The Detroit Lions welcome the Washington Commanders to Ford Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Lions lost their home opener last week but kept things close and Week 2 odds opened with them as 2.5-point home favorites for this contest. That line has since shortened to -1.5, but still snaps a streak of 24 consecutive games where Detroit has been an underdog.
Here are my best free NFL picks and predictions for Commanders vs. Lions on September 17.
Sergio Aguero needed Lionel Messi to tell him why he was being continually overlooked for Ballon d Or honours.
Despite scoring a record 260 goals for Manchester City, Argentine striker Aguero has never come close to winning the trophy that Messi has carried off six times.
Being repeatedly overlooked began to trouble Aguero, but when Messi spelled out what he was lacking, it all made sense.
Now at Barcelona, Aguero looks back on his City career and appreciates why his feats fell short of making him a major contender for a prize Messi has won more than anyone else.
Many times I thought about what was missing, Aguero told Spanish newspaper El Pais. And one day I asked Leo. He told me that to have a chance to win the Ballon d Or I had to win the Champions…
Harry Kane would be a perfect fit for Bayern Munich and is approaching his last chance to join a true European giant, according to Dietmar Hamann.
Tottenham s latest European exit has turned the focus towards head coach Antonio Conte and striker Kane, both of whom face uncertain futures.
Unlike Conte, Kane has a contract with Spurs that runs beyond the end of this season, and that could complicate his prospects of a move away from London.
Manchester United are reported to have Kane on their shopping list, while Bayern are known to be long-time admirers of the England captain.
Hamann, who played in the Premier League for Newcastle United, Liverpool and Manchester City, sees why Bayern, another of his former clubs, would be keen if there was a chance of tak…
Mohamed Salah is relishing the prospect of facing Real Madrid after they were confirmed as Liverpool s opponents in the Champions League final.
After Liverpool s dramatic second-leg win over Villarreal carried the Reds through to the May 28 trophy match in Paris, Madrid s taste for the epic was exhibited on Wednesday, scoring two goals in injury time and a third in extra time to eliminate Manchester City.
The 29-year-old Salah reacted on Twitter after Madrid s win, affirming that he and Liverpool have a score to settle .
He has now gone further to suggest everyone at Liverpool wanted to face Los Blancos more than their fierce Premier League rivals at the Stade de France.
If you ask everybody [at Liverpool], everyone wanted that game, Salah told Sky Spor…
Diego Costa was hailed by Diego Simeone as a fighter who still has a future in football as the striker s Atletico Madrid career came to an end on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old former Spain international has been a fringe member of the Atletico side this season, making just seven LaLiga appearances and scoring twice.
He was due to reach the end of his contract at the end of the campaign but that has been effectively ripped up, allowing Costa to find a new club.
Costa asked to leave Atletico, citing personal reasons, and has been linked with a return to the Premier League, having previously played in England with Chelsea.
Speaking at a news conference, Simeone appeared to indicate the often fiery forward would be leaving Spain.
The club have been abl…
Manchester City are reportedly keeping a close eye on Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic as a potential replacement for Ilkay Gundogan.
Kovacic, 28, has been a regular starter since arriving from Real Madrid in a £40million transfer back in 2019, but significant upheaval has seen him fighting for his spot in Chelsea s best XI.
With nine substitute appearances among his 23 Premier League outings this season, Kovacic s future at Stamford Bridge is up in the air as he prepares to enter the final year of his current contract.
While City are said to be serious about their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, it may not stop them making a move for Kovacic, who they purportedly believe could slide in seamlessly in Gundogan s place.
TOP STORY – CIT…
Chelsea are closing in on Mauricio Pochettino as they attempt to land a long-term replacement for Graham Potter.
The PA news agency understands the Blues are in talks with the 51-year-old former Tottenham and Paris St Germain boss over the vacancy created by Potter’s untimely exit last month, but that an agreement is yet to be formalised.
Frank Lampard has been in interim charge since, but the team have won just one of the eight games they have played under him in his second spell at the helm, a run which culminated in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have three Premier League fixtures remaining – against Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle – and want their new boss in place once the campaign is over.
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Pep Guardiola believes Ronald Koeman needs a little more time to get Barcelona playing the way he wants as the first Clasico of the season looms this weekend.
There was a time when Guardiola and Koeman were team-mates and room-mates for away trips with Barcelona, going their separate ways in 1995 when Koeman left for Feyenoord,
They are said to have remained close and Guardiola wants Koeman to turn Barcelona back into a winning machine in Spain after the turbulence of the 2019-20 season.
On Saturday, Koeman will take charge of his first Clasico as a head coach, making him the seventh Dutch boss to lead Barcelona into the prestigious LaLiga fixture.
Of those six Dutchmen who have preceded him, only Louis van Gaal was able to win his first Clasico a 3-2 vic…
Sunderland edged past local rivals Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday to return to winning ways in the Championship.
The Black Cats four-game winning run to begin the season was ended by Plymouth Argyle last weekend, but they responded well on home soil.
Local lad Chris Rigg, aged just 17, earned Sunderland Wear-Tees bragging rights with an outrageous backheel after 24 minutes.
Middlesbrough had chances but lacked a cutting edge as Sunderland made it three clean sheets from three home league games this season.
The win lifted Regis Le Bris men back into top spot in the early Championship standings ahead of West Brom facing Plymouth later in the day.
Remember the name.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC)
Elsewhere i…
In the Merseyside Derby played at Goodison Park on Wednesday, Everton shocked Liverpool through goals from Jarrad Branthwaite (27 ) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (58 ), booking important three points as they fight for survival and putting an incurable dent in their neighbours hopes of winning the Premier League title.
The game
Everton obviously entered the clash with a clear idea on how to play and best use the recent woes of their local rivals. Though Liverpool dominated possession for long spells, Sean Dyche s men played very directly and made the best of Dominic Calvert-Lewin arguably getting away with a number of fouls on the Liverpool centre-backs. Dwight McNeil and Abdoulaye Doucoure did their part too in causing the Reds problems.
The opening 10 minutes were particu…
Gareth Southgate says speculation linking him with the Manchester United job is a complete irrelevance as his entire focus is on England s Euro 2024 campaign.
The England manager has been tipped as a contender to succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford should United part ways with the Dutchman at the end of the season.
Southgate is due to be out of contract later this year, with suggestions that the upcoming European Championship finals will be his last tournament as Three Lions chief.
However, amid the talk over where he could end up later this year, the 53-year-old is not looking beyond the Euros.
I ve got one thing to focus on, and that s having as successful a tournament with England as possible, he told ITV News.
Everything else outside of tha…