European action kicks off for 2009 on Wednesday as David Beckham s AC Milan and a strong contingent of English and French clubs restart their attempt to deny UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg a consecutive title.
AC Milan s loss to rivals Inter on Sunday to lose touch in Italy may galvanise Carlo Ancelotti s men in the last 32 of this second-tier club competition while Aston Villa might be stung into action after defeat in the FA Cup.
Turks Galatasaray should be motivated in their trip to Bordeaux knowing the May 20 final is in Istanbul while AC Milan s evergreen defender Paolo Maldini, who turns 41 in June, has a chance for one last European hurrah after a glittering career with the Rossoneri.
AC Milan s fixture at Werder Bremen on Wednesday pits two coaches…
It’s Week 15 in the NFL, which means we thankfully get our final primetime viewing of the Chicago Bears as they host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. This is the fourth time the 4-9 Bears will get a primetime slot, although, to be fair, Minnesota hasn’t exactly been playing must-watch football itself.
However, the Vikes are on the playoff bubble and NFL betting lines have them installed as 5.5-point road favorites for this contest.
Here are our best free Vikings vs. Bears NFL picks and predictions for Monday Night Football on December 20.
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This week, my NFL player props spotlight is going to keep it simple. Just as Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel will keep it simple.
Just like famed early-2000s rapper Obie Trice kept it simple for his entire rap career (which may or may not have spanned a whole four years):
“Real name. No gimmicks.”
The real name we’re speaking is King Henry, and there are no gimmicks behind what Vrabel will do tonight — run Henry all game long.
My colleagues Jason Logan and Josh Inglis both had a cheesy flavor to their Titans vs. Packers betting preview and TNF player prop picks — but in this space, I’m all about Derrick Henry props.
So let’s Escalade to the nearest Super 8 and get straight to business, as my free NFL picks like the Titans’ m…
The NFL season enters Week 16 odds with an NFC matchup between two teams in the thick of a playoff race when the New Orleans Saints meet the Los Angeles Rams tonight at SoFi Stadium.
New Orleans has won two straight and tied for first place in the NFC South. Los Angeles is coming off a 28-20 home victory over Washington but is four games behind NFC West leader San Francisco and needs a victory to remain in the NFC Wild Card hunt.
Please join me as I break down the TNF odds and share my top three NFL picks for the Saints and Rams on Thursday, December 21.
If you are looking for a full game breakdown, be sure to check out our Saints vs Rams predictions as well as our Matthew Stafford odds spotlight.
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The NFL preseason is over, so it’s time to ask:
Are you ready for some (real) football?
Caleb Williams represents the future (and finally hope) in Chicago, Stefon Diggs is the new face of a dynasty in the making, Patrick Mahomes is still the head of a current dynasty… and Aaron Rodgers remains the center of the universe (at least to him).
To get you up to speed with all the offseason changes ahead of Week 1, Jason Logan previews all 32 NFL teams — including NFL odds, key matchups, Super Bowl 2025 futures, and star player profiles — check out the full slate of team previews below!
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West Brom have confirmed they are to open contract talks with head coach Steve Clarke in the new year.
Clarke was appointed in June 2012 after Roy Hodgson departed to take charge of England, and led West Brom to eighth in the Premier League last season.
The Scot s deal at The Hawthorns expires at the end of the current campaign, but the Midlands outfit have revealed they will aim to clarify Clarke s future at the beginning of 2014.
Steve s contract situation was discussed at last month s board meeting, West Brom s sporting and technical director Richard Garlick said in a statement.
We decided that we would open talks with Steve in the New Year which, historically, we feel is the appropriate time to address such matters.
We have got an extremely busy period …
David de Gea has committed his future to Manchester United by signing a new deal until June 2023, the Premier League side have confirmed.
De Gea, 28, was set to be out of contract at the end of the 2019-20 season but has instead signed to stay at United for at least another four years.
The Spain international, who helped United win the Premier League in his second season at the club in 2012-13, had previously been linked with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Serie A champions Juventus.
But any doubt over his future has been cleared up and De Gea could take his Old Trafford stay to 13 years if the option to extend his new deal by a further year to 2024 is exercised.
This is his home.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd)
It has been a pri…
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has urged his Premier League leaders not to let their focus wander as they begin 2016 against Newcastle United on Saturday.
Wenger s men top the table on goal difference from Leicester City and head into the new year on the back of an impressive 2015, which has seen them win the most points (81) and matches (25) in the division.
Arsenal have been top four times going into the new year during the Premier League era but have closed out their title challenge on just one of those occasions in 2002.
Being top on goal difference doesn t make a big difference, it is just down to how well you play, Wenger said. Your performances dictate all that and you have to be guided by your performances.
After that it is reassuring to…
Jack Grealish said his omission from England s Euro 2024 squad was the most difficult thing I ve ever had to deal with .
Grealish was left out by Gareth Southgate, despite having been a regular in England s set-up since 2021.
The playmaker, who joined City from Aston Villa for £100million after helping England reach the final of Euro 2020, endured a stop-start campaign for Pep Guardiola s team in 2023-24.
Grealish scored three goals and set up a further three in 36 appearances in all competitions for City last season, but injuries and a loss of form meant he often had to settle for a cameo role.
But after missing out on Euro 2024, the 28-year-old has additional motivation to get back to his best.
I ll be honest it was probably, football-wise, t…
Good ol’ NFL Week 17 used to be a mess for bettors when it served as the final week of the schedule. But now with the expanded slate, it provides some excellent opportunities for situational handicappers searching for hidden value in the NFL odds.
We look past the advanced stats and power ratings, getting our hands dirty by digging into this week’s schedule to unearth our top spot bets for Week 17 – letdown, lookahead, and schedule spots.
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