NASCAR's Shane van Gisbergen is hoping for another successful weekend in downtown Chicago
The third time is a different situation for van Gisbergen once again. This time, he has a second Cup Series victory in his back pocket — providing some flexibility for the 36-year-old New Zealand native as he prepares for the playoffs.
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Fox News
17 minutes ago
- Fox News
ESPN analyst slammed for saying Fever is 'more dangerous' without Caitlin Clark amid injury absence
Amid Caitlin Clark's extended injury absence from the Indiana Fever, at least one media pundit has suggested the team is better without the superstar. ESPN's Carolyn Peck said on the network on Thursday that Indiana is a "more dangerous" team without Clark on the floor. "I think that Indiana is even more dangerous when Caitlin Clark doesn't play, because she's a ball-dominant guard," she said. "The ball's in her hands a lot, so you know what you need to try to take away. But when you look at Indiana now, they've got so many weapons." Peck gave specific praise to Fever players Kelsey Mitchell, Aari McDonald and Aliyah Boston. Peck did not appear to give praise to Fever stars Sophie Cunningham or Lexie Hull. "When you have a point guard like Kelsey Mitchell, and Aari McDonald making plays on the perimeter, and a post like Aliyah Boston, I'm gonna tell you: Indiana, they are a threat. And it's specifically on the defensive end," Peck said. Peck's comments went viral on social media, inciting the wrath of Clark's loyal supporters. Barstool founder Dave Portnoy reposted the clip of Peck's comments on X, writing, "I knew this was gonna happen." The popular sports commentary X account "BricksCenter" also shared the clip, writing, "Their hatred toward CC needs to be studied." Hundreds of smaller accounts made their criticisms of Peck's analysis known. "ESPN would be a lot more 'dangerous' without Carolyn Peck," one user wrote. Another user wrote, "All of Peck's takes on CC last year ended being wrong and I don't expect anything different from this season." One user even went so far as to say, "ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck is a hater and a fool." Peck was the women's basketball head coach at Purdue when current Fever head coach Stephanie White was a player there. Together, they won the NCAA title in 1999. Clark has missed the team's last four games with a groin injury and will miss a fifth on Saturday against the LA Sparks. She previously missed five games with a quad injury. With Clark, Indiana is 5–4, averaging an 85.0 offensive rating. Without Clark, the team is 5–4 with an average 80.2 offensive rating. In games she has played, Clark is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.9 turnovers. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
21 minutes ago
- Fox News
2025 Gold Cup Odds: Books hope USMNT can 'get the job done' against Mexico
Bookmakers got what they wanted from the Gold Cup odds market: USA vs. Mexico, in Houston, in a championship showdown capping the Fourth of July weekend. At 7 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, the U.S. Men's National Team and El Tri square off. "This is definitely the match we want. I'd say Mexico is the USA's biggest rival," BetMGM Nevada's Scott Shelton said Friday evening. Shelton helps break down Gold Cup betting odds for the championship match. Mexico Moves To Favorite On Wednesday, Team USA got two Diego Luna goals in the first 15 minutes and made that hold up in a 2-1 semifinal victory over Guatemala. Mexico followed with a 1-0 victory over Honduras. Then BetMGM Nevada posted the three-way odds for Sunday's title tilt, declaring it a toss-up: Mexico +170/USA +170, with the draw at +200. But our neighbors to the south have since moved to the favorite. "Ticket-wise, there's literally one more ticket on the U.S. than on Mexico. But money-wise, it's 3/1 on Mexico. Draw only has a handful of tickets," Shelton said. With that action, Mexico is now a modest +145 favorite, with the U.S. at +190 and draw at +210. What that means: If you put a $100 bet on Team USA, and the Americans win, then you profit $190 (total payout $290) if the U.S. wins within 90 minutes plus injury time. And that's important to note. If you were to bet the U.S. on the three-way market, that bet doesn't extend to overtime/penalty kicks. So if the U.S. went on to win in overtime or on penalties, your ticket would be a loser. To avoid that possibility, you might want to consider the two-way "To Lift The Trophy" market, in which Mexico is -135 and USA is even money (+100). Then your bet is live, regardless of whether the game ends in regulation or goes to overtime/penalty kicks. Tie Goes To The Sportsbook As is often the case in soccer, and particularly in high-profile international matches, BetMGM Nevada would love to see the U.S. and Mexico tied after 90 minutes plus injury time. "By kickoff, we're gonna need a draw. That will end up being our best-case scenario," Shelton said. "Mexico will be just as heavily bet as USA." So, ostensibly, bookmakers are rooting for Sunday's match to go to overtime, and even to penalty kicks if possible. That's certainly what Caesars Sports is hoping for, along with a win from the Red, White & Blue on this Fourth of July weekend. "Draws are always a book-friendly result," Caesars head of soccer trading Mark Bickerdike said. "The U.S. ultimately getting the job done, preferably on penalties, would be the most favorable for the book." Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Fox News
21 minutes ago
- Fox News
Juan Soto brings fireworks on Fourth of July in back-and-forth Subway Series battle
NEW YORK — This was the moment Mets fans had been anticipating and Yankees fans had been dreading. Juan Soto stepped into the box in the bottom of the first inning Friday with a chance to stop the Yankees' momentum and start the party at Citi Field. In the top of the frame, Yankees outfielders Jasson Dominguez and Aaron Judge had crushed back-to-back home runs and put the Mets in a two-run hole. But Soto could erase his former team's lead with one swing. "Flip one out of here and this place will go nuts," Ron Darling said on the SNY broadcast. He was onto something. A moment later, Soto punished Marcus Stroman's mistake — an 89-mph cutter, up and away and right where Soto likes it — and drove it to left field for a game-tying two-run home run. The crowd erupted and gave Soto a standing ovation, witnessing Game 1 of a Subway Series that was already oozing with intensity even though there were eight more innings to go. The fireworks came early on the Fourth of July, and Soto's team-leading 21st home run was just the beginning. The fuse was lit all afternoon as the crosstown rivals battled in a back-and-forth affair until Jeff McNeil delivered the final blow: a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning that brought the house down. The Amazins' injury-ridden and overtaxed pitching staff pieced together 27 outs and Soto's Mets toppled the Yankees in a 6-5 win at Citi Field. "I just feel good right now," said Soto, who went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the opening salvo. "I'm seeing the ball really well. I'm trying to take my chances. When I swing the bat, I'm trying to do damage every time." The Yankees suffered their fifth consecutive loss, and it had to sting a little more when Soto, the one that got away, was the slugger who flipped the script in the first inning. "He's one of the best for a reason," Stroman said. "He's extremely locked in right now. He's all over everything, so he's just an incredibly hard at-bat." Seven months ago, Soto walked away from the Yankees and signed the richest contract in professional sports history with the Mets. In doing so, he revitalized a crosstown rivalry that hadn't seen a brand-name player switch sides since the days of Doc Gooden and David Cone in the 1990s. But Soto's decision to leave the Bronx was much bigger than either of those instances. It was unprecedented for a generational hitter to choose, in free agency, to spend the rest of his career playing for the less-successful New York franchise, instead of securing an enduring legacy in pinstripes that would've saved him a spot in Monument Park. After taking the Bronx Bombers to the World Series for the first time in 15 years, Soto delivered Yankees fans the type of chronic pain that will recur annually — every Subway Series, to be exact. Consider his electric performance on Friday afternoon just the first of many more instances to come. "He had a great day," McNeil said of Soto. "Huge home run. That's just who he is. It's fun to watch, and I feel like every time he comes to the plate he's going to do something cool." Back in December, once the shock wore off from hearing the details of Soto's contract — he's set to earn a mind-boggling $765 million across 15 years — every baseball head in the city wanted to know one thing: when is the next Subway Series? Instead of Soto and Judge creating one of the most feared duos in baseball history, the two powerhouse hitters became instant rivals, certain to put on a show for many years to come. Unlike Judge, who made it clear he was the favorite to win the American League MVP as early as April, it took a couple of months for Soto to heat up. The Bronx's newest and most hated villain, Soto was greeted with ferocious, nonstop boos when the Yankees hosted the Mets in May. But, rather than loud contact off of Soto's bat, all the noise came from the stands. The Mets right fielder went 1-for-10 at the plate in his first three games at Yankee Stadium as a Met as his early-season struggles continued. A couple of months ago, the advanced metrics suggested Soto was one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball. If he kept following the same approach and continued hitting the ball on the barrel, the results would come. In a torrid June, Soto batted .322 with a 1.196 OPS, 11 home runs, 20 RBI and 26 walks across 27 games. Not only did he have much better luck — and results — when the Mets hosted the Yankees at Citi Field on Friday, but Soto looked unbeatable at the plate. "It's pretty special because every time he's at the plate, you feel good about your chances," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Soto. "And when we got guys that are getting on base and we're turning the lineup over and getting him at the plate as many times, when he's going like that, it's a pretty special feeling. We're kind of like, let's keep the line moving, let's get him at the plate. And just with how easy he's doing it … he's locked in. "It's what you expect out of games like this. Subway Series, packed house, fan base is intense, going after each other. I'm glad we got the job done today." Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
