by Zak Drapeau 1/31/2025 Sportz Nation Here's a look at my list of my Top 24 Athletes of 2024 , with guys like Shohei Ohtani, Connor McDavid and a slew of Summer Olympians dominating the list. Without an Olympic event this year, this list will be compiled of mostly athletes in the big sporting leagues such as NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, various Soccer leagues and others. In the fourth year of doing this list, I am a bit biased toward the top sports leagues but will always give credi

by Zak Drapeau 1/22/2026 - Sportz Nation Photo of Red Sox General Manager Craig Breslow from NESN NBC Interview via MLB.com Slow. One word that sums everything up pretty much. The Red Sox made a stunning move toward the beginning of the 2025 season by trading away Rafael Devers that set them to the rebuild we have seen over the past few months. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Offseason Moves Below are a list of the Red Sox moves this offseason: Signed: Ranger Suarez

by Joel Piton 1/21/2026 - Sportz Nation This year's Most Improved Player race is more competitive than it’s been in recent memory, with a growing list of players making undeniable cases for real, lasting growth. A handful are pushing toward their first All-Star selections, while others—once anonymous role players—have vaulted themselves into opposing teams' gameplans. These aren’t fluky hot streaks either, we're halfway through the season and these guys have not wavered. Thes

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 1/21/2026 Photo by Maddie Meyer/ Getty Images In 2002, the Patriots shocked the world by making a run for the ages in the playoffs and shocked the well-favored Rams to win their franchise's first Super Bowl. 24 years later and they have shocked the world again in the midst of another run for the Super Bowl. At the beginning of the season, Ceasar's Sportsbook had the Patriots Win-Loss Over/Under at 8.5 even though they finished last season at 4-1

by Zak Drapeau 1/11/2026 Sportz Nation Photo by Samantha Madar/ Columbus Dispatch/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images 1. Caleb Downs Safety 1 6'1" 204 lbs. Ohio State Strengths: - Great Special Teams Returner - High Production at both Ohio State and Alabama - Great processing speed when in deep and medium zone coverage. Uses zone IQ and athleticism to constantly threaten passing lanes. - Elite at sniffing out run plays and making plays in backfield. - Versatility. Can be dee

Photo Credit to Charles LeClaire, Eric Canha Round two of the 2025-26 NFL Playoffs is officially here, with the 2-seeded New England Patriots taking on the 5-seeded Houston Texans. New England, coming off a gritty 16-3 win over the LA Chargers, will be looking to exploit what is an elite Houston defense. As for Houston, who is coming off a 30-6 blowout win over the Steelers, the defense will need to step up once again with the offense banged up. The game is set to kick off on

by Zak Drapeau 1/16/2026 - Sportz Nation Photo by Steven Bisig/ Imagn Images Game Preview A rematch from only 2 weeks ago, this game should be one of the closest of the week and the only divisional matchup in the Divisional Round. These NFC West rivals played twice this year and split the series, but when the stakes were at it's highest in a Week 18 game that was for the #1 seed in the NFC and the NFC West title, it was the Seahawks that played stronger on their way to a 13-3

Photo: Justin Ford/GettyImages Just four years ago, Ja Morant electrified the league for 27 points per night, earning NBA Most Improved Player honors, and cementing himself as the face of the Memphis Grizzlies franchise. He wasn’t just a rising star; he was marketed as the future. Fast-forward to 2026, and that future hasn't panned out much at all. Off-court gun incidents leading to suspensions, fractured locker-room chemistry, injuries, and stretches of subpar play have shif

by Joseph McLaughlin 1/16/26 Sportz Nation Photo Credit: Landon Haaf via Denver7Sports and AP Photo. After a thrilling Super Wild Card Weekend, the NFL Playoffs are down to their final eight teams, all in search of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The Divisional Round weekend will feature four games, the first of which will pit the No. 6 seed Buffalo Bills against the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos. The Bills and Broncos face one another in the postseason for the second consecutive y

Joseph McLaughlin 1/14/26 Sportz Nation Photo Credit: Brian Fluharty/Imagn-Images. The Boston Sports landscape has been buzzing as of late. The Red Sox made it to the postseason for the first time in four years in October, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots won their first playoff game since Super Bowl LIII, and Jaylen Brown is leading the Celtics from a rebuild to championship contention with a Jayson Tatum return coming in the near future. This is all great stuff, but

Photo Credit to DiazTwinsMMA/Instagram The UFC looks incredibly different from how it did at the start of 2025. Whether it be its switch from Pay-Per-View on ESPN+ to Paramount+ or the division contenders themselves, the sport is in a fantastic place going into a new era. Looking at the champions, I think there could be a major mix-up in who holds the belts come the end of 2026. Very few are viewed as "unbeatable," which is a new concept for the sport as a whole. With fighter

Scoring in college basketball has been harder to come by than ever this season. With tighter defensive schemes, fewer freebies at the rim, and little margin for error, there are no easy buckets—every point has to be earned. Yet even in a league where offense feels suffocated, a handful of blue-chip studs have found ways to force the issue, bending defenses and stuffing stat sheets night after night. Some are household names living up to the hype; others are unexpected standou

by Zak Drapeau 1/12/2026 Sportz Nation Graphic by Jaren Kawada via Article on clutchpoints.com In the final matchup of Super Wildcard weekend, the 12-5 Houston Texans will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh tonight at 8:15 EST. The Texans are being favored by 3 points in the game with the Over/Under set at 38.5, which is the lowest of any game this weekend. Texans The Texans' identity has been their defense this season under Demeco Ryans which has

SATURDAY: 22 KANSAS AT WEST VIRGINIA  Photo by Kathleen Batten/AP Photo Saturday afternoon, the West Virginia Mountaineers hosted the Kansas Jayhawks in an afternoon matinee. The senior tandem of Honor Huff and Brenen Lorient combined for 41 points in West Virginia’s 86-75 victory over Kansas.  West Virginia has now won three of their last four, beat their first ranked opponent of the season, and handed the Jayhawks their second consecutive loss. The first half was full of ti

by Zak Drapeau 1/12/2026 Sportz Nation Photo by Greg M. Cooper/ Associated Press via Masslive.com Game Summary The Patriots defense played one of their best games all season as New England outclassed the Los Angeles Chargers to a 16-3 home victory. The name of the game for both sides was defense as the Pats themselves wouldn't score a touchdown until the 4th Quarter. The game was a chess match through and through with the real deciding factor being the Patriots' special team

Joseph McLaughlin 1/10/26 Sportz Nation Photo Credit: Dominik Zawartko/Clutchpoints. For the first time since 2019, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will be a visiting team in the Wild Card round as they travel to Duval County to face Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills, after five consecutive AFC East championships, lost the division race to the New England Patriots and finished the season with a 12-5 record as the No. 6 seed.  The Bills will face a red-h

Photo Credit to Dominik Zawartko via Clutch Points After finishing the regular season with a strong 14-3 record, the 2-seeded New England Patriots will be taking on the 7-seeded Los Angeles Chargers during Wild Card Weekend. Coming into this matchup, the Patriots are currently -3.5 point favorites with the moneyline sitting at -185. As for the Chargers, they are the underdog in this contest, coming in with a moneyline of +154. The game is scheduled for Sunday night at 8:20 p.

by Joseph McLaughlin 1/9/26 Sportz Nation Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo/Imagn-Images. Another chapter will be written in the National Football League’s oldest and most historic rivalry as the No. 2 seed Chicago Bears host the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round in Primetime Saturday night. The playoff game will mark the 213th contest between the two teams, the 19th played in Primetime, and the third time in NFL postseason history.  It is a matchup that would h

Photo Credit to Jaren Kawada via Clutch Points In what should be one of the more intense and unpredictable games of the Wildcard round, the 6-seeded San Francisco 49ers are heading to Philly to take on the defending champion and 3-seeded Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles, despite having the better record at 11-6, are 5.5-point favorites according to DraftKings, with the moneyline holding at -238 as opposed to the 49ers' +195. The game is scheduled to take place on Sunday, Janua

Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty After a few weeks of speculation, the Atlanta Hawks’ eagerness to move Trae Young went from rumor to reality in the blink of an eye. Just three days after reports surfaced that Atlanta was actively exploring trade options, the Washington Wizards emerged as Young’s preferred destination—and almost as quickly, the deal was done. After eight seasons as the face of the Hawks franchise and a fan-favorite in Atlanta basketball, Young is headed to Washington