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Good morning and Happy Thursday! It’s Austin Nivison greeting you with the weekend almost in sight. We’ve got a lot going on in the sports world right now as we wait for another round of the NFL playoffs. The MLB hot stove is still burning, college stars are making their NFL Draft decisions and college basketball is providing some jaw-dropping moments.
Let’s get right into it, shall we?
💰 Five things to know Thursday
- Giants working to finalize a deal with John Harbaugh. New York put on the full-court press to land Harbaugh, and it seems like that aggressive strategy has paid off. The Giants are finalizing a contract that will make Harbaugh their next coach. Since Tom Coughlin’s firing in January 2016, the last six coaches in New York have combined for a 55-109-1 record. Harbaugh, who went 180-113 in 18 seasons with the Ravens, should bring competency and stability to the sideline.
- Ranger Suárez has signed a $130 million deal with the Red Sox. After missing out on Alex Bregman, the Red Sox needed to make a big splash, and they did just that on Wednesday. Boston signed Suárez to a big $130 million contract, and he will bolster an already deep starting rotation. Suárez is coming off a 2025 season with the Phillies in which he posted a 3.20 ERA and 151 strikeouts.
- Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is returning for the 2026 season. One of the most highly-anticipated NFL Draft decisions belonged to Moore, and he’ll be staying in Eugene for one more season after leading the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinals. In a rather shallow quarterback draft class, Moore could have been a top-five pick, but that possibility wasn’t enough to pull him away from Oregon. With 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, Moore will be one of the best returning players in the country next fall.
- Kentucky stunned LSU, 75-74, with a buzzer-beater to complete an 18-point comeback. The Wildcats were in desperate need of a big win, and the got one in dramatic fashion on Wednesday. Down 38-22 at halftime in Baton Rouge, Kentucky trailed by as many as 18 points in the game. The Cats roared back in the second half, posting 53 points, and the last two came on a buzzer-beater from Malachi Moreno as the clock hit zero.
- Real Madrid suffered a stunning 3-2 loss to Albacete in Copa del Rey. In a shocking result from the world of soccer, Albacete eliminated Real Madrid from Copa del Rey with a 3-2 win. Albacete currently plays in LaLiga 2, and the club is closer to being relegated again than it is to gaining a promotion to LaLiga. The Alvaro Arbeloa era just began for Real Madrid, and things couldn’t have gone much worse.
🏈 Do not miss this: Top 50 NFL free agents
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There are still seven games left in the NFL season, but for 24 teams, the offseason is already underway. Their attention has turned to improving in 2026 and beyond by way of free agency and the NFL Draft.
Our Garrett Podell has highlighted the top 50 players in the 2026 free agent class, and more than a few players made themselves a lot of money this past season. The most high-profile of those players is Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens, who proved that he has what it takes to be a true No. 1 option in this league.
- Podell: “George Pickens exceeded all expectations in his first season with the Dallas Cowboys. The Pittsburgh Steelers gave up on him because of his public displays of frustration and traded him to Dallas for a 2026 third-round pick and a late-round pick swap. Pickens then erupted with career highs in nearly every receiving metric for the first Pro Bowl selection of his four-year career, and was named to the 2025 All-Pro second team.”
Other big-ticket players include Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce and Jets running back Breece Hall.
One team that could be in the market for a quarterback is the Jets. (Again.) With Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returning to school, the Jets are still trying to find an answer at the most important position in sports.
⛳ 2026 PGA Tour season predictions, picks
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The 2026 PGA Tour season gets underway at the Sony Open on Thursday, and our experts have everything you need to get ready for another year of golf in one extensive preview.
I’ll give you all one guess as to who the unanimous pick for Player of the Year was — no spoilers here — but the discussion about which players are locks to win a major championship were interesting. Patrick McDonald is calling his shot with 45-year-old Justin Rose, who he thinks will dig deep for a little more major magic.
- McDonald: “He will be 120 years old, and yet, I will still have faith in him winning a major. This should really go to Scottie Scheffler; it could go to Rory McIlroy. But they are free spaces at this point, and you’re looking for a little something extra, so why not the 45-year-old Englishman? We know what he can do at the Masters. He won his lone major championship in Philadelphia, where the PGA Championship is being played. He is a past U.S. Open winner, and he can never be doubted at The Open, either.”
As the players get set to tee it up in Hawaii, check out our Sony Open preview. Not only do we have odds for the favorites, but we also have winner picks for the people.
🏀 NBA Power Rankings: Embiid leads surging 76ers
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The NBA season is full of ups and downs, and the 76ers seem to be riding a wave upward. They’re now 6-3 in their last nine games, and they’ve reached fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Perhaps more importantly — for our purposes — they’re up to No. 7 in our latest NBA Power Rankings.
The two players dragging Philadelphia up the standings are Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. As Brad Botkin writes, the Sixers are going to need Embiid to be at the top of his game if they’re going to do any real damage in the postseason.
- Botkin: “Tyrese Maxey or Joel Embiid has led the team in scoring in the last 13 games. That’s how it has to be if the Sixers are going to make real noise, which it’s starting to look like they might be able to do in the East. Embiid is back to dominating.”
Because the weekend is almost here — and I’m in a good mood — here’s a sneak peek of the top 10:
6. Suns (-2)
7. 76ers (+7)
8. Spurs (-3)
9. Clippers (+1)
10. Knicks (+2)
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⛳ Sony Open, Noon on ESPN+
🏀 Grizzlies vs. Magic, 2 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 No. 9 Louisville at No. 23 Notre Dame (W), 6 p.m. on ACC Network
🏀 No. 5 Vanderbilt at Mississippi State (W), 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Villanova at No. 1 UConn (W), 7 p.m. on FS1
🏀 No. 4 Texas at No. 2 South Carolina (W), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 24 Nebraska at No. 15 Michigan State (W), 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏒 Flyers at Penguins, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Thunder at Rockets, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Oregon at No. 11 Iowa (W), 9 p.m. on FS1
🏀 No. 21 Alabama at Auburn (W), 9 p.m. on SEC Network
🏒 Maple Leafs at Golden Knights, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Knicks at Warriors, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 No. 9 Gonzaga at Washington State (M), 10 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
