Horizon League Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | January 18

The first full day of work for the Chicago Cubs was today in Mesa, Arizona, as the team prepares for the 2025 season. That means we got a lot of clips of work on the field, and comments from the players. I thought I'd round them up for you here, kicking it off with a couple guys who say this is the best iteration of a Cubs team they've been...

DYLAN CEASE — Aside from some clarity at the ownership level, I have no idea what changed for the Padres over the past week. All winter long, we heard rumors that they would have to subtract, perhaps significantly, from their payroll before they could consider adding even a single penny to the bottom line. And for most of the winter, that has proved true. Indeed, that reality was seemingly supported by...

I GUESS DEY SHOULDA SIGNED ADAM BERGMAN MY FRENT! Here's hoping today's injury update is legitimately a very minor one, with the feel of something bigger only because of the recent Alex Bregman decision and the buzzy additional interest right now in Matt Shaw: https://bsky.app/profile/mmontemurro.bsky.social/post/3li5xgxfthk2w Given that it happened five days ago and I've seen Shaw at least getting in some work on the field since then, it must not...

I don't always love what the Cubs go with, but I'm always interested to see what a given season's marketing slogan is going to be. Last year's 'You Have to C It' was a bit of a mixed bag, though I understand what the team was going for. This year's iteration is similar, with a heavy emphasis on ticket sales: Some things are just better at Wrigley Field.BE HERE FOR...

CUBS PAYROLL — Tom Ricketts and the Chicago Cubs can sing any song they want about the reality of their annual revenues, losses, and failed attempts to sign free agents. That's the perk of keeping your bookkeeping private. You want to claim that you're only breaking even or even weathering losses each year? No one can dispute it (or even simply ask why certain indirect team revenues are excluded from your...

Just to button up the Seiya Suzuki Designated Hitter thing, we have some comments from the man himself. You may recall that there were some quotes out there over the offseason from Suzuki's agent, in tandem with the Cubs' offseason efforts, that his client would prefer not to DH full-time. Fair enough, but after the trade for Kyle Tucker, it looked like the best version of the Cubs' lineup would...

In the wake of third baseman Alex Bregman choosing to sign with the Boston Red Sox, who'd been the leading suitor in trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado, a lot of folks have given thought to "what now" for the Cardinals. It seems to me the most likely "what now" is an awkward next five-ish months with the Cardinals desperately hoping Arenado positions himself (and his contract) as a compelling...

Love is in the air for Valentine's Day *AND* for the full squad officially reporting for the first team workout at Cubs Spring Training. Cubs are red, Cubs are blue, something something, smell of grass and chocolate, too. I'd still like to see one more bat option for the bench and maybe one more arm, but by and large, I'm mentally locking it in that this is the group, and...

Whether you're bullish (like PECOTA) or more conservative (like FanGraphs), the 2025 Chicago Cubs are probably your pick in the NL Central this season. By pretty much every measure — both data-driven and subjective — the Cubs are the class of their division. And yet, I believe they're one piece short of where they should have aimed to be. And I think they know it. First, let's discuss that "where they...

Having missed out on Alex Bregman, the Chicago Cubs today turned to ... Just kidding. These events have nothing to do with each other. The Cubs apparently felt they needed some additional infield depth at Triple-A (is everyone healthy?), and they've signed old friend Dixon Machado to a minor league deal, per the team transaction wire. Machado, 33 later this month, spent the last two seasons primarily playing at Triple-A...

The Chicago Bears are reportedly set to bring on another coach with college ties to Ben Johnson's new staff. Oregon State Offensive Line Coach Kyle DeVan is reportedly taking his talents to Halas Hall: The #Bears are expected to hire Oregon State offensive line coach Kyle DeVan, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.DeVan, who was an NFL offensive lineman from 2008-12, was as an assistant offensive line coach in 2015 with the Saints,...

The Myles Garrett Sweepstakes will be one of the NFL offseason's biggest stories and a fascinating follow, to be sure. And it will be far more interesting if the Chicago Bears finagle their way into the action. Over at ESPN, Bill Barnwell offers up Myles Garrett trade fits and unearths, which teams make sense as partners who could do business and cut a deal for the Cleveland Browns star pass...

Chicago Bears Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham has successfully completed his interview for the vacant Jacksonville Jaguars general manager position. The Jags sent this out to make it officially official: We have completed an interview with Ian Cunningham for our General Manager position. pic.twitter.com/Ls7BrwtFyD— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) February 14, 2025 Jacksonville has officially finished interviews with the following general manager candidates: Chad Alexander, Los Angeles Chargers Assistant GM Brandon Brown,...

The Ben Johnson era is here. And nothing ushers in a new era of Chicago Bears football like a fresh installment of 1920 Football Drive, the YouTube web series from Chicago's football team that provides behind-the-scenes footage of the happenings at Halas Hall. There is no need to extend the intro any further. Check out the video: https://youtu.be/7vTGU4do7to?si=pRcSN6YxtLXn46Fc Behind the scenes of Ben Johnson's arrival at Halas Hall as Bears...

It's Day 40 of the Chicago Bears offseason, and I've written a poem: Roses are red,violets are blueRebuild the offensive line,or I'm gonna boo How can you not be romantic about pass protection? The more I read about the draft-eligible offensive linemen, the more I want the Bears to take multiple shots at the position in the 2025 NFL Draft. Early and often? Yes. But most definitely early. Even if...

If you're trying to piece together what the Chicago Bears offseason will look like, then turn your attention to what new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had to say at his introductory press conference. Video via Bears Marquee on Twitter/X: “I think we’re always looking for talent acquisition, player acquisition ... that can help us grow as a defensive line.”Dennis Allen on potentially acquiring defensive linemen. pic.twitter.com/X0auBfJ5GM— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) January...

The NFL released the list of player names who have been invited to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. You can check out the full list here. In the meantime, I have highlighted some names of players who play five position groups that the Chicago Bears should prioritize filling during the 2025 NFL Draft: OFFENSIVE LINEMEN Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas), Tyler Booker (Alabama), Will Campbell (LSU), Josh Conerly Jr....

Dear baby, welcome to Dumpsville. Population: You. That is the oversimplified breakdown of the message the New York Jets sent to Aaron Rodgers today as the team announced its break-up with the quarterback. Here is the actual message: We have informed Aaron Rodgers that we will be moving in a different direction at quarterback.— New York Jets (@nyjets) February 13, 2025 Ooh! A public break-up on the day before Valentine's...

It's Day 39 of the Chicago Bears offseason. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Let the lead-in to this morning's set of Bullets remind you that you should do your shopping (if you haven't already done so). And if you don't have someone to shop for, use this opportunity to buy something nice for yourself. After all, you deserve it. The 2025 NFL Draft is in 70 days. And the more I...

For all the discussion surrounding the Chicago Bears' needs along the offensive line, one player who does *NOT* need to be replaced is right tackle Darnell Wright. Moreover, I'd go as far as to plant my flag and say that Wright is a building block for this offensive line. Sure, the rest of the group is a mess. The Bears have to add three new starters to the offensive line,...

Happy NBA All-Star Weekend, folks! Unfortunately, there are not any Bulls in the actual All-Star game this year (though, ex-Bull Zach LaVine should be there). But the organization isn't without a little bit of representation! At the very least, we get to watch probably the brightest member of the franchise at this point, Matas Buzelis, compete in multiple events. First offered a spot in the dunk contest, Buzelis was also...

Despite one Eastern Conference Finals appearance since Michael Jordan called it quits, the Chicago Bulls remain one of the NBA's most profitable franchises. CNBC released their 2025 team valuations this week, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf has to be pleased. The Bulls are currently the fourth-most valuable franchise in the NBA and worth an estimated $5.8 billion. CNBC also lists them as generating roughly $402 million in revenue during the 2023-24...

Matas Buzelis' All-Star Weekend just got a whole lot busier. Already in San Francisco for the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, the Chicago Bulls youngster received a pretty big phone call on Friday morning. With fellow rookie big man Yves Missi dealing with a knee injury, Buzelis received an invite to tonight's Rising Stars Event. Better late than never! © Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Buzelis will suit up for Mitch Richmond's squad...

Matas Buzelis has officially been added to the NBA's Rising Stars event. Tipping off All-Star Weekend Friday night at the Chase Center, the Chicago Bulls rookie was initially left off the 21-man roster. The NBA also invited four other players as injury replacements before giving Buzelis the call. However, with Yves Missi joining the list of injured players, Buzelis has finally been added to the big event. The rookie will...

Believe it or not, all those "Fire AKME" tweets have not made their way to Jerry Reinsdorf's flip phone. Despite another underwhelming NBA trade deadline that featured another messy press conference, I'm not sure anyone expected news of a front-office shake-up to break. If there is anyone out there holding out hope, however, the Chicago Sun-Times is here to deliver some bad news. Joe Cowley reported on Thursday afternoon that...

In a shocking discovery, Chicagoans have not raced home to watch the Bulls this season. The once-raved-about franchise has slowly worked its way down the city's totem pole over the last decade, as the Bulls have registered one postseason appearance in the last eight years. Even more troublesome, they have made it to a lone Eastern Conference Finals since Michael Jordan's final season in 1997-98. For as loyal as this...

The All-Star break has just about arrived, and that means we're gearing up for the final push of the NBA regular season. This season has had no shortage of drama and intrigue surrounding some of the game's biggest names and where they could potentially move on to next. This week's NBA Notes has a few updates on some of those players, as well as some more news. Let's get to...

It wouldn't be a true All-Star Weekend without a nod to the GOAT. With Jordan Brand celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Air Jordan 1 this season, the company set up quite the homage to the iconic sneaker. Nick DePaula of Boardroom reported that 1,200 drones were used over the Bay Bridge this weekend to construct several very recognizable and larger-than-life images. DePaula shared photos and video of drones creating...

After a trade deadline that felt more like a wet willy than it did a high-five, Chicago Bulls fans need the All-Star break. The team suffered their fourth consecutive loss on Wednesday night and second in a row to the Pistons. When they pick things back up on Thursday, February 20, they will sit 22-33 with only 28 more games to go. That is, of course, if they don't end...

The Chicago Bulls had one goal tonight: Do not lose by 40 points. Mission accomplished! After a couple of sloppy turnovers and wide-open shots at the rim for the Pistons gave me deja vu, the Bulls finally started to act like enough was enough. Ayo Dosunmu did a great job setting an early tone, pushing the tempo in transition and prioritizing shots at the rim. Combined with some very solid...

The United States blew the doors off of Finland last night in the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring six unanswered goals -- four of which came in the third period. Brady and Matthew Tkachuk led the way with two goals each; Matthew was named the game's No. 1 star. For Blackhawks fans, Teuvo Teräväinen was minus-one and skated only 10:34. His line with Erik Haula and Joel Armia didn't get on...

Since the NHL is taking a couple weeks off in the middle of February for the 4 Nations Face-Off, why not take advantage of no Blackhawks games to chase and update our full two-round 2025 mock draft! With the calendar flipping to 2025, we're getting an increasing number of draft rankings and projections from folks who spend a great deal of time digging into take and profiles. Lots of things...

The NHL world is on pause for a couple weeks while we enjoy the 4 Nations Face-Off, but that doesn't mean there isn't news being made around the game. Indeed, there was some important news that came from the NHL/NHLPA press conference before the game on Wednesday night that's notable. The World Cup of Hockey is coming back, the CBA negotiations sound like they're in a good place, there might...

It's been a little less than a month since we took stock of the Blackhawks' prospect pipeline but it's been a busy time. Chicago's pool was ranked fourth in the NHL by Scott Wheeler at The Athletic. The Blackhawks have five (5) prospects nominated for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. They have the AHL All-Star Classic MVP in the fold. And they claim the first 50-goal scorer in the CHL...

Before we get into the fantastic hockey in Montreal last night, I'm going to start with some Blackhawks focused stuff because Scott Powers at The Athletic shared a terrific Q&A with Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson on Wednesday. They talk about a lot of topics, from Connor Bedard's development to finding him a running mate and how they're approaching spending money this summer and the draft. A couple items stood...

For the first time in a while, all ten of the Blackhawks' college prospects are in action this weekend. And, for those tuning in, we'll only have to search for four games on Friday and Saturday night because we've got some head-to-head action in Hockey East and the NCHC. Ryan Greene and Boston University will look to build off their huge win in the Beanpot championship on Monday night as...

It's Wednesday, Feb. 12 and there hasn't been a Blackhawks game in (counts on fingers) too many days. But there will be professional hockey to watch tonight! The 4 Nations Face-Off begins this evening with Canada in action against Sweden. Unfortunately for Blackhawks fans, there's only one current Chicago player involved in the tournament. Teuvo Teräväinen is skating for Finland for a week. The games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday...

On Wednesday, the NHL opened the ballots for the league's All-Quarter Century Team for fans to participate. You can vote for ten (10) players from across the NHL. Fans can vote online or on the artist formerly known as Twitter, using the hashtag #NHLQCTeam AND one of the following: Full player name (with or without spaces) Player #firstandlastname Player's Handle on X The Chicago Blackhawks who are eligible for fan...

Another day without Blackhawks hockey to watch, but we did get an update on the voting for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The Blackhawks have five (5) prospects nominated, and Chicago knows how to handle voting (often, people... multiple emails... let's go). So when I saw Boston University co-captain Ryan Greene is the only Blackhawks' prospect in the top ten, I was both surprised and disappointed. Let's go here, people!...

Because there's no Blackhawks hockey this week and we're waiting for the games to begin at the 4 Nations Face-Off, I wanted to dig in with some prospects and catch up on their development this season. I've shared some of the conversations I had with Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel from Minnesota thus far this week. Without question the hottest name in the Blackhawks' training camp this fall was a...