Ukraine s hopes of reaching the World Cup will be decided in early June after new dates were confirmed for the postponed play-off games.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine meant the original plan to play Scotland in March was shelved and the knock-on effect was that Wales have also been kept waiting.

To reach the finals in Qatar, Ukraine must win away to Scotland on Wednesday, June 1, before coming out on top in another away game against Wales on June 5.

Wales secured their place in the final round of the play-offs with a 2-1 victory against Austria on March 24, which had been the original date for the Scotland-Ukraine fixture.

The winner of the final European play-off will go into a World Cup group alongside England, Iran and the United States.

UEFA…

Top 10 Contenders for The Golden Boot, Brazil 2014

#10. Name: Karim Benzema

 Teams: Real Madrid France

2013/14 Goals: 27

Appearances: 57

Odds: Benzema to be World Cup top scorer

The Real striker hasn’t been at his best this season, but he’s still turned in a somewhat impressive 47% goal-to-game ratio in all competitions. With three goals from his last five internationals with Les Blues, Benzema has shown he’s still in good condition for the World Cup and could be a dark horse for the Golden Boot, with France boasting a very strong outfit this summer.

#9. Name: Diego Costa

Teams: Atletico Madrid Spain

2013/14 Goals: 36

Appearances: 52

Odds: Diego Costa to be World Cup top scorer

The…

A Mario Balotelli brace has guided Italy into the Euro 2012 final after a 2-1 win over Germany on Thursday.

Cesare Prandelli s men will face Spain in Sunday s decider after their surprisingly comfortable victory against one of the pre-tournament favourites in the semi-final.

Mesut Oezil pulled a goal back for Germany in second-half added time, but Italy survived the late onslaught.

Italy were inspired by Manchester City star Balotelli, who struck twice in the first half to take his tally for the tournament to three goals.

He opened the scoring in the 20th minute, escaping his marker before nodding a cross from Antonio Cassano past Manuel Neuer.

Balotelli doubled his team s advantage in spectacular fashion nine minutes before half-time.

A …

Putting in arguably the most famous display of his historic career in Sunday s , it is hard to argue that Lionel Messi has not cemented his place as the greatest player of all-time.

Bagging a brace in Lusail and dragging to a first world crown since 1986, the seven-time Ballon d Or winner has also made it clear that he will not be ending his international adventure with the South American giants.

Now held across Argentina in the same regard as his idol Diego Maradona, Messi has almost written a whole new chapter in the World Cup s storied history books.

Finally getting the chance to lift the Jules Rimet trophy in what still looks set to have been his final appearance on the world stage, the 35-year-old also broke a string of World Cup records in the Middle East…

Former Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic announced his retirement from football on this day in 2016.

He arrived at Old Trafford in the 2005/06 season from Spartak Moscow and became a stalwart at the heart of the United defence alongside Rio Ferdinand.

Vidic’s time with the club saw him win the Champions League in 2008 along with five Premier League titles.

He then moved to Inter Milan in 2014 and played 28 times for the club, with hernia and back injuries affecting the later stages of his career.

Vidic represented Serbia on the international stage and made 56 appearances for his country.

“The time has come for me to hang up my boots,” he told the United website.

Former defender Nemanja Vidic has announced his retirement from f…

No Russell Wilson means some of the star power of Week 6’s Sunday Night Football matchup is gone, but the Seattle Seahawks will try to get by with Geno Smith when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. 

Wilson’s finger injury led NFL betting odds to have Seattle as a 4.5-point underdog against a Pittsburgh team that snapped a three-game slide with a home victory in Week 5, improving to 2-3 on the season. The Seahawks, also 2-3, have had extra time to prep for Pittsburgh since playing last Thursday.

Here are our free NFL picks and predictions for Seahawks vs. Steelers on Sunday, October 17. 

…

Week 2 of the NFL preseason features an NFC-AFC matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Saturday night.

These teams will meet with both coming off losses. Last week, Tampa Bay dropped a close game to Miami, while Tennessee was the latest to fall to Baltimore on its 21-game preseason winning streak. 

Despite issues getting the offense going against the Ravens, the Titans opened as 2.5-point home favorites in Week 2. Below are our best free NFL picks and predictions for Buccaneers vs. Titans on Saturday, August 20.

…

We’ve reached the point of the year where football bettors are absolutely foaming at the mouth to get down some betting action. Thankfully, we’re on the cusp of another NFL preseason to help curb that appetite until the real games get here in September, and with the return of the preseason, comes the return of one of the greatest betting runs in modern gambling history.

…

The Carolina Panthers look to build on their momentum from their first win of the year as they host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Colts will try to snap a three-game losing streak and desperately need to fix some holes on the defensive side of the ball. 

NFL odds opened with the Colts as 3-point road favorites for this Week 9 matchup with the Over/Under at 44.5. Here are my best free NFL picks and predictions for Colts vs. Panthers on November 5.

Colts vs Panthers odds

Colts vs Panthers predictions

The Colts have been decent on offense but terrible on defense over the last few weeks. They’ve surrendered at least 37 points in each of their last three games despite facing underwhelming…

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens will look to advance to the Super Bowl LVIII when they play host to the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s AFC Championship. 

While there are a number of different subscription-based TV channels and streaming services available to watch this game… did you know that you can also live stream Chiefs/Ravens directly from legal sports betting sites?

FanDuel, Caesars, BetRivers, and Fanatics Sportsbook are four of our most trusted NFL betting sites — and the only platforms that offer NFL live streaming for eligible U.S. customers. Read on for more details on for each of their NFL live streaming options… plus the best sign-up offer in case you don’t have an account with them already!

…