Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
LAS VEGAS - Las Vegas oddsmakers aren’t buying into the Arizona Cardinals, no matter how many times they win as underdogs this postseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were favored by 6 1/2 points in most sports books to win the Feb. 1 Super Bowl after beating the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday to set up the showdown for the NFL title, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
“Beating Baltimore is a little more impressive,” oddsmaker Jason Been said.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants provides betting lines for roughly 90 percent of sports books in Nevada.
The Cardinals — 45-1 longshots to start the season and 40-1 to win it all when the playoffs started — aren’t getting much respect from oddsmakers but seem to be building a last-minute fan base among bettors, said Jay Kornegay, executive director of the race and sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton.
“I’m not sure how big this bandwagon can get, but it’s growing by the minute,” Kornegay told The Associated Press. “The history of losing can really appeal to a lot of fans.”
Kornegay set the Hilton’s line at 7 points, meaning Steelers bettors would need their team to win by more than one touchdown in order to collect.
The Cards — a No. 4-seeded NFC team playing in its first Super Bowl — are the first nine-win team to reach the big game since 1979, when the Rams lost to the Steelers. Arizona beat Philadelphia 32-25.
But even though the Cardinals have scored at least 30 points in each of three playoff wins against the Eagles, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, oddsmakers largely feel they have yet to beat a defense as good as the one they face in two weeks.
“The AFC has a little more respect as far as the way they play power football,” said MGM Mirage Inc. Race and Sports Books Director Jay Rood, who set lines in his books at 7. “They just seem to be the better league at this point.”
Pittsburgh, which started the playoffs as the No. 2 AFC team behind the Tennessee Titans, had a first-round bye before beating the San Diego Chargers and Ravens.
“You got one of the more popular teams in the NFL versus a true Cinderella team, and that makes for a very intriguing Super Bowl this year,” Kornegay said.
More on Saints’ win vs. Colts |
|
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Getty Images |
 | Slideshow |
 |
ProFootballTalk headlines |
 | Special feature |
 | NBCSports.com |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings
