA DENA BAYSTARS (-106)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Yokohama Dena Baystars Trying to hold on to their post season spot. |
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| PICK MADE YESTERDAY AT 3:15 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED YESTERDAY AT 11:24 AM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/28/2020
8:05 PM EST |
NHL |
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS. DALLAS STARS
PICK: DALLAS STARS (+147)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: The never-say-die Dallas Stars need two more victories to complete what some believed to be an impossible task just a couple of months ago: win the Stanley Cup.
Whether they can actually complete that feat against the Tampa Bay Lightning, however, remains to be seen.
Thanks to a double-overtime victory on Saturday to force Game 6 on Monday in Edmonton, the Stars are still alive in the Stanley Cup Final. However, they still trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series against a Lightning team that is a perfect 6-0 in games following a loss in the playoffs.
Even after twice managing victories in the finals, the Stars are facing a huge uphill climb.
"I think we enjoy being called underdogs and every person, really this whole time we've been in the bubble, seeming to choose the other team we're playing," said Stars forward Tyler Seguin, who collected three assists in Saturday's 3-2 comeback victory.
"We relish that. We believe in each other, we've got a confident group and we don't want to leave the bubble, so we're having fun."
The Lightning look to rebound from a disappointing defeat in which they squandered a third-period lead, dominated the first overtime period and then lost thanks to Corey Perry's tally. That said, there appears to be no panic heading into their second chance to clinch the second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
"We've been pretty good about responding after losses," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "We've been doing this for over two months, so we've got a good idea what's ahead of us and how to respond."
Sure, the Lightning will look to make some adjustments for the potential Cup-clinching affair, but the message remains to stay the course that's helped them get this far.
"We knew it was going to be a hard series and we had some good looks in overtime and throughout the game," defenseman Victor Hedman said. "It wasn't our night, and they scored, so at the end of the day, we look forward to (the) next game."
For historical reference, the Lightning have never lost a series in which they have held a 3-1 lead, including all three previous rounds this year. In fact, none of the nine series in which they had that edge even required a Game 7.
The onus is on the Stars to drum up a couple more victories in a do-or-die scenario.
The good news for Dallas, however, was the lesson learned from Saturday's game. After clinging by their collective fingernails in the first overtime, the Stars were every bit as good as the Lightning in the second OT. They earned their win because they were more aggressive instead of sitting back and letting Tampa Bay carry the play.
"We didn't have the right mindset that we normally have going into overtime in that first overtime," Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. "You can't be afraid to lose, and we were playing not to lose, and we talked about it after the (first) overtime.
"We got to play to win. Play to win and you lose, you lose, but we're going to go for it."
There was one bit of news regarding the Lightning on Sunday. Cooper said captain Steven Stamkos won't play any more during the series. Stamkos returned for Game 4, his first game in seven months after requiring core muscle surgery. He scored a goal, but didn't take a shift after the first period.
"Hopefully the next time you see him on the ice is during a trophy presentation," Cooper said.
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE YESTERDAY AT 3:16 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED YESTERDAY AT 11:44 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/28/2020
8:05 PM EST |
NHL |
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS. DALLAS STARS
PICK: OVER 5 (-138)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
|
| PICK WRITE-UP: The never-say-die Dallas Stars need two more victories to complete what some believed to be an impossible task just a couple of months ago: win the Stanley Cup.
Whether they can actually complete that feat against the Tampa Bay Lightning, however, remains to be seen.
Thanks to a double-overtime victory on Saturday to force Game 6 on Monday in Edmonton, the Stars are still alive in the Stanley Cup Final. However, they still trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series against a Lightning team that is a perfect 6-0 in games following a loss in the playoffs.
Even after twice managing victories in the finals, the Stars are facing a huge uphill climb.
"I think we enjoy being called underdogs and every person, really this whole time we've been in the bubble, seeming to choose the other team we're playing," said Stars forward Tyler Seguin, who collected three assists in Saturday's 3-2 comeback victory.
"We relish that. We believe in each other, we've got a confident group and we don't want to leave the bubble, so we're having fun."
The Lightning look to rebound from a disappointing defeat in which they squandered a third-period lead, dominated the first overtime period and then lost thanks to Corey Perry's tally. That said, there appears to be no panic heading into their second chance to clinch the second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
"We've been pretty good about responding after losses," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "We've been doing this for over two months, so we've got a good idea what's ahead of us and how to respond."
Sure, the Lightning will look to make some adjustments for the potential Cup-clinching affair, but the message remains to stay the course that's helped them get this far.
"We knew it was going to be a hard series and we had some good looks in overtime and throughout the game," defenseman Victor Hedman said. "It wasn't our night, and they scored, so at the end of the day, we look forward to (the) next game."
For historical reference, the Lightning have never lost a series in which they have held a 3-1 lead, including all three previous rounds this year. In fact, none of the nine series in which they had that edge even required a Game 7.
The onus is on the Stars to drum up a couple more victories in a do-or-die scenario.
The good news for Dallas, however, was the lesson learned from Saturday's game. After clinging by their collective fingernails in the first overtime, the Stars were every bit as good as the Lightning in the second OT. They earned their win because they were more aggressive instead of sitting back and letting Tampa Bay carry the play.
"We didn't have the right mindset that we normally have going into overtime in that first overtime," Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. "You can't be afraid to lose, and we were playing not to lose, and we talked about it after the (first) overtime.
"We got to play to win. Play to win and you lose, you lose, but we're going to go for it."
There was one bit of news regarding the Lightning on Sunday. Cooper said captain Steven Stamkos won't play any more during the series. Stamkos returned for Game 4, his first game in seven months after requiring core muscle surgery. He scored a goal, but didn't take a shift after the first period.
"Hopefully the next time you see him on the ice is during a trophy presentation," Cooper said.
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE YESTERDAY AT 3:16 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED YESTERDAY AT 11:46 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/28/2020
8:15 PM EST |
NFL |
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS
PICK: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS +3.5 (-106)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
|
| PICK WRITE-UP: It's the defending Super Bowl champions against a team that's won 14 straight regular-season games.
Or, maybe it's a preview of the AFC title game -- a matchup many expected to see last January. Most of all, the intrigue surrounding Monday night's game between the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) and Baltimore Ravens (2-0) is directed at the quarterbacks: 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson.
"When those two quarterbacks are on the field, it's magic on both sides," Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. "I see every week what Lamar can do, and I always see some highlight or something of what Mahomes can do. So, when you have two superstar quarterbacks like that, it's going to be a fun game."
Mahomes last season led the Chiefs to their first NFL championship since 1970 and was the Super Bowl MVP. Jackson guided the Ravens to a 14-2 regular-season record, set the league mark for yards rushing by a quarterback and directed the most prolific running attack in NFL history. Baltimore closed the regular season with 12 straight wins to earn the top seed in the AFC, but bowed out with an upset loss at home to Tennessee.
That helped Mahomes and the Chiefs to go the distance, and they'll be bringing an 11-game winning streak into Monday night's showdown.
Jackson is 21-3 as a starter during the regular season, with two of those losses coming against Kansas City and Mahomes in 2018 (27-24 in overtime) and 2019 (33-28). But, even though this is the first game in NFL history featuring two MVPs under the age of 26, Jackson waved off the notion that this is solely about him versus Mahomes.
"I don't have to focus on Mahomes. I've got to focus on their defense, I've got to focus on scoring, I've got to focus on my job," Jackson insisted. "My defense has to worry about him."
Oh, there's plenty of reason for the Baltimore defense to be concerned, even though the unit has been exceptional thus far in lopsided wins over Cleveland and Houston. Mahomes threw for 377 yards and two TDs in that 2018 game, and last year pierced the Ravens for 374 yards and three scores.
"He has all these tools, and he has so much talent around him," Humphrey said. "With Mahomes, as good as he is in the pocket, he's just as good -- probably better -- outside the pocket, which is the craziest thing about his game. So, preparing for him, it's really tough."
GETTING THEIR KICKS
Not only does this game feature two of the league's best quarterbacks, but two of the finest kickers will be ready to roll if a late field-goal try is required for the win.
Kansas City's Harrison Butker banged home two field goals of 58 yards last week in an overtime win over the Chargers. He's been perfect so far this season, led the league in scoring last year and has amassed 445 points in his career, most ever by a kicker after 47 games.
Justin Tucker, meanwhile, is the most accurate kicker in NFL history (90.9% on field goals). He's never missed from inside 29 yards, is 226 for 237 from inside 49 yards and has clicked on 71% of his tries from at least 50 yards.
NO HOME CROWD
The Ravens have been waiting since 2017 to have a Monday night game at home, and now that they got one, they'll be forced to play without the backing of their fans. Attendance will be zero because of the pandemic.
So, the Ravens won't enjoy the advantage the Chiefs had while playing at home against Baltimore in each of the past two seasons. This will be the third straight game for the Ravens without fans in the stadium.
"Sometimes you say, `We'll play them anywhere. We'll play them in a parking lot. We'll play them anywhere. No fans, we don't care," coach John Harbaugh said. "Well, here we are. We're playing basically in a parking lot right now -- with no fans."
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "It's weird. I've been doing this a couple weeks now and you get out there and it seems like you can hear every penny drop."
LOOK AND SEE
One of the problems the Kansas City offense has faced through the first two games of the season has been defenses that have showed completely different looks from the past. Teams that have run man coverage have gone to zones, and the blitz looks that Houston and Los Angeles have used in the past have been replaced -- all in an effort to confuse Mahomes.
Expect the Ravens to do the same thing given how much they've played each other the past few years.
"It's going to be all about execution," Mahomes said. "When you play a defense like this that's very mobile, multiple, you have to be ready to go and have answers for everything. Whenever they give us an un-scouted look, try to have a positive game, go to the sideline and try to figure it out."
FUNDAMENTALS
Without much offseason or preseason games, and limited hitting to practice it, tackling has been a problem for the Chiefs this season. They know how important it will be against the mobile Jackson and the Ravens' productive ground game.
"Coach Reid did an unbelievable job in camp trying to make things normal," defensive tackle Chris Jones said, "but we just have to stay on that. We missed a lot of tackles last week and that's a big focus this week, wrap up and finish plays."
----
AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this story. |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:12 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED TODAY AT 12:18 AM EST |
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+10.38 |
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9/28/2020
8:15 PM EST |
NFL |
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS
PICK: OVER 55 (+106)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
|
| PICK WRITE-UP: It's the defending Super Bowl champions against a team that's won 14 straight regular-season games.
Or, maybe it's a preview of the AFC title game -- a matchup many expected to see last January. Most of all, the intrigue surrounding Monday night's game between the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) and Baltimore Ravens (2-0) is directed at the quarterbacks: 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson.
"When those two quarterbacks are on the field, it's magic on both sides," Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. "I see every week what Lamar can do, and I always see some highlight or something of what Mahomes can do. So, when you have two superstar quarterbacks like that, it's going to be a fun game."
Mahomes last season led the Chiefs to their first NFL championship since 1970 and was the Super Bowl MVP. Jackson guided the Ravens to a 14-2 regular-season record, set the league mark for yards rushing by a quarterback and directed the most prolific running attack in NFL history. Baltimore closed the regular season with 12 straight wins to earn the top seed in the AFC, but bowed out with an upset loss at home to Tennessee.
That helped Mahomes and the Chiefs to go the distance, and they'll be bringing an 11-game winning streak into Monday night's showdown.
Jackson is 21-3 as a starter during the regular season, with two of those losses coming against Kansas City and Mahomes in 2018 (27-24 in overtime) and 2019 (33-28). But, even though this is the first game in NFL history featuring two MVPs under the age of 26, Jackson waved off the notion that this is solely about him versus Mahomes.
"I don't have to focus on Mahomes. I've got to focus on their defense, I've got to focus on scoring, I've got to focus on my job," Jackson insisted. "My defense has to worry about him."
Oh, there's plenty of reason for the Baltimore defense to be concerned, even though the unit has been exceptional thus far in lopsided wins over Cleveland and Houston. Mahomes threw for 377 yards and two TDs in that 2018 game, and last year pierced the Ravens for 374 yards and three scores.
"He has all these tools, and he has so much talent around him," Humphrey said. "With Mahomes, as good as he is in the pocket, he's just as good -- probably better -- outside the pocket, which is the craziest thing about his game. So, preparing for him, it's really tough."
GETTING THEIR KICKS
Not only does this game feature two of the league's best quarterbacks, but two of the finest kickers will be ready to roll if a late field-goal try is required for the win.
Kansas City's Harrison Butker banged home two field goals of 58 yards last week in an overtime win over the Chargers. He's been perfect so far this season, led the league in scoring last year and has amassed 445 points in his career, most ever by a kicker after 47 games.
Justin Tucker, meanwhile, is the most accurate kicker in NFL history (90.9% on field goals). He's never missed from inside 29 yards, is 226 for 237 from inside 49 yards and has clicked on 71% of his tries from at least 50 yards.
NO HOME CROWD
The Ravens have been waiting since 2017 to have a Monday night game at home, and now that they got one, they'll be forced to play without the backing of their fans. Attendance will be zero because of the pandemic.
So, the Ravens won't enjoy the advantage the Chiefs had while playing at home against Baltimore in each of the past two seasons. This will be the third straight game for the Ravens without fans in the stadium.
"Sometimes you say, `We'll play them anywhere. We'll play them in a parking lot. We'll play them anywhere. No fans, we don't care," coach John Harbaugh said. "Well, here we are. We're playing basically in a parking lot right now -- with no fans."
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "It's weird. I've been doing this a couple weeks now and you get out there and it seems like you can hear every penny drop."
LOOK AND SEE
One of the problems the Kansas City offense has faced through the first two games of the season has been defenses that have showed completely different looks from the past. Teams that have run man coverage have gone to zones, and the blitz looks that Houston and Los Angeles have used in the past have been replaced -- all in an effort to confuse Mahomes.
Expect the Ravens to do the same thing given how much they've played each other the past few years.
"It's going to be all about execution," Mahomes said. "When you play a defense like this that's very mobile, multiple, you have to be ready to go and have answers for everything. Whenever they give us an un-scouted look, try to have a positive game, go to the sideline and try to figure it out."
FUNDAMENTALS
Without much offseason or preseason games, and limited hitting to practice it, tackling has been a problem for the Chiefs this season. They know how important it will be against the mobile Jackson and the Ravens' productive ground game.
"Coach Reid did an unbelievable job in camp trying to make things normal," defensive tackle Chris Jones said, "but we just have to stay on that. We missed a lot of tackles last week and that's a big focus this week, wrap up and finish plays."
----
AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this story. |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:13 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED TODAY AT 12:17 AM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/28/2020
8:15 PM EST |
NFL |
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS (1ST HALF)
PICK: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS +3 (-109)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
|
| PICK WRITE-UP: It's the defending Super Bowl champions against a team that's won 14 straight regular-season games.
Or, maybe it's a preview of the AFC title game -- a matchup many expected to see last January. Most of all, the intrigue surrounding Monday night's game between the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) and Baltimore Ravens (2-0) is directed at the quarterbacks: 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson.
"When those two quarterbacks are on the field, it's magic on both sides," Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. "I see every week what Lamar can do, and I always see some highlight or something of what Mahomes can do. So, when you have two superstar quarterbacks like that, it's going to be a fun game."
Mahomes last season led the Chiefs to their first NFL championship since 1970 and was the Super Bowl MVP. Jackson guided the Ravens to a 14-2 regular-season record, set the league mark for yards rushing by a quarterback and directed the most prolific running attack in NFL history. Baltimore closed the regular season with 12 straight wins to earn the top seed in the AFC, but bowed out with an upset loss at home to Tennessee.
That helped Mahomes and the Chiefs to go the distance, and they'll be bringing an 11-game winning streak into Monday night's showdown.
Jackson is 21-3 as a starter during the regular season, with two of those losses coming against Kansas City and Mahomes in 2018 (27-24 in overtime) and 2019 (33-28). But, even though this is the first game in NFL history featuring two MVPs under the age of 26, Jackson waved off the notion that this is solely about him versus Mahomes.
"I don't have to focus on Mahomes. I've got to focus on their defense, I've got to focus on scoring, I've got to focus on my job," Jackson insisted. "My defense has to worry about him."
Oh, there's plenty of reason for the Baltimore defense to be concerned, even though the unit has been exceptional thus far in lopsided wins over Cleveland and Houston. Mahomes threw for 377 yards and two TDs in that 2018 game, and last year pierced the Ravens for 374 yards and three scores.
"He has all these tools, and he has so much talent around him," Humphrey said. "With Mahomes, as good as he is in the pocket, he's just as good -- probably better -- outside the pocket, which is the craziest thing about his game. So, preparing for him, it's really tough."
GETTING THEIR KICKS
Not only does this game feature two of the league's best quarterbacks, but two of the finest kickers will be ready to roll if a late field-goal try is required for the win.
Kansas City's Harrison Butker banged home two field goals of 58 yards last week in an overtime win over the Chargers. He's been perfect so far this season, led the league in scoring last year and has amassed 445 points in his career, most ever by a kicker after 47 games.
Justin Tucker, meanwhile, is the most accurate kicker in NFL history (90.9% on field goals). He's never missed from inside 29 yards, is 226 for 237 from inside 49 yards and has clicked on 71% of his tries from at least 50 yards.
NO HOME CROWD
The Ravens have been waiting since 2017 to have a Monday night game at home, and now that they got one, they'll be forced to play without the backing of their fans. Attendance will be zero because of the pandemic.
So, the Ravens won't enjoy the advantage the Chiefs had while playing at home against Baltimore in each of the past two seasons. This will be the third straight game for the Ravens without fans in the stadium.
"Sometimes you say, `We'll play them anywhere. We'll play them in a parking lot. We'll play them anywhere. No fans, we don't care," coach John Harbaugh said. "Well, here we are. We're playing basically in a parking lot right now -- with no fans."
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "It's weird. I've been doing this a couple weeks now and you get out there and it seems like you can hear every penny drop."
LOOK AND SEE
One of the problems the Kansas City offense has faced through the first two games of the season has been defenses that have showed completely different looks from the past. Teams that have run man coverage have gone to zones, and the blitz looks that Houston and Los Angeles have used in the past have been replaced -- all in an effort to confuse Mahomes.
Expect the Ravens to do the same thing given how much they've played each other the past few years.
"It's going to be all about execution," Mahomes said. "When you play a defense like this that's very mobile, multiple, you have to be ready to go and have answers for everything. Whenever they give us an un-scouted look, try to have a positive game, go to the sideline and try to figure it out."
FUNDAMENTALS
Without much offseason or preseason games, and limited hitting to practice it, tackling has been a problem for the Chiefs this season. They know how important it will be against the mobile Jackson and the Ravens' productive ground game.
"Coach Reid did an unbelievable job in camp trying to make things normal," defensive tackle Chris Jones said, "but we just have to stay on that. We missed a lot of tackles last week and that's a big focus this week, wrap up and finish plays."
----
AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this story.
---- |
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| PICK MADE YESTERDAY AT 3:19 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED YESTERDAY AT 10:37 PM EST |
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+10.09 |
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9/28/2020
8:15 PM EST |
NFL |
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS (1ST HALF)
PICK: OVER 26.5 (-107)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
|
| PICK WRITE-UP: It's the defending Super Bowl champions against a team that's won 14 straight regular-season games.
Or, maybe it's a preview of the AFC title game -- a matchup many expected to see last January. Most of all, the intrigue surrounding Monday night's game between the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) and Baltimore Ravens (2-0) is directed at the quarterbacks: 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson.
"When those two quarterbacks are on the field, it's magic on both sides," Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. "I see every week what Lamar can do, and I always see some highlight or something of what Mahomes can do. So, when you have two superstar quarterbacks like that, it's going to be a fun game."
Mahomes last season led the Chiefs to their first NFL championship since 1970 and was the Super Bowl MVP. Jackson guided the Ravens to a 14-2 regular-season record, set the league mark for yards rushing by a quarterback and directed the most prolific running attack in NFL history. Baltimore closed the regular season with 12 straight wins to earn the top seed in the AFC, but bowed out with an upset loss at home to Tennessee.
That helped Mahomes and the Chiefs to go the distance, and they'll be bringing an 11-game winning streak into Monday night's showdown.
Jackson is 21-3 as a starter during the regular season, with two of those losses coming against Kansas City and Mahomes in 2018 (27-24 in overtime) and 2019 (33-28). But, even though this is the first game in NFL history featuring two MVPs under the age of 26, Jackson waved off the notion that this is solely about him versus Mahomes.
"I don't have to focus on Mahomes. I've got to focus on their defense, I've got to focus on scoring, I've got to focus on my job," Jackson insisted. "My defense has to worry about him."
Oh, there's plenty of reason for the Baltimore defense to be concerned, even though the unit has been exceptional thus far in lopsided wins over Cleveland and Houston. Mahomes threw for 377 yards and two TDs in that 2018 game, and last year pierced the Ravens for 374 yards and three scores.
"He has all these tools, and he has so much talent around him," Humphrey said. "With Mahomes, as good as he is in the pocket, he's just as good -- probably better -- outside the pocket, which is the craziest thing about his game. So, preparing for him, it's really tough."
GETTING THEIR KICKS
Not only does this game feature two of the league's best quarterbacks, but two of the finest kickers will be ready to roll if a late field-goal try is required for the win.
Kansas City's Harrison Butker banged home two field goals of 58 yards last week in an overtime win over the Chargers. He's been perfect so far this season, led the league in scoring last year and has amassed 445 points in his career, most ever by a kicker after 47 games.
Justin Tucker, meanwhile, is the most accurate kicker in NFL history (90.9% on field goals). He's never missed from inside 29 yards, is 226 for 237 from inside 49 yards and has clicked on 71% of his tries from at least 50 yards.
NO HOME CROWD
The Ravens have been waiting since 2017 to have a Monday night game at home, and now that they got one, they'll be forced to play without the backing of their fans. Attendance will be zero because of the pandemic.
So, the Ravens won't enjoy the advantage the Chiefs had while playing at home against Baltimore in each of the past two seasons. This will be the third straight game for the Ravens without fans in the stadium.
"Sometimes you say, `We'll play them anywhere. We'll play them in a parking lot. We'll play them anywhere. No fans, we don't care," coach John Harbaugh said. "Well, here we are. We're playing basically in a parking lot right now -- with no fans."
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "It's weird. I've been doing this a couple weeks now and you get out there and it seems like you can hear every penny drop."
LOOK AND SEE
One of the problems the Kansas City offense has faced through the first two games of the season has been defenses that have showed completely different looks from the past. Teams that have run man coverage have gone to zones, and the blitz looks that Houston and Los Angeles have used in the past have been replaced -- all in an effort to confuse Mahomes.
Expect the Ravens to do the same thing given how much they've played each other the past few years.
"It's going to be all about execution," Mahomes said. "When you play a defense like this that's very mobile, multiple, you have to be ready to go and have answers for everything. Whenever they give us an un-scouted look, try to have a positive game, go to the sideline and try to figure it out."
FUNDAMENTALS
Without much offseason or preseason games, and limited hitting to practice it, tackling has been a problem for the Chiefs this season. They know how important it will be against the mobile Jackson and the Ravens' productive ground game.
"Coach Reid did an unbelievable job in camp trying to make things normal," defensive tackle Chris Jones said, "but we just have to stay on that. We missed a lot of tackles last week and that's a big focus this week, wrap up and finish plays."
----
AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this story.
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| PICK MADE YESTERDAY AT 3:19 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED YESTERDAY AT 10:37 PM EST |
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+10.28 |
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PICKS
FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 (2 DAYS AGO) |
[refresh] |
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9/27/2020
9:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
NEWCASTLE UNITED VS. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PICK: OVER 2.5 (+100)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:46 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 11:49 AM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/27/2020
9:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
NEWCASTLE UNITED VS. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PICK: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (-213)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:46 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 11:51 AM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/27/2020
10:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
GRANADA CF VS. ATLETICO MADRID
PICK: ATLETICO MADRID (-206)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:47 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:57 PM EST |
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+5.34 |
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9/27/2020
10:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
FC BASEL VS. SERVETTE
PICK: OVER 2.5 (-130)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:21 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:58 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/27/2020
1:00 PM EST |
NFL |
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
PICK: OVER 47 (-103)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: It's been nearly two decades since the Raiders coach walked out of a snow-covered Foxboro Stadium on the wrong end of a 16-13 overtime loss to New England during the 2001 playoffs.
The game turned late in the fourth quarter when Tom Brady was hit from behind and lost the ball. Initially ruled a fumble, it was reversed upon review and determined to be an incomplete pass under the obscure "tuck rule."
The Patriots tied the game, won it on an Adam Vinatieri field goal and rode the momentum to the franchise's first Super Bowl win.
"Yeah, thanks for bringing that up," Gruden said this week. "He did fumble that damn ball."
Now back with the Raiders after stints in Tampa Bay and as a broadcaster, Gruden returns to New England on Sunday in search of his first coaching win against Bill Belichick's Patriots. In his only other trip to New England in 2005, Gruden's Buccaneers lost 28-0.
He said opening this season at Carolina and playing New Orleans on Monday night made him feel as if he was in a "time warp" and back in the NFC South as Tampa Bay's coach.
That nostalgia is even more amplified this week against the Patriots.
"Anytime you step in a stadium like that, it does bring back memories," Gruden said. "Some of the memories aren't great, but we're excited to play."
So, too, is New England, which is trying to rebound from a 35-30 loss to Seattle.
As two coaches who basically ascended the coaching ranks around the same time, Belichick said his respect for Gruden has remained strong, even during his decade-long coaching hiatus after leaving Tampa Bay in 2008.
"It's a lot easier to have a relationship with somebody who's not in direct competition with you," Belichick said.
He believes Gruden's time in the broadcast booth has given him a perspective he didn't have in their previous two meetings.
But Belichick expects they will tuck away most of the pleasantries Sunday.
"When you're in competition with somebody else, it just changes a little bit during that time period," Belichick said. "But I'm sure at some point that it will be a different type of relationship."
WATCH OUT FOR WALLER
Derek Carr's favorite target this season has been his athletic tight end Darren Waller. The two connected on 12 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown last week and Waller's 18 catches are the second most through two weeks in Raiders history.
"He'll definitely be a problem for us," Belichick said. "There's not one thing you can take away from him. He does a lot things, does a lot of things well."
Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore will likely draw the primary assignment on Waller. It comes a week after the reigning Defensive Player of the Year had a rough outing at Seattle, giving up a 54-yard TD to DK Metcalf. It was the first TD Gilmore has allowed as the primary defender on a play since 2018.
The Patriots secondary didn't fare better as a unit, allowing five passing touchdowns after giving up just four in all of 2019.
Carr isn't worried about what New England might employ to neutralize Waller.
"We're not a selfish team," he said. "If they want to take something away, then other guys will step up."
MOVING ON UP
New England quarterback Cam Newton enters Sunday needing just 1 rushing yard to pass Randall Cunningham for the second-most career rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history. Michael Vick is first with 6,109 yards.
Newton has rushed for multiple touchdowns in each of the first two games this season. The Patriots' single-season record for consecutive games with two or more rushing TDs is three by Horace Ivory (1978) and Curtis Martin (1995).
OBEY THE RULES
The Raiders have spent most of their existence on the wrong side of the officials, typically being one of the most penalized teams each season. So far this season, that hasn't been the case. Las Vegas has just three penalties in each of the first two games of the season, with only the Patriots having fewer with five total. The Raiders have also benefited from penalties with their opponents being called for 15 for 194 yards, ranking second most in both categories.
FINISH THE DRIVE
The Raiders were successful moving the ball in 2019, but struggled to score in large part to some poor red zone play. That was a focus of training camp and the results are encouraging through two games. Josh Jacobs ran for three TDs in the red zone in Week 1 and Carr threw three red zone TD passes last week. In all, the Raiders have six touchdowns and two field goals on eight trips inside the 20.
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AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:05 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 5:22 PM EST |
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+10.68 |
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9/27/2020
2:45 PM EST |
SOCCER |
JUVENTUS VS. AS ROMA
PICK: JUVENTUS (+106)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:18 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 5:45 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/27/2020
2:45 PM EST |
SOCCER |
JUVENTUS VS. AS ROMA
PICK: OVER 2.5 (-120)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:19 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 5:42 PM EST |
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+9.17 |
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9/27/2020
3:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
VILLARREAL CF VS. BARCELONA
PICK: BARCELONA (-181)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:08 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 5:45 PM EST |
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+6.08 |
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9/27/2020
4:05 PM EST |
NFL |
CAROLINA PANTHERS VS. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
PICK: LOS ANGELES CHARGERS -6.5 (-102)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Justin Herbert has had an entire week instead of just a couple minutes to prepare for his second NFL start.
The Los Angeles Chargers rookie will be under center on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers after finding out less than an hour before kickoff that he was playing last week. Herbert got his first professional snaps when Tyrod Taylor couldn't play due to complications from an injection for a rib injury.
Taylor is out indefinitely after it was revealed that the doctor who gave the injection punctured a lung. The 10-year veteran went to the hospital last Sunday after having breathing problems before being released. Taylor has been at the team's complex this week helping to mentor Herbert, and the NFL Players Association has opened an investigation into what occurred.
The Chargers (1-1) are not alone when it comes to missing one of their key offensive players. The winless Panthers are missing All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey due to a high ankle sprain.
Despite not getting many snaps with the first team, Herbert was 22 of 33 for 311 yards and responsible for both Chargers touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). His only mistake was throwing into double coverage for an interception late in the third quarter, which led to the Chiefs' tying touchdown.
Lynn said the most important thing this week during practices was to run Herbert through situations he hasn't faced. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen is looking forward to seeing how much progress Herbert can make in this start.
"He can move the pocket, get out and extend plays, but also his ability to stand in the pocket and make some big time throws like he did on Sunday. We look forward to seeing him do that," Steichen said of this year's sixth overall pick in the draft.
The Chargers should have the same game plan as the first two weeks, which means a heavy dose of the run. Los Angeles leads the league with 85 rushing attempts, and running backs Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley each went over 100 scrimmage yards last week.
The Panthers will be looking to generate some sort of a pass rush although they could be without defensive tackle Kawann Short (foot) once again. They have been unable to do that against the Buccaneers and the Raiders, managing one quarterback hit and no sacks.
Carolina's defense has allowed six rushing scores already after surrendering a league-high 32 last season.
"We will have to home in on the specific things he did. But they have their offense and it has a lot of things that you see in college football -- speed sweeps, zone reads , speed options -- things that we saw in the Big 12. Things we saw on Saturday," Rhule said of Herbert. "I think it is an offense that he is very comfortable with from his time at Oregon"
Carolina is still looking for its first win for Rhule, who joined the team from Baylor this offseason. Overall the Panthers have lost 10 straight games dating back to last season.
BIG SHOES TO FILL
Mike Davis will get the start at running back with McCaffrey missing at least the next three weeks. Davis had eight catches for 74 yards in last Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay, but no carries. The Chargers are familiar with Davis from two years ago, when he ran for 74 yards while playing for Seattle.
Rhule said Reggie Bonnafon and Trenton Cannon could also see some carries.
GETTING PRESSURE
Los Angeles has only four sacks but is second in the league with 19 quarterback pressures. Gus Bradley's defense was able to keep Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes out of rhythm last week until the fourth quarter, when the Super Bowl MVP began checking down more, along with running for yardage.
Joey Bosa has two sacks, but defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Jerry Tillery have also played well.
Teddy Bridgewater threw for a career-high 367 yards last week. He also turned over the ball three times (two interceptions, one fumble).
"Going into this game you want to know where Bosa and Melvin Ingram are at at all times so we can scheme them up and play pitch and catch with the wideouts or have open run lanes," he said.
ANDERSON WATCH
Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson has made an immediate impact since signing as a free agent from the New York Jets. He already has two 100-yard receiving games, including a 75 yard touchdown catch in the season opener against the Raiders. Anderson hauled in eight of nine passes thrown his way last week and appears to have good chemistry with Bridgewater. Anderson is proving he's more than just a deep threat.
HELLO AGAIN
Chargers right guard Trai Turner and Panthers left tackle Russell Okung will face their former teams after an offseason trade. Turner spent his first six seasons in Carolina and Okung was with Los Angeles for three years.
Okung is not the only former Chargers lineman for this matchup. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer joined the Panthers' staff and guard Michael Schofield signed during the offseason after both were in LA for three years.
Okung did not practice on Thursday due to a groin injury. Trent Scott -- who was with the Chargers during training camp before being released -- would be an option if he doesn't play.
KEEP AN EYE ON
The Chargers' Hunter Henry, who is one of six tight ends in the league with 10 or more receptions. He is second among tight ends with 156 yards and is averaging 14.2 yards per reception.
---
AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this story.
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:07 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 8:13 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/27/2020
4:25 PM EST |
NFL |
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS VS. DENVER BRONCOS
PICK: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS -5 (-117)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: After watching Von Miller and Bradley Chubb team up for 24 1/2 sacks in Denver in 2018, Shaq Barrett didn't want to be a backup anymore and took his talents to Tampa.
When he returns with the Buccaneers (1-1) Sunday to face the Broncos (0-2) he'll saunter into Empower Field as the NFL's defending sacks champion.
And although he's still searching for his first sack of 2020, he'll bring with him zero regrets.
"I just want to show them that they did have a chance to have me and they let me go," Barrett said. "But I am happy with my situation down here. I love it."
It was a good move for Barrett before he'd ever played a down for the Bucs.
His one-year, $5 million deal last season represented some $53,000 more than he'd earned in Denver, where he spent his rookie year on the practice squad after going undrafted out of Colorado State before a four-year run backing up the likes of Miller, Chubb, DeMarcus Ware and Shane Ray.
He parlayed that into the $15.88 million franchise tag he's playing on this season after a monster year in which he collected an NFL-best 19 1/2 sacks, forced six fumbles and earned his first Pro Bowl nod.
"I didn't even want to stay in Denver no more after my last two years there. I felt there was zero percent chance I'd start," Barrett said. "They weren't even giving me the opportunity to compete to start. I did as much as I could there. I learned as much as I could there. There was no more on-the-rise there."
If anyone's lamenting Barrett's departure it's the Broncos.
Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury last September and when he returned to the lineup this month, Miller suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
Had he stayed, Barrett would be in his second season as a starter in Denver.
"No, I most definitely don't think about that," Barrett said. "That's the only reason why they had me was like if one of them did get hurt, they knew they had a secure, comfortable backup who could come in, make some plays and be a somewhat starting-caliber player.
"But that's not the role that I wanted" anymore, Barrett said. "It worked initially, but as I got older, I did want to see if I could be a full-time starter in the league and that just wasn't an option there or a role I could possibly have."
Still, he's thankful for his time in Denver.
"All my time there was a blessing," Barrett said. "I wouldn't be the player I am now without" it.
Other subplots Sunday when Tom Brady goes for just his fifth win in a dozen trips to Denver and the Buccaneers seek their first win over the Broncos since 1999:
STILL THE BEST
Brady has thrown interceptions in his past four starts, three of them pick-6s. But Broncos coach Vic Fangio sees no signs the 43-year-old QB is showing his age.
"He doesn't look any different to me," Fangio said. "He's still got really good arm strength and strong football intelligence in recognizing things. I don't see a major difference other than the new uniform that he's wearing."
Broncos cornerback Bryce Callahan shared similar sentiments about TB12.
"Tom Brady being one of the G.O.A.T.s, you never want to sleep on a guy like that even if he isn't looking the same as he has in the past," Callahan said. "We're still going to approach the game like he's The Man. We don't want to get caught slipping."
BRONCOS BACKUP
With Drew Lock (shoulder) sidelined for the second straight season, Jeff Driskel gets his first start for Denver and is seeking his second career win, which is 248 fewer than Brady.
"As long as I can remember, I've watched him play," said Driskel, who is 16 years younger than Brady. "He's been playing for 20 years or whatever it's been. He's been a constant in this league. He's been one of the best, if not the best for a majority of those years."
WHERE'S GRONK?
There's no denying Rob Gronkowski is off to a slow start in Tampa Bay with just two catches for 11 yards. He was held without a catch last week for just the fifth time in his 117-game career.
"He doesn't look any less daunting," Fangio insisted. "In fact, he looks like he's in pretty good shape. He's running better than he was late in the final season of his career with New England. I think he's healthy and ready to go. ... He hasn't gotten his yet, but I'm sure by the end of the season, he's going to have some good numbers."
Maybe even by game's end Sunday. In six career games against the Broncos, Gronkowski has 34 receptions for 445 yards and three TDs.
FANTASTIC FOURNETTE
Leonard Fournette, who signed with the Bucs this month, rumbled for 225 yards on 29 carries in the Jaguars' 26-24 win at Denver a year ago.
After that game, Fangio shuffled his defense, moving Mike Purcell to nose tackle and switching Shelby Harris to end while inserting linebacker Alexander Johnson into the lineup.
"Hopefully, we'll have a better day against him than we did last year," Fangio said.
---
AP Sports Writer Fred Goodall contributed. |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:08 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 8:17 PM EST |
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+9.40 |
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9/27/2020
4:25 PM EST |
NFL |
DETROIT LIONS VS. ARIZONA CARDINALS
PICK: ARIZONA CARDINALS -5.5 (-105)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has an intriguing personality, mixing introverted tendencies with supreme confidence that has helped Arizona push to a 2-0 start for the first time in five years.
Teammates love that the soft-spoken Murray works hard and is humble. They also love his unique swagger.
"It's not my first time dealing with success in my lifetime," Murray said. "This is part of the game. We work hard in the offseason, we work hard to practice to win. We expect to win."
Now the impressive Cardinals host the struggling Lions on Sunday at State Farm Stadium. Detroit has lost its first two games and given up the most yards rushing in the NFL.
That doesn't bode well for stopping Murray, who is the first quarterback in NFL history to run for at least 150 yards and three touchdowns in the season's first two games. He ran for scores of 14 yards and 21 yards in a 30-15 win over Washington last week, darting and dancing around defenders on the way to the end zone.
"He's like a punt returner back there," Lions defensive end Trey Flowers said. "Any type of space he has, he takes advantage of it. He makes the most athletic guys miss."
Arizona's success isn't just because of Murray and new receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who has 22 catches through two games. The rebuilt defense is giving up just 17.5 points per game, which ranks second in the NFL.
Detroit gave up 42 points in a loss to the Green Bay Packers last week. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is once again putting up big numbers, but it's not been enough to overcome the mediocre defense.
Embattled coach Matt Patricia is 9-24-1 in two-plus seasons as a first-time NFL head coach. The Lions have lost 11 times after leading in the fourth quarter under Patricia. That doesn't even count last year's 27-27 tie against the Cardinals, which came after Detroit blew an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Losing three in a row to start the season would make a return to the playoffs unlikely. But that's not even a concern at the moment.
"We're not focused on the playoffs," Lions receiver Danny Amendola said. "We're focused on the Cardinals."
KENNARD SWITCHES SIDES
Arizona gave up the most total yards in the NFL last season, so it rebuilt that side of the ball by adding a handful of free agents in the offseason, including linebackers Devon Kennard and De'Vondre Campbell and defensive lineman Jordan Phillips. The Cardinals also drafted linebacker Isaiah Simmons with the No. 8 overall pick.
Kennard played the past two seasons with the Lions, starting 15 games in both 2018 and 2019. He had one of his best games with Detroit against Arizona in 2019 with three sacks of Murray, who was playing his first NFL game.
Now Kennard will be going after Stafford. The linebacker got his first sack with the Cardinals in last week's win over Washington.
DIRECT DIALOGUE
Arizona's second-year coach Kliff Kingsbury is like most in the NFL when he says it's strange playing in front of empty stadiums. It's not an ideal situation, but it does make for better communication.
If Kingsbury wants to convey a message to someone on the field in 2020, all he has to do is raise his voice.
"I can literally yell at the receivers or running back or quarterback and get his attention," Kingsbury said. "He can look over, and we can have some communication or dialogue from the sideline, which hasn't been possible in the past."
LARRY FROM STATE FARM
Arizona's veteran receiver Larry Fitzgerald needs just two catches in Sunday's game to set the NFL record for most career receptions at one stadium. He has 645 at State Farm Stadium. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice had 646 during his career at Candlestick Park.
SAVVY STAFFORD
Matthew Stafford, drafted No. 1 overall by Detroit in 2009, seems to keep his emotions in check no matter how long the team's losing streak is or when the team has had success during his career.
"It doesn't mean that inside I'm not pissed at times or pumped at times," said Stafford, whose career record is 69-81-1 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs. "All of that is in there, but I have to make sure I move on to the next play. It does me no good to get lost in my emotions."
FOR KICKS
Detroit is off to such a tough start that its punter has been one of its best players so far. Jack Fox, an undrafted rookie last year, has helped the Lions rank second in the NFL with a net average of 51.3 yards on punts over the first two games of his NFL career.
"I'd love for him to have a really calm day and only hold for extra points and field goals," Stafford said.
---
AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this story.
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:09 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 8:15 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/27/2020
4:25 PM EST |
NFL |
DALLAS COWBOYS VS. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
PICK: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS -5 (+101)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Russell Wilson has made a career of coming through late in games, to the tune of 32 fourth-quarter and overtime comebacks with Seattle.
Dak Prescott is trying to catch up, although few will match the outrageous comeback Prescott led a week ago that helped Dallas avoid an 0-2 start to the season.
"Dak does such a great job. He remains poised, remains confident. He seems to have always done that over his career," Wilson said. "I just got a lot of respect for how he approaches the game."
Wilson and Prescott will be in the spotlight Sunday when the Seahawks host the Cowboys in a big NFC showdown that could end up being a shootout.
Two of the most potent offenses in the league will be facing defenses that have underperformed throughout and have injury concerns. And the quarterbacks are coming off two of the best games of their careers, Wilson throwing for five touchdowns against New England and Prescott using his arm to lead a late rally to beat Atlanta.
It could be the recipe for big days from both Wilson and Prescott, even if they aren't focused on their matchup.
"I've got all of the faith in my defense going out there and doing their job," Prescott said. "But for me, it's about staying focused in on what the Seattle Seahawks' defense is going to give us, how we execute. That's the premier focus and the only focus within a game plan no matter who the quarterback is."
Wilson's first two games have immediately thrust him to the head of the MVP conversation as part of Seattle's 2-0 start. He has nine touchdowns passes and just 11 incompletions. His lone interception was a ball that should have been caught by Greg Olsen, was tipped in the air for a Pick-6.
The two other times in league history a QB had nine TDs and one or zero interceptions through two weeks -- Patrick Mahomes in 2018 and Peyton Manning in 2013 -- they each went on to win the MVP award.
And of Wilson's nine TDs, six have been of 15 yards or more and three of 35 yards or longer.
"His long ball accuracy has been off the charts the first two weeks," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. "He's had a number of big-time dime throws. The biggest thing is just try to keep the big plays to a minimum."
Prescott's 450 yards passing last week was the third-highest total of his career, and the Cowboys needed all of them to rally from 12 points down in the final eight minutes. Prescott was 13 of 19 for 182 yards, one TD pass and one TD run on the Cowboys last three possessions of the comeback.
It was the 10th time in his career he's led a comeback in the fourth quarter or overtime.
"There's nothing that he doesn't do well," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
INJURY WOES
Both Dallas and Seattle have major injury concerns, most of them on the defensive side.
Dallas will be without linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (broken collarbone) and cornerbacks Anthony Brown (ribs) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring). Rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs is also a question mark after showing up on the injury report with a shoulder issue.
"I don't think it's much of a challenge because they've done a great job of bringing guys in here that understand the defense, understand how to play the game," said Joe Thomas, who replaced Vander Esch. "A few veteran guys that can come in and step up and play, to hold it down until those guys get back."
Seattle lost outside linebacker/pass rusher Bruce Irvin and starting nickel cornerback Marquise Blair to major knee injuries last week. Ugo Amadi will step in for Blair, while how Seattle fills Irvin's role is unclear.
STEADY ELLIOTT
Ezekiel Elliott is still looking for his first 100-yard game, but the two-time rushing leader has been more than steady. Elliott had both Dallas touchdowns in the season-opening loss to the Rams, and the first one against the Falcons. He's third in the NFL with 185 yards rushing -- the most through two games in his five seasons -- and has another 64 yards receiving.
"I think I've had a good start this year, laid a good foundation for the season both as a runner and a blocker and out of the backfield," Elliott said.
CATCHING ON
One of the unique aspects of Wilson's five TD performance last week was that all the touchdown passes went to different players. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Freddie Swain, David Moore and Chris Carson all took turns finding the end zone on passes from Wilson. For Carson, Seattle's starting running back, it was his third TD catch of the season, matching his career total entering the year.
EXPLOSION
A big key could end up being whether Seattle can shut down the Cowboys' explosive plays. Dallas leads the NFL with 41 plays of 10 yards or more through the first two games. Seattle has allowed the most plays of 10 yards or more with 47.
"They have some explosive guys on their side. They can make a lot of plays," Seattle safety Jamal Adams said. "We have to do a good job of doing our thing, and plastering them and covering them."
---
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:10 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 9:03 PM EST |
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+11.11 |
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9/27/2020
7:35 PM EST |
NBA |
BOSTON CELTICS VS. MIAMI HEAT
PICK: MIAMI HEAT (+137)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:16 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 10:55 PM EST |
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+15.07 |
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9/27/2020
7:35 PM EST |
NBA |
BOSTON CELTICS VS. MIAMI HEAT
PICK: OVER 214 (-114)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:16 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 10:56 PM EST |
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+9.65 |
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9/27/2020
8:20 PM EST |
NFL |
GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
PICK: OVER 52.5 (-109)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Unless Drew Brees musters his first vintage performance of 2020, the Saints could struggle to keep up with Aaron Rodgers and the recently potent Packers.
The first two weeks of this season have seen two of the finest quarterbacks in NFL history on divergent paths.
The Packers (2-0) are scoring more than 40 points per game. Rodgers has passed for six touchdowns and has yet to be intercepted.
The Saints (1-1) have played below their usual standard offensively and Brees, the NFL's all-time leader in yards and touchdowns passing, has been fielding questions about how his arm is holding up at age 41.
"I feel good, borderline great," Brees said, dismissing the notion that his relatively few downfield attempts is a sign of trouble.
"There are many statistics I do not pay one bit of attention to, and (yards per attempt) would be one," Brees continued. "I am focused on putting us in positions to succeed, making great decisions, both in the run game and the pass game. ... I don't care how we do it. I honestly don't. I just want to win."
Packers coach Matt Lafleur is disinclined to read much into Brees' slow start. For him, the sample size is too small.
"That is an anomaly that doesn't happen very often and it's just a matter of time before he gets it rolling like we're all accustomed to," Lafleur predicted. "This is one of the most consistent -- not only him as the quarterback, but one of the most consistent offenses over however many years that he and (coach) Sean (Payton) have been together.
"They're always at the top in the league in almost every category," Lafleur continued, adding that defenses should never let their guard down against New Orleans. "As soon as you do, he's going to go out there and dice you and hang 45 on you."
The Saints have indeed led the NFL in total offense six times, finished in the top five in five other seasons, and have never ranked worse than ninth since Brees and Payton joined forces in 2006.
But, for the moment, New Orleans ranks 21st in total offense in 2020, while Rodgers and the Packers lead the league.
"We've had multiple plays where we have guys that are wide, wide open," Rodgers marveled. "A lot of that is due to the minor schematic changes we made in the offseason and implemented in training camp.
"When I'm playing on time and in rhythm, the offense I think can be more efficient as long as we have guys open," Rodgers continued. "The two have been really correlated this year."
AARON VS. ALVIN
Green Bay's Aaron Jones rushed for a career-high 168 yards in a 42-21 victory over Detroit and leads the NFL in rushing (234) and yards from scrimmage (312). New Orleans' Alvin Kamara ranks sixth in yards from scrimmage (241) and has found the end zone twice in each of the Saints' two games.
HOBBLED TOP TARGETS
There were questions about the health of top receivers on both teams this week.
Two-time All-Pro Michael Thomas, who set an NFL record with 149 catches last season, sat out the Saints' loss in Las Vegas on Monday night with an ankle sprain and did not take the field when the Saints returned to practice on Thursday.
Packers receiver Davante Adams, who already has 17 catches for 192 yards and two TDs this season, left last Sunday's victory over Detroit with a hamstring injury.
PENALTY PROBLEMS
The Saints have been plagued by 248 yards in penalties, including 129 yards in their Week 2 loss to the Raiders.
"The good news is, it's only two weeks in and it'll be a lot more concerning here going forward, if it continues," Payton said. "So, we've got to work harder at it. We've got to coach it better and reduce those fouls."
FRIENDS TO FOES
Packers guard Elgton Jenkins and Saints reserve defensive back J.T. Gray are good friends who grew up together in Mississippi and are former Mississippi State teammates.
"We've been playing football with each other since peewee and college," Jenkins said. "Just being down there and me seeing him play, him seeing me play and not being on the same team, so hopefully (we'll be) just going down there and putting on a show and we'll chop it up after the game."
CHEERING SECTION
The Saints announced on Thursday they they'd received approval from state and local officials to allow about 750 family of players, coaches and staff to watch the game in the Superdome from field-level seating behind the New Orleans bench. They will join inactive players who formed a cheering section in a Week 1 victory over Tampa Bay in the Superdome, which was held with no fans.
---
AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Green Bay, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
---
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:11 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED YESTERDAY AT 12:49 AM EST |
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+10.09 |
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9/27/2020
8:20 PM EST |
NFL |
GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
PICK: GREEN BAY PACKERS +3 (+101)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Unless Drew Brees musters his first vintage performance of 2020, the Saints could struggle to keep up with Aaron Rodgers and the recently potent Packers.
The first two weeks of this season have seen two of the finest quarterbacks in NFL history on divergent paths.
The Packers (2-0) are scoring more than 40 points per game. Rodgers has passed for six touchdowns and has yet to be intercepted.
The Saints (1-1) have played below their usual standard offensively and Brees, the NFL's all-time leader in yards and touchdowns passing, has been fielding questions about how his arm is holding up at age 41.
"I feel good, borderline great," Brees said, dismissing the notion that his relatively few downfield attempts is a sign of trouble.
"There are many statistics I do not pay one bit of attention to, and (yards per attempt) would be one," Brees continued. "I am focused on putting us in positions to succeed, making great decisions, both in the run game and the pass game. ... I don't care how we do it. I honestly don't. I just want to win."
Packers coach Matt Lafleur is disinclined to read much into Brees' slow start. For him, the sample size is too small.
"That is an anomaly that doesn't happen very often and it's just a matter of time before he gets it rolling like we're all accustomed to," Lafleur predicted. "This is one of the most consistent -- not only him as the quarterback, but one of the most consistent offenses over however many years that he and (coach) Sean (Payton) have been together.
"They're always at the top in the league in almost every category," Lafleur continued, adding that defenses should never let their guard down against New Orleans. "As soon as you do, he's going to go out there and dice you and hang 45 on you."
The Saints have indeed led the NFL in total offense six times, finished in the top five in five other seasons, and have never ranked worse than ninth since Brees and Payton joined forces in 2006.
But, for the moment, New Orleans ranks 21st in total offense in 2020, while Rodgers and the Packers lead the league.
"We've had multiple plays where we have guys that are wide, wide open," Rodgers marveled. "A lot of that is due to the minor schematic changes we made in the offseason and implemented in training camp.
"When I'm playing on time and in rhythm, the offense I think can be more efficient as long as we have guys open," Rodgers continued. "The two have been really correlated this year."
AARON VS. ALVIN
Green Bay's Aaron Jones rushed for a career-high 168 yards in a 42-21 victory over Detroit and leads the NFL in rushing (234) and yards from scrimmage (312). New Orleans' Alvin Kamara ranks sixth in yards from scrimmage (241) and has found the end zone twice in each of the Saints' two games.
HOBBLED TOP TARGETS
There were questions about the health of top receivers on both teams this week.
Two-time All-Pro Michael Thomas, who set an NFL record with 149 catches last season, sat out the Saints' loss in Las Vegas on Monday night with an ankle sprain and did not take the field when the Saints returned to practice on Thursday.
Packers receiver Davante Adams, who already has 17 catches for 192 yards and two TDs this season, left last Sunday's victory over Detroit with a hamstring injury.
PENALTY PROBLEMS
The Saints have been plagued by 248 yards in penalties, including 129 yards in their Week 2 loss to the Raiders.
"The good news is, it's only two weeks in and it'll be a lot more concerning here going forward, if it continues," Payton said. "So, we've got to work harder at it. We've got to coach it better and reduce those fouls."
FRIENDS TO FOES
Packers guard Elgton Jenkins and Saints reserve defensive back J.T. Gray are good friends who grew up together in Mississippi and are former Mississippi State teammates.
"We've been playing football with each other since peewee and college," Jenkins said. "Just being down there and me seeing him play, him seeing me play and not being on the same team, so hopefully (we'll be) just going down there and putting on a show and we'll chop it up after the game."
CHEERING SECTION
The Saints announced on Thursday they they'd received approval from state and local officials to allow about 750 family of players, coaches and staff to watch the game in the Superdome from field-level seating behind the New Orleans bench. They will join inactive players who formed a cheering section in a Week 1 victory over Tampa Bay in the Superdome, which was held with no fans.
---
AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Green Bay, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
---
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:11 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED YESTERDAY AT 12:47 AM EST |
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+11.11 |
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PICKS
FOR SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 (3 DAYS AGO) |
[refresh] |
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9/26/2020
7:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
WURZBURGER KICKERS VS. FORTUNA DUSSELDORF
PICK: OVER 2.5 (-126)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:38 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 10:01 AM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
7:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
WURZBURGER KICKERS VS. FORTUNA DUSSELDORF
PICK: FORTUNA DUSSELDORF (-157)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:38 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 9:58 AM EST |
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+7.01 |
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9/26/2020
8:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
VPS VAASA VS. KPV
PICK: KPV (-149)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:39 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:51 AM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
9:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
ATALANTA BC VS. TORINO
PICK: ATALANTA BC (-158)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:39 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 12:24 PM EST |
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+6.96 |
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9/26/2020
9:30 AM EST |
SOCCER |
BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS. AUGSBURG
PICK: BORUSSIA DORTMUND (-225)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:40 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 12:41 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
10:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
WIGAN ATHLETIC VS. PORTSMOUTH
PICK: PORTSMOUTH (-162)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:42 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 1:28 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
10:00 AM EST |
SOCCER |
AFC WIMBLEDON VS. FLEETWOOD TOWN
PICK: FLEETWOOD TOWN (-157)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:42 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 1:11 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
12:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
LAZIO VS. CAGLIARI
PICK: LAZIO (-150)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:44 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 3:04 PM EST |
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+7.33 |
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9/26/2020
12:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
LAZIO VS. CAGLIARI
PICK: OVER 2.5 (-137)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:44 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 3:03 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
12:00 PM EST |
NCAAF |
KENTUCKY VS. AUBURN
PICK: AUBURN -6.5 (-115)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Quarterback Bo Nix will look to begin building on a solid first season when No. 8 Auburn opens the season at home against No. 23 Kentucky on Saturday in SEC play.
Nix set school freshman records of 2,542 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes but the belief is his ceiling is much higher.
"He's a different player right now and he should be," Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said. "He's got a year of experience. He's one of our leaders. ... I think you'll see him definitely improve."
Nix certainly took care of the ball with just six interceptions. He enters the season with a school-record streak of 191 thrown passes without an interception, which is the second-best active streak nationally behind Clemson star Trevor Lawrence (276).
The Tigers (9-4, 5-3 SEC in 2019) also reached the 50-point mark four times during Nix's initial campaign. That ties for second in program history behind the six 50-point outings Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton put on the board during the school's 2010 national championship season.
Kentucky (8-5, 3-5 in 2019) will have senior Terry Wilson back behind center after he missed the final 11 games of last season after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee against Eastern Michigan in the second contest of the season.
Wilson isn't a big thrower but the Wildcats primarily were a run-first operation that couldn't stretch the field without him.
In 2018, Wilson completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,889 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Coach Mark Stoops said he sees a quarterback ready to step his game up a level after dealing with the injury hardship.
"He missed the year and that hurts but he's still older and wiser and has more understanding of the offense," Stoops said. "It comes with reps. We've got to have a great week and he's got to get out there and get started. We'll ease into it with a road game at Auburn."
Stoops laughed after the easing into it with Auburn comment because he knows the opener is no easy task.
The Wildcats are just 6-26-1 all-time against the Tigers and 2-12 when visiting Auburn.
The trip to Auburn is the first for Kentucky since 2009 -- before Stoops was coach -- and the end result that time was a rare Wildcats' victory, 21-14.
Stoops sees this contest as the beginning of an ultra-tough schedule as the COVID-19 situation led to the conference pushing back the start of the season and going to a 10-game, all-SEC slate.
"We've got a challenging schedule ahead of us," Stoops said. "It's brutal. Brutally hard. I just shake my head in amazement at how difficult and how well-prepared that each and every team we play is. That's a challenge."
Capacity for Jordan-Hare Stadium has been reduced to approximately 17,500 for the opener, and Auburn students will make up the bulk of the people inside the stadium.
"If you look at it, the majority of our fans will be students." Malzahn said. "Our students are the best in the country, so I really expect those guys to bring their A-game, make it loud as possible and make it a good home-field advantage."
Auburn's top returning defender is senior middle linebacker K.J. Britt, who had 69 tackles (10 for loss) while earning first-team All-SEC honors last season. Kentucky's defense is led by senior outside linebacker Jamar "Boogie" Watson, who has 13.5 career sacks.
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:52 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 4:17 PM EST |
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+9.57 |
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9/26/2020
12:00 PM EST |
NCAAF |
KENTUCKY VS. AUBURN (1ST HALF)
PICK: AUBURN -4 (+102)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Quarterback Bo Nix will look to begin building on a solid first season when No. 8 Auburn opens the season at home against No. 23 Kentucky on Saturday in SEC play.
Nix set school freshman records of 2,542 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes but the belief is his ceiling is much higher.
"He's a different player right now and he should be," Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said. "He's got a year of experience. He's one of our leaders. ... I think you'll see him definitely improve."
Nix certainly took care of the ball with just six interceptions. He enters the season with a school-record streak of 191 thrown passes without an interception, which is the second-best active streak nationally behind Clemson star Trevor Lawrence (276).
The Tigers (9-4, 5-3 SEC in 2019) also reached the 50-point mark four times during Nix's initial campaign. That ties for second in program history behind the six 50-point outings Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton put on the board during the school's 2010 national championship season.
Kentucky (8-5, 3-5 in 2019) will have senior Terry Wilson back behind center after he missed the final 11 games of last season after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee against Eastern Michigan in the second contest of the season.
Wilson isn't a big thrower but the Wildcats primarily were a run-first operation that couldn't stretch the field without him.
In 2018, Wilson completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,889 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Coach Mark Stoops said he sees a quarterback ready to step his game up a level after dealing with the injury hardship.
"He missed the year and that hurts but he's still older and wiser and has more understanding of the offense," Stoops said. "It comes with reps. We've got to have a great week and he's got to get out there and get started. We'll ease into it with a road game at Auburn."
Stoops laughed after the easing into it with Auburn comment because he knows the opener is no easy task.
The Wildcats are just 6-26-1 all-time against the Tigers and 2-12 when visiting Auburn.
The trip to Auburn is the first for Kentucky since 2009 -- before Stoops was coach -- and the end result that time was a rare Wildcats' victory, 21-14.
Stoops sees this contest as the beginning of an ultra-tough schedule as the COVID-19 situation led to the conference pushing back the start of the season and going to a 10-game, all-SEC slate.
"We've got a challenging schedule ahead of us," Stoops said. "It's brutal. Brutally hard. I just shake my head in amazement at how difficult and how well-prepared that each and every team we play is. That's a challenge."
Capacity for Jordan-Hare Stadium has been reduced to approximately 17,500 for the opener, and Auburn students will make up the bulk of the people inside the stadium.
"If you look at it, the majority of our fans will be students." Malzahn said. "Our students are the best in the country, so I really expect those guys to bring their A-game, make it loud as possible and make it a good home-field advantage."
Auburn's top returning defender is senior middle linebacker K.J. Britt, who had 69 tackles (10 for loss) while earning first-team All-SEC honors last season. Kentucky's defense is led by senior outside linebacker Jamar "Boogie" Watson, who has 13.5 career sacks.
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:53 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 2:21 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
12:00 PM EST |
NCAAF |
GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. UL LAFAYETTE
PICK: UL LAFAYETTE -11.5 (-109)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns already have made history this season. And they haven't even played a home game yet.
The Ragin' Cajuns beat a Top 25 team on the road for the first time in school history when they opened the season with a 31-14 victory at then-No. 23 Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, two weeks ago.
That earned them their own ranking as they moved into the No. 19 spot, which they maintained this week after a 34-31 overtime victory at Georgia State in Atlanta in their Sun Belt Conference opener last week.
Now they come home to meet Georgia Southern (1-0) in the Eagles' Sun Belt opener Saturday.
Louisiana started slowly last week and had to overcome a pair of 14-point deficits to prevail.
"We're very much a work in progress," Cajuns coach Billy Napier said. "We have a team that has tons of potential, but we sometimes don't perform on a consistent basis like we should. We need to start faster, and we need to continue to improve."
Louisiana fell behind 14-0 early and trailed 21-7 in the third quarter before rallying behind running back Elijah Mitchell. He rushed for 164 yards, including a 12-yard jaunt for the winning touchdown in overtime.
Napier called the slow start "a teachable moment."
"I'm proud of the resiliency we showed in the second half," Napier said. "I think we've got resolve."
The Eagles' resiliency and resolve are also being tested. They won their opener against Campbell, 27-26, two weeks ago despite 33 players being sidelined for a variety of reasons, some COVID-19-related.
Georgia Southern was unable to play last week because its opponent, Florida Atlantic, had to postpone the game because of COVID-related absences.
"That 33 number was not all COVID-related," Georgia Southern coach Chad Lunsford said of the season opener. "Some of it was COVID, a lot of it was contact tracing. Then there were other factors like normal injuries.
"We definitely didn't field the team we thought we would field as far as the experience, but I think it was really good with our young guys getting that opportunity. Last week we were looking forward to several guys returning. Every team in the country is dealing with (COVID-19) and dealing with it in their own way," Lunsford said.
The Eagles are on track to get "a majority" of those players back for this week's game, he said.
"It would have been really good for us to be able to get that second game in because we had a lot of things to clean up from that first week," he said. "We could have used that second game to help a little bit. There are definitely challenges there."
The latest challenge is Louisiana.
"You don't really see a weak link," Lunsford said of the Cajuns. "They really got after Iowa State and pretty much controlled that whole football game, and when they got down against Georgia State, you never saw any panic."
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:56 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 4:17 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
12:00 PM EST |
NCAAF |
LOUISVILLE VS. PITTSBURGH
PICK: PITTSBURGH -3 (-105)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: No. 21 Pitt looks for rare 3-0 start vs. No. 24 Louisville
A pair of top-25 programs clash on Saturday afternoon when No. 24 Louisville visits No. 21 Pittsburgh in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup at Heinz Field.
The Panthers (2-0, 1-0 ACC) get their third straight home game to open the season after wins over Austin Peay and Syracuse. They look to go 3-0 to start a season for the first time since 2014.
Pitt held the Orange to only 170 yards of total offense, their defense leading the way with the offense losing two turnovers and missing three field goals in the 21-10 win.
"I still think the best football is ahead of us. I don't think our kids are particularly happy as well after just watching the tape, seeing the situations we put ourselves in," Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Monday. "That game could have very well been 30-zip or 42-zip."
Senior quarterback Kenny Pickett is in his third year as the starter, but it's the Panthers defense that has shined the most through two wins. Pitt allows only 26 rushing yards per game after two games, the top-ranked rushing defense in the nation.
Overall, the Panthers have the third-best defense in the nation in terms of yards allowed, at 154 per game.
Louisville (1-1, 0-1 ACC) looks to right itself after a 47-34 loss at home to then-No. 17 Miami, which dropped the Cardinals from No. 18 to No. 24 this week. The Cardinals play their first road game of the season at Pitt.
Louisville's defense gave up several big plays against the Hurricanes last Saturday, a fact not lost on coach Scott Satterfield. But he took a number of questions on the Pitt defense this week in looking ahead toward Saturday's game.
"They keep it pretty simple, what they do," Satterfield said of the Pitt defense. "They're going to put pressure on your offensive line with those (front) four. They're very aggressive. The linebackers are downhill. It's not complicated, but they're very good at what they do."
Junior Malik Cunningham threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns with an interception last weekend against the Hurricanes. Two of those went to wide receiver Tutu Atwell, who caught eight passes for 114 yards.
Atwell had 69 catches for 1,272 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Running back Javian Hawkins rushed for 164 yards against Miami, on 27 carries.
Pitt leads the overall series between the two teams 9-8, which includes a 45-34 win over the Cardinals in Pittsburgh in 2015. The Panthers, who will don black, silver and gold uniforms and helmets that pay homage to the steel industry and its history in Pittsburgh, are 6-5 all-time against the Cardinals at home.
--Field Level Media
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:56 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 4:17 PM EST |
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9/26/2020
1:05 PM EST |
MLB |
MIAMI MARLINS VS. NEW YORK YANKEES
PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES -1.5 (-111)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:09 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 5:51 PM EST |
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+9.91 |
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9/26/2020
1:05 PM EST |
MLB |
MIAMI MARLINS VS. NEW YORK YANKEES
PICK: OVER 9.5 (-101)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:10 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 5:50 PM EST |
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+10.89 |
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9/26/2020
3:05 PM EST |
MLB |
NEW YORK METS VS. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
PICK: OVER 5 (+101)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:10 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 6:54 PM EST |
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+11.11 |
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9/26/2020
3:30 PM EST |
NCAAF |
MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. LSU
PICK: LSU -17 (-107)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: LSU's defense of its CFP Championship begins after a three-week delay.
The Mike Leach era at Mississippi State begins after a similar game-day void.
The SEC season is finally ready to kick off after COVID-19 changes to the schedule and the No. 6 Tigers host the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge, La., in the marquee game of the first weekend.
LSU sent 14 players, including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and overall No. 1 pick Joe Burrow, to the NFL off of last season's 15-0 team. Reigning Biletnikoff Award winner Ja'Marr Chase and standout defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin opted out of the season last month to focus on next year's NFL Draft.
So the expectation is that the talented, but young and rebuilding Tigers will be unable to approach last year's success. Their lofty preseason ranking has to be viewed in the context of Big Ten and Pac-12 teams not being included as well as the fact that three of the teams ahead of them are SEC rivals Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
"I kind of love it," LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said of the relatively modest expectations. "I call it internal fuel. I digest it. It makes me want to work harder."
Fourth-year junior Myles Brennan will make his first career start Saturday as the successor to Burrow, now the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I've always believed in Myles Brennan," Orgeron said. "The only thing that we don't know -- and I do believe that he's going to do very well -- is how he's going to do in the fire, and the only way to know that is put him in the fire."
Leach arrives after successful tenures at Texas Tech and most recently Washington State. He replaced Joe Moorhead, who was fired after two seasons.
Another key newcomer is former Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello, a graduate transfer. Leach's teams have perennially featured one of the most productive passing offenses in the country.
"He really gives the keys to the quarterback in this system," Costello said of Leach, "which has been something I'm really impressed with and I know comes with a lot of responsibility.
"If you know what you're doing and make quick decisions in this system, you're going to be successful pretty fast."
It remains to be seen how quickly Leach will be successful with the Bulldogs, but his arrival was one of the biggest headlines in the SEC during the offseason.
"I would say we are a work in progress," Leach said. "The biggest thing is that we've got some explosiveness but we want to have some consistency.
"We're very, very excited that we get to play, we're thrilled that we get to be with our guys and go out there and practice, and then we're really excited about the game coming up."
COVID-19 restrictions included the elimination of SEC nonconference schedules and an expansion of the league schedule.
"For 10 straight SEC teams with no nonconference," Leach said, "that's going to be the toughest schedule that's ever been played in college football."
Tiger Stadium will feature about 25,000 fans as attendance is limited to one-quarter of capacity as a COVID-19 precaution.
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:57 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 9:05 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
3:30 PM EST |
NCAAF |
MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. LSU (1ST HALF)
PICK: LSU -8.5 (-118)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: LSU's defense of its CFP Championship begins after a three-week delay.
The Mike Leach era at Mississippi State begins after a similar game-day void.
The SEC season is finally ready to kick off after COVID-19 changes to the schedule and the No. 6 Tigers host the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge, La., in the marquee game of the first weekend.
LSU sent 14 players, including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and overall No. 1 pick Joe Burrow, to the NFL off of last season's 15-0 team. Reigning Biletnikoff Award winner Ja'Marr Chase and standout defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin opted out of the season last month to focus on next year's NFL Draft.
So the expectation is that the talented, but young and rebuilding Tigers will be unable to approach last year's success. Their lofty preseason ranking has to be viewed in the context of Big Ten and Pac-12 teams not being included as well as the fact that three of the teams ahead of them are SEC rivals Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
"I kind of love it," LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said of the relatively modest expectations. "I call it internal fuel. I digest it. It makes me want to work harder."
Fourth-year junior Myles Brennan will make his first career start Saturday as the successor to Burrow, now the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I've always believed in Myles Brennan," Orgeron said. "The only thing that we don't know -- and I do believe that he's going to do very well -- is how he's going to do in the fire, and the only way to know that is put him in the fire."
Leach arrives after successful tenures at Texas Tech and most recently Washington State. He replaced Joe Moorhead, who was fired after two seasons.
Another key newcomer is former Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello, a graduate transfer. Leach's teams have perennially featured one of the most productive passing offenses in the country.
"He really gives the keys to the quarterback in this system," Costello said of Leach, "which has been something I'm really impressed with and I know comes with a lot of responsibility.
"If you know what you're doing and make quick decisions in this system, you're going to be successful pretty fast."
It remains to be seen how quickly Leach will be successful with the Bulldogs, but his arrival was one of the biggest headlines in the SEC during the offseason.
"I would say we are a work in progress," Leach said. "The biggest thing is that we've got some explosiveness but we want to have some consistency.
"We're very, very excited that we get to play, we're thrilled that we get to be with our guys and go out there and practice, and then we're really excited about the game coming up."
COVID-19 restrictions included the elimination of SEC nonconference schedules and an expansion of the league schedule.
"For 10 straight SEC teams with no nonconference," Leach said, "that's going to be the toughest schedule that's ever been played in college football."
Tiger Stadium will feature about 25,000 fans as attendance is limited to one-quarter of capacity as a COVID-19 precaution.
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:58 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 6:53 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
3:30 PM EST |
NCAAF |
WEST VIRGINIA VS. OKLAHOMA STATE (1ST HALF)
PICK: OKLAHOMA STATE -3.5 (-117)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP:
During Mike Gundy's tenure at Oklahoma State, the Cowboys have been known as a team that could always put up points. Stopping opponents from doing the same is typically the challenge.
In one sense, last week's season-opening 16-7 win over Tulsa had to be pleasing to Gundy. On a day where the offense sputtered almost all day after losing starting quarterback Spencer Sanders with an ankle injury, Oklahoma State's defense stopped the Golden Hurricane on all 12 third down plays and yielded only 278 total yards.
"The defense was fabulous," Gundy said. "Zero for 12 on third down and 1 for 4 on fourth down is really the story of the game. We gave up a wheel route for a big play, but other than that, I thought we were really good, particularly against the run."
Can the No. 15 Cowboys be really good again Saturday when they open Big 12 Conference play at home against West Virginia? The answer could reveal something about their chances to threaten for a conference title.
The Mountaineers (1-0) aren't expected to contend for Big 12 supremacy. Their offense was hit-and-miss last year when they suffered a rare losing season at 5-7, appeared sharp in their opener two weeks ago, a 56-10 rout of overmatched FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky.
WVU has gotten the benefit of several weeks preparation for this game. Coach Neal Brown used the season opener as a glorified scrimmage, made easier by a 42-7 halftime lead that allowed him to play everyone.
"We had September 26 penciled in as to when we really had to get our guys ready," Brown said. "That's no disrespect to Eastern Kentucky, but we were not going to be in tip-top football condition on September 12 -- not after missing a whole summer program.
"So we really targeted the 26th to be ready to play a whole football game like we normally would."
Jarret Doege threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns in a half against Eastern Kentucky, while Alec Sinkfield collected 123 yards and two scores on just 15 carries. The Mountaineers finished with 624 yards, split almost evenly between rushing (329) and passing (295).
Oklahoma State's offense never found traction against Tulsa. The Cowboys not only used three quarterbacks, but are breaking in four new starters on the line. That might explain why junior running back Chuba Hubbard, who last year rushed for 1,936 yards, managed only 93 on 27 attempts to break a string of 11 straight 100-yard games.
Hubbard and his teammates could draw inspiration from the induction of former OSU great Thurman Thomas into the school's Ring of Honor. Thomas, the first inductee, will be honored at halftime.
For the second straight week, the crowd at T. Boone Pickens Stadium will be limited to around 15,000 to comply with social distancing protocol.
--By Bucky Dent, Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 8:59 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 6:57 PM EST |
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+9.40 |
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9/26/2020
3:30 PM EST |
NCAAF |
WEST VIRGINIA VS. OKLAHOMA STATE
PICK: OKLAHOMA STATE -6.5 (-113)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP:
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During Mike Gundy's tenure at Oklahoma State, the Cowboys have been known as a team that could always put up points. Stopping opponents from doing the same is typically the challenge.
In one sense, last week's season-opening 16-7 win over Tulsa had to be pleasing to Gundy. On a day where the offense sputtered almost all day after losing starting quarterback Spencer Sanders with an ankle injury, Oklahoma State's defense stopped the Golden Hurricane on all 12 third down plays and yielded only 278 total yards.
"The defense was fabulous," Gundy said. "Zero for 12 on third down and 1 for 4 on fourth down is really the story of the game. We gave up a wheel route for a big play, but other than that, I thought we were really good, particularly against the run."
Can the No. 15 Cowboys be really good again Saturday when they open Big 12 Conference play at home against West Virginia? The answer could reveal something about their chances to threaten for a conference title.
The Mountaineers (1-0) aren't expected to contend for Big 12 supremacy. Their offense was hit-and-miss last year when they suffered a rare losing season at 5-7, appeared sharp in their opener two weeks ago, a 56-10 rout of overmatched FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky.
WVU has gotten the benefit of several weeks preparation for this game. Coach Neal Brown used the season opener as a glorified scrimmage, made easier by a 42-7 halftime lead that allowed him to play everyone.
"We had September 26 penciled in as to when we really had to get our guys ready," Brown said. "That's no disrespect to Eastern Kentucky, but we were not going to be in tip-top football condition on September 12 -- not after missing a whole summer program.
"So we really targeted the 26th to be ready to play a whole football game like we normally would."
Jarret Doege threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns in a half against Eastern Kentucky, while Alec Sinkfield collected 123 yards and two scores on just 15 carries. The Mountaineers finished with 624 yards, split almost evenly between rushing (329) and passing (295).
Oklahoma State's offense never found traction against Tulsa. The Cowboys not only used three quarterbacks, but are breaking in four new starters on the line. That might explain why junior running back Chuba Hubbard, who last year rushed for 1,936 yards, managed only 93 on 27 attempts to break a string of 11 straight 100-yard games.
Hubbard and his teammates could draw inspiration from the induction of former OSU great Thurman Thomas into the school's Ring of Honor. Thomas, the first inductee, will be honored at halftime.
For the second straight week, the crowd at T. Boone Pickens Stadium will be limited to around 15,000 to comply with social distancing protocol.
--By Bucky Dent, Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:00 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 9:04 PM EST |
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+9.73 |
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9/26/2020
3:30 PM EST |
NCAAF |
ARMY VS. CINCINNATI
PICK: OVER 44.5 (-102)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 2:10 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 7:57 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
3:30 PM EST |
NCAAF |
WEST VIRGINIA VS. OKLAHOMA STATE
PICK: OVER 49 (-108)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 2:12 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 9:01 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
6:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
MAZATLAN FC VS. CHIVAS GUADALAJARA
PICK: CHIVAS GUADALAJARA (-129)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:07 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 8:53 PM EST |
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+8.53 |
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9/26/2020
7:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
FC CINCINNATI VS. NEW YORK CITY
PICK: NEW YORK CITY (-184)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:07 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 10:14 PM EST |
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+5.98 |
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9/26/2020
7:10 PM EST |
MLB |
BOSTON RED SOX VS. ATLANTA BRAVES
PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES (-136)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:17 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 9:36 AM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
7:10 PM EST |
MLB |
CINCINNATI REDS VS. MINNESOTA TWINS
PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS (-131)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:18 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:27 PM EST |
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+8.40 |
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9/26/2020
7:10 PM EST |
MLB |
CHICAGO CUBS VS. CHICAGO WHITE SOX
PICK: CHICAGO WHITE SOX (-136)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:18 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:25 PM EST |
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+8.09 |
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9/26/2020
7:10 PM EST |
MLB |
PITTSBURGH PIRATES VS. CLEVELAND INDIANS
PICK: CLEVELAND INDIANS (-196)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:18 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:26 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
7:30 PM EST |
NCAAF |
FLORIDA STATE VS. MIAMI FLORIDA
PICK: MIAMI FLORIDA -11.5 (+100)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: Unranked Florida State heads into Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night trying to beat the Miami Hurricanes for the first time in four years, but the Seminoles will be unranked, playing without their head coach, and trying to impress in the storied rivalry as 10-point underdogs to the nation's 12th-ranked team.
Miami is already 2-0 and looking for a second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference victory after going on the road and drilling 18th-ranked Louisville last week 47-34.
Florida State (0-1, 0-1 ACC) will be without first-year coach Mike Norvell, who tested positive for COVID-19, and will be away from the team at least through Monday.
Norvell, who led Memphis to a 12-1 record and a berth in the 2019 Cotton Bowl before leaving for Tallahassee, will participate fully in pregame preparations, albeit remotely. Once the game starts, however, he will be watching from home.
"It hurts not being able to be around our guys for 10 days," Norvell said of the quarantine period. "It's extremely disappointing. This is one of the greatest rivalries in college football."
Norvell previously had missed not so much as a practice, but he'll be replaced Saturday by Chris Thomsen, who was Abilene Christian's head coach from 2005 to 2011. Thomsen, a low-key type who is normally in the press box as the tight ends coach, will now be on the field. Norvell normally calls FSU's plays, but that duty now falls to Kenny Dillingham.
Florida State, after losing its home opener to Georgia Tech 16-13, was idle last weekend. FSU scored 10 points on its first two drives before going cold. The Seminoles lost two fumbles (both by quarterback James Blackman), had an interception, and turned the ball over on downs twice during their remaining possessions.
For Miami (2-0, 1-0 ACC) and second-year coach Manny Diaz, everything is clicking so far, as he and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee have the Hurricanes playing up-tempo ball.
Against Louisville, Miami scored on a pair of 75-yard plays -- one on the ground and one in the air -- during which Lashlee set up the defense, using an identical formation that previously had gone elsewhere.
"We knew these plays were going to be open," Miami tight end Brevin Jordan said. "We were just waiting for the right time to call them."
Miami, which disappointed last season at 6-7, has been revitalized by several transfers, including quarterback D'Eriq King, kicker Jose Borregales and defensive ends Quincy Roche and Jaelan Phillips.
King has emerged as a team leader as a dual-threat player. In a 31-14 season-opening win over UAB, King ran for 83 yards and a TD. Against Louisville, he showed off his arm, passing for 325 yards and three touchdowns.
Borregales has been a revelation, scoring 17 points against Louisville, including field goals of 57 and 48 yards. The Hurricanes certainly could have used his leg last season, when their kickers missed eight of their 20 field goal attempts as Miami lost five games by a touchdown or less.
Roche, meantime, has brought a speed rush to the 'Canes, after recording 13 sacks for Temple last season. Phillips, a former UCLA Bruin, has already shown to be been effective against both the run and pass this season in the Miami defense.
The other big improvement for Miami is its offensive line, which allowed just three sacks in two games under new line coach Garin Justice. Last year, Miami quarterbacks were sacked 51 times.
FSU's most dangerous weapon is wide receiver Tamorrion Terry. The 6-4, 210-pound junior. He caught 60 passes last year for 1,188 yards and nine TDs. But with Cam Akers off to the NFL, the Seminoles' running game appears to be diminished. Texas A&M transfer Jashaun Corbin was held to 18 yards on six carries against Georgia Tech, although he caught eight passes for 55 yards.
Injuries have hurt FSU, and three starters are questionable for Miami, affecting the Seminoles offensive line, defensive line and secondary.
One key factor, potentially, is the Seminoles' ability to block kicks. Against Georgia Tech, they blocked three kicks -- two field goals, both by All-American defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, and an extra point.
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:01 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:16 AM EST |
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+11.00 |
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9/26/2020
8:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
GREMIO FBPA RS VS. ATLETICO MINEIRO
PICK: ATLETICO MINEIRO (-135)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:06 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:04 PM EST |
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+8.15 |
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9/26/2020
8:00 PM EST |
SOCCER |
CLUB NECAXA VS. PUMAS UNAM
PICK: PUMAS UNAM (-104)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:06 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:06 PM EST |
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-11.00 |
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9/26/2020
8:10 PM EST |
NHL |
DALLAS STARS VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
PICK: DALLAS STARS (+144)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: One more victory is all that separates the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Stanley Cup.
With a 3-1 lead over the Dallas Stars in the final series, the Lightning have their first chance to clinch the second Cup in franchise history when the puck drops for Game 5 Saturday night in Edmonton.
Since losing the series opener, Tampa Bay has won three straight, with the latest a 5-4 overtime win Friday night, and is rolling.
"We've got a job to do here. It's still not finished," said defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who netted the winning goal in Friday's victory to give the Lightning a stranglehold on the best-of-seven affair.
History is on the Lightning's side in a big way. Teams that have won Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven Cup finals since the NHL went to that format in 1939 are 27-0 at closing out the series.
Key to finishing off the Stars, though, will be keeping those emotions in check for puck drop.
"They came here to do something," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "They're on their way, but we've said all along, we haven't won anything yet. We still have to win one more, and we're not taking anything for granted."
It's a common adage about the hardest win to collect being the fourth, but the Lightning certainly are carrying all the momentum, and are beating the Stars any way necessary. They won Game 2 by scoring three times in the first period and cruising to a 3-2 win. They took Game 3 handily in a 5-2 final and then erased a pair of deficits -- including a two-goal first-period hole -- in the most recent victory.
The Stars must find an answer against the high-octane Lightning.
"I have full faith in that team that we will fight back. We will bounce back," Dallas coach Rick Bowness vowed.
The alternative is to see an outstanding run come to a crashing halt, so expect the Stars to give their best one sleep removed from a crushing loss.
"(We must) move on from this pretty quickly, get ready to play a game with our season on the line," forward Tyler Seguin said in the aftermath of Friday's loss. "I'm excited."
Seguin's performance is one of the few elements of Friday's game that can be a positive turn from the Dallas perspective. Seguin unquestionably had his best game of the series, and that's not just because he collected a pair of assists by driving the play. However, it's worth noting the team's highest paid player hasn't scored in 13 consecutive games.
But the Dallas struggles don't end there. In the special teams battle, the Stars are a miserable 1-for-14 on the power play in the finals, and that futility cost them Friday when they failed to convert on a man-advantage early in the overtime. By comparison, the Lightning have a 6-for-15 mark on the power play in the series, with Shattenkirk's game winner among those markers.
Defensively, the Stars are struggling, too. The team that allowed only eight goals in a five-game series win over the Vegas Golden Knights has surrendered 13 goals in the last three games.
"We've got more," Seguin said. "I believe in this team. We've got another level."
They'll need to find it right away, or the Lightning will be hoisting the Cup and the crazy 2019-20 season will finally come to a conclusion.
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:04 AM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 1:04 AM EST |
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+15.84 |
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9/26/2020
9:05 PM EST |
NBA |
DENVER NUGGETS VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
PICK: LOS ANGELES LAKERS -5 (-111)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: For the third consecutive series in the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets are down 3-1 and they will try to keep their season alive when they face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday near Orlando.
The Lakers put the Nuggets on the brink of elimination in a 114-108 victory on Thursday. Anthony Davis scored 34 points, while LeBron James had 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, who can advance to their first NBA finals in 10 years.
The last time the Lakers reached the title game, Kobe Bryant led them to the championship with a Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics in 2010.
Against the Nuggets, Davis said the Lakers' ability to execute on both ends of the floor was the difference.
"We played great down the stretch; we played great overall," Davis said. "There's still some things we've got to fix if we want to put this thing away."
Davis played through an ankle injury in the second half. He believes treatment will allow him to be ready for Saturday.
"I'm good enough to play," Davis said. "I rolled it pretty bad but not too bad. I'll be fine."
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 points and Dwight Howard, who started for the first time in this postseason, contributed 12 points and 11 boards, six of those on the offensive end for Los Angeles. Rajon Rondo also delivered a solid outing with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds, including one late that extended a Lakers' possession.
Jamal Murray had 32 points and eight assists for the Nuggets, who rallied from 3-1 deficits in their previous series wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz. Murray converted 12 of 20 shots from the floor and hit several acrobatic shots to keep the Nuggets close.
Jerami Grant added 17 points, Nikola Jokic, who was limited by foul trouble, collected 16 points and seven rebounds and Michael Porter Jr. had 13 points and eight boards. Monte Morris chipped in 12 points.
The Nuggets rallied from double-digit deficits throughout the contest but failed to convert offensively when it mattered most. Morris' floater with 3:28 left cut the Lakers' lead to 105-101 before Denver failed to make another field goal.
Second-chance points also were a factor with he Lakers dictating the category 25-6.
"It was a huge number and it was like that the whole night," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "Obviously, Dwight Howard had six (offensive rebounds); nobody touched him at all in the first quarter. He did whatever he wanted."
Said Murray, "We had so many breakdowns throughout the game. We just got to be better. We can't give them that many second-chance points while we're having breakdowns. We just got to be better ourselves to give ourselves a chance despite how bad we played."
The Lakers attempted 35 foul shots, hitting 28 of them, to 20 of 23 for the Nuggets.
"I think late in the game, I thought Jamal Murray attacked the basket a few times where there appeared to be contact," Malone said. "So we'll watch the film and we'll send our clips in and reach out to the NBA and kind of make our points noted."
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:14 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:48 AM EST |
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+9.91 |
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9/26/2020
9:05 PM EST |
NBA |
DENVER NUGGETS VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
PICK: OVER 213 (-114)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: For the third consecutive series in the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets are down 3-1 and they will try to keep their season alive when they face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday near Orlando.
The Lakers put the Nuggets on the brink of elimination in a 114-108 victory on Thursday. Anthony Davis scored 34 points, while LeBron James had 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, who can advance to their first NBA finals in 10 years.
The last time the Lakers reached the title game, Kobe Bryant led them to the championship with a Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics in 2010.
Against the Nuggets, Davis said the Lakers' ability to execute on both ends of the floor was the difference.
"We played great down the stretch; we played great overall," Davis said. "There's still some things we've got to fix if we want to put this thing away."
Davis played through an ankle injury in the second half. He believes treatment will allow him to be ready for Saturday.
"I'm good enough to play," Davis said. "I rolled it pretty bad but not too bad. I'll be fine."
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 points and Dwight Howard, who started for the first time in this postseason, contributed 12 points and 11 boards, six of those on the offensive end for Los Angeles. Rajon Rondo also delivered a solid outing with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds, including one late that extended a Lakers' possession.
Jamal Murray had 32 points and eight assists for the Nuggets, who rallied from 3-1 deficits in their previous series wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz. Murray converted 12 of 20 shots from the floor and hit several acrobatic shots to keep the Nuggets close.
Jerami Grant added 17 points, Nikola Jokic, who was limited by foul trouble, collected 16 points and seven rebounds and Michael Porter Jr. had 13 points and eight boards. Monte Morris chipped in 12 points.
The Nuggets rallied from double-digit deficits throughout the contest but failed to convert offensively when it mattered most. Morris' floater with 3:28 left cut the Lakers' lead to 105-101 before Denver failed to make another field goal.
Second-chance points also were a factor with he Lakers dictating the category 25-6.
"It was a huge number and it was like that the whole night," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "Obviously, Dwight Howard had six (offensive rebounds); nobody touched him at all in the first quarter. He did whatever he wanted."
Said Murray, "We had so many breakdowns throughout the game. We just got to be better. We can't give them that many second-chance points while we're having breakdowns. We just got to be better ourselves to give ourselves a chance despite how bad we played."
The Lakers attempted 35 foul shots, hitting 28 of them, to 20 of 23 for the Nuggets.
"I think late in the game, I thought Jamal Murray attacked the basket a few times where there appeared to be contact," Malone said. "So we'll watch the film and we'll send our clips in and reach out to the NBA and kind of make our points noted."
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:14 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 12:48 AM EST |
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+9.65 |
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9/26/2020
9:05 PM EST |
NBA |
DENVER NUGGETS VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (1ST HALF)
PICK: OVER 108.5 (-114)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: For the third consecutive series in the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets are down 3-1 and they will try to keep their season alive when they face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday near Orlando.
The Lakers put the Nuggets on the brink of elimination in a 114-108 victory on Thursday. Anthony Davis scored 34 points, while LeBron James had 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, who can advance to their first NBA finals in 10 years.
The last time the Lakers reached the title game, Kobe Bryant led them to the championship with a Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics in 2010.
Against the Nuggets, Davis said the Lakers' ability to execute on both ends of the floor was the difference.
"We played great down the stretch; we played great overall," Davis said. "There's still some things we've got to fix if we want to put this thing away."
Davis played through an ankle injury in the second half. He believes treatment will allow him to be ready for Saturday.
"I'm good enough to play," Davis said. "I rolled it pretty bad but not too bad. I'll be fine."
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 points and Dwight Howard, who started for the first time in this postseason, contributed 12 points and 11 boards, six of those on the offensive end for Los Angeles. Rajon Rondo also delivered a solid outing with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds, including one late that extended a Lakers' possession.
Jamal Murray had 32 points and eight assists for the Nuggets, who rallied from 3-1 deficits in their previous series wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz. Murray converted 12 of 20 shots from the floor and hit several acrobatic shots to keep the Nuggets close.
Jerami Grant added 17 points, Nikola Jokic, who was limited by foul trouble, collected 16 points and seven rebounds and Michael Porter Jr. had 13 points and eight boards. Monte Morris chipped in 12 points.
The Nuggets rallied from double-digit deficits throughout the contest but failed to convert offensively when it mattered most. Morris' floater with 3:28 left cut the Lakers' lead to 105-101 before Denver failed to make another field goal.
Second-chance points also were a factor with he Lakers dictating the category 25-6.
"It was a huge number and it was like that the whole night," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "Obviously, Dwight Howard had six (offensive rebounds); nobody touched him at all in the first quarter. He did whatever he wanted."
Said Murray, "We had so many breakdowns throughout the game. We just got to be better. We can't give them that many second-chance points while we're having breakdowns. We just got to be better ourselves to give ourselves a chance despite how bad we played."
The Lakers attempted 35 foul shots, hitting 28 of them, to 20 of 23 for the Nuggets.
"I think late in the game, I thought Jamal Murray attacked the basket a few times where there appeared to be contact," Malone said. "So we'll watch the film and we'll send our clips in and reach out to the NBA and kind of make our points noted."
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:14 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:29 PM EST |
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+9.65 |
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9/26/2020
9:05 PM EST |
NBA |
DENVER NUGGETS VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (1ST HALF)
PICK: LOS ANGELES LAKERS -2.5 (-115)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK WRITE-UP: For the third consecutive series in the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets are down 3-1 and they will try to keep their season alive when they face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday near Orlando.
The Lakers put the Nuggets on the brink of elimination in a 114-108 victory on Thursday. Anthony Davis scored 34 points, while LeBron James had 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, who can advance to their first NBA finals in 10 years.
The last time the Lakers reached the title game, Kobe Bryant led them to the championship with a Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics in 2010.
Against the Nuggets, Davis said the Lakers' ability to execute on both ends of the floor was the difference.
"We played great down the stretch; we played great overall," Davis said. "There's still some things we've got to fix if we want to put this thing away."
Davis played through an ankle injury in the second half. He believes treatment will allow him to be ready for Saturday.
"I'm good enough to play," Davis said. "I rolled it pretty bad but not too bad. I'll be fine."
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 points and Dwight Howard, who started for the first time in this postseason, contributed 12 points and 11 boards, six of those on the offensive end for Los Angeles. Rajon Rondo also delivered a solid outing with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds, including one late that extended a Lakers' possession.
Jamal Murray had 32 points and eight assists for the Nuggets, who rallied from 3-1 deficits in their previous series wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz. Murray converted 12 of 20 shots from the floor and hit several acrobatic shots to keep the Nuggets close.
Jerami Grant added 17 points, Nikola Jokic, who was limited by foul trouble, collected 16 points and seven rebounds and Michael Porter Jr. had 13 points and eight boards. Monte Morris chipped in 12 points.
The Nuggets rallied from double-digit deficits throughout the contest but failed to convert offensively when it mattered most. Morris' floater with 3:28 left cut the Lakers' lead to 105-101 before Denver failed to make another field goal.
Second-chance points also were a factor with he Lakers dictating the category 25-6.
"It was a huge number and it was like that the whole night," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "Obviously, Dwight Howard had six (offensive rebounds); nobody touched him at all in the first quarter. He did whatever he wanted."
Said Murray, "We had so many breakdowns throughout the game. We just got to be better. We can't give them that many second-chance points while we're having breakdowns. We just got to be better ourselves to give ourselves a chance despite how bad we played."
The Lakers attempted 35 foul shots, hitting 28 of them, to 20 of 23 for the Nuggets.
"I think late in the game, I thought Jamal Murray attacked the basket a few times where there appeared to be contact," Malone said. "So we'll watch the film and we'll send our clips in and reach out to the NBA and kind of make our points noted."
--Field Level Media |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/25/2020 AT 9:15 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/26/2020 AT 11:27 PM EST |
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+9.57 |
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9/26/2020
9:15 PM EST |
MLB |
SAN DIEGO PADRES VS. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
PICK: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (+121)
RISK: 11 UNITS |
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| PICK MADE ON 9/26/2020 AT 6:04 PM EST |
| PICK GRADED ON 9/27/2020 AT 1:03 AM EST |
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-11.00 |
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