“New lease on life for the boys, certainly. I put ourselves in a tough spot,” USA manager Mark DeRosa said Thursday. “… (Canada is a) scrappy bunch, bottom line, and they’re swinging the bats.”
Canada beat Cuba in a win-or-go-home game Thursday to reach the quarterfinals. This is the first time Canada has advanced out of pool play, so it is fair to call Friday’s game against USA the biggest game in Canadian baseball history. They are major underdogs, though. Canada went 3-1 in pool play to improve its all-time WBC record to 8-11.
“We’re going to go out and we’re going to play the game the way we play it,” Canada manager Ernie Whitt said Thursday. “We talk about playing clean. I mean, in international baseball, if you make mistakes, it’s going to cost you. And so we just try to play a clean game and play it the way that we play it with passion and pride, and play it until the end.”
Way back in 2006, in the inaugural WBC, former Orioles lefty Adam Loewen held a USA lineup led by Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, and Chipper Jones scoreless for 3 ⅔ innings while Jason Bay, Justin Morneau and Co. tagged Dontrelle Willis for five runs in 2 ⅔ innings. Canada went on to win the game 8-6.
Since then, it has been all USA. The Americans beat Canada in the 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2023 WBCs by a combined score of 35-10.
Skubal considered remaining with USA and making another start, though he ultimately stuck with his initial plan and has since returned to the Tigers to continue spring training. He would have been eligible to pitch Friday’s game, though it’s more likely Webb would have started with Skubal pitching in a potential semifinals game Sunday.
Canada did not announce any roster additions/subtractions before Friday’s game. They’re sticking with the same 30 players who got them through Pool A in San Juan.
The pitch limits have increased
During pool play, pitchers are limited to 65 pitches, so every game is essentially a bullpen game. Only six of the 80 starting pitchers in pool play managed to complete five innings. In the quarterfinals, the pitch limit rises to 80 pitches, which is a pretty big number at this point in March. The two starters can pitch reasonably deep into Friday’s game. That said, it’s an elimination game, so if Webb and/or Soroka are not effective, the hook figures to be quick.
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Paxton is eligible to pitch
Veteran lefty James Paxton came out of retirement to pitch for Canada and he turned in a WBC-saving relief appearance against Cuba on Wednesday. Paxton, 37, struck out six batters in 2 ⅔ shutout innings, allowing just a single and a walk.
Statcast clocked his fastball as high as 97.1 mph. It was a vintage Big Maple appearance.
Paxton was removed from Thursday’s game with an 0-2 count and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Why? Because he’d thrown 49 pitches, and if he’d thrown pitch No. 50, it would have triggered a mandatory four days of rest, per WBC rules. For 30-49 pitches, only one day of rest is required. Paxton is eligible to pitch on Friday and could again be asked to get high-leverage outs.
“I think the biggest thing is that he wanted to do it. He wanted to come and come out of retirement, get off the couch, and come and throw for Team Canada because he’s never done that before,” Whitt said about Paxton following the win over Cuba. “He’s experienced league championships and played at the highest level in Major League Baseball, but he never represented the country. I think that was the biggest thing for him.”
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Prediction: USA bounces back
USA should — should — win Friday’s game handily, given the talent gap, but we’ve already seen this team drop the ball once and snooze for extended periods of time. I think the Italy debacle earlier this week will serve as a wake-up call, though, and USA will come out focused and with the pedal to the floor against Canada. Prediction: USA 7, Canada 2.
To start our story headlined “2026 Players Championship cut: Who’s in danger of missing the weekend,” we turn to Sahith Theegala, who, on Thursday, summed up well what awaits the field for Friday’s second round at TPC Sawgrass.
Chaos.
“Honestly, I don’t think this is a course that really necessarily fully fits anyone’s game,” Theegala said. “It’s such a volatile golf course, which I love. I’m always a proponent of chaos. Not silly chaos, but good shots are really rewarded here and bad shots are really punished here. …
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“There’s a bunch of birdie opportunities out here, which is also nice, but it’s just, there’s a double bogey waiting on every hole. So the winning score never gets too low, which I love that, starting the week knowing that you don’t need to shoot 27-under. I’m sure 20-under has won here a few times, but I feel like the typical winning score is somewhere around 15. … I really like this golf course.”
With that, here’s a look at the Players Championship cutline and who’s in danger of missing the weekend.
2026 Players Championship cutline
The Players Championship cutline is set at the top 65 players and ties.
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Who’s in danger of missing the weekend?
2 p.m. ET update
At 2 p.m. ET, the PGA Tour estimated the cutline to be +2, while Data Golf put a +1 cutline at 61.5 percent of happening and a +2 cutline at 35.5 percent.
Below is a look at notable players at even, +1, +2 and worse:
Even: Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre
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+1: Nicolai Hojgaard, Rory McIlroy, Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English
+2: Chris Gotterup
Worse: Rasmus Hojgaard, Brian Harman, Ben Griffin, Shane Lowry, Joel Dahmen
1 p.m. ET update
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At 1 p.m. ET, the PGA Tour estimated the cutline to be +1, while Data Golf put a +1 cutline at 58.3 percent of happening and a +2 cutline at 37.9 percent.
Below is a look at notable players at even, +1, +2 and worse:
Even: Keegan Bradley, Chris Gotterup, Min Woo Lee, Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre
+1: Nicolai Hojgaard, Adam Scott, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English
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+2: Rory McIlroy
Worse: Brian Harman, Rasmus Hojgaard, Ben Griffin, Joel Dahmen, Shane Lowry
Noon ET Update
At noon ET, the PGA Tour estimated the cutline to be +1, while Data Golf put a +1 cutline at 48.5 percent of happening and a +2 cutline at 44 percent.
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Below is a look at notable players at even, +1, +2 and worse:
What is it that makes a champion? Is it enough to simply win, or could there be more nuance to those on whom we bequeath the title?
There have been many winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup but fewer champions. The race was first run in 1924 and, excepting a few occasions, has been run every year since.
The horses which history remembers as champions have triumphed in this race multiple times – Golden Miller, Arkle, Best Mate, for example. Eight horses have won the race in consecutive years, with Al Boum Photo (2019 and 2020) and Galopin Des Champs (2023 and 2024) the most recent achievers. In the 2000s, Kauto Star became the only horse to regain the title, having first won it in 2007 before triumphing again in 2009.
That is a feat Galopin Des Champs would have tried to replicate this year, had he not suffered a setback before the Festival, but with Willie Mullins’s champion horse absent, others had to fill the hole he left behind, to step into the spotlight and declare, ‘this is my time’. And there were plenty that tried.
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Paul Townend and Gaelic Warrior won the Gold Cup (Adam Davy/PA Wire)
No jockey has matched Townend’s five Gold Cup triumphs (AP)
The Gold Cup is the grandest of horse races and is staged at a racecourse that is the highlight of luxury and opulence. It almost feels like a remnant of a previous British age, where prestige was defined by money or power, and if you were bereft of those, you had to earn recognition in other ways. You had to fight to be seen, not just as a winner but as a champion. Winning here, and in this race, means more than a season of triumphs at lesser meetings. It is where champions are made.
Irish-trained horses had won nine of the last 10 runnings, with the British-trained Native River being the anomaly in 2018. They now have 10 from the last 11.
Gaelic Warrior, a former winner at Cheltenham – he took the Arkle in 2024 – now adds the Gold Cup to his repertoire. In Mullins, he has the best trainer; in Paul Townend, he now officially has the best jockey to ever ride in the race; and in himself, he had the best chance to be the successor to Galopin Des Champs. His two previous races of this quality, the King George VI Chase and the Irish Gold Cup, didn’t go his way, but perhaps this was the one he was made for all along.
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Townend rode superbly. With Haiti Couleurs setting a quick pace out front, he positioned Gaelic Warrior on the rail and rode behind the leading trio of horses, which included Grey Dawning and The Jukebox Man. Alongside the stayer and fellow joint-favourite Jango Baie, Gaelic Warrior was eased further wide coming from the backside of the course towards the turn. He leapt the fourth from home and was asked to move past The Jukebox Man, which he duly did.
Those behind him tried to respond but they couldn’t. There are levels to this horse; he is a champion in waiting, now a Gold Cup winner.
Townend held Gaelic Warrior on the rail before making his move (AFP/Getty)
In the Guinness Village beforehand, there were many cries of support for The Jukebox Man, the horse owned by Harry Redknapp – a man from a working-class background and a champion in his own right.
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For most of the week, Redknapp has done a sterling job at building support for his contender, enthusing about his trainer, Ben Pauling, and his jockey, Ben Jones, and telling stories of his nan’s love of racing and his lucky tie. His charm and appeal helped make The Jukebox Man the horse of the everyman.
Despite being heavily backed, there was still an underdog nature to him, and the well-wishes of many Cheltenham racegoers followed him for three miles and two furlongs. “Go on, Jukebox!” came cries from the Paddock as Redknapp watched his contender fall away.
“He travelled well. At two out, I’m looking at Gaelic Warrior. The winner was fantastic and really impressive,” Redknapp said on ITV afterwards.
“I think he’s got a little win problem that we need to sort out. But no excuses. It’s been amazing. What a week it’s been to be here and have a runner in the Gold Cup.
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“I’ve loved every minute of it. It would have been the icing on the cake to win it, but it wasn’t to be.”
And what about Inothewayurthinkin? He was the forgotten star, the one who bested Galopin Des Champs in this very race last year. Back then, with the cheers of the crowd fresh in his ears, he would have believed he was on the path of champions. Not so.
Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man (red and white cap) was favoured but fell away over the closing stages (Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
A horrendous season has seen him easily beaten in the John Durkan and the Savills Chase before he fell during the Irish Gold Cup a month ago. Despite his third-place finish, he now feels like just another Gold Cup winner who could fall into obscurity and never match the level of a champion like the great Galopin.
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Gaelic Warrior’s owner, Rich Ricci, had never had a Gold Cup-winning horse. He does now.
“I’ve been trying to win this race for 21 years; it’s just magic. It’s been a great week, incredible, great racing, great winners, I’m pleased for the horse,” he enthused.
“I love the game, it’s kept me involved for all these years, the passion, the people… I’ve said before, the people take me as they find me. I’m loud, obnoxious, I love the sport, and long may it last.”
When Irish trainer Henry De Bromhead’s Air Of Entitlement won the final race of the Festival, it meant Ireland maintained their hold on the Prestbury Cup for the eighth successive year, a 15-13 win over their hosts. It proved a bittersweet success for De Bromhead, whose Envoi Allen had what a medical official described as “almost certainly a very acute cardiovascular collapse” and died after finishing ninth in the Gold Cup.
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Envoi Allen became the third horse to die at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival (Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
The 12-year-old was having the final start of his glittering career, with owners Cheveley Park Stud having confirmed he would retire following his run in the blue riband.
Envoi Allen had won three times at the Festival, landing the 2019 Champion Bumper, the 2020 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, now known as the Turners, and the 2023 Ryanair Chase, as well as placing on a further three occasions.
Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson said: “We didn’t see it. The vets OK-ed them all [after the race] and Darragh [O’Keeffe, jockey] said he was pricking his ears, then he came up and went over as he was coming out of the chute.
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“He had just retired and he’s just gone in a minute or two.
“He’s finished the race, the vets have had a look, he’s walked on and he’s gone down before the chute.”
The overall attendance of 226,223 spectators at the Festival this year is an uptick of almost 8,000 from the year before. Of those, 67,016 watched on from the concourses as Gaelic Warrior wrote his name into the history books.
If winning the Gold Cup once is good enough to become a champion, then he has achieved that goal. If repeating that feat is the true mark of greatness, well, he’s now on his way.
Gaelic Warrior (11/4 joint-favourite) won the 2026 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday afternoon.
The Rich Ricci-owned German-bred ran out a highly impressive eight-length winner of the blue riband of chasing at Prestbury Park this afternoon.
It was another Grade 1 success this week for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins.
Incredibly the jockey and trainer won the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday with Lossiemouth – also for owner Rich Ricci – the Champion Chase with Il Etait Temps on Wednesday, and then the week’s main feature, the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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It makes Townend the winningmost jockey and Mullins the joint-winningmost trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Townend now has five victories on his CV following wins with Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin des Champs (2023, 2024) and now Gaelic Warrior (2026).
Mullins join Tom Dreaper with five sucesses, namely, Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin des Champs (2023, 2024) and Gaelic Warrior (2026).
Mullins delighted
“It was just extraordinary,” Mullins admitted. “I’m just delighted for the Riccis, I think they are the first owners to have won the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup in the same season (they are actually the second after Dorothy Paget). I’m delighted for Paul Townend, who gave him such a great ride. He was so cool on him. Could you imagine what was going through his head going to the last fence? I know what was going through mine! We’ve had so many last fence mishaps around here. It’s fantastic and the way he did it was just spectacular.
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Gaelic Warrior looked the winner for most of today’s three miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards race. When he cruised into the lead two fences from home, his and Townend’s only dangers look in front of them – the last two fences.
Both were taken with aplomb and the eight-year-old son of Maxios bounded up the Cheltenham hill to record an eight-length victory over Jango Baie (11/4 joint-favourite) – the Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville horse.
Last season’s Gold Cup winner, Inothewayurthinkin (11/1), was positioned last for most of the race under jockey Mark Walsh. His jumping throughout wasn’t fluent during the race, though he stayed on for third place in the J.P. McManus colours, two lengths behind the runner-up.
A sad postscript to the race was the death of Envoi Allen. The 12-year-old collapsed after the Gold Cup and the former Ryanair Chase winner sadly died.
Minnesota Vikings fans react from the lower bowl during fourth-quarter action against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 24, 2023, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The crowd’s tension reflected the stakes of the NFC North matchup as Minnesota fought to stay competitive while Detroit pushed its advantage late. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
Some have maintained that “less is better” for the Minnesota Vikings free agency, but Yahoo Sports‘ Frank Schwab disagrees. Through the first few days of free agency, Minnesota added just two new players, cornerback James Pierre and quarterback Kyler Murray. And according to Schwab, that inactivity nets the Vikings a ‘D’ grade.
A prominent NFL analyst gave Minnesota a rough report card for its early 2026 offseason work.
Only the Denver Broncos ranked lower in his estimation, with Sean Payton’s team fetching a ‘D-.’
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One NFL Analyst Thinks the Vikings Fell Short in Free Agency
The Vikings are minimalists this offseason.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) releases a pass toward running back James Conner (6) during first-half action against the Seattle Seahawks, Jan. 7, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Murray orchestrated Arizona’s offense while working through early pressure from Seattle’s defensive front in the divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports.
Schwab: Early Vikings Free Agency Is a ‘D’
With the NFL entering the second wave of free agency, Schwab reflected on the first and was not impressed by the Vikings’ strategy.
“The salary cap caught up to the Vikings. They didn’t make any huge signings right away in free agency while running back Aaron Jones ,and defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were released, and center Ryan Kelly retired. Receiver Jalen Nailor is gone too, having signed with the Raiders,” Schwab wrote.
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“The Vikings could also trade defensive end Jonathan Greenard. Maybe they sign quarterback Kyler Murray, but there’s a reason the Cardinals moved on. This has been a rough offseason so far for Minnesota, who is operating underneath interim general manager Rob Brzezinski. Grade: D.”
Minnesota still has time to add players, but signing the cream of the crop is rapidly falling by the wayside.
The Spending Sprees Were in 2024 and 2025
In 2024, former Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Blake Cashman (ILB), Sam Darnold (QB), Stephon Gilmore (CB), Jonathan Greenard (OLB), Shaquill Griffin (CB), Aaron Jones (RB), Jalen Redmond (DT), Jerry Tillery (DT), and Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB).
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Last offseason, they handed out even larger contracts to these men: Jonathan Allen (DT), Will Fries (RG), Javon Hargrave (DT), Ryan Kelly (C), Rondale Moore (WR), Isaiah Rodgers (CB), and Eric Wilson (ILB).
Now, the chickens have come to roost. Despite clearing loads of cap space earlier this week, Minnesota is playing the long game in free agency, refusing to splurge “just to splurge” right off the bat.
Remaining Roster Needs
Depending on the eye of the beholder, the Vikings have the following roster needs, as the second week of free agency nears:
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Center
CB3-CB4
DT
OT2
Safety (if Harrison Smith retires)
WR3-WR4
Young RB
The club would need a third outside linebacker if Jonathan Greenard is traded — there are rumors of that — so keep that in mind. The top need after the Kyler Murray signing on Thursday evening is arguably center, unless Minnesota is completely content with Blake Brandel or Michael Jurgens in a starter’s role.
Minnesota Vikings guard Blake Brandel (64) sets a block as quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks downfield during the NFC wild card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Minnesota’s offensive line worked to protect Darnold against Los Angeles’ aggressive pass rush in the playoff showdown. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
SI.com‘s Jonathan Harrison noted Thursday on Minnesota’s need at center, “The prices for free agent centers have been steep this offseason. It’s possible that the inflated asking price could lead Minnesota to address the position in the draft in April. If Minnesota does look to bring in a free agent at the position, former Browns center Ethan Pocic leads the list.
“He allowed just 14 pressures in over 500 pass block snaps in 2025. Tennessee’s Lloyd Cushenberry and Detroit’s Graham Glasgow could also be options, though both are likely to fetch deals that could be out of the Vikings’ spending range.”
He also mentioned the CB spot: “Minnesota already addressed its cornerback room once with the Pierre signing. Coming off a season-ending foot injury and largely failing to impress in Cincinnati, Taylor-Britt could be a good option for a one-year prove-it deal that we’ve seen this front office hand out numerous times over the past couple of seasons. Former Cowboys and Packers corner Trevon Diggs could also be another candidate in that realm.”
Rams Lead the Way per Schwab
The Rams were the only team to earn a solid ‘A’ grade from Schwab.
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He wrote, “The Rams know what they’re doing. There was a severe need at cornerback, so they added a couple of Chiefs. They traded for elite corner Trent McDuffie and then signed Jaylen Watson. There were no other major additions, but the Rams didn’t need to make a ton of moves. Just the ones that addressed their biggest need.”
“The Rams didn’t have any free agents that absolutely needed to be retained, so there won’t be any significant losses. The Rams were a Super Bowl contender coming into the offseason and probably leave it as the Super Bowl favorite. Grade: A”
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay watches the field during second-half action against the Philadelphia Eagles, Oct. 8, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. McVay monitored his team’s adjustments along the sideline while the Rams battled Philadelphia in a matchup that featured two playoff-caliber NFC teams. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports.
The Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers pulled down an ‘A-‘ apiece.
The NFL Draft is the next big step of the Vikings’ offseason, and that’s 41 days away.
Envoi Allen collapsed and died after finishing ninth in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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The 12-year-old was having the final start of his glittering career in today’s race – his eighth appearance in all at the historic event – with owners Cheveley Park Stud having confirmed he would retire following his run in the blue riband.
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Envoi Allen won 10 Grade Ones in total, having started out with Gordon Elliott before moving to Henry de Bromhead.
He was widely regarded as one of the most talented horses of his generation, particularly during an unbeaten streak that spanned his first 13 races.
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While the race was overshadowed by the loss, the Willie Mullins-trained Gaelic Warrior secured a dominant victory under Paul Townend, leading home a field that included runner-up Jango Baie and third-placed Inothewayurthinkin.
Earlier this week, Richard Thompson of Cheveley Park Stud described him as the “horse of a lifetime”.
“To have a horse run at eight Festivals in a row and win 10 Grade Ones is truly unbelievable,” he added.
Next month’s edition of the annual men’s Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities will feature French captains for the first time in the rowing event’s long history.
When the two boats take to the River Thames in London on April 4, three-time defending champion Noam Mouelle will lead the Light Blues of Cambridge against the Dark Blues of Oxford captained by Tobias Bernard, a Londoner born to a French father and a Franco-American mother.
“As Noam said, it’s a fun fact, it’s amusing,” 23-year-old Bernard, who studies chemistry at Oxford, said on the sidelines of the team announcements.
Mouelle, 24, said the nationality of the two captains meant little in an event that was first run in 1829.
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“The cool thing is that it shows that no matter where you come from or what you did before, as long as you commit 100 percent to the project, the training programmes and the club’s culture, it doesn’t change anything,” he said.
Mouelle, a physics PhD student at Cambridge, took his first strokes aged nine at his local club in Le Perreux-sur-Marne outside Paris and represented France at world championships up to Under-23 level.
He said he chose Cambridge to combine research with his love of rowing.
“The Boat Race has always been in my imagination,” he said. “It’s a hugely publicised event in rowing, there are lots of videos on YouTube, sometimes you see it on TV.
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“After that, it’s true that when I lived in France, it was hard to imagine that I would be part of this world one day; it’s funny that I’m here and that I’m even the ‘president’ of the club,” he said, using the Boat Race term for captain.
The role involves finding the coaches, selecting the team and choosing the boat as well as devising the training programme.
“You have to know how to support the other teammates, motivate them, and also communicate with the coach to know how the team is feeling,” Bernard said.
He has vivid memories of his debut in the race last year, despite Oxford’s defeat by Cambridge.
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“It’s like being in a stadium that’s seven kilometres long; the atmosphere is incredible,” he said.
Having said all that, is scoring from set-pieces inherently ugly? Wayne Rooney doesn’t think so.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, external this week, the five-time champion said: “I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Arsenal and how they’re playing. I think Arsenal have been brilliant.
“I actually enjoy watching them play. Set-pieces are part of football – why would you not use it?”
Even if people disagree, there are other ways of ‘winning ugly’ that Premier League champions have used in the past.
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As miraculous as their title win was, Leicester’s football in 2015-16 was not always pretty.
Ten of their 68 goals came from the penalty spot, they had the fewest shots and touches in the opposition box on record and 14 of their 23 wins were by a single goal (61%).
And while ‘1-0 to the Arsenal‘ is a well-known chant, only five of their 20 wins this season have been by that scoreline – far fewer than the 11 Chelsea eked out in 2004-05 or the 10 that Manchester United achieved in 2008-09.
Dinoblue (11/8 favourite) repeated her victory of last year when taking the 2026 renewal of the Grade 2 Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase.
Competing in the race for the third year in succession – having won last year and finished runner-up to Limerick Lace in 2024 – the J.P. McManus-owned nine-year-old daughter of Doctor Dino gave her trainer Willie Mullins a fourth winner in the last six editions of the race.
The French-bred chestnut was never seriously challenged over the extended two and a half mile race as she ran out an easy length-and-three-quarters winner for jockey Mark Walsh over another Irish-trained runner, Only By Night (11/1) from the Gavin Cromwell yard.
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Panic Attack (11/4) came home third for Dan and Harry Skelton – nine-and-a-half lengths behind the Keith Donoghue-ridden runner-up.
The win of Dinoblue was a fifth successive success in the race for Limerick owner J.P. McManus, and the victory continues the excellent record of French-breds – they have now won 19 of the 34 races run at the Festival exclusively for mares.
The Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers cross swords in a regular-season game at the Moda Center on Friday, with tipoff at 10 p.m. EST. The Blazers have already secured the season series against the Blazers by winning all three previous matchups.
The Jazz are in 14th place in the Western Conference standings with a 20-46 record. Meanwhile, the Blazers are 10th in the standings with a 31-35 record.
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Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers Preview, Starting Lineups Tonight, Betting Tips and Game Prediction
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Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers Betting Tips and Odds
Moneyline: Jazz (+525), Blazers (-750)
Spread: Jazz +10.5 (-116), Blazers -10.5 (-105)
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Total over/under o/u: Jazz o239.5 (-105), Blazers u239.5 (-116)
Editor’s note: Odds might change closer to tipoff.
Betting Tips
Deni Avdija is expected to score over 23.5 points.
Brice Sensabaugh is expected to score over 18.5 points.
Donovan Clingan is expected to score over 11.5 rebounds.
Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Jazz choked an 18-point lead against the New York Knicks in their previous game and fell to a 134-117 loss at home. Brice Sensabaugh, who has emerged as the top-scoring option for the Jazz, delivered another strong performance, finishing with 29 points, five rebounds and five assists on 9 of 19 shooting.
Rookie Ace Bailey found his stroke from beyond the arc and knocked down five of his 10 3-point shots en route to 21 points. Overall, the Jazz shot really well from deep, recording a clip of exact 50.0%.
Meanwhile, the Blazers are coming off a narrow two-point loss against the Charlotte Hornets in their previous game on Tuesday. Veteran guard Jrue Holiday, who has been in scintillating form of late, endured a tough four-point outing that played a role in Portland’s loss.
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Against the Jazz, the Blazers need Holiday to be at his two-way best. Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan are both healthy, while Jerami Grant is coming off an uber-efficient 24-point display against the Hornets.
Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers Starting Lineups Tonight
Expect the Blazers to record an easy win and sweep the shorthanded Jazz 4-0 this season. Portland is at home and has all its big guns healthy. We also expect a high-scoring game, as both teams don’t shy away from putting points on the board.
The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping to get to the bottom of the elbow issues plaguing one of their pitchers.
Jose Berrios, who was scratched from his Thursday spring training start with right elbow inflammation, will head to Texas for an in-person assessment with Dr. Keith Meister next week, Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling reported Friday.
According to Zwelling, Berrios will not throw between then and now.
Meister, an orthopedic surgeon based in Arlington, Texas, is renowned as one of the top elbow reconstruction specialists in sports medicine. He focuses on UCL (Tommy John) reconstruction and arthroscopic surgeries for professional baseball players.
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Berrios has made two starts for the Blue Jays this spring, including an impressive four-inning shutout appearance against the Yankees last Saturday.
He was set to join Puerto Rico for the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic; however, the elbow inflammation was revealed during the insurance process, preventing him from joining the team.
The issue is separate from what sidelined the 31-year-old at the end of last season.
It remains unclear how the issue will impact his availability for the start of the new season, which begins on March 27.
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Berrios threw 166 innings last season, posting a 4.17 ERA — the second-highest mark of his career when throwing 100-plus innings.
Additionally, Zwelling reported that Shane Bieber, who has not yet thrown from a mound this spring, will continue throwing from flat ground over the next several days.
The plan all along was for Bieber to have a slower ramp-up this spring after the Blue Jays announced he was dealing with arm fatigue in early February. They’ll evaluate if he’s ready to return to the mound late next week.
The 30-year-old right-hander ended up making seven regular-season starts for Toronto, throwing 40.1 innings while striking out 37 and posting a 3.57 ERA. He added five appearances (four starts) for the Blue Jays in the post-season, registering a 3.86 ERA and striking out 18 over 18.2 innings of work.
