Author: Michael

Russell Westbrook’s wife is not pleased with ESPN.
Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz from the Lakers in a blockbuster trade, and after the move was made ESPN’s Dave McMenamin claimed someone told him Westbrook was “a vampire” in the locker room. It’s not even clear what the hell that’s supposed to mean.

Congrats LA, You Finally Got Rid of Russell Westbrook

When ESPN shared the quote on Instagram from the channel’s NBA page, his wife Nina went nuclear on the network.
This is just sick ESPN… Russell is no vampire.

What will decide this evenly matched game?
Good morning. I’m Dan Gartland. I’ll be traveling Monday, but Josh Rosenblat will have you covered with all things Super Bowl.
In today’s SI:AM:
✅ Super Bowl picks …
🔮 … and predictions
🔄 Wrapping up the NBA trade deadline
If you’re reading this on SI.com, you can sign up to get this free newsletter in your inbox each weekday at SI.com/newsletters.
It’s anybody’s game
If our experts are to be believed, it’ll be anybody’s game Sunday in Arizona.

As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, FOX Sports’ experts make their predictions.

The Tigers have lost two straight and the Tar Heels have lost three straight. Something’s got to give here.
The first week of men’s college basketball moneyline picks were, indeed, money: 4-0, thanks to Indiana, Saint Mary’s, Miami and Tennessee. Let’s see if we can run that back again in week two. On to the picks:
Clemson at North Carolina
Game Info: Feb. 11, 2023 | 2:00 p.m.

A best bet from Pat Forde for Saturday’s Big East showdown between No. 21 UConn and No. 23 Creighton in Omaha.
A pair of top-25 teams clash for the second time this season Saturday when No. 23 Creighton welcomes No. 21 UConn.
There are two Big East teams back moving in the right direction after some earlier struggles. Both are in solid NCAA Tournament shape, but the Bluejays also are in the hunt for the Big East regular-season title.
UConn has won three in a row after six losses in the previous eight games.

Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Who wins Super Bowl LVII might come down to the clash between these themes
Two of the over-arching themes of the past year of NFL football will meet in Super Bowl LVII.
And the clash between the two may very well decide who wins Sunday night.
On the one hand, you have perhaps the biggest schematic theme of the 2022 NFL season: The continued reliance on two-deep coverages that we have seen throughout the league.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Recapping Thursday’s games after deadline deals shuffled rosters across the league.
Seeing Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson on the sidelines in Brooklyn shouldn’t feel normal. At least not while the two teams playing in Barclays are the hometown Nets and the Chicago Bulls. But the adjustment period for NBA players is brief and brutal. I suppose it shouldn’t feel all that different to fans, right? Sure, 24 hours ago, Bridges and Johnson played for the Phoenix Suns. But today, they are the newest Nets. As they say, after all, it’s a business.

When LeBron James made a fadeaway jumper to break the NBA’s all-time scoring record on Tuesday night everyone inside Crypto.com Arena stood on their feet to celebrate the moment. Everyone except Anthony Davis, that is.
While the entire NBA world was captivated by James breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabaar’s scoring record, Davis stayed in his seat on the Lakers bench.

ANTHONY DAVIS !!#LakeShow pic.twitter.

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
How the Eagles managed to Moneyball their way to the Super Bowl despite still paying Alshon Jeffery
In many ways, Super Bowl LVII will be painted as a David vs. Goliath matchup. At quarterback, we have former and potentially current MVP Patrick Mahomes going to his third Super Bowl and facing Jalen Hurts, who is only in his third season. At head coach, Andy Reid is going to his fourth Super Bowl over 24 years in the NFL against Nick Sirianni, only in his second season of being in charge of the Eagles.

Our NFL experts have predictions, key players to watch and some opinions on Tom Brady’s most memorable performance.
The Big Game is finally here. It’s Andy Reid vs. Nick Sirianni. It’s Jalen Hurts vs. Patrick Mahomes. It’s Lane Johnson vs. Chris Jones. Oh, and it’s the Chiefs and Eagles at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
This Super Bowl is rife with story lines, so we decided to pose some compelling questions to our MMQB staff.