Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was yesterday awarded the 2013 Ballon d Or award

Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the Ballon d’Or award yesterday.

The Portuguese international won the award ahead of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery.

Emotional

The 28-year-old was emotional when he received the award.

On receiving the award he said: I have no words to describe this moment. Thanks to all of my team-mates at Real Madrid and the national team.

Without all of their efforts this would not have been possible. I am very happy, it is very difficult to win this award.

Everybody that has been involved with me on a personal level I have to thank. My partner, my friends, my son. It is a t…

You know at some point this season, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is going to yell out the classic coaching cliché, “DREW BREES AIN’T WALKING THROUGH THAT DOOR!”. 

Brees has hung them up, leaving this once-feared passing game in flux. Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill could play a few rounds of musical chairs under center, putting added weight on the Saints’ dominant defense to finally hog the spotlight. 

Payton is going to earn his paycheck this year, but can he earn some extra scratch for NOLA backers as well?

Enjoy our 2021 New Orleans Saints NFL betting preview.

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The AFC North rivalry between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens shines under the Sunday Night Football spotlight in Week 12. With the division still very much up for grabs, this primetime contest holds extra weight as NFL betting hits the home stretch of the schedule.

Baltimore is a 3.5-point favorite and will have star QB Lamar Jackson back under center after missing last week’s game due to illness. Cleveland is also expected to have QB1 Baker Mayfield active, as he’s been dealing with injuries…well, all season.

Check out our free NFL betting picks for Browns at Ravens on November 28.

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In the first meeting since last season’s NFC Championship game, the San Francisco 49ers host the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium as slight 1.5-point home favorites.

The 49ers only managed 50 plays in that game and are the slowest team in terms of pace of play so far this season when it comes to neutral situations. With left tackle Trent Williams out, is there much hope for the 49ers’ offense as they face the No. 1 defense in EPA/rush?

Find out in my free NFL player prop picks for Monday Night Football between the Rams and 49ers. 

Also: check out our full Rams vs. 49ers picks and predictions.

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In Week 3, I was the one that was teased as my top teaser leg selection — the Baltimore Ravens — failed to take advantage of several opportunities to beat the Colts and take care of business. As a result, my teaser record moves to 1-2, but I like my chances of making things even this time around as there’s a handful of great teaser spots in the Week 4 odds.

Once again, my weekly reminder as to how this article works: I look through the NFL odds and rank my five favorite teaser legs of the week below, and the top two get paired together as my official teaser bet. I follow the basic teaser strategy of crossing as many key numbers as possible while never teasing through zero.

Let’s get into my NFL picks for Week 4 teaser action! Be sure to…

Patience is not a virtue shared by many NFL teams, especially when that team has just one win on the season.

The Carolina Panthers pulled the plug on head coach Frank Reich, 11 games into his tenure in Charlotte. Not only did the Panthers fire Reich but also cleaned out much of his offensive coaching staff.

That leaves Carolina in the hands of interim head coach Chris Tabor and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who was handed play calling duties by Reich a few weeks back only to have that role revoked before the head coach was canned Monday.

That chaos in Carolina sets up Tampa Bay for a much-needed win after dropping back-to-back games on the road. The Buccaneers are back in Raymond James Stadium and laying a sizeable spread considering their quality…

The midway mark of the 2024 season is highlighted by great games up and down the NFL odds board for Week 9.

Not only do the Jacksonville Jaguars head to Philly for a primetime showdown on Sunday night, but a Halloween affair features C.J. Stroud taking on Aaron Rodgers in the Meadowlands, while the Lions and Packers collide at Lambeau for America’s Game of the Week.

Here’s a look at the opening NFL Week 9 odds for those marquee matchups as well as all the NFL betting action for the October 31-November 4 slate.

NFL Week 9 odds, lines, and spreads

These are the current NFL odds for Week 9, highlighted by the Eagles hosting the Jaguars on SNF.

Best NFL bonuses

N…

We get a double feature on Monday Night Football in Week 7, with the Los Angeles Chargers visiting the Arizona Cardinals in the 9 p.m. ET kickoff.

Los Angeles is a short road favorite for its second straight road game after improving to 3-2 SU last Sunday. Arizona limps home after a one-sided squash at Green Bay in Week 6 with a slew of injuries on both sides of the football.

I give you my early Chargers vs.Cardinals predictions and best NFL picks for October 21.

Chargers vs Cardinals predictions

Early spread leanLos Angeles -2.5 (-120 at FanDuel)

My analysis

The Los Angeles Chargers made the best of their bye in Week 5 and took down Denver last weekend with a solid showing on both sides of the football.

Lo…

You can’t have a free agency period without knowing who’s available. On Tuesday, the NFL announced what players have been officially hit with the “franchise player” tag in preparation for next week’s free agency period for the 2023 season that will begin on Wednesday, March 15 at 4:00 pm EST. This year’s crop included six non-exclusive franchise players, as no one was hit with the exclusive tag — exclusive players can’t negotiate terms with other teams, but non-exclusive ones can. The list includes Lamar Jackson, Tony Pollard, Evan Engram, Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, and Daron Payne. Since free agency is all about money, here’s a look at the six players ranked based on what their checks are supposed to look like this upcoming season. 6. Tony Pollard — RB, Dalla…

Harold’s father, Geoffrey “Jacko” Jackson did not work for Thames Water but rather the Metropolitan Water Board (Obituary, 9 June). The idea of supplying water for profit would have been anathema to both Harold and his father. I remember when I worked with Jacko, how proud he was that his son worked for the Guardian.David F GroenEnfield, London

“These players have a level of humility that is really important. We pride ourselves on it,” says England’s manager (England ‘can’t be shrinking violets’ against Scotland, says Gareth Southgate, 17 June). Delighted to see the England team are proud of their humility.Dr Peter Phillips Swansea

An average week at 74 years, two months. Monday: counselling at a…