data-mm-id=”_km99e79g1″>The second half of the NBA's slightly shortened 2020-2021 season starts on Wednesday. There is a lot of time for teams to shuffle around near the top, middle and bottom of both conferences, but at this point, some things have become clear. We know who will have the best shot at the top pick and if we're honest with ourselves, we know who can win the title. The second list is much smaller.There are a lot of fun, feel-good or interesting storylines for teams in the middle of the pack. Stephen Curry's Warriors, Damian Lillard's Blazers, Luka Doncic's Mavericks and Nikola Jokic's Nuggets are all fun and could give any team some trouble, but they are not contenders. Then there are the "contenders," quotation marks intended. For instance, the team with the second best record in the Western Conference at the All-Star break, the Phoenix Suns. They were the best story in the Disney Bubble, but are we really expecting them to just add Chris Paul to a team that hasn't been anywhere near .500 in the Devin Booker Era and immediately win a championship?Are the Bucks really going to get over the hump? Can the Clippers really not fall apart? Would you honestly bet on the team with the best record in the NBA if their All-Stars get picked last because previous great Jazz teams failed to win too?No. The truth is, there are three teams that have a legitimate chance to win the NBA Championship in 2021.3. Los Angeles LakersIf you have LeBron James, you can win the NBA Finals. That has been the only incontrovertible truth in the NBA of the last decade. Only once in the last decade did LeBron James failed to make the NBA Finals. He's only won four, with three different franchises, but he's been there. With a healthy Anthony Davis, the Lakers are the favorites. With a hobbled AD, they are simply the team most likely to escape the Western Conference where they will fall to one of these next two teams.2. Philadelphia 76ersThe Sixers won playoff series in 2018 and 2019 and then went out in the first round in the bubble. Now they've got Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid is healthy and in contention for an MVP. Ben Simmons doesn't shoot, but he does everything else. He's like a left-handed Rajon Rondo in Dennis Rodman's body. Tobias Harris gives them a closer to make up for Simmons' offensive issues and Seth Curry is the kind of deadeye shooter you need for a Finals run. If a new team is going to break through, it seems likely to be the Sixers.1. Brooklyn NetsWith the addition of James Harden, many people thought the Nets could become the favorites if the team's three stars could play together. Nearly two months into the experiment and Harden looks like he could be the best player on the team, if not the league. Harden has been amazing. Kyrie Irving has been playing some of the best basketball of his career. Kevin Durant and Irving have been in and out of the lineup, but Harden is as close to an ironman as you will see in the modern NBA.If Harden truly can't carry a team to on his own, he's with two guys who can finish big, BIG games. Joe Harris is shooting 50.6% from three on 6.7 attempts per game. The team has won 10 of its last 11 games. Things are falling into place. Blake Griffin will probably turn out to be nothing more than a nice story of a veteran finally getting a ring. How you feel about the rest of the team is up to you.
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Verdict: Chelsea win and under 3.5 goals
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Chelsea have been handed a major Premier League top four boost ahead of a pivotal Monday night clash against Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea
Starting with the hosts, although they may have gone about it the hard way last week, Chelsea s 4-3 win over Slavia Prague saw the Blues book their spot in the semi-final of this year s Europa League. With their sights firmly set on securing a return to the top four, the mood in Maurizio Sarri s camp will be on a high following Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal all slipping up over the weekend. Sat just one point adrift of the Champions League positions and with the chance to climb as high as third on Monday night, a huge part of Chelsea …
Manchester United are interested in signing Michael Olise from Crystal Palace, according to the .
Olise has been on terrific form lately. Having overcome a hamstring issue which kept him out of action for the first 11 rounds of the Premier League campaign, the 22-year-old winger now has five goals and one assist in nine league appearances for Palace this season. His brace against Brentford on December 30th was particularly important, either side of a goal from Eberechi Eze as the Eagles came back from a goal down to win 1-3 at the Brentford Community Stadium.
United have been struggling greatly upfront, with wingers proving a particularly problematic part of the squad this term. Jadon Sancho remains frozen out and very likely to leave in January, while Antony still hasn…
Lifelong Livingston fan Dave Black has been appointed the club’s new chief executive after John Ward moved up to become chairman.
Ward has been chief executive since 2016 and replaces Robert Wilson, who announced his retirement last week.
Black has been the club’s business development manager since 2020 and also head of commercial and media operations but has a long-standing affiliation with the club.
Ward said: “I took on the role of CEO when the club had back-to-back promotions as the board felt we needed to put a formal structure around the business side of things.
“It was always an unpaid, voluntary role for me and my business interests outside the club have meant that I am travelling most weeks and rarely based at the club itself.
“…
As the FA Cup replays get underway on Tuesday night, there are plenty of intriguing midweek fixtures that can tide us all over.
Ahead of a Tuesday schedule that offers a string of heavyweight affairs from across the continent, we have taken an in-depth look at a couple of noteworthy betting markets that are worth keeping an eye out for.
19:00 Getafe vs Sevilla
While Getafe might have spent the majority of last season at the heart of a La Liga relegation scrap, Tuesday’s hosts have certainly made a string of improvements this time around. Battling it out in the top half of the table, the Blues will be dreaming of the chance to mount a genuine Copa del Rey charge in 2024.
Extending on their adventure last week as they snatched a 1-0 victory away at Esp…
Bournemouth are on the verge of signing Justin Kluivert from AS Roma in the summer transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Italian journalist has reported on that Premier League club Bournemouth will pay Serie A outfit Roma an initial transfer fee of £9.5 million to secure the services of the 24-year-old winger.
Romano has added that Kluivert is on the verge of agreeing personal terms with Bournemouth and will sign a new contract with the Cherries until June 2028. It appears that it is only a matter of time before the 24-year-old Netherlands international winger officially becomes a Bournemouth player.
Kluivert spent last season on loan at Spanish club Valencia from Roma. The winger made 15 starts and 11 substitute appearances in La Liga for Los Che, scorin…
While England might have stormed their way to a 3-1 victory away at British rivals Scotland on Tuesday night, it is no secret that Gareth Southgate has once again seen his position come under increasing scrutiny this month.
With the Three Lions eventually forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Ukraine last weekend as they dropped their first European Championship qualifying points, Southgate’s squad selection has been a major talking point over the past fortnight.
Controversially electing to call up the likes of Jordan Henderson, Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips for this month’s international break, Southgate and his often pragmatic approach haven’t endeared him to some sections of the England fanbase.
With the Three Lions’ current superstar crop now b…
Market: Both teams to score
Odds: 10/11 @
Two sides who find themselves battling it out at the top of the Ligue 1 table, Brest will welcome Nice to the Stade Francis-Le Ble on Sunday afternoon.
Starting with the hosts, while Brest might have spent the majority of last season at the heart of a Ligue 1 relegation scrap, the Pirates have continued on a real domestic flurry this time around. Last seen mounting a dramatic late comeback away at defending champions PSG as they snatched a 2-2 stalemate, Eric Roy’s side have cemented their spot as one of Europe’s ultimate surprise packages this year. Riding what has been a famous wave of momentum, the one-time Nice boss will be desperate to get one over on his former employers and make another statement. Opening this…
While the Champions League qualifiers might steal most of the midweek headlines, we still have a host of interesting affairs from across the footballing globe.
With a hectic schedule from the likes of Asia and South America on Tuesday, we have created your ultimate midweek betting double.
11:30 Anyang vs Cheonan City
Making a welcomed return to winning ways last weekend thanks to an action-packed 3-2 victory away at Asan, Tuesday’s hosts will be more than aware that they face a must-win showdown here. With their sights still firmly set on securing a top-flight return in 2023, Lee Woo-hyung’s men sit just two points adrift of breaking into the top-two.
Losing just a pair of their previous eight K League 2 appearances, the former Shenyang Dongjin bos…
Kylian Mbappe reiterated his commitment to Paris Saint-Germain, though he is set on winning the Champions League.
Mbappe became PSG s record goalscorer as he sealed a 4-2 win over Nantes on Saturday.
The 24-year-old surpassed Edinson Cavani s tally of 200 for the club when he slammed home in stoppage time. Mbappe took just 247 matches to reach 201 goals – Cavani s 200 strikes came from 301 appearances.
Having won the 2018 World Cup with France and five Ligue 1 titles, the Champions League has evaded Mbappe, who has a runners-up medal from the 2020 final when PSG lost to Bayern Munich.
Bayern stand in the way of PSG s progress this season, with the Bundesliga giants holding a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday.
West Ham United are interested in signing James McAtee from Premier League rivals Manchester City in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that the Hammers are looking at a potential move for McAtee if Lucas Paqueta leaves for the defending Premier League champions.
City, who won the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup last season, wanted to sign Paqueta in the summer of 2023 and remain keen on securing the services of the Brazil international attacking midfielder. So, if the Hammers have to sell Paqueta, then, according to SportsLens, they will try to sign McAtee.
McAtee can operate as a midfielder or as a winger. The 21-year-old England Under-21 international is on loan at Sheffield United at the moment. He has made 18 …