The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.
Advertisement
Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.
Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.
Timestamps:
(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions
Advertisement
(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook
(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?
(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG
(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses
There are 58 days until the 2025-26 NBA trade deadline, and while some names have bubbled up within the rumor mill, one big name won’t be going anywhere, according to the player’s agent.
LeBron James will finish this season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman this week.
Advertisement
In a discussion about the current state of the Lakers and James’ future, Kellerman asked Paul if there was any chance the soon-to-be 41-year-old star would not finish the season in Los Angeles.
“No,” Paul said. “Where’s he gonna go? … Does LeBron make the Knicks better? Yes, he would, of course, but 29 other teams would say the same thing.”
Paul made sure to note that James has a no-trade clause, so any potential deal would have to be approved by the future Hall of Famer.
In June, James exercised the $52.6 million player option in his contract for this season, but he can be a free agent in the summer if he decides he wants to continue playing and doesn’t re-sign or announce he’s retiring beforehand.
Advertisement
While James appears tied to the Lakers for the rest of the season, Paul doesn’t see another championship in the franchise’s future as it’s currently constructed. While LA is 17-6 and second in the Western Conference, it’s not a title-winning team, he believes.
“I, personally, don’t think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders right now. Not right now,” Paul said. “I don’t think they have enough to get to the Western Conference Final. I don’t think they really have enough to contend from that perspective right now.”
After James picked up his option, Paul issued a statement to ESPN that appeared to put the team on notice, saying, “LeBron wants to compete for a championship” and “values a realistic chance of winning it all.”
Advertisement
If Paul doesn’t believe the Lakers are contenders come trade deadline time, will he change his opinion on James being available? Or at least have the conversation with James about waiving his no-trade clause should a contender — in Paul’s mind — be interested?
James is in his 23rd NBA season and currently averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds through seven games after missing the beginning of the season with sciatica. While still early, the four-time NBA MVP has never averaged under 20 points per game in his entire career over the course of a season.
By now, everyone has seen one of the worst bad beats of all time. The Broncos were 7.5-point favorites, leading by 10 in the final seconds when Raiders receiver Tyler Lockett was tackled in the field of play. Las Vegas had no timeouts and the clock was about to expire. But Broncos safety Brandon Jones wouldn’t let Lockett up, which is a delay of game penalty. That stopped the clock with five seconds left and Raiders coach Pete Carroll, hoping for a miracle, decided to try a field goal on the long shot that it would go through with at least a second left on the clock. Time expired as the Raiders hit the field goal, which only meant that all the Broncos -7.5 tickets could be torn up as Denver won 24-17. That’s some unspeakable pain. Hopefully nothing like that repeats this week in the NFL.
Advertisement
Here are the top betting storylines going into Week 15 of the NFL season, with all odds from BetMGM:
Lamar Jackson’s disappointing season
Jackson has done well for bettors through the years. Not this season.
Jackson and the Ravens lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers as 6-point favorites Sunday. Betting on the Ravens has been a losing endeavor most of the season. Baltimore has lost four in a row against the spread. They’re tied with the Commanders for the worst record against the spread this season at 4-9. The Ravens are just 3-7 when Jackson starts this season.
It’s pretty clear Jackson isn’t his normal self after missing time due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 4. He and the Ravens have been a big disappointment, including to bettors. And despite all of that, the Ravens are still 2.5-point road favorites at the Bengals this week. Cincinnati beat the Ravens 32-14 in Baltimore on Thanksgiving.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) throws a pass as Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) pulls him down during Sunday’s loss by Baltimore. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Daniel Jones’ injury affects odds
The Colts were once 7-1 and seemingly had the AFC South title locked up. Then came a losing streak and a season-ending injury to their quarterback.
Advertisement
Jones went down Sunday with a torn Achilles, and the Colts’ outlook is rough. They’re +2200 to win the AFC South. The Jaguars are favored at -165, and the Texans are behind them at +150. Indianapolis isn’t favored to make the playoffs at all anymore. They have +280 odds to make the playoffs. They’re 8-5 and the betting market doesn’t favor them to win more than once the rest of the season. The Colts’ win total is 9.5, and the under is the heavy favorite at -225. It’s a disappointing injury in many ways.
Jonathan Taylor’s fade
Taylor was once a strong favorite to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year, but the Colts’ slide and his own personal slump has changed that.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is now the clear favorite to win OPOY, at -350 odds. Taylor isn’t second in the odds anymore. That’s Jahmyr Gibbs at +450. Taylor is next at +700. Taylor has failed to rush for more than 85 yards in four of Indianapolis’ last five games. And he’s unlikely to see many rushing lanes down the stretch with quarterback Daniel Jones out for the rest of the season.
Advertisement
Patriots are home underdogs
The Patriots aren’t getting the respect that most 11-2 teams get. The Patriots are 1-point home underdogs against the Bills on Sunday. New England already beat the Bills in Buffalo once this season, and it’s coming off a bye. New England’s advanced metrics indicate it’s not as good as its 11-2 record, and the criticisms about them fattening up on a soft schedule have been common. The Bills also have better Super Bowl odds than the Patriots. Buffalo is +900 to win it all, while New England is +1000, tied for the sixth-best odds.
The Patriots are tied for the best record in the NFL, but they haven’t convinced everyone they’re legit.
Advertisement
Rams and Matthew Stafford bounce back
The Rams won big in Week 14, and that was important for Matthew Stafford’s MVP odds. Stafford is back to being the betting favorite to win MVP after throwing for 281 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-17 blowout of the Cardinals. Stafford is -175 to win MVP. Drake Maye, last week’s favorite who had a bye in Week 14, is +200.
The Rams’ Super Bowl odds got a little shorter too. They’re the favorites at +400. They were +450 last week.
Private equity has officially arrived in college athletics.
The University of Utah is on the cusp of striking the industry’s first partnership with an equity firm in a marriage that features a nine-figure capital infusion and the creation and shared ownership of a for-profit entity to operate athletics business and financial elements outside of the traditional university framework.
Advertisement
The new venture is expected to generate as much or more than $500 million in capital — a groundbreaking and innovative move that may pave the way for more schools and conferences to pursue such a concept.
Finalization of the project is expected soon pending authorization on Tuesday from the University of Utah Board of Trustees. The board is granting the university permission to move forward with the agreement with Otro Capital, a New York-based sports private equity firm.
Multiple officials with knowledge of the project spoke to Yahoo Sports under condition of anonymity.
The endeavor with Otro Capital is more than just a nine-figure infusion of cash.
Advertisement
At the center of the project is the creation of a private, independent offshoot of the athletic department — Utah Brands & Entertainment LLC — in a first-of-its-kind partnership between a university athletic department and an equity partner. An executive team from Otro Capital, combined with athletics department personnel, will lead the creation and operation of the new company, which will live within the university’s foundation.
The university retains majority ownership and decision-making authority of Utah Brands & Entertainment. Otro marries the capital infusion with a team of experienced operators. A president from outside the university will preside over the company and report to a board, chaired by Utah athletic director Mark Harlan, with seats for trustees and Otro executives.
The project includes a fascinating wrinkle. The university is offering a prominent group of donors the ability to purchase a stake in Utah Brands & Entertainment. Already, university officials have culled a small donor base to generate millions in purchase agreements. The more than $500 million capital figure includes both the nine-figure cash infusion from Otro as well as those capital commitments from donors.
Utah Brands & Entertainment will house most of the components traditionally held within the university’s athletic department, including many athletic personnel and divisions. However, fundraising will remain with the school.
Advertisement
The new company’s primary goal is to generate more revenue across an assortment of areas, including ticketing, concessions, corporate sales and sponsorships. Charged with overseeing and operating the revenue-share pay system for Utah athletes, the new entity provides the department with more flexibility and freedom considering it will operate separate from a public university.
The move isn’t completely foreign to college sports. Over the last several months, a host of schools — Kentucky, Michigan State, Clemson — have announced the creation of a private, revenue-generating entity outside of the athletic department as college sports evolves into a more professionalized ecosystem. None of those schools have partnered with an equity firm. However, Michigan State announced its own capital infusion of sorts in the form of a $401 million donation, a portion of which will go toward its new athletics entity.
As for Utah’s partnership, in exchange for the upfront cash, Otro will earn a large percentage of annual revenues generated from Utah Brands & Entertainment as it splits funds with the university. An exit strategy — in five to seven years — exists, and the university holds the right to purchase Otro’s ownership stake.
The emergence of private equity in college sports is a long time coming.
Advertisement
For the last two years, as university athletic departments face mounting financial stressors, dozens of schools pursued private capital or equity deals, including conferences as a whole — most notably the Big 12 and Big Ten. However, when these projects reached the finish line, they were stymied for various reasons.
For instance, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has twice presented such a deal before his presidential board. Big Ten officials nearly reached the point of a vote on a $2.4 billion capital deal before at least two schools — USC and Michigan — scuttled the project.
Yormark’s pursuit of a capital deal caught the attention of Harlan and Utah administrators, who, more than two years ago, began the process that resulted in the potential deal with Otro.
According to its website, Otro seeks to invest in “sports teams, leagues and ecosystem businesses with strong intellectual property.” The company was founded in 2023 by partners Alec Scheiner, Niraj Shah, Brent Stehlik and Isaac Halyard, who all served as senior executives at RedBird Capital Partners, one of the globe’s largest sports industry investors.
Advertisement
Scheiner has a deep background as a sports investor and team executive, spending time as president of the Cleveland Browns and senior vice president of the Dallas Cowboys. He was the point man for Legends Hospitality, a corporation providing food, merchandise, retail and stadium operations for venues and companies worldwide. Stehlik was the previous president of OneTeam Partners and worked as a chief revenue officer for the Browns.
Otro’s portfolio includes the Formula 1 Alpine Racing team, FlexWork Sports marketing and event company and Two Circles, a fan and data analytics platform. Otro will own a large share — but not a majority share — of Utah Brands & Entertainment, similar to its other projects. For instance, Otro invested $200 million in Alpine Racing to own a 24% equity stake.
According to a 2024 story on buyoutinsider.com, Otro was targeting $500 million for a sports-focused investment fund. The company has pitched its college plan to other schools — one specifically in the Big Ten — before Utah expressed serious interest.
It’s unclear if Otro has plans to execute similar agreements with other schools.
Advertisement
In Salt Lake City, Otro executives, charged with revenue-generating goals, will have access to the school’s trademark and licensing rights, facilities, sponsorships and the university’s teams. However, decisions around coaching staff and player acquisition remain with university personnel.
In fact, the school cleared the partnership with NCAA officials. To remain under the NCAA’s umbrella, Utah’s university president and athletic director must retain the majority of decision-making.
Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins missed Week 13 due to a concussion, but had cleared league protocol and was deemed fit to return in Week 14. Despite taking some big hits and smacking his head on the ground during the game, Higgins made it through the team’s fourth-quarter loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
But a day later, Higgins is once again in the concussion protocol, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Higgins was involved in at least two plays where he appeared to slam his head on the ground while being taken down. The first came fairly early in the contest, as Higgins jumped to try and make a one-handed catch on a sideline ball. Higgins was able to tip the ball, but couldn’t come up with the catch. As he fell to the ground, Higgins’ head snapped back and whipped off the grass.
Advertisement
He entered the blue medical tent on the sideline following the hit, but was able to return to the game.
Later, however, Higgins once again smacked his head on the ground while being tackled after a catch. This time around, Higgins sat up and immediately put his hands to his head, a sign he was in pain.
Despite both hits, Higgins was allowed to keep playing. After the game, Higgins was asked about remaining in the game after both hits. He responded by saying he’s “a soldier” who can take hits.
While Higgins didn’t appear to be dealing with any side effects from the hits during that interview, that changed later in the day. Higgins later reported concussion-like symptoms, leading to the wideout once again being placed in the league’s concussion protocol.
Advertisement
Higgins finished Week 14 with six catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the 39-34 loss to the Bills.
Given the proximity of both brain injuries, Higgins is likely to miss time, if not the rest of the season due to the injury. With their loss in Week 14, the Bengals now sit at 4-9. Cincinnati hasn’t been eliminated from playoff contention just yet, but the team would need a lot to go right down the stretch to secure a playoff spot. With little to play for, the Bengals may opt to let Higgins rest up so he can be fully healthy entering next season.
Lionel Messi has won his second straight MLS MVP award, the league announced on Tuesday, making him the first player to win the honor in consecutive seasons.
The Inter Miami star beat out LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, San Diego FC’s Anders Dreyer, FC Cincinnati’s Evander and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge for the honor. Messi earned 70.43% of the aggregate vote, which broke down to 83.05% from MLS players, 55.17% from players and 73.08% from the clubs
Advertisement
In 28 regular-season games, Messi recorded 29 goals and 19 assists. His 48 goal contributions were one fewer than the MLS record of 49 set by LAFC great Carlos Vela in 2019.
Messi’s 29 goals secured him his first Golden Boot award as the league’s top goal scorer.
In his third year in MLS and second full season in the league, Messi recorded 10 multi-goal games for Inter Miami, including a hat trick in the regular-season finale against Nashville. Through his two-and-a-half seasons, Messi has scored 50 times since arriving in the league.
Following Inter Miami’s win in Saturday’s MLS Cup final against the Vancouver Whitecaps, the 38-year-old Messi has led the club to three titles, including the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield.
The Indianapolis Colts are not ready to wave the white flag on their all-in season.
With quarterback Daniel Jones’ season done, Anthony Richardson Sr. on injured reserve and backup quarterback Riley Leonard dealing with knee soreness, the Colts are reportedly considering a familiar face at quarterback.
Advertisement
Per NFL Network, the Colts are hosting Philip Rivers for a Tuesday workout to potentially join their practice squad. Rivers, 44, hasn’t played NFL football since the 2020 season.
But when he played that season, he led the Colts to success, so they’re apparently willing to see what he’s got left in the tank. An eight-time Pro Bowler with the Chargers, Rivers joined the Colts for his final NFL season and led them to an 11-5 record and the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Jones’ backup and replacement on Sunday, Riley Leonard, is dealing with knee soreness. Steichen said Monday that Leonard will “hopefully” be able to play on Sunday. If he’s not, that would leave the Colts without a quarterback from their active roster.
Can Philip Rivers still play NFL football after five seasons away from the game?
(Wesley Hitt via Getty Images)
Their next in-house option would be to promote practice squad quarterback Brett Rypien. And even in that scenario, the Colts would need to add another quarterback to have a healthy backup in case of another injury in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Quarterbacks aren’t exactly easy to find after Week 14 of the NFL season. So apparently, it’s a least worth a call to Rivers to find out what sort of shape he’s in. The Colts will reportedly find out on Tuesday.
Advertisement
Colts had invested in Super Bowl hopes
This all comes amid a season in which the Colts entered the contention conversation thanks to the best season of Jones’ career and an 8-2 start. With a shot at the Super Bowl in their sights, the Colts traded not one, but two first-round picks for cornerback Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline in hopes of bolstering their defense to compete for a playoff run.
But Gardner has since suffered his own calf injury that’s expected to sideline him for multiple weeks. And the shine started to come of the Colts’ season even before Jones’ devastating Achilles tear.
Advertisement
Jones displayed midseason signs of regression as the Colts lost two of three games heading into Sunday’s against the Jaguars. Sunday’s 36-19 defeat made it three losses in four games and dropped the Colts to 8-5, on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.
And a once promising Colts season is no more. A 44-year-old Rivers nearly five years removed from playing football isn’t a strong bet to be the savior. But the Colts are desperate and invested enough at this point to give it a shot.
Kyle Schwarber will be staying in Philadelphia after all.
According to Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports, Schwarber and the Phillies are finalizing a five-year, $150 million contract.
Schwarber, 32, was expected to be one of the most coveted players on the market after smashing a career-high 56 home runs last season and finishing second in the NL MVP vote.
Schwarber is the king of what is known as the “three true outcomes” in baseball: home runs, walks and strikeouts. That phrase is used to describe players whose plate appearances most often end in one of those three results.
Advertisement
Schwarber fits that bill perfectly. Since his major-league debut in 2015, Schwarber has a 14.2% walk rate and a 28.4% strikeout rate and has hit 340 home runs. Those figures rank ninth, 10th and second, respectively, among players with at least 3,000 plate appearances over that period.
Due to his high strikeout rate, Schwarber has typically posted batting averages below the league average. He has more than made up for that with his tremendous on-base and slugging numbers, but his career .231 batting average is less than optimal.
Given his extreme approach, Schwarber’s ability to remain effective as he ages is a significant question. If he either his batting eye or his power declines, he’s unlikely to make up for that loss by improving his batting average. And if his ability to make contact wavers or his strikeout rate shoots up higher, Schwarber could flirt with a near-unplayable batting average.
But the hope is that Schwarber has a few more years of peak productivity left before Father Time comes for him. He entered free agency after one of the finest years of his career, leading MLB in home runs (56) and RBI (132) with the Phillies in 2025.
That wasn’t all due to good fortune. Schwarber showed strides in 2025 despite his age. He dropped his strikeout rate to 27.2%, his lowest mark since 2021, and posted a better batting average against lefties for the second straight season.
His willingness to continue to make adjustments resulted in a career year in 2025. That same drive could help Schwarber stave off decline for a few more seasons, allowing the Phillies to continue employing a bona fide slugger in the middle of their lineup for years to come.
It kicks off Dec. 13 with the LA Bowl and the last non-playoff games take place Jan. 2. Overall, there are 39 FBS bowl games counting the four first-round playoff games … and it took some finagling to get all the spots filled.
The three teams’ decisions meant that three sub-.500 teams were needed to fill the bowl field. And that wasn’t easy. Multiple teams declined bowl bids before the Birmingham Bowl was finally filled.
Here’s our ranking from No. 39 through No. 1 of the bowl games this season. All times are Eastern and the quarterfinal and semifinal games of the College Football Playoff are not included since we do not know the participants in those games.
39. Armed Forces Bowl (Jan. 2, 1 p.m., ESPN)
Advertisement
The Owls are bowling thanks to their Academic Progress Rate. Rice won just two games after the first four weeks of the season. Those victories came over UConn and UAB. The Bobcats won three straight games to get bowl eligible after a five-game losing streak in the middle of the season.
38. Birmingham Bowl (Dec. 29, 2 p.m., ESPN)
The Mountaineers were the final team in the field after the opt-outs to set up this all-Sun Belt matchup. App State lost five of its last six games — four were by one possession and the other was a 58-10 loss to James Madison — and a one-point loss to Arkansas State denied them a sixth win in Week 14. The Eagles are heading to a bowl game for a fourth straight season. They’ve lost the previous three. Can they reverse the trend this year against a conference opponent they’ve already beaten this season?
37. Independence Bowl (Dec. 30, 2 p.m., ESPN)
Advertisement
The Chanticleers are playing in this game after firing head coach Tim Beck and scoring just 23 points per game. Coastal also gave up 34 points per game. Only eight teams allowed more. The Bulldogs don’t have a long trip from Ruston after winning their final two games of the season to guarantee a winning record.
36. First Responder Bowl (Dec. 26, 8 p.m., ESPN)
Head coach Willie Simmons led FIU to its first bowl game since 2019 in his first season. RB Kejon Owens leads the team with 1,298 yards and 11 TDs. UTSA can be really good and really bad. The Roadrunners blew out Tulane and East Carolina and got blown out by North Texas and South Florida.
35. 68 Ventures Bowl (Dec. 17, 8:30 p.m., ESPN)
Advertisement
The Ragin’ Cajuns were 2-6 after a loss to Troy on Oct. 25. They’ve won four straight since and the last three came by one score. Louisiana got bowl eligible in Week 14 with a 30-27 overtime win against Louisiana-Monroe. QB Lunch Winfield has a fantastic name and leads the team with nine rushing TDs. The Blue Hens are in their first season at the top level of college football and were able to go to a bowl game because there were not enough bowl-eligible teams who were eligible for bowl games.
34. Xbox Bowl (Dec. 18, 9 p.m., ESPN2)
The Bears posted a winning season in their first year at the top level of college football. QB Jacob Clark has 27 total touchdowns and leads an offense that averages nearly 275 yards passing per game. Arkansas State is coached by former Tennessee head coach Butch Jones and snuck into a bowl game with a 30-29 win over App State in the final week of the season.
Nick Bromberg ranks all the bowl games from worst to best. (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
33. Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Jan. 2, 8 p.m., ESPN)
Advertisement
The Bulldogs are going to a bowl game for the first time since 2022 thanks to teams opting out. It was a season of improvement in Starkville, as Jeff Lebby’s team went from 2-10 in 2024 to 5-7. Freshman QB Kamario Taylor should be fun to watch. The Demon Deacons took down Virginia and SMU in ACC play and lost by one to Georgia Tech in September.
32. New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 23, 5:30 p.m., ESPN)
The Hilltoppers are making their seventh straight bowl appearance under head coach Tyson Helton but lost their last two games of the regular season. Both were by three points, though a 13-10 loss to LSU was a bit closer than it actually was thanks to a late fumble return TD. The Eagles lost head coach Charles Huff to Memphis after a six-win improvement in 2025 before three straight losses to end the season.
31. GameAbove Sports Bowl (Dec. 26, 1 p.m., ESPN)
Advertisement
The Chippewas are back in a bowl game for the first time since 2021. It was a rough last three seasons under former head coach Jim McElwain. CMU rushes the ball over 40 times a game yet no player has more than 105 carries or 540 rushing yards. Northwestern scraped its way to a bowl game after standing at 5-2 following a win over Purdue on Oct. 18. The Wildcats lost three straight before getting that elusive sixth win against Minnesota in Week 13.
30. Potato Bowl (Dec. 22, 2 p.m., ESPN)
The Cougars just lost head coach Jimmy Rogers to Iowa State after Matt Campbell went to Penn State, and it was a weird season for Wazzu. They got blown out by North Texas and lost to Oregon State, but lost to Ole Miss by only three, Virginia by two and James Madison by four. The Aggies have alternated wins and losses over their final six games and nearly took down Boise State at home to end the regular season.
The RedHawks are making consecutive trips to the Arizona Bowl. Miami won this game a year ago. WR Kamryn Perry has 966 receiving yards on just 42 catches. That’s 23 yards a reception. The Bulldogs are making their fifth consecutive bowl appearance and have wins over Boise State and Hawaii in 2025.
28. Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m., ESPN)
This looks like a mismatch. Utah had been on the margins of the playoff discussion for most of November while Nebraska was just been existing in the Big Ten. Especially as QB Dylan Raiola is out for the season. Will he be back in 2026? More pressing for Nebraska is a chance for the Cornhuskers to win eight games in a season for the first time since 2016. It’s hard to overstate just how bad things have been for the Cornhuskers recently after their decades of dominance.
27. Gasparilla Bowl (Dec. 19, 2:30 p.m., ESPN)
Advertisement
The Wolfpack won three of their last four games to ensure a winning record and a sixth straight bowl appearance under head coach Dave Doeren. But NC State would really like a bowl win more than most schools. The Wolfpack have lost their last five bowl games — the 2021 Holiday Bowl was canceled — and haven’t scored a bowl victory since 2017. Memphis lost head coach Ryan Silverfield to Arkansas and ended the season on a three-game losing streak to fall out of College Football Playoff contention.
26. Boca Raton Bowl (Dec. 23, 2 p.m., ESPN
Louisville went on a three-game losing streak in November to kill any chance at the ACC title. The Cardinals’ first three ACC losses came by a combined seven points … and then SMU blew them out 38-6 before the Cardinals got their mojo back with a 41-0 win over Kentucky. The Rockets lost head coach Jason Candle to UConn this week and defensive coordinator Vince Kehres went to Syracuse. That’s massive. The Rockets allow just 12 points per game.
25. Military Bowl (Dec. 27, 11 a.m., ESPN)
Advertisement
Pitt beat Georgia Tech to end the Yellow Jackets’ ACC title hopes but that win was sandwiched around blowout losses at home to Miami and Notre Dame. Did you know the Panthers average over 35 points per game? Now you do. The Pirates won five of their last six games and are in the Military Bowl for the second straight season.
24. Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 27, Noon, ABC)
A Penn State-Clemson bowl game would have been an enticing proposition before the season. Now, not so much. Both teams had incredibly underwhelming seasons after they were ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 to start the season. It’ll be the final game in charge for Penn State interim coach Terry Smith, though he’s staying on new head coach Matt Campbell’s staff for 2026 and beyond.
Advertisement
23. Fenway Bowl (Dec. 27, 2:15 p.m., ESPN)
Remember, Army still has one more game to go as Navy looms on Dec. 13. The Black Knights lost to FCS Tarleton State to open the season before beating Kansas State in Week 2 and then losing back-to-back games to North Texas and East Carolina. Army’s triple-option offense will look to grind UConn’s defense to dust. UConn head coach Jim Mora Jr. is now at Colorado State. Hopefully QB Joe Fagnano keeps throwing. The seventh-year QB has nearly 3,500 passing yards and 28 TDs with just one interception in 2025.
It’s a game between two teams who can stay in their home state after losing their respective conference title games. Troy lost to James Madison in the Sun Belt championship game while Jacksonville State’s comeback fell short against Kennesaw State in the Conference USA title game.
Advertisement
21. Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24, 8 p.m., ESPN)
It’s a return to the islands for former Hawaii head coach Nick Rolovich. He’s the interim at Cal following Justin Wilcox’s firing and the Bears beat SMU in their regular-season finale in his first game in charge. It’s also a chance for Cal freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to play in his home state. He’s staying with Cal for 2026 under new head coach Tosh Lupoi. This has been the best season for Hawaii since the Rainbow Warriors went 10-5 in 2019. That was Rolovich’s final season before leaving for Washington State.
20. Myrtle Beach Bowl (Dec. 19, 11 a.m., ESPN)
The Owls are one of the best stories of the season. In just their second season at the FBS level, Kennesaw State has made an eight-win improvement and won Conference USA by avenging a regular-season loss to Jacksonville State. Western Michigan took down Miami (Ohio) in the MAC title game and allows just 18 points per game.
Advertisement
19. Frisco Bowl (Dec. 23, 9 p.m., ESPN)
The Rebels have back-to-back 10-win seasons and back-to-back seasons that ended with a loss to Boise State in the Mountain West title game. It’s been a fun first season for former Florida head coach Dan Mullen at UNLV. Ohio has an interim coach for the game after Brian Smith was placed on leave at the start of the month. No reason has been given for Smith’s absence and Smith’s attorney said on Dec. 4 that Smith had not been provided a formal reason why he was placed on leave.
18. Cure Bowl (Dec. 17, 5 p.m., ESPN)
This is one of the most fun Group of Five matchups on the bowl calendar. ODU ripped off five straight wins to end the season and blew out Troy 33-0 in that stretch. The Trojans made it to the Sun Belt title game. South Florida beat Florida in Week 2 but lost to Memphis and Navy to miss out on a shot in the College Football Playoff. Head coach Alex Golesh was hired at Auburn and the Bulls have hired Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline as his replacement.
Advertisement
17. Rate Bowl (Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m., ESPN)
It’s been an incredible season for the Lobos under first-year head coach Jason Eck. New Mexico is making its first bowl appearance since 2016 under Bob Davie. It’s also the first bowl game outside the state of New Mexico for the Lobos since an appearance in the 2004 Emerald Bowl. Minnesota is a program that just wins bowl games. Especially under PJ Fleck. The Gophers are 6-0 in bowls during Fleck’s tenure and haven’t lost since a Citrus Bowl defeat to Missouri in 2014.
16. Texas Bowl (Dec. 27, 9:15 p.m., ESPN)
The chances of a senior sendoff for QB Garrett Nussmeier seem slim after Michael Van Buren has taken over as LSU’s quarterback. If you’re going to watch this game, be prepared for a lot of talk about Lane Kiffin and maybe even a Kiffin appearance in the booth. You’ve been warned. The potential Kiffin talk shouldn’t distract from how good of a season Houston had. The Cougars made a five-win improvement and further cemented Willie Fritz’s status as one of the most underrated college football coaches.
Advertisement
15. Liberty Bowl (Jan. 2, 4:30 p.m., ESPN)
The Midshipmen earned a second trip to Memphis in three games. Navy spent Thanksgiving in Memphis with a 28-17 win over the Tigers. Now it’ll spend New Year’s there too. The Bearcats collapsed in November. Cincinnati was 7-1 after beating Baylor but went 0-4 to end the season against Utah, Arizona, BYU and TCU.
14. New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 27, 5:45 p.m., ESPN)
The Aztecs are allowing opponents to average just 4.1 yards a play and 12.6 points per game. SDSU opponents scored seven or fewer points in seven games this season. Both Hawaii and Washington State topped 35, however, and North Texas’ explosive offense will hope to be the third team. The Mean Green average 7.3 yards a play as QB Drew Mestemaker has completed over 70% of his passes.
Advertisement
13. Holiday Bowl (Jan. 2, 8 p.m., Fox)
The Wildcats have won their last five games following back-to-back losses to BYU and Houston. It’s just the second bowl game in eight seasons for Arizona and the Wildcats have the chance to win 10 games in each of those seasons. The Mustangs were in the ACC title game with a win over Cal in Week 14, but went down early and threw away a late comeback as Cal scored with 43 seconds to go in a 38-35 win.
12. LA Bowl (Dec. 13, 8 p.m., ABC)
The Broncos won the Mountain West on Friday night over UNLV after getting into the title game via tiebreakers in a four-way tie. Washington’s losses came to Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and … Wisconsin. That latter game ruined any chance the Huskies had of sneaking into the Big Ten title game. QB Demond Williams Jr. is a fun watch. He needs just 150 passing yards to get to 3,000.
Advertisement
11. Sun Bowl (Dec. 31, 2 p.m., CBS)
The Blue Devils won the ACC and got a trip to El Paso in one of the best under-the-radar bowls every year. Arizona State seems unlikely to have QB Sam Leavitt as he’s played only seven games this season. But the career resurgence of Jeff Sims has been fun to watch after his struggles at Nebraska. Duke QB Darian Mensah was worth it for the Blue Devils as he immediately was one of the best QBs in the ACC after his transfer from Tulane.
10. Alamo Bowl (Dec. 30, 9 p.m., ESPN)
It’s USC’s first trip to the Alamo Bowl as the Trojans look for just their fourth 10-win season over the past decade. With both teams averaging over 30 points per game and outside the top 40 in scoring defense, this could easily have the highest over/under of any bowl game. The Horned Frogs’ offense sputtered down the stretch, however. Before scoring 45 against Cincinnati in the regular-season finale, TCU hadn’t scored more than 17 points since October.
Advertisement
9. Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, 5:30 p.m., ESPN)
A team coached by Bret Bielema vs. a team coached by Josh Heupel is a contrast that could make for a very intriguing game. The Illini won three of their final four games while Tennessee lost two of its last four games. The Vols gave up more than 30 points in seven games this season. Can Illinois take advantage? QB Luke Altmyer was very efficient and WR Hank Beatty had a big first half of the season before slowing down in conference play.
8. Gator Bowl (Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m., ABC)
The Tigers have another chance for a win over a ranked opponent. Mizzou is 8-0 against unranked teams and 0-4 against ranked teams in 2025. RB Ahmad Hardy has rushed for 1,560 yards and 16 TDs after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe. Virginia missed out on a fourth overtime win in the ACC title game against Duke but still has one more chance to win 11 games for the first time in school history.
Advertisement
7. Pop-Tarts Bowl (Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Had Notre Dame not opted out of a bowl game, we would have gotten the Fighting Irish against the Cougars. Georgia Tech is an adequate replacement. This will be a fun game between two offenses committed to running the football with quarterbacks who can run over defenders. Georgia Tech lost three of its last four games while BYU’s only losses came to Texas Tech.
6. ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Noon, ESPN)
There’s a small chance Diego Pavia could enter this game as a Heisman winner. He should be a Heisman finalist regardless and he’ll want to cap his Vanderbilt career with a big win. Iowa’s defense will present a tough test and Mark Gronowski needs two passing touchdowns to become the first Iowa QB since Spencer Petras in 2021 to have 10 passing touchdowns. Three TD passes will give Gronowski 11 for the season and make him the most productive Iowa QB since Nathan Stanley threw 16 scores in 2019.
Advertisement
5. Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31, 3 p.m., ABC)
These two teams met a season ago in the regular season with the Longhorns getting a road win. They both look a lot different now and it should be the best non-playoff bowl game of the season. Texas QB Arch Manning has gotten better as the season has progressed and a few weeks of bowl practices for Michigan QB Bryce Underwood should be a real asset for the former five-star recruit’s development.
4. CFP first-round game (Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m., TNT)
This game has the biggest spread of any first-round game for a good reason. Oregon can put up points in a hurry and James Madison played just one power conference opponent all season. That was JMU’s only loss as the Dukes fell 28-14 to Louisville in Week 2. Let’s hope that this game is better than the last time Oregon played a non-power conference opponent in a major bowl game. Two seasons ago, the Ducks obliterated Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl to spoil the Flames’ unbeaten season.
Advertisement
3. CFP first-round game (Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m., TNT)
It’s hard to get too excited about a rematch of a game that was 45-10. But there’s the added stakes of the College Football Playoff and the coaching situations surrounding each team. It’s the first game in charge for former Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding after Lane Kiffin left for LSU. And it could be the last game with the Green Wave for Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall as he takes over at Florida in 2026.
2. CFP first-round game (Dec. 19, 8 p.m., ABC)
It was hard to justify putting a rematch at No. 1 even if the first game was exceptionally close. Alabama turned the ball over three times in its home loss to the Sooners in November. Those turnovers gave Oklahoma great field position. The Sooners had just 212 yards of total offense in the upset win. Can they count on forcing turnovers again? Alabama has committed half of its 12 turnovers over the past four games.
1. CFP first-round game (Dec. 20, noon, ABC)
Does the winner of this game get the ultimate bragging rights over Notre Dame? The Fighting Irish’s losses to both the Hurricanes and Aggies in the first two weeks of the season kept them out of the CFP and got Miami in. The Aggies had eyes on a first-round bye before losing to Texas on Black Friday and Miami has won five straight games after losing to Louisville. Carson Beck never faced Texas A&M while at Georgia and a win against the Aggies would give him the chance to start against his former team.
There is an old trope in the NFL that bettors shouldn’t place wagers on the opposite sides of key numbers early in the week. The thought is that there is a chance a line moves onto a crucial number and the value of the bet could be significantly better by waiting to see if the key number emerges.
Sure, if one doesn’t have a good understanding of line movement, an idea on how to price games and evaluate a betting market, I kind of agree. However, all betting rules are meant to be broken in certain situations. There are smart ways to parlay. There are prices where bettors should buy the hook on a point and lay the extra vig. There are reasons to execute teasers that are not specifically “Wong Teaser” legs. I am a firm believer in the concept that all rules are meant to be broken in the right situations. I have never shied away from betting a +2.5, a -7.5, an over 41.5 or an under 43.5 early in the week.
Advertisement
That leads us to three early Week 15 NFL bets. Here are some spots I already bet.
The weather report in Denver is shaping up to be really nice this coming weekend. The early signs for beautiful weather are a foundational reason why the first move on this total was toward the over.
The opening total on Sunday night was around 42 consensus in the market, which is now up to 43.5. Green Bay is a team in which explosive plays are a fundamental part of the offense as well. However, both of these defenses are top units, and 44 is a very key number for betting NFL totals (as is 43). A line moving from 42 up toward the over almost never sees a shift through both the 43 and the 44. The rare cases we see this is when a bad weather forecast has artificially driven a line down and the weather report changes.
Advertisement
Here we have a good early-week weather report driving up the total, but this is December in Colorado — things could change and possibly for the worse. Given the strong defensive units and the perceived asymmetric line movement at the current price, there is a much stronger chance this line stays at 43.5 or goes down as opposed to going up. The NFL market is sharp and efficient, especially when relative to key numbers, and therefore I like buying any side or total at what I deem to be the best number we will see all week.
Bet: Under 43.5 (-110), good to -115
Here is another spot to fade early line movement. The Rams have asserted their dominance over the NFL and remain the top team in market-based power rankings. They are 6.3-point favorites over an average team on a neutral field. The Lions have slipped to seventh, being priced as a 4.4-point favorite against an average team on a neutral field. If we compare the differences between these two ratings, the Rams remain 1.9 points ahead. Factor in the 1.5 points for home-field advantage and we are at a price of Los Angeles -3.4.
Beyond the simple market ratings, which are formulated based on closing-line data in previous weeks and weighs more recent games heavier, we need to factor in the injuries on the Lions side. Brian Branch suffered a season-ending injury in Week 14, and he joins the laundry list of players reeling for the Lions. Kerby Joseph, Sam LaPorta (and his backup Brock Wright), and Kalif Raymond are other notable names all out for Detroit. However, the new injuries being priced in — mainly Branch — aren’t a big enough weight for this line to move to Lions +6.
We saw some flashes of a Rams -6.5 emerge and those were quickly taken out. I suspect Lions +6 also leaves the board sooner rather than later. This is closing around 5/5.5 — a proper account of market ratings and manual adjustments for injury pricing and sharp action.
Bet: Detroit Lions +6
The final place to attack early bets for Week 15 is in the player prop market.
Advertisement
Tampa Bay is in a near must-win game against the Falcons after losing to the New Orleans Saints last week. The Bucs are still atop the NFC South, but are tied with the Carolina Panthers. The key for Tampa Bay is they are just starting to get fully healthy, as it has been a season of turmoil and injuries. Fortunately, the skill-position players were not lost to season-ending causes.
Baker Mayfield should be steadily healing from his shoulder joint injury, Bucky Irving is back and dominating again, Chris Godwin has returned to the lineup — and his snap count is steadily rising — and most recent reports from Todd Bowles suggest star WR Mike Evans might be coming back Thursday as well. The Bucs have their core back offensively, which means I think they can sustain long drives.
On the other side of the ball, the Falcons are a run-first team with a two-headed monster in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. That duo will be going up against a very strong nose tackle in Vita Vea. Assuming Vea and Tampa Bay’s front seven can cause the Falcons’ rushing offense to lack efficiency, I think we can assume Atlanta is going to lose the time of possession battle here. Drake London is also hurt for the Falcons, hindering their passing attack.
Advertisement
The best way to target sustained drives for the Buccaneers and for them to win the time-of-possession battle is to play Kirk Cousins under 31.5 pass attempts. Surpassing 32 means some key third-down conversions, some key defensive spots and relying on the short passing game as much as the strong run game. I will fade Cousins and the Falcons at least one more time.