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Chiefs no longer occupy top-5 spot in latest power rankings

The Kansas City #Chiefs took the No. 6 spot in Pro Football Network’s latest power rankings for Week 14.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14 with a chance to maintain their spot as the top team in the AFC.

While the Chiefs and Detroit Lions, who are both 11-1, have the top records in the NFL by record, Kansas City has slipped in recent power rankings after narrow victories over the lowly Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders in Weeks 12 and 13.

The experts at Pro Football Network put the Chiefs in the No. 6 spot in their latest power rankings, between the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens, who occupied the No. 5 and No. 7 slots respectively.

The Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, and Green Bay Packers were Pro Football Network’s top-four teams ahead of Minnesota.

With five games left to play, Kansas City is laser-focused on grinding out wins to earn the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed and home-field advantage through the postseason.

Expect the Chiefs to move up in Pro Football Network’s rankings if any of the NFL’s top teams are defeated in the coming weeks.

Where do On3 recruiting analysts believe Michael Fasusi signs?

How confident are On3 analysts that Michael Fasusi signs with the Oklahoma Sooners?

The Oklahoma Sooners are working to solidify their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] with the early signing period approaching. After a 6-6 season and the worst offenses the Sooners have put on the field over the last 25 years, the Sooners made a change at offensive coordinator that could have ripple effects on the rest of the signing class.

Arguably the biggest name in the 2025 cycle that the Sooners are hoping to have in Norman next year is [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag]. Everything has pointed to Fasusi staying committed to the Sooners but given the turmoil the offense has been in and the uncertainty surrounding the offensive staff beyond this season, Fasusi took visits to Texas and Texas A&M in recent weeks to further explore his options.

Those visits have On3 recruiting analysts Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons uncertain about where Fasusi ends up. In a piece for On3, Wiltfong and Simmons evaluated some of the top prospects in the class, including Fasusi, and projected where they’d sign, offering a level of confidence to their prediction as well.

For Fasusi, they believe it’ll be Oklahoma, but their confidence level is low.

Texas and Texas A&M had Michael Fasusi on campus the last two weekends, but he goes into signing day committed to Oklahoma. Out of the in-state schools Texas A&M has a little more buzz than Texas, but he has relationships at both in-state schools and they will recruit him hard until he signs the papers. Will that be enough? Oklahoma is in this deep. The relationships are strong. He felt good about the Sooners in August and they hope to make that commitment official on Wednesday. – Simmons, On3

All signs point to Bill Bedenbaugh staying on as offensive line coach after the hiring of Ben Arbuckle. As it should be. Despite the down year for the offensive line, Bedenbaugh is widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the business at every level of the sport. Bedenbaugh’s track record and his relationship with Fasusi are the major driving forces in the recruitment.

Oklahoma appears to be in a really strong position to land the five-star prospect out of Lewisville, Texas. But nothing’s certain until pen is put to paper. Where will Michael Fasusi sign? We’ll find out soon with the early signing period opening on Wednesday.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Chiefs have seventh-hardest remaining strength of schedule

According to the experts at Pro Football Network, the Kansas City #Chiefs have the NFL’s seventh-hardest remaining strength of schedule.

The Kansas City Chiefs have dealt with a challenging schedule all season, and with five games left to play, the defending Super Bowl champions aren’t out of the woods yet.

According to the experts at Pro Football Network, Kansas City’s remaining strength of schedule is the seventh-hardest in the NFL heading into Week 14.

The Chiefs control their own destiny in the race to win the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed but will have to face the Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos to earn a coveted first-round bye and home-field advantage in the postseason.

When the 2024 schedule came out, it seemed that Kansas City’s most difficult task would be its first five games before the Chiefs’ bye in Week 6.

After opening the season with matchups against the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, in Weeks 1 and 2 Kansas City’s biggest second-half test was a Week 11 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, which resulted in the Chiefs’ only loss.

Portland Trail Blazers at LA Clippers odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Tuesday’s Portland Trail Blazers at LA Clippers odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Portland Trail Blazers (8-13) and LA Clippers (13-9) meet at Intuit Dome for NBA Cup group play Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Trail Blazers vs. Clippers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Trail Blazers lead 1-0; Portland won 106-105 as an 8-point underdog Oct. 30 while the Under (219) cashed

The Trail Blazers suffered a 137-131 loss as 5-point underdogs while the Over (225.5) cashed Sunday. Portland is a respectable 2-3 straight up in the past 5 games, going 3-2 against the spread (ATS) and 7-3 ATS across the past 10 outings. The Under is 7-2 in the past 9 games.

The Clippers posted a 126-122 win as 3-point underdogs against the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Sunday as the Over (225) cashed. The Clips have alternated wins and losses in the past 5 outings. LA is 3-0 ATS in the past 3 games and 8-1 ATS in the previous 9 contests. The Over has hit in 3 of the past 5, but the Under is 6-3 in the past 9 outings.

Trail Blazers at Clippers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NBA odds. Lines last updated at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Trail Blazers +290 (bet $100 to win $290) | Clippers -375 (bet $375 to win $100)
Against the spread: Trail Blazers +8.5 (-110) | Clippers -8.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 221.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)

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Trail Blazers at Clippers key injuries

Trail Blazers

C Donovan Clingan (knee) out
G Scoot Henderson (quadriceps) questionable
C Robert Williams III (concussion) out

Clippers

F Kawhi Leonard (knee) out
G Kevin Porter Jr. (ankle) out

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

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Trail Blazers at Clippers picks and predictions

Prediction

Clippers 113, Trail Blazers 109

Moneyline

The Clippers (-375) will set you back nearly 4 times your potential return, if you want to bet them straight up.

Including LA in your parlay is also a poor idea, as even with a win it sucks all of the value out of your ticket.

PASS.

Against the spread

Play TRAIL BLAZERS +8.5 (-110), as they won the first meeting outright.

The Clippers -8.5 (-110) are on fire, going 8-1 ATS in the past 9 games, but they also lost outright to Portland.

The Blazers are playing with confidence, and the offense has the tools to keep it close.

Over/Under

OVER 221.5 (-105) is worth a look.

The Over is 3-2 in the past 5 games for the Clippers, but don’t get carried away. The Under is 6-1 in the past 7 games at home for LA.

For the Trail Blazers, while the Over is 2-1 in the past 3 outings, the Under is 7-2 across the past 9 outings dating back to Nov. 13.

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

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

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SEC recruiting rankings ahead of early signing day

The SEC has five of the top six recruiting classes in the nation. Georgia has the No. 1 class, but one of the Bulldogs’ top rivals has recently been on a hot streak

The Georgia Bulldogs have the top 2025 recruiting class in the SEC and in the nation. Georgia is looking to sign its second straight No. 1 recruiting class.

The early signing period, which runs from Wednesday, Dec. 4 to Friday, Dec. 6, is when the vast majority of high school recruits sign to play at the next level. Georgia football and coach Kirby Smart still have a few remaining recruiting targets including five-star defensive tackle Justus Terry, who is announcing his commitment on Friday.

The Florida Gators have made the biggest recent recruiting surge in the SEC. Florida now has 23 total commitments. The Gators, amid the previous uncertainty of head coach Billy Napier’s coaching future, have added 12 commitments since the start of November. Florida had the country’s No. 51 recruiting class back in early November, but now the Gators have the No. 11 class of 2025.

Recruiting in the SEC is extremely competitive. The SEC has five of the six top recruiting classes in the country and 10 of the top 15 classes. Year after year, the nation’s best talent resides in the SEC.

2025 SEC football recruiting rankings

Head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have the top recruiting class in the SEC and the nation. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Georgia Bulldogs (28 commits, No. 1 national ranking)
Alabama Crimson Tide (22 commits, No. 2 national ranking)
Texas Longhorns (23 commits, No. 4 national ranking)
Auburn Tigers (26 commits, No. 5 national ranking)
LSU Tigers (24 commits, No. 6 national ranking)
Texas A&M Aggies (23 commits, No. 9 national ranking)
Tennessee Volunteers (24 commits, No. 10 national ranking)
Florida Gators (23 commits, No. 11 national ranking)
Oklahoma Sooners (18 commits, No. 14 national ranking)
Ole Miss Rebels (21 commits, No. 15 national ranking)
Missouri Tigers (16 commits, No. 20 national ranking)
South Carolina Gamecocks (21 commits, No. 24 national ranking)
Mississippi State Bulldogs (24 commits, No. 27 national ranking)
Kentucky Wildcats (19 commits, No. 30 national ranking)
Arkansas Razorbacks (23 commits, No. 31 national ranking)
Vanderbilt Commodores (13 commits, No. 69 national ranking)

All recruiting rankings are per 247Sports.

Houston Rockets at Sacramento Kings odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Tuesday’s Houston Rockets at Sacramento Kings odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Sacramento Kings (9-12) welcome the Houston Rockets (15-6) to Golden 1 Center Tuesday for NBA Cup group play. Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Rockets vs. Kings odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: First meeting; Rockets swept 3-0 last season

The Rockets, winners of 3 in a row and 5 of their last 6, are coming off a 119-116 victory at home over the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday, closing as 1-point underdogs. G Fred VanVleet led the way, dropping 38 points on 10-for-19 shooting. The Rockets have covered 10 of their last 11 and are 15-6 against the spread (ATS) on the season.

The Kings, who have lost 6 of their last 7, had a grueling 127-125 home defeat against the San Antonio Spurs Sunday, closing as 6.5-point favorites. They are led this season by G De’Aaron Fox, who is averaging 27.5 points per game. Sacramento is 1-8 over its last 9 games and 7-13-1 ATS on the season.

Rockets at Kings odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NBA odds. Lines last updated at 12:20 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Rockets +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Kings -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
Against the spread: Rockets +1.5 (-110) | Kings -1.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 227.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Rockets at Kings key injuries

Rockets

None

Kings

G Kevin Huerter (ankle) questionable

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

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