Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick praised match-winner Benjamin Sesko’s attitude after the striker came off the bench to score for the third time in four matches in the 1-0 victory at Everton.

The Slovenia striker has yet to start in Carrick’s six matches in charge, but has contributed two winners and a late equaliser to maintain the former midfielder’s unbeaten start following his initial short-term appointment.

Sesko has scored six in his last seven appearances, but has still not managed to force his way into the starting line-up and, while Carrick said there was maybe some frustration for the £66million summer signing, the 22-year-old was not complaining.

“I get why everyone’s talking about it and making a bigger deal of it, but I’ve got a really good relationship with Ben,” said Carrick.

“I’ve got no problem with Ben and he hasn’t got an issue. He obviously wants to play, but I can’t speak highly enough of how he’s been and the work he’s putting in and his attitude to come on and do what he’s done again.

“We’ve had some really good conversations and he’s in a really good place, and part of us is helping him take his steps in development and growing him as a player.

“Sometimes that’s little steps, sometimes that’s bigger steps and he’s taken some huge steps recently. That’s great to see.”

Carrick also had praise for Senne Lammens, who kept United’s first league clean sheet away from home since last March.

“For me a goalkeeper has to be reliable, be trustworthy,” he said. “Instead of creating a chaos, you want him to take the chaos away and calm things down. I think Senne does that.”

Everton tried to put Lammens under pressure by stationing a number of players near him at a series of corners in the second half, but to no avail.

Toffees boss David Moyes conceded it was a plan that failed.

The Scot said: “The goalie was bloody brilliant. The save he made from Michael Keane, the way he dealt with the corners.

“We hoped somewhere we’d have got a nick on one of them with the pressure we had in those situations. I thought we would get one, but we didn’t. For me he was the best player on the pitch.”

Everton have won just four of their 14 Premier League games at their new stadium and Moyes accepts his side are still adapting.

He said: “I think there is probably a change – other teams come here and enjoy it.

“There are things about it which are different and we have to get used to.

“But I think our games are better than at Goodison. Our team is better this year and it wasn’t as if we were winning every game at Goodison, to be honest.”

Charles Bediako is once again attempting to return to play for No. 17 Alabama. According to AL.com, the former Crimson Tide center filed an appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court on Monday, two weeks after a Tuscaloosa County circuit court judge denied Bediako’s motion seeking a preliminary injunction against NCAA eligibility rules.

While Bediako’s appeal is pending, he’s seeking “interim injunctive relief” that would allow him to play immediately.

“The request is to put an injunction in place while the Alabama Supreme Court considers the substance of our argument as to why we believe the Circuit Court’s order was incorrect,” David Holt, one of Bediako’s attorneys, told ESPN.

Bediako has remained a student at Alabama and helped with the scout team, per coach Nate Oats. Alabama’s next game is Wednesday vs. Mississippi State.

It’s the latest twist in what’s been quite the saga for Bediako, the NCAA and eligibility rules.

Bediako played for Alabama in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before forgoing the rest of his eligibility and entering the NBA Draft pool. Though he did not get drafted, he signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs. He never appeared in an NBA game but did play for the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League. He also appeared in G League games for the Grand Rapids Gold and the Motor City Cruise on Exhibit 10 contracts.

Charles Bediako ineligible after judge’s ruling: Why 7-footer’s journey from G League back to Alabama is over

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Matt Norlander

In late January 2026, Bediako filed suit against the NCAA, requesting “immediate preliminary and permanent injunctive relief.” Because Bediako enrolled in Alabama in 2021, he was — and is still — within his five-year eligibility clock. Tuscaloosa County judge James Roberts granted Beidako a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, paving the way for him to return to the Crimson Tide. After it was later discovered Roberts is an Alabama donor; he recused himself from the case.

Under the order, Bediako played in five games with Alabama from Jan. 24 to Feb. 7, averaging 10 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 77%.

On Feb. 9, Alabama circuit court judge Daniel Pruet denied Bediako’s motion seeking a preliminary injunction against NCAA eligibility rules. The aim of the preliminary injunction had been to allow Bediako to play for the rest of the season.

“Common sense won a round today,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement. “The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to pivot back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who already walked away to go pro and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream.

“While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, one win doesn’t fix the national mess of state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability.”

Bediako’s return to college basketball after signing multiple NBA contracts had caused significant consternation among NCAA higher-ups, with even SEC commissioner Greg Sankey signing an affidavit against Bediako’s cause.

After Pruet’s ruling, it appeared Bediako’s return to college basketball had ended. Now, though, he and his legal team are trying once again. With the end of the regular season (March 7) rapidly approaching, Bediako’s motion indicates his request “will become moot without interim relief” with the appeal process “unlikely to resolve before the season concludes.”

Back when the Minnesota Vikings had bottomed out in the 2025 campaign, sitting with a 4-8 record after a gruesome loss at the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, running back Jeremiyah Love felt like an obvious choice for a purple team that would finish the 2025 regular season with a Top 10 pick incoming. Thereafter, Minnesota won five straight games, ruined the Love idea, and earned the 18th overall pick in the draft. Thanks to NFL.com’s Charles Davis, though, the Love dream is back, if only in theory.

Charles Davis connected Minnesota to Love again, reviving the same draft lane that keeps popping up around pick No. 18.

Davis posted a mock draft last week, connecting Minnesota to love at Pick No. 18 after a strange mock-draft tumble.

Love Back in Minnesota’s Draft Range per Charles Davis

Could the dream remain alive?

Davis: Love to Vikings at No. 18

Davis picked Miami EDGE Akheem Mesidor for the Detroit Lions at Pick No. 17 and proceeded to Minnesota, where he theorized Love, the draft class’s top tailback.

He wrote about Love to Minnesota, “Are teams undervaluing the running back position again? The Vikings cannot pass on a top-three talent in this year’s draft. Head coach Kevin O’Connell will find plenty of plays for him.”

Until Davis’s mock, most have envisioned a cornerback, defensive tackle, or safety for the Vikings, who fired their general manager three and a half weeks ago.

A Dream Come True for Fans

The Vikings haven’t employed a dynamic, game-breaking running back since Dalvin Cook, and his last prolific season occurred … five years ago. Since Cook slowed down in 2022 and eventually left in free agency, Minnesota has tossed and turned between men like Alexander Mattison, Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Cam Akers. Jones, especially, has worked to some degree, but he’s also over 30.

With Love — when he felt gettable for the Vikings at 4-8 — Minnesota would draft and instantly employ a bellcow RB1. He’d take pressure off J.J. McCarthy — who needs a lot of pressure taken off — and force O’Connell to run the football, a tendency that he doesn’t seem to love as a former quarterback and playcaller.

Love is basically this year’s Ashton Jeanty or Bijan Robinson. Until Davis’s mock draft, the dream felt dead. Maybe there is a chance for Love to tumble down the board on April 23rd.

Love’s Bio and Scouting Report

Love has a 6’0″, 214-pound frame and 4.4 speed. In the last two years at Notre Dame, he’s tabulated 2,497 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns, adding in 5 receiving paydirts to boot.

NFL draft analyst Jeremy Percy on Love: “Love is a big-play threat every time he touches the ball in the run game. He has good vision overall but occasionally lacks patience when running between the tackle and gets too eager to bounce the ball outside rather than wait for blocks to develop.”

“He also is not the quickest in short areas when cutting back in zone or making defenders miss in the hole. Once he breaks through the line, however, Love’s weaknesses are very few and far between. He has elite long speed and has the potential to score anytime he sees the open field.”

For now, Love is expected to fly off the board sometime between Pick Nos. 7 and 12.

Percy added, “Love has a gliding running style and a good ability to read and leverage space while being elusive in the open field. He has very good contact balance and excels at keeping his feet when he is not hit squarely and picking up big chunks after contact.”

“Love is not the most powerful back who will consistently run through defenders and is not ultra effective on the goal line, but has enough power to finish off runs with attitude and fall forward consistently. He has excellent ball security and has fumbled only once on 450 touches in his college career.”

Love … Loves the Vikings

Love said on The Paul Harrington Show earlier this month when asked about Minnesota possibly scooping him at No. 18, “I would be blessed to go there. Lot of great guys.”

Of course, Love would probably say that about any team, but fans interpreted his message as a rubber stamp.

The Vikings probably have to hope the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, and Cincinnati Bengals pass on Love in the draft to begin his plunge to No. 18.

If Minnesota cannot draft Love, his teammate Jadarian Price, also a running back, would be a decent consolation prize in Round 2 or so.

Love will turn 21 in May. He’s about as young as it gets for an NFL rookie.

When Manchester United were looking for a saviour this season, they opted not to revert to their greatest supersub. They may not have Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the dugout but they seem to have his successor in spirit on the pitch. Benjamin Sesko is yet to start a game under Michael Carrick but he has come off the bench to score three times, all significant goals, delivering an extra five points.

First, the winner against Fulham, then an equaliser at West Ham, now a decider at Everton. It was early by Sesko’s standards – in the 71st minute, rather than injury time, when Jordan Pickford denied him a second – but it felt further evidence of Carrick’s nous. United had looked blunt before his arrival, lacking inspiration and a focal point in attack. Sesko is the only pure No 9 in the squad and, once again, he illustrated the merits of a penalty-box presence. In time, Carrick may have an issue if he can keep naming Sesko on the bench. For now, their alliance is benefiting both. Carrick said: “I have got a really good relationship with Ben. He has taken some huge steps recently.”

In a game low on drama, the goal came from a sweeping move. Everton, who had been the more positive in the second half, may regret committing too many men forward, leaving themselves open to the counter-attack which, whether under Carrick or Solskjaer, tends to be United’s most potent weapon.

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Sesko was involved twice in a move that involved their three big summer signings. He laid the ball off to Matheus Cunha, who sprayed a diagonal pass to release Bryan Mbeumo. He was confronted only by Michael Keane and squared the ball for Sesko, who had run 70 yards to slide in a shot. “It was a ruthless finish,” said Carrick. “I like the way he put it away with real confidence.” It was the Slovenian’s eighth goal for United. He only had two in 17 games when Ruben Amorim was sacked.

And United have been transformed since then. They took their haul under Carrick to 16 points from a possible 18, a charge that is putting them on a path towards the Champions League. A distinctly mundane match nevertheless produced a fine result for United.

Arguably, they undid some of the damage done on one of Amorim’s most ignominious nights. In November, his United were clueless when confronted with the 10 men of Everton and lost at Old Trafford. The rematch was different and not just because Idrissa Gueye completed the evening without slapping a teammate. Unlike Amorim, Carrick found a way. Successful substitutions have been a theme of his reign, and not just those involving Sesko.

For one of his predecessors, it was a frustrating reunion. David Moyes has now seen Everton go seven games without a win at Hill Dickinson Stadium. They are yet to record a win over elite opposition at their deluxe ground, and when they were looking more ambitious than United, they conceded.

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They had rarely threatened to in the preceding hour. They almost struck early, when James Tarkowski cleared Amad Diallo’s fourth-minute shot off the line, though Pickford had taken some of the sting out of it. Thereafter, Diogo Dalot thudded a long-range half-volley into the advertising hoardings while, after the break, Mbeumo blazed a shot over from an acute angle.

If the first half had seemed mostly a contest to give the ball away, United could savour the earthy qualities that earned them a result. “I’m delighted with the result and spirit, the boys digging deep and sacrificing for each other,” said Carrick. He played his own part. They had too little threat on either flank, so he removed Amad, brought on Sesko and recalibrated his side.

Moyes, of course, did not have a £73m striker in reserve, or in the team, for that matter. “The quality you are talking about costs big money,” he lamented.

The cheaper striker he does have, Thierno Barry, could have scored inside 10 seconds, albeit without knowing much about it, when Senne Lammens slammed a clearance into him. After that, the Belgian impressed rather more. “Senne was outstanding tonight,” said Carrick. “As a goalkeeper, you couldn’t hope for much more: safe hands, calm, composed, an exemplary performance.”

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Lammens held on to James Garner’s well-struck free kick, saved from Harrison Armstrong less than 30 seconds into the second half and, as Everton chased an equaliser, tipped away Keane’s thunderbolt from distance and thwarted the replacement, Tyrique George, in injury time. “Their goalie was bloody brilliant,” said Moyes, who nominated Lammens as his man of the match. Everton had directed a series of corners under the bar. They had not realised Lammens would deal with them so well, Moyes reflected ruefully.

With three summer signings combining for the goal, a fourth excelling in goal, it felt like a triumph for United’s recruitment. Of players and, more recently, a head coach.

Benjamin Sesko has scored three goals for Michael Carrick but he is yet to start a game under the new Man Utd head coach.

Michael Carrick believes Benjamin Sesko has taken “huge steps” forward at Manchester United recently and insisted his relationship with the striker is strong, despite not yet handing him a start in his time in charge at Old Trafford.

The £73.7million summer signing has scored three goals off the bench for Carrick, winning games against Fulham and Everton and earning a late draw against West Ham. His latest super sub cameo came at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where he scored the only goal of the game to secure a 1-0 win.

Sesko was pushing for a start having come off the bench to equalise at West Ham nearly two weeks ago, but he remained amongst the substitutes on Merseyside. This time, he was introduced earlier by Carrick and he got on the end of a sweeping break involving fellow summer signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to score the winner.

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That will lead to further calls for Sesko to start against Crystal Palace this weekend, but Carrick insists his conversations with the 22-year-old have been good and that he is making strides at United.

“I get why everyone’s talking about it and making a bigger deal of it, but I’ve got a really good relationship with Ben,” said the United head coach. “We’ve had some really good conversations and he’s in a really good place and part of us is helping him take his steps in development and growing him as a player.

“Sometimes that’s little steps, sometimes that’s bigger steps, he’s taken some huge steps recently in terms of the goals he scored and the impact and that confidence and that belief that he’s playing with now is great to see. We’ve obviously got to manage that as well and we’ve got some good forwards, so it’s one of those decisions that we’ve got to try and get right.

“I’ve got no problem with Ben and he hasn’t got an issue, he obviously wants to play but I can’t speak highly enough of how he’s been and the work he’s putting in and his attitude to come on and do what he’s done again. I thought he finished with so much confidence and belief, a ruthless finish which kind of sums up where he’s at at the minute which is great to see.”

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Cunha started the move for Sesko’s goal with a sweeping pass out to Mbeumo, and the Brazilian also had to show the defensive side of his game as United showed resolve to get the three points.

“That was kind of where we were tonight,” said Carrick. “I think we had to put a lot into the game and everyone did, and I think credit to Everton who made us dig deep, and it wasn’t the prettiest or the most perfect game football-wise for us.

“But Matheus, the defensive work, you put in the effort, the work rate in the end, he’s got the moment that we know we’ve got in the group to create something. He made the difference for us, but it comes from him defending really well in a deep position to then create that transition.

“He’s a great character, I’ve got to know him. Another big moment for Matheus, he’s had a number of them since the very start, starting at City when he came off the bench and he’s a big impact again today for us and he is in a good place as well.”

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In a late-night NBA showdown, the Utah Jazz take on the Houston Rockets on Monday. Utah is coming off a 123-113 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, while Houston suffered a two-point loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday. The Jazz (18-39, 7-21 on the road) have lost two in a row and went 0-2 ATS in those games. The Rockets (34-21, 18-7 at home) have alternated wins and losses in their last four games, while going just 1-3 ATS.

Tipoff from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, is set for 9:30 p.m. ET. The Rockets are a 13-point favorite in the latest Rockets vs. Jazz odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 229.5. Before making any Jazz vs. Rockets picks, check out the NBA basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model

New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets if your $5+ bet wins:

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered Week 19 on a sizzling 38-18 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has simulated Jazz vs. Rockets 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Jazz vs. Rockets:

New users can also target the latest Underdog promo code, good for $75 in fantasy bonus entries when you play $5 with the promo code CBSSPORTS2 in select states.

Top Jazz vs. Rockets predictions

SportsLine’s model is going Under on the total (229.5 points). The Under between the two teams is 1-1 this season. Both teams are also 1-1 ATS head-to-head against each other this season. Houston, in particular, has trended to the Under this season with 60% of its games hitting that side, while a whopping 72% of its games at home have failed to reach the total.

The model projects the Jazz to have two players score 15 points or more, including Lauri Markkanen, projected to score 19 points. The Rockets are projected to have four players score 15 or more points, led by Kevin Durant, who is projected to score 26.5 points. The teams combine for 227 points as the Under hits in well over 50% of simulations.

How to make Jazz vs. Rockets picks

The model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Jazz vs. Rockets, and which side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Jazz vs Rockets spread to back, all from the advanced model that has simulated this game 10,000 times, and find out.

Shoaib Akhtar slams Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar slammed India’s bowling attack after their heavy 76-run loss to South Africa in the T20 World Cup Super 8 match. He said the defeat exposed how fragile India’s bowling unit is, especially against strong batting line-ups like the Proteas.Akhtar was particularly critical of Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, who gave away 67 runs in six overs for just one wicket. He felt they lacked pace and intimidation, and that using them in the death overs was a tactical mistake.

“Hardik and Shivam Dube were bowling at around 120 kmph. It’s not as if they are Malcolm Marshall — someone who would intimidate a batting line-up of South Africa’s calibre. If you deploy them in the death overs, such a counterattack from the Proteas is inevitable,” he said on Tapmad.He also pointed out that India’s bowling looked vulnerable overall, with South African batters dominating even the team’s key bowlers. Akhtar highlighted Varun Chakaravarthy’s expensive spell, saying his usual pace was down and that he was punished by the batters. “Indian bowling has been exposed. If you look at Varun, whose strength is bowling at 97-98 kmph, he was clocking 94. And when he came into the attack, he was hit for a no-look six by Dewald Brevis,” he added.Akhtar suggested that India should bring Kuldeep Yadav into the team, calling him the “missing link” who can trick batters and take wickets at crucial moments. “The missing link here is Kuldeep Yadav. He is someone who can deceive batters in the air and pick up wickets when needed. He is a proven match-winner.”He also felt that Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar offer similar skills, making India’s bowling attack predictable and easier for top teams to attack.