Tag: Predictions

Gators men’s basketball a No. 6 seed in latest ESPN bracketology

In the latest update from ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi to his 2021 NCAA Tournament predictions, the Gators were picked as a No. 6 seed.

In the latest update from ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi to his 2021 NCAA Tournament predictions, the Gators were picked as a No. 6 seed.

Lunardi placed Florida in the West Region, where Gonzaga is the No. 1 seed, set to play the first and second rounds in Dallas. Its projected first-round opponent is the victor of a play-in game between No. 11 seeds Clemson and Seton Hall. If coach Mike White’s team were to survive the first game, it would likely play No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the second round. With this bracket, the Gators could also draw Kentucky in the Elite Eight.

UF is one of seven SEC teams predicted by Lunardi to make the tournament, the third-most represented conference behind the Big 10 and ACC, which are each projected to put nine teams into the tournament. The other SEC teams slotted by Lunardi to make the big dance are No. 4 Kentucky, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 8 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 8 LSU and No. 10 Ole Miss.

[lawrence-related id=18301,18241,18187,17982,17913]

Packers pre-training camp 53-man roster prediction: Offensive line

Predicting the offensive linemen who will make the Packers’ 53-man roster coming out of training camp in 2020.

With training camp scheduled to open in late July, Packers Wire will be spending the next month attempting to predict how Matt LaFleur, Brian Gutekunst and the Packers will construct their initial 53-man roster entering the 2020 season.

Up next is the offensive line, where the Packers return four of five starters but have intriguing depth battles ahead:

Players

David Bakhtiari
Corey Linsley
Billy Turner
Elgton Jenkins
Rick Wagner
Lane Taylor
Lucas Patrick
Cole Madison
Alex Light
John Leglue
Yosh Nijman
Cody Conway
Jon Runyan (rookie)
Jake Hanson (rookie)
Simon Stepaniak (rookie)
Travis Bruffy (rookie)
Zack Johnson (rookie)

Number kept to start 2019

Nine. The Packers traded away Justin McCray and kept four backups behind the five starters. Alex Light made the team as the swing tackle.

Roster prediction (10)

1. David Bakhtiari: The All-Pro left tackle is entering a contract year.

2. Elgton Jenkins: The second-year left guard is one of the NFL’s best young interior blockers.

3. Corey Linsley: The veteran center is reliable and steady, but like Bakhtiari, he’s also entering a contract year.

4. Billy Turner: A 16-game starter at right guard, Turner will have to beat out Lane Taylor for the job in 2020.

5. Rick Wagner: The former Raven and Lion will be the front runner to replace Bryan Bulaga at right tackle.

6. Lane Taylor: The Packers retained him for 2020 with a team-friendly restructure. He’s good enough to beat out Turner for a starting job.

7. Lucas Patrick: He can play all three interior line spots, including center, making him the ideal backup lineman.

8. Alex Light: He struggled in spot duty in 2019, but the Packers don’t have any other options with experience at offensive tackle, making him the early favorite.

9. Jon Runyan: The two-time All-Big Ten pick will transition to guard as a rookie but he could give the Packers help at offensive tackle in a pinch.

10. Jake Hanson: A four-year starter at Oregon, he could be the future at center after 2020.

Cut (7)

1. Cole Madison: He’s coming back from a major injury, and the Packers just used three draft picks on interior linemen. He needs a big summer to stick.

2. John Leglue: His positional versatility could be really attractive, especially if he proves he can play out on the edge.

3. Yosh Nijman: A potential summer surprise candidate. He’s big and athletic but might need more time before he’s ready to be the top backup at tackle.

4. Cody Conway: Time spent on the practice squad to end last season will help his chances. So will his experience at left tackle. Another year on the practice squad could be in his future.

5. Simon Stepaniak: The sixth-round pick is coming back from a significant injury. He’ll probably need time before he’s ready to contribute.

6. Travis Bruffy: He has good feet and three years of starting experience at tackle. It wouldn’t be surprising if he made a run at a roster spot during camp.

7. Zack Johnson: The Packers are deep on the interior, but Johnson could really help his chances by looking capable at right tackle. Likely practice squad candidate.

Updating roster prediction

QB (3): Aaron Rodgers, Tim Boyle, Jordan Love
RB (4): Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, A.J. Dillon, Tyler Ervin
WR (6): Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Devin Funchess, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Kumerow, Equanimeous St. Brown
TE (4): Marcedes Lewis, Jace Sternberger, Robert Tonyan, Josiah Deguara
OL (10): David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Corey Linsley, Billy Turner, Rick Wagner, Lane Taylor, Lucas Patrick, Alex Light, Jon Runyan, Jake Hanson

Packers pre-training camp 53-man roster predictions: Quarterbacks

Predicting which quarterbacks the Packers will keep on the 53-man roster to start the 2020 season.

With training camp scheduled to open in late July, Packers Wire will be spending the next month attempting to predict how Matt LaFleur, Brian Gutekunst and the Packers will construct their initial 53-man roster entering the 2020 season.

Up first is quarterbacks, where the Packers have a first-round pick and real intrigue behind Aaron Rodgers entering training camp:

Players

Aaron Rodgers
Tim Boyle
Jordan Love (rookie)
Jalen Morton (rookie)

Number kept to start 2019

Two. The Packers kept Tim Boyle – who produced a passer rating of 112.9 during the preseason – as the No. 2 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers, cutting DeShone Kizer in the process. Undrafted rookie Manny Wilkins returned as the third quarterback on the practice squad.

Roster prediction (3)

1. Aaron Rodgers: The two-time NFL MVP will be motivated to have a big second season in Matt LaFleur’s offense. Coming off back-to-back so-so seasons and turning 37 years old in December, Rodgers needs to play exceedingly well over the next few seasons to prevent the transition to Love, the team’s first-round pick in 2020.

2. Tim Boyle: The selection of Love puts Boyle’s roster spot at risk but doesn’t necessarily guarantee he’s gone, especially with the coronavirus cloud hovering over the entire 2020 season. He’s going to be so far ahead of Love to start training camp, and keeping Boyle as the top backup would ensure there’s a quarterback with some experience in the offense behind Rodgers to start the regular season. He’s improved each of the last two summers and will be increasingly comfortable in his second season in the scheme. The circumstances give Boyle a terrific opportunity to remain the No. 2 to start 2020, even if new practice squad rules might encourage keeping only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.

3. Jordan Love: The rookie has more talent than Boyle and is the team’s expected future starter, but he’s way behind after not having an in-person offseason workout program. Important on-field reps and drill work were missed. Playing catchup as a rookie quarterback during training camp won’t be easy, especially if there are restrictions and fewer preseason games, and there’s a chance all teams will want to carry three quarterbacks on the roster to start an unprecedented 2020 season. Letting Love start the season as the third quarterback might be the safest option for LaFleur and the Packers. Remember, he’s going to get about a month – at max – of in-person work with the team before the regular season begins. NFL teams are notoriously cautious at quarterback.

Cut (1)

1. Jalen Morton: The undrafted free agent from Prairie View A&M is facing a massive uphill battle to start his pro career. However, Morton could emerge as a valuable practice squad player if he proves worthy of further development during camp.

Updating roster prediction

QB (3): Aaron Rodgers, Tim Boyle, Jordan Love

Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy projected to lead rookies in receiving yards for 2020

Two former Alabama receivers, Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy, are projected to lead all rookies in 2020 in receiving yards.

The 2020 NFL draft stole two of Alabama’s most impactful members on the offensive side of the ball. They are now expected to lead rookies from across the league in receiving yards throughout the 2020 season.

Henry Ruggs III was not expected to be the first receiver selected, it was supposedly a race between fellow Alabama product Jerry Jeudy and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. However, with the No. 12 overall selection, the Las Vegas Raiders selected the speedy Alabama native.

The second wide receiver to be drafted was Jeudy at No. 15 by the Denver Broncos.

Both receivers have been expected to make an immediate impact on their respective team, but Pro Football Focus finally gave fans something tangible to discuss. Projected season totals for receiving yards.

Alabama continues their strong case for claiming the title “WRU,” by having the top two players on the projection be Ruggs and Jeudy.

While LSU’s Justin Jefferson is projected to be third by the end of 2020 with 624.3 yards, Jeudy has him beat with 672.6 yards, almost thirty more.

The real interesting number belongs to the No. 1 spot, Ruggs. He is projected to end his rookie regular season wit 702.1 yards. that’s 30 more than Jeudy in second place, and almost 60 more than Jefferson in third.

Both wide receivers were nationally recognized during their times at Alabama, it will now be a totally different ballgame as they transition to playing at the professional level.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama players in the NFL!

ESPN FPI projects another high Saints win total, strong Super Bowl chances

The New Orleans Saints are expected to make a lot of noise in pursuit of Super Bowl 55, according to ESPN win totals and playoff chances.

[jwplayer omjGs8uq-ThvAeFxT]

Expectations couldn’t be higher for the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2020 season. A second Super Bowl title is on the line in what may be the final year Drew Brees plays in the NFL, considering his contract structure and retirement plans with NBC’s broadcasting team. Anything less than a championship win would be disappointing.

Fortunately, this year’s team might be up to the task. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI for short) predicted NFL win totals and chances of reaching the postseason (plus Super Bowl odds), and their metrics favor the Saints. In a ranking of every team, listed from No. 1 to 32, New Orleans clocked in at No. 4. However, that’s one spot behind the San Francisco 49ers, as well as the Baltimore Ravens and top-ranked Kansas City Chiefs.

But that simple ranking doesn’t tell the whole story. The Saints are projected to win 10.2 games this year, the same number as the 49ers, but their slightly-easier strength of schedule (based off 2019 results) gives New Orleans a slight edge in the race for a playoffs berth (83%) over San Francisco (81%).

And when you whittle it down to Super Bowl odds, the Saints have the narrowest of leads (13%) over the 49ers (12%), thanks to those same scheduling factors. While Tom Brady’s Buccaneers might make it tough, the Saints are still favored to win their third NFC South title in as many years. Meanwhile, the 49ers must cope with a tougher slate of opponents as well as the always-competitive NFC West.

We’ll see if the Saints have surrounded Brees with enough talent to get over their postseason hurdles. On offense, he’s protected by maybe the NFL’s best offensive line, with a squad of pass-catchers including Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, and Emmanuel Sanders.  On the other side of the ball, leaders like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore, and Malcolm Jenkins are acutely aware of what’s at stake.

Maybe it’ll take an edge on special teams, where Pro Bowl talents thrive at kicker (Wil Lutz), punter (Thomas Morstead), and in the return game (Deonte Harris fielding kicks with J.T. Gray and Justin Hardee paving the way). Or maybe Taysom Hill is more of an X-factor than most expect. Whether the 2020 Saints season ends by going up in flames or with confetti dropping from the rafters, it’s going to be must-see TV.

[vertical-gallery id=33929]

USA TODAY’s Nate Davis predicts Saints-Ravens matchup in Super Bowl LV

The New Orleans Saints will defeat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl LV, according to the latest 2020 NFL predictions.

[jwplayer tRilVLgl-ThvAeFxT]

Just how good will the New Orleans Saints be this season? Sure, things look great on paper — they’ve built a roster stocked with talent, developed by a coaching staff that’s stuck together and won a lot of games for several years now. The team has won 13 matchups in each of their last two years, the first time that’s ever happened in franchise history.

Sure, the rest of the NFL is waiting to test them. Tom Brady is living it up in Tampa Bay. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are in various stages of collapsing-and-rebuilding. And the greater scope of the conference includes an also-ran in last year’s Super Bowl (the San Francisco 49ers), a couple of proud teams embarrassed by quiet finishes to the season (the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Dallas Cowboys), and always-mercurial title contenders like the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles. And that’s not even the half of it, when you consider the goings-on in the AFC.

But if the latest predictions from Nate Davis over at USA TODAY Sports hold true, Saints fans will have plenty to cheer for in 2020. Davis is calling for the Saints to defeat Lamar Jackson, the reigning league MVP, and his Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl LV following a victorious 12-4 regular season performance. The 49ers are the only team in the NFC to finish with 12 or more wins, while the Ravens (13-3) and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) are runaway favorites to contend in the rival conference.

You can follow this link for Davis’ comprehensive thoughts on the state of the NFL before things stall out over a long summer, or check the graphic embedded below for his win-loss predictions on every team:

[vertical-gallery id=33239]

2020 Georgia football schedule with predictions

A look at the 2020 Georgia football schedule with game-by-game predictions.

Here we take a look at Georgia’s 2020 football schedule with game-by-game predictions.

Georgia’s offense will look very different, with the departures of Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift, Lawrence Cager, Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson, Solomon Kindley and Cade Mays.

On the other hand, Georgia has recruited well to replace those guys, brought in Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, hired Todd Monken to run the offense and former Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke to coach the offensive line.

On defense, expect more of the same. Physical, sound football with a ton of players rotating in to keep each other fresh.

The schedule is by no means easy. A road trip to Tuscaloosa, games against Auburn and Tennessee and the annual meeting against Florida in Jacksonville will all present challenges.

Below is our game-by-game predictions for how Georgia’s season will unfold.

[vertical-gallery id=28511]

Top primetime possibilities for the Chiefs in 2020

We already know the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2020 opponents, so let’s try to narrow down the top primetime options.

During the 2019 season, the Kansas City Chiefs continued to have a strong presence in primetime. They were awarded five primetime appearances for the second consecutive season, with Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered Chiefs offense being the star attraction. They’ve basically become must-watch football over the past two seasons.

Now they’re coming off their first Super Bowl championship in 50 years and they’re returning 20-of-22 starters. That makes Kansas City a likely candidate to see five primetime games for a third consecutive season.

With the NFL set to officially release the regular-season schedule on Thursday night, here is a look at our choices for some of the top primetime possibilities for Kansas City in 2020:

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs at Raiders

One of the storied rivalries in NFL history should begin a new chapter in 2020 as the Raiders make their move to Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium. I feel like the NFL has been trying to reignite this rivalry for a long time, but the Raiders have rarely held up their end of the bargain. I could see this being a late-season primetime game for Kansas City, maybe even as a Thursday Night Football game. That’ll give Las Vegas the opportunity to make a QB change if they deem it necessary. What better way to restart this rivalry than send the Chiefs into enemy territory during primetime?

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

Day 3 mock draft: Bengals upgrade line in front of Joe Burrow in Rounds 4-7

Here’s an updated Cincinnati Bengals mock draft for Rounds 4-7 of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals threw a bit of a curveball with the first pick of the second day of the draft. While many thought it would be an offensive tackle or perhaps a defensive lineman, Cincinnati chose to add a wide receiver for Joe Burrow. But it wasn’t Baylor WR Denzel Mims, who was regarded as the top receiver on the board. Instead, it was Clemson WR Tee Higgins.

They then came back in Round 3 and addressed the linebacker position with Logan Wilson of Wyoming, a tackling machine in college. So the interesting note is that they have not addressed the offensive line yet, especially considering Josh Jones fell all the way to No. 72 to the Arizona Cardinals.

So with all that in mind, let’s see what the Bengals can potentially do in the final day of the draft. Here’s a day three mock draft.

 

No. 107 – Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn

Sep 9, 2017; Clemson, SC, USA; Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Prince Tega Wanogho (76) lines up during the game against the Clemson Tigers at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals find an offensive tackle that could have went early in Round 3 still available to begin Round 4. Wanogho can start as a swing tackle before eventually sliding into Bobby Hart’s spot at right tackle.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Day 2 mock draft: Bengals land upgrades around Joe Burrow in Rounds 2-3

Here’s an updated Cincinnati Bengals mock draft for Rounds 2-3 of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals did the obvious with Joe Burrow. Now it’s all about upgrading around him.

The 2020 NFL draft continues Friday, where the Bengals will again hold the top pick. Unfortunately, some top names at positions like linebacker didn’t fall.

Fortunately, other first-round talents did.

Taking a value and need slant, here’s a mock for Rounds 2 and 3.

 

Round 2 (33): Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Sep 3, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars offensive lineman Josh Jones (74) during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Most onlookers would probably agree Josh Jones doesn’t fall to the second round most years. But the 2020 class was oddly strong at tackle, hence six coming off the board in Round 1.

That leaves Jones to the Bengals — and he’s probably the lone reason they shouldn’t trade down.

Jones has left tackle potential but the value with him in Cincinnati is he can probably carve out a long-term role as a starter anywhere, including guard. He’s pro-ready at 6’5″ and 319 pounds.

Lance Zierlein put it best: “Early tape would suggest that Jones is a raw, developmental project in need of substantial technique work, but tape study later in the season suggests a level of improvement that creates additional intrigue for the long, athletic left tackle prospect.”

Lucking into a Round 1-caliber tackle like Jones while still trying to right the longstanding wrongs along the offensive line is as good as it gets.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2