Sven-Goran Eriksson heaped praise on perfectionist Roberto Mancini as the Italy head coach continues to oversee the stunning transformation of the Azzurri at Euro 2020.
Italy will face Belgium in the quarter-finals on Friday after setting a new national record by extending their unbeaten streak to 31 games thanks to a last-16 triumph over Austria.
A proud football country but a national team on their knees after failing to qualify for Russia 2018, their first World Cup absence since 1958, Mancini is the mastermind behind a drastic recovery following his appointment more than three years ago.
Banishing the nightmares of Gian Piero Ventura s dismal tenure, Italy have only conceded more than once in one of their past 18 matches at major tournaments, dating back to t…
I witnessed two of the best saves I ve ever seen in my career, were the words of Mikel Arteta following David Raya s heroics in Arsenal s 1-1 draw with Atalanta.
The Gunners kickstarted their Champions League campaign with a point, but the result could have been much different if not for Raya s stunning intervention.
Atalanta had the opportunity to take the lead six minutes into the second half when Ederson was brought down by Thomas Partey inside the area.
Mateo Retegui assumed responsibility from 12 yards, only to see Raya dive to his right to save before springing back to his feet to deny the Italian s header on the follow-up.
I witnessed two of the best saves I ve ever seen in my career from David in that moment, Arteta said.
If you can t…
Can Paris Saint-Germain get back on track? Are champions Lille in contention again? Could any top French sides face the drop?
Stats Perform aims to answer all of these questions and more as the new Ligue 1 season gets under way.
The Stats Perform League Prediction Model, created by Stats Perform AI using Opta data, has analysed the division ahead of the new season to assign percentages to potential outcomes for each club.
The model estimates the probability of each match outcome (win, draw or loss) based on teams attacking and defensive qualities, which considers four years worth of results, with weighting based on recency and the quality of opposition. The season is then simulated 10,000 times to calculate the likelihood of each outcome.
What does that …
Patrik Schick s sensational long-range strike for the Czech Republic against Scotland has been voted Euro 2020 s Goal of the Tournament.
The Bayer Leverkusen forward scored twice in the 2-0 win at Hampden Park on matchday one in the group stage, the second of those goals from just inside the Scotland half.
The goal was measured at 49.7 yards, making it the furthest distance a goal has been scored at the European Championship since such data was first recorded in 1980.
Schick spotted opposition goalkeeper David Marshall off his line and left the back-pedalling Scotsman red faced to overtake Torsten Frings previous record of 38.6 yards for Germany against the Netherlands at Euro 2004.
Speaking after the match on June 14, Schick confirmed he had spotted Mars…
Reigning European and world champions Spain have finished 2012 at the summit of the FIFA rankings for the fifth time in succession.
Joachim Loew s Germany remain the second-placed team in the standings, with South American giants Argentina completing the podium.
Euro 2012 finalists Italy have climbed one place and now sit fourth, ahead of Colombia who were named Mover of the Year after reaching fifth position from 36th at the start of the year.
England are sixth, while Portugal (seventh, three down), Netherlands (eighth, one down), Russia (ninth) and Croatia (10th) complete the rest of the top 10.
Copa America holders Uruguay have to settle for 16th place after dropping five places, while 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil are only 18th.
Cote d Ivoire s…
A non-conference clash kicks off the season for the Los Angeles Chargers when they cross the country to play the Washington Football Team in Week 1 of the 2021 season. NFL betting odds have L.A. as a slim 1-point favorite in DC.
The Chargers underwent a full overhaul on the sidelines, with a new head coach in Brandon Staley working alongside veteran coordinators Renaldo Hill and Joe Lombardi, the latter of which has reigning Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert headlining his offense.
Here are our free NFL picks and predictions for Chargers at Washington on September 12.
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Covers is throwing an entry into the Circa Million Pro Football contest for the 2021 season and Adam Chernoff has been tabbed to make the weekly picks so let’s dig right in.
Here are his five ATS picks for Week 13 of the Circa Million betting contest.
Week 12 record: 4-1Season to date: 37-23
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Week 6 of the NFL season mixes in byes for the first time, which is nice for those teams getting a break but slim pickings for a guy whose column is about solely selecting underdogs for his NFL picks and predictions.
From Week 1 to Week 5, I’ve had 16 available options for my weekly NFL Underdogs entry. But with four teams off the clock this Sunday, we go from dinner to lunch buffet, as I’m left with 14 potential pup picks in Week 6.
Underdogs are thriving so far in 2022, barking to the tune of a 45-30-3 ATS mark entering this week (59.6%). That early-season edge for underdogs has become routine the past few years, with dogs covering at a 56.3% clip between Week 1 and Week 6 since 2015. That cover rate jumps to 57.2% going back to 2019.…
Tonight’s actual game might not be the biggest draw with the way the New York Jets have been struggling without Aaron Rodgers, but NBC’s broadcast should receive a shot in the arm from all the “Swifties” tuning in to see Taylor Swift as she watches Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce headline the Week 4 odds.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh should know by now that Zach Wilson was trouble when he walked into the starting lineup after Rodgers went down, and with rumors that his belief in the bust is causing bad blood in the locker room, Patrick Mahomes and Kelce are going to be shaking off defenders all night.
Find out where our best NFL picks lie as we examine the SNF odds and dive into the props market. Also, make sure to check o…
It’s not uncommon to see big point spreads in the NFL odds when the calendar flips to December, as bettors are exposed to a larger sample size and injuries take their toll. But while there are three teams favored by more than a touchdown in Week 14, there are nine laying 3.5 points or fewer.
All four of the games I’m featuring in my free NFL parlay picks column this week fall into the latter category. Join me as I analyze the Week 14 odds and give out my best traditional 3-leg parlay, as well as a same-game parlay for Colts vs. Bengals.
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