"Bear Bets" are real wagers that Chris "The Bear" Fallica is actually making. Two goals for the reigning Golden Boot winner in his 2026 World Cup opener should we have expected anything less? Still, we have to leave that behind and look ahead to the next day. Match Day 7 let's roll. 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. World Cup Best Bets Wednesday, June 17 Austria vs. Jordan This one goes down on Wednesday at midnight ET. Sometimes, the simplest, most obvious bet is the best bet. Dont overthink it. I took this strategy with Breel Embolo and Switzerland, and Ill do the same here with Austrias best goalscorer. Portugal vs. DR Congo While I have concerns about how many goals Portugal will score, I do think it will eventually find the net. It has a fantastic midfield which should dominate the game, meaning scoring opportunities will be numerous for it. And even more importantly, I don't think there will be very many opportunities for Congo, which I find it hard to imagine will score. England vs. Croatia A grizzled, veteran-laden Croatia is back to make Englands life miserable here. Englands Euro 2024 matches were bogs, and I can't imagine the presence of Thomas Tuchel will change that much. Head to halftime even and Harry Kane to the spot in the second half looks like a likely recipe. Ghana vs. Panama I have no idea what to expect here. Panama isn't a great side at all, but no Thomas Partey for Ghana is a big deal. Ive got to serve up a bet for every group stage match, so let's just go with "best player has a goal contribution". Uzbekistan vs. Colombia This could get out of hand in a hurry in Mexico City. Uzbekistan is one of the weaker sides in the tourney and will likely face a ton of pressure from a Colombia side with a high work rate, intent on putting a number on the board here.

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HOUSTON Justin Verlander is ready to return.The Detroit Tigers will activate Verlander from the injured list on Father's Day, starting him Sunday, June 21, against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. The 43-year-old has been sidelined since April 1 with left hip inflammation.Verlander hasn't pitched for the Tigers at Comerica Park since Aug. 20, 2017."It's time to challenge him even more with a game," manager A.J. Hinch said before Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. "The energy that comes with that start will be good for him, and I think it will be good for us. He'll prepare for Sunday's start and be ready to go."WELCOME BACK? Framber Valdez wanted to stay with Astros. They never calledVerlander hasn't pitched for the Tigers since March 30, when he surrendered five runs across 3 innings on 80 pitches to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.It was his only start of the 2026 season.When he starts Sunday, he will have spent 81 days on the injured list before returning.Verlander signed a one-year, $13 million contract in February 2026, rejoining the Tigers after his first stint from 2005-17. The Tigers traded Verlander to the Astros for three prospects in August 2017.This story will be updated.Contact Evan Petzold atepetzold@freepress.comor follow him@EvanPetzold.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander starts Sunday at Comerica Park

WVU's first MCWS trip means so much that in just about every corner of Omaha, there's an influx of blue and gold.

US sprinter Noah Lyles set the worlds best ever time over the rarely-run 150 metres on Tuesday, clocking 14.67 seconds at the Golden Spike meet in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava.

The former top-100 player and host of the GMTV breakfast show, Castle, 62, has been one of the voices of the tournament.

Although the cheers are still ringing in the Americans' ears after their impressive World Cup-opening victory, this U.S. team says it's prepared for the physical and mental challenges of the weeks ahead including what's likely to be a physical meeting with Australia on Friday.Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter gives credit for this tenacity to coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has taken over a team that repeatedly flopped on the international stage and infused it with a stronger mentality grounded in a few core beliefs.I think one is that were American. We dont take s-, Berhalter said Tuesday.I think thats something that (Pochettino) really put in, Berhalter continued. Even though hes Argentinian, he has that mindset of, like, Look, this is what we do, and this is who we are, and this is what America is about. So I think he just, you know, even from an outside perspective, he showed us Americans what were about. He really drilled that into us, and I think thats something that has helped us this last cycle.That mentality was partly forged last October when the U.S. faced Australia in what turned into a scrappy 2-1 friendly victory in Colorado. Pochettino lambasted his team at halftime, imploring the players to stand up for themselves after the Socceroos delivered physical tackles and punishing play while U.S. midfielder Christian Pulisic left with an injury.Watching that game last year, you could see they were up for it, said Berhalter, whose father, Gregg, coached the U.S. team before Pochettino. They were putting in challenges, and I think thats one of the reasons Mauricio had that halftime rant, and said, These guys cant kick us around. I think he was right.The players heard their coach's pleas, and they responded with an increased physicality in a game that ended with a combined 19 fouls and two yellow cards.The Americans have largely kept it up since then, playing with a confidence and assertiveness that manifested throughout their 4-1 victory over Paraguay last Friday in Inglewood, California. Although they haven't racked up a string of impressive victories since Pochettino took over, the team's improvements in temperament and tactics have been obvious, and the World Cup could be the place where everything blossoms.That game in Colorado was fun, winger Tim Weah said with a grin. That experience was fun. It was aggressive. I think from that game, weve changed a lot. Weve gotten a bit more aggressive as well.Pulisic's health is again a concern for the Americans after he was forced to work out on his own for the second straight training session Tuesday because of the calf injury that limited him to the first half against Paraguay. The team described its playmaking attacker as day to day for Friday's match in Seattle.Even if Pulisic is limited again, the Americans believe they can go toe-to-toe with Australia again. Berhalter could play an important role after he made his World Cup debut by replacing Pulisic for the second half against Paraguay.Its going to be a physical game, but a fun game, and were excited, Berhalter said. "(The Socceroos) are going to fight. We like teams that have that brotherhood, you know? We like teams that you can see theyre hungry, they want to fight.___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Kylian Mbapp scored the 13th and 14th World Cup goals of his career Tuesday, moving the France forward past Pel, Lionel Messi and countryman Just Fontaine and into a tie for third most in tournament history.He also set a scoring record for France's national team.Mbapp first scored in the 66th minute of Frances 3-1 victory over Senegal after having several good scoring chances denied earlier by goalkeeper douard Mendy, including in the second half. He scored again from long range in stoppage time, giving him two in the game and 58 in international play to break a tie with Oliver Giroud for the national team record.Playing in his third World Cup, the 27-year-old Mbapp is now tied with Germanys Gerd Mller and one behind Brazil's Ronaldo. Germanys Miroslav Klose has the record with 16 World Cup goals.Mbapp helped France win the World Cup title in 2018 and reach the final in 2022, when he was awarded the Silver Ball as the second-best player. Joined up front by Dsir Dou and reigning Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembl, France went into this year's tournament as the co-favorite along with Spain.Mbapp had little trouble finding room between Senegal defenders several times in the first 14 or so minutes. But he was sloppy with the ball for much of the rest of the first half before he and his teammates started to mesh.Mbapp scored 25 goals this past season with Real Madrid.___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has had his visa appeal denied by a Canadian court, meaning he will miss Ghana's opening World Cup game.The midfielder was denied entry due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK.Ghana's Government had launched a legal challenge in a bid to overturn the decision, with the appeal hearing taking place at a federal court in Ottawa.Judge Roger Lafreniere dismissed the appeal, writing that Partey sought "extraordinary, mandatory interlocutory relief" that would mean Canada sets aside a "lawfully rendered inadmissibility finding and facilitate his entry for a specific event".TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayThe 33-year-old, who now plays for Villarreal in Spain, remains one of the most experienced members of the national team and has earned more than 50 caps for his country.Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations made by four women between 2020 and 2022.He is due to stand trial next year.Ghanaian officials previously publicly criticised Canada's decision, describing it as unfair and disproportionate.LATEST SPORTS NEWSWorld Cup 2026 day six: France lead Senegal as Kylian Mbappe gets on scoresheetRuben Amorim lands new role six months after being sacked by Manchester UnitedEngland star set to miss the whole of the World Cup after suffering injury blowCanadian authorities had previously defended their position.Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said: "Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws."Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies."The dispute has created an unwanted distraction for Ghana ahead of one of the biggest matches in the nation's recent football history.Head coach Carlos Queiroz had already made it clear before the tournament that he was comfortable selecting Partey despite the off-field issues surrounding the player.The midfielder was included in Ghana's World Cup squad and had been expected to play a key role during the competition.Ghana have been drawn alongside Panama, England and Croatia in Group L and faces a difficult route to the knockout stages.After Wednesday's clash with Panama, they will take on England in Boston before concluding the group phase against Croatia in Philadelphia.Should Ghana progress as runners-up, they could even find themselves returning to Canada later in the tournament.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Kylian Mbappe scores twice as France begin their World Cup 2026 campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal in Group I.