Filip Hrgovic has positioned himself for an immediate title defence after causing a major upset against Moses Itauma last Saturday.

The pair squared off for the vacant IBF strap at London’s O2 Arena, with many favouring Itauma to become the youngest world heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson.

And, indeed, the 21-year-old appeared likely to do so, having scored a second-round knockdown and dominated the vast majority of their exchanges.

In a truly dramatic turn of events, however, Itauma emptied his tank in round eight before succumbing to a stoppage defeat during the following three minutes.

The heavyweight prodigy therefore suffered the first loss of his career, both amateur and professional, while Hrgovic became his country’s first-ever world heavyweight champion.

Instead of pursuing unification matches, though, the Croatian must first face mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez, who took step-aside money while Hrgovic and Itauma collided for the IBF title.

Speaking with BoxingScene, Sanchez’ advisor, Guadalupe Valencia, has confirmed that the Cuban will not be incentivised to wait in the wings for any longer.

“Frank called me during the [Itauma-Hrgovic] fight to say, ‘Lupe, I’ll fight both of these guys’. He saw that fight and knew neither of those guys can compete with him. And after the fight, he called to say, ‘You’ve gotta make that fight. I’ll fight tomorrow’.

“Now Frank is the mandatory for Hrgovic. We plan on enforcing it. We’ve already had discussions about it. It’s happening. There’s not going to be step-asides for no amount of money.”

With Sanchez coming off a second-round finish over Richard Torrez Jr in May, the 34-year-old represents a dangerous and well-schooled opponent for Hrgovic, who just defeated another southpaw in the form of Itauma.

Tyson Fury has suggested his all-British blockbuster bout with Anthony Joshua is off and has challenged Oleksandr Usyk to a third fight.

Fury and Joshua have been locked in negotiations over a mega-money bout but the ‘Gypsy King’ has grown impatient at a lack of confirmation, calling his rival a “coward” earlier in the week.

Fury has now said Joshua has “s**t his pants” and turned his attention to Usyk, who he lost twice to on points in 2024.

“AJ has s**t his pants again, yet again,” he told his followers in a post on social media. “After 11 years he has finally s**t his pants yet again.

“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk. Oleksandr you’re his (Joshua’s) trainer and his sensei and you know he is a weak minded piece of s**t and that he would never fight the Gypsy King, which you have had the guts to do twice.

“You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, let’s do it again. Let’s run it back in November. The ball is now in your court… do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”

Joshua’s promotor, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, has previously said an agreement hinged on his client’s net purse.

New York’s Madison Square Garden was widely expected to be announced as the venue despite Joshua’s camp preferring Wembley Stadium as Sela, the Saudi state-owned promotional company financing the fight, wanted a bigger American audience on Netflix.

The only ranked-on-ranked matchup of the Week 1 college football schedule comes on Sunday evening as the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 24 Louisville Cardinals meet in Nashville. Ole Miss made the College Football Playoff last year but is beginning a new era with Pete Golding in charge for his first full season after he took over in the playoff run following Lane Kiffin’s exit to LSU. Heisman candidate quarterback Trinidad Chambliss returns, giving Ole Miss a sky-high ceiling this season. Louisville has been a consistent contender in the ACC under Jeff Brohm as the Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three of his seasons. Visit our DraftKings promo code review and get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here:

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. The Rebels are 6.5-point favorites in the latest Ole Miss vs. Louisville odds, while the over/under is 55.5 points. The Rebels are at -255 on the money line (risk $255 to win $100). Before making any Louisville vs. Ole Miss picks, check out the Louisville vs. Ole Miss predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It is on a 32-19 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks on betting sites since the 2024 season, and it has been upgraded for the 2026 season to even better factor in the transfer portal. Anybody following its college football betting picks could have seen strong returns. 

Now, the model has set its sights on Louisville vs. Ole Miss. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and trends for Ole Miss vs. Louisville.

New to sports trading? Visit our Kalshi promo code review and get a $25 bonus after $25+ in trades with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS:

Top Ole Miss vs. Louisville predictions

After simulated Louisville vs. Ole Miss 10,000 times, SportsLine model is going Under (55.5 points) on the total at the best betting apps. Ole Miss has arguably the best backfield in the nation with Chambliss at quarterback and Kewan Lacy at running back. Louisville, however, is projected to be stout defensively this year after finishing in the top 40 in scoring and total defense last year. Anchored by NFL prospects such as Clev Lubin and A.J. Green on the defensive front, Louisville appears have the personnel to at least slow this high-powered Ole Miss attack.

The Rebels might have bigger names on offense, but they were one of the better defenses in the nation last year, and they reinforced that side of the ball with several big transfer portal additions. SportsLine’s model has neither team scoring more than 30 points as they combine for 49, making the Under the value play in 60% of simulations in an A-rated pick. See the model’s spread and money-line picks at SportsLine.

How to make Louisville vs. Ole Miss picks

In addition to going Under on the total, the model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Ole Miss vs. Louisville, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that’s on a 32-19 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks, and find out.

Top trainer Kenny Ellis has highlighted a key attribute which, if Conor Benn nullifies the left hook of Ryan Garcia, could lead to a major upset victory for the Brit.

The 29-year-old has, indeed, been made a sizable underdog as he approaches his maiden world title challenge at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 12.

Not only are his world-level credentials somewhat questionable, but Benn has also not made 147lbs since his second-round stoppage of Chris van Heerden in 2022.

Later that year, ‘The Destroyer’ tested positive for banned substance clomifene, before eventually rescheduling his middleweight contest with Chris Eubank Jr for April 2025.

And despite losing a unanimous decision, Benn received immense credit for the character he showed in the heat of battle, where it appeared, at times, that he was getting the better of Eubank, who he widely outpointed in their immediate rematch.

Because of this grit, American coach Ellis, who helps train the likes of Gervonta Davis, has told FightHype that he is predicting a shock defeat for Garcia, who will make a first defence of his WBC welterweight title against Benn.

“I like Ryan – he’s a better boxer [than Benn] – but I think Conor Benn has a better tolerance for pain. He might overcome Ryan’s boxing skills.”

“If he can get past the left hook, he should be good.”

Garcia became a world champion at 147lbs in February, dethroning Mario Barrios with a unanimous decision victory after scoring a first-round knockdown.

This followed his points defeat to Rolando Romero in May 2025, which arrived after the American served a year-long doping ban.

This the week was not a week where the Big Ten covered itself in glory. The league was involved in the two largest upsets of the opening weekend with UMass beating Rutgers and Western Michigan stunning Michigan in the Big House (more on that later). We have some actual data now on every team in the conference, so why not rank the league on where everyone is after a game (or in USC’s case, two games).

1. Ohio State (1-0, beat Ball State 56-3) – As expected, the Cardinals were a mere speed bump. At least my former pastor got to see his kid play in the horseshoe since his son is a junior safety for Ball State.

2. Indiana (1-0, beat North Texas 52-16) – There was a brief moment there in the third quarter where North Texas was threatening to make it a game. They had it at 24-13, then IU pulled away.

3. Oregon (1-0, beat Boise State 34-27) – Though it was much closer than expected, should we really be surprised that Boise can hang with Oregon in Autzen? They’ve been doing it for a long time now.  

4. Iowa (1-0, beat Northern Illinois 40-0) –A Kirk Ferentz offense scored 20 points in the first quarter of a game. That’s probably weirder than Indiana currently being a national power.

5. Penn State (1-0, beat Marshall 45-0) – Another team that had a light week and was never seriously threatened. A solid debut for Matt Campbell.

6. USC (2-0, beat Fresno State 39-0) – I really expected more from Fresno here, but it appears that USC might be playoff worthy. They are going to be a problem for other teams.

7. Northwestern (1-0, beat South Dakota State 34-18) – This was my surprise team of the week, as I expected them to lose to an always tough South Dakota State team. They blew open a close game late with a couple of big plays.

8. Nebraska (1-0, beat Ohio 49-21) – Another team that blew things open late. The Huskers only led 14-13 at the half, but got four touchdowns from Anthony Colandrea.

9. UCLA (1-0, beat California 45-24) – Bob Chesney gets a big road win at a power conference opponent in year one after UCLA wasn’t great for a while? Great, we have another Cignetti in the conference.

10. Minnesota (1-0, beat Eastern Illinois 59-7) – Javon Tracy returned two punts for a TD in the same game. As a result, no one should punt to him the rest of the year.

11. Washington (1-0, beat Washington State 24-10) – It has to be hard to begin a season with a rivalry game. The Cougars kept this much closer than expected, but two missed field goals played a big difference.

12. Illinois (1-0, beat UAB 42-23) – What a Hail Mary catch to end the half for the Illini! It helped them pull away from a game that was pretty close beforehand.

13. Maryland (1-0, beat Hampton 62-0) – I swear every year Maryland beats Hampton, Howard, or Towson 62-0.

14. Wisconsin (0-1, Lost to Notre Dame 41-13) – I will give the Badgers credit for hanging around for a half. It gave me some hope under the weird transitive logic of “if Purdue is expected to be somewhat close to Wisconsin’s level this year, maybe it can push Notre Dame like this.” The thought was fleeting.

15. Michigan State (1-0, beat Toledo 30-20) – The MAC almost got another Big Ten pelt as the Rockets did lead in the fourth quarter 20-19.

16. Purdue (1-0, beat Indiana State 44-19) – Purdue did its job and got the only win that was a virtual guarantee. For one Saturday, at least, we can be happy.

17. Rutgers (0-1, lost to UMass 37-21) – UMass broke a 16-game losing streak and it really wasn’t even this close. Rutgers got absolutely embarrassed.

18. Michigan (0-1, lost to Western Michigan 12-7) – I know what happened. I refuse to recognize it. A complete and utter screwjob among the worst I have ever seen in sports. I am mad on behalf of WMU.

Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne (PTI photo)

Marnus Labuschagne has survived another selection scare, with Cricket Australia retaining the struggling batter in its 16-member Test squad for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa.The decision came despite growing calls for Labuschagne to be dropped. Australia greats Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden have both questioned his place in the side, but chief selector George Bailey has opted to continue backing the right-hander.Labuschagne’s recent record has done little to strengthen his case. It has been more than three years since he last scored a Test century, with his most recent hundred coming in July 2023. Across his last 43 Test innings, he has averaged just 24.69.His struggles have already cost him his place in Australia’s ODI squad for the series against South Africa. However, the selectors have continued to show faith in him in the longer format.That backing comes despite Labuschagne managing scores of only 1, 31 and 4 across his three innings against Bangladesh.

Australia add three players to Test squad

The upcoming series will be the first meeting between Australia and South Africa since last year’s World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. The results in this series could have a major bearing on which teams eventually qualify for next year’s WTC decider at The Oval.Alongside Labuschagne, the selectors have retained 13 players from the squad that featured in Australia’s most recent Test against Bangladesh in Mackay, which Pat Cummins‘ side won inside two days.Cooper Connolly, Michael Neser and Matthew Kuhnemann are the three additions to the 16-man group.Connolly’s inclusion is notable given his limited experience in first-class cricket. The left-hander is yet to score a first-class century and has batted at No.3 only once. He was also recently dropped by Western Australia for their final Sheffield Shield match last summer.Neser, meanwhile, returns after recovering from a calf strain sustained during a training camp in early August. His inclusion gives Australia five fast-bowling options, with Neser joining captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland.Cameron Green and Beau Webster are the two all-rounders included in the squad and are expected to feature in Australia’s playing XI for the opening Test in Durban.Matt Renshaw has also retained his place as an opener. The left-hander had previously come into the squad in place of Jake Weatherald after Weatherald struggled in the first Test against Bangladesh.Explaining the selection, Bailey highlighted the demands of the South Africa tour, with the Test series coming after six ODIs and featuring short gaps between matches.“This is a reasonably condensed three-game series, on the back of six one-day internationals, with only short breaks between each game. The squad provides balance and options for each Test and the variety of conditions we may face,” Chair of Selectors George Bailey said in an official statement.The three-Test series will begin in Durban on October 9, before moving to Gqeberha and Cape Town.The tour marks Australia’s first Test trip to South Africa since the infamous 2018 series, when the sandpaper gate scandal rocked the team.Only five members of the current touring party have previously been part of an Australian squad that travelled to South Africa for a Test series: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith and Matt Renshaw.Australia Test squad for tour of South Africa: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

The Colorado Buffaloes helped kick off college football Week 1 by going into Atlanta as underdogs and shocking the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

With a packed slate of games this weekend, should fans and bettors anticipate more upsets?

Let’s take a glance at five matchups to watch this weekend, with odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of Sept. 4.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

(All Times ET)

Saturday, Sept. 5

Spread: Indiana -40.5
Moneyline: N/A
O/U: 56.5

What To Know: Indiana’s title defense begins this weekend. Led by their bold head coach Curt Cignetti and by eventual Heisman winner and NFL No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, the Hoosiers’ championship run in 2025 was absolutely magical. Based on the odds, they shouldn’t run into any road blocks in Week 1 as 40.5-point favorites. Last season, Indiana opened up its year by cruising past Old Dominion, 27-14.

Spread: Oregon -24.5
Moneyline: Oregon -2400, Boise State +1200
O/U: 51.5

What To Know: The pressure is on for head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks. Not only are they the No. 2 team in the country, they’re fourth on the board to win the College Football Playoff. Starting QB Dante Moore is also one of the Heisman favorites, sitting third on that board behind Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Texas’ Arch Manning. FOX Sports betting analyst Geoff Schwartz explained that Oregon’s defensive line is one of the best in the sport, and that could spell trouble for Boise State in this game as the Broncos rely heavily on the run game.

Spread: Texas -29.5
Moneyline: Texas -9000; Texas State +2500
O/U: 59.5

What To Know: The Texas Longhorns have high expectations going into 2026. They’re third on the oddsboard to win the championship and starting quarterback Arch Manning is neck-and-neck with CJ Carr at the top of the Heisman oddsboard. Texas opened up last season with a loss at Ohio State, but the Longhorns get to play an over-matched Texas State squad to open up 2026. Based on the odds, the heavily favored Horns should hook ’em without much trouble.

Spread: Penn State -23.5
Moneyline: Penn State -3200; Marshall +1400
O/U: 52.5

What To Know: Penn State’s 2025 took a turn for the worse, as the Nittany Lions went on a six-game losing streak after winning their first four. They ultimately fired head coach James Franklin, but the damage had already been done in a year when they opened as one of the favoirtes to win it all. FOX Sports betting analyst Will Hill noted that, even though they failed to meet expectations last season, they’re still a good bet to at least make the College Football Playoff in 2026. They are No. 18 in the AP Poll currently and are favored to win big in Week 1. The showdown against Marshall should give Penn State a chance to start getting back on track with an easy non-conference win.

Sunday, Sept. 6

Spread: Ole Miss -6.5
Moneyline: Ole Miss -270; Louisville +220
O/U: 55.5

What To Know: The Sunday night, primetime game features two ranked squads — one of which is coming off a solid College Football Playoff showing. After defeating Georgia in the CFP quarterfinal round, the Rebs fell 31-27 to Miami in the semis. Now, veteran Trinidad Chambliss is back as the starting QB for Ole Miss, while Louisville will be trotting out Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz. However, FOX Sports betting analyst Will Hill is backing underdog Louisville to cover the spread, as the Cardinals and their “new-look” roster try to bring down Ole Miss in Nashville.

Ever since the 2026 NFL season schedule was released in May, win totals have attracted lots of wagers and NFL bets. These totals range from 4.5 for teams like the Dolphins and Cardinals to 10.5 for squads such as the 49ers, Patriots and Seahawks. But one doesn’t simply have to make picks on just how many wins a team will collect by the end of the year, as they can also make NFL predictions on every single game for every single team. Bet NFL games at DraftKings. Claim their new user offer here:

That’s quite a task, with 272 regular season contests plus another 13 in the postseason. Eleven teams exceeded 10.5 regular season wins last season, so there could certainly be value in betting the Over for several teams’ win totals with your 2026 NFL futures as the regular season approaches in one week. Before locking in any 2026 NFL win total picks or 2027 Super Bowl picks, you should see what SportsLine NFL expert Eric Cohen has to say.

Cohen, SportsLine host of the weekly Early Edge NFL Props Show, is simulating the entire regular season and playoffs. In his season picks article in 2024, Cohen hit three of four win totals best bets, two of four division winner best bets, and had the Eagles to win the NFC at +600 at betting sites. Last year, he went 180-91-1 (66%) on his NFL straight-up picks in the regular season. Anyone who followed Cohen’s best bets could be way up.

Now, he has predicted every 2026 NFL regular season game in a grid format to determine each team’s final regular season record.  Plus he’s made his 2027 NFL playoff projections and provided best over/under bets for team wins, as well as Super Bowl LXI futures for NFL betting sites. You can only find these picks at SportsLine. 

New to sports trading? Visit our Kalshi promo code review to see their latest offers and get started. Claim the Kalshi signup offer here now:

Top 2026 NFL win total predictions

One team Cohen is bullish on is the New Orleans Saints, as he predicts they exceed their projected win total of 7.5 at the best betting apps. New Orleans went 4-1 down the stretch of last season, which coincided with rookie Tyler Shough being under center after Spencer Rattler went 1-13 over two years as a starter. Shough ranked second in completion percentage, fourth in passer rating and sixth in passing yards over this five-game stretch while also rushing for 135 yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s now complemented by Travis Etienne in the backfield and has the luxury of a defense that was top 10 in yards allowed last season. Additionally, the Saints have the second-weakest schedule in 2026 as Cohen sees them winning 9 games.

On the other side, Cohen is fading the Green Bay Packers’ win total of 10.5 and predicts they’ll go from a playoff team in 2025 to placing last in the NFC North at 8-9 in 2026. Playing in a division where every team was over .500 last season, just two teams have a harder strength of schedule than the Pack. They lost five straight games to close out last season, including blowing a 21-3 lead to Chicago in the Wild Card Round. Micah Parsons (knee) isn’t expected back until Week 6 at the earliest, while Tucker Kraft says he’ll be on a snap count until midseason. Plus, Green Bay lost both its leading receiver in Romeo Doubs and leading tackler in Quay Walker in free agency, and when you add in Josh Jacobs’ legal situation, Cohen sees attrition catching up with the Packers. See which other surprising winners Cohen is picking only at SportsLine.

How to get 2026 NFL season picks, projections, and best bets

Cohen has evaluated all 285 NFL games in 2026-27 and locked in his best bets for NFL win totals and Super Bowl futures. They include a potential Super Bowl result that pays approximately 60-1 and win total bets that pay back plus-money. Anyone who backs these NFL picks could hit it big. See who it is at SportsLine.

Which Super Bowl result of around 60-1 could bring a huge payout, and which NFL win totals should you back for all 32 teams, including several that pay plus-money? Join SportsLine now to get Eric Cohen’s 2026 NFL projections, all from the expert who went 180-91-1 (66%) on his NFL straight-up picks in the 2025 regular season.

The showdown between No. 11 LSU and Clemson was always going to be a showcase Week 1 game given Lane Kiffin’s debut in the bayou.

But few could have imagined the discussion surrounding the game would be anything like this. The heated on-field rivalry between two national powerhouses that share a stadium nickname (Death Valley) and mascot (Tigers) has been largely overshadowed by court cases involving NFL players returning to college football to use their final year of eligibility.

Matt Moscona, a sports radio talk show host with 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said the issue has dominated the airwaves this week. He estimates that 10 of the 12 segments on his three-hour talk show on Thursday were devoted to the topic, while only one was about the actual game.

He said LSU fans are genuinely worried. Not about Clemson, but about the long-term impact that Kiffin’s desire to recruit and play former NFL players in defiance of SEC rules will have on the football program.

Dae’Quan Wright signed   professional contracts with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns before he was reunited with Lane Kiffin at LSU. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“The phrase everyone here is using is, ‘Is the juice worth the squeeze?,’” Moscona said. “Why go through this big public ordeal to add a couple of backup players? Which is what we’re talking about, quite honestly. The overriding sentiment is people are fearful of the punishments.”

He said that fear includes speculation that Kiffin might be suspended for ignoring SEC’s stance, or even the Tigers being kicked out of the conference altogether after being a founding member in the early 1930s.

“People here are wondering if we are really thinking about the long-term ramifications of playing a few backups,” Moscona said.

Kiffin recruited two of his former players at Ole Miss — defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and tight end Dae’Quan Wright — after both spent time with NFL clubs this offseason. That stirred up a hornets’ nest, with the Southeastern Conference suing LSU in federal court this week and potentially tainting a partnership dating to the Depression.

Several coaches have been outspoken against NFL players returning to college, including Clemson’s Dabo Swinney who called the notion of ex-NFL players suiting up on Saturdays “embarrassing” for the sport.

Zxavian Harris participated in the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year, then signed with the New Orleans Saints before being waived in August.(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

All four Power Four conferences last week reiterated their rules against pro players and some outlined stiff penalties including fines and suspensions. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey testified that “the line between professional sports and college sports needs to be maintained,” even in an era where top college players command million-dollar compensation packages through revenue sharing and NIL deals.

Kiffin, one of the most outspoken and polarizing figures in college football long before his recruitment of NFL players, sees things a little differently than most in college football.

He said he talked with LSU team leaders and all backed the idea of bringing in players who can help the Tigers — whether they tried out for NFL teams or not. He shrugged off the idea that it would wreck any final notion that college is meant for amateur athletes.

“This is how it works at the next level,” Kiffin said this week. “This is how the real world works.”

Moscona noted that other teams have landed former NFL players including South Carolina, which recently signed kicker Ethan Sanchez after he attended camp with the San Francisco 49ers. He blames for the NCAA for not granting a blanket waiver to allow athletes from the 2022 high school class to return for a fifth year after changing its eligibility model in June.

“The problem here is those players would have never left had they known they would have had another year of eligibility,” Moscona said. “… The NCAA did not heed advice that lawsuits would follow. And, the lawsuits have followed. And now it’s awful.”

Regardless of what happens, this is clearly not your average high-profile college season opener. LSU has a received a record number of requests — more than 900, according to the school — from media and VIPs.

“I think that speaks volumes of the eyeballs on us and people wanting to be around the program and watch the program,” Kiffin said. “All that is important nowadays. No. 1 is winning but after that you have a very marketable program.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.