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It’s set to be all change this year in terms of left-backs at Celtic for Brendan Rodgers.

Neither of the Hoops’ current players in that position are contracted to the club beyond 30 June, more on both shortly, while a local hero is poised to return to Parkhead.

However, did Celtic let go the best left-back of them all for just £39k, after he never made a competitive appearance for the club?

The latest on Greg Taylor's future at Celtic

Following Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Hearts, manager Rodgers admitted that left-back Greg Taylor is likely to leave the club upon the expiration of his contract in June, stating “it’s probably more likely now that Greg will move on than stay”.

Rodgers added “we know we’ll need to have someone else if Greg moves on… which is a big shame for me because I love him”.

Davorin Olivari of Croatian outlet Jutarnji List has previously reported that GNK Dinamo Zagreb have ‘sent an offer’ to Taylor, seeking to snap him up on a free transfer, with this his most-likely destination at the moment.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Schlupp has usurped Taylor in the pecking order, starting the last four Premiership matches, as well as the away leg in Munich, albeit the Ghanian international’s future is up in the air too, given that he’s only on loan from Crystal Palace.

Regardless, Kieran Tierney is set to commence next season as Celtic’s first choice, having reportedly agreed to rejoin his boyhood club on a Bosman from Arsenal.

Of course, Tierney is undeniably a fans’ favourite in Glasgow, and his return will bring with it much fanfare once it is announced, but did Celtic sell an even more impressive left-back for just £39k?

Celtic's forgotten former left-back on fire in MLS

Back in January 2019, Celtic signed a 22-year-old defender by the name of Andrew Gutman from Indiana Hoosiers, after the American had been on trial at fierce rivals Rangers.

Gutman said he was “really honoured” to make the move, adding “I can’t wait to join Celtic and be part of such a storied institution.”

Well, unfortunately for Gutman, he did not play much of a part, never making a competitive appearance in hoops, loaned out to both Charlotte Independence of USL League One and then FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer, before moving permanently to MLS outfit Atlanta United for only $50,000 (£39k) in General Allocation Money in March 2021.

Since then, Gutman has rather bounced around MLS, spending time at both New York Red Bulls and then Colorado Rapids, before joining the Chicago Fire ahead of the start of the 2024 season.

Back in his home state of Illinois, Gutman has really looked at home under Gregg Berhalter this season, scoring during victories over both FC Dallas and Toronto, earning rave reviews, including from Felipe Cárdenas of the Athletic, who labels him ‘incredible’.

So, let’s assess how his statistics compare to Taylor.

Appearances

22

19

Minutes

1,598

1,257

Goals

0

3

Assists

6

1

Chances created

29

10

Passing Accuracy %

88.1%

76%

Tackles

34

32

Interceptions

13

17

Clearances

37

52

Blocks

1

16

As the table outlines, during a similarly sized sample size, Gutman’s performances in MLS are similar to those of Taylor in the Premiership, with the American actually coming out on top when it comes to most defensive metrics.

Also worth noting that, according to Global Football Rankings, Major League Soccer is the ninth strongest division on the planet, with the Premiership down in 34th place.

So, perhaps letting Gutman leave for a small fee was a mistake, as he could’ve been an upgrade on Taylor had he been given an opportunity, especially considering Transfermakt believe his current market value to be around £586k, around 15 times more than he was sold for.

Cost £3m, now worth more than Jota: Celtic hit gold on inspirational star

Celtic have hit the jackpot with this star who is now worth even more than Jota.

ByDan Emery Mar 31, 2025

She has come up the ranks from Trinidad & Tobago and is now carving an identity of her own

Shashank Kishore11-Oct-2024When Anisa Mohammed retired this January as only one of five women with over 300 international wickets, it was a bittersweet moment for Karishma Ramharack.Ever since she had come up the ranks in Trinidad & Tobago, Ramharack was always spoken of as Anisa’s partner-in-crime. And when she graduated to the West Indies side in 2019, that association as a bowling pair became well known globally.Ramharack has used that as a badge of honour instead of feeling aggrieved that she has never been able to carve an identity of her own. On Thursday in Sharjah against Bangladesh, Ramharack was no longer under an umbrella. Given the free license to run wild, she went from being a sidekick to a hero.Ramharack’s deceptive offspin – attributes borrowed from Anisa and Sunil Narine, two people she heard a lot about growing up – brought her 4 for 17, her second-best figures in T20Is. It helped apply the brakes on Bangladesh, while also giving West Indies a massive net run rate push; they now top the table with one game left against England.Ramharack came on in the fourth over and struck straightaway to dismiss opener Shathi Rani by deceiving her in flight to have her stumped. In her next over, having seen batters looking to step out, she had the aggressive Dilara Akter bowled with a quicker delivery fired in.With two quick wickets in the bag, Hayley Matthews turned to their other spinner, young Ashmini Munisar, to try and slip in a few quiet overs. But when Ramharack was reintroduced in the 13th, it felt like Matthews was going for her safety net with Nigar Sultana and Sobhana Mostary having put together a quickfire 40-run stand.Having teased Nigar with loop and frustrated Mostary with a carromball that seemingly had her second-guessing, Ramharack had the last laugh when Mostary was stumped looking to step out. This was a body blow Bangladesh didn’t recover from.It allowed Munisar and Afy Fletcher, the other members of what has been a spin-heavy attack this tournament, come into their own without having to contend with the pressures of bowling to two set batters.

“I remember her coming into the team and she probably wasn’t the most athletic person within the team, even when it just came to her fielding. And even just the way she’s come on in that aspect of her game, just putting in the hard yards every single training session, trying to improve and trying to get better”Captain Hayley Matthews on Karishma Ramharack

“Yeah, I think she’s obviously someone who has been around for a little while now, but she’s been able to really come into her own I think in the last two years, making the [ICC] team in the tournament last year and then being able to have performances like these,” Mathews said. “I think she’s improved all around.”I think her control and attitude towards bowling has definitely been something that I’ve seen shift. So yeah, I think it’s been great to have her and not just playing in the line-up but going out there and really wanting to play a massive role within the team and she’s done that today.”Ramharack wasn’t always a bowler. She was quite a star in softball cricket, swatting cricket balls cross-batted for fun, until her primary school teacher decided Ramharack would be a handful in hard-ball cricket too. It turns out Ramharack was, but with the ball; she would release it front-on, palm facing the batter and getting the ball to turn both ways.It’s then that word spread that Ramharack could do something similar to what another young spinner who would make a beeline for batters at the Queen’s Park Oval. That youngster happened to be Narine, who had made waves for T&T Red Steel in 2008, around the same time Ramharack came into the Under-19s set-up locally.Being talked of in the same league as Anisa brought Ramharack come into the consciousness of the wider women’s cricketing circles in the Caribbean. The only hindrance was the absence of proper pathway structure. It meant she had to do more than the time she may have otherwise at the regional level.Since much of her time was spent training on her own, Ramharack is self-taught. It wasn’t under her debut in 2019 that she came under the High-Performance set-up. Since then, the improvements have been remarkable.”I remember her coming into the team and she probably wasn’t the most athletic person within the team, even when it just came to her fielding,” Mathews said. “And even just the way she’s come on in that aspect of her game, just putting in the hard yards every single training session, trying to improve and trying to get better. And I think that attitude shows out on the field. And I’m really glad for her and I’m really happy for her that she’s now getting the results of the hard work.”Rahmarack’s push towards being a regular received a massive leg-up in 2022 when Anisa took a six-month break from the game. It’s during this time Rahmarack developed into someone who worked out things for herself. In a way, not having to bowl in tandem and having to do it herself opened her up to a world of new possibilities.Thursday’s performance was one of a fair few super hits she has delivered. Ramharack and West Indies will be hoping there is another one reserved on Tuesday against England.

The South African allrounder, who impressed with the bat in the CPL last year, is looking to unleash his inner Avenger for the Paarl Royals franchise

Deivarayan Muthu09-Jan-2023South African allrounder Corbin Bosch is such a big fan of Thor from the Marvel Universe that he often celebrates with an imaginary hammer. He has added more power to his batting in the past year and smacks bowlers away like the Marvel superhero does villains with Mjolnir. So it’s only inevitable that Bosch has earned the nickname Thor.”I love all their [Marvel] movies and I’m a big fan of their Avengers series,” Bosch said during the CPL, “and growing up, Thor has been my favourite character. So when I came to the CPL, my initial plan was to try and do a celebration [with] every single Marvel character. I started with Thor and it kind of just stuck. It’s a celebration I enjoy, and I play to enjoy my cricket and this is one of those that stuck with me.”Related

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• Role clarity, strong powerplay and other reasons why Barbados Royals are ruling CPL 2022

• Unstoppable Royals, unconvincing Knight Riders

• Corbin, son of Tertius (2014)

Bosch was the Player of the Match in the 2014 Under-19 World Cup final in the UAE, when South Africa clinched the title. His senior career didn’t quite take off like it was expected to after the U-19 success, but he is finally in the spotlight now after having broken into the big leagues in 2022.Bosch was a replacement player for Rajasthan Royals last year in the IPL and he was signed up by the Barbados side in the CPL. His flexibility with the bat was among the highlights of Royals’ run to the CPL final, though they eventually lost to Jamaica Tallawahs. Bosch is now ready to do it all over again for Royals, this time at home in the SA20.”This SA20 is going to be huge,” he said. “I think it’s a fantastic opportunity for guys to put their names on the map and say: ‘Hey, maybe South Africa has a lot more talented cricketers than those that might just be seen in the IPL and [playing] for South Africa.’ It’s a recognised platform for guys, including myself, to just display their skills and show what they’re about and how they can dominate – whether with bat or ball. Players a lot of guys haven’t heard about are all of a sudden front and centre of one of the biggest stages in the world. Who knows who is going to be the next big thing from South Africa?”Bosch could potentially be that very thing. He has bulked up to improve his six-hitting and to pound the pitch with the ball – traits that are in demand in T20 cricket. He usually bats lower down the order for Titans in domestic cricket, but Royals’ management saw some spark in his batting and used him as a pinch-hitting No. 3 in the CPL.Bosch made 191 runs in the 2022 CPL, including back-to-back fifties against St Lucia Kings and Jamaica Tallawahs•CPL T20 via Getty Images”For me, my batting is a work in progress,” Bosch said. “Me batting at No. 3 in the CPL was a new role that a couple of coaches mentioned to me even before I came here [to the Caribbean]. So, I wrapped my head around it while I was training back home with the Titans to hone my skills. I still feel I’m only in the infancy of my batting and I’ve got so much to learn – trying to take in as much information as I can and learning what works for me and what doesn’t.”I’ve done a lot of range-hitting and just trying to figure out the areas where I can be dominating – if the ball is in my area, I know I can take any bowler on in any situation – and at the same time, working on the areas I’m weaker at. My goal is to become one of the best allrounders in the world, if not the best – that is how I mentally train every single day.”With the ball, Bosch can now crank it up around the 135kph range, and step in as a change bowler, thanks largely to his club cricket stint in Australia with Northern Districts Suburbs in 2016. Andy Bichel, who worked with Bosch back then, was particularly impressed with Bosch’s progress when the pair caught up during last year’s IPL; Bosch was with Rajasthan Royals and Bichel with Lucknow Super Giants as their bowling coach.”After high school, I only bowled around 130kph. I left for Australia for a year to play a season there and made a mental switch there that I really want to bowl fast. It wasn’t easy getting my body stronger. I put in a lot of hours in the gym, and still do, to keep my body fit and healthy.”Bowling fast is no joke – you need to be physically prepared for what you will put your body through. I’m still looking to bowl even faster in the next couple of years. I feel I’m only starting to touch the untapped potential of the pace I can generate.”Bosch comes from a cricketing family. His father Tertius Bosch, who played three international matches for South Africa, was ranked alongside Allan Donald as one of the fastest bowlers of his era. His younger brother Eathan is currently contracted to Dolphins and Pretoria Capitals. Corbin is looking forward to the prospect of playing against his brother in the SA20.”Growing up, I was lucky to be part of such a fantastic household,” Bosch said. “My mother has been an inspiration – she allowed me and my brother to really express ourselves and do what we always dreamt of doing. I don’t think I can tell you the amount of hours and days we spent in our backyard playing garden cricket with one another, ruining my mum’s grass. I’ll be the first one to say that we destroyed the garden, but it was us enjoying each other’s company. Throughout our childhood we just played a lot of garden cricket and we’ve always pushed one another.”Bosch is hoping to get one over his brother Eathan (in picture) who will play for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20•Cricket South AfricaEathan often cops a fair bit about not being the best cricketer in his family because Corbin has won an Under-19 World Cup, but he claimed bragging rights ahead of the SA20, having dismissed his older brother before.”I think I’ve played against Eathan twice before [in competitive cricket]. I played for Pretoria and he played for Durban and he managed to get me out in the last over [of one of those games]. He definitely is one up on me (). For the MSL, I was with Tshwane Spartans and he was with Paarl Rocks in 2019, and all of a sudden we’ve done a switch. Hopefully, that switch means I get the trophy with Paarl and he becomes a sore loser in the [SA20] final.””Our competitiveness started in our garden-cricket days,” Eathan said in a CSA release. “I’m a bit taller [at 1.90m] but he’s a little bigger. “We haven’t played against each other too much, I just know that I’ve got him out once and he hasn’t. It can be tough playing against your brother, wanting him to do well but also wanting your team to win.”Bosch is particularly enthused about teaming up once again with Tabraiz Shamsi – they have played together at Titans – and hopes to trump the left-arm wristspinner’s snazzy celebrations with his own ones.”I love playing with Shamsi and I’m fortunate enough to get to play with him at the Titans,” Bosch said. “He’s so bubbly and gives the team so much energy, which I love, and his celebrations are going to be tough to beat. But I have a few exciting things at the back of my mind that I’m going to try to make sure that his wicket celebrations aren’t going to be able to outdo mine.”Like I said, I play cricket because I enjoy it and this is just one aspect of cricket that adds fun to some stressful situations and pressure situations. The celebrations are [about] just letting go and showing the world who I actually am. The Thor is definitely coming out in Paarl.”Bosch found no takers at the recent IPL 2023 auction, but the SA20 offers him another chance to remind franchise owners – and South Africa’s selectors – of his worth.

Chair of Surrey’s new ACE programme on how to overcome structural inequality in the English game

Matt Roller30-Oct-2020It was inevitable that, after a sun-baked lockdown, it would rain on the first scheduled day of Test cricket in England this summer – so much so that broadcasters Sky Sports had put together a package ready for the occasion.But rather than archive highlights from previous Tests against the West Indies, or discussions about who should be England’s third seamer, they instead showed a powerful segment shining a light on the game’s problems. In the wake of the death of George Floyd in police custody in the USA, commentators Michael Holding and Ebony Rainford-Brent delivered testimonies of their experiences of racism, both in and outside cricket, and viewers hung on their every word; one clip of Holding has been viewed 6.8 million times on Twitter alone.Sharing their experiences helped ensure that the conversation about institutional racism within the English game remained at the forefront of the summer. As Michael Carberry and Azeem Rafiq in particular delivered damning verdicts on the prejudices they faced, the ECB responded by facing up to “uncomfortable truths” and committed to delivering “meaningful and long-term change”.”This summer has blown a lid off the problem,” Rainford-Brent told ESPNcricinfo at the launch of Surrey’s ACE programme as an independent charity, following funding from Sport England and the ECB. “There was a point where some of us knew how bad the situation was but things were just bumbling around.”What came out through the experiences of many players that spoke out meant we could start to unpick and say: well, there are no opportunities, there are no clubs. It just got to a stage this summer that it’s got to be done. I’ve seen a cycle of articles in the media, maybe every two or three years, saying ‘where are the black cricketers?’ – maybe when West Indies come and tour – and it’s a bit of a cycle. But the Black Lives Matter movement has made it urgent.”ALSO READ: What has English cricket been like for black players?While there has been a sense in the past that the ECB have been willing to make the right noises publicly without necessarily driving change, their response to the structural problems raised this year seems different. Even at a time of cost-cutting – they announced last month that 62 jobs would be cut – they have put their money where their mouth is, helping to fund the ACE programme that Rainford-Brent has pioneered over the last 12 months.”I’ve had some good conversations with Ian Watmore [chairman], Tom Harrison [chief executive] and Sanjay Patel [managing director, the Hundred] and they’ve shown that they want to get moving with this and make a difference,” she said. “This is a really tough time for the world when jobs are being cut and people are going through tough times, but we have to start investing.”We have three problems to solve,” she explained. “The first is to simply increase the numbers; the next is to convert it, and we have to look at the individual. I have zero doubt that there is talent, but we have to understand the barriers and their needs. Finally, we have funding for three years, but for us to be here as a charity making a difference in 10, 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years, we have to really be smart, have a good business structure and become sustainable.”We want to accelerate change. I’m impatient: I’ve already got grey hairs, and as soon as I see them, I know time is ticking. I don’t want to wait 25 years to see changes; I want to see them now.”As the first black woman to play for England, Rainford-Brent has ambitions to ensure that the programme has an equal impact among young men and women. At the programme’s first trials, only 17% of participants were female, and only two out of the 25 players were invited to later training days.”There aren’t two black girls in any cricket academy in this country,” said Chevy Green, the scheme’s first director of programmes, “so the fact we launched this academy and found two black girls is something that should be celebrated.” Indeed, since Rainford-Brent’s last international appearance in 2010, only two BAME women have made England debuts: Sonia Odedra and Sophia Dunkley.”At first, I think the important thing in the women’s game was just to try and get participation up, and there was maybe nobody really making sure that was a diverse model,” Rainford-Brent said. “The women’s game needs more attention to be diverse than the men’s. That seems a weird thing to say in some ways, because we’ve seen such a strong growth, but we haven’t seen the growth in diversity.Sophia Dunkley heaves leg side•Getty Images”What’s great about the men’s team right now is that most people in society could see someone who represents them in a way: a northerner, a southerner, someone black, someone Asian, someone who went to a state or private school. As for the women’s team, that’s miles away.”Dunkley, who has been on the fringes of the England team in her career to date but impressed in intra-squad games this summer, has signed up to the ACE programme as an ambassador, but Rainford-Brent is wary of expecting her to be a standard-bearer and placing the hopes of a community on her alone.”With players like Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer or Sophia, you just want them to play. Even though she wants to get involved I’m saying to her: ‘you just doing your best is all we need’. You don’t want them to feel a burden. Equally, I think athletes these days are a bit more socially conscious.”Visibility is massive. With T20 and the Hundred, they could be a fast track for some players. Some of the measures we’ll be looking at will be pace, power, and other things you can’t teach like hand-eye co-ordination. I look at a couple of players: Sam Curran was 17 when he broke onto the scene at Surrey, and Shafali Verma is opening the batting for India at 16. If we find a 12-year-old tomorrow through the ACE programme, they could be doing that in four or five years.”Is it down to me? On paper, no – this is something the game should have done. But I’ve run out of patience. I’ve hit that point. I don’t want people to expect us to create a mini Jofra Archer or Sophia Dunkley tomorrow, but if we get the grounding right, then that will follow.”

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes will be be just the fifth rookie in MLB history to start an All-Star Game in his debut season when he takes the mound Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas. The No. 1 pick in last year's draft has had a stellar first half of the season, racking up a 6-0 record with an ERA of 1.90.

The right-hander is heading to the game with his girlfriend, LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, who was one of the stars of this year's SI Swimsuit edition. Dunne, who supported the Pirates' decision to pull Skenes from a possible no-hitter last week, shared a sweet photo of the couple before they boarded a private jet for Texas.

The power couple should get a lot of attention once they land in Arlington for the game. And judging from the way he's pitched all year, Skenes shouldn't have a problem rising to another challenge Tuesday night when he takes the mound against the American League.

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O São Paulo viveu momentos difíceis contra o Talleres, na Argentina, durante a estreia dos times na fase de grupos na Libertadores. Isso porque o Tricolor perdeu o lateral Rafinha e os meias Lucas Moura e Wellington Rato por lesões, ainda no primeiro tempo.

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Todos precisaram ser substituídos. Igor Vinícius, Ferreirinha e Erick entraram na equipe treinada por Thiago Carpini.

Uma decisão do técnico, inclusive, foi difícil de ser tomada. Carpini já tinha feito substituições de Rafinha e Lucas no primeiro tempo. Na reta final da etapa, Rato também machucou. Contudo, se o profissional fizesse a terceira pausa para troca, perderia a possibilidade de realizar mais substituições em todo o segundo tempo.

São permitidas apenas três pausas para substituições, apesar das cinco trocas disponibilizadas pela Conmebol na Libertadores. Carpini optou por ficar com um jogador a menos nos acréscimos da primeira etapa, e o Talleres abriu o placar contra o São Paulo no período.

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➡️ Lucas chora por lesão, deixa jogo contra o Talleres e preocupa torcedores do São Paulo

Erick entrou na vaga de Rato no intervalo. Com isso, o Tricolor não utilizou a pausa e ficou possibilitado de mexer mais duas vezes (em uma parada) na segunda etapa.

São Paulo e Talleres se enfrentam pela estreia na Libertadores na noite desta quinta-feira (4). Os times fazem parte do Grupo B, que ainda tem o Barcelona, do Equador, e o Cobresal, do Chile.

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Manchester United are considering selling captain Bruno Fernandes amid interest from the Saudi Pro League with two major targets picked out to replace the club captain.

Man Utd identify two priority targets

Amorim stressed the importance of securing a much-needed Old Trafford win when Manchester United host “top team” Bournemouth on Monday, looking to continue a run of form which has seen United pick up seven points from three matches since the disappointment against Everton.

Captain Fernandes has been phenomenal in that run, scoring twice and providing three assists, but INEOS are now open to the Portugal star’s departure in order to fund new signings.

According to a recent report, Saudi Pro League clubs are set to offer Fernandes a way out of Old Trafford, with both Al Hilal and Al Ittihad considering a move in the region of £70m.

INEOS view the 31-year-old as the club’s most sellable asset and as someone worth cashing in on before his value decreases, with his contract set to expire in just over 18 months.

The Red Devils do hold an option to extend his stay by another year until June 2028, but they have identified two top targets which will require funds in Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson and Brighton and Hove Albion enforcer Carlos Baleba.

Both players could cost club record fees and INEOS are determined to make United financially secure while rebuilding Amorim’s squad.

Forest are set to demand ‘£100m-plus’ for Anderson while Baleba’s price is in the region of £74m.

Mainoo could be sold instead Man Utd gem could be "the world's best", but he's becoming the new Mainoo

Manchester United have one star in their ranks who could suffer the same fate as Kobbie Mainoo.

ByEthan Lamb 3 days ago

The other option on offer to INEOS is to cash in on their homegrown talent Kobbie Mainoo. While the 20 year-old’s value has suffered after falling out of favour this season, his status as an England international guarantees a good return which would go down as pure profit.

Chelsea are reportedly interested in a move for the young midfielder while there is also interest from Napoli in Serie A, where fellow United academy product Scott McTominay has thrived since joining in 2024.

Speaking in September, Amorim defended his decision to continually leave Mainoo out of his team: “I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie… But that doesn’t mean I need to put Kobbie [in] when I feel that I shouldn’t put Kobbie [in], so it’s my decision.”

The MLB season marches on today with teams across the country beginning their weekend series. For us bettors, there's no better way to start our weekend than by putting some extra money in our pocket by winning a few Friday bets.

I have three wagers locked in for Friday's slate, including a bet on the total between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Let's dive into them.

Top MLB Picks Today

Rays -124 vs. BravesAngels +134 vs. AstrosCubs vs. Dodgers UNDER 8 (-112)Braves vs. Rays Prediction

The Braves' offense has started to turn things around, but they still enter the weekend batting just .218 on the season. I think there's still some meat on the bone in terms of fading them, especially tonight when they're playing on the road with Bryce Elder on the mound. Elder recorded a 6.52 ERA in 10 starts last season and allowed three earned runs in just 4.0 innings in his first start in 2025.

A combination of poor hitting and bad pitching by the Braves tonight puts the Rays in a favorable spot. I think -124 is more than a fair price for Tampa Bay.

Angels vs. Astros Prediction

I can't believe I'm typing this right now, but the Los Angeles Angels have been one of the best offensive teams in the Majors in the early part of the season while the Houston Astros have been one of the worst. The Angels are seventh in OPS at .767 while the Astros are 29th at .583. Additionally, Ronel Blanco is starting for the Astros, and there are signs we're going to see some significant regression from him this season. He has allowed seven earned runs in just 6.2 innings pitched across his first two starts.

If you're betting on the Astros as home favorites today, you're completely throwing out the results from the first two weeks of the season. Instead, I'm going to ride the momentum (or lack thereof) from both teams and take the Angels to win as significant underdogs in Houston.

Cubs vs. Dodgers Prediction

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has already had one solid performance against the Cubs, keeping them to three hits and one earned run across 5.0 innings in the opening series of the season in Japan, so why not bet on another strong outing against Chicago tonight? Matthew Boyd is also coming into this game hot, having pitched 11.0 scoreless innings so far in 2025.

You may be surprised to find out the Dodgers, while showcasing some power, have been batting just .230 on the season.

With all of that in mind, I'll take the UNDER in this National League duel.

The San Diego Padres were able to hang on at home Tuesday night and win Game 3 of their NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5, to take a 2-1 series lead.

The Padres scored all six of their runs in the second inning, with Fernando Tatis Jr. capping it off with a monster two-run home run to left field that gave them a 6-1 lead.

Later in the game one of the coolest moments of the MLB playoffs happened between innings when Blink 182's Tom DeLonge led the crowd at Petco Park in the singing of the band's legendary song "All The Small Things." DeLonge and the band have San Diego roots and he's a huge Padres fan.

Look at this scene:

Too good.

Game 4 is Wednesday night at 9:08 p.m. ET.

Stumps Harry Brook’s performative sprinting between overs could not mask the fact that this was a slow day, with neither team in the ascendancy. India fought hard after being inserted under gloomy Manchester skies, personified by B Sai Sudharsan’s dogged maiden Test half-century, but they never got away from England and lost Rishabh Pant to a serious-looking foot injury.This was not the day that Ben Stokes had in mind when he won his fourth consecutive toss and chose to bowl, with India’s openers batting through the morning session and only four wickets falling in 83 overs. But in conceding barely three runs per over, England’s bowlers kept them in the game, even if the sluggish tempo left Brook making his own fun at slip.Related

• Eight years, five PMs and one pandemic later, Dawson returns

• Sai Sudharsan brings calm to India's chaos at No. 3

• Pant retires hurt after inside-edging a reverse sweep onto his right foot

KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 94 for the first wicket in 30 overs, but it was Sai Sudharsan, recalled in place of Karun Nair, who embodied India’s patient approach. His half-century was the first by an India No. 3 since the final Test of their home defeat to New Zealand last year, and anchored the innings through the afternoon and evening sessions.But he was dismissed shortly after Pant was forced to retire hurt, falling to Stokes for the third time in as many innings in his nascent Test career when cramped for room on the pull and picking out Brydon Carse at long leg. Jamie Smith, who had dropped a chance for a leg-side strangle when Sai Sudharsan had only 20, breathed a sigh of relief.Stokes’ decision at the toss demanded that his team must make history if they are to seal the series this week. No team has ever gone on to win a Test at Old Trafford after opting to bowl first, which left Shubman Gill to reflect on what he described as “a good toss to lose” in murky conditions.B Sai Sudharsan scored his maiden Test fifty•Getty Images

Rahul and Jaiswal underlined his point by batting through the morning session and looking largely untroubled, despite the occasional ball beating the outside edge. Rahul extended his fine overseas record, becoming the fifth India batter to score 1000 Test runs in England, and played the role of senior partner, soaking up 25 balls in Jofra Archer’s first five-over spell.The stands were only half-full at the start of play, and Lancashire issued an apology to the thousands of fans who were stuck in queues outside the ground. The club blamed long bag searches and their late arrivals, but those who were stuck outside missed a sleepy morning in which England’s seamers strayed too often from a good length.It was Chris Woakes, retained despite a tired performance in England’s tense win at Lord’s last week, who struck first. Rahul had spent the morning playing late and looking to score square of the wicket, but attempted to punch Woakes through mid-off as he approached his half-century and his outside edge flew to Zak Crawley at third slip.KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal saw out the first session•Getty Images

After two failures at Lord’s, Jaiswal played uncharacteristically watchfully in reaching a 96-ball half-century, his eighth 50-plus score in 16 innings against England. He punished width outside his off stump from England’s seamers – Carse in particular – but could not resist driving when spin came on, and edged Liam Dawson’s seventh ball of the day to Brook at first slip.Dawson wheeled away in celebration, marking his comeback with a significant wicket.England have picked 11 different spinners in the eight years between Dawson’s third and fourth caps, but he forced his way to the front of the queue to replace the injured Shoaib Bashir through performances for Hampshire and bowled with control and skill on this opening day.1:22

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England’s close fielders raised the volume when Gill walked to the crease at No. 4 after his pre-match suggestions that they had breached the spirit of the game at Lord’s, and he did not last long. After one crisp on-drive for four off Dawson, Gill was trapped on the pad while shouldering arms to Stokes’ nip-backer for 12, trudging off after taking a review with him.His dismissal brought in Pant, who batted cautiously for most of his innings before occasional jolts of ultra-aggression, most notably a slog-swept four off Archer followed by a failed reverse-sweep. He added 72 with Sai Sudharsan, leading India’s rebuild after the tea interval under floodlights.When England reviewed for lbw after another attempted reverse-sweep off Woakes, it soon became apparent that he had not only under-edged the ball onto his foot, but done himself some serious damage in the process. A substantial bruise had developed by the time he left the field on the back of an ambulance cart, retiring hurt on 37.Sai Sudharsan reached his half-century soon after, driving Joe Root through the covers, but his dismissal to Stokes kept England fighting. Shardul Thakur walked out ahead of Washington Sundar to much surprise and kept Ravindra Jadeja company for 9.1 overs before England’s attempts to take the second new ball were thwarted by light, with the Test in the balance.