Brazil will be the name every nation wants to avoid when the FIFA World Cup draw is made on Friday.
The competition s most decorated country will play host to the world s greatest football nations in 2014, with home advantage sure to boost their chances of claiming a sixth global crown and first since 2002.
Luiz Felipe Scolari s men will be one of eight seeded teams in the draw, which will be held at the Costa do Sauipe Resort in Bahia, but a number of big names could be pitched into a group-stage battle with them.
Included among the unseeded countries are the Netherlands, the 2010 runners-up, and 2006 champions Italy, who were not in the top seven of FIFA s world rankings when the seedings were determined in October.
France and Uruguay s qualification via the pl…
After many, many months of speculation, David de Gea has pledged his future to Manchester United in the form of a new contract.
The Spain international has agreed to fresh terms that will run until the end of the 2022-23 season, with the option of a further year.
De Gea is one of United s senior players these days, having joined the club from Atletico Madrid as a 20-year-old in 2011 as one of the final major signings made by Alex Ferguson before his retirement two years later.
Fergie brought in a fair few goalkeepers during his 27 years at Old Trafford. Some of them proved shrewd, pivotal signings. Some did not.
Here, we run the rule over all the keepers to join during the reign of the great Scot
There’s no place like home
— David …
Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc is confident another successful year awaits as they prepare for Sunday s Coupe de France trip to CFA outfit Wasquehal.
PSG enjoyed a near perfect 2015 as they emerged victorious in Ligue 1, the Coupe de la Ligue, the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions.
Blanc has no intention of resting on his laurels, though, and wants more silverware in the coming 12 months.
The year 2015 has been great for us in every way, Blanc said at a news conference.
It was a good year both in terms of results and in terms of the way we played. The players now all know how to play together and that is the biggest success of the past year.
I hope for more of the same in 2016. It will be difficult because everyone expects…
Robin Le Normand has completed his move from Real Sociedad to Atletico Madrid, the 11-time La Liga champions confirmed on Saturday.
Le Normand, who featured in all but one of Spain s record fourth European Championship winning campaign, has signed a five-year deal for a reported £25million fee.
The 27-year-old made 43 appearances in all competitions for La Real last season, keeping 15 clean sheets and scoring twice.
Le Normand arrives as part of a defensive shakeup for Diego Simeone, with Mario Hermoso, Gabriel Paulista, Stefan Savic and Caglar Soyuncu all leaving the club so far.
The Spaniard won 165 of his 275 contested duels in La Liga last season with a success rate of 60%, the highest within the Sociedad squad.
Atletico are expected to …
Week 17 used to keep NFL bettors up at night.
The former final week of the schedule was a mixed bag of motivation. Teams continued to push for the playoffs while others packed it in. Postseason-bound clubs rested starters as non-qualifiers planned for next season, kicking the tires on talent. You didn’t know what you were going to get.
But with the 2021 campaign stretched to 18 weeks of NFL betting action and the recent expansion of the tournament, Week 17 is the ugly duckling of the wagering world: emerging as a beautiful betting swan with unique angles and edges to measure when combing the NFL odds.
COVID has complicated things, but with the league constantly moving the goalposts on its pandemic position, teams have a much greater sh…
Everyone has their own betting strategy, but no matter the system, trend, or gameday animal sacrifice you follow, there’s no replacement for getting the best of the number to back up your bet.
This is especially true at this point in the season. Oddsmakers’ power ratings are humming with more than three months of data, so snatching a couple of extra points here and there can make the difference between a winning Sunday and eating Mr. Noodle for Monday’s lunch.
I run down the opening NFL odds for Week 14 and pinpoint which spreads and totals to bet now, and which ones you may want to wait on — depending on your early leans for Week 14.
…
The Buffalo Bills are on the West Coast this weekend and get a stand-alone prime-time game tonight vs. the clean-house Los Angeles Chargers who will feature new head coach Giff Smith and rely on quarterback Easton Stick as a double-digit dog.
With plenty of movement of both the side and total and coming off an embarrassing prime-time loss that got their coach canned, should bettors expect a different Chargers team than the one in Week 15?
I break down the NFL odds and offer my free NFL picks for Bills vs. Chargers on December 23.
Be sure to also check out our three favorite Bills vs Chargers prop picks and our Josh Allen spotlight!
Bills vs Chargers odds
Bills vs Chargers predictions
Pr…
The NFL season is finally upon us and we have regular season action this week. While the festivities officially begin on Thursday, my Packers vs. Eagles predictions will leave you “loving” Friday football!
Find out why we lean to the Packers in our NFL picks for Friday, September 6. And be sure to read our full Packers vs Eagles predictions from Jason Logan.
Packers vs Eagles predictions
Early spread leanPackers +3 (-120 at FanDuel)
My analysis
No matter which angle you choose to compare these two teams from, there is no reason for the Philadelphia Eagles to be favored by a field goal over the Green Bay Packers on a neutral field.
If we’re going purely based on last year’s performances, the Packers’ have the edge …
Will the real Harry Kane please stand up? The striker helped himself to seven goals in two games during the international break but his feats for England are in stark contrast to his club form, with Kane having only scored once in the Premier League for Tottenham this season. Antonio Conte will be desperate to lift Tottenham’s talisman out of the malaise he has been in since a move to Manchester City failed to materialise during the summer and a Leeds defence which has conceded 18 goals could help him achieve that. Stephen Hollis
Sunday 4.30pm Sky Sports Premier League
Venue Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Last season Tottenham 3 Leeds 0
Referee Andre Marriner
A man has pleaded guilty to displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress after wearing a football shirt at Wembley stadium that made an offensive reference to the Hillsborough disaster.
James White, 33, of Warwickshire, admitted the charge at Willesden magistrates court in north-west London on Monday.
The court heard that at the FA Cup final on 3 June he wore a Manchester United shirt that had the number 97 and the words “not enough” on the back.
White was banned from all regulated football games in the UK for four years, fined £1,000 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £400 and £85 in costs.
Ninety-seven football fan…