Month: January 2025

How opponents figured out T.J. Watt—and what the Steelers must do next

Opponents found a way to neutralize T.J. Watt in 2024, and the Pittsburgh Steelers must adjust to help their star pass rusher bounce back.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 season was incredibly frustrating for a variety of reasons—but one of the most concerning was that opposing teams finally cracked the code on how to stop T.J. Watt.

In the Steelers’ last four games, all losses, Watt managed only one tackle for loss and failed to record a sack or quarterback hit. Opposing offenses began chipping Watt with tight ends, running backs, and additional linemen—and it worked, much to the dismay of the Black and Gold.

Watt will likely be open to moving around the defensive line, similar to what other dominant defensive players have done when offensive lines attempt to double-team them with tight ends and running backs, like Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons.

Watt isn’t Aaron Donald, who could simply eat up double or triple teams and continue to find success. The Pittsburgh Steelers should scheme their best player into potential one-on-one matchups.

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Bryan Cook injury updates: Latest news on Chiefs safety

#Chiefs safety Bryan Cook is dealing with a quad injury. Here are the latest updates. 

The Kansas City Chiefs released their latest injury report on Friday ahead of their matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

Veteran safety Bryan Cook was listed on all three of Kansas City’s injury reports this week.

Will Cook’s availability be affected by his injury heading into Super Bowl LIX?

Bryan Cook injury update

Cook is listed with a quad injury, but it did not impact his ability to participate in drills at Kansas City’s practices this week.

How long will Bryan Cook be out?

Cook is not expected to miss any time due to his condition and is sure to be a key contributor for the Chiefs when they face off against the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

Chiefs FS depth chart

Cook’s projected backup is up-and-coming defensive back Chamarri Conner. Rookie safety Chris Roland-Wallace could also be called upon to fill in for Cook in a pinch.

Kareem Hunt injury updates: Latest news on Chiefs RB

#Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt is dealing with a quad injury. Here are the latest updates. 

Kareem Hunt was instrumental in the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Buffalo Bills in last Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, and figures to play a key role in the team’s game plan for its Super Bowl LIX matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

While he has gotten through the season with minimal health concerns, Hunt was listed on the Chiefs’ estimated injury report on Wednesday, which was released during their week bye ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

Are there concerns Hunt could be absent when Kansas City takes on the Philadephia Eagles in the Super Bowl?

Kareem Hunt injury update

Hunt was listed on the Chiefs’ Wednesday injury report due to an issue with his quad. However, it was estimated that Hunt would have been a full participant in practice, had the team run drills on Wednesday, and he was removed from Kansas City’s injury reports for the rest of the week.

How long will Kareem Hunt be out?

Hunt is not expected to miss any time due to his condition after he was removed from the Chiefs’ injury report on Thursday and Friday.

Chiefs RB depth chart

The Chiefs’ ground game is dominated by running backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. Expect to see Samaje Perine get a few carries in, as well as a potential snap or two for the fourth-string rookie Carson Steele.

Patrick Mahomes injury updates: Latest news on Chiefs QB

#Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is dealing with an ankle injury. Here are the latest updates. 

Kansas City Chiefs released their latest injury report on Friday ahead of a highly anticipated Super Bowl LIX matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on February 9.

According to the report, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is still dealing with a lingering ankle injury.

Will Mahomes be able to play in Kansas City’s tilt against Philadelphia?

Patrick Mahomes injury update

Mahomes battled through his ankle injury this week and was a full participant in all of the Chiefs’ practice sessions after Kansas City’s win over the Buffalo Bills on Friday.

How long will Patrick Mahomes be out?

Mahomes’ condition didn’t affect his ability to practice this week, so it would be a huge surprise if his availability for Super Bowl LIX was impacted by the ankle injury he is dealing with.

Chiefs QB depth chart

Mahomes’ only backup is veteran signal-caller Carson Wentz, who started one game for the Chiefs in Week 18 of the regular season.

UFC Fight Night 250: Magomedov vs. Page odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 250 odds between Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round middleweight bout on the main card, Shara Magomedov and Michael Page meet at UFC Fight Night 250 — also known as UFC Saudi Arabia and UFC on ESPN+ 108 — Saturday at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. . Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Fight Night 250: Magomedov vs. Page odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 9 a.m. ET (ESPN+) with the main card approximately starting around noon ET.

Records: Magomedov (15-0-0) | Page (22-3-0)

Magomedov, also known as Sharabutdin Magomedov, has won all 4 of his fights at the UFC level starting with a unanimous-decision win over Bruno Silva at UFC 294 in October 2023. He has 2 UD victories and a pair of KO/TKO wins, including a 2nd-round stoppage against Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 Oct. 26, 2004.

Page is looking to bounce back after a unanimous-decision loss to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 June 29, 2024. In 2 fights since switching over from Bellator to UFC, Page has split a pair of unanimous-decision fights — he defeated Kevin Holland at UFC 299 in his company debut in last March.

Page enters the octagon with a huge 6-inch reach advantage. He can do work on the canvas if needed, although he hasn’t had a professional win via submission since an Achilles lock victory over Jeremie Holloway at Bellator 153. He is 3-0 via the method in his career, though, so it can’t be ruled out entirely.

Magomedov has 15 career victories in 15 tries, with 12 coming via knockout. The other 3 have been unanimous-decision victories, coming in his previous 6 fights, including against Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC on ABC 7 Aug. 3, 2024 .

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 250: Magomedov vs. Page odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 11:02 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Magomedov -185 (bet $185 to win $100) | Page +150 (bet $100 to win $150)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -250 | Under +185)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -200 | No +150)

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UFC Fight Night 250: Magomedov vs. Page picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

PAGE (+150) is an intriguing underdog in this matchup. He heads to the octagon with a 6-inch reach advantage, and that shouldn’t be discredited. That’s a big difference.

While Magomedov (-185) has been a punching machine since landing in the UFC, both fighters are equally accurate strikers. The switch-stance Page has plenty of experience at Bellator, too. He nearly won a championship with that company, coming up just short against Logan Storley at Bellator 281 in May 2022.

In 25 career bouts, Page is 13-1 via KO/TKO, although he has 2 decisions in 2 fights as the UFC level. The safer play is to back PAGE BY DECISION (+275) on the 5-way line, or just take him straight up on the 2-way in the event of a knockout. Either way, it’s plus-money.

Over/Under (O/U)

Over 2.5 Rounds (-250) is too expensive, costing 2½ times the potential return. Even going ‘Yes: Will the fight go the distance?’ (-200) will set you back twice as much as your return. That’s not really a recommended option. Get specific and choose a fighter to win by decision for a much better payday.

PASS.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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UFC Fight Night 250: Pavlovich vs. Rozenstruik odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 250 odds between Sergei Pavlovich and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round heavyweight bout on the main card, Sergei Pavlovich and Jairzinho Rozenstruik meet at UFC Fight Night 250 — also known as UFC Saudi Arabia and UFC on ESPN+ 108 — Saturday at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Fight Night 250: Pavlovich vs. Rozenstruik odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 9 a.m. ET (ESPN+) with the main card approximately kicking off around noon ET.

Records: Pavlovich (18-3-0) | Rozenstruik (15-5-0)

The southpaw Pavlovich looks to slap the brakes on a 2-bout losing streak. He was knocked out by Tom Aspinall at UFC 295 in the first round in a title bout in November 2023. He then lost a unanimous decision to Alexander Volkov last June.

Prior to the losing skid, Pavlovich had recorded 6 consecutive first-round knockouts victors. As a matter of fact, his first 8 UFC fights finished in the opening round via KO/TKO as he went 6-2.

Rozenstruik burst onto the scene with 4 straight KO/TKO wins to begin his UFC career between February and December of 2019 in a busy first year. A loss in just 20 seconds to Francis Ngannou at UFC 249 in May 2020 seemed to derail Rozenstruik as he went 5-4 since.

The Surinamese fighter — nicknamed “Bigi Boy” — did win his last 2 fights, beating Shamil Gaziev last March and Tai Tuivasa in his last bout, which was in August. So, perhaps he is pulling out of his nosedive. His win over Gaziev was a Round 4 KO/TKO win in the main event of a fight night, while he had a split-decision win over Tuivasa at UFC 305.

Pavlovich has an overwhelming 6-inch reach advantage over Rozenstruik, and a 5.86-to-3.75 significant strikes landed per minute edge. However, Rozenstruik is quite a bit more accurate with those strikes at 53.06%, to just 44.92% for the lefty. Neither is particularly noteworthy on the canvas, and any thought of a submission should be forgotten here.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 250: Pavlovich vs. Rozenstruik odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 10:20 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Pavlovich -300 (bet $300 to win $100) | Rozenstruik +240 (bet $100 to win $240)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over +160 | Under -210)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +400 | No -650)

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UFC Fight Night 250: Pavlovich vs. Rozenstruik picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Pavlovich (-300) is too expensive to bet straight up, costing 3 times the potential return.

While Rozenstruik (+240) has been a little better lately, it’s hard to trust a fighter who is .500 across his past 10 bouts, especially against a guy like Pavlovich, who is a knockout machine.

The key here is Pavlovich’s immense reach potential as he has a 6-inch advantage in the category. He’ll be able to push and pull Rozenstruik out at his choosing, picking his time to go in for the big shot.

The best play is PAVLOVICH BY KO/TKO OR DQ (-275) on the 7-way line … but even that is quite expensive. You’ll want to parlay this with another fight or two so you get a better return.

Backing PAVLOVICH IN ROUND 1 (-120) might also be a safe play. In 8 of his 9 fights at the UFC level, win or lose, he hasn’t been to Round 2.

Over/Under (O/U)

Under 1.5 Rounds (-210) will cost more than 2 times the potential return. That’s just a bit expensive, unless you were to tie it in with some other wagers in a parlay. As a standalone bet, AVOID.

Definitely PASS on ‘No: Will the fight go the distance?’ (-650) since it’s a risk of 6½ times the potential return.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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Mike Davis vs. Fares Ziam prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 250

Fun lightweights on four-fight winning streaks open the UFC Fight Night 250 main card. Does Mike Davis or Fares Ziam have the edge?

[autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag] meet Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 250 main card opener at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 6-5

Mike Davis vs. Fares Ziam UFC Fight Night 250 preview

Davis (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) enters his first fight of the year as a winner of four straight. Following a setback against former title challenger Gilbert Burns, “Beast Boy” has finished Tomas Gifford and Natan Levy, while adding decision wins over Mason Jones and Viacheslav Borshchev. … Ziam (16-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) also comes into this matchup as a winner of his last four. “Smile Killer” put frowns on the faces of Michal Figlak, Jai Herbert, and Claudio Puelles in decisions while adding a vicious knockout of Matt Frevola in his most recent outing.

Mike Davis vs. Fares Ziam UFC Fight Night 250 expert pick, prediction

Kicking off the main card the right way is a fun lightweight matchup between Davis and Ziam.

I don’t know if it’s Davis, his management or the UFC matchmakers, but the fact that we’ve barely been able to see “Beast Boy” compete in meaningful main card matchups feels like an outright crime.

Davis, who stepped onto the scene as a natural athlete with a solid striking pedigree, has rounded out his game with some underrated grappling chops since training with Fusion Xcel in South Florida. That said, Davis will be facing an active fighter in Ziam who has also been making improvements.

Even though the fight will likely come down do who can get the jump on the other in the grappling department, I do believe that Ziam’s striking style could provide some real issues for Davis.

Aside from the fact that Davis can sometimes square up his stance for center-mass shots, the American has also tends to put a decent amount of weight on his lead foot due to his boxing-centric attacks – something that has traditionally opened him up to leg kicks.

Not only does Ziam possess a kicking arsenal that can exploit these tendencies, but the French fighter also appears to have reliable answers in multiple phases of the fight.

This should be competitive either way, but I’ll side with the more active and improving party in Ziam.

The pick is Ziam by unanimous decision.

Mike Davis vs. Fares Ziam UFC Fight Night 250 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the American, listing Davis -144 and Ziam +122 via FanDuel.

Mike Davis vs. Fares Ziam UFC Fight Night 250 start time, how to watch

Davis and Ziam are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 12:10 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

Cardinals lose OL coach Klayton Adams to Cowboys

The Cardinals lose offensive line coach Klayton Adams as he becomes the new offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Arizona Cardinals now have a third assistant coach to replace in the offseason. The latest to depart is offensive line coach Klayton Adams. He was hired to be the offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, working under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, as many outlets reported Friday.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported early Friday that Adams was the favorite for the job.

It was not unexpected. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cardinals were bracing for him leaving. Had he not been hired as the OC in Dallas, he would have been a likely candidate with the New Orleans Saints under Kellen Moore.

Adams’ new job means Arizona must fill three vacancies on Jonathan Gannon’s coaching staff. Adams is the Cowboys’ new offensive coordinator, linebackers coach Sam Siefkes became the defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech and the team moved on from defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 250

Exciting bantamweights Said Nurmagomedov and Vinicius Oliveira could produce the UFC Fight Night 250 Fight of the Night.

[autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 250 main card at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 6-5

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira UFC Fight Night 250 preview

Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) enters his first fight in over 15 months. His last appearance was a first-round submission over Muin Gafurov at UFC 294. In the fight prior, Jonathan Martinez snapped his four-fight winning streak that included three stoppages. … Oliveira (21-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has quickly turned heads following his impressive performance on Dana White’s Contender Series and a flying knee knockout of Bernardo Sopaj in his UFC debut. He enters this matchup following a unanimous decision over Ricky Simon in his sophomore appearance.

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira UFC Fight Night 250 expert pick, prediction

Serving as a solid offering at bantamweight is a matchup between Nurmagomedov and Oliveira.

Although it’s rare to see fans fading someone with the last name Nurmagomedov, Oliveira possesses plenty of the attributes that tend to attract MMA gamblers.

Fighting like he knows exactly what his advantages are, Oliveira is a flashy and wild striker who is insulated by his athleticism and insane size for the division. Nurmagomedov looks to have a submission and wrestling edge over his Brazilian counterpart, but Oliveira has shown an ability to scramble from negative positions and unleash hellacious ground-and-pound from topside.

On the feet, Oliveira looks like an ultra-violent version of Dominick Cruz with how he weaves his head and trunk movement into strikes. “Lok Dog” also loves to throw leg kicks with reckless abandon and will spin when feeling in stride.

That said, Oliveira will be facing a spinning connoisseur who can counter kicks, which could be problematic from a stylistic perspective. Add in the fact that Nurmagomedov will be able to offer some size parity, and I’ll side with the more experienced fighter to win the day.

I see Oliveira being extra live to upset the apple cart if this fight hits the final frame, but I’ll officially pick Nurmagomedov to win via knockout by scoring either a spinning backfist or a spinning sidekick by Round 2.

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira UFC Fight Night 250 odds

Despite the oddsmakers opening this line a bit wider, public money has been coming in on the underdog, listing Nurmagomedov -176 and Oliveira +142 via FanDuel.

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira UFC Fight Night 250 start time, how to watch

Nurmagomedov and Oliveira are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 12:40 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

UFC Fight Night 250: Adesanya vs. Imavov odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 250 odds between Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 5-round middleweight bout in the main event, Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov meet at UFC Fight Night 250 — also known as UFC Saudi Arabia and UFC on ESPN+ 108 — Saturday at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Fight Night 250: Adesanya vs. Imavov odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 9 a.m. ET (ESPN+) with the main card approximately kicking off around noon ET.

Records: Adesanya (24-4-0) | Imavov (15-4-0)

Adesanya — nicknamed “The Last Stylebender” — had been mostly unbeatable in his UFC career. He picked up the interim middleweight strap at UFC 236 against Kelvin Gastelum in April 2019. He defended his crown 3 times before moving up to light heavyweight when Jan Blachowicz stunned him at UFC 259 in March 2021. Stylebender returned with a win 3 months later over Marvin Vettori to defend his middleweight title at UFC 263. He defended the strap 2 more times before a loss to Alex Pereira in November 2022.

At UFC 287, Adesanya avenged his loss to Pereira to regain the crown in April 2023, but back-to-back losses to Sean Strickland (September 2023) and Dricus Du Plessis (August 2024) in championship bouts has knocked him down the middleweight ranks in a stacked division.

Imavov is on the rise, looking to make a name for himself in the division. He lost to Strickland via unanimous decision in a fight night offering in January 2023. After a no-contest against Chris Curtis at UFC 289 5 months later, Imavov has rattled off 3 wins in a row. He claimed with a majority-decision victory over Roman Dolidze in February 2024, a 4th-round KO/TKO of Jared Cannonier in a main event in June 2024, and a unanimous-decision victory over Brendan Allen in his last fight (September 2024).

Adesanya holds a 5-inch reach advantage, while Imavov, who is 29 years old, is 6 years younger than the former champ. Imavov also has a 4.51-to-4.00 advantage in significant strikes landed per minute, while posting a 59.69% accuracy mark on those strikes, to just 51.53% for Adesanya.

The French fighter also has a 0.88 takedown average, and he has a 36.0% accuracy on takedowns, while posting a 1.18 submission average. Adesanya has a 0.05 takedown average, 12.50% takedown accuracy percentage and 0.14 submission average.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 250: Adesanya vs. Imavov odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 9:34 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Adesanya -170 (bet $170 to win $100) | Imavov +140 (bet $100 to win $140)
  • Over/Under: 4.5 rounds (Over -210 | Under +160)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -185 | No +140)

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UFC Fight Night 250: Adesanya vs. Imavov picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

IMAVOV (+140) is worth a roll of the dice as the underdog.

The reach advantage is huge, and the French fighter has advantages in all of the major categories over Adesanya (-170) except for championship experience. The Nigerian-born fighter is a future Hall of Famer, and one of the best to ever do it, but Adesanya is getting long in the tooth, and he isn’t as unbeatable as he once was.

The youthful Imavov will do what Adesanya has done for many, many years. He will wow the judges with his solid striking ability, while occasionally scoring points with takedowns. He’ll out-style the Stylebender for the victory.

Over/Under (O/U)

Over 4.5 Rounds (-210) is a little too costly, and even going ‘Yes: Will the fight go the distance?’ (-185) will cost you nearly 2 times the potential return. That’s a little too much, so PASS on that.

However, we’re unlikely to see a KO/TKO in this fight, and a submission is even less likely. If Imavov does, indeed, get it done, the fight will likely go the distance.

IMAVOV ON POINTS (+300) for the chance to triple up is certainly worth a look.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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