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PSG and Mbappe get tough Champions League draw in group with Milan, Dortmund and Newcastle

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

MONACO (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain and its star forward Kylian Mbappe landed in the toughest group in the Champions League draw Thursday with former champions AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund, plus Newcastle.Bayern Munich’s new signing Harry Kane will return to England to face Manchester United in a group that also includes Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Man United beat Bayern in the 1999 final after an injury-time comeback. Record 14-time champion Real Madrid plays Napoli, Braga and debutant Union Berlin.Man City, the defending champion, got a favorable draw and will play Leipzig for the third straight season, plus Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys.Last season’s finalist Inter Milan will play Benfica – which it beat in the quarterfinals – plus Salzburg and Real Sociedad.Barcelona was drawn with Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp, another Champions League debutant which last played in the competition in the old European Cup in 1957.Arsenal’s return after six years away will be...

Kansas tries to build on first bowl since 2008 in opener against Missouri State

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

Missouri State at Kansas, Friday at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)Line: No line, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Kansas leads 2-0.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Kansas experienced a major turnaround last season, going .500 in the regular season before losing an epic three-overtime Liberty Bowl game to Arkansas. Now the question is whether the Jayhawks can continue to build on the momentum as coach Lance Leipold enters his third season in Lawrence. Missouri State is heading into its first season under Ryan Beard, who replaced the departed Bobby Petrino.KEY MATCHUPJalon Daniels against the Missouri State defense. The dual-threat quarterback was getting Heisman Trophy love a year ago while helping Kansas to a 5-0 start. But Daniels hurt his shoulder against TCU and missed four games, slowing his momentum. He was limited in the spring because of the shoulder, then had some back pain that kept him out for a portion of fall camp. Still, when Daniels is at his best, he is one of the most exciting playe...

No. 2 Michigan opens season against East Carolina without suspended coach Jim Harbaugh

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

East Carolina at No. 2 Michigan, Saturday at 12 p.m. ET (Peacock)Line: Michigan by 35 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: First meeting.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Michigan seems to have a shot to win its first national title since 1997, and can’t afford to slip as a five-touchdown favorite in the opener. The Wolverines will have their first of three chances to show they can win without coach Jim Harbaugh, who was suspended by the school for three games due to breaking NCAA rules. East Carolina, potentially at least, has an opportunity to pull off the biggest upset in school history after going 0-11 against top-five teams.KEY MATCHUPMichigan wants to establish the run with an experienced and talented offensive line opening holes for RBs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. East Carolina returns six starters from a defense that gave up just 116 yards rushing a game last year, ranking second in the American Athletic Conference.PLAYERS TO WATCHECU: QB Mason Garcia. The 6-foot-5 s...

Connecticut faces Phoenix, seeks 25th win this season

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

Phoenix Mercury (9-26, 2-15 Western Conference) at Connecticut Sun (24-11, 13-4 Eastern Conference)Uncasville, Connecticut; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WNBA LINE: Sun -13.5; over/under is 156.5BOTTOM LINE: Connecticut will aim for its 25th win of the season when the Sun host the Phoenix Mercury.The Sun have gone 10-6 in home games. Connecticut ranks second in the WNBA with 39.5 points in the paint led by Alyssa Thomas averaging 11.4.The Mercury have gone 1-16 away from home. Phoenix has a 4-19 record in games decided by 10 or more points.The teams square off for the third time this season. The Mercury won the last matchup 90-84 on Aug. 11, with Brittney Griner scoring 21 points in the victory.TOP PERFORMERS: Thomas is averaging 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.9 steals for the Sun. DeWanna Bonner is averaging 15.0 points over the last 10 games for Connecticut.Diana Taurasi is averaging 16 points and 4.6 assists for the Mercury. Sophie Cunningham is averaging 1...

Las Vegas hosts Washington following Sykes’ 21-point outing

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

Washington Mystics (17-18, 8-10 Eastern Conference) at Las Vegas Aces (30-6, 15-2 Western Conference)Las Vegas; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WNBA LINE: Aces -10.5; over/under is 167.5BOTTOM LINE: Washington visits the Las Vegas Aces after Brittney Sykes scored 21 points in the Mystics’ 83-72 win over the Minnesota Lynx.The Aces are 16-1 in home games. Las Vegas ranks second in the WNBA with 28.7 defensive rebounds per game led by A’ja Wilson averaging 7.5.The Mystics have gone 5-11 away from home. Washington has a 4-10 record against teams over .500.The teams meet for the third time this season. In the last matchup on Aug. 26 the Mystics won 78-62 led by 21 points from Elena Delle Donne, while Kelsey Plum scored 21 points for the Aces.TOP PERFORMERS: Jackie Young is averaging 18.1 points and 3.7 assists for the Aces. Wilson is averaging 25.2 points over the last 10 games for Las Vegas.Sykes is averaging 15.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals for the Mystics. ...

QB Phil Jurkovec’s homecoming season begins as Pittsburgh hosts Wofford

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

Wofford (0-0) at Pittsburgh (0-0), 3:30 p.m. ET (ACC Network)Line: None according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: First meeting.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Pitt welcomes former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson back to Acrisure Stadium when the Panthers open the season against Watson and the Terriers, an FCS program from the Southern Conference. The game is the lone contest Pitt will play this season against a non-Power Five conference (plus Notre Dame). Things ramp up quickly for the Panthers after Saturday. A misstep in the opener would be disastrous.KEY MATCHUPThe Panthers used a veteran offensive line to lean heavily on the run a year ago when RB Israel Abanikanda ran for 1,431 yards and 20 TDs. There is a smattering of new faces along the line but expect Pitt to try to use its size advantage against Wofford’s defensive front to help establish RB Rodney Hammond.PLAYERS TO WATCHWofford: RB Kyle Parsons can do a little bit of everything. He ran for 485 yards, caught 18 passes for ...

Baylor looks to snap skid in opener; Texas State makes debut for coach GJ Kinne

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

Texas State at Baylor, Saturday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)Line: Baylor by 27 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Baylor leads 9-0.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Baylor gets a fresh start after losing its final four games last season, including a bitterly cold Armed Forces Bowl, to finish 6-7 a year after going 12-2 with wins in the Big 12 championship game and the Sugar Bowl. This is coach Dave Aranda’s fourth season. Texas State, after eight consecutive losing seasons with three different head coaches, plays its first game for 34-year-old GJ Kinne, the second-youngest FBS head coach. Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham is 33.KEY MATCHUPTexas State’s new wide-open spread offense against the Baylor defense. Kinne came from Incarnate Word, bringing offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich with him after the FCS Cardinals averaged 581 total yards and 51.2 points a game while going 12-2. There are a lot of unknowns with Texas State having 53 newcomers.PLAYERS TO WATCHTexas State: WR Asht...

Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect starting Friday

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect starting Friday.Source

Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case and seeks to sever his case from others

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday and sought to sever his case from other defendants who are accused along with him of illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee had set arraignment hearings for Trump and the 18 others charged in the case for Sept. 6. A court filing waiving arraignment means Trump won’t have to show up for that.The decision to skip an in-person appearance averts the dramatic arraignments that have accompanied the three other criminal cases Trump faces, in which the Republican former president has been forced amid tight security into a courtroom and entered “not guilty” pleas before crowds of spectators. Georgia courts have fairly permissive rules on news cameras in the courtroom, and this step means Trump won't have to enter a plea on television.An attorney for Trump also asked McAfee on Thursday to separate his case from those of defendants who ha...

Lionel Messi and two more MLS players called up by Argentina for World Cup qualifying

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:32:09 GMT

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Lionel Messi was among three MLS-based players to be called up by Argentina on Thursday for the opening rounds of South American World Cup qualifying.Thiago Almada of Atlanta United and Alan Velasco of FC Dallas were also included by coach Lionel Scaloni for games against Ecuador and Bolivia in September.The 36-year-old Messi joined Inter Miami in July and has already scored 11 goals for the club.World Cup champion Argentina will take on Ecuador at home on Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires, before playing Bolivia away in La Paz five days later.Argentina:Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), and Juan Musso (Atalanta).Defenders: Lucas Esquivel (Athletico Paranaense), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Nottingham Forest), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Germán Pezzella (Real Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Marcos Senesi (Bournemo...