The NBA Finals will continue on Wednesday with Game 4 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, another opportunity to claim the latest BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS, which gives new users $150 in bonus bets if their first bet wins or up to $1,500 in bonus bets if their qualifying wager loses. The trend of the road team winning each game in the NBA Finals continued in Game 3, but the SportsLine Projection Model is still backing the Knicks to win and cover as 2.5-point favorites in its Wednesday NBA best bets at BetMGM Sportsbook. The over-under is 216.5.

One of SportsLine’s top experts has also found a player prop to back from Spurs vs. Knicks. Plus, the model found value from the MLB slate, backing the Toronto Blue Jays to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies for Wednesday’s MLB best bets at BetMGM. The Phillies are set to start left-hander Jesus Luzardo (4-4, 4.56 ERA), while the Blue Jays will counter with Max Scherzer (1-3, 9.64 ERA). Claim the latest BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS and bet on Wednesday’s top games:

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and entered Week 12 of the MLB season on a sizzling 19-7 run on all top-rated MLB picks. It also excelled at making home run prop picks in 2025, returning nearly 30 units of profit. Anyone following its MLB betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.   

Wednesday best bets at BetMGM

• Knicks (-2.5) vs. Spurs (-118)
• Landry Shamet, Knicks, Over 1.5 total 3-pointers made (-120)
• Blue Jays (+125) vs. Phillies

Combining the three picks into a Wednesday parlay at BetMGM would result in a payout of +662 (risk $100 to win $662, odds subject to change). Click here to take advantage of the latest BetMGM promo code CBSSPORTS:

Knicks (-2.5) vs. Spurs (-118)

The Knicks suffered their first loss since April 23 in Game 3 on Monday, however, one loss isn’t enough to create panic in the streets of New York. The Knicks won 13 straight games before Monday’s loss in historic fashion, with 11 of those wins coming by double digits. Although the Knicks lost, Jalen Brunson had his best game of the series with 32 points on 44% shooting, and five New York players finished with double-digit points. The Knicks went 30-10 at home this season, and they haven’t lost two home games over three days since January. The model projects the Knicks to bounce back at Madison Square Garden, backing the Knicks to win and cover in 54% of simulations. Back the Knicks by claiming the latest BetMGM promo code CBSSPORTS here:

Landry Shamet, Knicks, Over 1.5 total 3-pointers made (-120)

“Landry Shamet only made one 3-pointer in Game 3, but he got off seven attempts in 23 minutes,” SportsLine expert Prop Bet Guy Doug said. “He’s now attempted 20 threes over the three games in the finals, including the second-most wide-open threes on the Knicks (10, per NBA tracking data). I expect the volume to continue to be there for Shamet, who shot 43% from three at Madison Square Garden this season.” Back the Shamet by claiming the latest BetMGM promo code CBSSPORTS here:

Blue Jays (+125) vs. Phillies

The Blue Jays are starting a future Hall of Fame pitcher, but a future immortal certainly isn’t pitching to that level at the moment. However, at the other end of the spectrum, Max Scherzer isn’t your typical 9.64 ERA pitcher. The 41-year-old is expected to return from the injured list, where he’s been since the end of April with a forearm injury, to pitch on Wednesday. Scherzer has a career 3.26 ERA, and the Phillies are set to start Jesus Luzardo, who has a 4.56 ERA and is coming off allowing five runs in six innings to the White Sox on Friday. Luzardo allowed eight runs in 2 ⅓ innings in his one start against the Blue Jays last season. Despite a losing record overall this season, the Blue Jays are 20-15 at home this season, including a 3-2 win over the Phillies on Tuesday. The model projects Toronto to win in 57% of simulations, showcasing strong value at these odds. Back the Blue Jays by claiming the latest BetMGM promo code CBSSPORTS here:

Want more NBA and MLB picks on Wednesday?

You’ve seen some of the model’s Wednesday best bets. Now, get against the spread, total and money-line picks for all games, including the NBA, MLB, NHL, and more, all from the model that’s simulated every game 10,000 times. 

DC Brian Flores said he likes to think of the defensive coaching staff as being part of a think tank, capable of tossing ideas out into the open to spur innovation. Maybe it’s that openness to trying new things that has fed into the ongoing experiment with Ty Ingram-Dawkins playing edge rusher.

The Vikings large lad is looking leaner. Listed at 6’5” and 290-pounds, the young lineman joined the NFL as a hybrid player. Tasking him with lining up directly across from the center before soaking up blockers was never in his job description. He could, nevertheless, be shuffled up and down the line so as to arrive at favorable matchups.

Meanwhile, Walter Rouse has received some opportunity at guard.

A massive man (who does great off-field work), Rouse is facing an uphill battle at offensive tackle, his college position. All of Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Ryan Van Demark, and Caleb Tiernan are ahead of him on the depth chart. At guard, in contrast, there’s a wide open competition behind the starting pair of Donovan Jackson and Will Fries. Might Rouse become the OG3 rolling into the 2026 season? Doing so would give him a clearer pathway toward sticking around and contributing.

Two Vikings Large Lads Trying Out New Spots

In Ty Ingram-Dawkins, the plan all along was for versatility. Does that initial ambition of moving around mean a full-time job at edge rusher? Not necessarily, but the possibility was always there.

And, in fairness, the Vikings have by no means committed themselves to shifting the young defender to the position as a permanent spot. Even if they did, when has Brian Flores ever felt constrained to fixity within a player’s on-field assignment?

Listen to the DC. He likes working with players who can do several things well (think Josh Metellus and Andrew Van Ginkel as great examples). Sometimes, Ingram-Dawkins can be a jumbo edge rusher, as has been the case at Vikings minicamp at times. So, too, can he be a leaner player for the interior of the defensive line. All part of the ingredients being tossed into the Flores cauldron of defensive madness.

In Rouse, the Vikings boast a truly massive lineman who has yet to breakthrough. All along, the plan had been for a slower approach to development since he went in the 6^th of the 2024 NFL Draft. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah even made comments about development, noting that it took some time in college but that Rouse had the potential to become a bully.

Per PFF, Walter Rouse played 13 snaps at left tackle and 75 snaps at right tackle in 2025. What’s most discouraging isn’t the low snap count. Rather, it’s that his playing time dropped off in the final half of the season, a reality that appears particularly discouraging given the injuries to the o-line. Put simply, Rouse needs to continue proving he belongs on the team.

On the other side of the ball, Ingram-Dawkins had 135 snaps as a 3-4 defensive end last season (think across from the offensive tackle). He then had 97 snaps as an edge rusher alongside 16 in more of a 3T spot. Given where things are trending, Ingram-Dawkins may see that edge rusher snap allotment increase.

A perfect world for the Vikings involves seeing these two both make the roster while then working themselves into meaty roles on Sunday. Not just dress, but demand snaps on a regular basis. Better yet, be part of the mix for winning the line of scrimmage more often than not.

The current outlook suggests that Ty Ingram-Dawkins is in a better spot than Walter Rouse, but the d-line competition is intense after adding Caleb Banks (still recovering from injury) and Domonique Orange. Both need to keep polishing their game while acclimating to new on-field assignments.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

The moment the Minnesota Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles for two 3rd-Round picks, they created a semi-urgent need at the outside linebacker position — if they don’t trust their in-house commodities.

The club has just over $13 million to spend in summer free agency, and all signs point to another EDGE defender if Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, or Chaz Chambliss don’t win the OLB3 job.

Vikings’ Pass Rush Depth Makes EDGE the Obvious Target

Vikings Could Use FA Cash at OLB

Minnesota may not sign an OLB this week, but it should be on the mind of new general manager Nolan Teasley, according to The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis.

He wrote Tuesday, “Trading Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles places major responsibility on third-year edge rusher Dallas Turner. It also emphasizes the depth behind Turner and Van Ginkel. The scheme can only go so far.”

“When one-on-one pass-rush opportunities present themselves, the Vikings need edge rushers who can win. Minnesota’s staff thinks highly of former undrafted edge rushers Chaz Chambliss, Bo Richter and Tyler Batty, though none of them have produced at the NFL level.”

Based on last year’s snap counts, Richter or Batty would likely get the OLB3 nod on the depth chart if Tealsey signs no newcomers.

Lewis continued, “The Vikings have around $13 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap, and some enticing free-agent edge rushers remain. The Vikings could wait until training camp to make a move.”

“But from a competitiveness standpoint, supplementing this position group seems paramount.”

The Options

If one assumes the Vikings don’t fire up a fancy trade for an EDGE defender — they probably won’t because they would’ve kept Greenard otherwise — free agency actually has a barrage of promising options. Assuming Minnesota doesn’t wait until the last minute, here’s the EDGE market right now:

• Cameron Jordan
• Derek Barnett
• Haason Reddick
• Jadeveon Clowney
• Joey Bosa
• Kyle Van Noy
• Leonard Floyd
• Marcus Davenport
• Von Miller
• Yannick Ngakoue

The list is thick, and outside of Davenport — a former Viking who disappeared after a high ankle sprain in 2023 — fans would not be disappointedwith any man from this list.

An easy way to think of it? It’s a good time to need a veteran outside linebacker. Plenty to go around.

SKOR North‘s Judd Zulgad noted on Clowney in particular this week, “Clowney, who is 33, has 66.5 sacks in 153 games over 12 seasons with seven teams. Last season, he had 8.5 sacks in 13 games with Dallas. Teasley is familiar with Clowney, who spent the 2019 season in Seattle when Teasley was the Seahawks’ director of pro personnel.”

Rolling the Dice with a UDFA?

If it’s not a household name like Jordan, Clowney, Bosa, Floyd, or Miller, Minnesota would promote from within. Four in-house options are available after Van Ginkel and Turner, all the aforementioned undrafted free agents: Richter, Batty, Chambliss, and Cam’Ron Stewart.

As Lewis noted, there’s no way to know in June if those men have the juice for a full-time OLB3 role, but behind the scenes, defensive coordinator Brian Flores should know if any of the four is ready.

Meanwhile, the longer the Vikings wait without signing a free-agent EDGE, the closer they get to riding with Richter, Batty, Chambliss, and Stewart. There’s also a chance that Minnesota waits until the post-cutdown market, when approximately 1,200 NFLers hit free agency or bide their time for a practice squad assignment.

Other Positions of Need?

Finally, the other spots on the roster that could use some love from Teasley. This list is not that long, believe it or not.

Minnesota has plenty of safeties, and if Harrison Smith returns, no more are needed. If Smith doesn’t return for Year No. 15, a free-agent safety cannot be ruled out if rookie Jakobe Thomas isn’t ready for the regular season.

With the safety caveat, the positions of need are down two spots in June, July, and August: cornerback and guard. Flores has Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, James Pierre, rookie Charles Demmings, and Dwight McGlothern locked and loaded at CB. If the Vikings wanted to be ultra-deep, free agents like Trevon Diggs and Mike Hilton are looking for work.

At guard, the situation is similar to OLB. Should Joe Huber and Henry Byrd do the trick as depth, no more guards are required. The saving grace is that about 10 decent depth guards are on the free-agent wire.

Vikings training camp is about seven weeks away. A quality, big-name EDGE like Clowney or Bosa would likely cost around $10 million.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

England head coach Thomas Tuchel said the delay to their World Cup warm-up game with Costa Rica gave them a “little taste of what can happen” – but will that prove to be an understatement?

The match was due to start at 21:00 BST in Orlando, Florida, but heavy rain and thunderstorms pushed it back an hour to 22:00 BST.

Weather delays have been a major talking point in the build-up to this year’s World Cup, with several matches in last year’s Fifa Club World Cup in the United States impacted by thunderstorms.

This was not the first tournament warm-up game to suffer delays caused by storms either – and many fans are concerned it could become a theme throughout the World Cup.

“We were aware of that before – now we experience it,” Tuchel told ITV before the game. “It’s no problem.

“It should not be an excuse to lose our mood or patience or to lose our hunger to play the game.

“No problem at all. We realised it when we were still at the hotel so it was easy. We just said half an hour later in the bus and let’s go.”

Fans who had already arrived at Inter&Co Stadium were told to evacuate from the stands and retreat to a safe position on the concourses to avoid lightning strikes.

Thunderstorms in the US are not uncommon, but when it comes to them impacting matches, Fifa has no power to make its own rules and must adhere to the advice of local authorities.

Recommendations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are used and they say if any lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium, the game has to be stopped.

A mandatory 30-minute countdown begins and each time there is a lightning strike inside the distance, the countdown clock resets to 30 minutes.

If a full 30 minutes has elapsed, the supporters can go back to their seats and players will have a short warm-up.

Haiti have been forced into a late change on their World Cup 2026 shirts after Fifa accused them of violating its regulations on political speech.

Haiti, preparing to kick off their World Cup in Group C against Scotland in Boston on Saturday, previously had a shirt that depicted a war scene from the country’s battle for ⁠independence.

But shirt manufacturer Saeta confirmed on Wednesday that a swift, late change had been made after collaborating with the Haitian Football Federation on the design.

It previously was said to be geared towards “celebrating the pride, resilience, and spirit” of the Haitian people, with the Colombian manufactuer emphasising that it did not intend it to be a political statement.

“During the review process, ‌FIFA determined that certain ‌visual elements could be interpreted differently under its equipment regulations and ultimately requested ⁠modifications to the design,” Saeta said in a statement.

“While this interpretation differed from our intention, Saeta respected the process and implemented the final requirements communicated by FIFA.”

Soccer’s world governing ‌body FIFA, the Haitian Football ​Federation and the team’s media ‌officer did not ⁠immediately respond when asked by ⁠Reuters for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report

First Published: Jun 10 2026 | 10:36 AM IST

The FIFA World Cup has seen ‘Paul the Octopus’ – the famous eight-limbed soothsayer. In this age of AI and machine learning, predicting a World Cup winner has become more refined. Take, for example, Achim Zeileis, Professor of Statistics, University of Innsbruck. He has used “machine learning algorithm and subsequent simulations are fueled by data, expert knowledge and statistical models” to predict the likely winner of the FIFA World Cup 2026 – the biggest edition of the marquee event so far.

What Was the Process Followed to Predict the Winner?

Achim Zeileis says his algorithm proceeds in two steps. “In the first, sophisticated statistical models and expert insight from bookmakers and transfer markets are combined to determine the strengths of all teams and their players. In the second step, a machine learning algorithm decides how to best combine the strength estimates with other information about the teams,” he wrote in The Independent.

“We ran the simulation 100,000 times to determine the tournament’s most likely course. The results show that Spain is the favourite for the title with a winning probability of 14.5%, closely followed by England and France, each at 12.4%, and Germany at 11.2%.”

“Portugal and Argentina also have good chances of winning the title, at 8.9% and 8.2%, respectively.”

A Deep Dive

Zeileis says his algorithm took note of four variables.

“First, all national matches over the past eight years are the basis for a “retrospective” estimate of the teams’ strengths. Second, a “prospective” strength estimate is obtained from quoted odds of various international bookmakers, reflecting their expert opinions about the upcoming tournament,” he wrote further.

“Third, ratings of the individual players are produced based on their contributions to goals at the club and national levels. And finally, the current quality and future potential of the players are reflected in their expected market values. These are available from the Transfermarkt website, which uses a wisdom-of-the-crowd approach to estimate the unknown real market values.

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IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss

Nigeria’s Super Eagles produced a spirited performance but suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Portugal in an international friendly match played in Leiria on Wednesday night.

Before kick-off, Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi was honoured for making his 100th appearance for Nigeria. The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, alongside NFF Executive Committee member Sharif Rabiu Inuwa, presented him with a special framed shirt to mark the milestone.

Portugal, led by football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, started brightly but found a determined Nigerian side ready to compete.

Ronaldo had an early chance in the ninth minute but failed to beat goalkeeper Maduka Okoye. At the other end, striker Akor Adams also went close but dragged his effort wide.

Portugal took the lead in the 23rd minute when Pedro Neto fired past Okoye from close range after a pass from Diogo Dalot.

Okoye then produced a brilliant save to deny Bruno Fernandes in the 33rd minute before Ronaldo narrowly missed with a header moments later.

Nigeria continued to push forward and got their reward in the 37th minute. Adams won possession in midfield, made a run into the box and finished confidently after receiving a pass from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to make it 1-1.

The Super Eagles remained competitive after the break, with Okoye making two important saves from João Félix. Ronaldo also continued searching for a goal but could not find the target.

On the hour mark, Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle introduced several substitutes, including Terem Moffi, Raphael Onyedika and Frank Onyeka. The changes gave Nigeria fresh energy as they continued to trouble the hosts.

However, Portugal found the winning goal with 15 minutes remaining. Francisco Conceição cut in from the right and fired home to restore his side’s lead.

Okoye made another impressive save late in the game to deny Félix, but Nigeria could not find an equaliser before the final whistle.

Despite the defeat, the Super Eagles earned praise for their fighting spirit and strong display against a Portugal side preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The loss was only the second defeat in regular time for Chelle since taking charge of Nigeria 15 months ago.

World governing body Fifa has struck a landmark deal with global players’ union Fifpro that means players will be represented when major decisions affecting the game are agreed.

Faced with a number of separate legal claims around player welfare, Fifa has agreed a memorandum of understanding with Fifpro, which it says “marks [a] paradigm shift in governance of professional football, with transfer system and player welfare standards”.

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For the first time, Fifpro will have a veto over key areas of the game’s governance and also observer access, with speaking rights, at the powerful Fifa Council, the decision-making body of global football.

Fifa says it has struck the deal on the condition that all legal proceedings against it, initiated by Fifpro, are withdrawn.

In October 2024, Fifpro filed an “abuse of dominance” claim against Fifa around the overcrowded match calendar.

Earlier this week, former France midfielder Lassana Diarra reached a settlement in his damages claim, initially for 65 million euros (£56.1m), against Fifa and the Belgian Football Association after his contract was cancelled by Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow and he was subsequently denied a transfer to Charleroi in 2014.

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One of the key elements of the agreement is that players will have greater protection from what are regarded as abusive practices, including forcing them to train on their own, withholding passports or abusing registration procedures.

In those circumstances, players will be able to cancel their contracts and still receive the payments they are due under those contracts, claim compensation for justifiable expenses and potentially demand an extra six months’ pay in damages.

Clubs that fail to respect their contractual obligations will face swifter and more effective sporting and financial consequences.

Fifpro president Sergio Marchi said: “This agreement represents an important step forward for football. Ensuring that players and their representatives have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their careers is not only beneficial for footballers, but for the game as a whole.”

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Speaking at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City a day before the World Cup begins, Fifa president Gianno Infantino hailed the agreement.

“It’s about unity, about bringing everyone together,” he said.

“We’ve always been having dialogues. Now, sometimes you don’t agree, when you don’t agree, well, you can go and say it to everyone, or you can sit down and discuss and see what makes sense.

“So, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Fifpro, everything is agreed.”

Good news, but issues remain – analysis

This all looks very positive, but it is not quite perfect.

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The major issue over the congested match calendar is still to be resolved, and it is understood the Professional Footballers’ Association is not yet in a position to back down from its own legal threat,

It remains to be seen if a resolution for the outstanding issues can be found and, if it cannot, whether Infantino will threaten to pull the plug on the whole agreement.

However, for now, the players’ voice is starting to be heard.

For too long, it has appeared the people most responsible for the enduring worldwide appeal of the game have no input into the major decisions around it. That is beginning to change.

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