Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

NFL: Week 13 Capsules (4pm Games)

by

Minnesota Vikings (4-7) at Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Seahawks -11.5, Total 41.5
Series Rewind: Eleven months ago Sam Darnold came up clutch for the Vikings and beat Seattle 27-24, answering a Seahawks touchdown with a 30-second TD drive by finding Justin Jefferson for a 39-yard strike that proved to be the game winner.

Wanderlust might only be the fault of the Minnesota brass this week with the Vikings headed to Seattle to see what they’re missing in Darnold. The Vikings who also set free Daniel Jones into the market in March — he’s 8-3 with the Colts — are trudging forward with the developmental plan at the position centered on J.J. McCarthy growing rapidly. But he’s been hurt — and spent the week in concussion protocol — leaving the Vikings in an unsolicited get-to-know moment with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. Brosmer’s likely starting debut comes in a tough environment, even if Seattle has been well shy of perfect at home. Darnold’s 69.5 completion percentage is top five in the league, just ahead of Jones. McCarthy is last (54.1%) among quarterbacks with multiple starts. Seattle’s offense relies on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught two TD passes at Tennessee last week. He leads the NFL in receiving yards with 1,313 and already has eclipsed the franchise record. With six games remaining, he could become the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiver.

Embed from Getty Images

Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) at Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chargers -9.5, Total 40.5
Series Rewind: The Chargers swept the season series last year for the first time since 2018. They’ve won three straight against the Raiders to trim their deficit in the all-time series to 69-61-2.

Los Angeles has had two weeks to dwell on its worst loss of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure, a 35-6 loss at Jacksonville. It hopes to find a bit more continuity against the Raiders after Justin Herbert had a career-low 81 yards passing, was sacked twice and was checked for a concussion late in the first half in the last game. Herbert has been sacked 35 times, fourth most in the NFL. A Raiders defense which ranks 27th in the league with 20 sacks this season — despite having a standout pass-rusher in Maxx Crosby — may be a get-right opportunity for the Chargers. Los Angeles opened the practice window for rookie RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) this week, and he was limited Wednesday and Thursday in practice. Las Vegas has its own offensive issues, so much so that Pete Carroll fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly last Sunday after the team scored just 10 points in its fifth straight loss against Cleveland. Its offense is third worst in the NFL with 268.9 yards per game, next to last with 79.5 yards rushing and tied for worst at 15.0 points per game. Quarterback Geno Smith has Herbert beat, having been sacked 41 times this season, including 10 last week. Crosby (knee) returned to full practice participation Thursday after he was limited Wednesday. Tight end Michael Mayer (ankle) has not practiced this week after sustaining an injury in last week’s game.
New

Buffalo Bills (7-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bills -3.5, Total 46.5
Series Rewind: After Pittsburgh dominated from 1993 through 2016 — winning 10 of 11 meetings, including playoffs — the Bills turned the tables during the Josh Allen era. Buffalo has won four of the past five, most recently 31-17 in the wild-card round in January 2024.

This game carries significant implications for both teams as they try to boost their AFC playoff hopes. Some players might deflect the importance of the matchup, but Josh Allen leaned in, saying his Bills are operating with an “extremely high sense of urgency” after their 23-19 loss against the Houston Texans last week. The reigning NFL MVP has completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 2,709 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 11 starts. He’s also dealing with a right elbow injury but has been a full participant at practice. Speaking of quarterback injuries, Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers sat out last week’s 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears with an injury to his non-throwing wrist. He was considered a full participant in Thursday’s practice. If he can’t go, Mason Rudolph would draw a second straight start. Jaylen Warren leads the Steelers with 604 rushing yards, and DK Metcalf is tops in the passing game with 573 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 42 catches. The Bills have continued to operate a terrific ground game, with James Cook ranking second in the league at 1,084 rushing yards. They may also give Brandin Cooks his debut after signing the free agent receiver this week.

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With:

Rangers and Bruins Give Thanks

by

BOSTON – (Wire Service Preview) – After their Thanksgiving dinner tasted even better on the heels of Wednesday victories, the Boston Bruins will host the New York Rangers in their first meeting of the season on Friday afternoon.

The Bruins just spent 10 days completing a four-game road trip that spanned from California to New York, ending it on a high note with a 3-1 win over the Islanders on Wednesday. Friday will mark Boston’s first skate on home ice since Nov. 17, and another will follow against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night to complete a back-to-back.

Embed from Getty Images

“We came into the trip wanting to at least be .500 on it, and felt like we left some points in California in a couple of those games,” Bruins forward Tanner Jeannot said. “We knew we wanted to come out and play (Wednesday’s) game really hard, finish off the road trip and head back home for Thanksgiving. The boys battled hard.”

Alex Steeves, who played on a new-look fourth line with Sean Kuraly and Mikey Eyssimont, recorded the first two-goal performance of his NHL career. Jeannot scored the eventual game-winner in the second period in between Steeves’ tallies, the latter of which came on a short-handed rush with 9:39 left in regulation.

“I’m not thinking I’m David Pastrnak or anything all of a sudden, but it definitely gives me confidence,” Steeves said.

Fraser Minten also played a key role in Boston’s latest victory, providing the only assist on both the tying and winning goals.

Goaltender Jeremy Swayman could be in line for his fourth consecutive start after making a career-high 44 saves against the Islanders. He is 7-2-0 with a .935 save percentage across his last nine starts, giving first-year coach Marco Sturm an easy decision of late.

“That’s why he was back in,” said Sturm, whose team was outshot 45-14. “We had that feeling (before the game) that we can’t get him out of the net because he’s playing that well — and he showed it. How calm he was, that gives us, I would say, a little bit of extra juice. We don’t have to worry about what’s behind us.”

The Rangers have followed up a four-game skid with back-to-back wins — including a 4-2 road win against their Metropolitan Division rival Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday — to move above the .500 mark at 12-11-2.

“We’re playing with more structure,” New York coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think we’re playing with better intentions. We’ve got numbers back. I think that’s the game that’s going to give us the best chance to win.”

In an unusual trend, the Rangers are 10-4-1 on the road and just 2-7-1 at Madison Square Garden, where they will return for a Saturday date with the Tampa Bay Lightning. They had just one road loss on the season prior to the recent skid.

A pair of third-period goals proved to be the difference in Wednesday’s game for the Rangers, who were at a 38-18 disadvantage in shots and withstood five Carolina power plays.

Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, while Vincent Trocheck scored the deciding goal 45 seconds into the final frame. Those efforts helped make a winner out of Igor Shesterkin (36 saves).

“I don’t think we were at our best, but we found a way to win and I thought the third was our best period,” New York captain J.T. Miller said. “It’s funny, you go through the first 15 games of the year, how many games we thought we should have won. This is one of those that hopefully can help even some of those out.”

–Field Level Media

Big East Round-Up: Nov. 27

by

LAS VEGAS – (Wire Service Report) – Creighton earned a 76-66 victory over Oregon in its final game of the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.  Providence and Georgetown dropped their MTE openers on Thanksgiving night.  Friday features seven BIG EAST teams in action throughout the day.
Embed from Getty Images
—-
Creighton 76, Oregon 66 – Box Score 
Blake Harper led three Creighton players in double figures with 18 points and the Bluejays used a 14-3 run down the stretch to pull away from Oregon in the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.  Harper also grabbed nine rebounds.  CU led by as many as 17 in the second half before the Ducks got within one – 60-59 – with 6:15 to play.  Owen Freeman had 14 points and seven boards and Nik Graves 12 points and five assists in the win.
Wisconsin 104, Providence 83 – Box Score
Jason Edwards scored a team-high 20 points but it was not enough as Providence dropped the opening game to Wisconsin at the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego.  Providence fell behind midway through the first half and could not recover, despite making 11 3FG. Stefan Vaaks had 11 while Jamier Jones and Oswin Erhunmwunse each tallied 10 points.
Dayton 84, Georgetown 79 – Box Score
Malik Mack’s 3-point attempt near the end of the overtime period rattled out as the Hoyas dropped their first game of the season to Dayton in the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando.  Trailing by 14 with just under six minutes left in regulation, GU used a 16-2 push to force an extra frame.  Mack had 24 points while KJ Lewis scored 19 and Julius Halafonua had 16.
—-
Friday is a busy day with seven BIG EAST teams in action.

TL Thanksgiving Notebook | 2025

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

RYE, NY – It is wise to give “Thanks and Eat Pie” while giving special thanks and praise to others on this Thanksgiving Week of 2025. Let us first salute the two most important groups for every sports fan on Thanksgiving Day – the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys. A special thank-you to all the people who work behind the scenes every Thanksgiving Day since time can be told, no matter if they’re the chain gang for the Lions-Cowboys, the “guys” in the trucks, the talented women – corporate-remote production-sideline reporters-statisticians-graphics-play-by-play and anchors – thank you all.

This season, the Green Bay Packers travel to nearby Detroit to face the divisional rival Lions in the early game (1:00pm EST) while the Kansas City Chiefs will have a relatively short flight to Dallas to play the vaunted Cowboys at AT & T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Post Thanksgiving Day dinner, this year’s night game will feature the Cincinnati Bengals vs. the Baltimore Ravens in a game that looked great on the schedule before Cincy QB Joe Burrow had surgery to aide his turf toe injury. Burrow will not be back for Thanksgiving.

We’ll watch anyway and snacks await.

HERE NOW, THE THANKS: First, let’s give thanks to the NFL Red Zone, and its seven hours of uninterrupted coverage of the NFL, it’s Oct-o-Box, its “witching hour(s), “ “when wins become losses and losses become wins.” … Let’s also give thanks to NFL RedZone play-by-play man Scott Hanson, a gift from heaven. … While we’re at it, thanks go out to Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, Jim Nantz & Tony Romo, Kenny Albert and an RIP to the“Goose,“ as in Tony Siragusa who was taken in 2022, far too soon and too young (age 55). (Thanks to Goose-the-band, too, with a reminder December 12th is Goosemas in Providence, Rhode Island).

Thanks for Penny (Lane) and (Mighty) Max, our two pups. There’s nothing like an hour of toy chasing and scampering around the house with two pups playing tug-of-war and chase the ball.
Mighty Max (left) and Penny (Lane) (right), exhausted after play time

Thanks for the Road Not Taken.

Thanks for all of New England. Great place. Chatham, Mass wins. Osterville gets the Silver. Head south to New York/Long Island’s Montauk Point for the Bronze.

See if you can enjoy Horse Racing at Saratoga Race Course next summer.Belmont Park is great and is under construction for total renovation. It’s tough to top Del Mar.

Brand new Blue Jeans are nice.

I love a good segue. Layla to Behind Blue Eyes is the best I’ve ever connected. Try it. Crossfade at about nine seconds.

Do you know Jack Straw from Wichita? We can share what we got of yours ‘cause we done shared all of mine. Bruce Hornsby says: “Runnin’ down by the Lakeshore, She did love the sound of a summer storm. It played on the lake like a Mandolin.”

Thanks to Stevie, Elton, Billy, Bruce Hornsby and The Professor.

Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park are still my favorite places to be, and my home – a place where I truly know my soul has a place to rest.

I love the smell of freshly cut green grass. They smell like … Victory.

I can’t stand when my nice, fresh, green grass turns to brown dust in August, only to return again in late September. With that fact, there is hope for the Spring of 2026. “Green grass and high tides forever,” said the Outlaws, “Castles of stone, souls and glory.”

Let’s step back towards NYC and The Garden (and Felt Forum); I liked Golden Gloves Boxing and hope we can return it to its glory days.

I‘m really liking the NBA Basketball School concept and we’ve bought in for NBA Basketball School – Türkiye, starting in Istanbul in January.

How about “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens or bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens?”

Is thanks in order as “67” is all the rage? – (Including, Dictionary.com Word of the Year) – Maybe so, but did you know that in all of the NFL’S retired uniform numbers, there’s not one “67,” in the bunch, so it’s not a favorite. Meanwhile, “27” is a fave and thank you Darryl Sittler, the Toronto Maple Leafs great.

For those who have HBO Max and tuned into The Pitt for its first season, you’re good. For those who did not, there will be a re-launch of the acclaimed television series when The Pitt airs on TNT. The Emmy-award winning medical drama will air on TNT starting December 1, 2025, at 9 PM ET. The first season will be re-broadcast uncensored, with three back-to-back episodes airing each Monday through December 29. This TNT version leads up to the premiere of Season 2 of the series to be broadcast on HBO this January.

The Pitt lead actor Noah Wyle won his first Emmy for Best Lead Actor in a Drama for his role as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch on the HBO Max medical drama and it came 26 years after his last nomination for his work on the medical drama, ER. Here’s my personal list of the best 10pm dramas on TV:

  • The West Wing
  • The Wire
  • Homeland
  • The Sopranos
  • House of Cards (which got far too ridiculous as it evolved)

Honorable Mention: Goes to: M*A*S*H, Breaking Bad, Cheers, Seinfeld, Murder One, Law & Order:Take Your Pick, but Mariska Hargitay gets the nod for the Special Victims episodes.

Sorry, I Missed: Mad Men, Succession, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office.

I’m thankful for Ken Burns and his documentary currently airing on PBS. Burns’ latest documentary, The American Revolution, is a monumental six-part, 12-hour miniseries that premiered on PBS (WGBH- TV in Boston) on November 16, 2025 and has been running nightly.

Burns and his team spent nearly a decade on this series drawing from first-person accounts, scholarly interviews, and innovative visuals – many debunking or delving deeper beneath the surface of recognized and accepted teachings of the ultra-complicated war.

There is no better narrator for a documentary than Peter Coyote. He has been the anchor for the best of the best Burns docs.

The series begins in the 1760s, with the French and Indian War’s fallout sparking colonial resentment toward British taxes and policies. It traces the escalation through key flashpoints like the Boston Massacre, the Declaration of Independence, Valley Forge’s horrors, and Yorktown’s triumph, ending with the fragile birth of a republic. The depth of involvement by the French and Spanish, along with the all-fronts wars on-going in Europe (at the same time) paint the picture of England’s place in world history, nevermind the domestic in-fighting between patriots, loyalists, Native Americans and slaves.

It proves to be far more complicated that Lin Manuel-Miranda’s quick and clean version depicted in Hamilton the Musical.

I think I liked the Broadway version the best.

Burns has produced 30 documentary series, including the current epic on the American Revolution. I’ll list a few of my personal favorites or recommendations (as the word favorite doesn’t fit many of the topics Burns explains):

  1. The Viet Nam War
  2. Baseball
  3. The Civil War
  4. The National Parks
  5. Congress
  6. Jackie Robinson
  7. Country Music

RECENT INVESTMENTS – MUST-GIVE THANKS FOR THE BUCKS: Back by popular demand are the amazing (but not profitable) investments made by Digital Sports Desk Enterprises this past year.

  • We sunk a cash investment into the next craze in Satellite Radio: Superficial XM
  • Things didn’t go well for our Fantasy Sports/Gambling app: Combine Kings
  • There’s a new sport for SPEED RACERS: Invest with us in NASBUGGY
  • Media is Hot, Hot, Hot! MSNBC is MSNow, so invest in MSFOX television
  • With the success of the Peacock Network and their work in sports, the competition is investing in a similar effort to delve into the action. Let us dig deep for:
    • Ostrich Network – Politicians appear with their heads in the sand
    • Ravens Network – No, not the Baltimore football team, but the second coming of Sesame Street, a la “Count” the Ravens, nevermore.
    • The Pelican Network – How about 24/7 NBA New Orleans Pelican basketball? With summers covered by a non-stop loop of The Pelican Brief. (That’s the John Grisham thriller novel starring Julia Roberts in the motion picture).

IMPRESSED or NOT: Since I’m honestly impressed, I will also give thanks to/for:

  • College basketball’s No. 1 ranked Houston Cougars and coach Kelvin Sampson
  • College basketball’s Purdue and Alabama teams, too. They’re both good.
  • Grown men in baseball uniforms jumping up and down on a November night after winning the World Series
  • Tears for Fears
  • Tailgating
  • The Boston Marathon and the 11:00am Red Sox game at Fenway
  • Dave Roberts, Dan Campbell, Mark Daigneault, Mike Vrabel and Paul Maurice
  • Al Arbour, Gil Hodges, Red Holzman and Weeb Ewbank
  • Lou Carnesseca, Kevin Loughery, Dickie McGuire and Joe Lapchick
  • John Kresse and Bob McKillop
  • Bob Lanier, Dikembe Mutombo, Darryl Dawkins and Bill Walton
  • Jerry West
  • Arnold Palmer and an ice cold Arnold Palmer (on a hot summer day)
  • Rory McIlroy, rolling in a 25-foot putt or driving the ball 325+
  • David Bowie, Duran Duran, Jerry Garcia and Simple Minds
  • Derek Trucks, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Brian May
  • Traeger Grills (Super Smoke), Grilled/Smoked/Roasted Chicken Breast
  • Well done BBQ Burgers and Grilled Corn, Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli
  • Pizza

LET’S GIVE THANKS FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE: Important things?

  • The right to vote
  • Rights for women’s health issues
  • Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to peacefully assemble
  • The right for an American with a passport to travel the world while abiding by the laws of the country they chose to visit

THANKS AGAIN: To my guys, Brian McIntyre, Matt Winick – former NBA colleagues, now simply friends for life. Helen Wong, too. (It’s so great, as she’s teaching in the NYC public school system now).

Nowadays, I have a love/hate relationship with my old stomping grounds of New York City. I love and miss the West Village and the Upper West Side. Less so for Midtown and the UES. Even less for Queens.

The love is being there for the annual Big East basketball tournament at The Garden.

The hate is having to drive, so I often take the train (Amtrak) or drive to Westchester and take the Metro North into Manhattan. On Thanksgiving Day morning, I can do the drive in 2 hours, 45 minutes – three hours max. One day last month, it took nearly seven hours. Blah.

THANKS AGAIN: For my fireplace and a full cord of hardwood.

I really like my Bose Sound bar, Spotify play lists, my CDs, and some good, old vinyl.

I do sound tests with Steely Dan’s aja and Stevie Nicks’ Stand Back. There are others.

If you can get the drapes to move on the beats of the bass drum, you win.

Alan Parsons and Todd Rundgren get some airplay in the house. For those interested, Parsons hails from Willisden (Middlesex), a town five miles west/NW of Charing Cross (London) while Rundgren hails from Upper Darby, PA – not far from Philly.

ELO-Over and Out!
ELO at TD Garden (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

We enjoyed fare-thee-well tours by The Who and ELO with Jeff Lynne’s “Over and Out” concerts (2024-25). I couldn’t believe Roger and Pete could pull it off one last time, but that they did on a great summer night at Fenway Park. as far as ELO, I was not surprised at all. They were note for note – fabulous.

The Who-The Song is Over!
Roger Daltrey of The Who at Fenway Park (photo by T. Peter Lyons)

Switching gears once again, I’m quite happy with Turner’s coverage of the Big East, but the jury’s still out on St. John’s for a run through the conference and into March Madness. They need to improve on the defensive end in a big way, and it would be great to see someone – anyone – start drilling a few 3s.

Purdue, (previously mentioned) Houston, UConn, Arizona and Alabama look pretty good. It’s a very long way to go until the various conference tournaments come around, but we’ll all rejoice in the Thanksgiving and Christmas college hoop tourneys (and one-offs) coming this week.

In college football, I’ll be shocked – SHOCKED – if any team in the land can give Ohio State a run. Single game playoffs can do that, though, I guess.

If you can’t sing a lick, a great Karaoke song to pick is “Lonely Days” by The Bee Gees. Look up the lyrics and you’ll get what I’m saying. Plus, it’s an all-time great sing-along.

A really bad choice would be “I’ve Seen All Good People” by YES and you should think twice before choosing “American Pie” by Don MacLean.

Let’s give thanks to Rolling Stones drummer, the late Charlie Watts, and his great hi-hat cymbals in the ballad, “Angie.” (which segues quite nicely into “No Sugar Tonight” by The Guess Who.

There’s always room for thanks for my special Williams-Sonomo Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving Day (and sandwiches thereafter). You’ll never look at Cranberry Sauce the same way again, especially that old Ocean Spray – right out of the can – style that has the imprints of the tin can on the sides.

“Sonny” Skies Over Fenway After Trade

by

BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The St. Louis Cardinals traded All-Star right-hander Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. The Cardinals acquired right-hander Richard Fitts, minor league left-hander Brandon Clarke and a player to be named later or cash considerations to complete the deal.

Embed from Getty Images

Clarke was the consensus fifth-ranked prospect in the Red Sox organization.

Gray, 36, agreed to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate the transaction. He finished 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA and one shutout in 32 starts for the Cardinals in 2025. He struck out 201 batters and walked only 38 in 180 2/3 innings. The 13-year veteran is 125-102 with a 3.58 ERA in 339 games (330 starts) with the then-Oakland Athletics (2013-17), New York Yankees (2017-18), Cincinnati Reds (2019-21), Minnesota Twins (2022-23) and Cardinals.

Gray made the American League All-Star team in 2015 and 2023 and the National League All-Star squad in 2019. He finished second in the AL Cy Young voting in 2023 and third in 2015 and signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Cardinals after the 2023 season and is due to earn $35 million in 2026. The contract includes a $30 million mutual option and a $5 million buyout in 2027, per ESPN.

ESPN reported that the Cardinals are sending $20 million to the Red Sox to put toward Gray’s 2026 salary.

Embed from Getty Images

Fitts, who turns 26 next month, posted a 2-5 record with a 3.97 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) with Boston over the past two seasons. He entered the 2025 season ranked as the team’s 12th-best prospect by Baseball America.

Clarke, 22, struck out 60 batters over 38 innings spread over 14 starts this past season with High-A Greenville and Single-A Salem.

“We are pleased to add these two talented young pitchers to our organization,” said Chaim Bloom, Cardinals president of baseball operations.

“Richard Fitts has already begun his big league career, and with his power stuff and willingness to attack the strike zone, he has the ability to start games at the highest level for many years.

“Brandon Clarke is an exciting left-handed prospect whose ceiling rivals that of any pitcher in the minor leagues. Both have the potential to be part of our growing core for a long time, and we are happy to welcome them to the Cardinals.”

The Red Sox Depth Chart for starting pitchers now improves and is currently in this state:

  1. Garrett Crochet
  2. Sonny Gray
  3. Brayan Bello
  4. Connelly Early
  5. ? – Kutter Crawford/Hunter Dobbins/Tanner Houck/Patrick Sandoval

–Field Level Media

Globetrotters Get Lottery Picks

by

ANNAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters and lottery vendor EQL Games announced a joint partnership to identify and launch State lottery games across the country in celebration of the organization’s centennial season. The program, the first-ever lottery series connected to the Globetrotters, will officially begin in December with a scratch-off ticket released by the Maryland Lottery.

The Globetrotters Centennial season will officially tip-off with a special event at Madison Square Garden on December 14. The barnstorming team will begin touring again thereafter.

“The growth of casual gaming continues to be a key engagement point for consumers and we are proud to be able to use this partnership with EQL Games to have our brand story in front of millions of consumers who might not be our traditional fanbase,” said Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios. “This is yet another great example of the fun and unique ways the organization will grow our areas of consumer engagement as our Centennial season tips off.”

“The 2026 season marks 100 years of the Globetrotters being synonymous with fun and entertainment, two of the biggest reasons people play the lottery,” said Brad Cummings, CEO of EQL Games. “We are honored to tip-off this partnership with the Maryland Lottery, and we are looking forward to expanding it to other lotteries in the coming months. Players will have the best of both worlds – a chance to win money and the opportunity to see the Globetrotters.”

Released on the eve of the team’s 100th year celebration in 2026, the new $2 Maryland tickets feature vintage Harlem Globetrotters designs, including the iconic basketball spinning on a finger. The offering provides a chance to win prizes, both instantly and through a second-chance promotion. Similar programs are in discussion with other States and will be announced in the coming months.

The full 100th Anniversary Tour will continue in Boston and Pittsburgh on Friday, December 26th and then roll out across 200+ domestic markets and over 125 markets internationally. Fans can also expect all-new surprises like the Golden Basketball by Spalding, epic pre-game Magic Pass experiences, 100 Year limited edition merchandise and many other new innovations for the “Ambassadors of Basketball.”

International markets such as France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Mexico, and across Asia are just a few of the many locations the Harlem Globetrotters will be touring in winter of 2026 and running through the remainder of the year.

NFL Sunday Night Football: Preview

by

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) at Los Angeles Rams (8-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Rams -6.5, Total 49.5
Series Rewind: Los Angeles leads the all-time series 19-10 and has won eight of the last 10 against Tampa Bay. But the Buccaneers won the last matchup in 2022.

Embed from Getty Images

Tampa Bay and Los Angeles enter Sunday night’s game as division leaders of the NFC South and NFC West, respectively, but without much room to spare. Los Angeles leads Seattle by just one game and San Francisco by 1 1/2 games while the Buccaneers have a half-game lead over Carolina. The Rams have been largely led by their offensive firepower this season, with Matthew Stafford throwing a league-high 27 touchdown passes through the first 11 weeks of the season. However, Los Angeles showed it is more than capable of winning in multiple ways last week when Stafford threw a season-low 130 yards and the Rams defense recorded four interceptions in a 21-19 win over the Seahawks. With a touchdown catch last week, Los Angeles WR Davante Adams became just the third player in NFL history (along with Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall) to record 10-plus touchdown catches in a season for three different teams. This week’s game presents a third straight opportunity for Tampa Bay to come away with a win over a contending team. The Buccaneers lost the last two weeks against the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills to fall to the brink of falling out of first place in the division for the first time this season. This will be a trip of significance for Tampa Bay QB Baker Mayfield, who revived his career with the Rams in 2022 before signing with the Buccaneers as a free agent the following offseason. However, it was the ground game which led the way last week in Buffalo, as Tampa Bay racked up 202 rushing yards led by a career-high 106 yards from Sean Tucker with Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) out. Irving and WR Chris Godwin (leg) have a chance to return after missing multiple weeks.

-Field Level Media

Maye, Patriots Move On Past Cincy

by

CINCINNATI – (Wire Service Report) – New England quarterback Drake Maye completed 22 of 35 passes for 294 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and the surging Patriots held on for a 26-20 win over the host Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon.

Embed from Getty Images

Pats’ TE Hunter Henry caught seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown for New England (10-2), which won its ninth game in a row. Andy Borregales made four field goals.

Joe Flacco completed 19 of 37 passes for 183 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Cincinnati (3-9). Chase Brown had 19 carries for 107 yards.

The Bengals pulled within 23-20 with 4:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. Flacco found Mitchell Tinsley for a 17-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game.

The Patriots increased their lead to 26-20 with 1:51 remaining as Borregales made a 52-yard kick.

Flacco tried to lead the Bengals to a late comeback, but the Bengals’ drive ended at the Patriots 26-yard line as his fourth-down pass fell incomplete.

Neither team scored a touchdown in the first quarter. The only scoring belonged to Cincinnati, which took a 3-0 lead on a 54-yard field goal by Evan McPherson.

The Bengals relied on a defensive touchdown to increase their lead to 10-0 in the first minute of the second quarter. Safety Geno Stone intercepted a pass from Maye and returned it 32 yards to the end zone.

Embed from Getty Images

The Patriots scored on their next possession to pull within 10-7. Maye found Henry wide open down the left sideline for a 28-yard touchdown.

New England’s defense scored a touchdown less than two minutes later. Cornerback Marcus Jones jumped in front of Flacco’s pass and returned the interception 33 yards for the go-ahead score that put the Patriots on top 14-10.

Borregales added a 41-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 17-10 lead late in the half.

McPherson answered with a 63-yard field goal as time expired in the half to make it 17-13. The kick set a Bengals franchise record and marked a career long for McPherson.

The kicking trend continued in the third quarter, as Borregales drilled a 45-yarder to increase New England’s lead to 20-13.

Borregales chipped in a 19-yard kick to put the Patriots on top 23-13 with 5:55 left.

The Patriots lost a key starter on their offensive line due to injury. Left tackle Will Campbell sustained a leg injury and needed to be carted off the field late in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Campbell Hurt in Patriots’ Win

by

Cincinnati – (Wire Service Report) – New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell was carted off the field after sustaining an apparent leg injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Embed from Getty Images

Campbell appeared despondent after the injury. He draped a towel over his head as he rode in the back of a cart toward the visitors’ locker room in Cincinnati.

The 21-year-old is in his rookie season with New England. He has started 12 games this season protecting quarterback Drake Maye’s blind side.

Vederian Lowe replaced Campbell at left tackle following the injury.

–Field Level Media

NFL Capsules: 4pm (ET) Games

by

Cleveland Browns (2-8) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Raiders -3.5, Total 36.5
Series Rewind: This is the second straight season these teams will face off. Las Vegas won 20-16 last year, has won the last five and holds an 18-10 lead in the all-time series.

There are no real stakes for this matchup between two teams who have stopped considering the playoffs weeks ago and have a combined touchdown deficit of minus-21 this season. But on the Cleveland side, there’s some intrigue as Shedeur Sanders is set to make his first career start with Dillon Gabriel still in concussion protocol. Sanders, the Colorado standout who fell into the fifth round of this year’s draft, will be the Browns’ 42nd different starting QB since they returned to Cleveland in 1999. No Browns rookie QB has won his debut since 1995. Sanders completed 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception replacing Gabriel last week vs. Baltimore. Las Vegas’ offense continues to sputter with Geno Smith at the helm. The Raiders converted just 3 of 12 third downs on Monday vs. Dallas and are 7-of-27 on third-down conversions over the last two games. Smith is tied for the NFL lead with 13 interceptions, more than his 12 interceptions. But Las Vegas continues to flash some promising skill-position talent. Ashton Jeanty had just seven rushing yards last week, but had six catches and ranks third among rookies with 717 scrimmage yards this season. Second-year tight end Brock Bowers had seven catches vs. the Cowboys to reach 151 for his career, tied for the second-fastest player to reach 150 catches (24 games).

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) at Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Jaguars -2.5, Total 47.5
Series Rewind: Jacksonville and Arizona have played just six times in the Jaguars’ first 30 seasons. Jacksonville won the first two games, but the Cardinals have won the four since, last coming away with a 31-19 road win in 2021.

With a 19-point blown lead vs. Houston followed by a 35-6 beatdown of the Los Angeles Chargers the last two weeks, you never really know what you’re going to get with this year’s Jaguars team. And yet, Jacksonville sits in playoff position as the No. 7 seed, a half-game ahead of the division-rival Texans, entering Sunday’s game at Arizona. The run game has been the Jaguars’ bread and butter when things have been going well under first-year head coach Liam Coen and that was certainly the case last week when Jacksonville ran for 192 yards and three scores against a stingy Chargers defense. Rookie RB Bhayshul Tuten, who led the team in rushing yards (74) for the first time, left the Los Angeles game late with an ankle injury and has been limited in practice. So have leading RB Travis Etienne (shoulder) and lead receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle), who has missed the last two games. For Arizona, even a career-high 452 passing yards from Jacoby Brissett last week couldn’t stop their extended skid. The Cardinals have lost seven of their last eight games since a 2-0 start and are 3 1/2 games back from the third-place 49ers in the NFC West. Brissett did that without leading receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (appendix surgery), who will be out again this week. Brissett has certainly revitalized the Arizona passing game with 1,570 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in five starts since replacing Kyler Murray, who is out at least two more games. But it hasn’t translated into wins.

Atlanta Falcons (3-7) at New Orleans Saints (2-8)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Saints -1.5, Total 39.5
Series Rewind: New Orleans has prevailed in 11 of the last 15 meetings. The teams face each other again in Week 18.

Veteran Kirk Cousins is back as the starter after Michael Penix Jr. was lost to a season-ending left ACL injury during last week’s 30-27 overtime loss against the Carolina Panthers. The 37-year-old Cousins has mostly been a highly paid spectator while firing just 52 passes this season. He tied for the NFL lead with 16 interceptions in 14 games last season before losing the job to Penix. The Falcons have lost five straight games and coach Raheem Morris said the offense will be tweaked to fit Cousins’ style. Star running back Bijan Robinson had 104 yards against the Panthers for his third 100-yard rushing effort of the season. Top receiver Drake Lewis (810 receiving yards) will sit out with a knee injury. New Orleans is coming off a bye and knocked off the host Panthers 17-7 in Week 10. Tyler Shough, a second-round rookie, stood out in his second career start by passing for 282 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 70.4% of his passes and wasn’t intercepted, two facts that surely pleased coach Kellen Moore, one of the most efficient college quarterbacks ever during his playing career at Boise State. The New Orleans defenses will aim for a repeat showing after limiting the Panthers to 102 yards through the air and 175 total. Linebacker Demario Davis has a team-best 91 tackles.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) at Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Eagles -3.5, Total 47.5
Series Rewind: The Eagles have won the last three clashes, including 24-20 in this year’s season opener, but would need to sweep the next 13 regular-season meetings to erase the Cowboys’ 71-58 lead in the heated rivalry.

The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott is a sparkling 21-2 at home against NFC East opponents in his career, a .913 percentage that is the highest at home by any QB against his division since the 1970 merger. His last loss in Arlington in a divisional game was on Nov. 19, 2017 against the Eagles. Standout wideouts CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens face an Eagles secondary that has allowed only two touchdown passes during their four-game winning streak. Lamb had an uncharacteristic bout of drops in the Week 1 loss at Philadelphia, including on a potential game-winning drive late in the game. Philadelphia has compiled the best road winning percentage (.718) with a 28-11 record since Nick Sirianni became the coach in 2021, including nine wins in their last 11 away games. Jalen Hurts has thrown one interception in his last 16 regular-season starts and the Eagles have turned the ball over a league-low four times this season. Hurts had two rushing TDs against the Cowboys in the season opener, which came before Dallas acquired DT Quinnen Williams. Williams gives Dallas another big body between the tackles to resist the rugby-scrum quarterback sneak play. He had 1.5 sacks and five QB pressures at Las Vegas in his Cowboys’ debut last week. The Eagles have an X-factor on their side: They are 5-0 in their Kelly green throwback jerseys since bringing them back in 2023.