San Antonio plays home games at AT&T Center but came back to the Alamodome as part of the team’s 50th-anniversary celebration.
San Antonio (AP) – The San Antonio Spurs announced an attendance of 68,323 fans for their return to the Alamodome, which is a record number for an NBA regular-season game.
Spurs, while celebrating their 50th anniversary season, returned to their former playing grounds to face the Golden State Warriors last Friday night.
San Antonio Hall of Famer David Robinson was the one who announced the official attendance at the close of the third quarter. Robinson said, “Spurs fans have again set the standard for the league”
Fans of the team began to chant”Go Spurs Go!” after the announcement.
The given numbers shattered the previous record of 62,046 people who gathered to watch Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls play the Atlanta Hawks at the Georgia Dome on March 27, 1998.
“Yeah, that’s pretty different,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said about the record crowd. “It’s a situation where you know… are they selling alcohol? I think that people will be pretty fired up. It is just an exciting moment for everybody. It is nostalgic for everybody. To have that many people in one building, to be able to play in front of them, is pretty damn exciting, actually. We hope it is a good game.”
The Alamodome
Although San Antonio now plays its home games at the AT & T Center, coming back to the Alamodome was a way to mark the Spurs’ 50th-anniversary celebration.
While the team (13-29) is having one of the worst seasons in its history, playing at the Alamodome gave fans an opportunity to relive a former era for the team.
“Having my son here with me, sharing a past and present memory, will be cherished by both of us for years,” said a Spurs fan, Eric Hernandez, who previously attended games at the Alamodome.
The San Antonio Spurs franchise started off at the HemisFair Arena in 1973, but the Alamodome is where they took their first steps toward becoming one of the most respected franchises in the NBA.
They played in the Alamodome from 1993 to 2002 before moving to the AT&T Center.
It was in the Alamodome that San Antonio won its first NBA championship in 1999 and held its championship celebration in the downtown facility.
The Alamodome was also where the 1996 NBA All-Star Game was hosted, it was where Michael Jordan was booed for winning MVP over former Spurs resident Shaquille O’Neal.
“It’s crazy,” said Taro Kotani, a Spurs fan visiting from Japan. “The amount of people here. I’ve never been inside the Dome, so just imagining what it was like here during the ’96 All-Star Game and ’99 Finals is so nostalgic. I wasn’t there but this brings back lots of memories”.
Kotani had planned his annual trip to San Antonio around Friday’s game because he wanted to be there when history was made.
January 15 is known officially as the first day of the international signing period and this day means the world to prospects from across the globe who sign on to the MLB during the 11-month span.
While it’s been called international signing day, other people have renamed it to “international day of joy.”
This is because, for the prospects, it is their first step into playing professional baseball. It is also the day when their dreams come true.
The signing period lasts through December 15, 2023. Below is a list of players from the MLB Pipeline’s list that have reportedly agreed to terms with clubs, and for how much. Unless otherwise noted, no clubs have confirmed these deals.
*+ Shows that the club has officially announced the signing.
Signings Breakdown:
Thirty-one of the players on the Top 50 International Prospects list of 2022 are from the Dominican Republic. 12 prospects are from Venezuela, three from Cuba, two from the Bahamas, and one each from Mexico and Korea.
In terms of position, there are 20 infielders, 18 outfielders, five catchers, six pitchers, and one two-way player.
Here are the international bonus pools for the 2022-23 signing period:
Clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the Draft (Athletics, Brewers, Mariners, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Tigers, and Twins) received a pool of $6,366,900) while clubs with a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A (D-backs, Guardians, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rockies, and Royals) received $5,825,500.
The base signing pool for the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Mets, Nationals, White Sox, and Yankees is $5,284,00.
Los Angeles Angels, Phillies, and Red Sox each forfeited $500,000 from their pools for signing players who had rejected qualifying offers – Noah Syndergaard, Nick Castellanos, and Trevor Story – last off-season so each has a pool of $4,644,00. The Dodgers and Rangers each forfeited $1,000,000 from their pools for signing players who had rejected qualifying offers to lower their pool to $4,144,000.
The Dodgers surpassed the luxury tax threshold the previous season and forfeited $1,000,000 for Freddie Freeman. The Rangers forfeited $500,000 each for Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.
Forfeited monies are redistributed to other clubs
Teams will be allowed to trade international bonus slots during this signing period starting January 15
Guidelines:
International players are eligible to sign with a Major League team between January 15 and December 15. They must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before September 1 the following year – in practical terms, this means players born between September 1, 2005, and August 31, 2006, will be eligible to sign in the upcoming signing period.
Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance in order to be eligible to sign.
These are some other prospects who signed for $300,000 or higher:
Former Los Angeles Angels RHP Matt Harvey is looking to make an MLB comeback. MLB Insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote “Matt Harvey is hoping to pitch again this year” in a recent article.
The Right Hand Pitcher has not pitched since the 2021 season when he played in 28 games for the Baltimore Orioles. That year, he went 6-14 with a 6.27 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.
In 2020, Harvey made seven appearances with the Kansas City Royals, going 0-3 with an ERA of 11.57 and a WHIP of 2.74.
Matt Harvey with the New York Mets
Prior to that, Matt spent the 2019 season with the Los Angeles Angels. He ended the season with a career-worst (at the time) 7.09 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP in just 59.2 innings (12 starts). He also played for a while with the Cincinnati Reds and spent his five seven-plus seasons with the New York Mets.
When he was at the peak of his career, Harvey was an All-Star in 2013 and had sub-three ERAs in 2012, 2013, and 2015.
Any MLB team may take a chance on Harvey and give him a role that fits his current skill set. But for now, there is no indicator that he would get a chance, particularly at the major league level.
Odjick led the NHL in penalty minutes during the 1996-97 season.
Former National Hockey League (NHL) veteran player Gino Odjick died of a heart attack at a Vancouver hospital on Sunday, where he was going to get leg bandages. He was 52 years old.
In 2014, Odjick was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a disease that attacks the organs and the heart.
Following the news of his death, three out of the four teams that Odjick used to play for sent their condolences.
“The New York Islanders are deeply saddened to learn the passing of former family member, Gino Odjick. The team extends our condolences to the Odjick family and friends.”
Odjick played for 12 years in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens, between 1990 and 2002.
Gino Odjick playing for the Vancouver Canucks
In the history of the Canucks, Gino holds the record for minutes spent in the penalty box with 2,127.
For the 1996-97 campaign, Odjick led the league in penalty minutes at 371.
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The chairman and governor of the Canucks, Francisco Aquilini said in a statement: “Gino was a fan-favourite from the moment he joined the organization, putting his heart and soul into every shift on and off the ice. He inspired many and embodied what it means to be a Canuck.
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Chicago Fire striker Jhon Durán was signed for $22m by Aston Villa after a massive breakthrough season in Major League Soccer.
Durán is leaving Major League Soccer for the Premier League.
The signing deal hinged on the Colombian teenager gaining a visa and passing a medical test in England.
Premier League’s Aston Villa have signed Colombia International Jhon Durán from Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire in a deal worth almost $22 million.
Before Villa drafted him, some other Europe clubs like Chelsea and Liverpool were hoping to get the striker who scored eight goals in 27 games for Fire last season. But he was scouted by Aston Villa, earning him his first cap for Colombia.
Durán had already played thrice for Colombia and is now the second Chicago Fire teen to leave the MLS for the EPL, following in Gabriela Slonina’s footsteps.
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Slonina joined Chelsea for $15m last August.
Chicago Fire Striker Jhon DuránGabriel Slonina
ESPN reports that the deal to take Jhon to Birmingham, England is worth $18m, with $4m for performance-related add-ons.
Colombian club Envigado, where Durán started his career, is also entitled to a percentage of the transfer fee.
When confirming the move, Aston Villa said, ‘the deal is subject to the player passing a medical, agreeing personal terms, and obtaining the necessary work visa.’
Jhon Durán in actionAston Villa Boss Unai Emery
If the deal is finalized without any hitches, Durán’s move would be one of the three biggest in MLS history.
His $22m transfer would match the amount Bayern Munich paid Vancouver Whitecaps for full-back Alphonso Davies. But it would rank behind the $26m Newcastle United paid to sign Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United back in 2019.
Before now, Durán’s career has been watched with great interest by a number of English Premier League clubs, like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
According to reports out of Colombia, Liverpool in the past, sent the same scout that discovered Luis Diaz at Porto before he joined the Reds, to watch Durán.
Portuguese club Benfica was also said to be scouting the Fire striker, he appeared on the front page of Record, a newspaper in Portugal, back in December as teams’ interests in him grew.
Jhon Durán in front of Record Newspaper
Chicago Fire coach Ezra Hendrickson, when speaking on Durán said, ‘He is a player that, once he gets it all together, he can be a really really special player. He has all the tools.’
In January 2021, Fire sporting director Georg Heitz defined Durán as being “really gifted”.
“He is not only physically interesting especially if you consider his age, but also technically, he’s really good in front of the goal, he’s good in the box, he’s smart, he’s quick with his feet. A raw talent, but really gifted,’ Heitz told the Athletic.
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Durán is currently away with the Colombian national team as part of the 2023 South American Under – 20 Championships.
Montreal will play a game on the road, as they face off with New York at Madison Square Garden in the New York Rangers VS Montreal Canadiens game.
NHL Scores show that the Canadiens has a 17-22-3 record, while the Rangers have a 24-12-7 record. Both teams have played each other once this season, with New York, winning the matchup.
The game between Rangers and Canadiens will happen today at 14:00, so ahead of the game, MatchPlug has brought you some reliable NHL Predictions Today you can use to inform yourself before the start of the game.
Predictions and Betting Preview for New York Rangers VS Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens VS Rangers
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
When: Sunday, January 15, 2023
Time: 14:00 GMT
Teams to play: New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers And Montreal Canadiens Prediction
These are some expert NHL predictions surrounding today’s game between the Rangers and Capitals.
New York Rangers Win 5 Out Of Their Last 6 Games
New York Rangers
Season Record: 24-12-7
BetMGM Spread: -1.5
BetMGM Moneyline:1.35
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 6
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.645
1XBet Over/Under: Under 5.5
The Rangers were a -130 favourite in their last game and they beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 in overtime. Adam Fox scored the overtime winner and he had an assist. K’ Andre Miller scored a goal, and Igor Shesterkin blocked 24 out of 25 shots from their opponents.
New York’s offense has been playing well recently, they scored 4 goals or more in 5 out of their last 9 games. Rangers rank 16th in goals per game and 9th in shots per game.
Artemi Panarin leads with 46 points and Mika Zibanejad is next with 45 points. Mika and Chris Kreider both lead the Rangers with 19 goals. Vincent Trocheck has 31 points and Kreider has 30 points.
The Rangers’ defense and goaltending have been good too this season. The team ranks 6th in goals against per game and 7th in shots against per game. Igor Shesterkin’s record is 20-6-6 with a 2.4 GAA and .917 SV%. Jaroslav Halak has a record of 4-6-1 with a 2.85 GAA and .896 SV%.
Adam Fox on the other hand has 44 points, he is 3rd in points, 4th in goals, and third in assists amongst all the defensemen in the league. Fox is on a six-game point steak. K’Andre Miller has 23 points and is on a five-game point streak.
Montreal Canadiens Play Back To Back On The Road
Montreal Canadiens
Season Record: 17-22-3
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 3.25
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 6
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 4.62
1XBet Over/Under: Over 5.5
The Montreal Canadiens are on the back end of continuous back-to-back road games. Their offense has been poor. Montreal ranks 29th in goals per game and 30th in shots per game. They scored two or fewer goals in 7 of their last 10 games.
Nick Suzuki leads the team with 35 points, and Cole Caufield follows with 25 goals and ranks 8th in goals in the NHL. Kirby Dach has 26 points this year.
In addition to their defense faltering, the Canadiens’ defense and goaltending have both been poor too. They rank 29th in goals per game and 28th in shots against per game. Jake Allen’s record reads 10-16-1 with a 3.52 GAA. While Sam Montembeault has a record of 7-6-2 with a 3.39 GAA and .902 SV%.
MatchPlug Prediction
New York has been playing really well lately, winning 5 of their last 6 games. Their offense works too, they have scored 4 or more goals in 5 of the last 9 games. The Rangers’ defense and goaltending have been very good too this season.
Rangers rank 6th in goals scored against per game and 7th in shots against per game. Igor Shesterkin’s 20-6-6 with a 2.4 GAA and .917 SV% record shines through.
In the past too, New York has won 4 out of the last 5 games with Montreal, and also defeated them on January 5th this season with a 4-1 score.
On their own part, the Canadiens have been bad recently, losing 8 out of their last 10 games. Offense, defense, and goaltending have all been awful for them this season. They rank 29th in goals per game, 30th in shots per game, 29th in goals against per game, and 28th in shots against per game.
With the Rangers playing at home, and the Canadiens playing road games back-to-back, New York will win this match by two or more goals.
Final Prediction: New York Rangers against the Spread.
San Antonio Spurs VS Sacramento Kings feature two teams with opposite goals. Kings want to keep adding to its winning streak and stay in the playoffs, while Spurs are fighting to avoid last position in the West.
MatchPlug brings you the best of American Sports preview, including NBA predictions and betting information. On that note, here are Betting Tips Today for the Spurs and Kings matchup.
San Antonio Spurs have suffered three consecutive losses, including two against the Memphis Grizzlies by 121-113 and a 135-129 score. The worst part is that Spurs’ play isn’t bad, they just don’t know how to maintain leverage and how to win.
The year has been a learning experience for San Antonio because they actually have a good team to play with. Gregg Popovich is not sure about his team and has made decisions too late in games, a few times. Just when the Spurs are about to recover, it’s already too late and they end up losing the game.
Tre Jones is singled out as the best player in the squad. This season, Jones averaged 13.5 points and 6.4 assists per game. He has raised his productivity to 15.9 points and 5.6 assists over the last 10 games he played. The problem with Jones, however, is that he doesn’t always get the help he needs, because most of the team is still finding its rhythm.
Betting On The Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
Season Record: 22-18
BetMGM Spread: -7.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.34
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 244.5
1XBet Spread: -7.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.41
1XBet Over/Under: Over 244.5
Sacramento Kings have already secured two victories in a row against Orlando Magic 136-115 and against Houston Rockets 135-115, but its performance is still a bit inconsistent and that may be because of its defense.
Kings only have Domantas Sabonis rebounding, and although he is one of the best in the NBA, his skills are not enough. Sabonis does almost everything on his own and gets no assistance from Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray, who have only 8 rebounds between the two, and have not blocked even once.
Most analysts believe that Barnes and Murray attack well, but their defense is poor and that is why Sabonis seems to be everywhere at once on the court.
Malik Monk, on the other hand, has made merit to be a starter for Kings. In the match against Houston, he scored 11 points, pulled down 3 boards and served 3 assists. But, Monk seems to have two moods; when he’s having a bad day, his impact won’t be felt, but if he has a good day he can score 30 points.
MatchPlug Prediction
In the Kings VS Spurs match, Sacramento will count on Sabonis, even if their defense still doesn’t perform well. San Antonio on their own part, can’t stop Sabonis, who will surely have an excellent game again to give his team the win.
The Spurs will have a low blow, mostly because they are still figuring out their parts in the team. Yet, since the season has been constant, their efforts won’t do much.
Of course, this will be a low blow for the Spurs, more so because they are slowly starting to find their rhythm. Still, as it has been a constant season, their efforts will not be enough.
Final Prediction: Sacramento Kings’ Moneyline
You can find more expert odds for this game on 1XBet and BetMGM.
The Portland Trail Blazers VS Dallas Mavericks game is the second meeting of the series between these teams. This matchup is a great chance for both teams, as the two of them are in the playoffs.
While the Trail Blazers need to win tonight’s game to get into Play-In, however, just one game stops them from getting in. Will this be the game?
MatchPlug is a trusted platform for all things NBA predictions and information, so this is our take on the NBA Predictions Tonight for the Trail Blazers and Mavericks matchup.
Portland is having a difficult time getting back on its feet. They’ve lost 5 games consecutively, and their last defeat was against the Cleveland Cavaliers which was in a game that ended with a 119-113 score.
Their defense is poor and they can’t seem to utilize the moment Damian Lillard is having, so he just does what he can.
Lillard only scored 50 points and has an average of 28.0 points over the last 10 games he played. He is one of the team’s best players, and even though his team is currently fighting for a spot in Play-In, is stuck and can’t move on.
The Trail Blazers are one game behind the Timberwolves, but to catch up with them, they’d have to win tonight’s game. For a greater part of their entire game with the Phoenix Suns, they were winning and seemed to be getting on track, only for them to fumble again.
Betting On The Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic
Season Record: 24 – 19
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.05
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 224.5
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.245
1XBet Over/Under: Over 224.5
Having Luka Doncic in the Dallas squad is like the team using a cheat code to play. Doncic has averaged 39.1 points, 11 rebounds, and 9.1 assists in 10 games. Watching him play is a real privilege.
However, not everything is good in the Dallas camp. Player injuries have thrown them off their game a bit. But, they’ve mustered 7 consecutive wins at one point in the season, making it one of the best winning streaks for the club in recent years. Now, their powers are no longer at full capacity because of those injuries.
Furthermore, while Doncic is a cheat code, he is not the solution to all of Dallas’ problems. He can’t do everything and gets help only from Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Green, who is not healthy and whose absences have struck a fatal blow to the team.
The transfer window is ending soon, and if the Mavericks don’t strengthen their squad, they’ll suffer later in the season.
MatchPlug Prediction
Betting Tips Today predicts that the matchup between Portland and Dallas will be very even. The Mavericks can’t find their footing and the Trail Blazers do their best to stay afloat but mess up every good moment they get.
Luck might be in the cards for Dallas, but NBA Expert Picks have already picked Luka Doncic and his Trail Blazers to take the win at home.
Final Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers Spread.
Bettors can find more expert odds surrounding this game on 1XBet and BetMGM.
The NFC Wild Card second game for the 2023 NFL postseason is Minnesota Vikings VS New York Giants which will happen on Sunday. This game is a meeting between two evenly matched-teams.
After their five-campaign absence and attaining the NFC’s second wild card, the New York has returned to the postseason. Minnesota on the other hand finished as champion of the NFC North and fought until the last weeks to attain the best record in the National Conference.
These teams played during the regular round, resulting in a 24-27 victory for Minnesota.
Regular Season Record: 13-4 (NFC North Champion – 3rd seed NFC)
BetMGM Spread: -3
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.62
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 48
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.64
1XBet Over/Under: Under 48.5
Minnesota Vikings started the campaign as the major favourites to sack the Greenbay Packers in the NFC North, and they really did do it. Securing 8 wins in the first 9 games, including the first week’s game versus Greenbay, the Vikings made their way to the top of the group.
For the postseason, expectations for this team are divided because while they have a strong aerial offense, their defense finished the regular season as one of the worst in the championship. They were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.
Minnesota finally allowed 427 points to its opponents, which is the 3rd highest total in the league, and 6,608 total yards were the 2nd highest total yards allowed by any of the NFL defenses.
The Vikings were performing poorly in both passes and rushes, finishing in the top 5 worst defenses against the pass, and in the top 10 worst teams in stopping opposing runs. They were also the second team with the most penalties (111), tied with the Giants.
On Minnesota’s offensive side, things changed rapidly. The Vikings reached the postseason because of the aerial display developed by Kirk Cousings, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen. The team was 3rd in attempted passes (672), 4th in aerial touchdowns (30), and 6th in total yards through passes (4.484). They also ranked 8th in points scored and in red zone efficiency too.
The New York Giants making it to the postseason is considered one of the pleasant surprises of the NFL regular round. This is so because New York finished last year with only four wins with Brian Daboll a head coach who had lots of talent but was experiencing his first time in this position.
In spite of this, the Giants didn’t falter in a complicated NFC East, that at some point had all four teams in the playoffs. Even with a lack of impressive numbers, these players found a way to win their games. 8 of their 9 wins were accomplished by 8 points or lower.
New York’s offensive side improved by one main factor which was Daniel Jones’ development. Jones had his best season yet since joining the NFL in 2019. He led the team to have the second-lowest amount of turnovers with just 16.
But, the heart and soul of this team’s offense is the ground game led by Saquon Barkley, who helped Giants finish 4th in total rushing yards (2,519) and touchdowns (21). They also finished 5th in average yards per carry (4.8).
A look at New York’s defense and their team records shows why most of their games were tightly contested. By conceding 371 points, the Giants ranked 17th in the league. Yet, they were positioned 5th as the best team defending on third downs and inside the red zone with 35.1% and 49.2% efficiencies, respectively.
To get some good results, the Giants’ secondary must have a good game, because they were one of the circuit’s worst teams in terms of stopping ground attacks. They also conceded the second-highest average of yards per carry in the NFL and the sixth-highest total rushing yards. In defending the pass, they ranked 14th in total yards per carry, and the 21 TDs conceded were the ninth-best total in the league.
MatchPlug Prediction
The Minnesota Vikings have a disastrous defense, but the good thing is that the New York Giants’ defense is not very powerful, and they can be inconsistent sometimes.
This fact is vital when you note that Minnesota scores lots of points. The team scored fewer than 23 points only 3 times this campaign, and in their first game against the Giants, they gained over 350 total yards.
Another advantage the Vikings have is that they are basically unbeatable at home. This year, they only lost one game out of the nine games they played, and it was to the Dallas Cowboys.
New York, scored a 3-4 record playing as visitors, including two losses in their past two away games.
