The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys gave us about as exciting of an NFL season opener as we could have asked for from these teams on Thursday night.
The Buccaneers pulled out a close 31-29 win as a 9.5-point favourite, coming through as a Survivor Pool pick and a popular money line parlay option.
Meanwhile, Dallas covered the number easily, but it really felt like they had so many chances to really take control of that game and failed, letting a potential outright win get away.
Now, we move on to the first Sunday of the NFL season, with an absolutely loaded slate to look forward to.
Here are our best bets for the first Sunday of the NFL season.
Domenic Padula: Broncos -3 at Giants
John Elway doesn’t have a very good track record when it comes to drafting quarterbacks.
The good thing is that he’s done an excellent job loading up at almost every other position on his roster.
Plus, he finally seems to have found a serviceable quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater.
With a deep and talented defence that will feature Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Kyle Fuller, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson and rookie Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos need a capable arm that can move the ball efficiently without turning over the football, which is exactly what Bridgewater will do.
That Denver defence will be looking forward to making a statement in its season opener against third-year quarterback Daniel Jones, who has thrown 22 interceptions with 29 fumbles in his first two seasons in the NFL.
The Broncos defence will keep Jones and company in check.
All Bridgewater needs to do is outperform his counterpart and win by more than a field goal.
I’ll take Denver to win and cover on the road.
Chris Amberley: Cardinals at Titans Over 52
The Cardinals versus Titans game has shootout written all over it. These two teams both ranked top-six in the NFL in yards per game in 2020, and were first and third respectively in situation neutral pace.
Tennessee allowed the fourth-most passing yards in 2020, and featured the league’s third-worst pass rush per Pro Football Focus. They didn’t address their secondary concerns, outside of bringing in 32-year-old Janoris Jenkins, and Kyler Murray shredded opposing defences when healthy last season. Murray threw for 26 TDs and ran for 11 more, eclipsing 60 rushing yards seven times.
On the other side of the ball, the Titans added Julio Jones, who along with AJ Brown form arguably the best 1-2 receiving duo in the league. Tennessee also features two-time reigning rushing champ Derrick Henry, who should have no problem carving up a Cardinals rush defence that ranked 29th by PFF’s metrics last season.
Like the Titans, Arizona’s secondary is in shambles. Injuries and Malcolm Brown’s early retirement has left a giant hole at the cornerback position, which Ryan Tannehill will no doubt exploit.
Tannehill is coming off a career-high 33 passing TDs, and 7 rushing TD, while Tennessee games have a strong tendency to go over the total under his guidance.
The over was 12-3-1 in his 16 regular season starts in 2020, and is 21-4-1 in his starts during the past two seasons.
Luke Bellus: Carolina Panthers -4
I got two words for you.
Revenge game.
I’m going into Sunday afternoon backing Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers.
Darnold, 24, is set to make his first start with the Panthers, and he’s doing it against his former team.
After spending three seasons in New York with the Jets, the quarterback will get a chance on Sunday to show his old organization just what they’re missing out on.
With a healthy Christian Mccaffrey, and weapons like D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, I expect this offence to come out on fire to start the season.
Meanwhile, rookie QB Zach Wilson is set to make his NFL debut on the road. Something that could spell trouble.
We’re already 1-0 this season if you tailed my Tom Brady over 2.5 touchdowns pick on Thursday night.
Let’s start the year 2-0 with a revenge game in Week 1.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
