Good morning to everybody however particularly to…
THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AND THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Super Bowl weekend is lastly right here. Let’s social gathering — beginning with picks. Most persons are anticipating an in depth one, and that features our very personal Pete Prisco:
Prisco: “If Patrick Mahomes has time — even with a bum ankle that he says has improved vastly since he damage it three weeks in the past — he’ll choose aside the Eagles secondary. So it mainly comes right down to the Chiefs offensive line. Can they maintain up? … On the opposite facet of the ball, the Eagles offensive line has an enormous edge. … Give me the most effective quarterback within the league on the largest stage. Mahomes will shut out the season with the award trifecta: League MVP, Super Bowl MVP and one other ring so as to add to his first one. Pick: Chiefs 33, Eagles 30“
We even have picks from: John Breech | Jordan Dajani | Tyler Sullivan
As for finest bets, Jordan has 57(!!!) of them, and this is two price stringing collectively, for my part (present the tight ends some love!)
Dajani: “Travis Kelce complete receptions: Over 6.5 (-184). Kelce has crossed this line in every postseason sport, and certain will once more on Sunday. That’s why it is so juicy. Throw it in a same-game parlay. … Dallas Goedert anytime TD (+170). Jalen Hurts‘ safety blanket may rating within the purple zone. He caught a landing within the divisional spherical.”
I additionally suggest trying out this huge Super Bowl props information, which options greater than 500 picks from our pals at SportsLine.
Finally, I feel we have not totally appreciated simply how nice this quarterback battle is — simply the seventh Super Bowl between the 2 All-Pro quarterbacks. Here’s the place our Bryan DeArdo says it ranks among the many all-time Super Bowl quarterback matchups.
And now, time for a brilliant hyperlink dump match for the Super Bowl. Our NFL workforce has been excellent all season, and so they’ve taken it to a different degree over the previous few weeks:
And most vital… Rihanna halftime present predictions!
Honorable mentions
Not so honorable mentions
Texas, Oklahoma will formally go away Big 12 for SEC in 2024 😲
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Longhorns. Sooners. SEC. We knew it was coming. Now, it is coming before anticipated.
Texas and Oklahoma reached an exit settlement with the Big 12 that can see them go away after the 2023-24 season — a full yr sooner than the earlier date of June 30, 2025. Both faculties pays early withdrawal charges of a mixed $100 million. Up subsequent for the SEC? Finalizing the brand new scheduling format, writes our David Cobb.
As for what’s subsequent for the Big 12, the convention is eying additional enlargement, experiences our Dennis Dodd. Here are the important thing particulars:
The Big 12 has expressed curiosity in Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. Commissioner Brett Yormark has additionally advocated for Gonzaga becoming a member of as a basketball-only member.The Big 12 is including BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston to get to 14 groups this coming season. In 2024, following Texas and Oklahoma exiting, there will probably be 12 groups within the Big 12 for the primary time since 2010.The Big 12 could look West in its subsequent enlargement. One college to regulate? San Diego State.
Dennis has a ton of nice data right here.
A busy NBA commerce deadline consists of each LA groups getting assist 🏀
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One of essentially the most riveting NBA commerce deadlines we have ever seen has come and gone, and for readability’s sake, it is perhaps finest if we divide issues into pre-Kevin Durant commerce (which went down late Wednesday/very early Thursday) and post-Durant commerce. By the way in which, sorry, Nets followers.
The post-Durant commerce period — all of 14 hours or so earlier than the three p.m. deadline — proved to be much more hectic, with 11 totally different trades happening. You can see all of them right here. Two of these trades concerned the Lakers, who had already traded Russell Westbrook on Wednesday.
As for the “different” Los Angeles workforce, the Clippers additionally made two trades, netting…
Up in San Francisco, the Warriors kicked the bucket on the James Wiseman experiment, sending the 2020 No. 2 choose to Detroit and bringing again Gary Payton II from Portland in a three-team deal. Our Jack Maloney graded this commerce utilizing two elements.
Maloney: “Payton is a confirmed playoff performer, is aware of the group and can enhance a protection that has been porous at occasions this season… However, for those who zoom out, the transfer is an indictment on the entrance workplace’s technique over the previous few years. Wiseman was all the time going to be a long-term challenge who did not make sense on the present-day model of the workforce, however they have been obsessive about the concept they may compete on two timelines and took him anyway. Grade: A (on-court impression this season) / C (total technique and asset administration)“
In the Eastern Conference, the Bucks acquired Jae Crowder, who initially was a part of the Durant commerce. Crowder hasn’t performed this season after he and the Suns have been unable to return to a contract extension. As for a workforce not as concerned as we thought, the Raptors missed a chance to show over a roster in want of change, writes our Sam Quinn.
Our NBA workforce completely crushed it, and I encourage you to learn their work as you (and I) attempt to catch up from a whirlwind previous few days.
NFL Honors: Mahomes joins historic firm with second MVP 🏈
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Patrick Mahomes is the MVP as soon as once more, and this time it was in much more dominant vogue than his first one. Mahomes obtained 48 of a doable 50 first-place votes (Jalen Hurts received the opposite two) after setting a brand new NFL file for offensive yards in a season (5,614). He joins Brett Favre as the one quarterbacks with a number of MVPs by the age of 27.
Here have been the opposite award winners…
In a cool second, Bills assistant athletic coach Denny Kellington — a key member in Damar Hamlin‘s on-field care after he collapsed — obtained an MVP vote.
Before the evening was over, the NFL unveiled the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Here are the eight members:
Revis and Thomas have been first-year alternatives.
The 2024 class will probably be loaded with gamers of their first yr of eligibility, too, notes our Bryan DeArdo. Among the largest names are Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates and Andrew Luck. Yes, subsequent season will mark 5 seasons since Luck retired. My, how time flies.
Rangers purchase star winger Vladimir Tarasenko from Blues 🏒
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Speaking of giant trades, the NBA did not have all the enjoyable Thursday. With the NHL commerce deadline nonetheless practically a month away, the Rangers made a press release transfer, buying Vladimir Tarasenko from the Blues. Here are the complete particulars:
Rangers obtain:
RW Vladimir Tarasenko
D Niko Mikkola
Blues obtain:
LW Samuel BlaisD Hunter SkinnerConditional 2023 first-round chooseConditional 2024 fourth-round choose
Tarasenko has battled accidents this season and three of the previous 4 total, however when wholesome, he is a factors machine who can match anyplace, writes our Austin Nivison.
Nivison: “It’s not exhausting to see the place Tarasenko may slot into the Rangers’ top-six ahead group. There’s an opportunity he may workforce up with fellow countryman Artemi Panarin on the highest line with Mika Zibanejad at middle. Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant may additionally attempt to type a deadly scoring line by placing Tarasenko on the other facet of Chris Kreider with Vincent Trocheck within the center.”
What we’re watching this weekend 📺
Friday
🏀 Hornets at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Cavaliers at Pelicans, 10 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday
🏀 No. 3 Alabama at Auburn, 2 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 21 UConn at No. 23 Creighton, 2 p.m. on FOX
🏀 No. 14 Baylor at No. 17 TCU, 4 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 76ers at Nets, 6 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Lakers at Warriors, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
Sunday
🏀 Grizzlies at Celtics, 2 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 3 LSU at No. 1 South Carolina, 2 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs vs. Eagles, 6:30 p.m. on FOX
