England and Italy will contest their first competitive fixture for 15 years in the last quarter-final of Euro 2012 on Sunday.

Roy Hodgson s England defied gloomy pre-tournament predictions to top Group D and avoid an early meeting with holders Spain in the last eight.

They kicked off their campaign in Poland and Ukraine with a somewhat fortunate 1-1 draw against France.

That was followed by a rollercoaster 3-2 victory over Sweden, in which England took the lead, fell behind, and then rallied to take all three points, thanks to goals from Andy Carroll, Danny Welbeck and substitute Theo Walcott.

They were outclassed for long periods of their final Group D match against Ukraine, who were desperate for victory to continue their participation in the tournamen…

Vancouver, the western Canada city which will play host to next year s Winter Olympics, will be home to a Major League Soccer expansion team starting in 2011, the US-based league said on Wednesday.

The city was among four candidates for two new clubs set to open in two years for which MLS had been seeking 40 million dollars. St. Louis, Portland and Canadian capital Ottawa still chasing the other expansion club.

Vancouver s approval as the 17th MLS club, the second in Canada after the 2007 debut of Toronto FC, comes on the eve of the debut of the 2009 season and the league s 15th club, the Seattle Sounders.

A 16th MLS team, Philadelphia, is set to begin play next year.

Vancouver will play at BC Place Stadium, which is set to undergo about 365 million doll…

Leonardo Bonucci has continued to rub salt into the wounds of England after Italy s success in the Euro 2020 final, saying Declan Rice played a part in motivating the tournament winners.

West Ham midfielder Rice said ahead of the final in July that England would be 10 times more ready than their opponents for the Wembley showpiece.

Those words, and the repetitive playing of England s Three Lions song after the country s semi-final win over Denmark, fuelled Bonucci and his team-mates, who ultimately won the competition on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

We didn t pay much attention to it [the Three Lions song] until the Spain game, Bonucci, who ridiculed England s  It s Coming Home catchphrase on the pitch after Italy s win, said in an interview with The Athletic.…

Former England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from international football on this day in 2014.

Gerrard was one of the best midfielders of his generation, making 114 appearances for England, which places him fourth on the men’s all-time list.

But while he regularly tops fan polls as Liverpool’s greatest player, Gerrard rarely hit the same heights for England during his 14-year international career.

His decision came after England’s dismal showing in the 2014 World Cup, where Roy Hodgson’s side crashed out at the group stage after defeats to Italy and Uruguay and a 0-0 draw against Costa Rica.

Gerrard was handed his debut by Kevin Keegan aged 20 in a 2-0 win over Ukraine at Wembley in 2000 and was named in the squad fo…

There is a sweet science to picking NFL underdogs. 

You have to make sure not to overreact to the last thing you saw and be wary of getting too high or too low in your opinions. Forking through the injuries, situational spots, and coach speak is a must to kick up any hidden advantages. And line value plays a big part, making sure you’re grabbing as many points as you can, in and around those key numbers.

But sometimes, making NFL underdog picks is as simple as selecting the best team getting the points. That’s where I find myself with the NFL Week 8 pointspread picks, siding up to some solid teams wearing the dog tags this weekend.

…

A soft end to 2021 nearly cradled the Miami Dolphins all the way to the playoffs, but the 2022 slate is not as cushy. If the Dolphins want to make the tournament, they’ll have to crawl over hot coals and battle sub-zero wastelands in the final two months of the season.

Miami’s NFL odds have them on par with last year, even with Mike McDaniel taking over the head coaching chair after an ugly exit from Brian Flores. McDaniel has surrounded quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with dangerous speed and installs his zone running schemes and all the misdirection and RPO that comes along with it.

We see how things will shakedown in South Beach with our Miami Dolphins 2022 betting preview.

Mi…

The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams participated in two joint practices this week and aren’t through with each other yet, as they square off during Week 2 of the NFL preseason on Saturday. 

Looking at the NFL odds, Vegas is favored to go into SoFi and pick up a road victory — and to win by margin. 

While that line may seem surprising to some, a closer look at how both respective coaches handle preseason dress rehearsals is worthwhile as it reveals some important trends. 

Check out if I’m supporting those trends or not with my best bet, and read on for my full NFL picks and predictions for Raiders vs Rams on Saturday, August 19.

Raiders vs Rams odds

Raiders vs Rams pr…

The worst team in the NFL gets a big boost in the Week 10 odds with Kyler Murray returning to the Arizona Cardinals as they host the Atlanta Falcons. Murray hasn’t played since tearing his ACL last December and the former first-overall pick will look to turn around Arizona’s season and prove that he’s the long-term answer at quarterback.

The Falcons have lost five of their last seven, but they’re expected to take this game with NFL odds installing them as slim 1.5-point road favorites. Here are my best free NFL picks and predictions for Falcons vs. Cardinals on November 12. 

Falcons vs Cardinals odds

Falcons vs Cardinals predictions

It’s tough to know exactly what the Arizona Cardinals are getting wi…

Unless you’re a Niners fan or laying the points with the home favorite, you’re likely cheering for the Detroit Lions when they visit the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Championship Sunday later tonight.

Detroit has captured the hearts of football faithful beyond the Motor City, as the once-floundering franchise tries to end years of suffering on Sunday night.

The Lions, who have been betting favorites in all but three of their 19 games this season, find themselves as big road underdogs, with the NFL odds giving Detroit a touchdown in San Francisco.

I break down the point spread and the Over/Under as I give you my best NFL picks for Lions vs. 49ers on Sunday, January 28.

Make sure to also check out the Lions vs. 49…

The Dallas Cowboys enter Week 5 with a laundry list of injuries and visit the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 2.5-point underdog after opening as a 1.5-point favorite. Justin Fields has the Steelers as the AFC North leaders while the 2-2 Cowboys look to put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Coming off a monster performance in Week 4 vs. the Colts, George Pickens will be called upon to lead this Pittsburgh offense again in Week 5 with the injury to Jaylen Warren and a great matchup vs. the Cowboys, who made Daniel Jones look like a Pro Bowler in Week 4. 

I dig into this cross-conference matchup and give my best Cowboys vs. Steelers predictions and NFL picks for October 6. 

Be sure to check out our SNF prop picks…