Browsing: Score

Saturday’s clash in Norman comes at a pivotal point in the season for both Ole Miss and Oklahoma.

The Sooners are back home where they won Top 25 games already this season, but their playoff spot is in danger because of the defeat to the Texas Longhorns two weeks ago.

John Mateer didn’t look fully healthy in that game and he only had 164 total yards in last week’s win over South Carolina.

But where Oklahoma has been uber consistent is its defense. The Sooners’ only concession of 20 or more points came against Texas.

Ole Miss proved it could win a low-scoring game against LSU on September 27, but winning on the road against one of the nation’s top defenses is a whole other task.

Lane Kiffin’s team needs a win in Norman to solidfiy its playoff spot. If it wins on Saturday, it can cruise to 11-1 with an easy schedule.

Oklahoma only has ranked opponents left on its schedule. It feels like Saturday is a must-win because it is at home before a two-game road trip to Alabama and Tennessee.

The Sooners are going to have to win the game with defense, which is why the Under 52.5 feels like a far safer wager to make than betting on two teams facing a ton of pressure.

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Mitch Marner loves to “hear the love and the loudness” inside T-Mobile Arena, his new home arena with the Golden Knights.

Saturday he helped fuel the energy for an announced crowd of 17,811 by scoring his first two goals as a Knight, while Vegas cruised to a 6-1 win over the Calgary Flames.

OH WHAT A KNIGHT #VegasBorn | #TheGoldenAgepic.twitter.com/mQaes1MHKf

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 19, 2025

Vegas (4-0-2) extended its season-opening point streak to six games.

Team captain Mark Stone finished with two goals and two assists, while Jack Eichel had four assists.

Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev also scored for the Knights.

Adin Hill earned his first win of the season after stopping 26 shots, as he made his first start since exiting the game in Calgary on Tuesday.

“I felt in control the whole night,” Hill said. “They kept kind of looking for backdoor plays on the power play. And I was just trying to kind of stay in my net and keep my feet under me and do everything I came to be in position.”

And while the Flames finished 1 of 3 on the power play, Vegas was a perfect 3 of 3 with the man advantage.

The Golden Knights rank second in the NHL with their power play percentage (37.5%).

“It’s pretty fun,” Marner said of the power play. “So many different threats out there that make plays. For me, it’s just trying to find open ice for Jack to make his play. … They’ve done a great job down low, really making teams play in different areas there. It’s been a lot of fun to watch.”

Marner opened the scoring just 46 seconds into the game, bringing the home crowd to life immediately. But it was the 28-year-old forward’s crafty stick work that sent the crowd into a frenzy near the end of the second period.

First bit of Marner Magic in Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/cVUeSFg0u8

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 19, 2025

Marner extended Vegas’ lead to four goals when he gathered a pass from Stone during a power play, skated to the front of the crease and used a forehand-backhand deke to beat Calgary netminder Dustin Wolf

WHO DOES THIS?!?!?!? pic.twitter.com/4yPXZhdsIj

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 19, 2025

Marner now has eight points on the year, after assisting on six goals in the first five games.

Eichel, who extended his season-opening point streak to six games after finishing with four assists, owns the franchise record for the most points through the club’s first six games of the season. His 15 points lead the league, while his five multi-point games are the most by any skater this season.

Stone is second in the league with 13 points, including an NHL-high 11 assists. Eichel is just behind him with 10 helpers.

Two for Mark Stone tonight!! pic.twitter.com/qLdITBZymZ

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 19, 2025

Stone left the game in the third period after falling to the ice near the neutral zone, and immediately went to the locker room. Television replays showed him rotating his wrist. Cassidy said there were no immediate updates and he would know more by Monday’s morning skate ahead of Vegas’ game against Carolina.

Hertl, who scored his third goal of the season, played in the 797th game of his career. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Hertl will play in his 800th career game on Oct. 26 in Tampa, on the second of a back-to-back after visiting two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida.

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MONTREAL (AP) — Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists as the New York Rangers rallied to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Saturday night.

Mika Zibanejad had a goal and an assist, J.T. Miller also scored and Matthew Robertson got his first NHL goal for the Rangers. Adam Fox had two assists and Jonathan Quick finished with 21 saves to help New York improve to 3-0-1 on the road this season.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki scored in the opening 3:42 of the game for Montreal, and Noah Dobson had a goal midway through the third period after the Rangers had taken a two-goal lead. Sam Montembeault had 18 saves as the Canadiens snapped a four-game win streak.

Zibanejad got the Rangers on the scoreboard with a power-play goal with 8:04 left in the opening period.

New York then scored three times in the first 5:51 of the third to take a 4-2 lead.

Miller tied it 34 seconds into the period and Robertson put the Rangers ahead for good at 4:11 in the young defenseman’s sixth career game. Panarin made it a two-goal lead 1:40 later.

Montreal recalled Owen Beck on an emergency basis before the game and fellow center Joe Veleno also made his season debut after the team announced injuries to Kaiden Guhle, Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach earlier in the day.

Panarin now has 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) in 24 career games against the Canadiens.

Up next

Rangers: Host Minnesota on Monday to open a two-game homestand.

Canadiens: Host Buffalo on Monday to finish a four-game homestand.

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While many prefer more traditional formats when playing fantasy basketball, others are more willing to try new formats. With that in mind, Yahoo! Sports has introduced its new High Score fantasy basketball game. There are some differences between this league and the head-to-head and roto setups we’ve grown accustomed to over the years. Let’s look at how High Score is played, beginning with the rosters.

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– Each team has ten players, but only six will be active.

Lineups are set at the beginning of the week, with six active players and four on the bench. There are two guard slots for players with the point guard and/or shooting guard designation, three frontcourt slots (small forward, power forward and center) and one utility spot that can be occupied by any player regardless of position. The other four players will be on your bench, and you can slot them in at any point in the week.

However, there is a key factor that you’ll need to take into consideration when moving a bench player into the lineup for that week. The points accrued by the player you’ve decided to bench come off the board and can’t be recouped. Returning a benched player to the active lineup later in the week doesn’t do the trick; only the points earned in games from that point onward will be eligible. Each player’s high score from any game played during that week will count toward your team’s score, so targeting players capable of an explosive performance is the best way to approach your draft.

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– How does scoring work?

There are only five scoring categories for default High Score leagues, which are weighted.

Points: 1 point each

Rebounds: 1 point each

Assists: 2 points each

Steals: 3 points each

Blocks: 3 points each

For those who have played DFS, those point values will look somewhat similar, although rebounds and assists tend to count for 1.2 per rebound or assist. There are no decimals to deal with in High Score, only whole numbers. For those used to worrying about percentages or turnovers, those won’t matter in High Score. That boosts the values of players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young and Zion Williamson, to name a few.

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The game also limits some of the risk of drafting injury-prone players in other fantasy formats. Will you still use a first-round pick on Joel Embiid or Ja Morant, to name two players with prior injury issues? Probably not, but managers will be better positioned to compensate for a player missing time in High Score.

While the High Score format will take some getting used to, it’s a relatively simple deal from a scoring standpoint. The substitution situation and what that can do to weekly scoring may take many managers the most time to get used to, possibly losing a matchup or two. With these rules in mind, I recently entered a draft, hoping to craft a team that could do some damage in the High Score format.

I picked from the second slot in a 10-round snake draft, kicking things off with San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. Below is how the draft played out.

Round 1

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Nikola Jokić

Denver Nuggets

2

F,C

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

3

G

Luka DonÄić

Los Angeles Lakers

4

G

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City Thunder

5

F,C

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks

6

G

Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons

7

G

Anthony Edwards

Minnesota Timberwolves

8

G

Devin Booker

Phoenix Suns

9

F,C

Anthony Davis

Dallas Mavericks

10

G

Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks

Round 2

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

G

James Harden

LA Clippers

2

G

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors

3

F,C

Kevin Durant

Houston Rockets

4

F,C

Karl-Anthony Towns

New York Knicks

5

G

Tyrese Maxey

Philadelphia 76ers

6

G

Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland Cavaliers

7

G,F,C

Amen Thompson

Houston Rockets

8

F,C

Jalen Johnson

Atlanta Hawks

9

F,C

Alperen Şengün

Houston Rockets

10

F,C

Evan Mobley

Cleveland Cavaliers

Round 3

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

G

LaMelo Ball

Charlotte Hornets

2

G

Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks

3

F,C

Domantas Sabonis

Sacramento Kings

4

G,F,C

Scottie Barnes

Toronto Raptors

5

G

Josh Giddey

Chicago Bulls

6

F,C

Chet Holmgren

Oklahoma City Thunder

7

F,C

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics

8

F,C

Jalen Williams

Oklahoma City Thunder

9

F,C

Pascal Siakam

Indiana Pacers

10

G

Jamal Murray

Denver Nuggets

Round 4

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Memphis Grizzlies

2

F,C

LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers

3

F,C

Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat

4

G

Derrick White

Boston Celtics

5

F,C

Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic

6

F,C

Franz Wagner

Orlando Magic

7

F,C

Trey Murphy

New Orleans Pelicans

8

G

Austin Reaves

Los Angeles Lakers

9

G,F,C

Dyson Daniels

Atlanta Hawks

10

G

Deâ€Aaron Fox

San Antonio Spurs

Round 5

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans

2

F,C

Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers

3

F,C

Jimmy Butler

Golden State Warriors

4

F,C

Ivica Zubac

LA Clippers

5

G,F,C

Desmond Bane

Orlando Magic

6

F,C

Brandon Miller

Charlotte Hornets

7

F,C

Kawhi Leonard

LA Clippers

8

F,C

Deni Avdija

Portland Trail Blazers

9

F,C

Kristaps Porziņģis

Atlanta Hawks

10

F,C

Cooper Flagg

Dallas Mavericks

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Round 6

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Myles Turner

Milwaukee Bucks

2

G

Ja Morant

Memphis Grizzlies

3

G,F,C

Brandon Ingram

Toronto Raptors

4

F,C

Miles Bridges

Charlotte Hornets

5

F,C

Walker Kessler

Utah Jazz

6

F,C

Nikola VuÄević

Chicago Bulls

7

G

Darius Garland

Cleveland Cavaliers

8

F,C

DeMar DeRozan

Sacramento Kings

9

F,C

OG Anunoby

New York Knicks

10

F,C

Lauri Markkanen

Utah Jazz

Round 7

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Jalen Duren

Detroit Pistons

2

G,F,C

Cam Thomas

Brooklyn Nets

3

G

Zach LaVine

Sacramento Kings

4

F,C

Deandre Ayton

Los Angeles Lakers

5

G

Coby White

Chicago Bulls

6

F,C

Jarrett Allen

Cleveland Cavaliers

7

G

Immanuel Quickley

Toronto Raptors

8

G

Tyler Herro

Miami Heat

9

G

Jordan Poole

New Orleans Pelicans

10

G

Payton Pritchard

Boston Celtics

Round 8

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

G

Andrew Nembhard

Indiana Pacers

2

F,C

Julius Randle

Minnesota Timberwolves

3

F,C

Isaiah Hartenstein

Oklahoma City Thunder

4

F,C

Rudy Gobert

Minnesota Timberwolves

5

F,C

Jakob Poeltl

Toronto Raptors

6

F,C

Mark Williams

Phoenix Suns

7

F,C

Matas Buzelis

Chicago Bulls

8

G,F,C

Paul George

Philadelphia 76ers

9

G,F,C

Shaedon Sharpe

Portland Trail Blazers

10

F,C

Michael Porter Jr.

Brooklyn Nets

Round 9

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

G,F,C

Bennedict Mathurin

Indiana Pacers

2

F,C

Ausar Thompson

Detroit Pistons

3

F,C

Donovan Clingan

Portland Trail Blazers

4

F,C

Mikal Bridges

New York Knicks

5

G,F,C

Christian Braun

Denver Nuggets

6

G

Jalen Green

Phoenix Suns

7

G,F,C

Norman Powell

Miami Heat

8

G

Anfernee Simons

Boston Celtics

9

G,F,C

Bradley Beal

LA Clippers

10

G,F,C

Devin Vassell

San Antonio Spurs

Round 10

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Cameron Johnson

Denver Nuggets

2

F,C

John Collins

LA Clippers

3

F,C

Draymond Green

Golden State Warriors

4

F,C

Alex Sarr

Washington Wizards

5

F,C

Kelâ€el Ware

Miami Heat

6

F,C

Dereck Lively II

Dallas Mavericks

7

G

Kevin Porter Jr.

Milwaukee Bucks

8

F,C

Onyeka Okongwu

Atlanta Hawks

9

F,C

RJ Barrett

Toronto Raptors

10

F,C

Naz Reid

Minnesota Timberwolves

Final team:

F,C Victor Wembanyama
F,C Alperen Şengün
G Jalen Brunson
G,F,C Dyson Daniels
F,C Joel Embiid
F,C OG Anunoby
G,F,C Cam Thomas
G,F,C Shaedon Sharpe
F,C Ausar Thompson
F,C RJ Barrett

Drafting a player of Wembanyama’s caliber who can offer elite value in all five scoring categories opens things up regarding crafting your High Score team. I leaned toward offense with Åžengün and Brunson, but Daniels was a must-have for me in the fourth round. Even with the second pick of the fifth round, I was unwilling to risk losing out on a defender of his caliber, especially after he racked up 229 steals and 55 blocked shots in 2024-25.

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The back half of my draft focused primarily on players capable of putting in an explosive offensive performance, especially Thomas and Sharpe. The former is entering a contract year on a rebuilding team, while the latter is under similar pressure in Portland. Thompson hasn’t been an explosive offensive option in Detroit, but I believe in what he brings to the table defensively. And with Jaden Ivey out to begin the regular season, there may be more room for Thompson to spread his wings as a slasher within the Pistons’ offense.

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LOS ANGELES — Filip Hallander scored his first career goal to give Pittsburgh the lead, and the Penguins rallied to beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2.

Hallander, playing in his seventh NHL game, jammed in Rickard Rakellâ€s rebound at the near post for the short-handed goal at 6:50 of the third period to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead in the second game of a three-game California swing.

Evgeni Malkin, Connor Dewar and Sidney Crosby also scored, and Arturs Silovs made 30 saves for the Penguins.

Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala scored in the first period to give the Kings a 2-0 lead after one, but LA lost its third in a row. Anton Forsberg made 22 saves.

The Penguins scored goals 41 seconds apart in the second period to tie it at 2-all, as Malkin kick-started the push back on the power play.

It was the 1,000th career game together for the Pittsburgh tandem of Crosby — who picked up a late empty-netter — and Kris Letang, making them the seventh NHL forward-defenceman duo to share the ice in that many games.

MAPLE LEAFS 2, PANTHERS 1

TORONTO — Auston Matthews scored 58 seconds into overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Matthew Knies also scored for Toronto, William Nylander had two assists and Anthony Stolarz made 28 saves.

Juuso Parssinen scored for New York. Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 shots.

Matthews took a pass from Nylander on a 2-on-1 in the extra period after Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad fanned on a terrific chance at the other end.

Knies opened the scoring on Torontoâ€s second power play of the night midway through the first period off Nylanderâ€s setup to snap the Maple Leafs†0-for-9 stretch on the man advantage to start the season.

Parssinen tied it early in the third period for New Yorkâ€s first goal in 170 minutes 39 seconds.

NEWARK, N.J. — Timo Meier and Nico Hischier scored in the third period and Jake Allen made 21 saves as New Jersey won its home opener over Florida.

Meier beat Florida netminder Daniil Tarasov with his team-best third goal of the season at 6:23, snapping a 1-all tie before Hischier added his second of the season at 11:47.

Jack Hughes also scored for New Jersey, which won its third straight game after a season-opening loss at Carolina.

Floridaâ€s Evan Rodrigues opened the scoring 1:59 into the game, tapping a loose puck past Allen for his second goal of the season.

Hughes knotted the contest with his first at 5:48 of the second, with assists to Meier and Jesper Bratt. The assist was the 300th of Brattâ€s career. Hughes was limited to 62 games last season during which he scored 27 goals for the second straight year.

PHILADELPHIA — Mark Scheifele scored a pair of goals to tie the record for the most career points in Jets franchise history, Connor Hellebuyck made 15 saves, and Winnipeg beat Philadelphia.

Scheifele tied Blake Wheeler with 812 points for the franchise, which includes the teamâ€s years in Atlanta.

On his first goal, Scheifele fired a snap shot from the right circle past Philadelphia goalie Sam Ersson, beating him over his glove to put the Jets ahead 2-0 at 7:01 of the second period.

His second goal was a one-timer from the left circle on the power play in the third period to extend the lead to 4-1.

CANADIENS 3, PREDATORS 2, OT

MONTREAL — Cole Caufield scored with two seconds left in overtime after tying it with 19.5 to go in regulation, leading Montreal to a victory over Nashville.

Caufield scored in overtime for the second straight game. On Tuesday night, he also scored in regulation and overtime against Seattle. He has five goals this season.

Rookie Oliver Kapanen also scored to help Montreal win its fourth straight game. Backup netminder Jakub Dobes stopped 17 shots in his second start of the year.

Steven Stamkos and Nick Perbix scored for Nashville. Juuse Saros made 27 saves.

NEW YORK — Bo Horvat tied it short-handed in the second period, scored the go-ahead goal on the power play and finished off the hat trick with an empty-netter with 8.1 seconds left to help New York pick up its first win of the season by rallying to defeat Edmonton.

Seven seconds after Trent Frederic high-sticked Matthew Schaefer, Horvat beat Stuart Skinner with 4:46 left to bring fans — some of whom were booing the home team earlier — to their feet. Mat Barzal had the Islanders†first goal and the primary assist on Horvatâ€s game-winner, while David Rittich stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced at the other end of the ice in his Islanders debut.

Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard gave the puck away on an inexplicable turnover in the neutral zone to set up Barzalâ€s goal and was the last player back on the power play who let Horvat past him for a breakaway on Skinner. Bouchard, who is the fourth-highest-paid player at his position in the NHL and tied for 14th among all players at a salary cap hit of $10.5 million, also coughed the puck up to cause several quality scoring chances against.

Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play, his third goal this season, off a feed from Connor McDavid, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had Edmontonâ€s other goal. Skinner was hardly to blame in allowing three goals on 24 shots as teammates hung him out to dry on multiple occasions with mistakes all over in a back-and-forth, fast-paced game, including Fredericâ€s ill-timed penalty.

AVALANCHE 4, BLUE JACKETS 1

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals, Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 shots and Colorado beat Columbus.

Nichushkin scored in the second period on a tip-in and added an empty-net goal with just under two minutes left to cap the Avalancheâ€s fourth win in five games (4-0-1) to open the season.

Coloradoâ€s Cale Makar scored in the second period to reach 434 points, third-most by a defenceman through 400 games in NHL history behind Bobby Orr (508) and Paul Coffey (475). The goal was Makarâ€s 118th, moving him ahead of George Boucher for fifth-most by a defenceman through 400 games.

Brock Nelson also scored for Colorado.

Columbus†Ivan Provorov had a goal in his 700th career game and Elvis Merzļikins had 32 saves.

OTTAWA, Ontario — Shane Pinto scored his sixth goal of the season and added the shootout winner in Ottawaâ€s victory over Seattle.

Ottawa rallied to end a three-game losing streak, tying it on Dylan Cozens†goal with 1:46 remaining in regulation. David Perron had a power-play goal, and Linus Ullmark stopped 30 shots.

Chandler Stephenson scored twice for Seattle, giving the Kraken a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal early in the third. Shane Wright also scored for the Kraken, and Philipp Grubauer made 21 saves.

DALLAS — Max Sasson scored the last of Vancouverâ€s three goals in a span of 3:26 in the second period and the Canucks rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat Dallas.

Dallas scored at least four goals in each of its first three games this season and jumped on the Canucks with goals by Mavrik Bourque and Mikko Rantanen in the first period.

Vancouver responded midway through the second period on goals by Filip Chytil, Brock Boeser and Sasson. Conor Garland put Vancouver up 4-2 late in the period, but Wyatt Johnston scored his fourth goal of the season with 2:08 left in the third.

Quinn Hughes, who assisted on Boeserâ€s goal, sealed the Canucks†win with an empty-net goal on a pass from Garland. Thatcher Demko had 28 saves.

Casey DeSmith had 21 saves for Dallas.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Seth Jarvis scored his 100th and 101st NHL goals and added an assist, and Carolina remained the NHLâ€s only unbeaten team with a victory over Anaheim.

Alexander Nikishin scored his first NHL goal and Shayne Gostisbehere matched his career high with three assists for the Hurricanes, who improved to 4-0-0 with their second win to start a six-game trip.

Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist and Frederik Andersen made 23 saves against his former team for Carolina. Jarvis scored the Canes†first two goals, giving him five in four games during his sizzling start.

The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference finals last summer, and they appear loaded for another memorable season after outscoring their opponents 19-8 so far. Jarvis, Nikishin, Gostisbehere, Aho and Jackson Blake have all scored in each of Carolinaâ€s first four games.

Leo Carlsson scored and Lukas Dostal stopped 27 shots for the Ducks in their first home defeat under new coach Joel Quenneville.

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IND vs WI Live Score, 2nd Test Match Day 1: Team India enters the second and final Test against West Indies with a focus on assessing Sai Sudharsanâ€s form and Nitish Kumar Reddyâ€s utility in home conditions.

The visitors, once a formidable force, now appear rudderless, a pale shadow of their past, with many players reluctant or lacking opportunities in T20 leagues. Their innings defeat in Ahmedabad underscored the decline, which head coach Darren Sammy described as a “terminal disease.†Legends Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Richie Richardson, and Brian Lara offered guidance during a mentoring session, but the West Indies dressing room still struggles for direction and belief.

For India, the match is about more than winning the series. Itâ€s an opportunity to strengthen their World Test Championship position and build confidence ahead of the home series against South Africa. Nitish Kumar Reddy retains his spot for his seam-bowling skills, while Sudharsan faces scrutiny after six low scores in seven innings, despite backing from skipper Shubman Gill. The depth of Indiaâ€s batting, including in-form KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, and Ravindra Jadeja, makes the hosts overwhelming favourites.

The Feroz Shah Kotla pitch, a black soil track with a dry patch, promises good value for shots and quick finishes. Indiaâ€s top order is expected to dominate a West Indies attack where only Jayden Seals impressed in the first Test.

With a sharper focus, superior depth, and home advantage, Team India appears set for another ruthless, possibly three-day, victory, reinforcing the wide gap in belief and purpose between the two sides.

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The location changed for Game 3 of the NLDS between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, but the scoring cadence didnâ€t. There were first-inning fireworks in the Friendly Confines, too.

In an NL Central division showdown that produced 13 first-inning runs in the first two games, the Cubs put up a four-spot in the opening frame Wednesday, igniting the Wrigley Field fans desperate for more playoff baseball.

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They’re getting it.

The Cubs maintained their lead the rest of the way, even as the Brewers chipped away, and staved off elimination with a 4-3 victory. Milwaukeeâ€s series lead is down to 2-1, and Game 4 is Thursday at Wrigley.

[Get more Chicago news: Cubs team feed]

In the top of the first inning, the Brewers staked themselves to a 1-0 advantage, in large part thanks to Christian Yelich, who ripped a leadoff double off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon and then scored on a sac fly from Sal Frelick.

While the veteran Taillon ultimately recovered and turned in four innings of work, the same couldnâ€t be said for 25-year-old Brewers righty Quinn Priester. Pitching against the team he grew up rooting for, Priester battled command issues and gave up four runs and two walks in two-thirds of an inning before he was yanked.

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Redeeming himself after losing an infield popup in the sun that advanced Yelich to third in the first frame, Michael Busch blasted a leadoff homer for the second time in the series. Not even swirling Wrigley Field winds could keep this one out of the right-field bleachers.

The Cubs then loaded the bases, and Pete Crow-Armstrong smacked a two-out, two-RBI single to right, chasing Priester and forcing Brewers manager Pat Murphy into a bullpen game early.

In came Nick Mears, the first of five additional Milwaukee arms deployed Wednesday. Almost instantly, Mears fired a wild pitch that catcher William Contreras couldnâ€t corral while Crow-Armstrong swiped second. Ian Happ scored as a result, making it a 4-1 game.

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From there, the Cubs didn’t score again, and the Brewers chipped away at their deficit throughout the night.

Jake Bauers delivered an RBI single in the top of the fourth, and in the seventh, he teed off on reliever Andrew Kittredge’s first pitch, sending a solo shot over the left-center wall and cutting the Cubs†lead to 4-3.

Milwaukee threatened to break hearts in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs, and Bauers came up again with the tying run 90 feet away. Fortunately for Chicago, Brad Keller blew by Bauers with a 97-mph, four-seam fastball up in the zone for a clutch strikeout.

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With that, Keller secured the four-out save in the ninth and extended the Cubs’ playoff run at least one more day. Game 4 is scheduled for 9:08 p.m. ET Thursday in Chicago.

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The SEC has its share of important Week 7 games as well.

The Alabama Crimson Tide continue a brutal stretch of their schedule with a road clash against the Missouri Tigers.

Bama beat the Georgia Bulldogs on the road and then fended off the Vanderbilt Commodores in consecutive weeks. After Saturday’s trip to Columbia, Bama is back home against the Tennessee Volunteers.

Mizzou’s played far less of a brutal schedule, but it be able to catch Alabama at a difficult part of its own SEC slate.

Bama needs its defense to travel to avoid an upset and continues its push toward the top five.

The Crimson Tide limited Georgia to 21 points and held three other opponents to 14 points or fewer in their three other victories.

Containing the Beau Pribula-Ahmad Hardy duo will be tough because Bama averages 155.5 rush yards allowed per game.

Alabama does boast the nation’s fifth-best passing defense, so if it can slow down Hardy out of the backfield, it can limit Pribula’s passing potential.

Mizzou has some impressive defensive numbers of its own. The Tigers allow 203.8 yards per game, the second-fewest total in the country, but they’ve only played two power-four schools.

Saturday’s game will be the true test of Mizzou’s defense, but right now, Bama has the more proven unit.

Prediction: Alabama (-3.5)

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Yahooâ€s High Score format changes how we view fantasy basketball sleepers. Since only your best game of the week counts, consistency matters less, and upside matters more. You’re required to start at least three frontcourt players in your lineup. Rebounds (1 point) aren’t as valuable in High Score, but there’s no shortage of versatile forwards and centers who will run your numbers up.

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. Create or join a league]

Below are five sleeper frontcourt players outside the top 100 in ADP who could become difference-makers in High Score.

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Dereck Lively, Dallas Mavericks

Current ADP: 119.0

High Score Impact

Lively quietly ranked in the top 25 among frontcourt players in fantasy points per minute (FPPM) last season, posting an impressive 1.19 fantasy points per minute (FPPM) in High Score. He also receives a short-term boost with Daniel Gafford missing 2-3 weeks due to an ankle sprain. Lively has a double-double with multiple-stock upside, and at 119, that’s well worth the price.

Standard Points Outlook

At 1.15 FPPM in standard points leagues, he provides solid frontcourt depth as you’re nearing the back end of drafts. The minutes will be there initially, so he’ll get plenty of rebounds and blocks to be fantasy relevant in this format.

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Category League Fit

Lively helps anchor FG percentage while generating blocks and boards. Apparently, he’s been working on his 3-ball, too, so pencil in another category that’ll boost his value. Even if he doesn’t take a step forward as a scorer, he’s healthy with his role well-defined as a rim protector who holds down the paint.

Tari Eason, Houston Rockets

Current ADP: 123.0

High Score Impact

Eason finished in the 91st percentile (1.17) in fantasy points per minute among players who played a minimum of 500 minutes last season. Even in a bench role, he provides starter-level production. Like Lively, Eason’s value went up due to injury. Dorian Finney-Smith is still recovering from ankle surgery and will likely miss opening night. Eason’s disruptive defense (97 steals, 50 blocks in 57 games) translates perfectly to this format.

Learn more about High Score

Standard Points Outlook

Finney-Smith’s injury gives me more confidence in targeting Eason in all formats. He’ll have moments of playing 28-30 minutes where he’ll go off in points, rebounds and especially in stocks. He averaged 28 fantasy points per game in standard leagues last year, so 30 per game is very attainable.

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Category League Fit

His value is best suited for 9-cat because his stocks and versatility shine through. Whether starting or coming off the bench, he’s a top-100 player in both fantasy and real life.

Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies

Current ADP: 115.0

High Score Impact

Aldama produced a respectable 1.11 High Score FPPM last season, showing his ability to chip in across the board. While not a flashy player, he can shoot, is a decent rebounder and is a low-key good at passing. Aldama had 15 games with five or more assists last year. The injuries to Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke opened up a huge chance for Aldama to produce right away and fantasy managers should draft him.

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Standard Points Outlook

At 1.06 FPPM, heâ€s more than serviceable with an increased role to start the season. Aldama has a 40-50 point boom potential (he fell within that range 10 times last year).

Category League Fit

Aldama posted career highs in six of nine categories last year, was rewarded with a new contract and will get a ton of minutes due to injuries in the Grizzlies frontcourt. I’d draft him well ahead of his ADP.

Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz

Current ADP: 135.0

High Score Impact

I’m probably early on Bailey. However, his style of play screams boom-or-bust, which aligns with High Score’s brand. He gets buckets and can step into being the second option offensively. He rebounds decently well and his athleticism should net some stocks. He’s a guy I’ll draft to fill out my depth with upside.

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Standard Points Outlook

Most young, high volatility scorers perform better in points leagues. Bailey’s no different. Not having to worry about efficiency is a nice bonus when drafting rookies.

Category League Fit

I’m not as high on Bailey in 9-cat because he profiles as a player who will be too inconsistent to rely on if building a balanced squad.

Other frontcourt sleeper options:

• Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies (ADP 140.6)

• Jay Huff, Indiana Pacers (ADP 139.0)

• Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors (ADP: 130.0)

• Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics (ADP:140.8)

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England vs South Africa Live Score, Women’s World Cup 2025: England will begin their ICC Womenâ€s World Cup campaign against South Africa with an eye on neutralizing the Proteas†key players, especially captain Laura Wolvaardt. Speaking ahead of the match, England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt highlighted Wolvaardtâ€s threat, saying, “If you let her get going, it is difficult to get her out. So, we will be putting our plans in place for her. Obviously, they have had a very good opening partnership in the last series they played, so it will be important for us to get their wickets early.â€

Wolvaardt, a seasoned batter and South Africaâ€s top ODI run-getter, has amassed 4,651 runs in 110 matches at an average of 48.95, with nine centuries and 35 fifties. Since becoming captain in 2021, she has further elevated her game, scoring 1,523 runs in 32 matches at an average of 56.40, while leading South Africa to 16 wins. Heather Knight, former England skipper, described her as a “calm leader†whose batting has reached a new level under her captaincy.

Tazmin Brits, Wolvaardtâ€s opening partner, is in exceptional form this year, with 643 runs in nine innings at an average of 91.85, including four centuries and a fifty. Her recent performances feature a hat-trick of centuries, with scores of 171* against Pakistan and other big knocks against West Indies and Pakistan, underscoring the challenge for Englandâ€s bowlers.

Two-time champions England have assembled a balanced squad led by Sciver-Brunt, featuring Tammy Beaumont, Sophie Ecclestone, Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, and others. The team will aim to strike early, particularly against South Africaâ€s dangerous top order, to secure momentum in their opening fixture.

The clash is expected to be a high-stakes contest, with England eager to start their World Cup campaign with a win, while South Africa will rely on Wolvaardtâ€s consistency and the destructive form of Brits to challenge the defending champions. Tactical planning, execution in the powerplay, and key individual performances will likely determine the outcome of this opening encounter.

England won the toss and Nat Sciver-Brunt has opted to field against South Africa Women.

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