A dramatic FIFA World Cup had a fitting finale as Germany beat Argentina in extra time. Here we look at where the final was won and lost.

Higuain lets Kroos off the hook

Toni Kroos was one of the undoubted stars of the tournament. The midfield maestro dazzled with consistent top-drawer performances, particularly in the semi-final drubbing of Brazil. However, the Bayern Munich man left German supporters with their hearts in their mouths in the 17th minute of the showpiece when his attempted header back to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer fell straight into the path of Gonzalo Higuain. The Napoli striker is usually so clinical in the final third, but in front of a full Maracana and millions watching worldwide, the 26-year-old snatched his half-volley wide, much to the relief of the…

Argentina are Copa America champions once again.

They were the pre-tournament favourites according to Opta s supercomputer, and they lived up to the billing in the United States, retaining their title and winning the Copa America for a record 16th time.

Lionel Scaloni s team beat Colombia 1-0 in Sunday s final, despite Lionel Messi going off injured and in tears, with Lautaro Martinez sealing victory in extra time.

Martinez was one of the standout positives from the Copa America, but who were the others, and which teams and players failed to impress?

¡¡CAMPEONES OTRA VEZ!!

La Copa se queda en casa

— Selección Argentina (@Argentina)

THE TOPS

Argentina

Let s start with the champions. They won the Copa …

On this day in 2018, Arsene Wenger announced he would step down as Arsenal manager at the end of the season after almost 22 years in the role.

Appointed in September 1996, the Frenchman had presided over a glittering period in the club’s history which yielded three Premier League titles, the last of them famously secured by his “Invincibles”, who went through the 2003-04 league campaign unbeaten.

In addition, former Nancy, Monaco and Grampus Eight boss Wenger guided the club to FA Cup glory on seven occasions and secured 20 successive seasons of Champions League football during a reign spanning 1,235 matches, 828 of them in the top flight.

It s the end of an era…

22 years1,235 games716 wins2,298 goals1 Arsène Wenger

— Arsenal (@Arsenal…

Grind. That’s been the word of the week in Jacksonville. A team motto for the Jaguars, and also something that we saw far, far too much of, in a viral video of Urban Meyer this week.

The Jaguars have been besieged, as their head coach has gone through another controversy with his private life becoming more of a story than their 0-4 start. The Titans, meanwhile, sit at 2-2 and stumbled to a humiliating loss when they gave the New York Jets their first win of the season.

So, which of these two teams will finish their weeks on a high, and who will continue to struggle? Find out in our free NFL betting picks and predictions for the Titans vs. Jaguars.

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Get out the name tags in the Windy City. The Chicago Bears have plenty of new faces all over the place, including an overhaul in the front office and sideline where Matt Eberflus takes over as head coach.

Chicago’s offensive and defensive playbooks also get a makeover with new coordinators, systems, and talent. The Bears’ NFL odds project a long hard season with so much of the team’s success tied to second-year quarterback Justin Fields, who in turn has his success tied to a shoddy offensive line.

Realistically, Chicago’s benchmark in the NFC North is keeping pace with Detroit. So, you can see how bad it is for the Bears. Here’s our Chicago Bears 2022 NFL betting preview.

Chicago Bears futures odds

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looked to be en route to the regular season NFL MVP award before missing Weeks 16 and 17 with an injury.

Since returning to the lineup, Hurts has been far less productive, but hasn’t needed to be with Philly blowing out the Giants and Niners. With Super Bowl odds having the Eagles and Hurts favored at some books, the QB has some high numbers in his Super Bowl player props department as well.

I look at how to wager on his lofty passing yards total against a suspect Chiefs defense with my best free Jalen Hurts prop pick for Super Bowl 57 while also bringing you a related same-game parlay.

Be sure to also check out our Super Bowl predictions before the Big Game!

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The San Francisco 49ers head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings on this week’s edition of Monday Night Football. The Niners suffered their first loss last week at the hands of the Browns and now limp into Minnesota with some injury issues to deal with. The Vikings have sputtered out of the gate at just 2-4, but perhaps this game could be the spark that gets their season up and running. 

While there are a number of different subscription-based TV channels and streaming services available to watch this game… did you know that you can also live stream 49ers/Vikings directly from legal sports betting sites?

Caesars, BetRivers, and Fanatics Sportsbook are three of our most trusted NFL betting sites — and the only platforms that offer NFL live streamin…

In what was expected to be a high-scoring showdown between one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and one of the most explosive offenses in the league, it may end up being more about the weather on Saturday night.

The Miami Dolphins head to Arrowhead Stadium to play the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that’s forecasted to be so cold that it could significantly impact these offenses. The NFL odds have the Chiefs as 4.5-point favorites with home field advantage, a healthier roster, and a quietly strong defense carrying them down the stretch and to another Super Bowl odds berth.

Find out where our best NFL player prop bets lie in our free NFL picks and predictions for Dolphins vs. Chiefs on January 12.

For more analysis of the Wild Card odds, check…

Thanks to the Minneapolis Miracle, Stefon Diggs will forever be a part of Minnesota Vikings history. 

On Sunday, however, Diggs will face his former team, and my Texans vs. Vikings predictions have Diggs stealing the show once more. 

Find out why in my NFL picks for Sunday, September 22. 

Texans vs Vikings prediction

My best betStefon Diggs Over 49.5 receiving yards (-115 at BetMGM)

My analysis

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud could be throwing a lot more “friendly balls” to Stefon Diggs in Week 3, given that the rushing attack is in shambles and the Texans could be down other top targets. Both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce are listed as questionable and WR Nico Collins is hobbled …

The Labour Party has called on the government to “deliver on its manifesto pledge to football fans” by implementing a review into the reform of the game.

The sustainability of the football pyramid has been called into question amid the Covid-19 crisis, while long-running issues over governance contributed to Wigan Athletic’s dramatic slump into administration this past month.

The government had promised a “fan-led” review into the structures of the national game in its election manifesto last year but has yet to commission the review or draw up its terms of reference.

Charlton takeover brings in third owner of troubled seasonRead more

Alison McGovern, the shadow minister for sport,…