Saturday’s 6-pack:
Week 16 NFL spreads:
— Jaguars @ Denver (-3.5)
— Falcons (-3) @ Arizona
— Raiders @ Houston (-14.5)
— Steelers @ Detroit (-7)
— Patriots @ Baltimore (-3)
— 49ers (-5.5) @ Indianapolis
Quote of the Day
“My guess is most of the teams will not allow their pitchers to do it. That would be my guess.”
Reds manager Terry Francona, on whether teams will let their pitchers use the new challenge system when the season starts. Only pitchers, catchers, hitters can challenge pitches.
Saturday’s quiz
On the old TV show Seinfeld, what well-known actor played George Costanza’s father?
Friday’s quiz
Shreveport, LA hosts the Independence Bowl every year.
Thursday’s quiz
In 1995, Montreal Expos drafted Tom Brady as a catcher.
*****************************************
Oklahoma led 17-0 early in the second quarter.
Alabama tied game on a pick-6 1:18 before halftime.
Sooners QB Matter threw for 307 yards, but the pick-6 was costly.
Crimson Tide advances to play Indiana in the next round of the playoffs.
— NC State 31, Memphis 7
Wolfpack’s first four drives: 16 plays, 144 yards, 21 points.
NC State led 31-7 at the half; rest of game was scoreless.
Memphis lost its last four games, after an 8-1 start.
Favorites are 6-2 ATS in last eight Gasparilla Bowls.
— Western Michigan 41, Kennesaw State 6
WMU scored on a 65-yard TD run on first play of theme.
Broncos ran ball 43 times for 303 yards (7 yards/carry)
Jalen Buckley ran ball for 174 yards and a TD.
Kershawn Fisher scored on a 47-yard fumble return.
— There was a three-way trade in baseball Friday:
Pirates acquired 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum, P Mason Montgomery
Astros acquired P Mike Burrows
Rays acquired OF Jacob Melton, P Anderson Brito
— Baltimore Orioles acquired P Shane Baz from division rival Tampa Bay; Orioles sent prospects to the Rays:
OF Slater de Brun
C Caden Borine
OF Austin Over
P Michael Fornet
Baz isn’t a free agent until after the 2028 season.
— NBA All-Star Game this year is going to be US vs the World; they’re trying to make the game more competitive. Hopefully this won’t make the game too competitive, but it should be more fun to watch this year.
— Baylor, Memphis, Miami are three college basketball teams who have totally new rosters this season. Baylor is 8-2, Memphis 4-6 (but they did upset Baylor), Miami is 10-2, albeit vs schedule #313.
— Famous birthdays, December 20th:
Dick Wolf, 79 (producer of Law and Order)
Cecil Cooper, 76
Jenny Agutter, 73
Tom Newberry, 63
Rich Gannon, 60
James Shields, 44
David Wright, 43
Jonah Hill, 42
De’Aaron Fox, 28
The great actor John Hillerman was born on this day in 1932.
— Villanova 76, Wisconsin 66, OT
Villanova led by 15 early in second half.
Wisconsin committed 16 turnovers, Wildcats only 8.
Villanova is 9-2, 1-2 vs top 100 teams.
— San Diego 82, Cal-San Diego 80
Toreros banked in a 3-pointer with 0:00.5 left for the win.
Toreros were a 13-point underdog.
San Diego led by 15 with 13:49 left in the game.
Cal-San Diego shot 66.7% inside arc, only 8-26 on the arc.
— Seton Hall 72, Providence 67
11-1 Seton Hall wins Big East opener; they played non-conference schedule #304
Providence is 7-6, 0-6 vs teams in the top 100.
Seton Hall plays Villanova Tuesday, which should be interesting.
— College sports has become minor league sports:
USC’s best player Rodney Rice is out for the year with an injured shoulder; Trojans then added Kam Woods to replace Rice. Woods has had an interesting career:
2020-21- Troy State
2021-22- Northwest Florida CC (won a national title there)
2022-23- North Carolina A&T
2023-24- NC State
2024-25- Robert Morris (scored 14.9 ppg)
2025-26- USC……..Mr Woods should write a book someday.
— Seattle 70, Washington 66
Impressive win for the Redhawks, who just moved up to the WCC.
Washington led by 9 early in the second half.
Teams combined to shoot 4-37 on the arc.
10-2 Seattle’s two losses were by a total of five points (Cal Poly/UCSB)
— Tulsa 82, Western Kentucky 81
Hilltoppers led 37-30 at halftime.
Tulsa has won eight in a row, is 11-1- they’re shooting 40.9% on arc (#5)
Tulsa shot 65% inside the arc.
— Louisville has a player, Isaac McKneely, who has an interesting stat line:
foul shots: 10-12
2-point shots: 8-14
3-point shots: 31-80
If you’re guarding this guy, you shouldn’t play help defense; McKneely’s only job is to shoot 3’s, can’t leave him alone on the arc.
Week 16 NFL spreads:
— Jaguars @ Denver (-3.5)
— Falcons (-3) @ Arizona
— Raiders @ Houston (-14.5)
— Steelers @ Detroit (-7)
— Patriots @ Baltimore (-3)
— 49ers (-5.5) @ Indianapolis
Quote of the Day
“My guess is most of the teams will not allow their pitchers to do it. That would be my guess.”
Reds manager Terry Francona, on whether teams will let their pitchers use the new challenge system when the season starts. Only pitchers, catchers, hitters can challenge pitches.
Saturday’s quiz
On the old TV show Seinfeld, what well-known actor played George Costanza’s father?
Friday’s quiz
Shreveport, LA hosts the Independence Bowl every year.
Thursday’s quiz
In 1995, Montreal Expos drafted Tom Brady as a catcher.
*****************************************
Saturday’s Den: Random notes on a very windy night…….
— Alabama 34, Oklahoma 24Oklahoma led 17-0 early in the second quarter.
Alabama tied game on a pick-6 1:18 before halftime.
Sooners QB Matter threw for 307 yards, but the pick-6 was costly.
Crimson Tide advances to play Indiana in the next round of the playoffs.
— NC State 31, Memphis 7
Wolfpack’s first four drives: 16 plays, 144 yards, 21 points.
NC State led 31-7 at the half; rest of game was scoreless.
Memphis lost its last four games, after an 8-1 start.
Favorites are 6-2 ATS in last eight Gasparilla Bowls.
— Western Michigan 41, Kennesaw State 6
WMU scored on a 65-yard TD run on first play of theme.
Broncos ran ball 43 times for 303 yards (7 yards/carry)
Jalen Buckley ran ball for 174 yards and a TD.
Kershawn Fisher scored on a 47-yard fumble return.
— There was a three-way trade in baseball Friday:
Pirates acquired 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum, P Mason Montgomery
Astros acquired P Mike Burrows
Rays acquired OF Jacob Melton, P Anderson Brito
— Baltimore Orioles acquired P Shane Baz from division rival Tampa Bay; Orioles sent prospects to the Rays:
OF Slater de Brun
C Caden Borine
OF Austin Over
P Michael Fornet
Baz isn’t a free agent until after the 2028 season.
— NBA All-Star Game this year is going to be US vs the World; they’re trying to make the game more competitive. Hopefully this won’t make the game too competitive, but it should be more fun to watch this year.
— Baylor, Memphis, Miami are three college basketball teams who have totally new rosters this season. Baylor is 8-2, Memphis 4-6 (but they did upset Baylor), Miami is 10-2, albeit vs schedule #313.
— Famous birthdays, December 20th:
Dick Wolf, 79 (producer of Law and Order)
Cecil Cooper, 76
Jenny Agutter, 73
Tom Newberry, 63
Rich Gannon, 60
James Shields, 44
David Wright, 43
Jonah Hill, 42
De’Aaron Fox, 28
The great actor John Hillerman was born on this day in 1932.
— Villanova 76, Wisconsin 66, OT
Villanova led by 15 early in second half.
Wisconsin committed 16 turnovers, Wildcats only 8.
Villanova is 9-2, 1-2 vs top 100 teams.
— San Diego 82, Cal-San Diego 80
Toreros banked in a 3-pointer with 0:00.5 left for the win.
Toreros were a 13-point underdog.
San Diego led by 15 with 13:49 left in the game.
Cal-San Diego shot 66.7% inside arc, only 8-26 on the arc.
— Seton Hall 72, Providence 67
11-1 Seton Hall wins Big East opener; they played non-conference schedule #304
Providence is 7-6, 0-6 vs teams in the top 100.
Seton Hall plays Villanova Tuesday, which should be interesting.
— College sports has become minor league sports:
USC’s best player Rodney Rice is out for the year with an injured shoulder; Trojans then added Kam Woods to replace Rice. Woods has had an interesting career:
2020-21- Troy State
2021-22- Northwest Florida CC (won a national title there)
2022-23- North Carolina A&T
2023-24- NC State
2024-25- Robert Morris (scored 14.9 ppg)
2025-26- USC……..Mr Woods should write a book someday.
— Seattle 70, Washington 66
Impressive win for the Redhawks, who just moved up to the WCC.
Washington led by 9 early in the second half.
Teams combined to shoot 4-37 on the arc.
10-2 Seattle’s two losses were by a total of five points (Cal Poly/UCSB)
— Tulsa 82, Western Kentucky 81
Hilltoppers led 37-30 at halftime.
Tulsa has won eight in a row, is 11-1- they’re shooting 40.9% on arc (#5)
Tulsa shot 65% inside the arc.
— Louisville has a player, Isaac McKneely, who has an interesting stat line:
foul shots: 10-12
2-point shots: 8-14
3-point shots: 31-80
If you’re guarding this guy, you shouldn’t play help defense; McKneely’s only job is to shoot 3’s, can’t leave him alone on the arc.
