Giorgio Chiellini quipped Italy s squad believed Roberto Mancini to be crazy when the Azzurri boss initially laid out his plans to win Euro 2020.

Mancini was appointed Italy coach in May 2018, after the Azzurri s failure to qualify for that year s World Cup.

After an indifferent start to his tenure, Italy have gone on a record-setting 33-match unbeaten run, leading them to the Euro 2020 final, in which they will face England at Wembley.

Along with their opponents on Sunday, Italy have been the standout performers in the competition, and saw off fellow heavyweights Belgium and Spain en route to the final.

Juventus  Chiellini has been a key figure, with the veteran campaigner making four appearances.

And though Italy will be full of confidence hea…

The 30-man shortlist for the 2017 Ballon d Or has been announced and the ceremony to announce the winners of this prestigious award will take place in London later this month. In Part 1 of the shortlist analysis we take a look at 15 of the nominees and what they did to justify their inclusion.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund + Gabon)

Not even dodgy orange juice could derail the Dortmund striker’s incredible goal-scoring season. The Gabonese international banged in 31 goals in 32 Bundesliga games last season, finishing as the league’s top scorer, and has already bagged eight in seven games to start off this campaign. Sadly his goal-scoring form couldn’t help Gabon qualify for the World Cup, but at club level Aubameyang is a monster.

Karim Benzema (Real M…

English star midfielder Davis Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy will visit the Seattle Sounders on March 15 in the opening game of the 2011 Major League Soccer season, the US-based league said Monday.

The 16th MLS season will feature a record 18 clubs, with expansion teams in Portland and Vancouver, which becomes the second Canadian squad in MLS after Toronto. A third Canadian club, Montreal, will begin operations in 2012.

The Galaxy eliminated the Sounders from last season s MLS playoffs.

Beckham, who had said he was not planning on playing outside of MLS during the off-season, revealed Sunday that he does intend to play in Europe before MLS teams gather for pre-season workouts, although not at AC Milan, his loan home the past two MLS off-seasons.

Each…

Jose Mourinho was sacked as manager of Tottenham on this day in 2021, less than a week before he was due to lead them out for the Carabao Cup final.

Spurs’ Premier League form was what ultimately cost the Portuguese his job, with his last match in charge a 2-2 draw with Everton which left Tottenham seventh, five points off the Champions League places and with just one win from their last five league games.

Mourinho’s dismissal after just 17 months at the helm was announced hours after Tottenham had confirmed they intended to join a breakaway European Super League, plans that were swiftly aborted after fans’ backlash, although that was unrelated to the Portuguese’s axing.

The 58-year-old was denied the chance of delivering the club’s first piece of silve…

The touchdown market has become one of the most popular and potentially profitable props in the NFL betting world. Each week, we’re going to throw down three to four units as we try to uncover some of the best weekly NFL TD props and dig into the matchups that surround them.

Last week was another winner for us in the touchdown prop world for us, as we finished 2-2 for +1.03u and now sit up 1.54u on the season. Just like in Week 1, we were close to a bigger week but that Jared Cook (+234) TD got erased by poor officiating. Onto Week 3.

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The touchdown market has become one of the most popular and potentially profitable props in the NFL betting world. Each week, we’re going to throw down three to four units as we try to uncover some of the best weekly NFL TD props and dig into the matchups that surround them.

The Super Wild Card round is here and we’re littering the board, including games on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We’re riding a pair of TD favorites, getting creative with the Pittsburgh backfield, and sprinkling something on a slot receiver in Buffalo.

Without further ado, our Super Wild Card touchdown props:

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The Jacksonville Jaguars host the Los Angeles Chargers in NFL Wild Card action on Saturday night.

Both teams looked strong during the final month of the season but both also have obvious flaws. For the Chargers, their Achilles heel is their atrocious run defense, while the Jaguars’ biggest flaws are their pass defense and inexperience.

That’s why I’m backing Bolts wideout Keenan Allen and Jacksonville running back Travis Ettiene, while fading a Jags rookie who might be a tad overrated at this point in his career. Here are my best Chargers vs. Jaguars NFL prop picks for January 14.

Be sure to also check out our Chargers vs. Jaguars picks and predictions for a full game preview!

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Ladies and gentlemen, it is teaser time! I improved my teaser record to 3-2 last week — shoutout to the Eagles for not scoring on their final possession. We’ve got a little bit of momentum going with two straight wins, but I’m hungry for more and we’ve got some great options to choose from in Week 6 odds. 

This week’s NFL odds board has a few very obvious candidates who we can tease down inside of a field goal, while there are also a few sneaky underdogs who we can tease up that are worth consideration.

Make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck with your NFL teaser bets. You’re paying for every half point, so don’t let those them go to waste by teasing through zero. You should also look to follow a basi…

The New York Jets and New England Patriots will end their disappointing seasons on Sunday in Foxborough in some weather that certainly parallels both clubs’ performances on the year. With heavy winds and likely snow/rain, bettors are staring at the lowest NFL total since 1993 at 30.5. 

With poor conditions for the lowest-scoring offense in football and the New England team total possibly riding on the leg of rookie kicker Chad Ryland, should bettors fade the Pats’ team total one more time this season which the Under has hit in 13 of their last 20 games?

I break down the Week 18 NFL odds and offer my free NFL picks for Jets vs. Patriots on Sunday, January 7. 

Jets vs Patriots odds

Jets vs Pat…

How many bets have you lost by the half-point hook? Too many.

As NFL odds tighten with every snap, the difference between winning bets and losing bets is the ability to get the best number for your opinion. That can mean jumping on the opening lines right away or waiting for the market to move later in the week.

That’s where I come in.

Each Sunday night, with odds fresh out of the oven, I suggest spreads and totals to bet now (knowing moves are coming quick) and some lines to bet later (projecting market movement and public perception) with your NFL picks.

Here are the “Bet Now, Bet Later” lines for NFL Week 3 odds.

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