MLS Power Rankings 2025

Tom Knuppel MLS 2025

MLS Power Rankings for this week (May 15)

  1. Vancouer Whitecaps
  2. Columbus Crew
  3. Philadelphia Union
  4. FC Cincinnati
  5. Minnesota United FC
  6. Inter Miami FC
  7. LAFC
  8. Seattle Sounders FC
  9. Nashville SC
  10. Portland Timbers
  11. San Diego SC
  12. Orlndo City
  13. New England Revolution
  14. Charlotte FC
  15. NY Red Bull
  16. SJ Earthquake
  17. Nre York City FC
  18. FC Dallas
  19. Real Salt lake
  20. Chicago fire
  21. Austin FC
  22. Colorado Rapids
  23. Houston Dynamo
  24. Dporting Kansas City
  25. Toronto FC
  26. DC  United
  27. St Louis City SC
  28. CF Montral
  29. Atlanta United
  30. LA Galaxy

 

Thursday May 21 is the next Power Rankings.

 Scores from May 14th

Montreal 1 Columbus 1

DC 0 NYC 0

Orlando 3 Charlotte 1

Philadelphia 3 LA 2

Cincinnati 1 Toronto 0

Houston 2  Minnesota 0

Nashville 2  NY Red Bull 1

St Louis 2  Sporting Kansas City 2

Austin 1 Atlanta 1

Real Salt Lake 0 Portland 0

Los Angeles FC 4  Seattle 0

San Diego 2 Colordo 0

San Jose 3 Miami 3

WNBA 2025- Picks, Preview, Predictions, Projections and Must See Game

Tom Knuppel WNBA 2025 , , , ,

WNBA 2025 Season

The upcoming season of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).is its 29th year in existence.  The regular season is scheduled to begin on May 16, 2025, and end on September 11. The fifth edition of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup will be held from June 1 to July 1. The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will be held on July 19, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The playoffs is then scheduled to be played from September 11, and conclude with the WNBA 2025 Finals in October. For the first time, the Finals will use a best-of-seven format.

WNBA 2025- Looking back at 2024

The New York Liberty defeated the four time champion Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 and in overtime to become the champions of the WNBA.

Season Leaders

Top Scorer

A’ja Wilson 26.9 PPG

Top Rebounder

Angel Reese 13.1 RPG

Most assists

Caitlin Clark  8.4 APG

Most Steals

Arike Ogunbowale  2.1 per game

Most Blocks

A’ja Wilson 2.6 per game

Field Goal Percentage

Brittney Griner .579

Free Throw Percentage

Arike Ogunbowale  .921

3-Point Field goal percentage 

Emily Engster   .474

3-point field goal percentage  

Jonquel Jones   .636

Offensive Rating

Tiffany Hayes   119.0

Defensive Rating

Napheesa Collier   91.3

3-point Field Goals

Caitlin Clark 122

 

2025 TOP ROOKIES

 

Paige Bueckers- #1 pick in the WNBA draft, she went to the Dallas Wings after a stellar season at UCONN where she helped them win the Collegiate national championship.

Dominique Malonga- she played in France and is 6’6″ and veery versatile. She will suit up for the Seattle Storm.

Sonia Citron from Notre Dame is a 3-point artist and a prolific free throw shooter. She will be playing for the Washington Mystics.

Te-Hina Paopao- This former South Carolina player is a defensive specialist and will play for the Atlanta Dream.

Others:

Kiki Iriafen- Mystics

Aneesah Morrow Connecticut Sun

Georgia Amoore- Mystics

JJ Quinerly- Dallas Wings

 

 

Games to Watch in May

May 16th- Minnesota Lynx vs Dallas Wings- In this game we get to witness the #1 pick of the WNBA draft. Paige Bueckers debuting against defensive specialist Naphessa Collier.

May 17- Las Vegas Aces vs New York Liberty- Jonquel Jones WNBA MVP will face A’ja Wilson

May 17th- Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese. This is always entertaining as the Indiana fever and the Chicago Sky hook up.

May 24th- New York Liberty vs Indiana Fever- The new additions for the Fever will get a real litmus test facing Sabrina Ionescu , Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.

May 25th- Las Vegas Aces vs Seattle Storm- Jewell Loyd returns to the city that drafted her #1.

 

May 30th Phoenix Mercury s Minnesota Lynx- Phoenix with revenge on its mind as they were swept out of the playoffs by Minnesota. The Mercury have reloaded in the off-season with Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas .

 

May 30th- Las Vegas Aces vs Los Angeles Sparks- Keley Plum will face her old team after eight years with the Sparks.

 

 

Tom’s Picks

Here ins my predicted WNBA order:

  1. Minnesota Lynx-Head coach Cheryl Reeve has them return as champions after a one year pause
  2. New York Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello will not quite get the best-of-seven-game series.
  3. Las Vegas Aces-Lengendary head coach Becky Hammon will come up shot bu surprise many.
  4. Indiana Fever- Some have this team winning it all but head coach Stephanie White  will fall short.
  5. Seattle Storm- Coach Noelle Quinn has the tools on the court but not the defensive game.
  6. Phoenix Mercury- With two great off-seeason signings, head coach Nate tibbetts is giddy.
  7. Los Angles Sparks- If it means anything, coach Lynne Roberts and the front office embrace analytics.
  8. Atlanta Dream- New coach Karl Smesko is looking to play up tempo and quick shots as he has shooters.
  9. Dallas Wings- Paige Bueckers has all eyes on her and hands in her face. They could be better than this .
  10. Connecticut Sun- We know the fans are passionate for women’s basketball but this team has lots of needs.
  11. Chicago Sky- Angel Reese and Tonisha Wright improve this team but a long way to go.
  12. Golden State Vakryies- There first season in the league will be a lesson for the future
  13. Mystics- Brittany Griner will help them move up about two spots if all cylinders work
  14. PRESS RELEASE YORK, March 20, 2025 The WNBA announced today its national broadcast and streaming schedule for the 2025 regular season. With more than 175 games slated for broadcast across multiple platforms, fans will enjoy unparalleled access to the regular season action from May 16 through September 11.“The WNBA is coming off a 2024 season in which incredible basketball and countless memorable performances paved the way for the WNBA to deliver a record-breaking season,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Now, with so much excitement around the player movement that took place this winter through free agency and trades, the WNBA’s broadcast and streaming partners in 2025 will spotlight the league’s superstars, rising stars and must-see match-ups like never before.”Disney Networks Increase ABC Network Lineup in Regular Season, Will Air Entire PostseasonABC will broadcast an opening weekend doubleheader on May 17 featuring the Las Vegas Aces vs. the New York Liberty at 1 p.m. ET and the Chicago Sky vs. the Indiana Fever at 3 p.m. ET.

    A long-time broadcast partner of the league, Disney, now in its 29th year of WNBA coverage, will feature a record-breaking 13 games on its ABC Network, including the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, and 13 games on ESPN. The Disney networks’ lineup also includes every game of the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google, which will feature up to 29 games, including the WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV, which will follow a best-of-seven format for the first time in league history.

     

     

    WNBA Press Release

  15. ION Takes the Spotlight with WNBA Friday Night DoubleheadersSetting a new standard for weekly coverage, ION will broadcast the most games across the regular season – 50 in total – as part of its “State Farm WNBA Friday Night Spotlight” series. Fans can tune in every Friday for thrilling doubleheaders, bringing a consistent and high-energy schedule to their screens.Prime Video and NBA TV Highlight Key EventsPrime Video will exclusively stream the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Presented by Coinbase, ensuring fans can experience the culmination of this marquee midseason tournament in addition to 20 other compelling matchups. Meanwhile, NBA TV’s 40-game schedule will keep the spotlight on the consequential race to the postseason, showcasing crucial matchups and storylines.

    First-Ever WNBA Primetime Games on CBS Network

    CBS Sports coverage features 20 total games, including a major milestone: the WNBA’s first-ever primetime WNBA regular-season games on broadcast television. On June 7 and August 9, the Chicago Sky will face off against the Indiana Fever in primetime matchups that promise to showcase rising stars and seasoned champions alike.

    WNBA Direct to Consumer League Pass Product offers Exclusive Access

    WNBA League Pass will stream over 200 live, out-of-market games for the 2025 season, featuring key matchups, notable player returns, and on-demand access through the WNBA App and website.

     

Enjoy the season and bet responsibly.

Peter Pan Stakes – Preview, Picks and Predictions

Tom Knuppel Other , , , , ,

 

Peter Pan Stakes

Currently. the Peter Pan Stakes is not talked about much as everyone is in the Triple Crown mode after the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. But now our attention moves to the other stakes races such as the Peter Pan Stakes.

This race is a step for the winner to get and automatic spot in the Belmont. In 2014, Tonalist won the Peter Pan Stakes and went on to win the Belmont. Also, Arcanelo did the same in 2023.

The Peter Pan Stakes is a 1 1/8 mile race on the surface of Aqueduct with ten entrants with several being promising prospects.

 

PETER PAN STAKES Preview

These Peter Pan Stakes horses are written by post position.

Vassimo should be a threat in this race as there is not much speed entered in it, even though he looked bad in the Louisiana Derby.  He is worth a shot with good odds (5-1) to win some money. The horse is trained by odd Pletcher and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr.

On the 2nd post position of the Peter Pan Stakes is Happily Delusional at 20-1 odds and trained by Louis Linder Jr. with Paco Lopez aboard. Don’t look for this horse in the winners circle as he just doesn’t have the speed.2. Happily Delusional (20-1): He’s won once in eight starts and is unplaced in his only two tries in stakes races. This entry is not likely to finish in the money.

Surfside Moon is 8-1 odds on the morning line and is trained by James Lawrence II with Junior Alvarado on board.He did well at the Withers Stakes although besten by Captain Cook by over 3 lengths. Very slight chance he finished in the money but not out of the question

Hill Road will have Flavien Prat as his jockey and Chad Brown is the trainer. This horse is 5-2 odds for the Peter Pan Stakes. Since the horses entered don’t have much speed, this is the horse to beat.

McAfee is 8-1 on the morning line and is trained by Rick Dutrow Jr. and will be ridden by John Velazquez. As a two year old horse, he finished with a second and a win in two starts. Recently though, he finished fifth in the Wood Memorial Gotham stakes.In his last start, he lost by eight lengths. He will add blinkers for this race. No speed to compete.

Uncaged enters with 8-1 odds and will have Kendrick Carmouche on board and the trainer is Todd Pletcher. He last won by 1 3/4 lengths.This is his this start of the year. Capable of finishing in the money in the Peter Pan Stakes.

First Pitch is 50-1 odds and lost by more than 30 lengths last time out in two races.
He has won but not likely in this race.

Captain Cook enter with 2-1 odds in the morning line. Manny Franco will be on the horse. He won the Withers Stakes. This is a horse to best but the odds are to short to make much money.

Bererton’s Baytown is a longshot at 50-1 on the morning line for the Peter Pan Stakes.  In the Arkansas Derby, he got beat by over 18 lengths. Appears as no chance to win.

Lordship at 12-1 odds is trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Dylan Davis. This horse won his debut at Tampa Bay Downs.Lordship is a colt from Gun Runner. Like this horse to compete and possibly win the 2025 Peter Pan Stakes.

 

Peter Pan Stakes Pick

Winner: Captain Cook

Second: Hill Road

Third: Uncaged

(this was changed on 5/10/25 at 2:30 pm CST after Lordship entered two races for the day and scratched this race. the uncertainty made me change)

Bet responsibly and always check for the latest odds.

 

Kentucky Derby 2025- Preview, Picks and Predictions

Tom Knuppel Horse Racing

It’s time for the Running of the Roses. This is the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby  at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Some call it the “Best Two Minutes in Sports”. Let’s take a look at our favorites for this legendary race.

Kentucky Derby Picks

  1. Journalism– This horse is 3-1 odds to win and is trained by Michael McCarthy and is the favorite in the field. This horse can close well and is our Top pick to win . Although the odds are not great for making a ton of money we stick with it. The jockey is Umberto Rispoli.
  2. Sovereignty is our second place pick at 5-1 odds . This horse get the 18th spot in the starting gate. If he gets the lead, he may not give it up. Junior Alvarado will be the jockey ion this mount.
  3.  Third for us is a real problem. We like Sandman a bit more so we place him in this spot. This is the horse that former multi winning jockey Richie Migliori has touted all week to win. I  am not sold that an Arkansas bred horse will come out on top. The early line for this horse is 6-1 with Jose Ortiz on board.
  4. The other selection is an entry from Japan . Luxor Cafe has this experience but until a foreign horse wins the Derby, I am not picking it. He won the UAE Derby and is really good at left handed tracks. The odds are appealing to place a win place show bet at 15-1 on this entry.

 

 

Prediction

Journalism. Soverengty, Sandman in that order

Luxor Cafe to get a win, place, show bet from me

 

Good luck and bet responsibly and be  sure to check the latest odds before you bet it.

Memphis Monday- A Look Back at Games This Past Week

Tom Knuppel Other
Memphis Monday- A Look Back at Games This Past Week

The Memphis Redbirds opened their 2025 season on March 28th. They have played three game and are 1-2 on the young season.

 

 

MARCH 28- Opening up on the road against the Louisville Bats, a minor league team of the Cincinnati Reds. The Redbirds lost 9-4 with starting pitcher Michael McGreevey getting the loss. He allowed a pair of homers in the contest and 6 hits in the contest and walked one.

Catcher Jimmy Crooks was 2-for-4 with a home run in his AAA debut. Left Fielder Matt Koperniak drove in a run and right fielder Ryan Vlade had two hits in four at-bats.

MARCH 29- The Redbirds lost 4-1 and the hitting was light. Catcher Yahel Pozo drove in the only run for Memphis as the team dropped to 0-2.

Starting pitcher Quinn Mathews took the loss.

MARCH 30- The first win of the season came with a 13-9 affair that saw starter Gordon Graceffo fanning five in 2.1 innings pitched

The offense banged out 16 hits with home runs by Cesar Prieto, Jose Barrero, Brycen Torres and Thomas Saggese.

 

NEXT GAME is the home opener on Tuesday, April 1  against the Buffalo Bisons, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Redbirds haven’t announced a starter yet.

 

There will be no Springfield Wednesday or Thursday in Peoria, along with no Friday on the Beach (Palm Beach0 this week as all three open up on April 4th (Friday).

Baseball History- Earl Sheely – Born in Bushnell

Tom Knuppel Baseball History , , , , , , ,
Baseball History- Earl Sheely – Born in Bushnell

Earl Homer Sheely was born on February 12, 1893 in Bushnell, Illinois. He was a first baseman for the Chicago White Sox  from 1921-1927. In 1925, he was sixth in voting for the American League MVP. In that season, he batted .315 in 153 games and accrued 111 RBI’s with 43 double, 3 triples and 9 home runs in 600 at-bats. He also added 3 stolen bases and 68 walks and 26 sacrifice hits.

He kind of faded for a bit with the Sox and moved on to play baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1929 and the Boston Braves in 19131,

After his playing days, he became a scout for the Boston Red Sox and a general manager of the Seattle Rainiers. (The Rainiers were owned by Daniel Dugdale, who grew up in Peoria, Illinois which is 49 miles to Sheely’s birth place of Bushnell, and likely had crossed paths with him  in the past.)

Bushnell, Illinois (population in 2023 was 2,673) is in McDonough County and Macomb is the county seat. He is an inductee of the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame. He died in Seattle, Washington, at the age of 59.

College Baseball Conference Predictions 2025

Tom Knuppel college baseball 2025

 

Conference Predictions for Every Conference

                  in College Baseball 2025

 

Conference                       Winner                   Runner-up

ACC                                    Virginia                         North Carolina

America East                   Albany                           NJIT

American Athletic          East Carolina              Wichita State

ASUN                                Austin Peay               Central Arkansas

Atlantic 10                       VCU                             Saint Louis

Big 12                               Oklahoma State        Arizona

Big East                          Georgetowne             UConn

Big South                      SC Upstate                 High Point

Big Ten                           Indiana                      Nebraska

Big West                         UC Irvine                   UCSB

Coastal Atlantic            Northeastern            UNCW

Conference USA           Dallas Baptist           FIU

Horizon League            Northern Kentucky     Wright State

Independent                  Oregon State

Ivy League                     Columbia                     Penn

MAAC                            Fairfield                       Niagara

Mid-American              Ball State                     Bowling Green

Missouri Valley           Missouri State             Illinois State

Mountain West            Washington State      Air Force

Northeast                      Long Island                Farleigh Dickinson

Ohio Valley                   SEMO                          Morehead State

Patriot League             Army                            Bucknell

SEC                                LSU                              Tennessee

Southern                      Wofford                       UNCG

Southland                   Houston Christian     Incarnate Word

Sun Belt                       Troy                             Coastal Carolina

SWAC                           Alabama State           Alabama A&M

The Summit League   Oral Roberts             Saint Thomas

West Coast                     San Diego                Santa Clara

Western Athletic         Cal Baptist                 Grand Canyon

 

Follow along all season and check out my conference predictions each and every week.

College Baseball Conferences- Top 25- Picks and Predictions

Tom Knuppel Other

Baseball Conferences

There are nearly 30 Division 1 baseball conference in 2025, with almost 300 teams involved to attempt to make it to the College World Series in Omaha at the completion of the regular season. In 2024, the Tennessee Volunteers, coached by Tony Vitello were the champions of the College World Series. Texas A&M finished second. At the 2025 preseason, most experts are picking one of three teams to win it all and they are LSU, Texas A&M or Georgia.

 

American East Conference

Bryant opens Feb 14 at Davidson College

Binghamton Feb 14 at Texas State University

Maine opens Feb 14 vs Louisiana Tech

NJIT  opens Feb 14 at High Point

UAlbany opens Feb 21 at Lamar

UMBC  opens Feb 21 at Stetson

UMass Lowell  opens Feb 14 vs Mercyhurst

 

American Athletic Conference

East Carolina
UTSA
Tulane
Wichita State
UAB
Florida Atlantic 12-15 28-29
Charlotte 12-15 24-34
Rice 11-16 23-36
South Florida 11-16 26-29
Memphis

 

Atlantic 10 Conference

St Louis

VCU

Dayton

Richmond

Geo Washington

UMASS

St Joseph’s

Rhode Island

Davidson

Fordham

St Bonaventure

George Mason

 

Atlantic Coast Conference

Clemson

NC State

Florida State

Louisville

Wake Forest

Notre Dame

Boston College

North Carolina

Virginia

Duke

Georgia Tech

Virginia Tech

Miami

Pitt

 

Atlantic Sun Conference

Austin Peay

Bellarmine

Central Arkansas

EKU

Lipscomb

North Alabama

FGCU

Jacksonville

North Florida

Queens

Stetson

West Georgia

Big 12

Arizona

Arizona State

Baylor

BYU

Cincinnati

Colorado

Kansas

Kansas State

Houston

Oklahoma State

TCU

Texas Tech

West Virginia

UCF

 

Big East

UConn

St Johns

Georgetowne

Xavier

Villanova

Creighton

Seton Hall

Butler

 

Big South Conference

Charleston Southern

Gardner-Web

High Point

Longwood

Presbyterian

Radford

 

Big Ten

Illinois

Iowa

Indiana

Maryland

Michigan

Michigan State

Minnesota

Nebraska

Northwestern

Ohio State

Oregon

Penn state

Purdue

Rutgers

UCLA

USC

Washington

 

Big West

Cal Poly

Cal State Bakersfield

Cal State Fullerton

Hawaii

Long Beach State

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UC Riverside

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

 

Coastal Athletic Association

Charleston

UNCW

Northeastern

Delaware

William and Mary

Hofstra

Campbell

Stony Brook

Monmouth

Elon

NC A&T

Towson

 

Conference USA

Dallas Baptist

FIU

Jacksonville State

Kennesaw State

Liberty

LaTech

MTSU

NM State

Sam Houston

WKU

 

Horizon League

Milwaukee

Northern Kentucky

Oakland

Purdue Fort Wayne

Wright State

Youngstown State

 

Ivy League

Columbia

Princeton

Cornell

Penn

Yale

Harvard

Dartmouth

Brown

 

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Canisus

Fairfield

Iona

Manhattan

Marist

Merrimcak

Mount Mt. Mary’s

Niagara

Quinnipac

Rider

Sacred Heart

St. Peter’s

Siena

 

Mid-American Conference

Akron

Ball State

Bowling Green

Buffalo

Central Michigan

Eastern Michigan

Ken State

Miami (Ohio)

Northern Illinois

Ohio

Toledo

Western Michigan

 

Missouri Valley

Indiana State

Murray State

Evansville

Illinois State

UIC

Southern Illinois

Belmont

Missouri State

Valparaiso

Bradley

 

Mountain West Conference

Air Force

New Mexico

Fresno State

Nevada

San Jose State

UNLV

San Diego State

 

Northeast Conference

Sacred Heart

LIU

Merrimack

Wagner

Delaware State

FDU

Central Connecticut

LaMoyne

Stone Hill

Coppin State

Norfolk State

Maryland Eastern Shore

 

Ohio Valley Conference

Little Rock

Southeast Missouri

Morehead State

Southern Indiana

Tennessee Tech

Eastern Illinois

SIUEUT Martin

Lindenwood

Western Illinois

 

Patriot League (check this)

American

Boston University

Loyola Maryland

Navy

Richmond

Bucknell

Lafayette

Lehigh

Georgetowne

Holy Cross

North Alabama

Army

Colgate

 

SEC

Auburn

Florida

Georgia

Kentucky

LSU

Ole Miss

Mississippi State

Missouri

Oklahoma

South Carolina

Tennessee

 

Southern Conference

UNC Greensboro

Samford

ETSU

Western Carolina

Wofford

VMI

Mercer

The Citadel

 

Southwestern Athletic Conference

AAMU

ASU

Alcorn State

BCU

FAMU

Grambling

Jackson

MVSU

PVAM

Southern

TVU

UAPB

 

Summit League

  • University of Denver
  • University of Missouri-Kansas City
  • University of North Dakota
  • North Dakota State University
  • University of Nebraska Omaha
  • Oral Roberts University
  • University of St. Thomas
  • University of South Dakota
  • South Dakota State University

 

Sun Belt Conference

Louisiana

So Miss

Troy

James Madison

Georgia Southern

App State

Coastal Carolina

Old Dominion

South Alabama

Texas State

Georgia State

ULM

Marshall

Arkansas State

 

West Coast Conference

Gonzaga

LMU

Pacific

Pepperdine

Portland

St. Mary’s

San Diego

San Francisco

Santa Clara

 

Western Athletic Conference

Utah Valley

Abilene Christian

California Baptist

Grand Canyon

Sacramento State

Seattle U

Tarleton State

UT Arlington

Utah Tech

 

 

Tom’s Top 25 in 2025

  1. LSU – on the backs of William Schmidt, Derek Curreil, Anthony Eyanson  tis team is loaded
  2. Texas A&M – runner-up from 2024 return a plethora of  talent in Gavin Grahovic and Jace LaViolette
  3. Virginia – great bats in line-up
  4. Arkansas- loads of pitching
  5. Tennessee – national champs in 2024 look to repeat with additions such as Cardon Appenzeller and Gary Morse and solid pitching.
  6. Georgia- big bats for Dawgs with Tre Phelps and portal players like Christian Adams and Ryan Black
  7. UNC – bullpen has been shored up with Dalton Pence and power hitter Luke Stephenson on offense.
  8. Oregon State – powerful bats returning Elijah Hainline  along with U  of Washington transfer ss Avia Arquette and 3B Trent Caraway with pitchers LHP Nelson Keljia and likely the Friday guy.
  9. Florida State – Jamie Arnold is the top pitcher on the roster,Evan Chrest will likely get a weekend rotation spot and Max Williams will leads the offense.
  10. Florida – Key returners: Luke Heyman C/1B (,246, 16 HRs, 52 RBIs), Brody Donay C/DH (.246, 14 HRs. 32 RBIs), Cade Kurland 2B (.245, 14 HRs, 44 RBi’s
  11. Oregon
  12. NC State
  13. Duke
  14. Clemson-best 1/2 pitching in the country
  15. Vanderbilt
  16. Wake Forest- This team might go far with returning talent
  17. Mississippi State
  18. Oklahoma State
  19. Texas
  20. Arizona
  21. TCU
  22. Nebraska
  23. Dallas Baptist
  24. UCSB
  25. Indiana

first out: Troy.Kentucky, Oklahoma,Stanford,Kentucky

Daytona 500 – Odds, Picks and Predictions

Tom Knuppel Other , , ,

The 2025 season is creeping closer. With that I will bring to our my picks each week and we can make some money. Just remember that is an auto race many things can happen to knock out your pick. Let’s begin with the Daytona 500 for 2025.

 

Odds come from DraftKings Sportsbook

 

 

Daytona 500 Odds

 

Kyle Busch: +1100
Brad Keselowski: +1200
Ryan Blaney: +1300
Joey Logano: +1400
Denny Hamlin: +1400
Chase Elliott: +1400
William Byron: +1400
Tyler Reddick: +1600
Ross Chastain: +1600
Kyle Larson: +1600
Chris Buescher: +1800
Christopher Bell: +2000
Bubba Wallace: +2000

Daniel Suarez: +2500
Austin Dillon: +2500
Ty Gibbs: +2800
Alex Bowman: +2800
Todd Gilliland: +3000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +3000
Michael McDowell: +3000

Chase Briscoe: +3500
Noah Gragson: +4000
Ty Dillon: +4500
Ryan Preece: +4500

Erik Jones: +4500
Justin Haley: +5000 Josh Berry: +5000
AJ Allmendinger +5000

John Hunter Nemechek: +5500
Cole Custer: +5500
Carson Hocevar: +6500
Helio Castroneves: +6500
Shane Van Gisbergen: +6500

 

Daytona 500 Predictions

I am writing this very early so pay attention before you bet for changing odds or something happening that a driver must remove themselves from the race.

Last season, the 2024 Daytona 500 was won by William Byron . He was +1800 at the start of the race. This year I am not taking the favorite and my bet will be on Ryan Blaney +1300.

 

Good luck and keep following along:

For more sports go to: Tomknuppel.com

 

Daytona 500 Schedule 2025

1 Daytona 500 February 16 2:30 PM Fox
2 Ambetter Health 400 O Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, Georgia February 23 3 PM PRN
3 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix R Circuit of the Americas Austin, Texas March 2 3:30 PM
4 Shriners Children’s 500 O Phoenix Raceway Avondale, Arizona March 9 FS1 MRN
5 Pennzoil 400 O Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada March 16 PRN
6 Straight Talk Wireless 400 O Homestead–Miami Speedway Homestead, Florida March 23 3 PM MRN
7 Cook Out 400 O Martinsville Speedway Ridgeway, Virginia March 30
8 Goodyear 400 O Darlington Raceway Darlington, South Carolina April 6
9 Food City 500 O Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee April 13 PRN
10 Jack Link’s 500[136] O Talladega Superspeedway Lincoln, Alabama April 27 Fox MRN
11 Würth 400[137] O Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas May 4 3:30 PM FS1 PRN
12 AdventHealth 400 O Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas May 11 3 PM MRN
NASCAR All Star Open O North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro, North Carolina May 18 6 PM
NASCAR All-Star Race 8 PM
13 Coca-Cola 600 O Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, North Carolina May 25 6 PM Prime PRN
14 Ally 400 O Nashville Superspeedway Lebanon, Tennessee June 1 7 PM
15 FireKeepers Casino 400 O Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan June 8 2 PM MRN
16 NASCAR Cup Series at Mexico City R Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Mexico City, Mexico June 15 3 PM
17 The Great American Getaway 400 O Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania June 22 2 PM
NASCAR in-season tournament[2]
18 Quaker State 400 available at Walmart O Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, Georgia June 28 7 PM TNT PRN
19 Grant Park 165 S Chicago Street Course Chicago, Illinois July 6 2 PM MRN
20 Toyota/Save Mart 350 R Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, California July 13 3:30 PM PRN
21 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400[138] O Dover Motor Speedway Dover, Delaware July 20 2 PM
22 Brickyard 400 presented by PPG O Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana July 27 IMS
Regular Season
23 Iowa Corn 350 powered by Ethanol O Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa August 3 3:30 PM USA MRN
24 Go Bowling at The Glen R Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York August 10 2 PM
25 Cook Out 400 O Richmond Raceway Richmond, Virginia August 16 7:30 PM
26 Coke Zero Sugar 400 O Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida August 23 NBC
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
Round of 16
27 Cook Out Southern 500 O Darlington Raceway Darlington, South Carolina August 31 6 PM USA MRN
28 Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter O World Wide Technology Raceway Madison, Illinois September 7 3 PM
29 Bass Pro Shops Night Race O Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee September 13 7:30 PM PRN
Round of 12
30 USA Today 301 O New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon, New Hampshire September 21 2 PM USA PRN
31 Hollywood Casino 400 presented by ESPN BET O Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas September 28 3 PM MRN
32 Bank of America Roval 400 R Charlotte Motor Speedway (Roval) Concord, North Carolina October 5 PRN
Round of 8
33 South Point 400 O Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada October 12 5:30 PM USA PRN
34 YellaWood 500 O Talladega Superspeedway Lincoln, Alabama October 19 2 PM

35 Xfinity 500 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium O Bowman Gray Stadium Winston-Salem, North Carolina February 2 8 PM Fox MRN
The Duel at Daytona O Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida February 13 7 PM FS1
1 Daytona 500 February 16 2:30 PM Fox
2 Ambetter Health 400 O Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, Georgia February 23 3 PM PRN
3 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix R Circuit of the Americas Austin, Texas March 2 3:30 PM
4 Shriners Children’s 500 O Phoenix Raceway Avondale, Arizona March 9 FS1 MRN
5 Pennzoil 400 O Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada March 16 PRN
6 Straight Talk Wireless 400 O Homestead–Miami Speedway Homestead, Florida March 23 3 PM MRN
7 Cook Out 400 O Martinsville Speedway Ridgeway, Virginia March 30
8 Goodyear 400 O Darlington Raceway Darlington, South Carolina April 6
9 Food City 500 O Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee April 13 PRN
10 Jack Link’s 500[136] O Talladega Superspeedway Lincoln, Alabama April 27 Fox MRN
11 Würth 400[137] O Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas May 4 3:30 PM FS1 PRN
12 AdventHealth 400 O Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas May 11 3 PM MRN
NASCAR All Star Open O North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro, North Carolina May 18 6 PM
NASCAR All-Star Race 8 PM
13 Coca-Cola 600 O Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, North Carolina May 25 6 PM Prime PRN
14 Ally 400 O Nashville Superspeedway Lebanon, Tennessee June 1 7 PM
15 FireKeepers Casino 400 O Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan June 8 2 PM MRN
16 NASCAR Cup Series at Mexico City R Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Mexico City, Mexico June 15 3 PM
17 The Great American Getaway 400 O Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania June 22 2 PM
NASCAR in-season tournament[2]
18 Quaker State 400 available at Walmart O Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, Georgia June 28 7 PM TNT PRN
19 Grant Park 165 S Chicago Street Course Chicago, Illinois July 6 2 PM MRN
20 Toyota/Save Mart 350 R Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, California July 13 3:30 PM PRN
21 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400[138] O Dover Motor Speedway Dover, Delaware July 20 2 PM
22 Brickyard 400 presented by PPG O Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana July 27 IMS
Regular Season
23 Iowa Corn 350 powered by Ethanol O Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa August 3 3:30 PM USA MRN
24 Go Bowling at The Glen R Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York August 10 2 PM
25 Cook Out 400 O Richmond Raceway Richmond, Virginia August 16 7:30 PM
26 Coke Zero Sugar 400 O Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida August 23 NBC
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
Round of 16
27 Cook Out Southern 500 O Darlington Raceway Darlington, South Carolina August 31 6 PM USA MRN
28 Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter O World Wide Technology Raceway Madison, Illinois September 7 3 PM
29 Bass Pro Shops Night Race O Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee September 13 7:30 PM PRN
Round of 12
30 USA Today 301 O New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon, New Hampshire September 21 2 PM USA PRN
31 Hollywood Casino 400 presented by ESPN BET O Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas September 28 3 PM MRN
32 Bank of America Roval 400 R Charlotte Motor Speedway (Roval) Concord, North Carolina October 5 PRN
Round of 8
33 South Point 400 O Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada October 12 5:30 PM USA PRN
34 YellaWood 500 O Talladega Superspeedway Lincoln, Alabama October 19 2 PM

Top Freshman Pitchers in 2025 – College Baseball

Tom Knuppel Other

There will be many good freshman pitchers in he Collegiate ranks in 2025. I have selected some (usually the ones that get the most press) that  are on my “must” watch list. Again, you can add many, many mores names but here is ours.

 

Freshman Pitchers

 

(no order)

 

  1. Owen Paino (Ole Miss)

2. William Schmidt (LSU)

3. Christian Chatterton (Auburn)

4. Mason Brass field (TCU)

5. Duncan Marsten (Wake Forest)

6. Brayton Thomas (Indiana)

7. Hudson Barton (Vanderbilt

 

Check out more college baseball 2025 HERE