Jed Hoyer Speaks (Again): Keeping Contreras and Happ, Impact of Qualifying Offer, Trading Effross, Cubs Called on Soto-Ohtani, No Davis or Amaya This Year, More

Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer on 670 The Score this morning and he shared a LOT — not just about the deadline and the deals the Cubs did or didn’t make, but also the Cubs involvement in the Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto sweepstakes and the chances of seeing Brennen Davis or Miguel Amaya in Chicago this season. I did my best to capture his answers live below, paraphrased …

  • We were very well prepared, we went into the deadline saying if we can demonstrably improve our future, certainly that’s something we’ll consider. But you know, we never got close to that line so it made that decision (not to make certain trades) fairly easy at the end. Obviously, you don’t trade really good players unless you feel like you can stand up in front of the fan base and say our future just got a lot brighter.

  • Last year, we felt like we had some deals lined up that we really felt incredibly strongly about. And this year we didn’t. I think we made a couple really good trades. But I think the ones that were maybe more expected obviously never materialized, and that’s because they’re really good players and we never got close to the right price.

  • On the disparity between what the Cubs thought Willson Contreras was worth and other teams: We value Willson a lot given his contributions to the team and what we know he brings everyday. I do think that market is a tight market. The relationship between a pitching staff and a catcher during the course of a year, it builds. And I think a lot of teams are reluctant to change catching mid-season because of the challenges of learning a new pitching staff in the middle of the year. It was a tight market. You know, candidly, we had a feeling it could be. We conveyed that to Willson and his representatives — ‘You know, this is no sure thing.’ I think clearly based on the media coverage there was an assumption that this was definitely going to happen. But I think we knew that there were just a handful of teams that might consider such a transaction. But we ultimately knew that it’s not like having a starting pitcher or a having a relief pitcher where everyone can use a really good starting pitcher or a really good relief pitcher. I think people view the catching market differently and that’s how it played out.

  • Jed Hoyer reiterated how bad he felt for Contreras and Ian Happ dealing with cameras in their face all the time as everyone focused on their departure. But he also reiterated that he told them both they wouldn’t be traded for pennies on the dollar. “They knew that.” He also said the “coverage of the trade market,” from the media “contributed emotionally” to how hard it was on Happ and Contreras. Which, love ya, Jed, but gee…I wonder why we thought you were going to trade all of our remaining favorite players.

  • Are contract extensions possible with both or either guy? And how does it affect the big picture plan for the rebuild: Of course that’s possible. Nothing’s changed about how we’re gonna talk about that stuff publicly. We aren’t going to bring that up. Hopefully that doesn’t become 60 days of being asked what the status of those things are. I’ve got a good relationship with (their agents). But we aren’t going to talk about where things are in terms of an extension. As far as the future, with Ian we definitely have him for next year. With Willson he’s a free agent and that process has to play out.

  • To me the biggest and most important thing is my goal is to build something that’s really special, to build something that can go deep in October and win championships. And I don’t want to think that building something you hope can maybe be respectable or maybe sneak into a wild card position, that’s not what snaps me out of bed in the morning. When I look at my career and the memories I have – all the truly great memories are the teams that won a championship or had a chance to win a championship. That’s what I want to build here. So we’re going to work really hard to do that. Sometimes we’re going to make moves to line that up for the future. That’s the goal. Nothing’s changed in that regard … We’re not trying to build something that can just sneak in. That’s not the goal.

  • The ruling on the international draft and the qualifying offer does have an impact. You’re sort of given a floor of that value. You know that if you’re not able to reach agreement and extend Willson, then you know that you have the qualifying offer and you know that you have the draft pick that comes with that. Certainly that is part of the calculus. It’d be crazy not to factor that in as you talk to different teams. The decision to hold both guys, their value to the Cubs, as players as people, far exceeded what we were being offered. It really is that simple.

  • Hoyer says he called the Angels and the Nationals on both Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto: “Obviously, you have to check in, but I think right now, going into 2023 effectively, it did not make sense to be involved in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.” I think you have to have a real structure, a real foundation built to make that kind of transaction. I think with the Padres, they believe this is their window and they are absolutely ready to win the World Series right now with him. And they paid a really heavy price to do that, to get one of the best hitters we’ll ever see. We’re not right now in a position as an organization to do that. Now, would we have entertained that sort of thing in 2016, 2017, or 2018? Absolutely. Do I look forward to at some point in the next few years feeling differently? Absolutely. But right now certainly the time wasn’t right.

  • On trading Scott Effross – Do you guys feel the pitching lab can produce more players like him and is that why it made it easier to trade him? Uhm, yeah. I don’t want to … Scott worked really hard. And he’s a great story of perseverance. We actually talked about that a lot on the phone for quite a while when we made the trade. His career arc, his career path is just so fascinating …. He deserves so much credit …. But, yes, I do feel like our pitching infrastructure is in a great place. We do believe that we can produce pitching. And for us, it was just a calculus of, you know, right now Scott Effross is a high-leverage reliever. The value of that at the deadline is very high for teams that are trying to play deep in October. And right now we’re not going to play in October this year. So for us to get a starting pitching prospect we’ve really coveted for a long time, who’s very close to the big leagues, that just made a lot of sense … This felt like the right move for the future of the organization.

  • Will we see Brennen Davis or Miguel Amaya in Chicago before the end of the season? Probably not, candidly. I think with Miguel Amaya, he’s been hitting great in Tennessee, but he’s not going to be ready defensively to do that [because of the Tommy John recovery process]. So I think it’s unlikely that we would do that, since he can’t catch. With Brennen, it’s been a strange year for him. There’s been good news and bad news throughout the course of the year with his injury. The good news is that the surgery he had was not on his discs, so really it’s something we expect a completely full recovery from. We need to get him back and get him the at-bats he lost in the Minor Leagues and then hopefully we can figure out what he can do this fall to make sure that he didn’t stall in his development by not getting enough plate appearances. The future is really bright for both guys and I do think that it’s exciting to me that so many good things have happened in the farm system this year, and two of our best prospects, Amaya and Brennen have been hurt, and even with that we’ve still seen some good advances. The future is bright for those guys, but I think it’s unlikely we see them in Chicago this year.

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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
Feb 10, 2025

Cubs Reportedly Eyeing Justin Turner As They Wait on Alex Bregman

As discussed this morning, even if the Chicago Cubs aren't going to make any more major offseason additions to the roster, you didn't get the sense from the front office press conference, or from Craig Counsell's, that the Cubs are ruling out additional bullpen or bench moves. To that end, Justin Turner is reportedly a possibility: https://bsky.app/profile/ken-rosenthal.bsky.social/post/3lhubjjk5ec2w Two things on that, broadly speaking: 1.) The Cubs have had reported interest...

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Chicago Cubs
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Chicago Cubs
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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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Cubs playoff odds

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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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An Extra Group of Chicago Cubs Prospects to Know Heading Into 2025

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Chicago Cubs
Michael Cerami
Feb 10, 2025
Alex Bregman

Should Cubs Use the Rest of Their Budget Now, or Later at the Trade Deadline?

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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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The Milwaukee Brewers Will Honor Bob Uecker on Their Uniforms This Season

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Chicago Cubs
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Are the Cubs Finished Making Moves? The Front Office Speaks

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Chicago Cubs
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Imanaga in Japan, Hoerner and Shortstop, Suzuki and DH, First Day, and Other Cubs Bullets

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Chicago Bears
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bears Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams Already Has an Offseason Improvement Plan in Place

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Chicago Bears
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2025 Chicago Bears Offseason Preview: Cap Space, Team Needs, Draft Picks, More

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Chicago Bears
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Super Bowl LIX Thoughts: Fangio Shines, Hurts Silences, Mahomes and the Chiefs Aren’t Going Anywhere, More

This time yesterday, the only thing standing in the way of history for the Kansas City Chiefs was 60 minutes of football. By the end of the evening, it turned out that a brick wall in the form of the Philadelphia Eagles was waiting for Kansas City. The concern level wasn't very high when it was 10-0 Philadelphia. After all, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes found themselves in a familiar...

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Chicago Bears
Luis C. Medina
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Chicago Bears 2025 Schedule: Here Is Who They’ll Play Next Year

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Chicago Bears
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2025 NFL Mock Draft: First Post-Super Bowl Mock Has New Top Overall Pick, Bears Miss Out On Top OL

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Chicago Bears
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vic fangio super bowl eagles bears

Vic Fangio’s Time to Shine, Kendrick vs. Drake Beef Explained, New Scorebug, Grade Tom Brady, and Other Super Bowl Hangover Bullets

It's Day 36 of the Chicago Bears offseason. A new Super Bowl champion was crowned on Sunday, and I have thoughts about what transpired at the Superdome in New Orleans. Super Bowl LIX was reminiscent of Super Bowl XX in many ways. Both games were played in New Orleans in the Superdome. Both games were won by NFC teams beating an AFC opponent whose string of good fortune came to...

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Chicago Bears
Luis C. Medina
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When channel is the Super Bowl on

Super Bowl LIX: Chiefs vs. Eagles – Lineups, Inactives, How to Watch, More

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Chicago Bears
Luis C. Medina
Feb 09, 2025
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Four Super Bowl Participants Who Make Sense as Bears Free Agent Targets

The sooner Super Bowl LIX ends, the sooner we can throw ourselves fully into what figures to be another fascinating offseason for the Chicago Bears. Perhaps Sunday's showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will feature some players who are future Bears. And maybe the addition of one (or two) of these players could one day elevate Chicago's football team to Super Bowl glory. We have got a...

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Chicago Bears
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Feb 09, 2025
Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers Finds a Way to Make Super Bowl Sunday All About Him

Death. Taxes. And Aaron Rodgers attempting to steal the spotlight because no one is talking about him. Those are life's three guarantees. I'm sorry you had to hear it from me, but I'd rather you learn about it here than somewhere else. Today is Super Bowl Sunday. It is a day in which we shouldn't be thinking about Aaron Rodgers. And yet, Aaron Rodgers news always finds a way to...

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Chicago Bears
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More Virginia McCaskey Tributes, Bears Best Plays, NFL Rumors, Ref Favoritism? And Other Super Bowl Sunday Bullets

It's Day 35 of the Chicago Bears offseason. As a pretzel lover, this recipe from my friend Jim looks like a perfect Super Bowl snack — and it can be made in less than an hour! Let's start this Super Bowl set of BN Bears Bullets with another touching tribute to Virginia Halas McCaskey: https://youtu.be/N2PHv4OsEvM?si=smwpibeY84OPfXIO What a well-done job by the Bears multi-media team. The folks on that stuff deserve...

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The Rightful Owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves Has Finally Been Announced

After nearly a year-long battle, the Minnesota Timberwolves will have a new owner. ESPN's Shams Charania announced on Monday afternoon that arbitrators have ruled in favor of Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez in the sale of the Timberwolves franchise. The announcement comes after now-former-owner Glen Taylor attempted to halt the purchase after a multi-year-long process. Rodriguez and Lore will now have to be approved officially by the NBA's Board of...

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Chicago Bulls
Elias Schuster
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The Bulls Lottery Odds Have Slightly Improved in Recent Weeks, Can It Continue?

Arturas Karnisovas may not want to admit it, but the Chicago Bulls sure look the part of a rebuilding team. Not only did they part ways with their best offensive weapon at the NBA trade deadline, but they have comfortably been one of the NBA's worst teams since mid-January. The Bulls have won only four of their 15 games since January 12, and they have held the league's third-worst net...

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Chicago Bulls
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Feb 10, 2025

The Bulls Get a Great Look This Week At Why a Rebuild Can be Worth It

It's a short week for the Chicago Bulls and a weird one at that. There are just two games before the NBA All-Star break begins on Thursday, and they're both at home against the Detroit Pistons. I think it's a little bit ironic that the Pistons are coming to town after another trade deadline that probably wasn't as active as it should have been. Granted, Detroit's rebuild has taken a...

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Chicago Bulls
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Feb 10, 2025
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Resetting Expectations, Some Nikola Vucevic Concerns, Great Nate Robinson News, and Other Bulls Bullets

The NFL season has officially come to an (unceremonious) end, and you know what that means ... IT IS OFFICIALLY BASKETBALL SEASON, BABY! All-Star Weekend, superstars on new teams, a tight race in the West, and Matas Buzelis' historic second-half Rookie of the Year run! What more could you ask for? In all seriousness, while I think there are MANY captivating NBA storylines to follow over the next few months,...

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Chicago Bulls
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A Perfect Tank Loss, A Great Matas Buzelis Performance, Coby White’s Free Throws, and Other Bulls Bullets

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Chicago Bulls
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Box Score & Player Grades: Warriors 132, Bulls 111 – February 8, 2025

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Pre-Gamin’: Warriors at Bulls (7:00 CT) – Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

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Meet the Chicago Bulls’ Newbies (and Other Bulls Bullets)

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So the Bulls Are Rebuilding, Right? Here is Arturas Karnisovas’ Answer

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Chicago Bulls
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Chicago Blackhawks
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Sam Rinzel University of Minnesota

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Intrigue, Questions, Hope Surround Blackhawks 2020 NHL Draft Class

As we continue to focus on the Blackhawks' rebuild, it's important to recognize that there were some pieces in the cupboard before the organ-I-zation changed general managers. And one of the draft classes that's stacking up to be one of the more intriguing in the immediate future took place at one of the most awkward times in the history of the NHL. Because of the COVID pandemic, the 2020 NHL...

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written by

Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

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With Spring Training here, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell met with the media to discuss the start of his second year at the helm of the team. I've embedded the full press conference below, and just watched while taking notes....

The Magnitude of the Unfriendly Confines at Wrigley Field

Stray ballpark note from Ken Rosenthal in his latest, perhaps yielding a grateful Red Sox org: "One potential negative for Bregman if he chooses the Cubs or Detroit Tigers: Chicago’s Wrigley Field has been the third-most difficult park for right-handed...

An Extra Group of Chicago Cubs Prospects to Know Heading Into 2025

After the release of their top-30 Chicago Cubs prospects going into the 2025 season (discussed last week here), Baseball America went a little deeper on each org, adding another 10 prospects to know in the Cubs' system. I loved this...

Should Cubs Use the Rest of Their Budget Now, or Later at the Trade Deadline?

Yesterday at The Athletic, Patrick Mooney wrote: "For the Cubs to sign (Alex) Bregman, he would probably have to lower his expectations from a six- or seven-year deal to a shorter-term contract structure with opt-out clauses." And privately, I can...

The Milwaukee Brewers Will Honor Bob Uecker on Their Uniforms This Season

Not that I'm in the business of giving props to the Milwaukee Brewers, but I had to nod in their direction for the very good decision to honor Bob Uecker all season with a patch on their uniform. The long-time...

Are the Cubs Finished Making Moves? The Front Office Speaks

Good luck getting Cubs President Jed Hoyer or Cubs GM Carter Hawkins to firmly commit to anything about the roster at a press conference. But I understand that the questions have to be asked, and the information in response, however...

Imanaga in Japan, Hoerner and Shortstop, Suzuki and DH, First Day, and Other Cubs Bullets

That game confirmed that the biggest sports moment of the day was Cubs pitchers and catchers reporting. We knew it from the jump. Speaking of the game, owing to its timing, I must confess that I was not able to...

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Svitolina vs. Pegula Prediction at the WTA Doha, Qatar – Tuesday, February 11

In a match scheduled for Tuesday, Jessica Pegula (No. 5 in rankings) will meet Elina Svitolina (No. 22) in the Round of 32 at the WTA Doha, Qatar.Pegula is favored (-175) in this matchup, compared to the underdog Svitolina, who...

Rybakina vs. Stearns Prediction at the WTA Doha, Qatar – Tuesday, February 11

In the Round of 32 at the WTA Doha, Qatar on Tuesday, Peyton Stearns (ranked No. 47) takes on Elena Rybakina (No. 7).Rybakina is getting -526 odds to beat Stearns (+360).WTA Doha, Qatar InfoTournament: The WTA Doha, QatarRound: Round of...

Zheng vs. Jabeur Prediction at the WTA Doha, Qatar – Tuesday, February 11

Ons Jabeur (No. 35) will meet Qinwen Zheng (No. 8) in the Round of 32 at the WTA Doha, Qatar on Tuesday, February 11.Against the underdog Jabeur (+105), Zheng is favored (-135) to advance.WTA Doha, Qatar InfoTournament: The WTA Doha,...

van Assche vs. Bonzi Prediction at the Open 13 Provence – Tuesday, February 11

Benjamin Bonzi (No. 64) will meet Luca van Assche (No. 164) in the Round of 32 at the Open 13 Provence on Tuesday, February 11.In this match versus van Assche (+190), Bonzi is favored to win with -250 odds.Open 13...

Sramkova vs. Andreeva Prediction at the WTA Doha, Qatar – Tuesday, February 11

On Tuesday, Mirra Andreeva (No. 15 in the world) faces Rebecca Sramkova (No. 46) in the Round of 32 at the WTA Doha, Qatar.Andreeva is favored (-450) in this match, compared to the underdog Sramkova, who is +310.WTA Doha, Qatar...

Chidekh vs. Bergs Prediction at the Open 13 Provence – Tuesday, February 11

In a match slated for Tuesday, Zizou Bergs (No. 62 in rankings) will meet Clement Chidekh (No. 189) in the Round of 32 at the Open 13 Provence.Bergs is getting -225 odds to beat Chidekh (+175).Open 13 Provence InfoTournament: The...

Argentina Open Schedule Wednesday, February 12: Matchups & TV/Live Stream Info

There are two matches at the Argentina Open on February 12, the best being No. 2-ranked Alexander Zverev versus No. 81 Dusan Lajovic. The Tennis Channel provides live coverage and highlights of all the major moments across tournaments during Center...

Struff vs. Guinard Prediction at the Open 13 Provence – Tuesday, February 11

In the Round of 32 at the Open 13 Provence on Tuesday, Manuel Guinard (ranked No. 280) takes on Jan-Lennard Struff (No. 46).Against the underdog Guinard (+350), Struff is favored (-526) to advance.Open 13 Provence InfoTournament: The Open 13 ProvenceRound:...

Badosa vs. Anisimova Prediction at the WTA Doha, Qatar – Tuesday, February 11

In the WTA Doha, Qatar Round of 32 on Tuesday, No. 10-ranked Paula Badosa faces No. 41 Amanda Anisimova.Badosa is getting -155 odds to beat Anisimova (+118).WTA Doha, Qatar InfoTournament: The WTA Doha, QatarRound: Round of 32Date: Tuesday, February 11Venue:...

Miami (FL) vs. Syracuse Prediction: Spread, Total Points, Moneyline Picks – Tuesday, February 11, 2025

The Miami Hurricanes (5-18, 1-11 ACC) host the Syracuse Orange (11-13, 5-8 ACC) in a matchup of ACC teams at Watsco Center, beginning at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. The Hurricanes are 1.5-point favorites in the game....

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