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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football tops toughest 2025 schedules list, per USA TODAY Sports
The Florida Gators are riding into the 2025 college football season with plenty of optimism. But according to a preseason analysis from USA TODAY Sports, they'll also be facing the toughest schedule in the country–ranked No. 1 on the list. The ranking is based on the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, which offers an early look at the national landscape before the season begins. For Florida, that early snapshot makes one thing clear: a stacked lineup of ranked opponents is waiting. The grind starts in Week 3 with a road trip to the No. 9 LSU Tigers, followed by another away game against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. The Gators then return to the Swamp to face No. 1 Texas in what should be one of the most high-profile matchups of the early season. From there, the Orange and Blue head to No. 21 Texas A&M, making it four straight games against ranked opponents. Now that's a stretch that few teams would want to face. The late-season slate is just as daunting. The annual rivalry against No. 4 Georgia opens in November, followed by a road trip to No. 15 Ole Miss. The regular season wraps up in Gainesville against No. 18 Tennessee. Every week is a challenge, with no obvious break on the schedule. Florida football finished strong last year, and head coach Billy Napier will have his team aiming high. But sitting at No. 1 on the toughest schedule list means any playoff run will require navigating one of the most demanding paths the SEC, or the country, has to offer. Here is everything USA TODAY Sports writer Jordan Mendoza said about Florida's tough schedule in 2025. What USA TODAY Sports said about Florida's schedule "There's palpable hype in Florida after the strong finish to last season, and the Gators get rewarded with the toughest schedule in the country. Week 3 starts a stretch of three consecutive games against top 10 opponents: at No. 9 LSU and at No. 10 Miami ahead of a home game with No. 1 Texas. "The grind doesn't stop afterward with a trip to No. 21 Texas A&M the following week. There's the annual meeting with No. 4 Georgia to start a November schedule that also includes heading to No. 15 Mississippi and playing host to No. 18 Tennessee." USA TODAY Sports' top 10 toughest schedules Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
The Herald Scotland
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
NBA Finals Game 6 live updates: Thunder-Pacers prediction, TV channel
OKC has won the last two games in the series to take the 3-2 lead after initially losing two of the first three games of the series, including the opening in Oklahoma. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton had four points, seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes of play during the 120-109 Game 5 loss on Monday. He finished 0-for-6 from the field and scored all four of his points from the free throw line. Haliburton confirmed on Wednesday that he's dealing with a calf strain but told reporters he hopes to play in Game 6. A win for the Pacers on Monday would force the series to a Game 7 in the Oklahoma City Thunder. It all adds up to a crucial Game 6. USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest updates, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more throughout the game. Follow along. What time is Thunder vs Pacers game today? The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers for Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. Where to watch Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Time: 8:30 p.m. ET 8:30 p.m. ET Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) TV: ABC ABC Stream: Fubo, Sling TV Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo Where is Game 6 between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder? The Indiana Pacers host the Oklahoma City Thunder for a potential closeout Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites to win the series vs. the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals, according to BetMGM (odds as of Thursday, June 19): Spread : Thunder (-5.5) : Thunder (-5.5) Moneyline : Thunder (-225); Pacers (+185) : Thunder (-225); Pacers (+185) Over/under: 222.5 The Oklahoma City Thunder enter Game 6 as the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers, according to BetMGM (odds as of Thursday, June 19) Series winner: Thunder (-3000); Pacers (+1250) USA TODAY: Every expert picks the Thunder Ahead of the series opener, all of the NBA experts at USA Today Sports picked the Oklahoma City Thunder to beat the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals Scooby Axson: Thunder in five Thunder in five Jordan Mendoza: Thunder in six Thunder in six Lorenzo Reyes: Thunder in six Thunder in six James Williams: Thunder in six Thunder in six Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder in five USA TODAY: Most pick Thunder in Game 6 Scooby Axson: Thunder 111, Pacers 102 Thunder 111, Pacers 102 Jordan Mendoza : Thunder 113, Pacers 103 : Thunder 113, Pacers 103 James Williams : Pacers 111, Thunder 106 : Pacers 111, Thunder 106 Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder 116, Pacers 103 The Indiana Pacers host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8:30 p.m. ET with coverage on ABC. Game 3 between the Thunder and Pacers is available on ABC. Fans can also stream the action with Sling TV and Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users. All times Eastern; *-if necessary Odds via BetMGM on Saturday, June 16. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-650) Jalen Williams (+650) Pascal Siakam (+1500) Tyrese Haliburton (+9000) 6 players tied (+50000) According to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, Tyrese Haliburton (calf strain) will play tonight vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. "Tyrese will play," Carlisle said in a pregame press conference. "He was tested at 5 p.m. He was strength tested at 5 p.m. and did very well. Went through walkthrough. There's no set minutes limit. We will watch and monitor things very closely from the beginning of the game through the entirety of the game. We'll go from there." USA TODAY Sports staff has more on Tyrese Haliburton's injury. The Oklahoma City Thunder have one NBA championship. However, it came in 1979 when the team was the Seattle SuperSonics. They have not won a title since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Indiana Pacers have not won an NBA championship. They have two Eastern Conference titles (2000, 2025).
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Masters tickets? Getting into Augusta National will cost you (and it's not allowed)
Masters tickets? Getting into Augusta National will cost you (and it's not allowed) There are just hours until the start of one of the most popular sporting events on the planet begins as the first shots will be fired at the 2025 Masters. Playing in the Masters is one of the biggest honors in golf, but simply being able to attend it as a spectator is an ultimate bucket list item for sports fans. Can you still get in? Technically, secondary tickets are not allowed. The tournament only sells tickets through its lottery system. Applications closed months ago, and tickets have already been awarded. With the action starting soon, here's what to know about trying to get to the 2025 Masters: Can you still buy 2025 Masters tickets? Through the Masters, no. Augusta National is the only authorized source for Masters tickets and says the resale of any ticket is strictly prohibited. If someone acquires tickets from another source, it could result in exclusion from the tournament. If you're willing to risk it on the secondary market, be prepared to spend thousands of dollars. For example, according to Gametime, an app/site for last-minute tickets, a four-day pass to the event is $26,212 (including taxes and fees). How to get Masters tickets Aside from risking it on the secondary market, the best and cheapest way to get Masters tickets is through its lottery system. The process is done on the Masters website. Interested people fill out an application and are able to request what tickets they want for a certain period of time. After the application window closes, Augusta National does a lottery to award tickets, and applicants are notified if they are selected or not. How hard is it to get tickets to the Masters? Odds It's unknown how many applications are done for Masters tickets each year, but estimates the odds of getting Masters single-day tickets to be about 0.55 percent. It came to its conclusion using how many tickets are distributed each year and roughly how many people applied using Masters viewership numbers. How much does it cost to go to the Masters? Tickets offered for the Masters include the practice round, single round or all-weekend tickets. The prices for the 2025 Masters were: Practice rounds (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday): $100 First round (Thursday): $140 Second round (Friday): $140 Third round (Saturday): $140 Final round (Sunday): $140 Four-day tournament badge (Thursday-Sunday): $450 How to enter Masters lottery The process is simple. When the applications open, users either create an account or update their existing account information on the Masters tickets website. People can select what tickets they are interested in. Once submitted, applicants wait until the Masters notifies people of who was awarded tickets. Masters lottery 2026 Applications for the 2026 Masters will open on June 1 and will be available to apply through June 20. Jordan Mendoza of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
USA Today
07-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: Predicting NCAA Tournament Finals results between Florida and Houston
March Madness: Predicting NCAA Tournament Finals results between Florida and Houston Monday night features the 2025 NCAA Tournament Finals matchup between the Florida Gators and Houston Cougars — a pair of top-seeded schools that have fought tooth and nail to reach the men's basketball championship game. Both teams are riding double-digit win streaks along with conference tournament crowns entering this epic March Madness matchup while approaching the game from seemingly opposite directions. Florida is a famously offensive-minded team, while Houston's laurels rest on its punishing defense; however, both programs are also top-10 teams in the opposite categories, making this an evenly-matched event. With mere hours remaining before the opening tipoff, USA TODAY Sports' staff offered their predictions for the national championship game, with the majority leaning toward the Cougars. Here is a look at their respective takes. READ MORE: Gators Wire's expert predictions for Florida vs Houston in NCAA Finals Jordan Mendoza: Houston 72, Florida 69 "After each team pulled off second-half comebacks in the Final Four, which one has enough left to win the national title? Houston proved it could slow down a premier offense like Duke, but no one has had an answer for Walter Clayton Jr. this tournament," Mendozza notes. "Given the 'never quit' mentality each team possesses, expect this one to go down to the final minutes. The Cougars hit their 3-pointers and are able to limit the Florida star, and they fend off a late rally by the Gators to win their first national championship." Paul Myerberg: Houston 71, Florida 63 "Houston carries over the ferocious rally in the final minutes against Duke and slows down Florida's perimeter shooting to win the first national title in program history. In addition to its No. 1 defense, the Cougars have another edge in the turnover battle," Myerberg begins. "They rank third in Division in turnover margin while Florida ranks 118th. Houston also leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, potentially negating the Gators' typical production from deep." Erick Smith: Florida 66, Houston 65 "We use cliches in sports like the irresistible force facing the immovable object way too often. This matchup, however, does present a simple premise: Which team will be able to dictate how the game is played? Florida wants to go fast to take advantage of its open-court game and also diminish the half-court defense of Houston," Smith said. "The Cougars, meanwhile, want to slow the game down and make it a grinder. It's hard to see either dominating, and that forecasts a close game down the wire. The Gators have the best clutch player on the court in Walter Clayton Jr. And he does it again for the SEC's first title since 2012." Eddie Timanus: Florida 68, Houston 65 "Picking against Houston at this point seems like a bad idea given the way it has shown the ability to find ways to win in the most difficult of circumstances. Of course the same can be said of the Gators, who have also staged an improbable comeback or two this postseason," Timanus explains. "So one more time, I'll stick with my choice from the beginning." Blake Toppmeyer: Houston 75, Florida 71 "I picked Houston to beat Florida in the national championship before the tournament tipped, so I wouldn't dare fade that pick now. Houston's experienced lineup, elite defense and clutch shot-making ability uphold the Cougars as a strong pick. Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. has been the nation's best player for the past several weeks. Stellar though he is, Houston counters with a variety of proven weapons," Toppenmeyer points out. "This game should be a great show. Get the popcorn ready." Dan Wolken: Houston 61, Florida 57 "Both teams have pulled out improbable victories in the NCAA tournament to get to this point, so both may feel that a championship is their destiny. But the Cougars' relentlessness and ability to take away what an opponent does best is the intangible that just wears people out," Wolken offers. "Houston may not have the most talent, but they've got plenty to hang in a close game, which is the area where they thrive. Betting against Kelvin Sampson with a 40-hour turnaround seems like a bad idea." Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
06-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida vs Houston prediction, picks, odds for 2025 men's NCAA championship game
Florida vs Houston prediction, picks, odds for 2025 men's NCAA championship game Show Caption Hide Caption Florida players discuss their emotions after win over Auburn in Final Four The Florida Gators are advancing to the national championship after beating Auburn in the Final Four and they describe their emotions to us. Sports Seriously The national championship game in the men's NCAA Tournament is set. Will it be Houston or Florida cutting down the nets? It was a spectacular night on Saturday in San Antonio. Neither Final Four matchup disappointed as Florida used a strong second half to take down top overall seed Auburn, while Houston pulled off an incredible late comeback to stun Duke in dramatic fashion. After 68 teams started the NCAA Tournament three weeks ago, we are now down to two with the Gators and Cougars playing for the national championship Monday. Both teams have proved they are the best teams in college basketball, but only one will have it's one shining moment. Florida vs. Houston national championship odds According to betMGM, as of Sunday morning. Moneyline: Florida (-1.5) Florida (-1.5) Spread: Florida (-120); Houston (+100) Florida (-120); Houston (+100) Over/under: 141.5 Florida vs. Houston national championship picks, predictions Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: Houston beats Florida Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic: Houston beats Florida Watch Florida vs. Houston in title game on Fubo How to watch Florida vs. Houston national championship game
