Month: January 2025

Jeremy Stephens warns Eddie Alvarez before BKFC fight: ‘My hands are better than Mike Perry’s’

Jeremy Stephens vows to prove he’s “King of the Barbarians” against Eddie Alvarez at BKFC: KnuckleMania 5.

[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] thinks he’s found a home in BKFC, and is ready to prove he’s a top dog in that promotion against [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag].

Stephens is set to take on Alvarez in the main event of BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 on Jan. 25 at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Penn. The card streams on DAZN, with the pair set for five, two-minute rounds at 165 pounds.

After a long combat sports career of more than 30 UFC fights and multiple PFL appearances, Stephens landed in BKFC in late 2023. He’s 2-0 in the organization, and now steps into the main event spotlight for the first time against former UFC and Bellator lightweight champ Alvarez, who is 1-1 in BKFC.

Alvarez is coming off a December 2023 loss to Mike Perry in which he suffered multiple orbital fractures. The 41-year-old now returns to competition for a hometown headliner, but the 38-year-old Stephens sees him as a prime candidate for a beating.

“To his face I didn’t say anything but facts,” Stephens told MMA Junkie. “He got his face caved in. Not lying about that. You look like you haven’t really been training at all. Even if you are, like that day I could’ve beat his ass. Right now he could walk into my back yard and I would f*ck you up. I know I’m going to win.

“I hit hard. I hit often. My hands are better than Mike Perry’s. Believe me. I have a lot of ferocious skill and intent. I may not hit as hard or have that weight behind it, but I hit hard. I hit often. I hit very sharply. I’m very psychotically skilled to set that up.”

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Stephens is beaming with confidence ahead of the bout despite feeling like he’s taking the far “bigger risk” compared to his opponent. Stephens, who spent years competing at featherweight in the UFC, noted he will be the smaller man, and he is going into enemy territory to take on Alvarez.

Nevertheless, Stephens said he carries an unfettered belief that BKFC is a sport even better suited for his approach to combat than Alvarez, who is legendary in MMA for his all-time wars.

“Watch these bare knuckle fights (with me), bro – I’m breaking f*cking spirits in there,” Stephens said. “I feel like I am home. The King of the Barbarians is home. This game is different. I was born for this sh*t. I come from it. I love this sh*t. I can’t wait. It’s me verse me.”

Ottawa Senators at St. Louis Blues odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Friday’s Ottawa Senators at St. Louis Blues odds and lines, with NHL expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Ottawa Senators (19-16-2) take on the St. Louis Blues (18-17-4) Friday. Puck drop from Enterprise Center is set for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Senators vs. Blues odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Season series: Senators lead 1-0

The Sens have lost 3 of 4 after a 4-2 loss at the Dallas Stars Thursday. LW Brady Tkachuk scored his 17th goal in that one, and he’s on a 3-game point streak. They’re 7-3-0 over the last 10 games. This will be the team’s eighth consecutive road game!

The Blues are coming off a spirited 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field Tuesday. RW Jordan Kyrou drilled his 16th goal of the season. C Dylan Holloway scored his 14th, and LD Cam Fowler scored 2 goals in his 1,000th career game.

Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+, with your team’s out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now!

Senators at Blues odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 1:15 p.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Senators -105 (bet $105 to win $100) | Blues -115 (bet $115 to win $100)
  • Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Senators +1.5 (-275) | Blues -1.5 (+220)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)

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Senators at Blues projected goalies

Anton Forsberg (4-6-0, 2.95 GAA, .889 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Joel Hofer (8-3-1, 2.75 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO)

Forsberg will get this game as Linus Ullmark took Thursday’s game. He hasn’t started since a 4-2 loss against the New York Islanders Dec. 8. He stopped 9 of 12 shots. He faced St. Louis last season in a 5-2 loss and allowed 4 goals on 26 shots.

Hofer is technically a backup, but he’s more of a 1B and was phenomenal in December. He was 4-0-1 with a 2.18 GAA and .914 SV%. His last game was a 7-4 win against the Nashville Predators Dec. 27, stopping 26 of 30.

Senators at Blues picks and predictions

Prediction

Blues 4, Senators 2

Moneyline

The Sens are on a back-to-back, with their backup goalie in tow, in their eighth consecutive road game on a skid of 3 losses in 4 games. They also pounded the Blues 8-1 in October before the Blues changed coaches. They’ll be looking to exact some revenge. The Blues are 9-5-3 since Jim Montgomery took over.

Take the BLUES -115.

Puck line/Against the spread

Let’s go with DYLAN HOLLOWAY OVER 2.5 SHOTS (+105). He has 3+ shots in 5 straight games.

Over/Under

The Blues have cashed 3 straight Overs, but the Sens are 0-2-2 in the last 4. But this Over would have cashed in 4 consecutive meetings. And I’m taking the even money for it to happen again.

Take the OVER 5.5 (+100).

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

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

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LSU four-star defensive linemen enters transfer portal following bowl game

LSU is losing a defensive linemen to the transfer portal

LSU football defensive lineman Kimo Makane’ole is entering the transfer portal, according to A&P Sports Agency.

Makan’ole originally signed with LSU as an offensive lineman in 2021. With LSU having depth issues at defensive tackle, he moved to the other side of the ball. Per the On3 Industry Ratings, Makane’ole was a four-star recruit and the No. 299 overall-ranked player in his class.

Makane’ole saw 21 snaps with the Tigers in 2024. Most of his action came in LSU’s blowout win over Nicholls, where Makan’ole played 13 snaps and assisted on a tackle. That was his only stat recorded this year.

Makan’ole played a role on special teams as a member of LSU’s field goal-kicking unit. He saw 28 special teams snaps in his four years at LSU.

Prior to joining the defense, Makan’ole played 26 and 27 snaps on the offensive line in 2022 and 2023.

With LSU wrapping up its season on Dec. 31, players have five days to enter the transfer portal if they so choose.

Kevin O’Connell is the favorite to win the Coach of the Year award

Kevin O’Connell is the runaway favorite for Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings to a 14-2 record.

Kevin O’Connell is now the runaway favorite to win the NFL’s Coach of the Year award after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-2 record. They are one win away from winning the NFC North and securing home-field advantage in the playoffs.

O’Connell’s odds of winning Coach of the Year are -1200, according to BetMGM. Dan Campbell is the only head coach who has any shot of catching him, but he is still a long shot at +600. Andy Reid and Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn are tied for third with odds of +4000.

This isn’t the first time O’Connell has been a candidate for the award. He finished sixth in voting after leading the Vikings to a 13-4 record in 2022. Fellow first-year head coach Brian Daboll won the award when he led the New York Giants to a 9-8 record.

A loss to Campbell and the Lions this Sunday likely won’t affect O’Connell’s odds too much. But a victory would all but clinch the award.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson out vs Jaguars in Week 18

After missing all three days of practice with a back injury, Colts’ QB Anthony Richardson has been ruled out of Sunday’s Week 18 game.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has been ruled out of the team’s season finale in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to head coach Shane Steichen.

Richardson did not practice on Friday and hasn’t been on the practice field since prior to the Colts’ Week 16 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

While Richardson played all 62 offensive snaps in that game, he had severe back spasms flare up early last week, and that has continued to keep him sidelined.

For more on what Richardson had to say about his injury, click here.

After returning from being benched in Week 11 against the New York Jets, Richardson’s play did improve as he orchestrated two late game-winning drives. However, the overall consistency was still lacking.

Richardson’s season will now end with him completing 48% of his throws for 1,814 yards with eight touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 499 yards and six more scores.

His best performance as a passer came in that Jets game, where he completed 20-of-30 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers.

Including these last two games, Richardson has missed five games this season due to injuries. He’s now appeared in just 16 out of possible 34 games in his two NFL seasons.

In a recent report by Ian Rapoport, he wrote that Richardson is the “presumptive” starter for the Colts in 2025. Hopefully, having a full healthy offseason can be a catalyst for him heading into his third year, but the 2025 season will almost certainly prove to be either a make or break year for Richardson in Indianapolis.

Panthers HC Dave Canales: OLB DJ Johnson involved in car accident

Panthers HC Dave Canales told reporters on Friday that OLB DJ Johnson was involved in a car accident this week. He will not play on Sunday.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Friday that outside linebacker DJ Johnson was involved in a car accident this week.

Canales was asked about the second-year defender’s sudden inclusion on this week’s injury report, which listed Johnson as out for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons due to a personal matter.

“It was a car accident,” Canales stated this afternoon. “That’s pretty much what I know about it. But enough to the point where he’s in evaluation right now.”

He was then asked about Johnson’s current condition.

“I have not seen him,” replied Canales, who also added that Johnson’s accident was not life-threatening.

Johnson was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.

He has appeared in 14 games this season.

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Pro Bowl snub cost Texans DE Danielle Hunter a nice bonus for 2024 season

Danielle Hunter missing the Pro Bowl might have cost him a bit of cash for 2024.

While Danielle Hunter might rank in the top three for sacks entering Week 18, the Houston Texans defensive end was not one of the three edge rushers selected for the AFC Pro Bowl roster.

Now, his paycheck is suffering the consequences.

According to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry, Hunter’s two-year contract with the included a $1 million bonus for making the Pro Bowl. He’s currently the first alternate behind Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson and Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby.

The voting isn’t entirely wrong since Garrett and Hendrickson have a case.

The AFC North duo are tied for the league lead in sacks with 14 apiece. Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, also ranks first in tackles for loss and third in QB hits with 28.

Fans have questioned the move of Crosby over Hunter. Not only is the four-time Pro Bowler from Minnesota healthy entering the final regular season game, his numbers outweigh Crosby’s on every level.

Hunter’s 13 sacks outgain Crosby’s 7.5 by nearly double.

His 17 tackles for loss are one more than Crosby’s 16.

And Hunter leads the league with 90 pressures, according to NFL’s Next Gen stats. Crosby? He’s only totaled 53.

While Crosby is likely to miss the game after undergoing ankle surgery, Hunter’s proven stats were worthy of a first-ballot nod. Time will tell if he opts in and gets a chance to earn the bonus as an alternate next month.

The Texans close out the 2024 regular season on the road against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday. Kickoff from Nashville is scheduled for noon CT.

Silent Pool gin is pretty and a little basic (but it works)

A big, pretty bottle and a slightly-too-sweet gin.

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

Is gin an underrated spirit? It doesn’t have the accolades or acolytes of whiskey or tequila. It lacks the versatility of mix-in-anything vodka.

It’s distinct and rich and feels innately British, owing back to its ubiquitous presence in England three centuries ago. But in terms of alcohol, it’s the NHL to the other big four American men’s sports leagues — rewarding, but not as popular as the rest.

I’m guilty of overlooking it, in part because the first bottle I ever bought was Seagram’s gin and my dumb college student brain had nothing to mix or chase it with but milk (it was an… unpleasant evening). But the fact remains gin is a refreshing spirit, if a bit of an acquired taste, with an impressive depth of botanical flavors and cocktail flexibility.

MORE BEVERAGE OF THE WEEK: A review of Snoop Dogg’s Gin & Juice canned cocktails

With Silent Pool, I ignored that last piece and drank it the way I drink 95 percent of my gin. I mixed it with tonic and a little citrus in what’s a perfect, simple mixed drink. Let’s see if this relatively new entry to an old spirit’s portfolio is any good.

With Badger tonic and a lime: B

Let’s start with the obvious. This glass is [expletive] ridiculous. Silent Pool sent it with the sample bottle and I’d never used it before tonight. I want to say you could fit a proper 24 ounces in there, which is generally not how I process gin but, hell, I live in Wisconsin. I accept your challenge, fancy liquor.

I’m rolling with Badger mixers, an upscale paved road to deliver your booze in smooth cocktails. My review didn’t cover the tonic, but I have high hopes. Well, as high as you can get for a basic mixer like tonic.

It smells and looks like every other gin and tonic I’ve ever had; effervescent, light and citrusy. Fortunately, I poured this heavy so I get a proper Silent Pool experience. It’s potent, but sweet. There’s a strong floral component, but nothing that makes you feel like you’re blending your way through a shrub. That sugary finish keeps it from having the kind of dry experience you’d get from your established old school gins (Bombay, Beefeater, etc).

It makes a solid complement to a sour cocktail. I wouldn’t mind if it were a bit drier — it’s not quite as refreshing as I’d like, but that sweetness makes it very easy to drink, especially on a hot day. I imagine. I’m drinking this in December.

Would I drink it instead of a Hamm’s?

This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I’m drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That’s the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm’s. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Silent Pool Gin over a cold can of Hamm’s?

In the summer, on a warm day I’ll detour to a fresh gin and tonic. Silent Pool is a bit sweeter than I’d prefer, but it’s a flavorful gin that makes a solid cocktail.

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Two new Michigan football transfer targets emerge

Michigan football is in good shape here. #GoBlue

Michigan football is loading up in the transfer portal as of late and though most schools appear to be set, the Wolverines look to be far from finished.

Whether it’s some of the top targets remaining on the board like UConn wide receiver Skyler Bell or Washington State offensive lineman Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Michigan football is working to bolster its already improved roster before spring ball comes.

This week, two more targets, both from Clemson, have emerged as potential targets that the Wolverines appear to be in the thick for.

First comes at a position of need: wide receiver. As reported by On3, Clemson wideout Tony Stellato is a junior from Fort Lauderdale who hasn’t had big production just yet, but could help bolster a room that’s in desperate need. Stellato had 25 catches for 264 yards and a touchdown in 2024.

But that’s not the only player from Dabo Swinney’s squad that Michigan football is looking at.

According to Maize & Blue Review’s Trevor McCue, the Wolverines are targeting 6-foot-2, 315-pound defensive tackle Tre Williams, who just entered the transfer portal two days ago. Williams had 14 tackles, two sacks, and two fumble recoveries in 2024.

2024 NFL season shows how valuable Cortez Hankton is to LSU

Performances in the NFL are proving the value of LSU wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton

For the first time in NFL history, four rookies totaled over 1,000 receiving yards. Three out of four were coached by LSU’s [autotag]Cortez Hankton.[/autotag]

The Tigers’ co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, Hankton mentored [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] (1,140) and [autotag]Brian Thomas[/autotag] (1,179) during their years in Baton Rouge. He also worked with Ladd McConkey (1,054) while they both were at Georgia.

The Baton Rouge, LA native joined the staff for his hometown team in 2022. In his second year, Nabers and Thomas combined for 2,746 and 31 touchdowns, making them the top receiving duo in the country. Nabers led all receivers in three categories during 2023 — receiving yards per game (120.7), plays of 20-plus (34) and 30-plus (17) yards. Thomas led the nation with 17 receiving touchdowns in a breakout 2023 season

Their standout performances lead to both being selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Nabers was the No. 6 pick to the New York Giants and Thomas was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with pick No. 23. Both helped the Tigers offense lead the nation in scoring (45.5) and top the 500-yard mark nine times.

Hankton also spent four years in Athens, GA and was a part of the Bulldogs’ 2022 National Championship team. McConkey played under him for three seasons, totaling 1,687 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

Having just finished his third season with the Tigers, Hankton will continue having a large impact in the day-to-day planning of the offense as well as on the recruiting trail. Kyren Lacy just departed for the NFL Draft and the Tigers brought in Nic Anderson and Barion Brown from the transfer portal as they look to reload at the position.