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🤯 Five things to know Thursday
- The Presidents Cup begins today. The United States has won each of the past 10 Presidents Cup events, and the Americans have a good chance to make it 11 in a row this weekend. Before the Americans tee it up against a crew of international golfers, be sure to check out our expert picks and predictions. We’ve also highlighted five players who could thrive in Chicago — with Cameron Young leading the way. It should come as no surprise that the U.S. has the biggest star atop the field in Scottie Scheffler. Check out our viewer’s guide for more info on how to watch every stroke.
- Yankees star Aaron Judge could miss the Wild Card series. If the Yankees are going to make a deep postseason run, Judge will have to be a major factor. Unfortunately for New York, the team may have to navigate the early portion without him. Aaron Boone said he expects Judge to miss the Wild Card series with a calf strain, although Judge himself is pushing to play. Based on how the MLB playoff bracket looks today, the Yankees will have to face their bitter rivals without Judge in the lineup.
- Shohei Ohtani returned to the Dodgers lineup. The Dodgers, on the other hand, got good news about their superstar. Ohtani came off the IL and entered the lineup Wednesday night against the Padres — marking his first action since Sept. 7. Ohtani singled in his first plate appearance back and went 1-for-4 in a 5-1 loss to San Diego. With Ohtani getting in before the playoffs begin, he should be at full steam as the Dodgers aim for a three-peat.
- Contract talks between Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks have stalled. Helping a team snap a 53-year championship drought doesn’t guarantee you a max extension. That’s what Towns is finding out right now as he and the Knicks have yet to nail down a contract extension, and it seems as though it won’t get done by the time training camp starts. With James Dolan wanting to avoid the second apron, the current core may only have a little bit of runway left.
- Fantasy football advice for Week 3. Unfortunately, injuries have already started piling up this NFL season, which can make setting your fantasy football lineup next to impossible. Luckily, Jamey Eisenberg has you covered with his weekly Start ‘Em and Sit ‘Em column — which includes sleepers and busts at each position. You can also check out our expert rankings, which can be an excellent tiebreaker if you’re stuck between two options.
🏈 Do not miss this: Week 3 NFL picks
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Week 3 is upon us, and that means our own Pete Prisco has logged his pick for every game — down to the exact score prediction.
One of the more fascinating matchups of the week pits the 2-0 Vikings against the 0-2 Buccaneers. Falling to 0-3 on the season would deal a devastating blow to Tampa Bay’s playoff chances, but that desperation could pay off this week. Prisco sees the Bucs defense answering the bell and pulling out a much-needed win.
- Prisco: “The Vikings are 2-0, while the Bucs are 0-2 and coming off a bad offensive showing in the upset loss against the Browns. That’s never a good way to go into a game against Brian Flores and the Vikings defense. Kyler Murray is back for the Vikings, but this one will be won by the Bucs defense. They finally step up.”
There are certainly alarm bells ringing in Tampa, but the Bucs don’t even register highest on Zach Pereles’ Panic Meter for winless teams. That particular distinction goe sto the Commanders — a team that just lost star QB Jayden Daniels and now has to face the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
Having said that, the latest NFL playoff projection from John Breech has a pair of 0-2 teams in the field between the Texans and Colts. One of them even reaches the divisional round.
🗽 How can the Giants replace Jaxson Dart?
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It took two weeks for the Giants to enter scramble mode. With the confirmation that Jaxson Dart is out for the season with a knee injury, New York might need to look for options on the trade market.
New York does have Jameis Winston ready to go, but his relief performance Monday night was uninispiring. If the G-Men want to go a different direction under center, they do have some intriguing options.
One of those options includes a reunion between John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco. Not only does Flacco have familiarity with the coaching staff, but he may bring some positive vibes that are sorely needed in The Big Apple. John Breech has the details.
- Breech: “The difference between Cincinnati and New York is that Flacco wouldn’t be in a totally unfamiliar situation because he would be reuniting with his former head coach, John Harbaugh. Flacco’s first year in the NFL came in 2008, which just happened to be Harbaugh’s first year as head coach of the Ravens. The Harbaugh-Flacco combination had a lot of success during their 11 seasons together in Baltimore, including a Super Bowl win in 2012.”
The Bears are another team dealing with QB issues in the early going, and that presents an unfamiliar challenge for Ben Johnson.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
Adam Eargle, CBS Sports
📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⛳ Presidents Cup, Round 1: 12:30 p.m. on Golf Channel
🏀 Tempo at Sun, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
⚾ Reds at Braves, 7:15 p.m. on FS1
🏈 Liberty at Coastal Carolina, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Fever at Lynx, 8 p.m. on USA Network
🏈 Falcons at Packers, 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Aces at Mercury, 10 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Padres at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network