Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck played in the NFL for 18 seasons and was no stranger to playing through injuries.
Both of the quarterbacks in the Super Bowl are listed on the injury report. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is listed with an oblique injury, something he has played through for the last two weeks, while New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is listed with a right shoulder injury.
Hasselbeck said he had Darnold’s injury and said it is not painful.
(Left) New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) run off the field after a Patriots touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Jan. 4, 2026. (Right) Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks on before the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on Jan. 25, 2026.(David Butler II/Imagn Images;Kevin Ng/Imagn Images)
“It’s not a painful injury. You know, I’ve had the injury. It’s not a painful injury. It’s just a little bit more like the muscle that needs to fire quickly, doesn’t work necessarily. But from my experience, it gets better as the game goes on. Sam’s played with it for a couple weeks now, and he’s looked pretty good, you know, a little measured but pretty good,” Hasselbeck told Fox News Digital in a recent interview with the Family Heart Foundation.
Darnold has played well in both of his playoff appearances. In the Seahawks’ 41-6 blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, he completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown.
Against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, Darnold had one of the best games of his career in what was the biggest game of his career. The former USC star completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the Seahawks’ thrilling 31-27 win.
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Hasselbeck said Maye’s shoulder injury might be tougher to deal with than Darnold’s oblique.
“I think the Patriots listed Drake Maye with a shoulder injury from this last game. That’s a little bit tougher, too, because it’s not so again, it’s not so much the pain of it. It’s just it’s feeling like you have your fastball, so to speak. But that’s the NFL. Like, this isn’t baseball where you’re on a pitcher’s mound. Part of your job is to be a thrower with people trying to tackle you and throw you to the ground and hit you,” Hasselbeck said.
ESPN Monday Night Football announcer and former quarterback Matt Hasselbeck during the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the New York Jets at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Oct. 17, 2016.(Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
Maye sustained the shoulder injury during the Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. The 23-year-old appeared to have been injured in the third quarter when he got hit on a scramble and immediately grabbed his right shoulder.
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Maye, who was fantastic in the regular season, has not seen the same success in the playoffs, despite making the Super Bowl.
In the regular season, the 23-year-old completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 421 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In the playoffs, Maye has not been as effective through the air, completing 55.8% of his passes for 533 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions while getting sacked 15 times.
However, Maye has been dynamic with his legs, rushing for 141 yards and one touchdown, the lone one the Patriots scored in the AFC Championship, in three games.
The Patriots will need Maye to be at his best in the Super Bowl, as the Seahawks’ defense was the best in the NFL this season, allowing just 17.1 points per game.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) of the Seattle Seahawks throws a pass in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 16, 2011.(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Hasselbeck said that both quarterbacks, with the combination of an extra week of rest and modern medicine, should be good to go for the big game.
Hasselbeck played for four different teams in his 18-year career: 10 seasons with the Seahawks, three with the Indianapolis Colts, two with the Green Bay Packers and two with the Tennessee Titans. In 209 games, he completed 60.5% of his passes for 36,638 yards with 212 touchdowns and 153 interceptions.
The Seahawks play the Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah watches from the sideline during the NFL International Series matchup on Sep. 28, 2025, at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, monitoring player performance and roster depth as Minnesota competes abroad while balancing executive evaluation duties in a rare overseas regular-season setting. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Last month, the Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, 44, after four seasons in charge of the football operation. Although his tenure with the Vikings ended, his NFL career will continue. Rather than taking some time off, he’ll hop immediately into a new front office role with the San Francisco 49ers.
Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribunereported on Tuesday, ” Former Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will return to the San Francisco 49ers, general manager John Lynch told reporters at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Adofo-Mensah will be rehired by the 49ers in a personnel executive role that will be formalized after the NFL draft, Lynch said.”
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on from the sideline during a matchup with the New York Giants, Dec 21, 2025, as Minnesota continued navigating the latter portion of the season. Adofo-Mensah, hired in 2022, has overseen the franchise’s roster construction and long-term vision following the departure of former general manager Rick Spielman. Mandatory Credit: VikingzFanPage–Twitter
Adofo-Mensah had previously worked for the 49ers in several front office positions. He was the manager of football research & development from 2013-2016 and the director of football research & development between 2017 and 2019.
After his time with the 49ers, he served as the Cleveland Browns’ vice president of football operations, then joined the Vikings in 2022.
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More from Krammer, “Vikings ownership fired Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30 after four seasons — and just eight months after he signed a multiyear contract extension. He will return to the 49ers, where he began his NFL career as a quantitative analyst in 2013. The move will save the Vikings some money as Adofo-Mensah had offset language in his former Vikings contract, according to a league source.”
Why Adofo-Mensah was fired remains speculative, as the reports went in different directions. One thing is clear: Though the rosters he handed to the coaches were mostly solid, the results in the Draft were, at the very least, underwhelming. In the long run, teams that don’t draft well won’t be in Super Bowl conversations in January.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surveys the field and pregame activity at U.S. Bank Stadium during warmups ahead of a December 8, 2024 matchup in Minneapolis against the Atlanta Falcons, as the organization prepared for another late-season test under the stadium lights with roster stakes looming. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Questions about long-term roster direction, including key quarterback decisions, likely contributed to the organization’s evaluation of his tenure.
Krammer added, “Co-owner Mark Wilf, after Adofo-Mensah’s tenure in Minnesota came to an end, said the Vikings ‘felt a change was necessary’ after judging his ‘body of work’ over four seasons. The team watched quarterback Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this month after leaving the Vikings as a free agent a year ago. Adofo-Mensah’s draft record was also poor. The Vikings might not sign any of his 2022 draft picks to a second contract if wide receiver Jalen Nailor goes elsewhere next month.”
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Most fired head coaches land on their feet, either returning to coordinator ranks or getting hired in the same position elsewhere. With executives, the story is often more complicated. Some are never seen again, others take advisory roles. Many only get one chance to be GMs.
On Adofo-Mensah’s watch, the Vikings went 43-25 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs.
Without him, the Vikings have turned to Rob Brzezinski. Minnesota’s longtime front-office member will lead the organization through free agency and the Draft before the Vikings begin the process of hiring a successor. Brzezinski could also be in the mix for that role.
From a leaguewide perspective, the move to San Francisco is not surprising. Adofo-Mensah built a strong reputation early in his career as an analytically driven executive with a research background, and the 49ers have long valued that type of profile in their front office structure. Returning to a familiar organization also allows him to step into a lower-pressure environment compared to a general manager role while still contributing to roster construction and long-term planning.
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For the 49ers, the hiring represents a low-risk addition of an experienced decision-maker who has led a franchise and understands the demands of modern roster building, contract strategy, and draft evaluation.
Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt
There are nights when a season bends, if only slightly, toward belief regardless if the other team has had its own struggles.
Tuesday night in Colorado Springs against Air Force was one of those bends.
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San Jose State (8-20, 3-14 MW) walked into Clune Arena and walked out with its first road victory of the year; an 86-80 decision built on shot-making, resilience and the exploits of red shirt sophomore Adrian Myers .
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Myers was doing it all from the opening tip.
Eighteen first-half points set the tone, and his career-high 34, the most by a Spartan this season, came on a blistering 11-of-18 shooting, including 8-of-9 from three-point range.
At altitude, against a Falcon team that has struggled to shoot much of the year but found a first-half rhythm, Myers’ poise never wavered.
Air Force’s Lucas Hobin was unconscious early, 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in the first-half alone, some from near half-court range, helping the Falcons surge ahead 11-2 in the opening minutes.
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Yet, the Spartans never fractured.
Jermaine Washington, back after missing five games, steadied the perimeter, while Sadraque Nganga, increasingly playing more than a stretch four, carved space inside and finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
The first-half unfolded as a relatively even, back-and-forth affair, five ties and six lead changes over 40 minutes.
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San Jose State closed the half on a Myers three to seize a 42-37 lead; a subtle but significant shift in a game that would demand nerve.
Air Force would not yield.
The Falcons outscored SJSU 10-4 to begin the second half, briefly reclaiming momentum.
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But Colby Garland then “woke up,” finishing with 23 points and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line . His calm at the stripe, especially in the final seconds, proved decisive.
With eight minutes left, the Spartans authored the stretch that defined the night; hitting six of seven shots to push the lead to double digits.
Myers’ sixth, seventh and then eighth three-pointers punctuated the surge, stretching the margin to as many as 12 .
And yet, even statistically, the Spartans were outmatched in key areas.
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Air Force outscored SJSU 42-26 in the paint and shot a slightly better overall percentage (50.9% to 49.1%) . The Falcons also won the rebounding battle 32-31.
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But the difference was precision: San Jose State shot 54.2% from three and 89.5% from the line; efficiency over volume, execution over margin.
There was late-game anxiety.
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A sudden scoring drought left the Spartans clinging to a four-point lead inside the final minute. But a Falcon turnover and two Garland free throws finally sealed it.
For 27 minutes and 37 seconds, the Spartans led.
On this night, at 7,000 feet, they also endured and for a team that has worn its struggles visibly all season, that may matter most.
Eddie Howe says Newcastle can “raise their game” and “compete with anybody” after they swept aside Qarabag in the Champions League knockout play-offs to set up a last-16 tie against Barcelona or Chelsea.
Allegiant Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 1 NRL game between Newcastle Knights and
North Queensland Cowboys. The game kicks off at 1:15 pm with North Queensland Cowboys heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Newcastle Knights vs.
North Queensland Cowboys
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Odds
Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Preview
Newcastle opens its 2026 campaign on the Vegas stage under new coach Justin Holbrook, charged with reviving an attack that averaged just 14 points per game last season. The arrival of Dylan Brown alongside Kalyn Ponga adds class, but pre-season losses suggest cohesion remains a work in progress.
North Queensland, coached by Todd Payten, arrive with momentum after two trial wins, though last year’s defensive frailties linger in the background. The Cowboys have won their past five meetings with Newcastle, including a 38-4 rout in 2025.
Round 1 trends favour the Knights, but their scoring struggles loom large. Expect a tight, grinding contest — backing Newcastle under 18.5 points shapes as the value play.
Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Teams
Knights team: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Dylan Brown 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Trey Mooney 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Jermaine McEwen 13. Tyson Frizell 14. Sandon Smith 15. Mathew Croker 16. Thomas Cant 17. Pasami Saulo 18. Fletcher Hunt 19. Francis Manuleleua 20. Tyson Gamble 21. Cody Hopwood 22. James Schiller
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Cowboys team: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Braidon Burns 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Tomas Chester 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Jake Clifford 7. Tom Dearden 8. Coen Hess 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Sam McIntyre 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Soni Luke 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Harrison Edwards 17. Kai O’Donnell 18. Griffin Neame 19. John Bateman 20. Liam Sutton 21. Matthew Lodge 22. Robert Derby
Paris St. Germain’s Achraf Hakimi in a match against Atalanta in Paris on Sept. 17, 2025.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi said that he will stand trial following a rape accusation made against him.
The accusation stems from a February 2023 incident in which a then 24-year-old woman accused the Moroccan player of sexually assaulting her at his home outside of Paris. The public prosecutor’s office in the city’s suburb of Nanterre began a preliminary investigation the following month.
Hakimi has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
“Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial,” he posted on X. “This is as unjust to the innocent as it is to the genuine victims. I calmly await this trial, which will allow the truth to come out publicly.”
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Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, confirmed the order for a trial on Tuesday, with the trial date not yet set.
“A trial has been ordered on the basis of an accusation that rests solely on the word of a woman who obstructed all investigations, refused all medical examinations and DNA tests, refused to allow her mobile phone to be examined, and refused to give the name of a key witness,” Colin said in a statement.
Hakimi, 27, has made 194 appearances for PSG and the vice captain was named to the club’s initial squad for Wednesday’s match against Monaco in the second leg of the club’s Champions League knockout round playoff tie.
PSG coach Luis Enrique said during a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the Monaco match that, “this matter is in the hands of the authorities.”
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Born in Spain, Hakimi represents Morocco on the international stage and helped the team become the first African side to reach the World Cup semifinals when they did so in Qatar in 2022.
Swansea co-owner Snoop Dogg was greeted with twirling towels and a guard of honour on his first visit to the Welsh club.
The American rapper, who is a minority owner of the Championship club alongside American television host Martha Stewart and Croatia international Luka Modric, made his first appearance at the Swansea.com Stadium for Tuesday’s clash with Preston.
Snoop Dogg joined the Swansea ownership group last July and made his way to south-West Wales after being at the Winter Olympics, where he served as Team USA’s honorary coach as well as a special correspondent for broadcaster NBC.
The celebrity visit had created so much excitement that a 21,000 record crowd was expected at the Swansea.com Stadium, which opened in 2005.
Snoop Dogg, who had arrived at the stadium nearly three hours before the 7.45pm kick-off, had requested the crowd to be in their seats ahead of the action to twirl the complimentary towels – a staple action for supporters in American sports.
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The plea post on Swansea’s official X account was accompanied by a short video of the 54-year-old showing how he would like fans to do it.
The fans had obviously watched the video as Snoop took to the field through a guard of honour for Snoop made up of 20 youngsters representing Wales at the 2026 Street Child World Cup in North America.
Dressed in the club’s all-white colours, with a Swansea crest on his jacket, dark glasses and a beanie hat, Snoop made a pre-match lap of honour as fans twirled their towels with rock music booming in the background.
Snoop Dogg saluted the fans, shook hands with some, and had photographs taken with others. Club mascot Cyril the Swan even got a hug.
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He eventually disappeared down the tunnel seven minutes later just before a light show started prior to kick-off.
Snoop Dogg, known for hits like Gin and Juice and Drop It Like It’s Hot, has had a successful three-decade music career, having topped the UK charts and received 16 Grammy nominations.
Nigeria’s women’s national football team has arrived in Yaoundé ahead of their double-header friendly matches against Cameroon as preparations intensify for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Head coach Justine Madugu, his technical crew, home-based players, and the foreign-based contingent all touched down in the Cameroonian capital as the team begins final preparations.
The Super Falcons will face the Indomitable Lionesses on 28 February, with the second friendly scheduled for 3 March.
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Both matches are tests ahead of WAFCON 2026 in Morocco, where Nigeria has been drawn in Group C alongside Malawi, Zambia, and Egypt.
The friendlies provide the technical team an opportunity to assess the players, sharpen match fitness, and fine tune any tactical details before continental competition begins.
With WAFCON on the horizon, the build-up has officially started
Jeeno Thitiful feels grateful, sarcastically so. She’d just been reminded that in four previous appearances at this week’s HSBC Women’s World Championship, she didn’t finish outside the top 10, which was meant to be complimentary.
But Thitiful opted to see it another way.
“Thanks for the pressure,” she deadpanned, then added:
“No worries.”
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That drew smiles, and the symbolism was thicker than any course’s rough.
Pressure, it feels like, is everywhere for Thitikul. It was there at last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand event, Thitikul’s home event, a tournament she considers on par with any major when thinking of value. Then there are the majors themselves. She’s won everything — except one of those. There’s the pressure, too, of being ranked atop the world, because the world then tends to look your way.
And yet?
No worries. To cope, Thitikul said Tuesday she’s swearing by a four-word mantra. It’s a pressure deflator, much like using a touch of sarcasm, and the saying is this:
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Dance in the rain.
That’s deeper. That’s thoughtful. That’s played out over her pressure points.
How Jeeno Thitikul approached pressure during the Honda LPGA Thailand event
Tuesday, Thitiful said she was still a little short on sleep. Adrenaline will do that, and Sunday at the Honda LPGA Thailand, it was flowing. Still, she said she decided that no matter what happened, her home country fans were going to get a show.
“The nerves is always going to be there, but you have to beat the nerves,” she said. “Sometime you get more worried about the future, about what next shot I’m going to do.
“But I told myself, this is the time that you need joy with it, need joy with excitement, need joy with the nervous moments.
“That’s why I kind of try to dance in the rain.”
Then it’s off to the next week, and the chance to do it all over again.
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“I feel like you want just only that day, and then yesterday was like another new day that the trophy wasn’t there anymore,” Thitikul said. “It’s a new week, it’s a new journey, it’s new themes.”
How Jeeno Thitikul will approach pressure during her pursuit of a major win
The theme of Thitikul not yet winning a major has followed her — her best showing was a runner-up finish at last year’s Evian Championship. Still, her thought is: There are five chances this year. And five next year. And so on.
More dances.
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“Obviously when the pressure moment, when the nervous moment coming, you’re not going to get it every time,” Thitikul said. “… You have 10 times, you’re not going to get it 10 times. You’re obviously going to fall for sure.
“But I think the times that you fall, then you learn what the next time you’re going to do. But if you fall, that’s fine. Because you have the 11th time coming again.”
Thitikul also said she learned last week that she doesn’t need a “perfect 100 percent” game to win. In Thailand, she thought her iron play was well below that.
“So I think for the goals for the majors, for whatever, I think that’s kind of always going to be with me,” she said. “That obviously if I’m not a 100 percent of my game, but I have to show out there and be able to bounce back.”
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How Jeeno Thitikul will approach the pressure of being the world No. 1
Interestingly, Thitikul had been ranked No. 1 previously — for a week, after the 2022 Toto Japan Classic, when she was 19. Then, she said she put pressure on herself. But things have changed.
Thoughts have changed.
“It’s definitely different to my perspective of seeing things,” Thitikul said. “Seeing perspective of every way of seeing that because at that time, I think I was so young, and then I just put a lot of pressure on myself. I know a lot of people already had eyes on me and they are already expecting me. … At that time, I see things so serious. Even if I miss one shot, I felt that was bad.
“Right now, when I have a bad shot, it’s OK, you have another one. I think it’s more relaxing. It’s small thing to handle. But I just told myself, I really enjoyed it to be where I am right now and then I’m not going to be in this position forever. There’s going to be more top players coming up, but I want to perform and enjoy this position the best that I can.”
The PGA Florida Swing gets underway on Thursday with the 2026 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches at the PGA National Champion Course. Coming off two Signature Events, the Cognizant Classic field is missing many big names, but it does feature past major winners such as Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka, who is playing in his third event since rejoining the PGA this season.
The latest 2026 Cognizant Classic odds via FanDuel Sportsbook list Ryan Gerard and Shane Lowry as the +1600 co-favorites. Koepka is +3300 after missing the cut in his last prior event, the WM Phoenix Open. Before locking in any 2026 Cognizant Classic picks, or making any PGA DFS picks on sites like FanDuel or DraftKings, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every PGA Tour event 10,000 times and reveals golf betting picks that have a history of being extremely profitable.
This same model has also nailed a whopping 16 majors entering the weekend, including the 2025 Masters — its fourth Masters in a row — as well as this year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites.
One major surprise the model is calling for at the Cognizant Classic 2026: Lowry, the co-favorite this week and the 2019 Open Championship winner, doesn’t even crack the top 3. He’s a golfer to fade this week. Lowry hasn’t won an individual event on the PGA Tour since that major championship, though he did team up with Rory McIlroy to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2024. Lowry finished T8 at Pebble Beach earlier this month, but that marked his first top-10 finish since May of 2025. See who else to fade here.
Another surprise: The model is extremely high on Daniel Berger as a +2700 longshot, saying he’s a top-six contender despite not being in the top 10 on the odds board. Berger struggled in his past two events, though he does have a pair of top-20 finishes this season — one at the Sony Open and another at the WM Phoenix Open. He has three top-five finishes at this event, which used to be known as the Honda Classic, including one in 2022. See who else to pick here.
Ryan Gerard +1600 Shane Lowry +1600 Nicolai Højgaard +1900 Rasmus Højgaard +2200 Michael Thorbjornsen +2200 Keith Mitchell +2700 Daniel Berger +2700 Max McGreevy +3300 Johnny Keefer +3300 Brooks Koepka +3300 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +3300 Will Zalatoris +3500 Aaron Rai +3500 Christiaan Bezuidenhout +3500 Haotong Li +3500 Alex Smalley +3500 Davis Thompson +3500 Richard Hoey +4000 Mac Meissner +4000 Thorbjørn Olesen +4000 Max Homa +4500 Kristoffer Reitan +4500 Michael Brennan +4500 Jordan Smith +4500 Chris Kirk +4500 Nico Echavarria +4500 Tom Kim +5000 John Parry +5500 Sami Valimaki +5500 Mackenzie Hughes +5500 Matt Wallace +5500 Ricky Castillo +5500 Seamus Power +6000 Garrick Higgo +6000 Stephan Jaeger +6000 Jesper Svensson +7000 Kevin Yu +7000 Eric Cole +7000 Zecheng Dou +7500 Doug Ghim +7500 David Ford +7500 Kris Ventura +7500 Billy Horschel +7500 Austin Eckroat +7500 Joel Dahmen +7500 Kevin Roy +7500 Gary Woodland +7500 Dan Brown +8000 Adrien Dumont de Chassart +8000 S.H. Kim +8000 Taylor Moore +8000 Luke Clanton +8000 Emiliano Grillo +8000 Vince Whaley +8000