Latest news with #BlakeSchuster
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
2025 Indy 500: Expert picks for the 109th running of the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing'
2025 Indy 500: Expert picks for the 109th running of the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing' The grid is set. The practices are wrapping up. Everything is just about ready to go for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. After a week of drama following the Team Penske scandal, things have fallen into a familiar pattern at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — well, aside from the tremendous addition of the inaugural Wienie 500 on Carb Day. So now that we know where all the cars and drivers stand, all that's left to do is make some picks on how the race will shape up. We gathered our brightest motorsport minds to predict what will happen at the Brickyard on Sunday. The green flag drops for the Indianapolis 500 at 12:45 p.m. ET on May 25, 2025. Best of luck to those who tail (or fade)! Who will win the 109th Indianapolis 500? Blake Schuster: Alex Palou Don't let the fact he's starting sixth distract you from the four wins Palou already has this season driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Ahead of his sixth Indy 500, Palou has proven he knows this track well and fired off the fastest post-qualifying practice lap at 226.765 mph in his car's race trim. We will absolutely take his 5-1 odds. Michelle Martinelli: Pato O'Ward This is Pato's year. The Arrow McLaren driver is supremely talented and has had about as much success at the Indy 500 as a driver could have without actually winning it, racking up three top-5 finishes in his five starts. Two of those were absolute heartbreakers as he finished second, including in 2024. He's experienced, he's starting from P3, he's the favorite and this year, he'll finally get that victory and cold bottle of milk. Nick Schwartz: Scott Dixon The former Indy 500 winner has shown plenty of speed all month, and the Penske woes could work in Dixon's favor. Josef Newgarden and Will Power will have a major challenge in front of them starting at the back, and it's unclear if Scott McLaughlin will be at the same level in a rebuilt car following his severe practice accident. Who's a lock to finish top 3? Blake Schuster: Pato O'Ward Echoing what Michelle said above, he's come so close to kissing the bricks and once again has a fast ride this year. Don't be surprised if his face ends up on Borg Warner Trophy this time next May. Michelle Martinelli: Scott Dixon The Chip Ganassi Racing driver almost always shows up to the Indy 500 with a fast car, and he qualified fourth this year. Between a solid starting position, his speedy car and his ample experience (including winning the 2008 Indy 500), he's a good bet for the top-3 finishers. In 22 starts, he has nine top-5 finishes and has been on the podium three of the last seven Indy 500s. Nick Schwartz: Takuma Sato In a one-off appearance, the two-time Indy 500 winner was mega fast in qualifying and has all the experience necessary to manage the race and deliver a strong finish after 500 miles. Who will log the fastest lap? Blake Schuster: Helio Castroneves I don't think he's going to win, but I refuse to watch an Indy 500 without rooting for him to do something incredible. I will not put any money down here but I'm praying for some Helio Magic just to make me feel young again. Michelle Martinelli: Scott McLaughlin This will be the only quasi-win and silver lining for Team Penske at Indy this weekend, as the team is embroiled in controversy over modified parts. Nick Schwartz: Robert Shwartzman This is an impossible question to answer, as so much depends on the draft and catching a perfect run over one lap, but Prema has been fairly aggressive with Shwartzman's setups and doesn't appear to be afraid to trim out the rookie's car to the edge. Will Kyle Larson complete the Memorial Day Double? Blake Schuster: Yep! There's minimal chance of rain for either race and Larson will have every tool at his disposal to make this happen after missing out last year. He's gonna get it done. Michelle Martinelli: Unlike last year when rain in both Indianapolis and Charlotte derailed his first Double attempt, Larson will compete in both races, but he'll only finish one of them and will fall short of the 1,100-mile mark. But it'll be motivation for a third Double attempt in an effort to match Tony Stewart, who's currently the only driver to finish both races on the same day. Double 2.0: Kyle Larson reveals approach for Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 attempt Nick Schwartz: I think Larson will run both races, but will he complete 1,100 miles and join Tony Stewart as the only driver to ever fully complete the double? Tough to say. Larson's 2025 Indy 500 hasn't been as easy as it was a year ago, where he had a very balanced car throughout May and only ran into trouble due to a speeding penalty. Larson's had multiple issues in practice, and will be starting in the middle of the pack where chaos is likely to happen. If he can finish all 200 laps at Indianapolis, I think the full double is very possible.
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Kentucky Derby 2025: Staff picks, long-shot contenders and bold predictions
Kentucky Derby 2025: Staff picks, long-shot contenders and bold predictions The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby promises to be another electric affair. Bob Baffert is back at Churchill Downs with Citizen Bull following a three-year suspension, Kenneth McPeek is looking to go back-to-back with Render Judgment after Mystik Dan won last year and the Derby favorite remains Journalism. Yes, Journalism. Unsurprisingly, a lot of writers at For The Win are big fans of the favorite. But picking the thoroughbred with the best odds is just too easy, so we asked our staff for long shots and bold predictions. Here's where we landed. Post time for the 151st Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. Who's winning the 2025 Kentucky Derby? Blake Schuster: Journalism. Never bet against the facts and truth (Which in this case is Journalism's four-race win streak) Meghan Hall: Publisher. Publisher rhymes with finisher, and that sounds like a winner to me. Michelle Martinelli: Journalism. I'm already pot-committed at this point. Mike Sykes: Journalism. I don't really see how anyone on staff can pick anyone else at this point. The fate of Journalism depends on us making the right choice here. Bryan Kalbrosky: Sandman. Anyone of you betting on "journalism" in 2025 has more hope than I do. The smart money is on Sandman. Charles Curtis: Journalism. Because journalism could use a win right now. (Also, it's the best name in the field.) Christian D'Andrea: Neoequos. Your boy loves vowels. Prince Grimes: Journalism. What did you expect? Who's your long-shot pick to win? Blake Schuster: Flying Mohaw. Because Larry Collmus shouting out the name of Jayson Werth's horse as he crosses the finish line first is what dreams are made of. Meghan Hall: Tiztastic. Tiztastic, Mr. Fantastic, Made of plastic. It's probably not winning much, but it can dream. Michelle Martinelli: Sandman. Take my hand. We're off to never-never land. Mike Sykes: Admire Daytona: What a cool name. As a Pusha T fan, I do, indeed, admire Daytona. Classic album. Sorry, Drake. Bryan Kalbrosky: Citizen Bull. Or was it Citizen Kane? Or was it Raging Bull? Either way, this horse has a real shot despite an unfavorable starting position. Charles Curtis: Flying Mohawk. Jayson Werth was good at baseball, ergo his horse should be good at racing. Right? Christian D'Andrea: Journalism. because it's been dead for years amirite (looks in mirror, sobs) Prince Grimes: Chunk of Gold. Because it could've been a coin or a nugget or a medallion, but it's a chunk, and I love that. What's your boldest Derby prediction? Blake Schuster: Bob Baffert gets booed nonstop all weekend. Meghan Hall: Taylor Swift makes a surprise appearance. It just seems like something she would do just to watch people twist themselves into a pretzel. Michelle Martinelli: Bob Baffert can't escape some new controversy after the race. Mike Sykes: Journalism finally wins something for the first time in the 21st century. Take that, Big Tech. Bryan Kalbrosky: Wes Welker shows up and his behavior is even more unexpected and loose than it was That One Time he partied at the Kentucky Derby. Charles Curtis: Travis Kelce shows up without Taylor Swift, but she hits "like" on his IG photo. Guess that's not THAT bold. Christian D'Andrea: Whichever horse Bob Baffert has trained jumps the rail and charges him. REEEEEVVVEEEEENGGGGGEEEEEE Prince Grimes: The winning horse gets a DQ, though that probably won't be much of a surprise given recent results.
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Masters 2025 expert picks: Winner, dark horse and first-round leader at Augusta
Masters 2025 expert picks: Winner, dark horse and first-round leader at Augusta We're less than 24 hours from the start of the 2025 Masters Tournament and have covered just about every way to bet on golf's Super Bowl. Which means all that's left to do is pick a winner, sit back and enjoy watching Augusta National humble the best players in the world once again. Before you dive into to our expert staff picks, feel free to catch up here: Ok, no more preamble. Let's get to the picks. First Round Leader Blake Schuster: Ludvig Åberg Charles Curtis: Shane Lowry Prince Grimes: Scottie Scheffler Christian D'Andrea: Russell Henley Mike Sykes: Rory McIlroy Jordan Tomiyama: Justin Thomas Michelle Martinelli: Xander Schauffele Dark Horse Pick Blake Schuster: Keegan Bradley Charles Curtis: Tommy Fleetwood Prince Grimes: Will Zalatoris Mike Sykes: J.J. Spaun Christian D'Andrea: You, Dear Reader Jordan Tomiyama: Corey Conners Michelle Martinelli: Sergio Garcia 2024 Masters Champion Blake Schuster: Collin Morikawa Charles Curtis: Collin Morikawa Prince Grimes: Collin Morikawa Mike Sykes: Scottie Scheffler Christian D'Andrea: Ludvig Åberg Jordan Tomiyama: Rory McIlroy Michelle Martinelli: Ludvig Åberg Best of luck to those who tail (or fade)!
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
7 Bold predictions for the 2025 Masters
7 Bold predictions for the 2025 Masters Coming up with bold predictions at Augusta is actually a bit more difficult than you might expect. In a tournament where the favorites typically win, picking anyone who hasn't already contended at a major to slip on the green jacket Sunday night certainly qualifies as bold. So we had to go really off the wall here. These are the type of bold predictions that would start week-long news cycles. The kind that would spark intense opinions and debate from people who never cared about golf a day in their lives. Strap in, we're getting weird here. But don't worry, there are plenty of reasonable takes for you to process here, too: 7 Bold Masters Predictions Blake Schuster: No LIV players finish in the Top 10. The young crop of talent on the PGA Tour has developed so quickly that we're left wondering if LIV golfers can even keep up with the PGA Champions Tour these days. Charles Curtis: Brooks Koepka finishes top-3. Speaking of LIV! I think you'll see him hit his stride on Friday and contend. Prince Grimes: Collin Morikawa wins and then refuses to do interviews afterwards to really cause a stir. Christian D'Andrea: Bryson DeChambeau, in a moment of crisis, eats the club cover of his five wood, then rallies to finish -4 on the final six holes of the final round. This becomes tradition. Mike Sykes: Scottie Scheffler wins but J.J. Spaun shocks people again with a top-3 finish. Jordan Tomiyama: The back nine will feature a Scottie Scheffler-Rory Mcllroy duel and Rory will finally win his first green jacket. Michelle Martinelli: Ludvig Aberg wins on an 18th-hole playoff. Scottie Scheffler gets arrested for jaywalking.
USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
MLB 2025 Predictions: Win total over/unders for every team
MLB 2025 Predictions: Win total over/unders for every team Any baseball fan can go ahead and guess which teams will make the playoffs after all the offseason dust has settled. It takes a true sicko to look at each ballclub and try to predict how many wins each will finish with. Fortunately, we have three such sickos at For The Win willing to take on the challenge. As Opening Day for the 2025 Major League Baseball nears on Thursday, we've gone through every win total line at FanDuel and predicted which teams will finish over or under. For reference, we also added the notorious PECOTA projections from Baseball Prospectus. Let's dig in! American League East Team FanDuel W/L Line PECOTA Projection Blake Schuster Charles Curtis Prince Grimes Baltimore Orioles 88.5 88.7 Over Over Over Boston Red Sox 86.5 79.5 Over Over Over New York Yankees 92.5 89.1 Under Over Over Tampa Bay Rays 81.5 82 Over Over Under Toronto Blue Jays 78.5 85.1 Under Under Under Blake Schuster: This feels like it has to be the year for the Orioles to win the division. The Yankees took a step back, the Blue Jays are teetering on a fire sale and the Red Sox are maybe a year away from contender. You can never count out the Rays, but the collection of talent in Baltimore is pretty hard to top. Charles Curtis: Whew, this is tough. I do love what the Sox did this offseason, which makes them sneaky good. I think I'm going O's to win the East, the Yankees to grab a Wild Card and the rest to be CHAOS. Gotta love it. Prince Grimes: I really want the Orioles to compete for the division title, but the loss of Corbin Burnes is going to hurt that rotation a lot. And the Yankees are still great without Juan Soto. I'm going Yankees, and the Red Sox are a sleeper here. American League Central Team FanDuel W/L Line PECOTA Projection Blake Schuster Charles Curtis Prince Grimes Chicago White Sox 54.5 61.3 Over Over Under Cleveland Guardians 82.5 79.9 Under Under Over Detroit Tigers 83.5 78.8 Under Over Under Kansas City Royals 82.5 81.3 Over Over Under Minnesota Twins 83.5 86.8 Under Over Over Blake Schuster: I know we just saw the Tigers make a triumphant postseason push, but Kansas City really seems like the class of the division and could be for awhile. Minnesota didn't get any better and has the same injury concerns with Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis. Cleveland is a bit older and the White Sox the White Sox. Charles Curtis: Ahh, the AL Central. Good luck forecasting this one, but I'll try: I'll say the Royals take the title and the Tigers take them down to the final week of the season ... but then I wonder if the Twins do Twins things and the Guardians are underrated. Did I forget a team here? Oh, right. Sorry, Sox fans. Prince Grimes: There's a lot to like about four of the teams in this division, but I have a lot of questions about how real the Royals and Tigers are -- which brings me to Minnesota. With better health, I could see the Twins coming out as the surprise winners. American League West Team FanDuel W/L Line PECOTA Projection Blake Schuster Charles Curtis Prince Grimes Athletics 71.5 71.5 Over Over Over Houston Astros 86.5 88 Under Over Over Los Angeles Angels 72.5 74.2 Under Under Under Seattle Mariners 85.5 85.8 Under Over Under Texas Rangers 85.5 90.4 Over Under Under Blake Schuster: It's Texas and then everyone else in this division. That said, I expect we'll see a much stronger Athletics' team than many casuals expect. Not that they'll contend, but the A's won't be as bad as last year. The Astros' reign of terror is over. Charles Curtis: Bold take: I think the A's will be really fun for three quarters of the season. But I could see Texas winning and the Astros at least hanging in the Wild Card. Prince Grimes: The West is ripe for the taking with Houston expected to take a step back. I just don't think Seattle has enough offense to take it, and the Rangers have too many question marks with oft-injured vets. Don't be surprised if you look up at the end of the year, and it's the Astros again. National League East Team FanDuel W/L Line PECOTA Projection Blake Schuster Charles Curtis Prince Grimes Atlanta Braves 86.5 87.6 Under Under Over Miami Marlins 63.5 60.7 Over Under Under New York Mets 90.5 91.7 Over Over Over Philadelphia Phillies 90.5 85.7 Under Over Over Washington Nationals 70.5 67.9 Over Under Under Blake Schuster: The most exciting division in baseball yet again will come down to the Braves and Mets (and likely whichever team can stay healthier). Charles Curtis: I'm a Mets fan, so I'm set up to worry that they won't win the division, especially with their rotation. I'll say it's Mets by a hair over the Braves and the Phils keep in the mix. Prince Grimes: We're probably headed for another photo finish between the Phillies, Braves and Mets. Juan Soto's shuffle might just be the thing that finally pushes New York over the top. National League Central Team FanDuel W/L Line PECOTA Projection Blake Schuster Charles Curtis Prince Grimes Chicago Cubs 86.5 91.7 Under Under Under Cincinnati Reds 79.5 74.5 Over Over Under Milwaukee Brewers 82.5 79.5 Over Over Over Pittsburgh Pirates 75.5 75.1 Under Under Over St. Louis Cardinals 75.5 77.5 Under Under Over Blake Schuster: The Cubs will be better than expected, but they aren't ready to contend yet. The same goes for Cincinnati, but ultimately a healthy Brewers team should win the Central. Charles Curtis: It's probably the Brewers or bust, but don't bet against the Reds. Prince Grimes: The Cubs closed the gap on Milwaukee, which should make for an interesting race, but I get the feeling the Brewers aren't quite done owning this division. National League West Team FanDuel W/L Line PECOTA Projection Blake Schuster Charles Curtis Prince Grimes Arizona Diamondbacks 86.5 87.6 Under Under Over Colorado Rockies 59.5 54.7 Over Over Over Los Angeles Dodgers 104.5 103.2 Over Over Over San Diego Padres 85.5 87 Under Over Under San Francisco Giants 79.5 77.6 Under Under Under Blake Schuster: Thanks for playing everyone else, just give the Dodgers their division title now. Charles Curtis: Yeah, yeah Dodgers yadda yadda yadda. Padres are nice though. Prince Grimes: It's the Dodgers, then everyone else. Not just in the West. That goes for the entire league.
