Watch: Rams troll Tarik Cohen with top-shelf towel joke

The Rams poked fun at Tarik Cohen’s height during Jalen Ramsey’s locker room media session.

Despite his smaller stature, Tarik Cohen is a dangerous playmaker for the Bears. The Rams will get a taste of that on Sunday night when they host the Bears at the Coliseum.

Many have poked fun at Cohen for his height, and it seems even his teammates are pranking him for being just 5-feet-6 by putting towels in the locker room on the top shelf.

The hilarious video was shared by the Bears on Twitter, and you can hear Cohen complaining in the background.

The Rams trolled Cohen in the locker room during Jalen Ramsey’s media session this week with one player yelling, “Hey, who keeps putting the towels on the top shelf?! You know I can’t reach them up here!”

Based on the reporter’s next question, it would seem recently promoted cornerback Donte Deayon was the player who cracked the joke.

 

In the last meeting between the Bears and Rams, Tarik Cohen carried the ball nine times for 69 yards and caught four passes for another 20 yards. The Bears, of course, won that game 15-6, being the first team to truly shut down Sean McVay’s offense.

The Rams should be careful about poking the bear ahead of Sunday’s game.

Hawks-Clippers odds: Clips are huge favorites at home

Previewing Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Atlanta Hawks (4-7) travel to meet the Los Angeles Clippers (7-5) Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Hawks-Clippers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

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

Hawks at Clippers: Key injuries

Hawks: SF Chandler Parsons (knee) is expected to be a go. SG Evan Turner (Achilles) is questionable and SG Vince Carter (personal) is listed as out. SG Kevin Huerter (shoulder) will be sidelined at least another seven to 10 days, while PF John Collins remains suspended through Dec. 23.

Clippers: SF Kawhi Leonard (knee) is listed as questionable, as is PG Patrick Beverley (calf). If Kawhi is unable to play, that moves the needle on this game quite a bit. He is expected to be ready, but could be rested as a precaution. Be careful.

Hawks at Clippers: 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 9:55 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Clippers 121, Hawks 106

Moneyline (ML)

PASS. The Clippers (-715) are expected to take care of the Hawks, but if Leonard and Beverley were each unable to play, that makes this much less of a certainty. Even if they were to play, laying more than seven times your return is just not good gambling. It’s foolish.

New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered that Los Angeles wins profits $0.14 if the Bucks prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $1.40, $20 to win $2.80, $71.50 to win $10).

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Take the CLIPPERS (-9.5, –125), but wait a bit until shortly before tip-off. We’ll know a lot more about Kawhi’s status leading up to the game. If he were not to play, go lightly. If he is able to play, go a little heavier.

The Hawks are just 1-4 against the spread in the past five games overall, while the Clippers are 5-0 ATS across their past five. The Clips are 5-2 ATS in the last seven games overall, and 13-6 ATS in the past 19 against Southeast Division foes, too.

Over/under (O/U)

The TOTAL 227.5 is just too risky. This game should be right around the number if Leonard is able to play. If he doesn’t go, that’s a huge chunk of offense missing. It’s best to avoid the total in this one due to uncertainty.

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

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Week 11 NFL picks: Who are the experts picking in Bears vs. Rams?

The Bears are looking to extend their winning streak to 2 games in a primetime matchup against the Rams. Do the experts believe in Chicago?

The Chicago Bears (4-5) and Los Angeles Rams (5-4) will meet in a rematch of last season’s defensive contest on Sunday Night Football.

While the Bears broke their four-game losing streak with a 20-13 win over division foes the Detroit Lions last week, the Rams are coming off a disappointing 17-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But the experts aren’t feeling confident about the Bears’ chances even against a struggling Rams offense as an overwhelming 84 percent of experts polled believe the Rams will beat the Bears on Sunday, according to NFL Pick Watch.

Luckily for the Bears, Jared Goff and the Rams’ offense has been struggling behind a makeshift offensive line, which presents an opportunity for Chicago’s defense to make a statement on primetime.

Can the Bears extend their winning streak to two games? Can the Bears offense make less mistakes than the Rams? Can the Bears defense rise to the occasion on the national stage? Or will the Bears’ playoff hopes be dashed?

We’ll see Sunday when the Bears and Rams kick things off at 7:20 CT on NBC.

5 things we learned from USMNT vs. Canada

Gyasi Zardes did enough, and Gregg Berhalter gets a sigh of relief, but there are still questions after the USA’s 4-1 win over Canada.

Correction: This article originally stated the last match against Canada was a friendly. It was a CONCACAF Nations League Match.

The USMNT actually went and took care of business against Canada on Friday night, winning their CONCACAF Nations League match 4-1 in Orlando.

Gyasi Zardes bagged a brace, with Jordan Morris and Aaron Long each grabbing a goal for the USMNT. Canada’s Steven Vitoria got a consolation goal in the second half off a corner kick, but it wasn’t enough.

It was a much needed win for a USMNT that embarrassingly lost to the Canadians just a few weeks ago, a match that had people (including me!) grumbling that USA coach Gregg Berhalter wasn’t the right man for the job.

Do I still feel that way? Yep! Sure do. But this was a good result for Berhalter and will calm things down with a grumpy American fanbase.

Here are five things we learned, with some highlights tossed in for good measure.

1. USA didn’t embarrass themselves

This is the biggest takeaway from the game, and what will keep Gregg Berhalter’s seat from getting too hot in the near future. The Americans came out and competed early, going at the Canadians with energy and bagging a quick goal in the second minute when Jordan Morris capitalized on a ragged little set piece play that somehow worked.

The USMNT didn’t look … great, exactly, but they played well enough to take advantage of their chances. They got two goals off set pieces, which is what good USMNT squads have done in the past. Here’s the other set piece goal from Long.

Basically: They won, and they really needed to win. Sometimes analysis doesn’t get much more complicated than that.

2. Gyasi Zardes did enough to stay in the conversation

Zardes scored two goals, ran the lines well, and looked tough to deal with for the USMNT. For right now, it’s clear he’s doing what Berhalter wants from his striker.

Watching him take rough touches can be frustrating, especially for people who want to see what Josh Sargent can do, but Zardes understands Berhalter’s system.

Zardes runs all day, and gets in good spots. He took his chances on Friday. It ain’t always pretty, but if that’s what Berhalter wants, we’re going to have to wait to see Sargent.

3. Sergiño Dest is SAUCY

Dest became cap-tied to the United States with the game last night, which might be the most important thing that happened. The young Ajax right back was dazzling for much of the game, going at Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies time and time again.

It was awesome.

Davies was similarly fantastic, and he and Dest looked like they were playing an entirely different game from the other 20 guys on the field. They’re both 19 years old (born just a day apart, weirdly!) and already look heads and shoulders ahead of everyone else in this game. Watching these two go at each other for the next decade plus is going to be so fun.

4. Weston McKennie should be better

This wasn’t McKennie’s best game for the USMNT. This wasn’t even close to his best game. He was fine, but for someone I expect to see at the level of Dest/Davies, he didn’t do enough.

This could be tactical — Berhalter may have given him a command to hang in the midfield and shore things up (probably smart given how overrun the USMNT has been in midfield at times), but he wasn’t able to get forward and put his mark on the game.

5. We need to see the full team

It’s so hard for me to judge anything about this side because I haven’t seen our top team out there yet. I want to see what McKennie can create when he’s paired with Tyler Adams, and what our attack can look like with Pulisic and Morris running off the striker.

The most important thing about the addition of Dest is it might force Berhalter to drop this whole ridiculous Tyler Adams as hybrid RB-CM thing he seemed hellbent on implementing, and just play the best center midfield we have. Jackson Yueill showed us on Friday he isn’t the answer. Wil Trapp has showed us that already. Michael Bradley is on the tail end of his career.

When Adams is healthy, I want to see what this team can do.

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Cardinals vs. 49ers Week 11 video preview and picks

See what Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks have to say about the Week 11 rematch.

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The Arizona Cardinals are on the road this weekend to take on the 8-1 San Francisco 49ers for the second time in three weeks. The last time they met, the Cardinals rallied in the fourth quarter but lost 28-25.

The 49ers are coming off their first loss of the season. They have a number of players injured.

In the above preview video, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks discuss what they want to see. Brooks would like to see the 49ers use their three-headed attack at running back. However, they likely will not have Matt Breida, so it will just be Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert.

They cite rookie receiver Deebo Samuel as a player to watch.

As for predictions, Brooks believes the 49ers will win, while Jeremiah picks the Cardinals to win in an upset.

Check out their preview in the above video.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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Islanders-Flyers odds: Philly plays host in pick’em vs. NY Islanders

Previewing Saturday’s New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis and picks.

The New York Islanders (13-3-1) travel to the city of brotherly love to face the Philadelphia Flyers (10-6-3) at Wells Fargo Center Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Islanders-Flyers odds and lines while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Islanders at Flyers: Projected starting goalies

Thomas Greiss vs. Brian Elliott

Greiss is projected to start. He has posted a 7-1-3 record with a 1.88 goals against average and .942 save percentage. He has won six straight starts while allowing 10 goals on his last 192 shots faced (.948 save percentage).

Elliott is 4-2-1 with a 2.88 GAA and .909 save percentage. He has been a bit inconsistent with one win and an overtime loss, and was pulled in his last three starts.

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

Islanders at Flyers: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Islanders 4, Flyers 2

Moneyline (ML)

NEW YORK (-110) is nearly even money and rested. The Flyers have played extra time in five of their last six games and it may catch up to them here on the back end of a back-to-back.

A $10 bet with New York results in a $9.09 profit with an outright victory.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The spread is one to AVOID as this expects to be a close one throughout. New York’s -304 is cost-prohibitive given the moneyline. The profit is elsewhere Saturday night.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 5.5 (-129) is a modest, small play given the unknown of how Philadelphia looks in this game.

These two rivals have scored 21 goals combined in their last three meetings. Take the Over.

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

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS 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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Behind Enemy Lines with Panthers Wire: Kyle Allen or Cam Newton?

The Panthers have lost two of their last three games since winning four straight when Kyle Allen took over at QB. What’s gone wrong over the past few weeks?

The Falcons have won just two games all season, but will look to win their second straight when they take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 11.

To help us preview Sunday’s matchup, we caught up with Tim Weaver, the managing editor for Panthers Wire. Here’s four questions behind enemy lines ahead of this weekend’s NFC South battle in Carolina.

The Panthers have lost two of three games after winning four straight when Kyle Allen took over at QB. What’s gone wrong?

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

PW: Allen has thrown some bad passes, but the main reason they have been losing lately is their run defense. Since defensive tackle Kawann Short went on injured reserve in Week 3, it’s been steadily getting worse. Last week, they let Aaron Jones run all over them. He scored three rushing touchdowns, and the Packers averaged six yards per carry. I don’t know what the answer is, but Ron Rivera has to figure something out here.

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Jairzinho Rozenstruik in awe of quick UFC rise: ‘Damn, I know those guys from my PlayStation’

Jairzinho Rozenstruik is enjoying the ride ahead of the biggest – and unexpected – opportunity of his career.

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]’s rise through the UFC heavyweight division has been a quick one, and things might just get even faster next month.

The Surinamese fighter began his career in the UFC back in February, scoring a second-round TKO victory over Junior Albini at UFC on ESPN+ 2 in Brazil. Since his debut, Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has picked up first-round knockouts over Allen Crowder and most recently former UFC  heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

And just a couple of days after the biggest win of his career at UFC 244, Rozenstruik was slotted to face another legendary name in the game. The unbeaten heavyweight replaced Walt Harris, who’s in search of his missing step-daughter, to take on [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in the main event of UFC on ESPN 7 on Dec. 7.

“I just fought, and I didn’t fight that long, and there was an opportunity that came up with the Walt Harris situation with his stepdaughter missing. I hope they find her as soon as possible in this heart-breaking situation, and there was a chance where I could’ve got the fight or Derick Lewis could’ve got that fight,” Rozenstruik told MMA Junkie. “But Derrick Lewis fought, and I think he’s a little bit injured. I think I was the only one that wasn’t injured, so I got the opportunity to get the fight. As soon as the question came up I accepted.

“A win over Alistair Overeem would mean a lot for my career, and for sure I’m happy. I get the chance at this high level in the rankings to prove my skills. I see it as a test and on December 7, I’ll be ready to show my skills.”

Overeem is No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings and holds one of the bigger names in the weight class, having fought for the UFC title and being a former Strikeforce and DREAM heavyweight champion.

Rozenstruik, who trains out of Hardknocks 365 in South Florida, is well aware of what a win over “The Reem” could do to his career.

“I hope a win over Alistair Overeem will bring me to the top 10, maybe top five,” Rozenstruik said. “With this fight, I’m already happy, so where I land on the rankings with this fight is just going to be a surprise. I’m already happy with this matchup, so that’s a surprise for me. I come from all the way down, and I got myself up this fast, so whatever comes next will be just extra for me.

“Overeem got my respect for sure. He’s done a lot; he’s a legendary name. He has a good style, and I’ll be prepared for everything. I’ll make sure to get my hand raised at the end of the fight whether it goes five rounds or one. I think a win over him would be very good for my career.”

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The idea of possibly going from a UFC debutant to a top title contender in less than a year is one that still sounds a little crazy to Rozenstruik.

“I have to be honest: No, I never saw it coming so fast,” Rozenstruik explained. “I really wanted it. Me and my coach Michael Babb, we didn’t expect it be so fast. We train hard all the time, so we expect everything, but that we were going to rise so fast in 2019, no, we didn’t see it, but we’re happy with it.”

Rozenstruik is happy and feels lucky to have been able to get four fights in his first year with the UFC. He’s also grateful of the household names he’s been able to get matched up.

“Yeah, he’s (Alistair Overeem) a big name, and it’s good to have a win over such a big name on your record, and you’ll always remember those special moments for sure,” Rozenstruik said.

“As soon as I got that fight, I was like, ‘Oh damn, I know those guys from my PlayStation.’ I’ve been working for this, and this is awesome. I’m living my dream, and I give it my all. I’ve been playing them (UFC games) since PlayStation 2, and now I play it on my PlayStation 4.”

It’s unsure where a win on Dec. 7 could put “Bigi Boy” in the UFC heavyweight sphere, but it will sure get him a lot closer to championship gold. And Rozenstruik is not afraid of being catapulted to the very top.

“I was born ready for this. Life prepared me for this, and I can’t wait to get to the top after this,” Rozenstruik said. “I’m going to get to there one way or another. I will win this fight. I really want to make it happen.”

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Josh Richardson says Sixers are frustrated: ‘We want to win’

Philadelphia 76ers guard Josh Richardson says the Sixers are frustrated following their fifth straight road loss.

The Philadelphia 76ers were picked to be one of the teams in serious contention of winning an NBA title heading into the 2019-20 season. That’s what happens when a team adds talents like Al Horford and Josh Richardson to an All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. However, 12 games into the season, they certainly don’t look the part of title contenders.

After falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-119 in overtime on Friday night, the Sixers have now lost five straight games on the road and five of their past seven overall. Naturally, for a team as talented as the Sixers, there will be some frustration as Richardson stated:

Yeah, naturally because we are competitive. We want to win. When you’ve got a lot of guys who desperately want to win, naturally there is frustration. We’ve got to figure it out.

This team is much better than the 7-5 record they have posted so far. The projected starting lineup has only played five games together for a variety of reasons, but the little mistakes they have made that have led to losses must be corrected.

The good that came out of Friday is Tobias Harris breaking out of his shooting slump on a night where he made 3-for-4 from downtown. Also, they saw a more aggressive Simmons in the second half and that leads to optimism that it will continue.

Their next game is against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday in the finale of a 3-game road trip. [lawrence-related id=19354,19347,19339]

Bucks-Pacers odds: Milwaukee favored in Indy

Previewing Saturday’s Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Milwaukee Bucks (8-3) travel to meet the Indiana Pacers (7-5) Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET. We analyze the Bucks-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

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

Bucks at Pacers: Key injuries

Bucks: SF Khris Middleton (thigh) will be sidelined until early December.

Pacers: SG Malcolm Brogdon (back) is listed as questionable to face his former team, while C Myles Turner (ankle) is also a question mark.

Bucks at Pacers: 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 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Bucks 113, Pacers 100

Moneyline (ML)

PASS. The Bucks (-228) are rather expensive, as you need to lay more than two times the money for a meager return.

New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered that Milwaukee wins profits $0.44 if the Bucks prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $4.40, $20 to win $8.80, $22.80 to win $10).

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Take the BUCKS (-4.5, –129) for this road battle, although you’ll be ‘bucking’ some trends. Milwaukee is just 3-7 against the spread in the past 10 road games, and 0-4 ATS in the past four games overall. They are 18-7-1 ATS in the past 26 games inside the Central Division.

The favorite is also 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings in this series. However, for the Pacers (+4.5, +105), they’re 0-6-1 ATS in the past seven against teams with a winning overall record, and 3-10 ATS in the last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.

Over/under (O/U)

The UNDER 225.5 (+105) is a decent bargain, especially at plus-money. The Under has connected in five straight meetings in Indianapolis, and six of the past seven in this series. The Under is also 3-1-1 in the past five home games for the Pacers, too.

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

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