Month: December 2021

Georgia crushes Michigan, earns national title rematch vs. Alabama

Georgia rolled to a blowout win over Michigan in the Orange Bowl, setting up a rematch against Alabama in the national title game

After Alabama easily handled Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl, most college football fans were at least hoping the Orange Bowl would provide a competitive College Football Playoff semifinal.

Instead, it was even worse.

Michigan never had a chance Friday night against Georgia, as the Bulldogs rolled to a 34-11 blowout win to set up a rematch with the Crimson Tide in the national title game. The Wolverines didn’t find the end zone until the final minutes of the game, as Georgia dominated both sides of the ball all night long.

Georgia’s star-studded defense led the way, with top prospects like linebacker Nakobe Dean, defensive lineman Jordan Davis and cornerback Derion Kendrick setting the tone with big plays throughout the game.

The Bulldogs were undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country with Bama knocked them off in the SEC title game just a few weeks ago. They’ll get a chance at revenge now, with a chance to also avenge their recent national championship loss to the Tide back in 2018.

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WATCH: Braelon Allen’s postgame interview after winning the Las Vegas Bowl MVP

The Badger freshman takes home the Las Vegas Bowl MVP trophy

It was a fitting final night for Braelon Allen’s freshman season as the Badger running back was named MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl.

Allen paced Wisconsin to a 20-13 win over Arizona State where he racked up 159 rushing yards on 29 carries. As a team, the Sun Devils only finished with only 60 yards on the ground.

It was a sensational and surprising freshman campaign for Allen, who came into Wisconsin expecting to play on the defensive side of the ball and finished his first year as one of the best running backs in the country. Here is Allen’s reaction to Wisconsin’s win immediately after the game:

Jimmy Butler leads Heat past Jae’Sean Tate, Rockets on New Year’s Eve

Jae’Sean Tate led the Rockets 22 points (60% FG) and 7 rebounds in his return from a health and safety protocols stint, but Houston couldn’t fully overcome an early 25-point deficit versus Miami.

Jimmy Butler was questionable going into Friday with a right ankle sprain, but the five-time All-Star played through the pain and lifted his Miami Heat to a 120-110 road victory (box score) at Houston’s Toyota Center to spoil the New Year’s Eve home game for the Rockets.

Butler scored a game-high 37 points on 12-of-21 shooting (57.1%), including 11-of-11 on free throws and 2-of-3 on 3-pointers (66.7%). Reserve guard Kyle Guy added 17 points and 4 assists on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range (66.7%) — with nearly all coming in the first half.

That helped Miami (23-13) build a 25-point buffer in the second quarter, and while Houston (10-26) cut the lead to as little as 5 in the fourth, getting completely over the hump proved too much to ask.

In his first game since returning from a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Jae’Sean Tate led the Rockets with 22 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 9-of-15 from the field (60.0%) and 2-of-3 on 3-pointers (66.7%). Big man Christian Wood added 18 points (8-of-14 shooting, 57.1%), 8 rebounds, and 4 assists for Houston, while rookie Jalen Green scored 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting (45.5%) in 28 minutes.

Fellow rookie Alperen Sengun left the game early with a right ankle sprain, though head coach Stephen Silas said postgame that he did not yet have an update about whether he would miss games moving forward.

The Rockets, who now enter 2022 looking to snap a six-game losing streak, will play the second end of a home New Year’s back-to-back on Saturday — with tipoff versus Denver set for 7:00 p.m. CST at Toyota Center. Until then, scroll on for Friday’s highlights and postgame reaction.

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Blazers vs. Lakers: Play-by-play, highlights and reactions

The Portland Trail Blazers (13-21) play against the Los Angeles Lakers (19-19) at STAPLES Center Game Time: 10:30 PM EST on Friday December 31, 2021 Portland Trail Blazers 0, Los Angeles Lakers 0 (10:30 pm ET) What’s the buzz on Twitter? Allen Sliwa …

The Portland Trail Blazers (13-21) play against the Los Angeles Lakers (19-19) at STAPLES Center

Game Time: 10:30 PM EST on Friday December 31, 2021

Portland Trail Blazers 0, Los Angeles Lakers 0 (10:30 pm ET)

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Allen Sliwa @AllenSliwa
Looking forward to see Austin Reaves back tonight…
@ESPNLosAngeles pic.twitter.com/K9wrt5Mkhz – 10:36 PM

Portland Trail Blazers @trailblazers
Starting 5 in the city of Angels.
0⃣ @Damian Lillard
2⃣4⃣ @Norman Powell
9⃣ @Nassir Little
1⃣7⃣ @Tony Snell
1⃣1⃣ @Larrydn22
#RipCity | @stormxio pic.twitter.com/6TbujlTdE1 – 10:32 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
The Grizzlies matched the opponent season high for paint points with 72.
The Lakers also scored 72 paint points in a game against the Spurs’ defense earlier this season. – 10:27 PM
Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers
Last 5⃣ of 2021.
#SuitingUpTogether | @ToyotaSoCal pic.twitter.com/glMaCvJCyW – 10:12 PM

Dave McMenamin @mcten
The Lakers are starting LeBron James at center once again tonight vs. POR. Former Laker Larry Nance Jr. is manning the middle for the Blazers. Also of note, Stanley Johnson remains in the starting lineup at PF for LAL, even with A. Reaves, T. Ariza and K. Bazemore returning – 10:11 PM
Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Lakers start small again with LeBron at C:
Westbrook, Bradley, Monk, Johnson and LeBron
Portland is also small, with Larry Nance Jr. at center, alongside Lillard, Powell, Snell and Little. – 10:01 PM
Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Stanley Johnson is still in the starting lineup — LeBron is in at center. Darren Collison among the notable inactives. pic.twitter.com/paBHSjwccK – 10:01 PM

Matt Williams @StatsWilliams
Trae Young has scored 25 points in 15 straight games, the 2nd-longest streak in Hawks history.
December marked the 3rd time in his career he averaged 30 points and 10 assists in a calendar month (min. 10 games).
Only Russell Westbrook has done that more over the last 35 years. – 10:00 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Tonight’s -13 point differential in the fourth quarter was the worst of the season by the Clippers.
The only other two games where they lost the fourth quarter by 10 points were blowout losses at Portland and New Orleans. – 9:59 PM
Joe Mullinax @sbnGrizzlies
Feels a lot like the Lakers game a few nights back. Guys were struggling to score, but hit key shots down the stretch. You hope they can pull it together before the 4th. – 9:34 PM
Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers
Play Lakers Pick ‘Em for your chance to win tickets to the January 19 game vs the Pacers. – 9:30 PM
Jamie Hudson @JamieHudson_
Ringing in the New Year with @KOINNews 🥳
We’ll have all your Blazers-Lakers highlights, CFP highlights, & much more tonight at 11! #RipCity pic.twitter.com/Q1XwmOcHfj – 9:13 PM

Allen Sliwa @AllenSliwa
Lakers/Blazers tonight at 7:30p…Always a tough matchup vs Dame
@ESPNLosAngeles pic.twitter.com/48fNv8xrWV – 8:54 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Frank Vogel, in addition to being available himself tonight, says Kent Bazemore, Austin Reaves and Trevor Ariza will all be available to play. – 8:48 PM
Bill Oram @billoram
Frank Vogel (!) says Kent Bazemore, Trevor Ariza and Austin Reaves will all be available tonight vs Portland after being in the Covid protocols. – 8:48 PM
Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Frank Vogel said Trevor Ariza, Austin Reaves and Kent Bazemore are all available coming out of protocols. – 8:47 PM
Mary Schmitt Boyer/Jodie Valade @PDcavsinsider
Former Cavs Coach Mike Fratello does TV work for the L.A. Clippers. He has seen quite a bit of Rajon Rondo in the last few years. trib.al/27Tj3Gl – 8:01 PM
Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
I spoke with Stanley Johnson about joining the Lakers, growing up wanting to play for LAL, his conversations with Frank Vogel, his career, and his goal of sticking on the 15-man roster.
New feature for @TheAthletic: theathletic.com/3043784/2021/1… – 7:44 PM
Sean Cunningham @SeanCunningham
Dwight Powell has four straight dunks on the heads of the Kings – 7:32 PM
Jonathan Feigen @Jonathan_Feigen
Rockets defense has been considerably better than it was to start against the Lakers, and the Heat have made 7 of 9 shots, with assists on five of them. – 7:22 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Also, tonight is the Daniel Oturu #RevengeGame … he was thrown in the Eric Bledsoe trade, a transaction that ensured that none of the four players involved (Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo) actually played a game for the Memphis Grizzlies
Oturu is one of nine Raptors off bench. – 7:16 PM
Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
Robert Williams’ 5-block, triple-double Friday afternoon was the first in the NBA in nearly three years (Jusuf Nurkic, Jan. 2019).
Only five players have done it in the last decade (Nurkic, Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Boogie Cousins and Draymond Green (twice)) – 6:38 PM
Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
The FVV-Trent-OG-Siakam-Birch unit, which starts for the Raptors tonight, has only appeared in 1 game so far this season: the Nov 15 loss to Portland.
In 6 mins together, they scored 19 pts and allowed 19 pts. Smallest of small sample sizes, but the Blazers shot 8-for-10 vs them – 6:37 PM
Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
We’ll never know if Notre Dame, Baylor or Ohio State would’ve made this a better game but Cincinnati deserved the shot even though my 93-year-old dad says ‘Cincinnati was a Questionable 4 seed’ – 6:15 PM
Jusuf Nurkic @bosnianbeast27
Demar the dagger 😁 – 6:06 PM
Trey Kerby @treykerby
I first said the Bulls are BACK! after a comeback win against the Blazers on January 5, 2021. They went 52-48 in 100 games this year and go in to 2022 first in the East. 👀🔴 – 5:32 PM
Trendon Watford @trendonw
Off one leg???😳 – 5:30 PM
Marla Ridenour @MRidenourABJ
Updated with the signing of guard Brandon Goodwin to a 10-day contract: #Cavaliers acquire guard Rajon Rondo from #Lakers for Denzel Valentine beaconjournal.com/story/sports/p… via @beaconjournal – 5:17 PM
Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Cincinnati isn’t doing any worse against Alabama than Michigan State did, or Notre Dame did, or Washington did. This shouldn’t be a referendum against Group of Five schools. This should just be further confirmation that Alabama is awesome. – 5:15 PM
David Hardisty @clutchfans
Lakers fans trying to sell Rockets fans on a trade for Russell Westbrook pic.twitter.com/HjmlVsmnUo – 5:11 PM

Mike Beuoy @inpredict
Pacesetters: which players have the biggest (on/off) impact on their team’s offensive pace.
The Lakers play slower with Lebron on the floor.
The Warriors play faster with Steph on the floor.
https://t.co/dscDyJxtGk pic.twitter.com/hVNT8tGrg1 – 5:05 PM

Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Sunday’s Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts Week 17 odds and lines, with expert NFL picks, predictions and best bets.

The Las Vegas Raiders (8-7) and Indianapolis Colts (9-6) face off Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in a critical Week 17 AFC battle. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (on FOX). Below, we look at the Raiders vs. Colts odds and lines, and make our best NFL picks, predictions and bets.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Raiders are currently ninth in the conference, on the outside looking up at the seven playoff seeds. However, they control their own destiny: Beat the Colts Sunday and the Los Angeles Chargers at home in Week18 and the Raiders are in.

The Colts, who are on a three-game win streak, are fifth in the AFC and clinch a playoff berth with a win Sunday. They are one game back of the Tennessee Titans (10-5) in the AFC South but lose the tiebreaker because the Titans swept the season series.

For Indy to win the division, it needs to pick up 1½ games on Tennessee.

Also see: All Week 17 odds and lines

Raiders at Colts odds, spread and lines

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 10:24 p.m. ET.

  • Money line: Raiders +265 (bet $100 to win $265) | Colts -350 (bet $350 to win $100)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Raiders +6.5 (+102) | Colts -6.5 (-125)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 44.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

PLAY: Try our new, free daily Pick’em Challenge and win. Play now!

Raiders at Colts key injuries

Raiders

  • DT Johnathan Hankins (back) questionable
  • CB Casey Hayward (reserve/COVID-19 list) questionable
  • TE Denzel Perryman (reserve/COVID-19 list) questionable
  • TE Darren Waller (reserve/COVID-19 list) questionable
  • LB K.J. Wright (reserve/COVID-19 list) questionable

Colts

  • S Jahleel Addae (reserve/COVID-19 list) questionable
  • TE Jack Doyle (knee, ankle) questionable
  • LT Eric Fisher (knee, shoulder, toe) questionable
  • S Andrew Sendejo (concussion) questionable
  • RT Braden Smith (reserve/COVID-19 list) questionable
  • QB Carson Wentz (reserve/COVID-19 list) questionable

Let’s Make This Interesting

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Raiders at Colts odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Colts 28, Raiders 14

Money line

PASS. The risk of Indy’s -350 price isn’t worth the reward.

Against the spread

ATS records: Raiders 6-9 | Colts 10-5

While Las Vegas needs the win more, INDIANAPOLIS -6.5 (-125) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager.

Even if QB Wentz doesn’t play because he’s on the reserve/COVID-19 list, RB Jonathan Taylor and Indianapolis’ ground game will be the difference.

Taylor leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,626) and rushing touchdowns (17). He is second in rushing yards per game (108.4), only behind the Titans’ Derrick Henry (117.1), who last played in Week 8 because of an injury.

Behind Taylor, the Colts feature the league’s second-best rushing attack with 154.9 yards per game – Philly is first (163.2). The Raiders defense yields 115.7 rushing yards per contest to rank 19th.

Meanwhile, the Colts are 6-1 straight up (SU) and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games, including 3-0 SU/ATS in December. The Raiders are 2-2 SU but 1-3 ATS this month.

Over/Under

O/U records: Raiders 7-8 | Colts 8-7

BET UNDER 44.5 (-110) to win a FULL UNIT if Wentz sits, which means rookie QB Sam Ehlinger makes his first NFL start.

If Wentz plays, BET UNDER 44.5 (-110) to win a HALF UNIT.

The Under is 3-0 in the Colts’ last three contests, which averaged 37.7 total points per game (PPG). The Raiders are coming off back-to-back Unders, averaging 16.5 PPG on offense and allowing 13.5 PPG on defense.

Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and, soon, IA. Bet now!

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WATCH: Top plays from Wisconsin’s win over Arizona State

A look at the top plays from Wisconsin’s bowl win

Thanks to a tremendous first half on both sides of the football, Wisconsin finished their season in the win column with a 20-13 victory over Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl on Thursday night.

From backups in the secondary stepping up, to pressuring the quarterback by way of Nick Herbig and friends, Wisconsin dominated the game on the defensive side of the ball, as they have in every win this season.

The first half saw Braelon Allen pass the century mark on the ground, while Graham Mertz connected on a set of big plays to give Wisconsin a 20-6 lead at the break. From there, Wisconsin’s defense held on as the Badger offense was able to put together a fourth-quarter drive that lasted nearly ten minutes and ultimately ended with the clock running out.

Here is a look at top plays from Wisconsin’s bowl win, courtesy of Wisconsin football:

Dalvin Cook’s brother has big game for Georgia in Orange Bowl

Dalvin Cook’s brother starred for Georgia in the Orange Bowl

Football runs in the genes of the Cook family.

Dalvin has been one of the best running backs in the NFL for years.

And his younger brother, James, put on a show for Georgia against Michigan in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

James Cook caught a touchdown pass from Stetson Bennett, good for 39 yards, as the Dawgs opened a 34-3 lead in the fourth quarter.

That gave James Cook four catches for 109 yards and he added six rushes for 32 yards as Georgia was well on its way to a rematch with Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship game on Jan. 10.

James Cook is a 5-foot-11, 191-pound senior RB. He had 619 rushing yards in 2021 and scored 7 TDs on the ground.

“He’s a versatile back so I expect that from him,” Dalvin said in 2020 of James. “I’ve got big expectations for him, bigger shoes than anybody can imagine for him and he can imagine for himself. He knows how hard I am on him, how hard I push him. I think he’s just scratching the surface of the things you’re going to see this year. It’s not a surprise to me, but to everybody else.”

 

Wisconsin’s freshman wide receivers flash their potential in Las Vegas Bowl win

The Badger freshman showed flashes on Thursday

With an additional year of COVID-19 eligibility under their belts, Wisconsin’s senior wide receivers Danny Davis III and Kendric Pryor were able to return for one final campaign in 2021.

While it helped the Badgers in the short-term to have experienced leaders in the room, it was hard not to wonder what was brewing at the future of the position.

Wisconsin brought in a loaded 2021 class, both in general and specifically at the wide receiver position. The highest-rated Badger class in the modern recruiting era showed up in multiple facets of the game on Thursday night, but perhaps the most fun flashes came from the wide receiver position.

It started on just the third Wisconsin play of the evening as Markus Allen hauled in a 31-yard grab to set up the first Badger touchdown of the night. Allen was previously committed to Michigan before choosing Wisconsin, and the 6-foot-2 target showed a glimpse of his future on the biggest Badger pass play of the evening.

Then it was Skyler Bell’s turn to make a play. The true freshman was on the receiving end of one of Graham Mertz’s best plays of the night. The Kansas native rolled left and found Bell across his body for a massive first down.

Bell and Allen will be thrown into bigger roles next season after playing behind Wisconsin’s seniors, and you can expect them to be ready.

NFL Player Prop Bet Payday: Week 17

Five NFL prop bets to exploit in Week 17.

As we turn the calendar into a new year, there is still a lot to be decided for those teams looking to get in the playoffs. For this week, we chose five players who are in the thick of the race to get to the postseason in hopes that their performances (good or bad) will take you to the pay window.

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook (updated Friday, Dec. 31, at 6:45 p.m. ET) … If you’re in CO or NJ, place all of your legal, online sports wagers with Tipico Sportsbook. 

Remember the Titans

Tennessee is trying to hold off the Indianapolis Colts and won last week due in large part to wide receiver A.J. Brown. He had a monster games and, at times, looked uncoverable. The Miami Dolphins have a good defense, which could explain why Brown’s number is low (71.5 receiving yards at -114 for both Over and Under). Xavien Howard will likely be chasing him, but Ryan Tannehill is probable to lock in Brown downfield. If he catches five passes, he should hit this number. Take the Over (-114).

Keeping Up with the Joneses

With the injury to Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones once again finds himself in the center of the offense. He’s been a forgotten man in Bruce Arians’ system for the last year-and-a-half. His Over/Under is modest (67.5 rushing yards at -116 Over, -111 Under). Last week, he had 20 carries and gained just 65 yards, but that was against a good run defense in Carolina. This week, he’s facing the hapless New York Jets. The Bucs are massive favorites and should have a comfortable lead by halftime. If that expectation happens, Jones will get get pounded time and again and should hit close to 20 carries once more. Against the Jets defense, that could mean 100 rushing yards. Take the Over (-116).

It Takes Tua

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is being given a pretty respectable Over/Under against Tennessee (240.5 passing yards at -114 for both). Often times, quarterbacks produce higher yardage numbers in games in which they’re getting beaten and have to pass. That hasn’t been true of Tua. His best yardage days have come against the hounds of the league. In 11 games, he has topped this Over/Under number only four times – three of those against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jets and New York Giants. When he faces good teams, they tend to keep him in check, and the Titans qualify as a good team. Take the Under (-114).

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Cut to the Chase

Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase has had an outstanding rookie season and has been the big-play threat in the Bengals offense, averaging more than 17 yards per reception. He goes up against a Kansas City Chiefs defense that plays a lot of man coverage and takes chances. In what looks to be a back-and-forth, up-tempo battle, his Over/Under isn’t outrageous (67.5 receiving yards at -115 Over, -112 Under). There is plenty of competition for receptions from teammates Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, but if Chase catches four passes, his numbers tell you he will hit the point. Take the Over (-115).

Freaks and Zekes

It has been an up-and-down season for Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott. His Over/Under this week is likely the lowest of his stellar career to this point (53.5 rushing yards at -115 Over, -112 Under). The reason is obvious – he hasn’t hit 54 rushing yards in any of his last nine games. However, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals with a lot on the line for both teams, look for Dallas to try to remained balanced on offense, which should mean a healthy dose of Elliott and Tony Pollard. I wouldn’t blame anyone for taking the Under, because he hasn’t hit his current number in nine straight games, but all streaks come to an end, and the hunch is that it ends Sunday. Take the Over (-115).

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LOOK: Twitter reacts to Alabama dominating Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl

Twitter had some mixed emotions over the Crimson Tide’s win.

Top-ranked Alabama took on No. 4 Cincinnati in the 2021 Cotton Bowl, which served as a College Football Playoff semifinal game this season. The Crimson Tide dominated the Bearcats, with a final score of 27-6.

Alabama’s defense held Jerome Ford and the Cincinnati offense to only two field goals, never allowing a touchdown.

The game had implications beyond the College Football Playoff, as Cincinnati looked to prove they belonged in the playoff. The Bearcats were the first Group of 5 team to be one of the top-four teams at the end of the season.

Fans, former players and analysts took to Twitter to share their opinions on Alabama’s dominating performance over the Bearcats.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.