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The lead analyst chair for NBC’s golf coverage is once again rotating, but this week it will feature a voice that fans will find especially familiar. Brandel Chamblee, the former PGA Tour player and longtime Golf Channel host, will temporarily step into the role at the American Express, where he’ll call the La Quinta action in real time. 

Since 2003, Chamblee has served as a studio analyst for Golf Channel, taking the lead on shows such as "Golf Central" and “Live From” at the game’s four major championships, the Players Championship and the Ryder Cup. Known for his fiery takes, intricate vocabulary and breadth of knowledge about the professional game, it is safe to say that Chamblee will adjust to the lead analyst role during this weekend’s broadcast rather smoothly. 

Chamblee’s stint in the role comes in the wake of Paul Azinger’s departure from NBC Sports and Golf Channel. The longtime analyst’s contract with the network was not renewed this fall. 

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“I have treasured working beside Dan Hicks and other talented NBC broadcasters as well as lead producer Tommy Roy and all those behind the scenes,” Azinger said in a statement after the split. “They are a remarkable team, and I will miss them tremendously.” 

Since Azinger’s seat was vacated, NBC has been on the hunt for a new lead in the booth, using brief “tryout” stints to evaluate potential candidates. At the Hero World Challenge in December, Irish former pro and Golf Channel commentator Paul McGinley stepped in. At the Sentry, current PGA Tour player Kevin Kisner gave it a shot. He’ll be back for a second trial period at the WM Phoenix Open. 

“I’m going in blind,” Kisner told Sports Illustrated prior to his TV debut. “I’m just going to wing it and see how I do, and let them tell me if I need to get better.” 

Although lacking experience, Kisner’s candid and informative approach at the Sentry received widespread praise from viewers who appreciated the change of pace. 

Chamblee’s performance this weekend will undoubtedly be highlighted by his in-depth research and real-time critical analysis. The former pro shared a sneak peek of his tournament preparation on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a few clips of his favorite swings in the field. 

Out scouting @theamexgolf with @LucasWald getting ready for the broadcast Thursday-Sunday and some swings that I just love… The Coody Twins, Parker and Pierceson, (Pierceson first video) Lee Hodges ( 2nd video) who won the 3M last year by 7 and Jake Knapp (video courtesy of his… pic.twitter.com/8vScMHrnrg

When Chamblee has the mic, he not afraid to speak his mind, whether he’s addressing Scottie Scheffler’s putting woes or the uncertain future of the professional game. The TV host is open about his fierce opposition to LIV Golf and the human rights abuses of its Saudi Arabian backers.  

Last month, Chamblee spoke to SI’s Bob Harig about the ongoing negotiations of the June 6 “framework agreement” between the Saudi PIF, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour and did not hold back. 

“If LIV exists in its current form, the PGA Tour will always be susceptible to the poaching of its stars," Chamblee said. “What if Ludvig (Aberg) turns out to be as big of a star as it looks like he may be? He likely will be courted until they find his price. And ... into the future.”

“The best thing for the Tour to do is make this deal, dissolve LIV as soon as possible and unify the game. Saudis win. Professional golf gets dirtied up."

Chamblee will take his seat in the booth starting Thursday, Jan. 17. The American Express airs from 4-7 p.m. ET Thursday-Sunday on Golf Channel. 

The lead analyst chair for NBC’s golf coverage is once again rotating, but this week it will feature a voice that fans will find especially familiar. Brandel Chamblee, the former PGA Tour player and longtime Golf Channel host, will temporarily step into the role at the American Express, where he’ll call the La Quinta action in real time. 

Since 2003, Chamblee has served as a studio analyst for Golf Channel, taking the lead on shows such as "Golf Central" and “Live From” at the game’s four major championships, the Players Championship and the Ryder Cup. Known for his fiery takes, intricate vocabulary and breadth of knowledge about the professional game, it is safe to say that Chamblee will adjust to the lead analyst role during this weekend’s broadcast rather smoothly. 

Chamblee’s stint in the role comes in the wake of Paul Azinger’s departure from NBC Sports and Golf Channel. The longtime analyst’s contract with the network was not renewed this fall. 

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

“I have treasured working beside Dan Hicks and other talented NBC broadcasters as well as lead producer Tommy Roy and all those behind the scenes,” Azinger said in a statement after the split. “They are a remarkable team, and I will miss them tremendously.” 

Since Azinger’s seat was vacated, NBC has been on the hunt for a new lead in the booth, using brief “tryout” stints to evaluate potential candidates. At the Hero World Challenge in December, Irish former pro and Golf Channel commentator Paul McGinley stepped in. At the Sentry, current PGA Tour player Kevin Kisner gave it a shot. He’ll be back for a second trial period at the WM Phoenix Open. 

“I’m going in blind,” Kisner told Sports Illustrated prior to his TV debut. “I’m just going to wing it and see how I do, and let them tell me if I need to get better.” 

Although lacking experience, Kisner’s candid and informative approach at the Sentry received widespread praise from viewers who appreciated the change of pace. 

Chamblee’s performance this weekend will undoubtedly be highlighted by his in-depth research and real-time critical analysis. The former pro shared a sneak peek of his tournament preparation on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a few clips of his favorite swings in the field. 

Out scouting @theamexgolf with @LucasWald getting ready for the broadcast Thursday-Sunday and some swings that I just love… The Coody Twins, Parker and Pierceson, (Pierceson first video) Lee Hodges ( 2nd video) who won the 3M last year by 7 and Jake Knapp (video courtesy of his… pic.twitter.com/8vScMHrnrg

When Chamblee has the mic, he not afraid to speak his mind, whether he’s addressing Scottie Scheffler’s putting woes or the uncertain future of the professional game. The TV host is open about his fierce opposition to LIV Golf and the human rights abuses of its Saudi Arabian backers.  

Last month, Chamblee spoke to SI’s Bob Harig about the ongoing negotiations of the June 6 “framework agreement” between the Saudi PIF, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour and did not hold back. 

“If LIV exists in its current form, the PGA Tour will always be susceptible to the poaching of its stars," Chamblee said. “What if Ludvig (Aberg) turns out to be as big of a star as it looks like he may be? He likely will be courted until they find his price. And ... into the future.”

“The best thing for the Tour to do is make this deal, dissolve LIV as soon as possible and unify the game. Saudis win. Professional golf gets dirtied up."

Chamblee will take his seat in the booth starting Thursday, Jan. 17. The American Express airs from 4-7 p.m. ET Thursday-Sunday on Golf Channel. 

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević died Wednesday morning at the age of 46 after suffering a heart attack on Tuesday night, the team confirmed in a statement.

Milojević suffered what was described as a “medical emergency” during a team dinner Tuesday in Salt Lake City ahead of the team’s matchup with the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. The game was postponed earlier Wednesday as the Warriors tended to the serious health issue surrounding Milojević.

Milojević enjoyed a 15-year professional career overseas from 1994-2009 in Serbia, Spain, Montenegro and Turkey. He joined the Warriors as an assistant coach in 2021 after several coaching stints overseas. It was his first position as an assistant coach in the NBA.

“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in a statement. “This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him. 

“In addition to being a terrific basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful human beings I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every single day with his passion and energy. We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable.”

Golden State is scheduled to play the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night at home. It remains to be seen if that game will be played as scheduled in the wake of Milojević’s sudden passing.

The Houston Texans upset the Cleveland Browns at home last Saturday, and they’ll be looking to upset the no. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens on the road this Saturday. So far, Houston has been playing with house money, exceeding all expectations this season under the leadership of first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are fresh off a bye, with many players having also taken off Week 18 for a bonus week of rest.

Mark Andrews should return for Baltimore while Noah Brown has been put on IR for the Texans. The home team is favored by 9 at SI Sportsbook and the game total is at 45.5.

Here are the player props we are targeting early for this week’s divisional game in Baltimore.

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Stroud cashed this prop for us last week to the tune of +120, and we are going to ride it again. Including postseason, the likely offensive rookie of the year has passed for two or more touchdowns in nine of 15 games played. He was held to no touchdowns when these two teams met up in Week 1, but quite a lot of things have changed since then.

There’s a reason this bet has such a nice payout: The Ravens only allowed 18 passing touchdowns during the regular season (interestingly enough, the Texans were the best in that category, allowing only 17, yet Lamar’s passing prop pays only +100).

However, here are the quarterbacks against whom the Ravens allowed 2-plus touchdowns: Matthew Stafford, Tua Tagovailoa, Joshua Dobbs,and an injured Joe Burrow. I’d put Stroud up there with any of those QBs the way he is playing right now. If the Texans are expected to be trailing, they will have to throw to keep up. The implied total for the Texans is 18, but at this nice payout I’m willing to bet if the Texans score at least 18, Stroud has thrown for a pair.

I’m betting Ryans finds it a personal challenge to put together a game plan that limits Jackson’s unique skill set. The Texans have allowed only 283 rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks this season, for an average of just 16.6 per game. That number includes just 38 rushing yards allowed to Jackson in Week 1. In fact, the Texans did not allow more than 51 rushing yards to any quarterback this season. Those 51 yards were allowed to Kyler Murray in Week 11. Russell Wilson logged 41 in Week 13. Lamar has gone under this mark in nine of 16 games played and he’s averaging 51 yards per game this year.

The Ravens defense has been good this season, but they have not been as strong vs. the run as in years past. The Ravens allowed more than 90 yards per game to runners during the regular season, and they allowed 100 yards per game between Weeks 14-17. SIngletary is the clear leader in the Houston backfield, averaging more than 17 attempts per game in the final five games of the regular season and exceeding this prop in four of them. We saw Singletary rush the ball 13 times for 66 yards vs. a tougher Browns run defense last weekend, and though the game script is expected to be different this weekend, Singletary should still be a big part of the game plan. 

Related: AFC Divisional Round Betting Preview: Texans vs. Ravens

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The NBA’s trade season is finally underway.

The Indiana Pacers are acquiring two-time All-Star forward Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors, ESPN reported Wednesday. The Pacers reportedly will send guard Bruce Brown, swingman Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks to the Raptors in the deal. The New Orleans Pelicans are facilitating the transaction as a third team and will trade Kira Lewis Jr. to Toronto.

Siakam, 29, is averaging 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season. He was a hot name on the trade market, also attached to teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. Brown, 27, signed with Indiana as a free agent before the season.

Let’s grade the deal for Indiana and Toronto.

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These are the swings from a small market I endorse 99.9% of the time. I commend Indy for trying to capitalize on the success of this season and for trying to find a star talent to pair with Tyrese Haliburton. Siakam is a great fit on paper. He should benefit from the spacing the Pacers provide, and he gives them a more traditional wing threat in the half court, capable of creating for himself in the paint and midrange. He’s a natural screen-and-roll partner for Haliburton, and Siakam’s minutes can be staggered to carry bench groups.

While Brown was a good signing for the Pacers, he was ultimately expendable because of the team’s plethora of talent in the backcourt. Siakam can provide much of the defense being lost with Brown and is an even more flexible option on that end of the floor thanks to his size.

Even if Siakam doesn’t re-sign, I think this is a great move. The picks being moved out aren’t all that exciting. Indy’s own 2024 first as well as the Thunder ’24 pick reportedly going out in this deal will both fall outside the lottery. One more first is a small price to pay when the Pacers don’t have to move off any of their young players.

Ultimately, Indy acquired an All-Star forward who is a sensible fit next to its budding star at a relatively bargain price. Everyone wants every trade to make a team a championship contender. The Pacers haven’t been out of the first round of the playoffs since 2014. Being a perennial second-round team would be an upgrade for Indy. With the middle of the East jumbled up, the Pacers have taken a step above their competition—for now. 

Related: Raptors Trade Pascal Siakam to Pacers in Three-Team Deal, per Report

Three firsts sound more exciting on paper than when you dig into the ones Toronto is actually getting. It would be surprising if any of the three are in the lottery, but it’s still a decent haul for a player who could have left in free agency this summer.

I also wonder whether Brown will remain on the Raptors beyond the trade deadline. He has a $23 million team option for next season, which makes his contract effectively an expiring one. Toronto could try to move him and generate even more assets for their upcoming rebuild. Even though there was seemingly quite a furor over Siakam and O.G. Anunoby at last season’s deadline, if the Raptors come away with Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and a slew of firsts that could be used for their own big move in the future as a return, that’s solid work. 

C.J. Stroud began his career on the road against the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense in the 2023 season opener. The No. 2 pick in the draft had more downs than ups in that 25–9 defeat, but in the four months since that matchup, Stroud has asserted himself as one of the game’s best young quarterbacks. He further drove that point home in a resounding 45–14 beatdown of the Cleveland Browns last week to set up a return to Baltimore in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The top-seeded Ravens enjoyed a first-round bye, which gave MVP favorite Lamar Jackson and Co. more time to get healthy and gear up for a playoff run as several starters rested in Week 18. While Baltimore (13–4) was idle, the Houston Texans (10–7) handed Cleveland — one of just three teams that beat the Ravens this year — a lopsided loss.

The Ravens are 9.5-point favorites against the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday. Baltimore easily covered the identical 9.5-point spread in Week 1, though that game was surprisingly close at halftime. The over/under is set at 43.5 points, according to SI Sportsbook, which gives Houston an implied total of just 17.

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Moneyline: Texans (+350) | Ravens (-500)
Spread: HOU +9.5 (-110) | BAL -9.5 (-110)
Total: 43.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Game Info: Saturday, Jan. 20, 4:30 p.m. ET | ESPN, ABC

• The Ravens are 5–4 against the spread at home (6–3 straight up) and the Texans are 5–3 ATS on the road (4–4 straight up).
• Baltimore allowed the fewest points per game (16.5) in the regular season and held its last four opponents under 20 points.
• This ties the Texans’ largest underdog position since Week 3, whebn they scored a 37–17 upset against the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

Stroud’s legend only grew when he became the youngest quarterback to ever win a playoff game at 22 years old. After a back-and-forth start that saw the Browns hold a 14–10 lead early in the second quarter, the Texans took over. Stroud hit Brevin Jordan for a 76-yard touchdown to take back the lead and kick off a run of 35 unanswered points, including a pair of pick-sixes in the third quarter.

Nico Collins led the team in receiving for the third game in a row with 96 yards and a touchdown on six catches. He accounted for a huge chunk of Stroud’s production as the first-year pro finished with 274 yards and three scores against the No. 1 pass defense in the regular season.

Houston wasn’t particularly productive on the ground as the team ran for 76 yards total at 3.5 yards per carry, although Devin Singletary gained 66 yards on 13 carries and put the game away for good with a fourth-quarter touchdown from 19 yards out.

The Texans’ offensive success, though impressive against a defense of Cleveland’s caliber, shouldn’t come as a huge shock. However, the stand DeMeco Ryans’ defense made after Joe Flacco got off to a hot start was particularly impressive. Houston shut down the run, contained Amari Cooper and capitalized on both turnovers it forced, returning interceptions 82 and 36 yards to the end zone.

Defending Jackson, a dual-threat playmaker who just had his best season as a passer, is an entirely different ballgame than Flacco, a veteran gunslinger. However, it’s worth noting Jackson had one of his worst games of the year against the Texans. He did not account for a touchdown, threw an interception, took four sacks, threw for just 169 yards and only ran for 38.

Jackson played his best football in December against a tough schedule. The Ravens outlasted the Rams 37–31 in overtime and then dismantled the Jaguars, 49ers and Dolphins in order by at least 14 points apiece. Jackson threw 11 touchdowns during that stretch, including five against Miami the last time he took the field on New Year’s Eve.

Rookie receiver Zay Flowers emerged as the team’s top pass-catching option after Mark Andrews went down with an ankle injury in November. Flowers has five touchdowns in five games since Andrews’ injury, but the All-Pro tight end is reportedly trending toward a return this weekend after logging a limited practice Tuesday. Isaiah Likely has filled in admirably for Andrews, who still leads the team in touchdown receptions (six) despite appearing in just 10 games.

Baltimore led the NFL in rushing by a wide margin and Jackson was the engine of that attack for the fifth straight season as he led all quarterbacks with 838 yards on the ground. With J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell lost for the year, the Ravens turned to Gus Edwards and the veteran was automatic inside the five, where he scored 12 of his 13 touchdowns on 19 attempts.

John Harbaugh’s team, for all its regular season success, hasn’t been back to the AFC championship game since 2012. Baltimore lost its steam at the end of the year for the last few seasons as Jackson’s health has waned. That’s hardly the case this year as the Ravens’ lone loss since Week 10 was without Jackson and several other starters in the finale. Still, this line is too large after what Houston accomplished last week — as an underdog no less — and given Jackson’s playoff struggles: Stroud (1–0) already has as many playoff wins as Jackson (1–3).

That said, the best play here is the under. This is a rookie quarterback going on the road against one of the league’s best defensive coordinators in Mike McDonald. The under has hit more often than not for both Baltimore (9–8) and the Texans (11–6) this season and fewer than 43 points have been scored in the last five Ravens postseason games as their defense shines and their offense tends to struggle in January.

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The New York Giants didn’t make the playoffs this season, but wild-card weekend certainly unfolded in their favor.

The NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys were throttled 48–32 in front of a home crowd by the underdog Green Bay Packers, and the Philadelphia Eagles were sent packing after stumbling to a 32–9 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Yeah, I think if you’re a true Giants fan, obviously you’re upset with the way the season went,” Giants running back Saquon Barkley said in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated’s Robin Lundberg. “But to see the first wild-card round weekend and see the Eagles and Dallas get knocked out in the first round, it definitely does help.”

After winning nine games and upsetting the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round last year, the Giants endured injury issues and finished 6–11 in 2023. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, but it’s not all doom and gloom in East Rutherford, N.J.

“It shows that the NFC East is really up for grabs,” Barkley said of Philadelphia and Dallas losing this past weekend. “Just got to get everything right for next year and you’ve got a real shot at winning the whole thing.”

Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, who became a viral sensation this season while starting six games under center, uttered a similar remark.

“For Giants fans, like [Barkley] said, it’s the best case scenario to see those two teams knocked out early,” DeVito told Lundberg. “It was good for Giants nation.”

Barkley, 26, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after spending six years with the Giants. 

DeVito is under contract for next season and will be in the Giants’ quarterbacks room alongside Daniel Jones, unless the front office goes in a different direction this spring.

The Indiana Pacers are acquiring forward Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors for Bruce Brown Jr. and three first-round picks, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports. Indiana will also send Jordan Nworu to the Raptors, and the New Orleans Pelicans are involved as a third team, trading Kira Lewis to Toronto and sending a 2024 second-round pick to the Pacers, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Siakam has spent his entire eight-year career in Toronto but is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. The 29-year-old is currently averaging 22.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, the fifth straight season that Siakam has produced over 20 points a game.

Kiyoshi Mio/USA TODAY Sports

The three first-round picks in the deal include two in 2024 and one in 2026, according to Wojnarowski. Of the two picks this year, one will be the Pacers own pick and the other will be the worst pick between the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets.

Indiana has been one of the best stories of the season, as the Pacers are currently 23-17 and hold the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. While Siakam has previously said that he wanted to test free agency, Wojnarowski reports the forward is “excited” to potentially work out a long-term deal with Indiana after the season.

Following the Miami Dolphins’ loss in the AFC wild-card round to the Kansas City Chiefs, coach Mike McDaniel delivered an emotional speech to his team in the locker room, promising to do whatever it takes to work towards a Super Bowl title next season.

“You know, I think something that’s special about this team is that there’s less people pointing fingers at other people and a lot of people hurting and thinking about what more they could have done. I know that damn sure includes myself,” McDaniel began. “This is what we said we didn’t want…just to taste the playoffs. We didn’t deliver, so we’re going to figure out how to do that because there’s championship f------ all over this team and it’s a f—--- shame. It reminds you why you commit so much to this game because this hurts, man.”

Mike McDaniel and Christian Wilkins with an emotional final postgame speech to the team.#HardKnocks with the @MiamiDolphins available now on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/OTHbkVifps

The Dolphins had one of the most electric offenses in football this season, but were largely held in check in the frigid cold temperatures on Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Miami managed just seven points and 264 yards of total offense. 

While Miami’s season has ended, Kansas City will move on to the divisional round to take on the Buffalo Bills. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday in Buffalo.