Teams trending in the wrong direction meet when the Texas Longhorns face the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Tuesday night in a 2026 First Four matchup. The winner moves on as a No. 11 seed to face sixth-seeded BYU on Thursday. Ole Miss defeated Texas 76-66 in the first round of the SEC Tournament last Wednesday, while NC State was beaten by Virginia 81-74 in Thursday’s quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. The Longhorns (18-14), who have lost five of six, placed sixth in the SEC regular-season standings at 9-9. The Wolfpack (20-13), who have also dropped five of six, finished in a tie for seventh in the ACC with Florida State at 10-8.

The game from UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, tips off at 9:15 p.m. ET. The Wolfpack are 1.5-point favorites in the latest Texas vs. NC State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 158.5. Before making any Texas vs. N.C. State picks, check out what SportsLine college basketball expert Bob Konarski has to say.

Konarski specializes in college basketball, displaying in-depth knowledge of hundreds of Division I teams. He is a regular presence in the SportsLine Discord, co-hosts a weekly X Spaces with fellow CBB expert Tom Casale and can be seen on the “Early Edge” breaking down his college hoops plays. He enters the tournament on a 65-44 run on college basketball picks, returning $1,615 for $100 players. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, Konarski has his sights set on Texas vs. NC State, and just revealed his First Four picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Konarski’s picks. Here are several men’s college basketball odds and men’s college basketball betting lines for NC State vs. Texas:

Top Texas vs. NC State predictions

Konarski is going Over on the point total (157.5). Both teams rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring and have a similar offensive profile with Texas averaging 83.8 points per game, while NC State averages 83.7. Four players average at least 13 points for Texas, with Dailyn Swain leading the way with 17.8. The same can be said of NC State, though its top-four scorers all have either 13.8 or 13.9 points per game, so there’s a lot of offensive balance for the Wolfpack. 

Konarski advises looking for value in early live over/under lines, but ultimately expects this game to clear the total. “There may be nerves to start out this game, so there could be a good live opportunity on the Over since neither teams play much defense,” he told SportsLine. “The pace will be there since both teams can score in bunches quickly.”

How to make NC State vs. Texas picks

Konarski has also found a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Texas vs. NC State in the 2026 First Four, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert on a 65-44 roll on his college basketball best bets, and find out.    

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about what he thinks will happen next season after another Champions League defeat

Pep Guardiola is certain that Manchester City will be better next season after they failed to make the Champions League quarter-finals for a second straight year. But the manager can still not confirm if he will be in charge to oversee the improvement with claims in the game that he will not see out the final year of his contract.

City qualified directly for the last-16 this season as a result of a top-eight finish in the first phase of the Champions League, a significant improvement on last term when they scraped into the play-off and were well beaten by Real Madrid. However, they were left ruing missed opportunities in both legs of this year’s tie with their Spanish nemesis as they crashed out with a 5-1 aggregate defeat.

Already 3-0 down from the first leg, the Blues took the game to Real early at the Etihad but effectively conceded the tie after 20 minutes when Bernardo Silva was sent off for handling Vinicius Jr’s shot in the box and the Brazilian converted the penalty that was awarded for it. Erling Haaland got City level on the night but they could not score more and Vinicius netted again in injury time to make it defeats home and away for Guardiola’s side.

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City’s manager was still proud of his side in their defeat, feeling that they were a lot closer to Real than the scoreline suggested. And while he knows that they are not as complete a team as some of the previous City sides that he has led, Guardiola reckons that they will be better next year.

“Last season I felt next season would be better and it has been, I have the feeling will be better (again),” he said. “The fact I’m saying it today after being beaten 5-1 on aggregate it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen (but) it’s my feeling because I know them, I know the quality they have but the seasons are so long and the balance of the team, of course there are many things to improve but in the end they have pride.

“Of course it’s not easy, 70, 75 minutes 10 against 11 against Real Madrid. In the end how many shots, we tried with Rayan and Jeremy and Erling, everybody made their contribution, Khusanov, everybody was absolutely there. Listen, when we are out (of the Champions League) and our position in the Premier League, still we are not a complete team, that is the reality, I’m not going to (deny it).

“I’ve been at Manchester City when we were a team in all the different aspects that define a team, and still we are not, but in terms of that we have a final on Sunday, we have the FA Cup against Liverpool here, the Premier League still to fight (for) and finish well the Premier League. Prepare good decisions for next season and next season and next season we will be back in the Champions League. That is what we have to do.”

However, when asked if he is intending to remain at City next season given he spoke of collective improvement, Guardiola rowed back and said that he will always speak of the team in the plural whether he is in charge or not because of the affinity that he has with the club.

“When I am retired in 10 years, and City are in the Champions League, I will say I will be back, because I am part of that,” he said. “Like at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, when I have been there I am part of it. I am incredibly attached to that club, that organisation because it has been one decade, and when I say we it’s because I’m part of that. I’m part of that.”

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Morocco was stunningly awarded the Africa Cup of Nations title on Tuesday by appeals judges who overturned Senegal’s victory in a chaotic final in January. The Confederation of African Football said its appeals board ruled that Senegal is “declared to have forfeited the final” and its 1-0 win in extra time becomes a 3-0 default win for host nation Morocco. FRANCE 24’s James Vasina and sports journalist Karim Baldé discuss the ruling.

Neymar was left out of Brazil’s friendlies in the United States this month. The 34-year-old former captain has struggled to be fit since he tore his ACL in October 2023.

Brazil will play France in Boston on March 26 and Croatia in Orlando four days later.

“This is a squad that takes into account players who are 100% fit,” Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday. “We had important injuries to players like Eder Militao, Bruno Guimaraes, Estevao, Rodrygo.” 
Neymar didn’t play well on Sunday in Santos’ 1-1 draw with Corinthians in the Brazilian league. 

Hours later, Neymar told media at an event in Sao Paulo he was “upset and sad” for not being in Brazil’s squad for the two friendlies.

“But my focus remains, day after day, training after training, match after match. We will reach our goal, there’s still the final squad,” Neymar said.

The World Cup squad will be announced on May 18. The team’s last warmup will be on May 31 against Panama in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil: 
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), Ederson (Fenerbahce) 
Defenders: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Danilo (Flamengo), Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Wesley (Roma) 
Midfielders: Andrey Santos (Chelsea), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray) 
Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Joao Pedro (Chelsea), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit St. Petersburg), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).

Paris Saint-Germain ended any hope of a Chelsea comeback with a strong 3–0 win at Stamford Bridge, sealing an 8–2 aggregate victory to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave PSG an early lead, before Bradley Barcola added a fine second goal to quickly kill off Chelsea’s hopes of recovering from their first-leg loss.

Substitute Senny Mayulu then scored the third goal in the second half, as Luis Enrique’s side comfortably moved into the last eight. They will now face either Liverpool or Galatasaray in the next round.

PSG are still on course to defend their Champions League title, one year after winning it for the first time. The big win also serves as revenge for their defeat to Chelsea in last year’s Club World Cup final and shows they are hitting top form at the right time.

“It is amazing. To score three goals away against Chelsea is good and the important thing is that we continue to play very well, so we have to keep going like this,” Kvaratskhelia said.

Chelsea, however, struggled throughout the match and never looked capable of turning things around after their heavy first-leg defeat in Paris.

“It was a tough night. We knew it would be difficult, and the way we started did not help us,” said manager Liam Rosenior.

PSG took control early when Kvaratskhelia scored in the sixth minute after taking advantage of a defensive mistake.

Barcola made it 2–0 shortly after with a brilliant strike, leaving the tie almost decided before half-time.

The third goal came just after the hour mark when Mayulu finished calmly after good work from Kvaratskhelia.

Chelsea’s poor night got worse late on when Trevoh Chalobah went off injured, forcing the team to finish the game with 10 men.

The defeat adds to a difficult period for Chelsea, who must now focus on improving their form and fighting for a place in next season’s Champions League.

OTHER RESULTS

Sporting Lisbon 5-0 Bodo Glimit (AET)

Arsenal 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Manchester City 1-2 Real Madrid

The Ty Chandler era has ended for the Minnesota Vikings, as the speedy tailback has opted to join the New Orleans Saints during the second wave of free agency. The longtime RB3-RB4 will embark on his career’s second chapter with Kellen Moore’s team.

Minnesota’s 2022 draft class just lost another name.

Chandler stood off the page for a couple of games in Minnesota during the 2023 campaign, but otherwise failed to make a serious thumbprint on the franchise.

New Orleans Adds Speed while the Vikings Close the Book

The Saints’ RB room gets even more crowded.

Saints Sign Chandler

It’s almost a done deal for Chandler’s next move. NBC Sports‘ Myles Simmons wrote Tuesday, “The Saints are adding a running back. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football, the team has signed Ty Chandler.”

“Chandler, 27, just completed his rookie contract with the Vikings. A fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, Chandler missed most of the 2025 season due to a knee injury. He appeared in just three games, taking 17 carries for 4 yards and catching three passes for 11 yards.”

So far in free agency, the Vikings have also lost Jalen Nailor (WR, Raiders), Ben Sims (TE, Dolphins), and Ryan Wright (P, Saints) to new destinations.

The Updated NO Running Back Group

The Saints made a significant free-agent splash week when they signed Travis Etienne from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Etienne will take over bellcow RB1 duties in New Orleans.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Have a look at this ginormous list of running backs on the Saints’ roster:

• Travis Etienne
• Alvin Kamara
• Kendre Miller
• Devin Neal
• Audric Estimé
• Ty Chandler
• Evan Hull

Many expect Kamara to leave sometime this offseason or in the summer. Either way, Chandler will battle at training camp and in the preseason for a September roster spot. He may not make the cut.

SI.com‘s Patrick McAvoy mentioned Kamara’s future after the Chandler signing: “Let’s get out in front of this, Chandler is not a better player than Kamara. Arguably, the signing has more of an impact for New Orleans’ depth than the top of the room.”

“But with Kamara only under contract for one more season and his future already up in the air, you have to at least think about him. This arguably isn’t a sign that New Orleans is about to move on. But what if Kamara is going to hang up his cleats? Again, this is speculation based on the noise out there. At least worth watching.”

Chandler’s Career to Date

Minnesota scooped Chandler from Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft, a North Carolina product who was a 24-year-old rookie. He wound up playing 40 games in Minnesota, starting 4, and tallying 710 rushing yards on 181 attempts for a mediocre 3.9 yards per carry. He also caught 3 passes for 11 yards and banked 3 total touchdowns.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell auditioned Chandler for the RB1 job late in the 2023 season when Alexander Mattison got hurt, and Chandler popped off in a game at the Cincinnati Bengals. He produced 132 rushing yards that day on 23 attempts. For a single day, he looked like a prospective RB1 for the future.

But that was about it.

Chandler didn’t do much thereafter, and in fact, whenever he approached an RB2 job in Minnesota, the Vikings seemed to find a way to acquire Cam Akers.

The 27-year-old is most known for his 4.38 speed, though Vikings fans never really saw that in a breakaway setting. Chandler has also missed 41% of all career games due to injury.

The Death of the Vikings’ 2022 Draft Class Is Official

The Vikings drafted these 10 men in April 2022:

• Lewis Cine (S)
• Andrew Booth (CB)
• Ed Ingram (OG)
• Brian Asamoah (LB)
• Akayleb Evans (CB)
• Esezi Otomewo (DT)
• Ty Chandler (RB)
• Jalen Nailor (WR)
• Vederian Lowe (OT)
• Nick Muse (TE)

For the first time in four years, none are employed by the Vikings, marking the official end of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft class, a man who was fired about six weeks ago for poor draft performance.

Nailor signed a fat contract in Las Vegas last week, making Chandler the last man standing. Now, that is no more.

In addition to Nailor, Ingram, Evans, Otomewo, and Lowe signed second contracts this week. Adofo-Mensah’s draft class was undoubtedly awful for the Vikings, but it didn’t totally flame out of the NFL.

Without Chandler on the depth chart as an RB3 or RB4, the Vikings are tentatively expected to draft a rookie halfback and have already met with men like Emmett Johnson from Nebraska and Demond Claiborne of Wake Forest.

Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)

MUMBAI: As Mumbai Indians head coach, Mahela Jayawardene has plenty to be pleased about heading into IPL 2026, starting March 28. Four MI players—India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, skipper Hardik Pandya and batter Tilak Varma—played key roles in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup triumph.“Our boys are always going to inspire cricketers. And I’m very proud to have the likes of Rohit, Hardik, Surya, Tilak, Jassi, Booms. It’s an amazing group of players, and we’re very privileged to have them at Mumbai Indians,” Mahela said during the closing ceremony of the MI Junior season at the MIG Cricket Club Ground on Tuesday.

“I think in a World Cup, everyone has to lift their hand up because it’s a tough tournament. I mean, each and every game was tough. So, there were different players who put their hand up and performed. And that’s why you win a World Cup because everyone is in form. Obviously, at the back end, they peaked really well. I’m happy that we’ve had four guys from Mumbai (Indians) playing in the T20 World Cup (for India). So we’re very thrilled about that,” he added.‘T20 WC winners given extended break’The MI head coach revealed that the franchise has granted its four World Cup-winning players an “extended break”, with the quartet set to join the camp next week.“Every year, our aim is to get there (win the IPL trophy). But I know it’s a long season. So pre-season will start the way we usually start, working hard, getting new boys into the setup. And with our (T20) World Cup guys, we’ve given them a bit of an extended break so that they will join us next weekend. The overseas guys also flew in home and then they will join us. But they’ll have a good one week training with us before the first game,” Mahela said.England allrounder Will Jacks also impressed in the T20 World Cup, while the presence of players like Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock adds depth to the squad.“Absolutely,” he said, adding, “But I’m happy to have that headache rather than having no headache. Not just Jacksy but (there’s) Sherfane, Ryan (Rickelton), Quinny (Quinton de Kock). Everyone’s forgot Santner as well, who’s the New Zealand captain. So I think it’s a great group that we put together. We did all that before the T20 World Cup.”“So I’m happy having all of them. It is going to be a healthy headache for me to have. But everyone knows how we operate in the camp. So, at the right time, we’ll make the decisions. It’s going to be tough decisions, but we’ll make sure that the best decisions are being made.”Backing Suryakumar, praise for BumrahDespite some criticism of Suryakumar’s form, Jayawardene backed him strongly. “I think SKY is not worried too much about it (his form). He’s a class operator. He’s always going to get there. He has contributed when it mattered. Yes, consistency is something that he would want to improve,” he said.“I think the way he led the (Indian) team and kept everything together… There were a couple of tough decisions (that) they had to make during the season. And in the (T20) World Cup, they did. Hats off to him. I’m sure he’ll have a good break and join the camp with a smiling face.”On Bumrah, he added, “I think Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) is always a special, special player. And it’s just the work ethic he puts in and the way he thinks about the game that also matters. I think the way he executed in crucial moments for India in the (T20) World Cup was something special.”Rohit’s role and Sri Lanka’s campaignJayawardene hinted that Rohit Sharma may not be used solely as an Impact Player, praising his improved fitness.“He hasn’t, but I think he has done a lot of work behind the scenes. He had a lot of skill work done in the last week. He joined us on the first day itself for our training camp. He looked good in the nets, which is very good. (we are seeing) a newer version of Rohit as well.. much fitter, very committed. So (we’re) looking forward to him leading us from the top.”On Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup performance, Jayawardene said, “I think Sri Lanka played some really good cricket. They had a couple of tough games that they missed out. I mean, that’s a World Cup. I think every match is important. It could have gone either way.”