It’s been a nice little heater of a run for this column over the past three slates, as we’ve hit multiple touchdown scorers and nailed the Rams on Monday night (the Giants props were unfortunately shot when Jaxson Dart and half the team got hurt, but such is life). Let’s stay warm in what profiles as an … interesting game on Thursday night between the Packers and Falcons.
This number has dipped precipitously over the past few days, largely on the injury news that’s come out for both teams. SportsLine subscribers were alerted to Falcons +7 as early as Monday, and that number is going to likely look incredible come kickoff, so make sure you’re subscribed with alerts turned on.
Atlanta has unquestionably been the worst team in football through two weeks of the season. The Falcons haven’t taken a snap in the red zone, got shredded on defense by the Panthers at home and have scored just one touchdown through 120 minutes of game time, a 23-yard Bijan Robinson reception from Cooper Rush.
But the quarterback situation has been untenable thanks to injuries, and now the Falcons have depth with Tua Tagovailoa back. We’re not saying the Falcons are an elite team by any means, but if they win Thursday and things break right for them the rest of the weekend, the Falcons can easily be tied for first(!) in the division heading into Week 4. That sounds impossible, but it’s not even unrealistic.
They could get blown out, of course, but they could also be trailing the Packers by a touchdown or more on Thursday and stomp through the back door.
Thursday Night Football player props
Drake London Over 65.5 receiving yards
The Falcons have been a disaster this season, almost entirely a result of the quarterback situation. In terms of fantasy production, I’m not sure anyone’s been worse than Drake London, who was taken as a second-round pick and has been non-existent with Rush and Jack Strand under center. It’ll take a leap of faith for backers here, but it’s important to remember with Penix under center, London’s target share skyrockets. Penix might not be an elite QB, but he’s fighting for his job and future in the league. London should eat on Thursday night.
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Chris Brooks Over 6.5 receiving yards (-111, BetMGM)
Brooks *appears* to be drawing some pass down sets from a Packers offense that doesn’t have a set rotation. I don’t want to bank on picking out who gets the carries — let’s just assume Brooks gets one leakout or a swing pass here. We don’t need much, just a simple dump-off pass on a third-and-long situation. Bet on NFL player props and more at BetMGM:
Thursday Night Football anytime touchdowns
Drake London (+185, DraftKings)
We’re doubling down here, but in a correlated way that looks to have good value given the upgrade with the Falcons quarterback situation and the matchup. Again: London is Penix’s go-to when they’re matched up. And we should expect the Packers to aggressively protect against Bijan Robinson running in near the goal line. London is an elite red-zone threat, he just hasn’t produced down there this year because the snaps and opportunities haven’t been present. They should be on Thursday.
Christian Watson (+145, DraftKings)
Watson was a popular fantasy pick this season because of his deep-threat ability. But I loved what we saw from Watson on a green zone look last week, when he lined up in the slot and faked a fade before making a back-of-the-end-zone cross, wide open for Jordan Love. He’s a complete receiver and someone Love is looking for near the end zone, especially without a strong run game.
AEW star Thekla recently discussed a former WWE Champion potentially joining the Jacksonville-based promotion.
The star with four WWE championships is Kairi Sane. The Pirate Princess has not been seen in the ring since the TKO-led company released her in April. A report last month said her representatives had been in talks with All Elite Wrestling; however, they made it clear that Sane had not signed any contract.
Amid major speculation regarding her future, Thekla spoke about Kairi Sane in a recent interview with TV Insider. The Toxic Spider acknowledged that Sane had been the talk of the town; however, she made it clear that she would believe the rumors once she sees Sane in AEW.
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“I always like new faces coming in. I still consider myself a new face somehow. It has only been a little bit over a year for me. I’m a huge fan of people just going from one territory to the other, like in the old days. I’m very excited to see who’s gonna step up, you know? Kairi has been the talk of the town. I’m only going to believe it once I see it. For the fans, it’s always cool to see a new matchup. We’ll see. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Let us see if we can pice it up a little bit.” – H/T WrestlePurists
AEW star Thekla on freedom to cut promos on live television
In the same interview, Thekla was asked how much freedom she has when cutting promos on live TV. The former AEW Women’s World Champion said that while it is hard for her not to say banned words that led to fines, she pretty much says what she wants during her promos.
“Apart from the usual stuff they try to make sure I don’t say on TV? It’s very hard for me not to say on TV that whole list of words that we get fined for. Other than that, I get to say pretty much what I want. I take a lot of inspiration from what I really like, and what I really feel, and what I think about people and myself. “
Furthermore, the Toxic Spider is set to face Willow Nightingale at All Out 2026 with a future AEW Women’s World title opportunity hanging in the balance. So, it remains to be seen if she will defeat her and move on to WrestleDream PPV to challenge the reigning champion, Mercedes Mone.
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Ryan George, a 19-year-old Santa Rosa Junior College wrestler, died after a fall while hiking near Illilouette Falls in Yosemite. His coach and family shared emotional tributes.
The significant targets for Surfin’ Bird are set to emerge later in the spring racing season, but co-trainer Adrian Bott is looking forward to the progressive mare commencing her campaign in the Golden Pendant at Rosehill.
This five-year-old has competed in just nine races, achieving five wins, including her most recent start where she concluded her last preparation with victory in the Magic Millions National Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm in June.
Three of her wins have been over 1550 metres or further. While Bott anticipates a competitive first-up effort in Saturday’s 1400-metre race, he is more eager for Surfin’ Bird to compete over longer distances.
“It will be a tough race for her first-up, and she will be better suited when she gets out to the mile, but I thought she’d been trialling up well,” Bott said.
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“She had a great campaign in the winter. We will probably head down to Melbourne with her after this.”
Tim Clark is booked to ride Surfin’ Bird from barrier three. She is currently priced at $6.50 in a field of nine where five runners are within single-figure odds, with the talented Lazzura at the top of the market at $2.30.
Bott also expects stablemate New Endeavour to improve from his run in the Shannon Stakes (1500m) when he returns.
The gelding finished third in the same event twelve months ago but has been absent since finishing behind Gringotts in The Gong (1600m) last November. He has a record of never winning when resuming.
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“He’s been a while off the scene but has come back well,” Bott commented.
“He’ll be better again once he gets to 2000 metres.”
Regan Bayliss will partner New Endeavour, while Dylan Gibbons takes the reins on stablemate Sovereign Hill, who was scratched from a benchmark race in favour of this Group 2 contest.
The Shannon Stakes pair will be among eight runners for Tulloch Lodge at Rosehill, alongside outsider Plagiarism, in the day’s major prize, the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m).
Trainer Pat Cannon, a long-serving figure in the thoroughbred industry, currently has only one horse in training.
That horse is Shultzy, who was a late withdrawal from a race at Geelong on Wednesday and is now set to contest the Listed RM Ansett Classic (2400m) at Mornington on Saturday.
Shultzy has been a constant in the Cannon stable since arriving as a two-year-old. Now a nine-year-old with 65 starts under his belt, including nine wins and ten placings, he continues to race with considerable ability.
Cannon attributes Shultzy’s remarkable longevity to his profound understanding of the horse.
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“He’s been sensational for me,” Cannon said.
“I got him as an early two-year-old and he’s nine now, so he’s been around the stables for a long time.”
“I think being spoilt is one thing as to his longevity, but when you’re a small trainer, I just know him inside and out.”
“When he’s sore, I know when he’s feeling something and we usually work on it.”
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“He is a high energy horse but doesn’t need the hard work and the vets and farriers have had a lot to do with his longevity because he’s got kissing-spine.”
“We haven’t had to operate on it, we’ve been able to treat it.”
“In the middle of his prep, he was missing the kick by a long way, and that was because of the kissing-spine, which was enough to stop him jumping.”
“When they power off, that’s when it really hurts them.”
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Shultzy carried 60kg to victory at Sandown in July and was last start second to the promising Leonchroi, an opponent on Saturday, at Sandown on September 2.
Earlier in his preparation, he outpaced Nearco Frod, who subsequently won at Flemington in early August, before pulling up with EIPH when finishing last in The Archer at Flemington on September 12.
“Leonchroi is more effective on the firmer deck than we are, but we’ve sparred with him a couple of times and also with Nearco Frod, and once he should have beaten him,” Cannon said.
“The form all around him is good, so here’s hoping on Saturday.” It will be interesting to see the performance of Shultzy against the other online bookmakers’ selections.
Manchester United have borrowed another £90m since 30 June – and confirmed they spent £191.7m on new players this summer.
United bought Andrey Santos from Chelsea on 13 July, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa on 14 July and Carlos Baleba from Brighton on 25 August.
The fees the club stated they spent on the trio at the time the transfers were announced added up to £153m, and it is not clear where the additional sum has been spent.
The club have been approached for comment.
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Confirmation of the additional borrowing of £90m was included in a more detailed filing to the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, following Wednesday’s release of their 2025-26 accounts to 30 June, and showed their overall debt was still more than £1bn despite major cost-cutting measures implemented by Sir Jim Ratcliffe since he became minority owner in 2024.
United confirmed it made three further drawdowns from its revolving credit limit, on 29 and 31 July and 28 August, totalling £120m. It then paid back £30m on 21 September.
It takes United’s overall debt to £1.15bn, made up of the historic debt, which now stands at £578m, the £200m outstanding on its revolving credit facility, and £375m in outstanding transfer fees.
That is a £72m reduction on the £447m they stated was owed in transfer fees in the 2024-25 accounts. However, it remains a large sum, with £104.8m due in between one and two years and £51.9m in between two and five years – with the remainder due in the next 12 months.
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The club say payments for their most recent transfers “are due within the next five years”.
Two-time Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo was on Thursday announced as the International Event Ambassador for Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon scheduled to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on October 18.
Known for explosive finishes and remarkable consistency, the Bahamian is one of the most accomplished sprinters of her generation. She won gold in the women’s 400m at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“Running has taken me to many incredible places, but I’m especially excited to visit India, and particularly New Delhi, and be part of a race that has such a deep connection with its community,” Miller-Uibo said in a release.
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“The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon brings together people from different backgrounds, with different stories and abilities, united by the simple joy of running.
“Having spent years competing at the highest level, I know that progress is built one step at a time. I hope my journey inspires runners here to trust their process, stay consistent and keep believing in what they can achieve. I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with the runners of Delhi and seeing everyone at the start line.” She is only the second woman in history, alongside France’s Marie-Jose Perec, to successfully defend an Olympic 400m title. She clocked a North American record of 48.36 seconds in that final, having already come close to it in 2019 with a 48.37-second run at the World Athletics Championships in Doha.
Miller-Uibo began making her mark internationally while still a junior, competing for the University of Georgia, where she also claimed an NCAA Division I indoor title. Her rise continued through the senior ranks, where her blend of speed and composure quickly set her apart.
At the World Athletics Championships, Miller-Uibo claimed silver medals in the 400m in both 2015 and 2019, and a bronze in the 200m in 2017, before finally winning gold in 2022 at Eugene. Her personal best of 21.74 seconds in the 200m stands as a Bahamian national record.
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Miller-Uibo has also enjoyed success on the international stage, winning gold in the 200m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She added another major accolade to her resume with a gold medal in the mixed 4x400m relay for The Bahamas at the World Athletics Relays.
Beyond her sporting achievements, Miller-Uibo is a passionate advocate for giving back to the communities in The Bahamas. She has been actively involved in several charitable and community initiatives, particularly those focused on children and youth.
Moses Simon one appearance away from 100th Nigeria Cap
Moses Simon is one appearance away from reaching a major milestone with the Super Eagles, and the Nigeria Football Federation has already made plans to celebrate it.
The Paris FC winger has made 99 appearances for Nigeria since making his senior debut in March 2015. He has also scored 12 goals for the national team.
Simon will make his 100th appearance when Nigeria face Madagascar for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo on Friday, if he plays. The NFF has confirmed that he will be honoured if he reaches the milestone.
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The 31-year-old has represented Nigeria in 64 competitive matches and 35 friendlies. He has also played 23 times at the Africa Cup of Nations finals and featured in 22 World Cup qualifying matches.
One of the memorable moments from his early international career came during the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign against Swaziland. After Nigeria were held to a goalless draw in the first leg, Simon scored directly from a 22-yard free-kick in the return match in Port Harcourt as the Super Eagles won 2-0.
NFF Acting General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme praised Simon ahead of the milestone, describing him as a dedicated player who has remained committed to Nigeria.
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“I can testify that Moses Simon is an incredible player and a wonderful human being, having related with him at close quarters for several years. He is a patriot to the core, and forever passionate and dedicated to the Nigeria cause. The NFF celebrates him on this special occasion and wish him many more caps with the Super Eagles.”
If selected against Madagascar, Simon will become the latest member of the current Super Eagles squad to reach 100 senior international appearances.
NEW DELHI: India had a smooth sail in the open section of the 2026 Chess Olympiad until their Round 6 game against hosts Uzbekistan in Samarkand. We all know what happened there.With the other three boards drawn, Nihal Sarin had an advantage against Nodirbek Yakubboev, only to blunder his queen, the match slipped from India’s grip, handing Uzbekistan the lead in the title race. While Sarin’s blunder dominated the post-match discussion in chess circles, some also asked whether world champion Dommaraju Gukesh could have pushed his own game a little further instead of settling for a draw.Vidit Gujrathi, briefly joining ChessBase India’s commentary panel on his rest day, brushed the suggestion aside. “Gukesh plays his own game,” he said. “If he feels there is a chance, he pushes till the very end.” India needed exactly that in the Round 8 match-up against Azerbaijan’s Mahammad Muradli.With the other three boards ending in draws, Gukesh needed a win to settle the match and keep India’s title defence alive, a defence that had looked bleak even a day earlier.As Germany beat Uzbekistan at the other end of the hall on Thursday, a win for Gukesh would have put India within touching distance of the new leaders. He pushed for one, right until the position simplified into a draw he couldn’t avoid.Playing white in a Najdorf Sicilian, Gukesh went for the ambitious 7.Qf3, and Muradli responded accurately with 7…h6 and some active queen manoeuvres. Both sides simplified quickly in the early middlegame, with 16.Bxc4 Qxc4 17.Qd3 Qxd3 leading into a queenless position. Gukesh carved out some queenside space with 27.b4 and 28.b5, while Muradli locked down the centre and activated his king in response.The game turned into a fierce time-pressure battle from there.By move 35, both players had under two minutes each, but Gukesh kept the position balanced. Even after the time control, the resulting rook-and-bishop ending proved impossible to crack — Muradli’s active rook checks, starting with 48…Rb2+, forced Gukesh’s king into a repeating sequence, and neither side could make further progress.The players shook hands on a draw after 56…Rb2+, a resilient defensive display from Muradli against sustained pressure from the world champion.As things stand, Uzbekistan and Germany lead the standings with 14 points apiece. A chasing pack on 13 includes China, Azerbaijan, the United States, India, Armenia and France, with all hoping for further slip-ups at the top that they can pounce on.
Savitha Shri saves Indian women’s day again
Savitha Shri’s dominant run on Board 4 continued into Thursday, stretching her winning streak to seven as India’s women held Kazakhstan to a 2-2 draw. It was Savitha, once again, who came to her side’s rescue after the team fell behind when Alua Nurman beat Vaishali Rameshbabu on Board 2.With Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy having already drawn their games against Meruert Kamalidenova and Bibisara Assaubayeva, respectively, India needed a win on Board 4 to stay in the title hunt, and Savitha delivered.It was a hard-fought battle against Elnaz Kaliakhmet, played out through an Italian Game (Giuoco Piano) that turned into a long strategic grind. After the quiet opening moves, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6, both sides manoeuvred patiently before the middlegame tension picked up.Savitha’s unusual 11.Ra4 and the rook manoeuvres that followed showed a willingness to play the long game, and the position tipped in her favour after 25.Nf5 gave White a more comfortable structure. Queens came off soon after, leading into a demanding rook-and-pawn endgame.With both players deep into time trouble, Savitha’s technique held up under pressure. Moves like 52.Rd5+ and 54.dxe4 kept her ahead practically, while 59.Rxd3 simplified the position into a winning king-and-rook ending. Kaliakhmet resigned after 62.Ra2.READ ALSO:Father quit Singapore job, pawned jewellery to fund chess dream: Olympiad-bound Savitha Shri’s storyIndia remain in the chasing pack in the women’s section too, with China leading on 15 points, Kazakhstan and Mongolia on 14, and India on 13. With three rounds still to go, the race for both titles is far from settled. If anything, it feels like it’s only just beginning.
Bob Pettit, the first man to receive the NBA’s MVP (most valuable player) award, has died aged 93.
Pettit won the award twice, in its first year in 1955-56 and again in 1958-59, when he topped the scoring charts in both seasons.
The Basketball Hall of Fame confirmed Pettit’s death, describing him as “a true giant of the game”.
He was also named an NBA All-Star in all 11 of his seasons and was the first player to reach 20,000 points.
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Having starred for Louisiana State University (LSU), Pettit was signed by Milwaukee Hawks in the draft in 1954.
The team then moved to St Louis, and Pettit stayed with them for the rest of his career which included winning the NBA title in 1958 with victory over the Boston Celtics.
He reached two more finals with the Hawks in 1960 and 1961, and retired in 1965 with a career average of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game.
Pettit was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 and had his number 50 jersey retired at LSU in 1954. He was the first of their athletes to ever receive the honor.
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LSU paid tribute to Pettit on their website, saying: “Pettit defined what the modern power forward should be in the NBA and set standards that have been hard to duplicate in professional basketball.”
It looked, until the final moments, as though Germany would somehow hold on and grant Jürgen Klopp a victory in his first game as Germany coach.
“It felt mostly good,” Klopp told German broadcaster RTL after the match, with his voice strained after a typically energetic display on the sidelines. “That was really exhausting for both teams today.” He added that he naturally wanted a win but that he can “live with the point, too.”
In the end, an injury time Cody Gakpo goal meant Klopp and his team had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their Nations League opener against the Netherlands. While the timing of the equalizer will sting, Germany was second best for much of the contest, which turned a ill-tempered at times. Nevertheless, Klopp was upbeat.
“I was very, very, very satisfied with many of the individual performances,” he said, before admitting that “we can play better football and create more chances — that’s for sure.”
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Gakpo plays his club football for Liverpool, where Klopp coached for more than eight years. So too does Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk, who thought he’d opened the scoring for the hosts early on, only to see his headed goal ruled out. A close-range finish from Lukas Nmecha then gave Germany the lead but not control of the game.
New faces, new coach, not yet new Germany
While there were a few patches of attacking play that resembled the kind of high-intensity, exhilarating football that Klopp produced at Liverpool and, before that, at Borussia Dortmund, Germany looked shaky at the back and were thankful for some wasteful Dutch finishing.
It is, though, difficult to judge much at this early stage. Klopp replaced Julian Nagelsmann after another poor World Cup showing from Germany and, after naming two different squads for the four Nations Leagues games in an extended international period, is still assessing how to make the most of what he has. Three players — Younes Ebnoutalib, Yannik Engelhardt and Philipp Treu — made debuts on Thursday, and more are likely follow over the next three games.
“I won’t promise anything [in terms of trophies]. What I can promise is that we will definitely give it a try,” he told reporters ahead of the game. “There’s an impression that we have less quality than other countries. When things aren’t working, you take a closer look and try to bring about changes. That’s what we’re working on now.”
After Germany lost Kai Havertz to injury in the first half, having already had to change to starting XI after Jamal Musiala pulled out of the match in the warmup, the team was left without much of their attacking experience and class.
“When the system isn’t yet in place and the processes aren’t yet established, then something like this happens,” he said about Wednesday’s performance. “I was very pleased with the passion, the intensity, but we can definitely play better.”
Usually, waiting for success would not be acceptable for German national team fans. But after repeated recent failures, and with Klopp a popular figure, he has more credit in that bank than his predecessor, Julian Nagelsmann. The last coach to win a World Cup for Germany, Joachim Löw, said he will need it.
Jürgen Klopp has combined experienced internationals and newcomers in his first squadsImage: Christian Schulze/nordphoto/picture alliance
“It is crucial now to give him the necessary time and space to implement his ideas,” he told the Münchner Merkur/tz newspaper. “Jürgen stands for energy, intensity and a strong bond between the team and the fans. But even for him, not everything will work from one day to the next. After a disappointing World Cup, it takes trust, patience and a team that once again plays for Germany with great conviction.”
Klopp calls for German unity, seeks Greece win
Klopp has already tried to unite the country behind the team. On the touchline in Amsterdam, he ran through his familiar repertoire of fist bumps, beaming smiles and growls at officials in a cap emblazoned with the words “one of 83 million” on it.
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The headgear has already become a familiar sight. It’s a reference to Germany’s population and the 59-year-old has also referenced the importance of his team, and their flag, as a symbol of nationhood at a time when the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) are making substantial electoral gains.
“I’d like to reclaim the flag for myself — or for us,” Klopp said. “I want us to always wave it in a way that makes no one think: ‘What’s wrong with you?’ But, rather, that people simply get the feeling that you’re happy and understand how lucky you are to have been born, raised or moved to this wonderful country.”
While Klopp’s charisma makes such a lofty ambition seem somewhat feasible, he’s also pragmatic enough to know that for the German national team to be universally loved, it needs to win. Augsburg on Saturday, against Greece in the Nations League, would be a good place to start.
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