The best offense in the NFL last season (L.A. Rams) made it to the NFC title game. The second- and third-best offenses (Dallas, Detroit) missed the playoffs. The fourth-best offense? It lost in the Super Bowl (New England). Take from all of that what you will. Let's check out the odds for the highest-scoring teams in the NFL this upcoming season, at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 18. 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. Rams: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)Bills: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)Lions: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)Cowboys: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)Bengals: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Bears: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Ravens: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Packers: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)49ers: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Seahawks: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Chargers: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Chiefs: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Eagles: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Patriots: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Jaguars: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Colts: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Here's what to know about this oddsboard: The Favorites: Although they have only led the NFL in scoring once in the last four seasons (2024-25), the Lions have been in the top five in total points and points per game in each of those seasons, which explains why they are near the top of this board. Last season, despite missing the playoffs, they finished tied for fourth in total points (418) and PPG (28.3). Atop the board are the Rams, who led the NFL in points (518) and PPG (30.5) last season. They were the only team to score over 500 points and average more than 30 points. The season prior, four teams crossed the 500-point threshold and three teams averaged 30 or more. As for the Bills, they have been in the top six in scoring in each of the last six seasons. The all-time record for points per game belongs to the 2013-14 Denver Broncos, who scored 606 points that season, an average of 37.9 per game. Coaching Matters: As does quarterback play. The Bears are tied for the fifth-shortest odds to lead the NFL in scoring, which makes sense with head coach Ben Johnson at the helm and Caleb Williams at quarterback. However, those two appear to be the only reason Chicago is high on this board. The Bears finished ninth in scoring last season (441 points, 25.9 PPG). Prior to that, they had not finished top-10 in scoring since the 2018-19 season. In short, Chicago has no recent history of being a high-powered offense. Welcome to the Johnson-Williams era.

Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesTNT Sports has finalized the on-air group that will carry its coverage of the 2026 FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup.The tournament tips off Sept. 4 in Berlin and runs through Sept. 13, with TNT presenting all 36 games across TNT, truTV, and HBO Max as part of its multiyear rights deal with FIBA, an agreement that also covers the 2027 mens World Cup and EuroBasket 2029. USA Basketball, fresh off a perfect run through World Cup qualifying in San Juan, enters the tournament chasing a fifth straight world title, with Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese all making their senior national team World Cup debuts.Lauren Jbara will host TNTs studio coverage, with Renee Montgomery and eight-time WNBA All-Star Tina Charles serving as the primary analysts. Candace Parker, who serves as Prime Videos lead WNBA game analyst and leads TNTs Unrivaled studio coverage, will also make select appearances.Some of those names carry over directly from TNTs Unrivaled coverage. Jbara and Montgomery have worked alongside each other in that studio since the leagues January 2025 launch, part of a broadcast lineup that also included Lisa Leslie as game analyst and Taylor Rooks, Allie LaForce, Stephanie Ready, and Ros Gold-Onwude rotating through sideline duty, all working out of Unrivaleds single-venue Miami facility that first season.Montgomerys legend has only grown since. When Kenny Smith fell ill during this past Marchs NCAA Tournament, CBS turned to Montgomery to step in on the main studio desk in New York, pairing her with host Adam Zucker,Clark Kellogg, and Charles Barkley for the networks Round of 64 coverage without so much as a hiccup in the broadcast. Given her accomplishments in basketball as a player and owner, as well as her activism and community leadership, its no surprise she succeeds in whatever she does.Brendan Glasheen will handle play-by-play, joined by analyst Sarah Kustok, with Allie LaForce reporting from the sideline. Glasheen serves as the primary broadcaster for the Connecticut Sun (which finished No. 1 in AAs 2025 WNBA announcer rankings) and Maine Celtics during their respective seasons, work thats carried over into his role calling Unrivaled games as well. Kustok is part of the Brooklyn Nets YES Network booth that finished second overall in Awful Announcings 2025-26 local NBA announcer rankings. Shes also a game analyst on NBC and Peacocks WNBA package, in addition to being tabbed as the lead color commentator for USA Network. She also contributes to Fox Sports NFL coverage as a sideline reporter and appears as a panelist on CBS Sports We Need to Talk.LaForce, meanwhile, signed a multiyear contract extension earlier this year to remain TNTs lead sideline reporter across college basketball, Unrivaled, and the networks other properties. A northern Ohio native, she began her national career at CBS Sports covering the SEC and NCAA Tournament before joining TNT Sports in 2018, where shes since become a regular presence across the NBA, NCAA Tournament, and now the FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup.The post TNT Sports announces broadcast team for 2026 FIBA Womens World Cup appeared first on Awful Announcing.

What a difference a year makes.Last preseason at this time, despite coming off unlikely wins over Ohio State and Alabama, respectively, Sherrone Moore was still seen as a lower-tier coach. Moore was in tier five, also titled 'up-and-down.' But now with Kyle Whittingham leading the charge, the Wolverines appear to be in good hands with the 21-year Utah head coach.The Athletic renewed its coaching tiers list, and as it was when Whittingham was at Utah last year, he remains in tier two -- 'established winners.'Here's what The Athletic said about Whittingham this year, noting that some question exactly how this will work out for him in Ann Arbor:Kyle Whittinghamis the only one here without a CFP appearance, but he has three top-15 finishes in the last five years while working with far less than most of the other programs in this group. He also has an undefeated season in 2008 and two recent Pac-12 titles. Now he controls one of the best-resourced programs, but the Michigan job comes with much higher expectations and scrutiny for this list. His hire was one many in the industry will watch closely.Whittinghams never been in the CFP, but the consistency and longevity gives him a bump, one agent said.Im sort of 50-50 on Whittingham, a second agent said. I think thats still a very strange hire. You bought a short-term solution to your problem, but thats not a long-term solution.Whittingham's contract is for five years, which in today's college football could be seen as long term. He's 66 years old at this time, and there are certainly questions about how long he intends to stay in the coaching game. But he could be long-term if he brings results and stabilizes the program after the turmoil that Moore foisted upon it.It should be noted that The Athletic had more praise for the new Michigan football head coach last year, despite him coming off a 5-7 season with the Utes:Utahs Kyle Whittingham is coming off a 5-7 season, his first losing year since 2013, but he has taken the Utes to remarkable heights and then sustained. That includes an undefeated season in 2008, a Sugar Bowl win over Nick Sabans Alabama and consecutive Pac-12 championships in 2021 and '22.Of course, this year's schedule for the Wolverines is brutal, so it will be incumbent upon Whittingham to win a game or two that no one thinks the maize and blue are capable. Given his track record, it wouldn't surprise if he did just that.This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: The Athletic places Michigan's Kyle Whittingham as 'tier two' coach

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday shut down any notion that running back Christian McCaffrey was sitting out practice to get a new contract. In the process he gave a strong hint that McCaffrey's return is imminent. The McCaffrey hold-in speculation began Monday morning when Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio suggested that could be the reason for the star running back's absence. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Monday evening that McCaffrey was legitimately dealing with what the 49ers classified as "tightness" and wasn't sitting for contractual reasons. Shanahan on Tuesday confirmed that report. "I think they make a lot of assumptions and that would be one that they're wrong on," Shanahan said in a press conference after practice per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Shanahan also indicated that McCaffrey could return to practice Saturday when the 49ers are back on the field again following Thursday night's preseason bout vs. the Chargers. Via the Athletic's Matt Barrows, Shanahan told reporters that McCaffrey would've participated in Tuesday's session if it wasn't a joint practice. That's a great sign for the 49ers and their star running back as they get inside of a month until their season opener. Thursday's preseason game at SoFi Stadium will mark three weeks until the 49ers are in uniform for Week 1 of the regular season vs. the Los Angeles Rams. If McCaffrey is able to suit up and practice to finish the preseason it'll give him a good ramp up period before the first week of real practices begins in early September. More 49ers: 49ers waive injured DE and bring back familiar undrafted DTThis article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Kyle Shanahan indicates one injured 49ers superstar is nearing return

The Philadelphia 76ers didnt just have a busy offseason. They had a statement offseason.After finishing 45-37 last season and watching the New York Knicks win their first NBA championship since 1973, Philadelphia had to make changes. Instead of simply adding another role player or two around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers went all in.On paper, its one of the most impressive offseason transformations in the NBA. But theres a difference between getting better and becoming better than the defending champions. Did Philadelphia do enough to rival the Knicks in the East?Philadelphia Went All InThe biggest move of the summer came when Philadelphia sent Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Boston for Jaylen Brown. Thats not a minor upgrade.Brown is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 28.7 points per game, and he now joins a Philadelphia roster that already features Embiid and Maxey.The Sixers essentially decided that the George experiment wasnt working and replaced him with a younger, two-way star who can create his own offense while also defending at a high level.BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026Browns contract isnt small, either, with three years and $182.9 million remaining, but Philadelphia clearly believes hes worth that commitment.The Sixers werent interested in making another incremental improvement. They wanted another star, and they got one.Then came the move that made the entire basketball world stop: LeBron James is now a Philadelphia 76er.James signed a two-year, $8 million contract, giving Philadelphia perhaps the most experienced player in NBA history to add alongside its existing stars.At 41, LeBron isnt the player he was in his prime, but the Sixers arent asking him to be. They are asking him to provide another elite playmaker, scorer and leader on a team that suddenly has an incredible amount of talent.That kind of addition changes the way opponents have to prepare for Philadelphia. A team that already had to account for Embiid and Maxey now has to deal with Brown and James, too.Even if LeBron is no longer capable of carrying a team for an entire season, asking him to contribute as the fourth offensive option on a contender is a completely different proposition.BREAKING: LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch Sports Group and Klutch CEO and Game Over show host Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ALOlTkgdAV Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 24, 2026Even the Supporting Cast Got BetterThe Sixers didnt stop with Brown and James, and thats what makes their offseason particularly interesting.Philadelphia signed Anfernee Simons to a two-year, $12.3 million deal, giving the team another explosive scorer who can create offense when Embiid, Brown or Maxey are off the floor.Dean Wade received a four-year, $38.7 million contract and should provide the size, shooting and defensive versatility that becomes extremely valuable in the playoffs.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was also added on a one-year, $3.9 million deal, bringing championship experience and another reliable perimeter defender to the roster.Ariel Hukporti signed for one year and $3.4 million, while Caleb Love joined the team on a two-way contract. Those moves wont headline any championship parade, but they matter when evaluating the roster as a whole.Philadelphia isnt simply relying on four stars to carry the team anymore. It has surrounded them with players who can fill specific roles and make life easier for the stars when the postseason arrives.Thats important because the Sixers problem in recent years hasnt simply been a lack of star power. Theyve struggled to put enough quality talent around their stars to survive an entire playoff run. This offseason attacked that issue directly.Just in: Free agent guard Anfernee Simons has agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, with a player option in second season, sources tell ESPN. Simons chose the 76ers over other suitors believing his fit is perfect with the revamped 76ers roster. pic.twitter.com/RUbhPzxxxp Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2026The Knicks Set the StandardPhiladelphias problem is that it isnt trying to out-talent an average playoff team.Its trying to catch the defending NBA champions.New York just went 53-29 before winning the championship in five games over San Antonio, with Jalen Brunson taking home Finals MVP. The Knicks arent entering this season wondering whether their roster can compete for a championship. They already know it can.And, perhaps most importantly, theyre running it back.Brunson returns as the Finals MVP and undisputed leader of the franchise. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart remain major pieces of the championship core, giving New York the continuity that Philadelphia simply cant replicate yet.Thats the biggest advantage the Knicks have. Chemistry cant be signed in free agency, and experience on the team cant be acquired through a trade. New York already knows what its championship formula looks like. Philadelphia has to figure out how Embiid, Maxey, Brown and LeBron fit together.Thats a very different challenge.The Biggest Question: Can it All Fit?Talent isnt Philadelphias problem anymore. Fit might be.Brown averaged 28.7 points last season while taking 21.7 shots per game. Now hell be sharing the floor with Embiid, Maxey and LeBron, three other players who are accustomed to having the ball in their hands.Somebody is going to have to sacrifice, whether thats Browns scoring, Maxeys touches or LeBrons role as a primary creator. That doesnt mean the combination cant work. In fact, if Philadelphia gets it right, it could be terrifying.Embiid can dominate the interior, Maxey can attack in transition and create off the dribble, Brown can provide two-way production on the wing, and LeBron can operate as a facilitator who picks his spots as a scorer. On paper, there are plenty of ways to make the pieces fit.The challenge is making it work when the games matter most.Philadelphias coaching staff will have to establish clear roles and balance four players who have spent their careers as major offensive focal points. It could take time, and the Sixers wont have the luxury of spending an entire season experimenting if theyre trying to finish ahead of New York in the standings.The Knicks, meanwhile, dont have that problem. Their players already know where they fit, who gets the ball in certain situations and what their responsibilities are when the game is on the line.Health Could Decide EverythingThen theres the biggest question surrounding Philadelphia: Joel Embiid.When healthy, Embiid gives the Sixers a matchup nightmare that very few teams can solve. Add Brown and LeBron to that equation, and Philadelphia could have arguably the most talented group of top-end players in the conference.But talent doesnt matter much if it isnt available when the playoffs arrive.Philadelphia needs Embiid healthy. It needs LeBron healthy. It needs Brown and Maxey healthy. Thats a lot of variables for one team to manage, particularly when two of its biggest stars have dealt with significant durability concerns at different points in their careers.The Knicks have their own health concerns, but their roster has already proven it can withstand the physical demands of a championship run. New York just went through an entire postseason and came out the other side with a championship, giving the organization a level of confidence in its roster that Philadelphia doesnt yet have.If both teams are fully healthy in May, however, the talent gap could be fascinating. A playoff series between these two teams would feature stars at nearly every position and could quickly become one of the leagues most anticipated matchups.Verdict: Better, but Not Better Than New YorkYes, the 76ers did enough to rival the Knicks.They may have done more than enough.Replacing Paul George with Jaylen Brown, adding LeBron James for just $8 million, and surrounding Embiid and Maxey with players like Simons, Wade and Caldwell-Pope completely changes Philadelphias ceiling.This isnt the same Sixers team that finished 45-37 last season, and it would be foolish to look at their roster and not consider them one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. But thats different from saying Philadelphia is better than New York.The Sixers have closed the gap. They may have even made it a legitimate race. But until Philadelphia proves it can take down the team currently sitting atop the East, the road to the NBA Finals still runs through Madison Square Garden.The post Did the 76ers Do Enough to Rival the Knicks in the East? appeared first on The Lead.

The Toronto Blue Jays have made a significant MLBroster decision involving a breakout player with the White Sox a year ago, Lenyn Sosa. The move has officially ended his time on the clubs 40-man roster for now. After missing significant time with an injury, Sosa has cleared outright assignment waivers and has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. He has now been assigned to Triple-A Buffalo, giving the Blue Jays a chance to see whether he can rediscover the form that made him an intriguing addition earlier this season.MORE: Red Sox decision at the MLB trade deadline looks like a disaster amid 3 consecutive series lossesSosa off the 40-man rosterApr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Lenyn Sosa (50) puts down a suicide squeeze bunt against the Arizona Diamondbacks for an RBI during the fourth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn ImagesSosas latest roster status means he is no longer occupying a spot on Torontos 40-man roster. The infielder had been on the 60-day injured list while dealing with a right wrist contusion, an injury that had kept him out since late May.The Blue Jays acquired Sosa from the Chicago White Sox in April, sending Jordan Rich and a player to be named later or cash considerations to Chicago. Toronto was hoping the 26-year-old could provide some additional offensive production and versatility to its lineup.Instead, Sosa struggled considerably before his injury.He appeared in 28 games for Toronto and hit just .188 with one home run and one walk, numbers that made it difficult for him to establish himself as a regular contributor.MORE: Yankees hit with brutal Max Fried news just after announcing Carlos Rodons returnChance to get back on trackApr 21, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Lenyn Sosa (50) runs after hitting a two run RBI double against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesThe decision is particularly notable because Sosa was coming off the best offensive season of his career in 2025. That production was a major reason the Blue Jays were interested in acquiring him in the first place.Toronto was hoping that success would carry over into 2026, but things never really got going before the injury interrupted his season.Now, rather than immediately returning to the major league roster, Sosa will head to Buffalo and attempt to rebuild his swing and confidence in the minors.The Blue Jays can afford to take their time with him, especially given how poorly his brief stint with the club went. If Sosa can rediscover the offensive ability he showed in 2025, he could potentially work his way back into Torontos plans.For now, though, Sosa is off the 40-man roster and headed to Triple-A Buffalo, leaving him with plenty to prove if he wants another opportunity with the Blue Jays.Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter

Find best bets for the biggest games in sports on Tuesday from the SportsLine Projection Model and top CBS Sports experts

The All-Star Game will take place at Ballhalla, otherwise known as the Chase Center

The Bayern Munich star collapsed twice in four days

All offseason, we resisted the prevailing narrative that the Atlanta Falcons were screwed this year on account of their quarterback situation. We argued it was impossible to know how Tua Tagovailoa would respond to having a new head coach and new supporting cast members.It took just one quarter of one preseason game for most of the air to get taken out of those arguments. Tagovailoa's debut with the Falcons was about as mediocre as could be, reinforcing all the negative takes on his game over the last two years.The worst of it was Tagovailoa's refusal to throw the ball downfield - or even past the line of scrimmage. When he came off the field his average per attempt was somehow less than one yard.Tua threw 5 passeszero attempts traveled even 5 yards in the airall 5 were thrown underneathhe averaged -0.2 air yardslowest of any QB in a preseason game so far this year https://t.co/6pEGvmb6pF Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 15, 2026Heading into the second week of the preseason, Tagovailoa has been named the one player on the Falcons who's on the hot seat by Zachary Pereles at CBS Sports."The bridge/maybe more(?) quarterback train chugs on from Minnesota to Atlanta, whereTua Tagovailoaseemed to be the leader in the clubhouse overMichael Penix Jr., if only because Penix still isn't taking part in full team drills... Then Tagovailoa had anuninspiring preseason Week 1-- "definitely not up to standard," he said -- and he's already in the hot seat as the presumed starter. Not great."To be fair, Tagovailoa's action on Friday night was a very small sample size and Atlanta's offensive line didn't do him any favors against Denver's league-best pass rush.That being said, there was nothing one could point to and say it was a positive sign of things to come - no flashes of the potential that once made him a top-five overall pick coming into the league and a Pro Bowler just three years ago. Tua will have to show something in this week's joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts or he may manage to lose the QB1 job by default when Michael Penix Jr. is healthy enough to return to the lineup.This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons QB on hot seat after just 1 preseason game

The NBA released the 2026-27 schedule, and the Los Angeles Lakers have an interesting set of matchups that will serve as a litmus test for the new roster.With so many moving pieces to the roster, the first few months of the season are going to tell Lakers fans a lot about whether or not the team that Rob Pelinka built will be able to stand up to the giants around the NBA.Expectations are always high in Hollywood, and these three games will be the ones where the spotlight is the brightest before the calendar turns to 2027.Lakers vs. Miami Heat On Nov. 2The Lakers first major test comes against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat. The 31-year-old Antetokounmpo was injured for the majority of last season, but he is still a top-five player in the league when healthy. He averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 36 games last season. Now, hes paired with three-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive second-team member, Bam Adebayo.These two will give the Lakers adversity on the court, but Head Coach Erik Spoelstras coaching will be a factor from the sideline.The three-time NBA Champion led the Heat to a 43-39 record last season, even with Tyler Herro only playing 33 games due to a multitude of injuries. Unfortunately for Spoelstra, the Heat lost Norman Powell in free agency, but other pieces like Tim Hardaway Jr. are expected to step up.On paper, theyre a highly effective team, and their roster will provide a healthy test for the Lakers defense. Walker Kessler was signed for matchups like these. This early-November game will test him against the exact kind of frontcourt he was signed to defend.Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 27The San Antonio Spurs will only improve from their 4-1 defeat in the NBA Finals last season, and General Manager Brian Wright has added even more talent with 16-year veteran Tobias Harris.Victor Wembanyama led his team to a 3-1 season series record over the Lakers last year, but now LA has the depth to truly compete. Doni, Reaves, and Quentin Grimes can provide enough offense to match San Antonios starters. Collin Sexton and the second unit will be the X-factor.Similarly to the Heat matchup, another massive factor in the Spurs games will be the battle of the tall trees. There have been reports this offseason that Wembanyama could be even taller than his listed height.For those this may concern Victor Wembanyama is definitely taller than 7'4". Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) August 10, 2026It only adds more pressure on the shoulders of the 7-foot-2 Kessler. He generated polarizing headlines after signing his $140 million four-year deal. The most important task with his signing is to suffice in his matchups with Wembanyama.The Lakers will not make the NBA Finals without facing the Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder. OKCs roster has more average bodies compared to San Antonios Alien in the post. So, winning the series opener will tell fans whether LA has a fighting chance or not.Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers On Christmas DayIts safe to say that the entire world will be fixated on the Lakers-Sixers matchup on Christmas Day. NBA Christmas Day 2026 on ABC and ESPN: Spurs @ Knicks Heat @ Celtics 76ers @ Lakers Thunder @ Timberwolves Nuggets @ Warriors Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 11, 2026Not only did the Sixers add Jaylen Brown via trade, but they also won the LeBron James sweepstakes. Playing against James, in particular, will present a range of challenges, given his familiarity with the Lakers. Hes aware of JJ Redicks playbook, and the offensive tools at James disposal will torment Los Angeles.Since Doni will have his hands full with Tyrese Maxey, it only makes Reaves matchup with VJ Edgecombe all the more troublesome. However, the Lakers do have a bright spot with Grimes on the perimeter.Quentin Grimes the corner 3, then continues with an excellent defense on Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid hits the jumper to put the Sixers up 8, with 5:16 minutes remaining in regulation (with replays) pic.twitter.com/RWq0b82RSK MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 29, 2026He played great defense on Brown in the Playoffs last year, and Brown is Phillys No. 2 option, giving the Lakers a much-needed positive.LA and Philly will meet twice, with the second meeting scheduled for March 4. The space between games only amplifies the anticipation for the potential NBA Finals matchup, one that would be poetic after James passed the torch to Doni last season.The post What Are the Lakers Biggest Games on 2026 Part of Schedule? appeared first on The Lead.

New York Jets running back Breece Hall will be sidelined two to three weeks with a strained groin, but is expected to be ready to play in the regular-season opener.Coach Aaron Glenn was cautiously optimistic Monday after Hall caught a pass late in practice Monday, pulled up and fell to the rain-slicked grass. Glenn said Tuesday that tests confirmed that the injury isn't serious and won't sideline the Jets' No. 1 running back for long.Knowing how important he is for what were doing, it was really exciting to hear it, Glenn said.The 25-year-old Hall is considered a key to New Yorks offense and is coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season. Hall, a 2022 second-round draft pick from Iowa State, has 1,000 yards from scrimmage in three straight seasons, making him just the sixth player and fifth running back in franchise history to accomplish the feat.He received a three-year contract extension in the offseason worth up to $45.75 million and has said he wants to continue to prove that he's one of the NFL's top running backs.Its definitely a relief, quarterback Geno Smith said of the prognosis for Hall. We need Breece and praying for a speedy recovery from him. Hes a big part of our offense and our team. Hes a leader on our team and on our offense, and so his presence is felt when hes out there. So, we appreciate him and just hoping he comes back as soon as possible.Without Hall, the Jets backfield will be a bit short-handed during the next few weeks. Isaiah Davis, a fifth-round pick in 2024, is also sidelined with a knee injury but is expected back before Week 1. Braelon Allen will assume the starting role, with Kene Nwangwu and undrafted rookies Sam Scott and Chip Trayanum the other running backs on New Yorks roster.Im not going to sit here and try to tell Braelon to do something out of the ordinary than what hes been doing, Glenn said. Just run the ball, understand what your landmarks are, hit it up in there, and be Braelon.Glenn said linebacker Mykal Walker is also expected out for two to three weeks with a calf injury, but is expected back in time for the Week 1 game at Tennessee on Sept. 13.Geno Smith is feeling better, but uncertain to play at PittsburghAfter sitting out the preseason opener against Tampa Bay with a sore ankle, Geno Smith has practiced the past two days and says the swelling is getting better. But it's uncertain if he'll play in the second preseason game Friday night at Pittsburgh. Ill leave it up to Coach, but my job is to get ready and help this team get ready to be ready to play Week 1, Smith said. Whenever I get the chance to play, as I've told you guys, I look forward to it. Ill also leave that up to Coach.For now, though, Glenn is keeping that decision if he's even made it yet to himself.We want to make sure that we get our guys ready for Week 1, Glenn said. So, whatever we have to do to be able to do that, thats what were going to do. If its playing in this game because he feels up to it and hes ready to go and he wants to be with the other guys, lets go. If hes not playing because we want to continue to be cautious in that situation, well do that.___See APs full NFL coverage here