MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 29: David Montgomery #32 of the Chicago Bears carries the ball for a touchdown in the third quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The ChicagoBears have a lot riding on this upcoming Monday Night Football game.
The Chicago Bears have an incredibly important game on Monday night when they play the Minnesota Vikings. It sounds like a cliche when someone says it is the most important game of the year but in this case, it actually is. The Bears have lost three in a row after starting the season 5-1. They are 5-4 with their season reeling so a big divisional win might be the key to get it back on track. The Vikings are hot right now but they are still only 3-5.
If the Bears lose, they will fall to .500 with a 5-5 record after losing their fourth straight. They will have a bye week after this Monday night game before the much-anticipated matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay is significantly better than the Bears and they would be in big trouble if they went into that game on a four-game slide. If they lose to the Vikings, there is a good chance that they come out of the Packers game 5-6.
This game has major implications for the playoffs and the division. The Green Bay Packers have two more wins and two fewer losses because of the fact that they have already had their bye. If the Bears fell to the Vikings, that would push Green Bay ahead by 2.5 games with a chance to make it three full games next week while the Bears are idle. Then, it would be four games back if the Packers beat the Bears the week after that.
Minnesota is going to believe they are in it if they win as well. They would rise to 4-5 with three straight wins in their back pocket. All of the momenta would be on their side as they try and make a run. They may or may not be able to pull through but it is plenty of reason to give their best effort against the rival Bears.
Chicago’s recent dominance over the Minnesota Vikings could be something that they build on. Minnesota’s quarterback, Kirk Cousins, also hates Monday Night Football where he is 0-9. The Bears losing a game in that type of matchup would be detrimental to the rest of the season and potentially beyond.
Matt Nagy already announced that things are going to look a little different on the offense as he is no longer going to be calling plays. Bill Lazor is going to take over that duty for them as they try to make this thing better. They will be without David Montgomery which is a problem. Not having him or Tarik Cohen will make things difficult for them to do everything they would normally want to do. This is really going to be a tough game but they need to grind out a win to stay alive in the playoff race.
The ChicagoBulls are getting an idea of who will be available on Wednesday.
In just a couple of days — Wednesday night to be exact — the Chicago Bulls will be selecting No. 4 overall in the 202o NBA Draft. For months, there has been speculation over just who the target might be. There have been rumors of them looking to trade up and rumors of them perhaps considering a trade back.
The only thing we know for certain is that we know nothing for certain. In fact, Arturas Karnisovas, Marc Eversley, and the rest of the new regime has done a terrific job of keeping their intentions close to the vest.
They appear to be doing a good job of operating in secrecy so when you hear rumors of them looking at a particular player or a particular scenario, they must be taken with a giant grain of salt.
However, things just got a little easier if you are in the business of trying to project what the Bulls might do on Wednesday evening. That’s because it seems the draft board is starting to come into focus.
Barring trade, top 3 picks are increasingly sounding like Ball-Wiseman-Edwards. The Hornets/Okongwu talk isn’t as prevalent as midweek. That leaves plenty of intriguing options for Bulls if they stay at 4. Who’s your pick?
According to a tweet from K.C. Johnson, the top three picks are starting to come into focus. As he noted, barring a trade, which is always a possibility, the top three picks appear to be LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, and Anthony Edwards (no, not the guy from E.R.).
That leaves a lot of intriguing prospects, including Isaac Okoro, Tyrese Haliburton, Killian Hayes, and Deni Avdija.
If the Bulls are looking for a lead guard, it looks like there won’t be a shortage of options with Haliburton and Hayes both seemingly being available. Perhaps. though, they go with a guy like Okoro who according to Mark Schanowski, has many of the same traits as Jimmy Butler did when he came out of Marquette. For a team searching for a superstar to replace the void vacated when they dealt Butler, Okoro might be an attractive option.
It’s at least worth noting that the Bulls have also been rumored with Alabama point guard Kira Lewis who has been picking up a lot of steam recently and has been rocketing up draft boards.
The bottom line is we have no idea what the Bulls will do with the fourth overall pick. But what’s starting to become a lot clearer is who will not be available.
Which free agents should the Chicago Bulls pursue during this shortened offseason?
Today is the day, folks. Today is the day that NBA trades can officially begin taking place. In another four days, on November 20, teams can begin signing free agents. Oh, and let’s not forget, these Chicago Bulls own the 4th overall pick in Wednesday night’s 2020 NBA Draft.
It is a monumental week for the league in terms of a shortened offseason. Much is yet to take place. Fans can be assured that this week will be anything but boring. In fact, pretty soon, it will be difficult to keep up with all of the movement.
There are countless rumors unfolding as we speak and several big names whom could be moved via trade, also.
For the Bulls, it’s unlikely they pursue a big name in a trade or free agency. But, that doesn’t mean they don’t make any moves. Do not be surprised if a big move happens this week. Make no mistake. The hiring of Arturas Karnisovas was no accident. This guy means business. He’s an incredible scout and has the knack for putting together a phenomenal roster. Just check his previous experience with the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets have made a few moves over the last couple of seasons, and the Bulls should be in a similar situation. Having a new head coach in Billy Donovan, the Bulls are headed in the right direction. Donovan is a coach who knows how to get the best out of his players, and Karnisovas is the man to get him the right guys.
So, what should we expect this week? In short: Madness. It’s going to be a big week for the league, and a big week for the Bulls in particular.
In terms of free agency, there are a lot of options the Bulls could pursue. Which ones should they go after? Which ones simply don’t make sense? Let’s look at some of the more notable options they’ll have this week.
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A man was critically injured in a fire Nov. 15, 2020, in the 10000 block of South Indiana Avenue. | Sun-Times file photo
The 32-year-old was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition with possible smoke inhalation, police said.
A man was critically injured in a fire Sunday night in Roseland on the South Side.
Authorities were called about the house fire shortly before 11:20 p.m. in the 10000 block of South Indiana Avenue, according to Chicago police. Firefighters removed an unconscious 32-year-old man from the home.
The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition with possible smoke inhalation, police said. No other injuries or displacements were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Chicago Fire Department and Area Two detectives.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda has been admitted to a hospital in Orange County, where he is in the intensive care unit.
According to a statement released by the team, Lasorda is resting comfortably. No other details on his condition were released.
Lasorda, 93, was in attendance as the Dodgers won Game 6 of the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays on Oct. 27 to secure the franchise’s seventh world championship.
Lasorda led the Dodgers to two of those titles — in 1981 and 1988 — as part of his 21 seasons as manager.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 and is the sport’s oldest living Hall of Famer.
After a pandemic-spoiled launch, Illinois has quickly surpassed Indiana to become the sports betting capital of the Midwest, the latest state gambling revenue figures show.
Illinois bettors plunked down more than $285 million on sports contests during September, which was just the third full month the industry has been live in the state.
That easily tops the Hoosier handle of about $208 million in September and $231 million in October. The Illinois Gaming Board released the September report on Friday, but it has yet to release October figures.
Illinois’ other new neighboring markets drew bets totaling just $82 million in Iowa and $46 million in Michigan through October.
Since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision opened the door to legal sports betting beyond Nevada, a total of 20 states now host legitimate sportsbooks, with New Jersey leading the way. The Garden State posted an all-time high $803 million handle in October.
Industry analysts who have long salivated over the potential of a sport-crazed state such as Illinois estimate it could eventually rival Nevada with annual handles projected to top $5 billion within a few years.
The black-tie and evening gown crowd mingle in the Circa Sportsbook during the grand opening of Circa Resort & Casino last month in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Circa Resort & Casino
And since Illinois’ first bet was placed in early March — just days before COVID-19 turned life upside down — it’s seen exponential early growth, with monthly handles of about $53 million in July and $140 million in August.
That’s largely due to the advent of mobile betting. While the state law that legalized sports betting initially required gamblers to register for accounts in person at a casino, Gov. J.B. Pritzker eased that rule amid the pandemic, allowing bettors to register online from their phones — and start wagering immediately. More than 92% of Illinois’ September bets were wagered from mobile devices.
Seven of the state’s casinos and one horse racing track — Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney — have licensed sportsbooks. Illinois’ most lucrative casino and its first to start taking sports bets, Rivers in Des Plaines, continued to lead the way in September, accepting about $105 million in wagers.
BetRivers Sportsbook, the first brick-and-mortar sportsbook approved by the Illinois Gaming Board, opens to the public at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines in March.Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
But two other casinos that have partnered with behemoth mobile sports betting companies are quickly closing the gap. The newly christened DraftKings at Casino Queen in downstate East St. Louis handled about $92 million, while the Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria took about $75 million in bets through FanDuel.
Statewide, the sportsbooks came out on top by about $11 million on bets that were settled in September, generating about $1 million in state tax revenue with another $82,000 going to Cook County government.
The industry has generated about $3 million in tax revenue in its first three full months. Pritzker’s office has suggested it could eventually pump upwards of $100 million into state coffers every year.
Baseball so far has drawn the most interest from Illinois bettors (3.2 million bets totaling $133 million from June through September), though football will surely soon overtake it (2.7 million bets totaling $92 million).
The ChicagoBears will have a brand-new running back for Monday Night Football in Lamar Miller, but will it even matter in the end? Monday Night Football will be a make-or-break game for the Chicago Bears. At 5-4, the Bears are looking at a potentially fourth-straight loss and on the outside looking in at the […]
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