Sports
Xavier breezes past Butler for third straight win
Feb 18, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Dayvion McKnight (20) drives to the basket against Butler Bulldogs guard Finley Bizjack (13) in the first half at the Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Zach Freemantle and Ryan Conwell scored 14 points apiece to help Xavier shoot its way past Butler 76-63 on Tuesday in Cincinnati.
Xavier blew the game open in the middle of the first half with a 24-2 stretch over a six-minute span. The Musketeers shot 54.8 percent (17-for-31) in the half but just 42.6 percent (29-for-68) for the game.
Dailyn Swain and Dayvion McKnight added 13 points apiece for the Musketeers (17-10, 9-7 Big East), who won their third straight contest while snapping the Bulldogs’ three-game winning streak. Swain added seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high six steals.
Jahmyl Telfort scored a game-high 20 for Butler (12-14, 5-10). Pierre Brooks II and Finley Bizjack each scored 14, but the Bulldogs lost 20 turnovers that Xavier converted into 21 points.
Butler led by as many as five early and went ahead 19-17 on Telfort’s second 3-pointer of the contest with 12:48 left before halftime.
That was the last field goal the Bulldogs would make for the next 7:11 of game time, as they missed 10 shots in a row.
Freemantle tied the game on a tough spin move and fadeaway just outside the low post. Dante Maddox Jr. was fouled on a 3-point try, and his three free throws put Xavier ahead for good.
Maddox added a triple and another jumper soon after, accounting for his eight points on the night. He also led Xavier with eight rebounds.
Butler’s drought concluded with a 14-0 Musketeers run, and Jerome Hunter’s catch-and-shoot layup made it 41-21 with 6:25 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs got four shots to fall in the final 5:37 of the period but only pulled within 48-31 entering intermission.
Brooks and Telfort scored to bring Butler within 13 points early in the second half before Xavier restored a 20-plus-point lead. McKnight helped out with a steal and his third fastbreak bucket of the night.
Swain was also opportunistic. He intercepted a pass at Butler’s end, went one-on-one down the court, made a crossover move over his defender’s back and laid it in for a 64-46 advantage.
Brooks kept Butler within 15 points with a couple of 3-pointers, but Xavier had an answer each time and led by no fewer than 13 the rest of the night.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB Best Bets for Sunday's Rockies vs. Brewers, Yankees vs. Phillies
Mar 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports Watching baseball is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. So, why not make it even better by getting in on the action? To help you do just that, I’ve combed through the data, odds, and trends for today’s games to find the MLB Best Bets of the day.
Here are my picks:
Colorado Rockies vs. Milwaukee Brewers
The pitching disparity in this game makes it relatively easy to make a pick. Colorado is going with Kyle Freeland, who is 0-6 in nine road starts with an 8.28 ERA and a .330 OBA. The Rockies lineup, which has hit .243 over the last week, will face one of the best pitchers in the game, Jacob Misiorowski.
Misiorowski is 10-4 with a 1.57 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP. Milwaukee’s lineup has only been hitting .236 over the last week. However, that will change with Freeland taking the mound for the Rockies.
My Pick: Milwaukee -1.5 (-125, FanDuel)
I’d feel better if the Brewers were hitting better right now, but Freeland may be one of the most hittable pitchers in the game. The Milwaukee lineup will wake up against him and lead the Brewers to a runaway victory.
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New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies
We saw seven hits and one run scored in Friday’s game. Saturday’s saw a little more hitting with each team recording seven, but still only four runs scored. So, it is safe to say neither team is hitting the ball really well at the moment (over the last seven days, Yankees– .197 and Phillies– .216).
Don’t expect them to do so today; Will Warren (7-4, 4.00 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) will get a few good innings under his belt before getting pulled for the best bullpen in the league (3.01 ERA). Between the two, the Phillies will not generate much offense.
Philadelphia is set to start Cristopher Sanchez (12-4, 2.71 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), who has been phenomenal at home (8-1, 1.15 ERA).
My Pick: Under 8 at -107 (DraftKings)
Both teams have been terrible at the plate over the last week, and it is unlikely either lineup wakes up against these pitchers.
Our Current Best Offers
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Yankees place Cody Bellinger (hamstring) on IR, recall Spencer Jones
Jul 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits a double against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images The New York Yankees’ injury luck continues to get worse as the team placed All-Star outfielder Cody Bellinger on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a hamstring strain.
Bellinger left Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies after injuring himself while rounding first base in the top of the eighth inning. He initially stayed in the game but was seen limping back to the dugout between innings.
Bellinger’s RBI single in the sixth inning proved to be the winning run for New York. He has been a much needed boost for the Yankees, who already are down Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton due to injuries.
Bellinger has appeared in 102 games for the Yankees this season, batting .259 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .770 OPS. Just 12 days ago Bellinger was named the All-Star Game MVP.
In a corresponding move, the Yankees called up outfielder Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Jones has appeared in 31 games for the Yankees this season, batting .224 with two home runs and seven RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
What's Next for Magomed Ankalaev After UFC Abu Dhabi?
After UFC Abu Dhabi, questions have revolved around what is next for the championship picture and where Magomed Ankalaev fits into things.
On one hand, Ankalaev has proven he can be violent and get the job done in the Octagon. Some of his victories in the UFC against Ion Cutelaba, Anthony Smith, and Johnny Walker prove this. On the other hand, Ankalaev can have some stinkers. And even though he ultimately got a decent finish of Bogdan Guskov in the fifth round, that UFC Abu Dhabi fight stunk like a post-game locker room.
The thing is, plenty of voices talk about how rough a shape the UFC’s heavyweight division is in. But the UFC’s light heavyweight division isn’t that much better. And with Carlos Ulberg still on the shelf after tearing his ACL in his vacant title fight win over Jiri Prochazka a few months ago, the UFC more than likely needs to pick two guys to fight for an interim title sooner or later.
So, who are the options? Let’s look at the UFC Meta Rankings’ top 10 at 205 entering UFC Abu Dhabi.
Alex Pereira – This one’s interesting. Pereira vacated the title to move up to heavyweight, losing to Ciryl Gane at the White House last month in an interim heavyweight title fight. Considering the options of new opponents for him at heavyweight, including Josh Hokit’s callout, it looked like he’d stay there. But he very recently teased Ankalaev that he could come back down and take the 205-pound title back? Maybe the UFC’s looking at this list and wondering if they need Pereira at 205.
Jiri Prochazka – Jiri is lovable, and he really could’ve beaten Ulberg if he didn’t hold back. But three unsuccessful title fights, even if two were against Pereira, is three unsuccessful title fights.
Paulo Costa – This is the most intriguing option. Costa fought once at light heavyweight during 2021, and then he formally jumped up to the weight class this year. And what did he do? He knocked out an unbeaten, dangerous up-and-comer in Azamat Murzakanov. Considering that and Costa’s status as a former middleweight title challenger, he probably makes for a noteworthy interim title fight candidate.
Jamahal Hill – He’s a former champion, but he’s lost three straight and hasn’t fought in over a year now.
Khalil Rountree Jr. – A former title challenger who put up a spirited battle with Pereira. He was on a winning streak but has lost two of three, most recently getting finished by Prochazka at UFC 320. He was supposed to fight Anakalev but withdrew two weeks ago due to injury.
Dominick Reyes – He’s had a career resurgence since 2024 but hasn’t put himself in a true title position compared to some of the others on here.
Azamat Murzakanov – Costa knocked him out and ruined his chances of being a worthy name on this list.
Bogdan Guskov – He lost at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Dustin Jacoby – He lost at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Here’s a wild card everyone is forgetting as well – around the time Khamzat Chimaev lost the middleweight title to Sean Strickland a couple of months ago, there were talks about Chimaev possibly moving up to light heavyweight, too. And when this writer looked at UFC CEO and President Dana White’s face when those plans were brought up, something seemed to twinkle in his expression that said: “I’m interested in this possibility.”
Now, is Chimaev going to go through with this? Or is he going to pursue a rematch with Strickland? That’s what we’ll have to wait on – and it’s a decision that can affect middleweight, light heavyweight, AND heavyweight.
Unless Chimaev or Pereira make things interesting by debuting or returning, respectively, to the division, the best fight the UFC could make for an interim light heavyweight title at this point is Ankalaev vs. Costa. Would it be the most popular? Maybe not. But the former champ vs. a former title challenger from another division who made a lot of noise in his true 205 debut? That smells like a decent co-main event for a numbered card under a true title headliner.
MLB Best Bets for Sunday's Rockies vs. Brewers, Yankees vs. Phillies
Yankees place Cody Bellinger (hamstring) on IR, recall Spencer Jones
