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  • 2025-26 college football bowl confidence picks, predictions, computer projections

    2025-26 college football bowl confidence picks, predictions, computer projections

    Eleven 2025-26 college football bowl games and four playoff matchup are in the books, but some bowl confidence pools remain open for entries or modifications as there are around 30 matchups remaining to make college football bowl picks on before the curtain closes on this season. The biggest remaining college football spread has Utah as a 15.5-point favorite over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 31 as Kyle Whittingham will coach his final game for the Utes. While putting faith in big favorites is a part of just about everyone’s college football bowl confidence strategy, correctly predicting a couple upsets can give you a big edge in any football pools. 

    Anticipated matchups outside of the CFP include Penn State vs. Clemson (-3), Vanderbilt (-5.5) vs. Iowa, Georgia Tech vs. BYU (-4), Tennessee vs. Illinois (+2.5) and Michigan vs. Texas (-7.5). Before making any college football predictions for bowl season, be sure to see the latest college football bowl confidence picks from SportsLine’s proven model.

    New users can also target the latest Underdog promo code, good for $75 in site credits when you play $5 with the promo code CBSSPORTS2 in select states.

    The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times, and it is 31-19 on its top-rated college football money-line picks since the beginning of the 2024 season. 

    Now, it has turned its attention to the latest college football odds and 2025-26 bowl season college football betting for confidence pools. Head here to see every pick. 

    New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets if your bet wins:

    Top 2025-26 college football bowl confidence picks  

    One of the model’s most confident picks is that No. 16 USC (-6.5), who will have quarterback Jayden Maiava, gets a…

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  • Where to watch Lions vs. Vikings: Live stream, kickoff time, prediction for Christmas Day

    Where to watch Lions vs. Vikings: Live stream, kickoff time, prediction for Christmas Day

    Imagn Images

    In a special Christmas afternoon game, the Minnesota Vikings host the division rival Detroit Lions.

    Minnesota has won three games in a row to improve its record to 7-8. The Vikings had previously lost six out of seven to drop from 3-2 to 4-8, so it’s been quite the turnaround. Those three games all came against the NFC East, though, and the competition will be tougher here.

    Detroit has lost two in a row and three of its last four as it has been trying to stay in the thick of the playoff race. The Lions are coming off a wild loss to the Steelers wherein they scored two potential game-winning touchdowns on their final drive, only to have both negated by penalty. They need to come away with a win here in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.

    Will the Lions keep their playoff hopes alive, or will the Vikings put a fork on their division rivals? We’ll find out soon enough. But before we detail at some key storylines, here’s a look at how you can watch the game.

    Where to watch Vikings vs. Lions

    Date: Thursday, Dec. 25 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ETLocation: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)Stream: NetflixFollow: CBS Sports AppOdds: Lions -7.5, O/U 43.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook

    Key Storylines

    Lions’ playoff chances. Detroit’s postseason hopes are on life support. Detroit is sitting in eighth place in the NFC, 1.5 games back of the seventh-place Packers. The Lions need to win both of their remaining games, and have the Packers lose both of their remaining games. The Vikings will play a big role in that effort, because they play the Lions and Packers in their last two games of the year. So, Detroit has to beat Minnesota and then root as hard as possible for Minnesota next week. Max Brosmer’s second chance? In Brosmer’s first…..

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  • California WR hits sick backflip after perfect TD catch

    California WR hits sick backflip after perfect TD catch

    California WR hits sick backflip after perfect TD catch appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

    California football and Hawaii became the Christmas Eve entertainment on the gridiron. Even during a time Cal builds its first Tosh Lupoi led coaching staff. Except a Golden Bears wide receiver delivered the most electrifying moment — on a backflip.

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    Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele returned to his native state for the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. “JKS” unleashed a wicked bomb to Jacob De Jesus for the game’s opening touchdown from 41 yards out.

    But the diminutive running back/wide receiver got fans energized with his next end zone stunt after the TD:

    De Jesus ended up nearing 100 receiving yards before the fourth quarter against the Rainbow Warriors. He arrived as a prized College Football Transfer Portal addition — who even scored against Cal in the 2024 LA Bowl with UNLV.

    Cal vs. Hawaii featuring reunion angles

    Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

    The 2025 Hawaii Bowl ended up becoming a reunion of sorts. And not just limited to Cal’s prized true freshman quarterback.

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    Golden Bears interim head coach Nick Rolovich has familiarity with the venue and opponent — as he once led Hawaii. “Rolo” went 28-27 overall on the island and guided three bowl appearances. Ironically, all three postseason nods ended in the very bowl game he coached Cal in on Wednesday. Rolovich went 2-1 in the Hawaii Bowl with the ‘Bows.

    He ultimately left Hawaii following a 10-5 campaign in 2019 and accepted the job at Washington State. That stay, however, became truncated amid his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccination per mandated state of Washington rules.

    The Bay Area native Rolovich, though, has made a new permanent home…

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  • Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 17: J.J. McCarthy’s hand, updates on Rome Odunze, Javonte Williams

    Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 17: J.J. McCarthy’s hand, updates on Rome Odunze, Javonte Williams

    Staying up to date on NFL injury news is of the utmost importance for fantasy football success. The article below tracks all fantasy-relevant players currently listed on their team’s injury report, and provides fantasy managers with actionable recommendations as new information rolls in.

    Check back for updates from Tuesday through Saturday.

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    Don’t forget: Check out the Rotoworld player news feed for all the latest news, notes, and transactions around the league.

    **UPDATED AS OF WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24TH AT 8:15 PM ET**

    AFC East

    ◆ Buffalo Bills

    Josh Allen – QB (foot)

    Head coach Sean McDermott labeled Allen day-to-day with a foot injury sustained in Week 16. He was limited on Wednesday.

    Fantasy Impact: Allen picked up the injury in the second quarter and did not miss an offensive snap, indicating he will be out there on Sunday. He remains a locked-in QB1 after his worst fantasy outing since his rookie season.

    Dalton Kincaid – TE (knee)

    Kincaid and backup tight end Dawson Knox were both sidelined by knee injuries on Wednesday.

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    Fantasy Impact: Likely none. Kincaid continues to struggle through the knee injury on game day and Knox is not fantasy-relevant.

    Matt Prater – K (quad)

    Prater remains sidelined on Wednesday after sitting out in Week 16.

    Fantasy Impact: The Bills signed kicker Michael Badgley to kick in Prater’s stead. He is barely on the K1 radar.

    ◆ Miami Dolphins

    Jaylen Waddle – WR (knee)

    Waddle is practicing fully for Week 17 against the Buccaneers.

    Fantasy Impact: Waddle will be available on Sunday, barring a setback.

    Tyreek Hill – WR (knee)

    Hill suffered a dislocated knee in the team’s Week 4 win over the Jets. His season is over.

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    Fantasy Impact: Hill’s absence likely places additional emphasis on the short-to-intermediate areas of the field, increasing the expected target volume for De’Von Achane, Darren Waller, and Jaylen Waddle.

    ◆ New England Patriots

    TreVeyon Henderson – RB (concussion)

    Henderson departed in the second quarter of…

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  • NFL picks, best bets, player props: This Christmas Day parlay returns 9-1

    NFL picks, best bets, player props: This Christmas Day parlay returns 9-1

    The NFL Christmas Day tradition is a relatively new one, but most fans won’t complain about spending another holiday watching football. One could make a Christmas NFL parlay from the three games on this year’s slate, featuring Cowboys vs. Commanders (+7 at DraftKings) at 1 p.m. ET, Lions vs. Vikings (+7.5) at 4:30 p.m. ET and Chiefs vs. Broncos (-13.5) at 8:15 p.m. ET. A football parlay could consist of NFL player props, spread picks, over/under bets, money line predictions, or some combination of those. Players one could target with anytime touchdown NFL props include CeeDee Lamb (+115), Jahmyr Gibbs (-195), Justin Jefferson (+140) and RJ Harvey (-120).

    The Chiefs are used to being favored by double-digits rather than underdogs, but that’s their reality with backup quarterback, Gardner Minshew, now out after injuring his knee a week after Patrick Mahomes did the same. Underdogs of 13-plus points are 1-10 straight up this season but are 7-4 against the spread. Thus, making NFL bets that back the Broncos to win but the Chiefs to cover could be two legs of your NFL Christmas Day parlay. Before locking in any Christmas NFL picks or NFL parlays, be sure to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.

    New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets if your bet wins, on picks like Lamb as an anytime touchdown scorer. Bet it at DraftKings right here:

    The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 17 on a 53-37 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Anybody following its NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.

    Now, the model has scoured the Week 17 NFL odds and locked in four confident NFL best bets for Christmas Day. If you successfully parlay its picks, you’d…

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  • NFL, NBA load up with Christmas action; J.J. McCarthy out with broken hand

    NFL, NBA load up with Christmas action; J.J. McCarthy out with broken hand

    This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

    Good morning and Merry Christmas Eve! Carter Bahns with you as the holiday season continues to ramp up. We have the Hawaii Bowl to look forward to tonight and a slate of NBA and NFL action set for tomorrow.

    We’ll preview all of that action in today’s newsletter, take a quick break on Christmas Day and return to our regularly scheduled programming on Dec. 26 with a look ahead to the weekend.

    Let’s go!

    🎄 Five things to know Wednesday

    NFL Week 17 opens with a Christmas tripleheader. Things could get lopsided on Thursday as the Cowboys, Lions and Broncos are favored over their respective opponents by at least a touchdown. The sizable spreads are unsurprising considering the Commanders, Vikings and Chiefs have all been eliminated from playoff contention and will be rolling with backup quarterbacks. Speaking of the playoffs, the Packers can clinch a spot in the postseason even though they do not play until Saturday. A Lions loss or tie would secure a playoff berth for Green Bay.The NBA’s Christmas schedule features five marquee matchups. The matinee between the Spurs and Thunder headlines the slate, but there is not a bad game on the schedule as projected playoff teams and hopefuls go head-to-head over 10 nonstop hours of basketball. LeBron James makes his 20th Christmas game appearance when the Lakers host the Rockets, and three other showdowns round out the day: Knicks vs. Cavaliers, Warriors vs. Mavericks and Nuggets vs. Timberwolves.Travis Kelce headlines the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl Games rosters. The Chiefs tight end led the fan vote for the second consecutive season and…..

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  • Trent Williams on Brock Purdy: You can’t fool grown men, he’s just a baller

    Trent Williams on Brock Purdy: You can’t fool grown men, he’s just a baller

    49ers quarterback Brock Purdy put on a show on Monday night against the Colts, tossing five touchdowns in the 48-27 victory.

    San Francisco is now 6-1 in games Purdy has started this season, which is part of why the club is in a position to potentially grab the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a coveted bye for the first round of the postseason.

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    Purdy’s success isn’t anything new, with left tackle Trent Williams explaining part of what’s set up the quarterback’s strong performances after Monday’s game.

    “You know, when you’re in that huddle, there’s only one voice speaking, right? And you’ve got 10 grown men staring at you,” Williams said in his press conference. “And you can’t fool grown men, right? The confidence that he has in that huddle no matter what phase of the game, those long play-calls, just getting everybody where they need to be, I mean — from A to Z he does it at a really high level.

    “I say it all the time — he’s a god send, man, for us to get him where we got him. Obviously, he’s getting what he deserves now. But … he’s still the same guy. Still the same guy from his rookie year. He’s just a baller, man.”

    Purdy finished Monday night’s victory 25-of-34 for 295 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. In his seven games this year, Purdy has completed 68.8 percent of his throws for 1,737 yards with 17 touchdowns and eight picks.

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  • Jumbo Package: Alabama and Indiana share all kinds of ties

    Jumbo Package: Alabama and Indiana share all kinds of ties

    Merry almost Christmas, everyone. With Alabama off until New Years, there’s not too much going on today. But feel free to hang out and talk.

    Can Zabien Brown get one more touchdown before he goes pro next year? My money is on yes.

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    I think there’s also a very good chance he’s the top cornerback in the 2027 draft. For my money, he’s been the best player on Alabama’s team this year.

    On defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, who was on staff with DeBoer at Indiana, and how their time at IU influenced DeBoer to hire Wommack at Alabama …

    DeBOER: “Yeah, I’m probably missing some — Coach Ballou, Coach Sheridan — but your reference to Kane, here’s what I saw when I was there. First of all, a guy that really wanted me to come, be a part of it. And then when I was there, doing everything he could to be a team player. Focused on running a defense — I was the offensive coordinator — but practice plans, whatever it was, be willing to work to do whatever was best for our team, not just his side of the ball.

    “Then there obviously has to be a production and a style of coaching that you feel fits. And whether it’s what he does as a defensive coordinator or especially down here now with his home for the most part being down here in the East what he could bring as far as familiarity to the league, the region. It was just a great fit, a great opportunity.

    “And for him to jump on board and be a part of this, see what he’s done with our defense, he’s a great coach, great person, great family man. Our players really believe in him. Our staff does, too, as he manages them. It’s been really a great opportunity. And I’m glad that he was a big part of me coming there, trying to get me to Indiana. I’m glad he returned the favor and came when I called him as well.”

    The crossover between Alabama and…

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