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Clippers vs Pelicans Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

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The New Orleans Pelicans are really late to the party, but they’re finally healthy and clicking as they welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to The Big Easy tonight.

New Orleans is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games, including a win over L.A. last night, and my Clippers vs. Pelicans predictions point to Trey Murphy III as a difference-maker in this rematch.

Take a closer look at this March 19 clash with my free NBA picks.

Clippers vs Pelicans prediction

Clippers vs Pelicans best bet: Trey Murphy III Over 21.5 points (-112)

With no first-round pick to protect, the New Orleans Pelicans are still playing hard, and Trey Murphy III continues to be one of the reasons for hope in New Orleans. He’s had 22+ points in four of his last six outings, and there’s extra volume up for grabs tonight with Dejounte Murray sitting out.

Murphy III finished with 23 points last night, despite shooting just 7-for-17 from the field, and he’s making his three-pointers at a 42% clip this month.

Life would also get easier for all the Pelicans’ perimeter players if Kawhi Leonard rests on the second night of this back-to-back set.

Clippers vs Pelicans same-game parlay

The Pelicans are surging with six straight wins at Smoothie King Center, and I see the hosts extending that streak here, especially with Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin sidelined for the Clippers, plus Kawhi listed as questionable.

This Derik Queen prop offers value too, with the rookie hitting the Over in consecutive contests.

Clippers vs Pelicans SGP

  • Trey Murphy III Over 21.5 points
  • Derik Queen Over 7.5 points
  • Pelicans moneyline

Our "from downtown" SGP: Pels soar through the Bayou

This SGP taps into the ferocious dunkers on show tonight. Murphy III and Zion Williamson will lead New Orleans here, with the latter shooting 66% from the field in March.

Derrick Jones Jr. is a lock for more scoring opportunities with the Los Angeles Clippers depleted offense.

Clippers vs Pelicans SGP

  • Trey Murphy III Over 21.5 points
  • Zion Williamson Over 21.5 points
  • Derrick Jones Jr. Over 13.5 points
  • Pelicans moneyline

Clippers vs Pelicans odds

  • Spread: Los Angeles +1.5 (-110) | New Orleans -1.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Los Angeles +105 | New Orleans -125
  • Over/Under: Over 230.5 (-110) | Under 230.5 (-110)

Clippers vs Pelicans betting trend to know

The Pelicans are 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings between these teams. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Pelicans.

How to watch Clippers vs Pelicans

LocationSmoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
DateThursday, March 19, 2026
Tip-off8:00 p.m. ET
TVFDSN SoCal, Pelicans+

Clippers vs Pelicans latest injuries

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Max Fried solid, Giancarlo Stanton goes deep in Yankees' win over Orioles

The Yankees' split squad beat the Orioles, 5-4, on Thursday as their spring training slate continued.

Here are the takeaways...

- Max Fried was solid, allowing three runs in five innings while throwing 81 pitches (48 strikes).

Half of the damage against Fried came on a two-run homer by Coby Mayo in the second inning. 

Fried, whose spring ERA is 4.40, allowed five hits, walked four, and struck out two.

His next start will come on Opening Day against the Giants next Wednesday in San Francisco. 

- Giancarlo Stantonhit a sacrifice fly in the first inning and went a bit deeper in the seventh, cracking a solo homer to right field for his fourth dinger of the spring. 

- Yerry De los Santos tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits while walking one and striking out none. His ERA in Grapefruit League play is 0.00.

- Trent Grisham, who has struggled at the plate this spring, went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

- Ryan McMahon went 1-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts.

- Paul Goldschmidt went 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

- Jasson Dominguez went 1-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.

- Garrett Martin hit a solo homer to tie the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. 

-An Ali Sanchez sacrifice fly gave the Yanks the win. 

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees travel to face the Orioles on Friday at 6:35 p.m.

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High alert! No. 12 High Point upsets Wisconsin in March Madness first round

Be sure to follow USA TODAY Sports' live blog keeping track of all of NCAA Tournament's Day 1 games.

PORTLAND, OR — The first upset of the 2026 NCAA Tournament is complete with No. 12 seed High Point taking down No. 5 seed Wisconsin 83-82 in the opening round of March Madness.

A popular upset pick, the Panthers entered the tournament one of the best scoring teams in the country. With Wisconsin another prolific scoring unit with a knack for knocking down 3-pointers, it was expected to be a high-scoring affair.

March Madness bold predictions: Popular upsets, locks to help fill out your bracket

It wasn’t exactly the case, but it made for a classic finish inside Moda Center on Thursday, March 19. 

The upset was powered by a late comeback by the Panthers. They trailed by eight points with five minutes to go when it was knocking down 3-pointers at-will to tie the game in the final minutes. High Point was down by one point in the final minute when Rob Martin found Chase Johnson, who hadn't shot a 2-point shot all season, ahead on a fastbreak for the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left.

High Point Panthers guard Chase Johnston (99) reacts during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center.

Wisconsin's Nick Boyd had his shot blocked in the final seconds, and High Point secured the ball and were fouled. It was unable to hit the front end of the one-and-one, but the Badgers couldn't drill the last second heave.

Even though Wisconsin came in one of the best 3-point shooting teams, averaging 11.8 made shots from deep, High Point knocked down more. It made 14, while the Badgers made nine.

Four High Point players were in double figures, led by 23  points from Rob Martin. Boyd led Wisconsin with 27 points.

Off the jump, it looked like this wasn’t going to be close. After scoring first, High Point struggled to find the basket, missing several 3-pointers as the Badgers were up by 10 points less than five minutes into the contest.

But the Panthers didn’t fold. They started attacking inside the arc and slowly chipped away at the deficit, keeping pace with Wisconsin. The deep shots eventually came, and the Panthers kept the momentum up out of halftime to retake the lead early in the second half to set up the thrilling finish.

Not only is it the first NCAA Tournament win in High Point history, but it also extends the longest active win streak in the country, making it 15-straight for the Panthers. Now the 12th seed awaits the winner of No. 4 seed Arkansas and No. 13 Hawai’i in the second round on Saturday, March 21.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High Point stuns Wisconsin in first March Madness upset of 2026 tournament

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Cavaliers Reacts Survey: Fans pick their fifth starter

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 15: Max Strus #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers waits during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Rocket Arena on March 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Earlier this week, we asked Cleveland Cavaliers fans to participate in another one of our SB Nation Reacts Surveys. Now let’s get to the results.

First, we asked about the starting small forward position. Something that’s long been a point of discussion for this Cavalier team. It turns out, as much as things change, they stay the same.

A meme-worthy 67% of fans voted that Max Strus should remain the starter, once he’s fully healthy, of course. Strus made his season debut last Sunday and was already featured in Kenny Atkinson’s closing lineup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Strus is still on a minutes restriction, seemingly in the early-20s range. But as we move forward, those minutes should increase, and Strus’ spot in the rotation should upgrade with it. I’d say it’s a safe bet to assume Strus will become the starter by the end of the season. It seems like you do too.

The Cavs currently hold the fifth-highest odds on FanDuel to win the championship this season. Strus returning should work in their favor.

Our other question was more fun. Whoever finishes with a higher three-point percentage between Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson is irrelevant. Still, fans chose to stick with Money Merrill for the remainder of the season.

Reputation is definitely carrying Merrill here, considering Tyson is shooting nearly 1% better from downtown with only 13 games remaining. I’m surprised the results weren’t closer to 50/50 as this feels like a total coin toss to me.

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'Don't count us out.' Miami Ohio done proving doubters wrong

PHILADELPHIA – March Madness is at its best when a mid-major program becomes a Cinderella and garners the rooting interest of the entire country.

There's a potential one in Philadelphia with Miami (Ohio) men's basketball, who shut down the "doubters" and "outside noise" Wednesday night at UD Arena in Dayton with a commanding 89-79 win over SMU in the First Four.

So, does the regular season champion out of the Mid-American Conference that went 31-0 in the regular season, have anything left to prove in Friday's Round of 64 game against No. 6 Tennessee at 4:25 p.m. ET to those who — like Bruce Pearl — thought they shouldn't make the 68-team field as an at-large after not winning the automatic bid.

Toppmeyer: Miami (Ohio) shows it belongs in March Madness. Pipe down, Bruce Pearl

"I would say we're super fortunate for the opportunity. The thing that we would look forward to is don't count us out. I think we do belong here," RedHawks guard Peter Suder said Thursday. "I think we showed that last night, especially, but just don't count us out. We're super excited for the opportunity ahead of us in the future."

Sophomore guard Luke Skaljac said the RedHawks are continuing to handle the outside noise day by day and trusting those inside their locker room.

"We're not really trying to prove it to the media, fans, or whatever," Skaljac said. "We all know inside the locker room who we are as a team. It's not really anything we're thinking about."

The RedHawks got 59 combined points from Eian Elmer, Skaljac and Brant Byers in their win over the Mustangs. The 2026 NCAA Tournament is the RedHawks 18th appearance in March Madness, and their first since 2007. The RedHawks are the first MAC team to earn an at-large bid since 1999.

"There was a lot out there, a lot of hate, a lot of doubt that we couldn't accomplish what we did yesterday, but we do such a good job as a group and as a whole just blocking that noise out (by) just going out there and competing as much as we can," Suder said.

It's not a matter of continuing to prove they belong, according to coach Travis Steele. It is instead a matter of proving it to their own group of players and coaches.

"It's funny. I don't know if we necessarily have anything to prove to others. We have stuff to prove to ourselves. We block out that outside noise. I told our guys, if we're not asking for those guys' opinion about our team, I'm not calling them for advice, then why the heck should we listen to them now?," said Steele, who in his fourth season at Miami.

"We know how good we are. We know we deserve this opportunity. We knew we were a team that could advance. We're very confident in that. We're going to go showcase that. I'm happy that our guys are able to do it on this stage. We love the stage. Our guys love the bright lights, and our guys will be ready."

Speedos in Philadelphia for March Madness? Status on Miami Ohio swim team

In addition to their historic regular-season run, the RedHawks have gone viral for a different reason all season: the men's swim team, which has worn Speedos and their swim caps to basketball games.

As noted by the Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, Steele committed in February during an interview on ESPN's "College GameDay" to wearing a Speedo and being hoisted in the air while making a swimming motion at the RedHawks Selection Sunday watch party if they finished the regular season undefeated and won the MAC tournament. That ultimately did not happen, as the RedHawks fell to UMass in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament.

The swim team was at UD Arena for the First Four on Wednesday in full force, and went viral after they stormed down the stands at the 13:37 mark of the second half as SMU forward Corey Washington was standing at the free throw line awaiting to shoot ... To which he missed the attempt.

"Number one, in the game, you're really locked in. Then all of a sudden, you see a group of young men in Speedos coming down the stairwell right there in the end zone, and the place just absolutely erupted when it happened," Steele said.

"I know if I was distracted, I know the young man at the line was distracted. Obviously, it worked. He missed a free throw, but it's been just super cool across the board, the support we've gotten, like from where we were in my year one, we were getting 200, 300 people at a game. This past season, we're at 10,640 selling out. All of sudden, tickets are going for $200 or $300 on StubHub or SeatGeek to see the crowd we had last night. I'm happy that our guys were able to get that experience as well."

A spokesperson for the RedHawks program told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday he doesn't believe the swim team is expected to be in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday, and was at the First Four because of its proximity to the RedHawks campus. Steele, however, made a last-minute pitch to get them to the game against the Vols.

"We need to get them back here, don't we?," Steele said. "We're going to see if we can find a way."

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami Ohio focused on Tennessee next in, March Madness, not doubters

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Ryan Weathers gets roughed up as Yankees get whomped by Blue Jays, 11-0

Ryan Weathers showed off some good stuff, but the Yankees' left-hander got touched up by a strong Blue Jays lineup as Toronto grabbed an 11-0 win on Thursday afternoon in Dunedin, Fla.

New York, with the rest of the squad staying in Tampa and beating the Baltimore Orioles, was without just about every one of its expected regular players and was facing what appeared to be the Jays' Opening Day lineup. The disparity bore out in the hit totals: 14-3 in favor of the Canadian side.

Here are the takeaways...

- Weathers fell behind George Springer 3-0 before battling back and getting him swinging on a good sweeper. But he was stung when Daulton Varsho clocked a 2-2 up-and-away 97 mph fastball for a homer just over the wall in left. The left-hander ended the inning in painful fashion, taking a hard-hit Addison Barger comebacker (112.4 mph) off his hand. After getting the out at first, he walked off the mound shaking his digits.

Weathers managed to shake it off as he got Alejandro Kirk swinging on a biting breaking pitch down-and-in, Jesús Sánchez looking on a hard heater on the outside corner, and Kazuma Okamoto fishing on a changeup in the dirt. 

The lefty added another strikeout on the breaking pitch in on Ernie Clement before his run of seven straight retired ended with back-to-back two-out infield hits as Springer chopped one (49.1 mph) off the bag at third and Varsho muscled one off his hands (38.7 mph) toward second. Valdimir Guerrero Jr. plated a run, ripping a high-and-away changeup through the right side (104.5 mph) and Barger, after swinging through two sweepers, got a 2-2 sweeper that stayed in the zone, and knocked an RBI single up the middle (107.6 mph) for a fourth-straight hit.

Brad Ausmus (the acting manager on the day) brought in Tony Rossi to get Kirk swinging to end the inning and save Weathers’ arm as he had thrown 29 pitches in the frame (20 after getting the first two outs).

Weathers returned for the bottom of the fourth and allowed yet another infield hit before Okamoto pulled a single through the left side of the infield. After Clement popped out to center, the lefty walked Andrés Giménez to load the bases. And on the seventh pitch to Springer, Weather’s sweeper hung on the outside corner for a grand slam the other way to right. 

Bad luck on some soft contact led to hard-hit balls costing him. Weather’s final line: 3.0 innings, seven runs, eight hits, one walk, five strikeouts on 74 pitches (44 strikes). He struggled in his last outing, allowing four runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings against the Atlanta Braves.

- Cody Ponce, back in America with a new kick-change after three seasons in Japan and one in Korea, made quick work of the Yankee lineup early, needing just 36 pitches (24 strikes) to get the first nine batters in order with four strikeouts. Amed Rosario got the Yanks’ first hit on an infield single deep in the hole to short to start the top of the fourth, but that was it as Ponce allowed just the one base runner in his 5.2 innings while adding five strikeouts on an efficient 65 pitches (44 strikes).

Rosario took a first pitch from Jays reliever Yariel Rodriguez for a base hit up the middle to give him a two-hit afternoon in his three times up. 

- Kervin Castro, on the Yanks' 40-man roster, got around a walk and a single to get the final two outs in the fourth. The right-hander, who has some big league experience, allowed a single and a double off the wall in center to start the fifth, ending his afternoon.

- Cade Winquest came in with two in scoring position and threw a wild pitch to score one run. He recovered to get Clement swinging, but a 1-1 curveball at the bottom of the zone went for a two-run shot to right-center by Giménez to make it 10-0. Springer then jumped on a fastball up-and-away to smash a double to center (111.5 mph) and a center-cut fastball to Varsho resulted in an RBI single, before Winquest got out of it with a 4-6-3 double play.

The righty is a Rule 5 pick for the Yanks, their first since 2011, and everyone will be hoping for better results in the regular season. 

- Randal Grichuk was on his way to first base when home plate umpire Darius Ghani (a rookie ump in MLB this year) called strike three on a 3-2 pitch in the first. The 34-year-old, who is hoping to be the Yanks' fourth outfielder, should have challenged as the splitter was off the plate. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, swinging through a Rodriguez splitter in his final at-bat to start the seventh.

- Paul DeJong was robbed of potentially extra bases on a 101.6 mph shot down the third base line, but Okamoto made a fantastic diving stop and strong throw to record the out to start the fifth. He went 0-for-2 with a walk.

- J.C. Escarra went 0-for-3 with a flyout, groundout, and pop out.

- Seth Brown went 0-for-2 flyout and groundout.

- Yanquiel Fernández notched the game's fifth infield hit with two outs in the seventh, finishing the day 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

- Max Schuemann hit one hard to right, but Barger made a running grab on the warning track before bouncing into the wall. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. 

- Kenedy Corona went 0-for-3 with a strikeout swinging on a Ponce fastball.

- Enmanuel Tejeda went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts swinging. 

Up next

The Yankees take on the Orioles on Friday with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch in Tampa. Luis Gil is the scheduled starter for New York.

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Lakers vs Heat Computer Picks: Our Best Player Prop Projections for March 19

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Our NBA player prop projections are back for tonight’s prime-time matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, and the model has already identified several standout opportunities.

After breaking down the data and comparing our projections with the current market lines, we’ve pinpointed the spots offering the strongest betting value.

These Lakers vs. Heat predictions aren’t based on gut instinct — they’re driven by the numbers.

If you’re building your betting card, these are the model’s top NBA picks for Thursday, March 19.

Lakers vs Heat computer picks for March 19

Lakers LakersHeat Heat
Doncic u32.5 points 
-110		Adebayo u20.5 points 
-110
James o6.5 assists
+110		Powell o2.5 3-pointers 
-135
Ayton u8.5 rebounds 
+100		Ware o10.5 rebounds 
+102

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Lakers computer picks

Luka Doncic Under 32.5 points (-110)

Projection: 32.0 points

Luka Doncic has been on a tear for the Los Angeles Lakers, but that run could cool off against the Miami Heat. 

Los Angeles ranks as the league’s worst offensive rebounding team over the last 25 games, limiting second-chance opportunities for its star. That trend aligns with Doncic hitting the Under in five of his last 10 games when listed at 32.5 points.

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LeBron James Over 6.5 assists (+110)

Projection: 6.8 assists

The Lakers should see an uptick in pace in this matchup, sharing the floor with the NBA’s fastest offense in the Heat.

That added tempo sets the stage for LeBron James to take on a primary playmaking role, especially after going Over in four of his last 10 games with a 6.5 assist line.

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Deandre Ayton Under 8.5 rebounds (+100)

Projection: 8.4 rebounds

The Lakers have ranked as the league’s worst offensive rebounding team over the last 25 games, and if that trend carries into tonight’s matchup in the 305, it could limit Deandre Ayton’s opportunities on the glass. That supports the Under on his 8.5 rebound line, a mark he’s stayed below in five of his last 10 games.

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Heat computer picks

Bam Adebayo Under 20.5 points (-110)

Projection: 19.9 points

The Heat could see fewer opportunities in this matchup, facing one of the league’s slowest-paced road teams in the Lakers over the last 10 games.

While Bam Adebayo has stayed productive offensively since his historic 83-point outing, the slower tempo could keep his numbers in check tonight.

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Norman Powell Over 2.5 made threes (-135)

Projection: 2.9 made threes

This season, opposing starting small forwards have averaged a league-high 5.8 three-point attempts per game against the Lakers, setting up a favorable spot for Norman Powell.

That volume supports the Over on his 2.5 made threes, a mark he’s cleared in four of his last 10 games.

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Kel'el Ware Over 10.5 rebounds (+102)

Projection: 10.7 rebounds

The Heat, the fastest-paced team in the league, should create more rebounding opportunities for Kel’el Ware. That trend aligns with him going Over 10.5 rebounds in five of his last 10 games.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet ware Now at bet365!/span

How to watch Lakers vs Heat tonight

LocationKaseya Center, Miami, FL
DateThursday, March 19, 2026
Tip-off8:00 p.m. ET
TVSpectrum SportsNet, FDSN Sun

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Report: Blackhawks Had 'Serious Interest' In Maple Leafs Star

The Chicago Blackhawks traded multiple players leading up to the deadline, as Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson, and Colton Dach were all moved. The Blackhawks being sellers was not surprising, as they are still rebuilding and are on the wrong side of the playoff line.

While this is the case, they also reportedly were interested in making a major addition to their roster ahead of the deadline.

In his most recent 32 Thoughts column, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blackhawks were among the teams that had "serious interest" in Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Matthew Knies.

"Teams that showed serious interest in Matthew Knies included Anaheim, Chicago, Montreal, New Jersey and Utah," Friedman wrote.

Hearing that the Blackhawks had Knies on their radar is not necessarily surprising. At just 23 years old, he would have been an excellent addition for a team on the rise like the Blackhawks. This is especially so when noting that the Blackhawks could use more skilled wingers to help Connor Bedard. 

Furthermore, at this point in his young career, Knies is already a proven top-six power forward. His stats this season effectively show this, as he has 18 goals, 39 assists, 57 points, and 132 hits in 66 games. This is after the 6-foot-3 forward had 29 goals and 58 points in 78 games last season for Toronto. 

Knies would have also been a long-term addition for the Blackhawks if acquired, as he has a $7.75 million cap hit until the end of the 2030-31 season. 

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Canadiens’ AHL Affiliate Clinch Playoff Berth

While the Montreal Canadiens are still involved in a no-holds-barred fight to make the NHL playoffs, its AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, punched its ticket to the spring dance last night with a convincing 5-1 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, who has been elevated to the role of starter with Jacob Fowler’s callup, made 29 saves on the 30 shots he faced. Meanwhile, Sean Farrell was named the first star of the game with a goal and an assist.

The Rocket still has 10 games left in the regular season before the Calder Cup playoffs kick off, but it’s nice to put that question to bed before things become stressful; last year, they only qualified on March 28. This is the fourth time in the last five years that the Place Bell-based outfit qualifies for the playoffs.

Canadiens: Can They Play The Right Way Twice In A Row?
Canadiens Star Could Hit Huge Single-Season Milestone
Canadiens’ Caufield Scores 40 And Makes History

The playoffs will feature six of the eight teams from the Atlantic Division, the first five teams from the North and the Central Division, and the top seven teams from the Pacific Division. The first round of the tournament will be a best-of-three format, but the two highest seeds in the Atlantic, the three highest seeds in the North and Central, and the first-place team in the Pacific will receive byes and go straight to the best-of-five Division Semifinal. The Division Finals will also be a best-of-five series, but the Conference Finals and the Final itself will be best-of-seven.

In other words, qualifying for the playoffs is one thing, but Pascal Vincent’s men will now be working towards getting a bye for the first round. While the Rocket is currently first in the North Division, all of its rivals have games in hand, and nothing is set in stone right now. Vincent will be glad to have Adam Engstrom at his disposal. The young blueliner recently came back from injury, and he’s having a great sophomore season with 33 points in 41 games.

One has to wonder if the Laval outfit will be able to rely on all its players going forward, though. Given how little ice time Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj generally get, it wouldn’t be overly surprising to see Montreal call up David Reinbacher. It would allow them to see where he is in his development, and it would also mean that Lane Hutson could go back to playing on his strong side.

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It’s a knockout: why are there so many goals in the Champions League? | Jonathan Wilson

Theories range from obvious mismatches to Premier League clubs not being able to defend from open play

There were 68 goals in the last 16 of the Champions League, which is not only a lot but goes against the trend of the previous four seasons. What’s going on? Has football suddenly become more attacking again? This surely can’t all be down to Premier League sides struggling to defend against teams who don’t just rely on corners but actually attack from open play, can it?

An average of 4.25 goals a game is highly unusual, particularly given the recent context. Before 2008-09 there was only one season when the knockout phase of the Champions League yielded more than three goals a game; between 2008-09 and 2019-20 there was only one season when goals per game dipped below three. There then followed four campaigns in which the average did not climb above 2.72 (and in 2022-23, it was as low as 2.34), before bouncing back to 3.29 last season (including the playoff round). The playoff round this season produced 3.94 goals per game – and there were no Premier League teams involved; this is not purely an English issue.

Continue reading...
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Will Wade Season One: Love Him, Hate Him, or TBD?

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade reacts in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“Will Wade is made for the new era of college basketball”

During the hiring process and shortly after, several pundits made the statement, “Will Wade is made for the new era of college basketball.” Most of us heard that and (possibly) chuckled thinking that it was because he started paying players before it became standard operating procedure. But maybe those guys weren’t the idiots most of us assume, and maybe they were onto something?

Throughout the season, and especially now that it is over, the Wolfpack fanbase has expressed a ton of dissatisfaction with our Coach’s comments. Without doing the research, I would guess that 2/3 of the recent comments (on multiple sites) made some statement about not liking the fact that he wasn’t nicer to the players at the end of the season (thanks for trying, fellas) , that he was overly confident early in the season (“we’re going to kick the ACC’s ass”), or that he was too negative about the team. (“they haven’t seen our defense yet”)

Let’s establish some baseline facts about Coach Wade, patterns that date back throughout his coaching career. This is who he is.

  1. Coach Will Wade is intense! He is passionate and he is driven to success. He is young, smart, and always looking for ways to improve.
  2. Coach Wade is honest and as transparent as he can be. Whether he is happy, angry, or disappointed, you know it. He does not embellish / sugarcoat his team’s performance or that of he and his staff. He will criticize the team when warranted, even when they win. He will also compliment excellence when deserved. There are no moral victories in ‘Wade World.’
  3. He loves his players unconditionally and permanently. He’s said those exact words numerous times, his assistant coaches have said that about him, the players have said that about him, and his assistant coaches have also talked about how much they love the players. But he doesn’t always like what they do. And he tells them.
  4. He knows the ultimate coaching truth. He will be popular if he wins, and unpopular if he loses. The support / resources will be there if he wins, they will fade away if he loses. So he really doesn’t tailor what he says or does for the fans. You are either going to like him or not – and that won’t change, but he is who he is and that will not change significantly either.

Player Relationships: Coaching college basketball is changing, and I think this is where the “…made for it…” comments are most applicable.

There will always be the need for close relationships with the players, especially for the younger players who are either new to college or still figuring out college ball.

  • During the summer there were a lot of team building activities such as golf, bowling, and the much publicized Boot Camp. That developed close relationships within the team, and with the coaches. One on one workouts continued throughout the season, giving players personal attention as needed.
  • Coach Wade had one-on-one meetings with players throughout the season.
  • He regularly acknowledged how important Jordan Snell was to the team. It seems like a small thing, but Jordan was important to the players.

But at the same time, players are now professionals. And that is the new aspect of the player relationships. They have upperclassmen who have been at multiple schools and for whom, money was an important factor in their choice of schools. And in many cases, those upperclassmen make up much of the starting lineups and are the keys to the team’s success. That is a different player relationship and one Coach Wade and the staff also do well.

  • Everyone (coaches, players, fans – and opposing teams) knows who the ‘pricey’ players are, everyone knows who is expected to deliver in crunch time.
  • Everyone knows that winning is the priority and if you don’t contribute, you will not play, and you will not be retained an additional season. Players are less likely to get development time anymore.
  • In a preseason interview, Coach Wade described Darrion Williams as “the part” and everyone else was “pieces”. That is as transparent as it gets.
  • Half to two-thirds of most power conference teams are mercenaries, they will only be there for one season.

I thought a very telling statement about this new world was in a preseason workout video when Coach Wade told the players, “We are not paying you to shoot from behind the college 3PT line.” He was making the point that they should get as close to the line as possible for the best shot and not worry about shooting from NBA distance for NBA scouts. But he also reminded them that he was paying them.

Candor: Coach Wade does not hold back… well maybe a little

  • During transfer season, Coach Wade acknowledged that he and his staff were 100% to blame for losing out on Paul Mbiya.
  • He has admitted publicly and on multiple occasions that they missed on the roster, and need to do it much better next season. And they need to place more weight on personality types.
  • He acknowledged after a few losses that he, and his staff, did not have the players ready to play. I don’t think that was ‘coach speak’, I think they were not well prepared for those games.
  • Early in the season he told us that the team was made up of easy going, nice guys. He talked about needing them to play with an ‘edge’ that he wasn’t seeing. That turned out to be prophetic.
  • Late in the season, after one of the bad losses (ND or GT I believe), he commented that he was concerned about making it to Dayton if we kept playing the way we were. Hello Dayton.
  • Coach Wade says he does not follow social media. It is ironic that fans on social media complain that he is too transparent with how he feels and what he thinks. Under previous coaches, in post game press conferences when the coach said (paraphrased), “Our fine young lads gave it their best shot, but alas it was not to be”, fans complained that the coach was clueless and should acknowledge what went wrong.
  • “This will be the worst team we have at NC State right here. …”
  • Well, maybe a little … Coach Wade told us mid-season that he and his staff were reining in the trash talk this season. “We haven’t won as much as we’re gonna win yet. I don’t think they’re ready for how rowdy we’re gonna be when we win.”

Lingering Question:

I haven’t seen anyone ask this question, but should he replace Coach Chambers? Absolutely everyone (opposing coaches as well) could see that the defense was inadequate to non-existent much of the time this season. I know he’s a long-term Wade guy, and that he is well thought of in the coaching world, but just slightly better defense would have made a difference.

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Why Dodgers sent two spring standouts to minors to begin season

Dodgers pitchers River Ryan and Kyle Hurt

PHOENIX –– The final days of spring training mean final roster cuts are here for the Dodgers.

And on Wednesday, in two of their more difficult decisions before Opening Day next week, the club announced that a couple young camp standouts had failed to make the team.

Last year, River Ryan and Kyle Hurt missed the entirety of the season, recovering from Tommy John surgeries that derailed each of their debut MLB campaigns in 2024.

Dodgers pitcher Kyle Hurt opened eyes during spring training, but he will begin the season in the minors. Getty Images

This spring, however, both impressed in their return to action –– easily looking the part of productive big-league arms.

Ryan, 27, bulked up during his year-and-a-half rehab, adding 30 pounds to his frame and a couple ticks of velocity to his fastball. In Cactus League play, it resulted in a sterling stat line, with the right-hander posting a 1.86 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 9 ⅔ innings.

Hurt, 27, also opened eyes with his performance in camp, transitioning to a multi-inning relief role in which he struck out 12 batters over just 7 ⅓ innings of three-run ball.

At various points in recent weeks, manager Dave Roberts raved about the progress of both pitchers –– who were two of the organization’s top prospects before getting hurt two years ago.

Yet, on Wednesday, the Dodgers optioned them both to the minor leagues to begin the season.

In a spring with little roster intrigue, the cuts qualified as two of the biggest surprises.

The reasons for the moves, however, were rooted in similar thinking. Because both pitchers were out all of last year, the Dodgers want to be cautious with their workloads in 2026, preferring to ease them into this new season and save the limited number of innings they’ll be able to pitch for later in the campaign.

Eventually, they are expected to contribute at the MLB level. But for now, they’ll have to bide their time in the minors a little longer. 

“We realize how talented he is,” Roberts said Wednesday of Hurt, whose demotion was announced first. “But to get him to get a foundation this year –– to be able to go back-to-back, pitch two innings in a night then see how he is on the third day to go out and pitch and see how he responds –– those are things that, [we need to] just kind of get some wear on his tires, as an analogy. That’s what he needs to do. 

“When you get with us [in the majors], we’ve got to push guys because we’ve got to win baseball games,” Roberts added. “That’s the next part of his development. And he completely understood.”

Dodgers pitcher River Ryan delivered in Cactus League play, but he will start the season in the minors. Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Same thing goes for Ryan, whose roster move wasn’t announced until later in the day.

“It’s hard, because as a competitor, he wants to go wire-to-wire,” Roberts said of him earlier this spring. “He’s put in the work. He looks great. But you look at the history of guys that have had those types of injuries, to think he’s gonna take down 30 starts [in his return this year] is unrealistic … So for us, speaking for the organization, it’s letting him continue to build up and see where that takes us.”

The knock-on effects of the news, of course, are the players who will earn Opening Day spots in each pitcher’s place.

In the bullpen, Hurt’s cut likely clears the way for Edgardo Henriquez to make the team, despite a spring performance that included an 8.53 ERA and as many walks and hit batters (six total) as strikeouts in his seven Cactus League appearances.

In the starting rotation, Ryan’s demotion effectively cements Roki Sasaki’s spot on the Opening Day roster, even after a camp that raised renewed questions about his ability to be an MLB-caliber starter.

The Japanese phenom scuffled in eight MLB starts as a rookie last year before going down with a shoulder injury, then returning to the mound late in the season to become the Dodgers’ surprise playoff closer.

His shift back to starting duties this year has not begun well, with Sasaki suffering a 13.50 ERA in three Cactus League outings that were marred by a lack of fastball command and pitch efficiency.

“He’s going to be one of our starters,” Roberts confirmed of Sasaki on Wednesday. “I think I’ve been very consistent in the sense of, we don’t solely evaluate spring training in its entirety alone. So with that, he’s obviously got things to prove — consistency of getting guys out, consistency of strike throwing. But he’s going to get that opportunity to start the season, and we’ll see where we go from there.”

When asked if Sasaki is one of the Dodgers’ 13 best pitchers now, Roberts demurred.

“He is going to start the season in the rotation,” he answered –– not exactly a ringing endorsement of Sasaki’s form ahead of the season.

Alas, this is the approach the Dodgers have telegraphed all spring, taking the long view with two of their more promising young arms even if it means giving Opening Day opportunities to two bigger question marks.

Eventually, Ryan and Hurt should return to the majors. If all goes well, they could be key parts of the pitching staff come the stretch run of the season.

But for now, they’ll have to wait. In the end, workload calculations outweighed preseason performance.

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Nebraska gets its first March Madness win in men's basketball history

Be sure to follow USA TODAY Sports' live blog keeping track of all of NCAA Tournament's Day 1 games.

Welcome to the NCAA Tournament win column, Nebraska.

The No. 4 seed Cornhuskers dominated Troy 76-47 in the first round of March Madness on Thursday, March 19, winning in the Men's NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.. They were previously the only Power conference team without a win in the big dance.

Nebraska vs Troy score: Huskers get first March Madness win

Nebraska made 14 3-pointers in the game, led by leading scorer Peyton Sandfort's 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting with a 7-of-12 mark from 3-point range. Starting forward Rienk Mask added 11 points with six rebounds and seven assists.

Cornhuskers fans appeared in droves for the game in Oklahoma City, taking over the Paycom Center, where the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder play. "Go Big Red" chants bellowed at the arena after Nebraska's win.

Nebraska was previously 0-8 in NCAA Tournament games, last losing in 2024 to No. 9 Texas A&M in the first round despite being the higher seed. It lost in the first round every NCAA Tournament from 1991-94, despite being the higher seed in three of the four games.

Seventh-year coach Fred Hoiberg, the former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls head coach, was considered to be on the hot seat entering the season after leading Nebraska to one NCAA Tournament in his first six years at the helm. But after the Cornhuskers won the inaugural Crown Basketball Championship in 2025, they started the 2025-26 season 20-0 before earning the program's second-best seeding ever.

Hoiberg before the game said there was added pressure entering the game due to the school's struggles in the NCAA Tournament, but noted he didn't address the matter with the team.

“I know the first question is going to be Nebraska has never won a tournament game,” Hoiberg said. “We realize that. Have I talked to our players about it? No, I haven’t. They know. They see it. Is there a pressure that goes along with that? Of course there is.” 

Nebraska now looks forward to the second round, where it'll face the winner of No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 12 McNeese State on Saturday, March 21. There, maybe one NCAA Tournament win can become two for the school.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nebraska basketball gets first March Madness win over Troy

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'Aura' is back. McNeese hype man Amir Khan returns to March Madness

In last season's NCAA Tournament, Amir Khan became a viral star.

Commonly referred to as "Aura", he served as McNeese basketball's student manager, and more importantly, hype man.

He went viral Feb. 2025 thanks to a video of him rapping while wearing a boombox around his neck as he led the Cowboys out of the locker room. It became a tradition and he'd often be spotted with jewelry and other notable accessories. He even received sponsorship deals.

"(The aura) really just comes from all these players," Khan told The Oklahoman ahead of McNeese's first round game against Vanderbilt in Oklahoma City. "I'm just holding the speaker, walking out with them, and it comes from their excitement, their hype, and what they do on the court. If we weren't three-peat Southland champions, I don't think all of this would've happened."

When Will Wade left McNeese to take the coaching job at NC State after last season, Khan followed him to Raleigh, where he took on a similar role for the Wolfpack. However, earlier this year, Khan returned to McNeese and is back for another Cowboys' ride in March Madness.

"I don't feel the need to change anything just because I walk out with the speaker," Khan said. "I've been able to experience a lot, and I'm just blessed to be able to do this position. I appreciate all the love from everybody, it means a lot and we'll keep it going as long as we can."

Expect to see him front and center as McNeese tries pull off a second NCAA upset in as many years. Khan watched McNeese beat Clemson last year, and he believes another surprise could be in the cards Thursday.

"(Teams) don't wanna play us," he said. "I saw Vanderbilt's reaction. I don't think they were too excited to play us as a 12-seed. I think that's something that's gonna keep going forward."

The Oklahoman reporter Isa Almeida contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: McNeese hype man Amir 'Aura' Khan back with Cowboys in NCAA Tournament

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Blackhawks Vs Wild: Projected Lineup, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Game 68

The Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild are going to match up for the second time this week and the third time this month. All three results between these two teams so far this season have been Minnesota Wild wins in extra time by a score of 4-3. 

On Tuesday, Mats Zuccarello scored the overtime winner after the Blackhawks battled back to get it tied late in the third period. Now, the Blackhawks have one final chance to get a win over their Stanley Cup-contending rivals. 

Scouting Minnesota 

The Minnesota Wild, despite winning on Tuesday, are not too happy with the way they've played over the last couple of weeks.

They aren't likely to catch the Dallas Stars ahead of them, and they aren't in any danger of falling into the Wild Card spot held by the Utah Mammoth, so it's easy to get complacent, but that can't be how they go into the playoffs. 

This game against the Blackhawks is a chance for them to continue working to get back on track with another win over a pesky young team. 

Kaprizov - Yurov - Boldy 

Zuccarello - Hartman - Tarasenko 

Johansson - McCarron - N Foligno 

Trenin - Sturm - Brink 

Hughes-Spurgeon

Brodin-Faber

Middleton-Petry

Wallstedt

Jesper Wallstedt is going to start in goal for the Wild. Filip Gustavsson was in goal during the win on Tuesday, and now they will go with their other Swedish Olympian. 

Bobby Brink will draw into the lineup in place of Robby Fabbri. Other than that, their deep forward group will remain mostly the same. 

On defense, the pairs are getting a bit of a makeover compared to the last game. The bottom pair will remain the same, but there will be two new pairs in the top four. Quinn Hughes will get Jared Spurgeon, while Brock Faber will move down to play with Jonas Brodin. 

Brodin and Spurgeon are very good defensive defensemen who play a strong leadership role in the locker room, while Hughes and Faber are the younger, more skilled players. This could give them more depth on the back end. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Blackhawks scratched Matt Grzelcyk on Tuesday in favor of Ethan Del Mastro. That meant that all six defensemen in the lineup were 24 or under. That could be the case again on Thursday in Minnesota. 

Sacha Boisvert is not ready to join the team yet due to visa issues, so his NHL debut will have to wait. 

Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky

Bertuzzi-Nazar-Teravainen

Mangiapane-Donato-Mikheyev 

Lardis-Lafferty-Slaggert

Vlasic-Levshunov

Kaiser-Rinzel

Del Mastro-Crevier

Grzelcyk

Soderblom

Arvid Soderblom hasn't started since Spencer Knight returned from his illness. Project him to get the nod in this one. With the second half of a back-to-back looming on Friday, expect Spencer Knight to get that game against the Colorado Avalanche, who are one of the few teams ahead of the Minnesota Wild in the overall NHL standings. 

UPDATE: Spencer Knight started in goal. They went 11/7 with their skaters. Sam Lafferty came out, Matt Grzelcyk went in. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on ESPN+ and Hulu. The puck will drop shortly after 6:30 PM CT. 

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