Texans Wire staff predictions for AFC divisional versus the Chiefs: Who is taking Houston?

The Texans Wire staff breaks down who they like between Houston and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional playoffs.

The Texans Wire staff breaks down who they favor in the AFC divisional playoffs with the Kansas City Chiefs. Who is taking Houston? Who is going with the home team? Find out.

Chris Nalls — This is tough once again. The Texans got a win after a very hard fought battle with the Buffalo Bills in last weekends wildcard game. Going off past experiences with the Houston Texans and Bill O’Brien and at this stage of importance for the Texans, I am going to have to go with the Kansas City Chiefs. The stage is just too big yet again for O’Brien and personally cant see the Texans beating the Chiefs twice in one year. Its tough because Deshaun Watson deserves it but ultimately coaching is what will hold them back in this spotlight. Chiefs, 27-17

Andy Yanez — The rematch between Deshuan Watson and Patrick Mahomes will be a must-see quarterback duel. Both defenses have their weaknesses, but have individual stars that can make a game-changing play at any moment. The game might come down to whichever QB has the ball last. Texans, 31-28

Bobby Rondil — Last game Deshaun Watson looked like Superman, carrying the Texans to a 22-19 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills. However Watson will meet his kryptonite against the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though last time the Texans played the Chiefs they won 31-24 in week six. This Chiefs team is very different mostly on the defensive side of the ball. From weeks 10-17 they were tied with the Baltimore Ravens in allowing the fewest passing touchdowns they also finished the season with 52 sacks which tied them for first in the league. Not to mention the potent offense led by reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes, who leads the sixth ranked total offense. Kansas City is one of the few balanced teams in the playoffs. Chiefs, 30-21

Charles Goldman, managing editor, Chiefs Wire — I feel like Andy Reid and the Chiefs won’t hold anything back this week. He’s seemed tentative to use his most creative plays in all but one game this season, which was Week 14 vs. New England Patriots. The plays in Reid’s playbook that are labeled “in case of emergency break glass” will be available. Chiefs, 35-30

Mark Lane — Will Fuller will play and catch a 53-yard touchdown from Deshaun Watson to mount a comeback. However, Kansas City holds off Houston to the AFC Championship Game for the second straight year. Chiefs, 35-31

Anthony Wood — The Houston Texans are on the doorstep of the AFC Championship, just saying that is still surprising. The Kansas City Chiefs are the overwhelming favourites, with the Texans continuing to be underestimated. Or perhaps correctly estimated. Some will construe their latest wins as luck, defined by moments of magic from individuals rather than as a team. But the way I see it, at the end of the day, a win is a win regardless of how it comes. The Texans enter this matchup with a seemingly healthy-ish Will Fuller back in the lineup as yet another target for Deshaun Watson. More good news for Bill O’Briens side comes in the form of injuries for Andy Reid’s side. The Chiefs are without defensive backs Morris Claiborne and Juan Thornhill, while defensive tackle Chris Jones is questionable. The likes of Tyrann Mathieu and Terrell Suggs are going to have to really step up if they are to contain this Texans offense from another upset like last week. Houston meanwhile is down to their third string safety Mike Adams to partner Justin Reid with Tashaun Gipson and Jahleel Addae both out. Not the end of the world but not ideal for sure. Romeo Crennel’s defense was inconsistent at best against Buffalo and His insistence on playing soft coverage is costing the Texans thanks to their poor tackling of late. They must play tight and cut the missed tackles if they are to contain Damien Williams, Tyreek Hill, and Patrick Mahomes. Texans, 27-24

Charlotte Hornets at Phoenix Suns odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Charlotte Hornets at Phoenix Suns matchup, with NBA betting odds, picks and best bets.

The Charlotte Hornets (15-26) head to the Grand Canyon State to play the Phoenix Suns (15-23) at Talking Stick Resort Arena for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze Hornets-Suns odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

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Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Hornets at Suns: Key injuries

Suns

  • PF Frank Kaminsky (knee) out

Hornets at Suns: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Hornets 114, Suns 107

Moneyline (ML)

Doesn’t it feel like the Hornets are an East Coast version of the Suns or vice versa? Comparable records and every player is going against someone of a similar NBA-ilk: Devonte’ Graham–Devin Booker, Miles Bridges–Kelly Oubre Jr., and P.J. Washington–Deandre Ayton are legitimately compelling matchups. Because of the similarity in the talent of the rosters, both mostly healthy and on equal rest, let’s place a smaller wager on the HORNETS (+300) for the outright win as well as the spread.

New to sports betting? A $35 wager on Hornets +300 returns a profit of $115.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Hornets are 8-3 ATS in road games against teams below .500. Also, Charlotte is 5-7 ATS when laying eight or more points but 2-0 ATS, and straight up, when spotted at least 8 points against a below .500 team. The Suns laying 8.5 points in this matchup is downright disrespectful as they are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as favorites. Don’t expect them to get some home cooking with the refs tonight, either. The combined home team ATS record of the assigned referees is 31-51 on the season. Also, I am taking a glass half full approach with BetMGM’s line pricing; their Suns’ (-8.5, -106) line compared to HORNETS +8.5 (-115) number is them trying to persuade bettors toward the worse side.

HAMMER HORNETS (+8.5, -115). New to sports betting? A $115 wager on the Hornets to stay within 8 points in a loss or win outright returns a profit of $100.

Over/Under (O/U)

I LEAN OVER 217.5 (-129) but don’t love, or even like, the total because of the juice, it being a curiously low total for two below-average defensive teams and us backing the slow-paced Hornets team (ranked last in Pace). What leans me to the Over is their combined Over/Under record of 43-36, and the Over is 9-1 in the last 10 Hornets-Suns games.

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

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC 246 free fight: Donald Cerrone humbles Alex Hernandez at UFC Brooklyn

Relive Donald Cerrone’s spectacular performance as he finished rising contender Alexander Hernandez at UFC on ESPN+ 1 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] might be a record-breaking great of the UFC octagon, but the UFC stalwart typically doesn’t engage in trash-talking his opponents before fights.

So, when No. 11-ranked lightweight contender [autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag] decided to make some noise and fire a salvo of verbal jabs in “Cowboy’s” direction ahead of their bout at UFC on ESPN+ 1 in Brooklyn, N.Y., in January 2019, it raised more than a few eyebrows.

But rather than opting to respond in kind, Cerrone laughed off the trash talk, bided his time, then delivered retribution in the old-fashioned way when the pair met inside the octagon on fight night.

A seemingly laser-focused Cerrone produced a brilliant performance, as he weathered some strong early pressure from Hernandez before finishing his man with a superb display of striking at Barclays Center.

Hernandez came out aggressively from the start and caught Cerrone with a solid uppercut in the early exchanges. But a head kick, then a takedown, from Cerrone served notice of what was to come later in the contest from “Cowboy.”

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Hernandez kept pushing forward, looking to overwhelm Cerrone with his early work-rate, but the octagon veteran stayed composed and, after adjusting to the pace, found his mark with some nasty close-range punches and elbows. Cerrone then turned up the heat in the final minute of the round, connecting with more elbows and punches, and connecting with a beautifully-timed knee when Hernandez looked to change levels in search of a takedown.

And with the crowd on its feet hailing a superb opening five minutes, Hernandez headed back to the corner busted up and bleeding, while Cerrone calmly strolled back to his stool, seemingly without a care in the world.

It set things up perfectly for the second round and, after shrugging off an early Hernandez clinch, Cerrone picked up where he left off as he landed more solid punches from range, and punishing knees and elbows from the clinch.

Daniel Cormier suggested on commentary that Cerrone should finish his punching salvos with a kick, but “Cowboy” switched things up by opening with one, as he connected with a huge head-kick that dropped Hernandez to the mat.

Cerrone then followed his man to the mat and finished him with strikes to score a statement victory and show the the world that he remains one of the best finishers on the UFC roster. Recap Cerrone’s crowd-pleasing finish via the video above.

Cerrone returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 18 against Conor McGregor in the highly-anticipated main event of UFC 246 in Las Vegas. And a repeat performance from “Cowboy” would be just the way for Cerrone and his fans to kick off 2020 in style.

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Giants’ DeAndre Baker provided reasons for optimism with strong finish

New York Giants rookie CB DeAndre Baker turned around a disastrous season and provided reasons for optimism with a strong finish.

When the New York Giants traded three picks to the Seattle Seahawks for the 30th overall selection in last year’s NFL Draft, fans hoped the kid they picked would be special.

DeAndre Baker, a cornerback from Georgia who did not allow a touchdown in final collegiate season, was the first cornerback to come off the board in the draft. The immediate reaction among the Giant fans was “he better be worth it.”

For the first half of the season, it appeared as if the Giants made a major miscalculation with Baker. He looked confused and played with the trepidation of a kid who was in over his head.

Baker was lining up a good 10 yards off the line of scrimmage and getting schooled by offensive coordinators who smelled blood in the water. He allowed 38 completions on 54 targets in the Giants’ first 10 games (70.4%) and quarterbacks were feasting on Baker with a QB rating of 131.9.

The consensus was that Baker was simply not ready for the NFL. Many felt defensive coordinator James Bettcher was not utilizing Baker properly. He was a press corner in college and Bettcher had him lining up on Paterson Plank Road.

After the Giants’ bye in Week 11, Baker began to resemble a first round pick. He played with more confidence and it showed in the results. Quarterbacks didn’t pick on him as much, and when they did, he held his own.

The completion rate dropped to 48.5% (16 of 33) and the QB rating fell to 94.0 which is much more respectable and in line with some of the top corners in football.

From Giants Maven:

If he were able to maintain his post-bye production throughout the entire season, the 22-year-old would have finished the year with a better completion percentage allowed than 2019 First-Team All-Pro selections Tre’Davious White (50.0), Stephon Gilmore (50.0) and Marcus Peters (55.6).

It’s a small sample size to work with and—outside of his lockdown performance against the Green Bay Packers—the competition he faced wasn’t exactly the best the league has to offer.

As Baker continues to improve, Giant fans will hopefully forget what the team gave up to get him. Whoever the new defensive coordinator is will also hopefully realize that Baker is a cover corner who should not be thrust into zone responsibilities.

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Watch: Tremont Waters, Tacko Fall continue to show out for Red Claws

While the Boston Celtics were taking care of the New Orleans Pelicans at home, Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters held it down for the Maine Red Claws up in Portland

While the Boston Celtics were busy waxing the floor with the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night, its two way players Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters were helping power the Maine Red Claws to a win.

Boston’s G League affiliate beat the Grand Rapids Drive (the Detroit Pistons’ G League affiliate) 100-93, with the LSU product logging 17 points and an eye-popping 14 assists while Fall put up 14 points, 9 rebounds and five blocked shots.

The Red Claws’ strong ties to the Celtics many rookies this season — they currently have seven on their roster — powering the team to second place in the G League East standings and the fourth-best record overall at 15-6.

The Red Claws next face the Erie Bayhawks on the road Tuesday at 7 pm ET.

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Zack Kassian’s epic beatdown against Matthew Tkachuk actually cost his team the game

This was wild.

Zack Kassian lost his cool — and, in turn, the game for the Edmonton Oilers.  After Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk delivered a brutal hit to Kassian along the boards, he responded by chucking Tkachuk to the ice before delivering punch after punch to the head.

It was a wild scene reminiscent of old-school hockey.

Kassian’s frustration didn’t seem to stem from just one play. Tkachuk crushed Kassian during the first period of the game, with Tkachuk’s hip meeting Kassian’s head, which sent him helicoptering to the ice.

But Tkachuk wasn’t penalized for either hit. Kassian, meanwhile, received a misconduct and a double-minor for roughing in the second period after the fight. At the start of the third period, the Flames took advantage of the power-play opportunity, and managed a 4-3 lead, which was the final score.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Kassian will face a hearing on Monday.

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Browns hire Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski as head coach

The second time is the charm. After interviewing with the Browns last season and not getting the job, Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will be the next coach of the Browns. Browns are planning to hire Vikings’ OC Kevin Stefanski, as …

The second time is the charm.

After interviewing with the Browns last season and not getting the job, Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will be the next coach of the Browns.

The Browns picked Freddie Kitchens over Stefanski last season.

Stefanski helped change Minnesota’s offense to a run-first offense in 2019 with the help of Gary Kubiak.

Plenty more to come regarding this move and what’s to come for the Vikings regarding their next OC.

This Redskins GM candidate makes almost too much sense under Ron Rivera

The Redskins are still searching for a new GM, and if Rivera gets to make the hire, it would make sense to look at his former colleague.

The Washington Redksins organizational staff has undergone a litany of changes since the start of the new year, and many of them are just a handful of days old, with the front office experiencing a major shakeup late last week.

After it was announced that Eric Schaffer — a longtime front office member for the Redskins — would be leaving, and Doug Williams, the VP of Player Personnel and former Super Bowl-winning QB in Washington, would be changing his role, it was clear that head coach Ron Rivera was taking his power to heart. When he was introduced as the man in Washington, team owner Dan Snyder said that it was Rivera’s voice that would be prevalent in the organization, and what he said would go. If that sentiment is to be believed, then we can use that knowledge to project who the next general manager will be for the Redskins.

Based on Rivera’s propensity to team up with old coworkers that he had in Carolina with the Panthers, it seems like the current GM in Carolina, Marty Hurney could be making the trip to Washington.

According to a recent piece from The Athletic, Rivera’s un-rivaled power in the Redskins’ organization could lead him to continue his sack of Carolina, in a sense.

At least one person close to Rivera reminded the new coach that putting the band back together might not be ideal, considering the Panthers missed the postseason in three of the last four seasons.

Then again, Rivera did not have the final say on various personnel matters at Carolina, including the annual draft. Now he does. If the two-time NFL coach of the year winner believes in his teammates, welcome aboard.

Maybe Panthers general manager Marty Hurney joins the masses taking the express train from Charlotte to Ashburn.

Of course, Hurney is currently under contract in Carolina until 2020, and there doesn’t seem to be too much turmoil in the Panthers’ camp between owner and GM. But still, Hurney was rumored to be linked to the Redskins job even before Rivera was hired, and if we are to follow recent trends in coaching hires under the former Carolina man, this would make a great deal of sense.

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Colts don’t want to overestimate veteran leadership

Chris Ballard doesn’t underplay the necessity of veteran leadership.

The Indianapolis Colts will always be looking to bring in younger players and at times at the expense of veteran leadership. In 2019, general manager Chris Ballard feels he may have taken that for granted.

As the locker room is a vital part of team success, having leadership is where it begins. The Colts parted ways with some of their leadership during the 2019 offseason, and Ballard feels it may have come as a detriment to the team.

“We missed the leadership of a guy like Al Woods, a guy like Mike Mitchell,” Ballard said in his year-end presser. “Those players, maybe I took it for granted a little bit that I could just throw in a bunch of young players and they would — I don’t think you can ever overestimate the power of veteran leadership, even if they’re not frontline players for you.”

The Colts have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. It has been that way since Ballard stripped down the roster when he began his tenure in 2017.

The Colts have a few players that could fit the bill of veteran leadership but are set to leave in 2020. Chiefly among them is defensive end Jabaal Sherd, who is an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins in March.

Sheard is turning 31 years old in May. The Colts have a pair of young pass rushers in Kemoko Turay ad Ben Banogu to go along with Justin Houston, but this may be a case when Ballard brings Sheard back for his veteran leadership.

He feels having that type of presence helps when the season starts to feel a little long.

“Just when it gets a little hard, they’re a calming factor. That’s my fault,” Ballard said. “And I’ve got to do a better job of acquiring the right type of veterans on the defense and on the offensive side of the ball who can help guys get through these rough moments.”

It will be interesting if this leads the Colts to hanging on to some of their veterans that are set to leave. Regardless, Ballard won’t be afraid of keeping more veterans on the roster going forward.

Nic Claxton recalled from Long Island ahead of matchup with Hawks

After spending Saturday with the Long Island Nets for a G League tilt, Nic Claxton is back in Brooklyn for Sunday’s game.

Ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets have recalled rookie forward Nic Claxton from their G League team, the Long Island Nets.

Claxton was with Long Island on Saturday for a road game against the Greensboro Swarm, the Charlotte Hornets’ G League affiliate. Long Island won the game 119-109.

The rookie forward played a significant part in the double-digit victory. Claxton scored 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting (2-for-2 from 3-point territory) while going 2-for-4 at the free-throw line in his 22 minutes of action. He also grabbed 10 rebounds in his double-double effort, blocked a shot and had one steal.

Claxton also had the chance to play alongside Nets two-way player Chris Chiozza for the first time. Brooklyn inked a deal with the guard back on January 4.

Against the Swarm, Chiozza had nine rebounds and six assists. He scored eight points on 3-for-13 shooting (1-for-7 from deep).

RELATED: Kyrie Irving upgraded to probable vs. Hawks