Packers tally 14 pressures from OLB Za’Darius Smith vs. Panthers

Za’Darius Smith didn’t have a sack, but he was ultra productive rushing the Panthers QB on Sunday.

[jwplayer rzKgNnfu-ThvAeFxT]

Za’Darius Smith didn’t have a sack on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, but the Green Bay Packers outside linebacker was nothing if not ultra-productive rushing the passer.

Position coach Mike Smith told Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s official site that the Packers recorded 14 total pressures from Smith.

The official box score credited Smith with nothing more than three quarterback hits. A good day at the office, to be sure. But box scores often lie, and clearly Smith was far more impactful as a rusher than his traditional statistics indicated.

The same was true for Kenny Clark, who set a new career-high with 10 pressures but didn’t have a sack.

The Packers lined Smith up all over the defensive front, and he won pass-rushing battles from both edges and inside against the guards. On several reps, he had Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen in his sights but couldn’t finish the sack.

Overall, the Packers produced nine quarterback hits and three sacks of Allen, who was surprisingly elusive despite consistent pressure.

After 10 games, Smith ranks second in the NFL with a career-high 20 quarterback hits. He’s also sixth in the NFL in sacks with 8.5 and third among outside linebackers in total pressures.

[lawrence-related id=34857]

[lawrence-related id=34738]

Michigan State Basketball’s Joey Hauser to meet with NCAA to discuss appeal after Nov. 18

In the next step of his appeal process, Michigan State Power Forward Joey Hauser will meet with the NCAA after November 18.

This week in, ‘NCAA Transfer Portal Drama: Will Joey Hauser play this year?’, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo told the media after practice that transfer Joey Hauser from Marquette will be meeting with NCAA representatives to discuss his appeal process to play this season after November 18th.

This continues a saga that has become something of a joke and has led Izzo to speak out against the transfer portal rules. It’s remarkably unclear on what the NCAA will approve and what their process is.

One thing is for sure though: this basketball team would be insane with Hauser in the starting lineup. If Langford is able to come back before March, the power forward position is really the only real question mark in the starting lineup. Bingham, Brown, Marble, and Hall have all shown good things shuffling in on the wing and in the forward position but Hauser would bring this team to a whole other level.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers vs Browns injury update: James Conner returns to practice

Things are looking up for the Steelers on the injury front.

[jwplayer 5nmiAoLM-ThvAeFxT]

On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers got together for what is essentially their only real workout of the week. The team will do a Friday walkthrough on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s game with the Cleveland Browns but this is the one shot to truly evaluate the health of the roster. And the good news from practice is injured running back James Conner was back and was a full participant.

Additionally, guard Ramon Foster was a full participant as he continues to deal with a concussion. However, there’s been no official word from the team that Foster is out of concussion protocol so his status is still unknown.

Running back Benny Snell Jr., fullback Roosevelt Nix and wide receiver Ryan Switzer were all DNP on Tuesday and their status is in jeopardy. Linebackers Ola Adeniyi and Anthony Chickillo were both limited on Tuesday but could see more reps on Wednesday.

[vertical-gallery id=453999]

[lawrence-related id=454324]

Bowling Green vs. Miami University Fearless Prediction, Game Preview

Bowling Green vs. Miami University fearless prediction and game preview.

[jwplayer PkCtjTd4-boEY74VG]

Bowling Green vs. Miami University fearless prediction and game preview.

Bowling Green vs. Miami University Broadcast

Date: Wednesday, November 13
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Yager Stadium, Oxford, OH
Network: ESPNU

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Bowling Green (3-6) vs. Miami University (5-4) Game Preview

If want in on this week’s games, sign up with BetMGM

What’s Going To Happen

And now it’s all there for the taking for Miami.

Thanks to its win over Ohio last week, and with wins over Buffalo and Kent State, MU will be the 2019 MAC East champion with a win over a Bowling Green team that needs this to become bowl eligible.

And, by the way, as a cherry on top, the RedHawks can get to six wins and be bowl eligible with a win, too.

The Falcons were good enough to shock Toledo, and they won their free-space game last week against Akron, but they have to win out to get to six wins.

On a three-game winning streak, MU doesn’t do much of anything on offense, it doesn’t have a passing game, and it doesn’t do much to control the clock. So how is it winning? The defensive line lives behind the line and the secondary is great at locking down against mediocre offenses.

Bowling Green doesn’t do enough through the air to make MU worry, and the running game isn’t good enough to take over.

Miami was going to be cranked up before to win this game, and now that it has its goals available, it’ll play at another level – even if it’s not scintillating.

Bowling Green has been obliterated by a combined score of 215-17 in its four road games. Miami doesn’t have the offense to come up with a wipeout, but it’ll win easily.

[lawrence-related id=499899]

Bowling Green vs. Miami University Prediction, Line

Miami 30, Bowling Green 13
Bet on BGSU vs. MU with BetMGM, or for latest line 
Miami University -17.5, o/u: 49.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
– Get Tickets For This Game

Must See Rating: 2

5: The Mandalorian (if it came out in 1984)
1: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings
Predicting The Rest of the Season
Week 12 Expert Picks

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Northern Illinois-Toledo odds: Banged-up Toledo slight favorite

Previewing Wednesday’s Northern Illinois at Toledo college football matchup, with college football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Northern Illinois Huskies (3-6, 2-3 MAC) travel to meet the host Toledo Rockets (6-3, 3-2) Wednesday night at the Glass Bowl in a nationally televised game. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

We analyze the Northern Illinois-Toledo odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Northern Illinois at Toledo: Three things you need to know

1. Toledo can move within a half-game of first-place Western Michigan in the MAC’s West Division with a victory, joining Central Michigan at 4-2 in the conference. The Rockets already beat WMU and play CMU on Nov. 29.

2. Northern Illinois is coming off a 48-10 humbling at CMU, and the Huskies are 1-5 straight up and 3-3 against the spread on the road this season.

3. Toledo ranks 12th in the nation with 249.9 yards per game on the ground, but leading rusher RB Bryant Koback (leg) and dual-threat starting QB Mitchell Guadagni (undisclosed) are each question marks due to injuries. Koback was injured in the first half vs. Kent State last week, but RB Shakif Seymour stepped up and rumbled for a career-high 175 yards.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Northern Illinois at Toledo: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 7:55 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Toledo 23, Northern Illinois 20

Moneyline (ML)

TOLEDO (-129) is a tad risky with injury issues to their two biggest offensive stars. However, the pregame notes show Koback listed as the starting tailback. Even if he cannot go, Seymour did a good job carrying the mail against the Golden Flashes last week. And QB Eli Peters stepped up with 332 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception while posting a 2-0 record in the past two games in place of Guadagni. So he, too, is more than capable if needed.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Toledo returns a profit of $7.75.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Until there are zeroes on the clock you will not feel completely at ease with a play of TOLEDO (-2.5, -106). NIU (+2.5, -115) is barely hanging on this season, needing three straight wins to finish at 6-6 and gain bowl eligibility. The Huskies are a proud team that will not go easily into the night; however, they just do not have the guns this season, and they were blasted 48-10 in Mount Pleasant last week by a team with similar talent to Toledo.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER (53.5, -110) is a good play in this one, as Toledo’s strength is on the run game and thus regardless of whether Koback plays, the Rockets will be running. Teams that are run-heavy are friends of the ‘under’ bettor, as that chews up clock. NIU is a marginal offense, ranking 98th in total yards, so that helps the under, too.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1623]

Michigan State HC Mark Dantonio says Brian Lewerke did not have concussion against Illinois

In his press conference on Tuesday, Mark Dantonio said that his staff agreed that Brian Lewerke did not get concussed on Saturday.

In his press conference Tuesday, Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio said that Brian Lewerke, while not assessed fully during Saturday’s loss to Illinois, did not suffer a concussion after a helmet to helmet hit he endured. Some fans wondered if he did suffer an injury as he threw a bad pick-six on the following play.

“No, we didn’t go through any protocol. We looked at him very quickly,” Dantonio said Tuesday. “Just I asked him and he said he’s good, and he motioned that to our trainers as well, so he just went on with it.”

[protected-iframe id=”2ba0722088a2561aff407738a4749994-142349028-140166282″ info=”https://uw-media.freep.com/embed/video/2576366001?placement=snow-embed” width=”540″ height=”350″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

“The safety of student-athletes at Michigan State University is our No. 1 priority. Decisions on whether a player returns to competition after potentially suffering an injury are made by our medical staff, which does not report to our coaching staff or through the Athletics Department,” Anthony Avellino, assistant provost for student wellness, health and safety said in a statement released today.

“Upon returning to the sideline late in the fourth quarter with under five minutes remaining in the game, Brian Lewerke was given a symptom assessment by our medical staff. After not showing signs of a concussion, he was cleared to play. As a precautionary measure, Brian was given further testing the following day, and was once again determined not to have a concussion.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Nets struggle in second half vs. Jazz, now 1-2 on road trip

Kyrie Irving had a rough shooting night for the Brooklyn Nets in the loss to the Utah Jazz.

The Brooklyn Nets performed far better in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game than they have of late. They proceeded to build on their strong start by carrying a 68-53 lead into halftime.

The Utah Jazz proceeded to flip the script and handed Brooklyn it’s second loss of the five-game road trip with a 119-114 finish.

Previously, Kenny Atkinson discussed how the Nets struggle to get stops, especially early in games or when they’re also struggling on offense. The latter was the problem in the second half.

After a rough third quarter, things got worse for the Nets in the fourth quarter — yet they still had a chance at the end. They simply couldn’t get it done offensively.

Kyrie Irving took 30 shots. He only made 10 of them. Twelve of his attempts were from beyond the arc. He only made two of those. Not at all a good shooting night for Brooklyn’s point guard, despite the fact he finished up with 27 points.

Garrett Temple got the start in place of the injured Caris LeVert and finished in double figures (10), as did fellow starters Joe Harris (11) and Taurean Prince (15). Spencer Dinwiddie (21) and DeAndre Jordan (15) also finished in double figures.

Jordan (6-for-8 shooting) and Prince (6-for-9, 3-for-5 from three) were the Nets’ most efficient shooters in the loss.

Jordan also grabbed 17 rebounds while logging two blocks and two steals. Irving and Jarrett Allen each had two blocks, as well.

Another notable stat: Harris had a -22 plus-minus. He and Allen (-14) were the only two Nets with a negative, double-digit plus-minus.

RELATED: WATCH: DeAndre Jordan finishes savage alley-oop in Utah

Will the Steelers be at Colin Kaepernick’s workout?

The NFL is hosting a workout for teams to check out quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

ESPN reporter Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick will hold a workout in Atlanta on Saturday. This workout was not set up by Kaepernick or his reps. It was orchestrated by the NFL and will be a chance for Kaepernick to show he’s ready to play, as well as interview with teams.

The former San Francisco 49ers QB hasn’t played since the 2016 season, during which he and then-teammate Eric Reid ignited a firestorm by kneeling during the national anthem as a way to protest social injustice. This year, Kaepernick and Reid settled collusion lawsuits against the league in which they alleged they were blackballed because of their protests.

The question isn’t whether the Steelers should be present at Kaepernick’s workout. It’s more simple than that. Will the Steelers be there?

[polldaddy poll=10456908]

I tend to believe even with the issues the Steelers have at quarterback, they will not send anyone to the workout. With the injuries Pittsburgh has dealt with at the position, they have had ample opportunity to seek out Kaepernick on their own. It doesn’t make much sense for them to do it now.

But I want to hear from you. Will the Steelers be there? Cast your vote. Or share your thoughts on the Steelers Wire forum.

NCAA Basketball: Kentucky upset by Evansville a week after beating Michigan State

7 days ago Kentucky beat Michigan State to become the top team in the country. A week later they were upset by Evansville.

Life can come at you pretty fast in sports, and that is especially the case in college basketball. Last week, Kentucky beat Michigan State in Madison Square Garden to take over the #1 spot in the country from the Spartans. Just a week later, Kentucky will be losing claim to that position after they were upset by the Evansville Purple Aces 67-64 at home in the Rupp Arena.

Kentucky’s guards, Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey still look great, but no other players were able to hit double figures. Kentucky only shot 23.5% from three while Evansville went 9/30 from deep, which was ultimately one of the difference-makers in this game. KJ Riley and Sam Cunliffe led the way for the Purple Aces with 18 and 17 points, respectively.

Michigan State will look to avoid a similar fate, albeit to a much better team when they face #12 Seton Hall on the road Thursday. Kentucky won’t be facing a ranked team until they play Ohio State December 21st.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Odds chart for daily play: Week 11

A good way to start your weekly homework for DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) play is to analyze the early NFL game odds. These guys have a long history of making money off of setting the right game spread and points scored. So it can be an early indicator of teams to target due to high-scoring potential, and teams to avoid for the opposite reason.

A good way to start your weekly homework for DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) play is to analyze the early NFL game odds. These guys have a long history of making money off of setting the right game spread and points scored. So it can be an early indicator of teams to target due to high-scoring potential, and teams to avoid for the opposite reason.

Key: High-Value Potential / Low-Value Potential

Game
Day		 Game
Time		 Away
Team		 Home
Team		 Away
Spread		 Home
Spread		 Total
Points		 Away Proj.
Score		 Home Proj.
Score
THU 8:20 PM Pittsburgh Cleveland 2.5 -2.5 40 18.75 21.25
SUN 1:00 PM Atlanta Carolina 5.5 -5.5 49.5 22 27.5
SUN 1:00 PM Dallas Detroit -4.5 4.5 51.5 28 23.5
SUN 1:00 PM Jacksonville Indianapolis 3 -3 44 20.5 23.5
SUN 1:00 PM Buffalo Miami -6 6 41 23.5 17.5
SUN 1:00 PM Houston Baltimore 4.5 -4.5 49.5 22.5 27
SUN 1:00 PM Denver Minnesota 10.5 -10.5 40 14.75 25.25
SUN 1:00 PM NY Jets Washington 1 -1 38.5 18.75 19.75
SUN 1:00 PM New Orleans Tampa Bay -5.5 5.5 50 27.75 22.25
SUN 4:05 PM Arizona San Francisco 11.5 -11.5 45.5 17 28.5
SUN 4:25 PM Cincinnati Oakland 10.5 -10.5 48.5 19 29.5
SUN 4:25 PM New England Philadelphia -3.5 3.5 44.5 24 20.5
SUN 8:20 PM Chicago LA Rams 6.5 -6.5 41.5 17.5 24
MON 8:15 PM Kansas City LA Chargers -4 4 52 28 24