Month: September 2020

NASCAR Cup Series Playoff schedule: Where are the 10 playoff races in 2020?

Your guide to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Kevin Harvick won the 2020 NASCAR regular-season title on Saturday night at Daytona, and he’ll start the 2020 Playoffs atop the standings as the NASCAR Cup Series season draws to a close.

The Playoff field of 16 drivers will face off over a three-race opening round before a total of four drivers are eliminated. The field will be cut to 8 drivers after another three races, and finally to a Final Four for the winner-take-all season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

The 2020 Playoffs will begin with one of NASCAR’s most prestigious events – the Southern 500 at Darlington. Here’s the remaining schedule for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

ROUND OF 16

Sunday, September 6th: Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

  • Race time: 6:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN
  • Last winner at Darlington: Denny Hamlin

Saturday, September 12th: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway

  • Race time: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN
  • Last winner at Richmond: Martin Truex Jr.

Saturday, September 19th: Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway

  • Race time: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN
  • Last winner at Bristol: Brad Keselowski in a 500 lap race, Chase Elliott in the All-Star Race

ROUND OF 12

Sunday, September 27th: South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

  • Race time: 7:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN
  • Last winner at Las Vegas: Joey Logano

Sunday, October 4th: YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway

  • Race time: 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC
  • Last winner at Talladega: Ryan Blaney

Sunday, October 11th: Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course

  • Race time: 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC
  • Last winner at the Charlotte ROVAL: Chase Elliott

ROUND OF 8

Sunday, October 18th: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway

  • Race time: 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC
  • Last winner at Kansas: Denny Hamlin

Sunday, October 25th: Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

  • Race time: 3:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN
  • Last winner at Texas: Austin Dillon

Sunday, November 1st: Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway

  • Race time: 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC
  • Last winner at Martinsville: Martin Truex Jr.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND OF 4

Sunday, November 8th: Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway

  • Race time: 3:00 p.m. ET on NBC
  • Last winner at Phoenix: Joey Logano

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RB Josh Jacobs only Raider to be named in ESPN’s top-100 players for the 2020 season

RB Josh Jacobs only Raider to be named in ESPN’s top-100 players for the 2020 season

Coming off a monster rookie season, running back Josh Jacobs is looking to establish himself as one of the league’s best running backs. But for him to do that, he will need to stay healthy for a full 16 game season.

Entering the year, you can certainly make the case that Jacobs is the team’s best player. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ second-ranked running back last season and looked dominant as a runner. If he can improve as a pass-catcher, nothing is stopping him from becoming the best running back in the NFL.

In a recent piece by ESPN and their beat writers, they predicted who will be the top-100 players for the 2020 season. Surprisingly, only one Raiders’ player appeared on the list and that was Jacobs. Take a look at what Paul Gutierrez had to say about Jacobs entering the season:

“In rushing for a franchise rookie record of 1,150 yards, Jacobs set a high bar for himself. Then he went even higher, saying he wants to catch 60 passes in 2020. That’s unlikely, though Las Vegas is betting on his continued ascent as a premier feature back. His preternatural field vision and deceptive power make it a winning wager.”

The Raiders have designed an offense that suits Jacobs’ skillset. They have a talented fullback in Alec Ingold and one of the biggest offensive lines in the NFL. It’s clear that Jon Gruden wants the offense to run through Jacobs and the team will use him to grind out the clock.

Assuming the Raiders’ defense can help keep them in games, Jacobs should be in for a monster workload this season. Don’t be surprised if we see multiple games this season where Jacobs touches the ball 30 or more times. He’s clearly the team’s best player and they want to use him early and often this year.

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Alabama football countdown: 25 days until kickoff

We are 25 days from Alabama football kicking off its season on the road against the Missouri Tigers to start a 10-game, SEC only schedule.

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding college football over the last couple of weeks, but as of right now, the season still looks like it’s a go for the SEC, ACC and Big 12.

So, what does that mean? It means that we can continue the Countdown to Kickoff en route to the Crimson Tide — and the rest of the SEC — getting things underway on Sept. 26.

With it now being Sept. 1, we are officially 25 days away from the start!

At this time, no one is currently wearing the No. 25 for Alabama. In the past, it was worn by former running back Josh Jacobs early in his career before he switched the No. 8.

Most notably, former off-ball linebacker Rolando McClain, who eventually became the No. 8 overall pick to the Oakland Raiders in the 2011 NFL Draft, wore the number for the Crimson Tide.

Sep 26, 2009; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks tight end D.J. Williams (45) catches a pass as Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Rolando McClain (25) – linebacker Dont’a Hightower (30) defend at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

2020 Alabama football schedule

  • Sept. 26 at Missouri (Columbia, Mizz.)
  • Oct. 3 vs. Texas A&M (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Oct. 10 at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.)
  • Oct. 17 vs. Georgia (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Oct. 24 at Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)
  • Oct. 31 vs. Miss State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Nov. 14 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
  • No. 21 vs. Kentucky (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Nov. 28 vs. Auburn (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Dec. 5 at Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Stay tuned for more updates from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports College Wire network!

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Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees sports betting odds and lines, with MLB betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Tampa Bay Rays (25-11) and the New York Yankees (19-14) continue their three-game set Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. We analyze the Rays-Yankees MLB betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.

Rays at Yankees: Projected starting pitchers

RHP Trevor Richards vs. RHP Masahiro Tanaka

Richards enters play with no decisions across 21 innings in his six appearances, posting a 5.14 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. He has started two games with four relief appearances.

  • Richards will be making his third appearance against the Yankees. Both of his previous outings against the Bronx Bombers were relief outings, allowing four runs – two earned – and eight hits over seven innings with six strikeouts.
  • Richards tied a season-high with 4 1/3 innings in his most recent start Aug. 26 against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing two unearned runs, six hits and two walks with three strikeouts in a no-decision.

Also see: BaseballHQ Fantasy Baseball

Tanaka has made five starts this season and he is still angling for his first victory. He is 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 17 strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings.

  • Tanaka has had mixed results against the Rays this season. He allowed just one hit and no walks with five strikeouts in five scoreless innings in a no-decision Aug. 7 in St. Petersburg, but he was pounded for six runs – five earned – and eight hits in just four innings in a loss at The Stadium Aug. 18.
  • In that ugly showing Aug. 18 vs. Tampa Bay, Tanaka allowed four extra-base hits and he threw just 43 of his 71 pitches for strikes.

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Rays at Yankees: Key injuries

(List of injuries around the league)

Rays

  • RP Nick Anderson (forearm) questionable
  • 1B Ji-Man Choi (stomach) questionable
  • 3B Yandy Diaz (hamstring) questionable
  • OF Austin Meadows (oblique) questionable

Yankees

  • OF Aaron Judge (calf) out
  • OF Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) out
  • 2B Gleyber Torres (hamstring) out
  • RP Zack Britton (hamstring) out

Rays at Yankees: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 9:50 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Yankees 6, Rays 5

Moneyline (ML)

The YANKEES (-134) have three of their big bats out of the lineup, so they’ll have to manufacture runs. They’ll face a pitcher who isn’t terribly stretched out and won’t go deep into the game, while they have one of their aces on the bump. Of course, that didn’t mean much in the series opener when the Yankees lost with Gerrit Cole on the mound. Still, take the Yankees to scratch out a win against Richards and the Rays (+120).

New to sports betting? A winning $10 bet on the Yankees would return a profit of just $7.50.

Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

Steer far clear of the run line here. The Yankees (-1.5, +150) side looks pretty tempting, but they have just three wins since Aug. 17, and two of those victories were of the one-run variety. AVOID.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 9 (-110) is the lean here, but don’t expect the game to go over by much. Again, the Yankees are missing their biggest bats, although the Over is 2-0-1 in their past three regardless. The Over has cashed in two in a row for the Rays, too, and the Over is 5-2 in the past seven meetings in this series.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

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Derrick Ansley details safeties Trevon Flowers, Jaylen McCollough

Derrick Ansley details safeties Trevon Flowers, Jaylen McCollough.

KNOXVILLE — The safety position is an important part to Tennessee’s defensive scheme.

During fall training camp, Vols Wire has analyzed Jeremy Pruitt’s split safety coverage scheme.

Understanding CONE, STUMP, SMASH, POSTER and FIT within the split safety coverage

Understanding Jeremy Pruitt’s split safety coverage: CONNIE

Understanding Jeremy Pruitt’s split safety coverage: STUBBIE

Jeremy Pruitt, Will Muschamp’s defensive CLIP

Todd Monken’s Air Raid versus Jeremy Pruitt’s split safety coverage

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Tennessee defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley discussed the coverage during the second week of fall training camp.

“We want to play football, tight close man-to-man,” Ansley said on a Zoom call with reporters. “We want to deny the football. We want to affect the quarterback with four rushers and play split safety defense as much as we can.”

Cornerbacks that can play tight man coverage, to go along with a strong rush allows for the free and strong safeties to make a play on the ball, while providing difficulties for the quarterback to have any window in completing a pass.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Safety play for Tennessee in 2020 is headlined by Trevon Flowers and Jaylen McCollough.

“We moved Trevon from the free safety position to the strong safety, just kind of experimenting with that and trying to replace Nigel Warrior’s production there, I think that’s a good position for him,” Ansley said. “Tank (Jaylen McCollough) is still playing free safety and he’s also capable of playing the strong and the STAR.

“Theo Jackson is rotating in back there, as are Keshawn Lawrence, Cheyenne Labruzza and Tyus Fields. We have six or seven guys that are rotating back there and we’re going to need them all. We coach every guys like they’re the starters because you never know when you’re going to need that quality depth.”

Zozo Championship moves to the West Coast amid coronavirus pandemic

The Zozo Championship will not be played in Japan as previously scheduled, but will be played Oct. 22-25 at Sherwood Country Club.

The Zozo Championship is moving across the Pacific.

The second annual tournament will no longer return to Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan. Instead, it will be hosted by Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, the PGA Tour announced late Monday.

The event will still be played on its original dates, Oct. 22-25.

As a result of the move, the 2020 event will be called the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

The 2019 Zozo Championship made history as Tiger Woods won the inaugural tournament at Accordia by three shots to tie Sam Snead’s record of 82 career PGA Tour victories.

PGA Tour Executive Vice President, International Ty Votaw said in a statement the Zozo Championship is expected to return to Japan in 2021.

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The event, which will feature a 78-player field and an $8 million purse at the Jack Nicklaus Signature designed course, is now part of a three-event West Coast swing in October. The Zozo Championship follows the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nevada on Oct. 8-11 and the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas on Oct. 15-18.

“The PGA Tour is grateful that ZOZO Inc. has partnered with us to host the Zozo Championship at Sherwood this October,” Votaw said. “Considering Zozo Inc.’s main business is in Japan, the decision to hold its event in the U.S. underscores their commitment and support towards our sport, communities where we play and the PGA Tour. We are truly thankful for our partnership with ZOZO Inc. and the Japan Golf Tour Organization.”

Sherwood Country Club has hosted events such as Greg Norman’s Shark Shootout, the Chevron World Challenge hosted by Woods in 2011 and the Invesco QQQ Championship on the Champions Tour.

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Gregg Popovich, his Spurs head coach …

Gregg Popovich, his Spurs head coach for the 2015-16 season: I felt like an idiot (when we didn’t re-sign him after his rookie season). Sometimes, you do things because you know it’s right for the person. If you can do something that’s good for the team and the person, that’s great. But he was, we brought him over here so he felt that loyalty and everything. But we sort of had to explain to him that that loyalty only goes so far. You’ve got to take care of your family, and people make decisions to take care of their families. The offer he was getting was something that we couldn’t match, and I would have felt forever guilty if I would have convinced him to stay and give up all that money. In the end, I just had to say, “No, you’re going. You’re gonna go. You have a family. You have to do it.” And he begrudgingly went.

From my seat inside the arena Monday, …

From my seat inside the arena Monday, for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 104-100 win over Houston in Game 6, I could see Paul looking down toward Thunder coach Billy Donovan with 3.8 seconds left. What the TNT camera showed was Paul and Harden standing next to each other at the foul line, while Danilo Gallinari was about to make the game-clinching free throw, staring daggers through each other. But their eyes never met. “I wasn’t looking at him,” Paul told me. “I was looking down at coach, and then at the scoreboard, because if Gallo makes that shot, it’s game.”

The Thunder are using the same locker …

The Thunder are using the same locker room that the Milwaukee Bucks were in when they staged their historic protest. Paul, dressed in street clothes, exited the locker room to head down the hallway toward the bathroom, and let out a “Woooo.” On his way back, he told an NBA PR official, “We gotta get those ratings up.” … I’m taking Paul out of context here, but he was talking about the instruction to teammates he gives during games and he said: “I just love it that they know i’m going to talk the whole game. Sometimes I probably need to shut the hell up, but they’re going to hear me, that’s what I’m here for.”