Sak Sports Blog

Veteran Carmelo Anthony, who appeared in a mere 10 games for the Houston Rockets and none since November 8, has been traded from the Houston Rockets to the Chicago Bulls for cash considerations. According to a league source and via Adrian Wojnarowski, Anthony will be swiftly released by the Bulls, as he was last year by the Atlanta Hawks. Anthony won't play a game for the Bulls, league source tells ESPN. He will be released and become a free agent if he clears waivers. https://t.co/Oo2IA0nsJP — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 21, 2019 This officially gives Melo the opportunity to explore free agent opportunities. I pondered potential landing spots in November, and many of the teams remain hot destinations. The short-handed Los Angeles Lakers could be particularity interested as they search for depth amidst injuries. Header photo via ESPN More Sak Sports Patriots Quickly Lose Underdog Status in Fluctuating Vegas Line Follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter

Championship Sunday gave us two wild overtime games with the winners set to meet in two weeks at Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta. On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Rams opened as slight one point favorites, which would have had Tom Brady and the New England Patriots play the underdog role once again. The line quickly shifted to a pick 'em game. This feels like the most accurate reflection of the game's odds. While the Rams finished with a better regular season schedule, Brady and the Patriots are playing in their third straight Super Bowl and it would be tough to call them true underdogs. As Monday progressed, bettors started shifting the line in favor of the Patriots, likely to reflect early bets. Many bettors probably saw taking an underdog Patriots team as an easy bet. The line could go even deeper in New England's favor, or perhaps balance out closer to a pick 'em. Realistically, the line won't favor either team by more than 1 or 2 points, making it essentia

The NFC Championship game came down to the wire, needing an overtime period to break the 23-23 tie. Despite the Saints striking first and never giving up the lead in regulation, the Rams won in overtime in a game filled with drama and a comeback sparked by a questionable pass interference non-call on Los Angeles. 23-year-old Jared Goff becomes the youngest quarterback to advance to the Super Bowl, over 40-year-old veteran Drew Brees and the Saints. The Rams advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001 and await the winner of the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. The Saints defense dominated the first quarter, holding the Rams without a first down. A fake punt pass yielded Los Angeles their first first down of the day in the second quarter. But in the final three frames, Goff was able to find his receivers to complete long drives and put points on the board. With under 6 minutes left, the Saints defense denied C.J. Anderson at the goal line and the Rams ti

With no road upsets in the divisional round of the playoffs, we have a stacked final four teams remaining to play for the Super Bowl. The #1 and #2 seed from the AFC and NFC will square off Sunday with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Both games tell a similar tale: an established team with a veteran quarterback taking on a high flying offensive team led by a young signal-caller. Tom Brady has been to the AFC Championship just a few times (this will be his 13th). Patrick Mahommes is capping off his first season as an NFL starter. Drew Brees plays in his 3rd NFC title game, with an even 1-1 record so far. Jared Goff has taken the Rams further in each of his three seasons (two full seasons.) All four offenses can light up the scoreboard, which should be a treat for fans on Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs led the league in scoring (35.3 PPG) with the Los Angeles Rams right on their tail (32.9 PPG). The New Orleans Saints could've been in the 34-35 PPG game range, but a couple l

The Boston Celtics (25-17, 5th in the East) will be short-handed as they take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. Looking to bounce back from two road losses in Florida, point guard Kyrie Irving is out with a right quad contusion. The Celtics expect him to be available for Wednesday's matchup with the Toronto Raptors. Marcus Smart (illness) has played in all 42 games for the Celtics this season, but will also miss the Nets game. This will be Irving's fifth missed game of the year. Boston is 3-1 in games where Irving hasn't played. Brooklyn is 21-23 and has won four of their last six. A home victory would narrow the gap between the Celtics and Nets to 4.0 games. For more, follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter Other Articles NFL Divisional Round Reactions NFL Divisional Round Picks NFL Wildcard Weekend Picks The West is Wild and the Regular Season Matters Again Header photo via NESN.com

The second round of the NFL playoffs told a different tale than Wildcard Weekend. After home teams went 1-3 in the playoffs opening weekend, they won, often in impressive fashion, going 4-0 in the Divisional Round. Four home teams, four favorites, four high-scoring offenses. The Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, and New Orleans Saints all held 6-2, 7-1, or 8-0 home records in the regular season, and they carried the home-field advantage into the playoffs. In my personal picks, I went 3-1, incorrectly predicting the LA Rams would slip up and allow the Dallas Cowboys to advance. The most exciting and close game was between the Eagles and Saints, with New Orleans winning by a score and Nick Foles nearly pulling off a game-winning drive. My Playoff Week 2 Picks #Chiefs over #Colts ✅ #Cowboys over #Rams ❌ #Patriots over #Chargers ✅ #Saints over #Eagles ✅ Last week’s record: 3-1 Playoff record: 6-2 — Sak Sports Blog (@SakSports) January 14,

With eight teams remaining, there's a calculated amount of Super Bowl matchups remaining. Sixteen possibilities exist, and almost every one would be a breathe of fresh air for the NFL. Except for, of course, a rematch of last year's Super Bowl. Three other rematches of Super Bowl's since 2000 exist, and the New England Patriots are implicated in three of these four matchups. If Tom Brady wins two home games and advances to the Super Bowl, it would be the outcome closest to the norm. But with four close games expected in the NFL's Divisional Round, any matchup could become reality with some upsets along the way. For my picks in those four games you can read my preview and predictions. The top five potential Super Bowl 53 possibilities weighs the potential excitement for the big game coupled with the likelihood of the matchup occuring. 5. New England Patriots Vs. Philadelphia Eagles We haven't had a Super Bowl rematch in back-to-back seasons since 199

In the Wildcard Round, I went with the road team, and consequently, underdog, in each of the four matchups. The bold strategy paid off, as three road teams pulled out victories. The only blemish on my 3-1 record was the Dallas Cowboys win over the Seattle Seahawks. Road wins will be tougher to come by in the second round of the NFL postseason. The four home teams are a combined 28-4, with the New England Patriots leading the pack at 8-0. The opposing road teams have road records at or above .500: except the Dallas Cowboys, the only team switching from home to road since last week. Without further ado let's dive in to this week's picks: #6 Indianapolis Colts (11-6) at #1 Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) Time: Saturday, 4:35 PM ET Line: Kansas City Chiefs (-5.5) Two quarterbacks expected to be faces of the league for years to come square off with an AFC Championship appearance on the line. Andrew Luck is looking to make his comeback season even sweeter, while Patri

The 2019 NFL Playoffs feel fresh and exciting. Yes, the New England Patriots have a first round bye, and the NFC field has some familiar faces. But overall, the playoff field feels like a breathe of fresh air with the Mitch Trubisky and the Chicago Bears, the new-look Baltimore Ravens with Lamar Jackson running the show, and the MVP-hopeful, high octane Patrick Mahommes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Above all, there's a feeling that any of the twelve teams could honestly make a run. Some are more likely than others, and as always, the top seeds have the easiest path to Super Bowl 53. The first round of the playoffs features four matchups that could go either way. The winners will face the daunting tasks of visiting Kansas City, New England, New Orleans, and Los Angeles: some of the toughest venues to win at during the regular season. #6 Indianapolis Colts at #3 Houston Texans Time: Saturday, 4:35 PM ET Line: Houston Texans (-2) The Indianapolis Colts have been su