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The NFL world mourned the loss of Hall of Fame coach and broadcasting icon John Madden on Tuesday.

Madden died unexpectedly Tuesday morning, the league announced. He was 85.

Madden was one of the most recognizable names in NFL history, whether it's from his coaching career with the Oakland Raiders, his broadcasting run with nearly every network or even the video game that's been named after him.

Naturally, the sports world and football fans everywhere honored Madden on social media almost instantly after news of his death.

Plenty of fans shared some of Maddens best broadcasting bits, movie clips and other moments of his throughout the years, too.

A few of his former colleagues, including some who are not on Twitter, issued statements of their own on Tuesday night.

John Madden was an extraordinary man on so many levels, said Al Michaels, who worked alongside Madden at both NBC and ESPN. As a Hall of Fame coach, a beloved broadcaster who rewrote the book on ways to connect with an audience and the guiding force behind an iconic video game that created millions of new football fans, he was as important a figure as any in the history of the National Football League.

We worked together for seven years on Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football. It was like hitting the lottery. He was so much more than just football a keen observer of everything around him and a man who could carry on a smart conversation about hundreds and hundreds of topics. The term Renaissance Man is tossed around a little too loosely these days, but John was as close as you can come. A dear friend, a wonderful partner in the broadcast booth and a man who brought so much joy to so many people, Ill miss him enormously.

Cris Collinsworth, who is currently in the booth with Michaels for Sunday Night Football on NBC, worked with Madden at both NBC and Fox.

If you love football, John Madden was probably part of the reason why. If you were lucky enough to watch his Raiders, you were likely inspired watching his free-spirited team play with such heart, Collinsworth said. If you watched him as a broadcaster, you learned the game from the inside out, through the eyes of a former offensive lineman who understood every nuance of the game. But, as a broadcaster he will always be remembered as the original LOL. He could make you belly laugh for reasons you couldnt explain, but always treasured. And if you remember him for his video game, you probably learned how to play football without ever touching a ball.

But I will remember him for the night he had dinner with our NBC team at our house. I introduced him to my two boys who both played in the Junior Football League. John asked them about their respective teams. An hour later John excused himself from dinner having spent his entire time breaking down the offensive and defensive schemes of those two teams. My boys will never forget that, and neither will I.

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Sports world mourns the loss of Hall of Famer, NFL icon John Madden - Yahoo Sports

Tom Brady has his New Year's resolution ready for when the clock strikes midnight on Friday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback drew inspiration from an unlikely source for his intents, which he was asked about on his weekly "Let's Go!" podcast with Jim Gray.

Gray brought up the topic by noting the answer by Brady's former coach, the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick, that swept through social media. Following the Patriots' 33-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Belichick was asked by a reporter if he had any New Year's resolutions to share with fans.

"Yeah, no, not right now," Belichick answered in a tame response for the publicly grumpy coach. "Maybe next week."

Gray and Brady had a good laugh about it over the replay before the seven-time Super Bowl winner gave his own answer.

"I want to be as brave and courageous as she was asking that question to coach Belichick after a loss. That's what I want for the new year," Brady said.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has a specific resolution in mind for the new year. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Brady's response is particularly fascinating since he knows full-well what Belichick is like immediately after losing. They spent 20 years together in New England, winning six Super Bowls with the Patriots going 237-83 in the regular season in that span. For Brady to say it takes someone brave and courageous to ask such as question is saying a lot.

The reporter's question widely spread largely because of who she was asking and when the question was asked. Had it been after a win, or had a different coach simply given a football-related answer, it likely wouldn't have taken off. Reporters are always looking for new angles and interesting stories, both of which are also heightened at holiday time.

And access to players and coaches has been limited since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A quiet side question in the locker room is now blasted and recorded for all the world to hear.

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At the end of it all, there's no harm and no foul. There are no rules stipulating only "football-related" questions and even football-related questions aren't always insightful asks.

In the end, what Patriots fan wouldn't want to hear their iconic coach's resolution for 2022 after another rough year?

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Tom Brady: 'I want to be as brave' as reporter asking Bill Belichick about New Year's resolutions - Yahoo Sports

To this point, the NFL has shown it isn't like the NBA, where a super team can join forces and produce championships. Much of that, of course, is simple numbers: There are only five players per team at a time on a basketball court and they play offense and defense.

This year's Los Angeles Rams are trying to show it can be done in the NFL, adding Matthew Stafford, Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. to a roster that already included Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and MVP candidate Cooper Kupp. The Rams are all in, having used nearly all of their 2022 draft picks in trades to assemble their roster; Los Angeles hasn't made a pick in the first round since 2016 and, at the moment, won't until 2024.

When the Rams traded for Stafford earlier this year, the general reaction was an overreaction. Stafford's career mediocrity was attributed solely to his being a Detroit Lion for 11 years. Being paired with Sean McVay was supposed to be the magic elixir that showed everyone Stafford was a hidden All-Pro all this time, despite being a Pro Bowler just once with Detroit and sharing the field with Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson for his first seven seasons in the league.

Three games in, with the Rams undefeated and coming off a win against the Buccaneers, Stafford was being discussed as an MVP candidate.

Since then, he's largely been the quarterback he was in Detroit: statistically stellar against bad teams, meh against winning ones. The Rams' road win over the Arizona Cardinals earlier this month was the first time in his career that Stafford had posted a win over a team that was five games over .500 at kickoff, and just his 11th against a team with a winning record. He's 0-3 in the postseason.

On Sunday, against a Minnesota Vikings team that was 7-7 when the day began, Stafford had to make Rams fans very nervous. He was 21 for 37 (56.8 percent) for 197 yards with one touchdown, a season-high three interceptions and season-low 5.3 yards per attempt.

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He threw picks on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter and was 4-for-9 passing in the red zone, with the Rams scoring only two touchdowns on five trips inside the 20. And that was while Sony Michel rushed for 131 yards, providing the run support we've been told ad nauseam Stafford never had with the Lions.

Los Angeles won in spite of Stafford, not because of him.

That's a risky proposition in the playoffs.

Matthew Stafford has been good for the Los Angeles Rams. Has he been the elite-tier quarterback they hoped for? That's hard to argue. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Yes, yes, Los Angeles is 11-4 and clinched a playoff berth with the win over the Vikings, and it must be noted Stafford lost No. 2 receiver Robert Woods to a season-ending injury. But look at how Stafford has played since completing 70.2 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns, one pick and 10.0 YPA during that 3-0 start, especially since November began. The Rams were winless in three games that month against the Titans, 49ers and Packers, losing by a combined 41 points with Stafford going 78 for 127 (6.6 YPA) with five TDs and five INTs.

And analytically speaking, specifically expected points added (EPA) per play vs. pass blocking grade, Stafford is giving Los Angeles almost exactly the same production it got from Jared Goff in 2018. That's the year the Rams reached the Super Bowl. Something tells us McVay and general manager Les Snead were hoping for a little more when they gave up two first-round picks to get Stafford ain exchange for Goff. They were expecting elite.

Los Angeles travels to Baltimore this week and finishes at home with San Francisco, both of whom are 8-7 and in the playoff field as of Monday. The Cardinals, at 10-5 and still in the running for the NFC West title, close at Dallas and home with Seattle.

There aren't many quarterbacks playing who you're confident can consistently put their team on their back and carry it to a win. Tom Brady, of course; Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes. Not long ago Russell Wilson belonged in that category, too. Does Stafford?

Great quarterbacks make everyone around them better and lift their games when the stakes are highest. To use McVay's own words, when a game or a play is "not right, they can make it right." That's a big reason the Rams acquired Stafford.

They need him to become that quarterback quickly, or their big gamble for this season will be a big bust.

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The Rams aren't getting the Matthew Stafford they need to win the Super Bowl - Yahoo Sports

(Bloomberg) -- Amid all the celebration of a rousing year-end in stocks, Doug Ramsey has a sobering observation about a situation below the markets surface.

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Last week, when the S&P 500 closed at a 52-week high, 334 companies trading on the New York Stock Exchange hit a 52-week low, more than double the amount that marked new one-year highs. Thats happened only three other times in history -- all of them in December 1999, according to Ramsey, who is chief investment officer for Leuthold Group.

And its not just a one-week phenomenon: NYSE new lows now also outnumber new highs on a six-week moving-average basis. The last time that happened as the S&P 500 hit a one-year high was in July 2015, right before a six-month correction that saw the index lose around 14%.

The Fed had months to taper when the economy was red hot and the stock market tape was very broad and healthy, Ramsey said. Now, they are finally poised to do so with the economy cooling off a bit and stock market internals looking weaker than an at time during the entire rally from the pandemic lows.

The Federal Reserve announced earlier this month that it would speed up its withdrawal of economic stimulus, whipping up volatility as investors fretted over the central banks policy path as well as the rapidly spreading new coronavirus variant. But strong corporate earnings and some positive Covid-19 news have helped propel stocks higher, with the S&P 500 on Monday notching its 69th all-time high of the year.

Few things stir agita for traders like comparisons to 1999 crash times. But Ramsey says that his analysis doesnt mean a correction is imminent. The smoothed-out six-week moving-average condition happened several times throughout 1999 up until March 24, 2000, when it proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

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The trouble is these warnings can persist for several months before the blue chips finally take a hit, he said.

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Its December 1999 Based on the NYSE Shares Touching New Lows - Yahoo Finance

The Chiefs are now the biggest Super Bowl favorite of the season.

Kansas City won its eighth consecutive game on Sunday in a 36-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The victory clinched the AFC West and pushed the Chiefs to 11-4 on the season and a game ahead of the Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 seed in the AFC with two weeks to go.

Sundays win also dropped KC to +400 to win the Super Bowl at BetMGM. The Chiefs were at +475 before Week 16 and tied with the Packers for the best odds of winning the Super Bowl. Now, Kansas City has the lowest odds to win the title of any team so far this season.

The Chiefs +400 odds are slightly lower than where Tampa Bay was after Week 14. The Bucs were at +425 to win the Super Bowl following a 33-27 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills at home. But Tampas odds moved up to +550 after getting shut out by the New Orleans Saints the following week. The Bucs currently sit at +600 after beating the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The Packers remain the No. 2 favorite to win the Super Bowl as they have the edge for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Green Bay is at +450 to win the Super Bowl currently.

The Bills have re-emerged as the No. 2 favorite in the AFC after beating the New England Patriots to take over first place in the AFC East. The Bills are at +850 to win the Super Bowl and are the No. 4 favorite. The No. 5 favorite for the Super Bowl is the Los Angeles Rams at +900.

The Titans have a tiebreaker edge over the Chiefs for the No. 1 seed and can get the top seed by beating the surging Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans in the final two weeks of the season and a Chiefs loss to either the Cincinnati Bengals or Denver Broncos. That potential for the top seed isnt doing much for Tennessees Super Bowl chances, however. Tennessee is at +2000 to win the Super Bowl and behind the Indianapolis Colts (+1800) and New England Patriots (+1800).

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NFL betting: Chiefs now have the lowest Super Bowl odds of the 2021 season - Yahoo Sports

Every week during the 2021 NFL season, were going to just being honest here overreact to what weve seen on the field for a different NFL team and begin projecting NFL draft prospects at positions of concerning need.

Think of it as a mini one-team mock draft, with early (Rounds 1-2), middle (Rounds 3-4) and late (Rounds 5-7) prospects at each teams respective position of concern.

This weeks NFL draft makeover is for the Baltimore Ravens.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

It's difficult for us to top the recent words of our colleague, Frank Schwab, when it comes to the Ravens in his weekly "Winners and Losers" column. So please allow us to reprint them in all their anti-splendor:

The Baltimore Ravens sum up the 2021 NFL season. It all looked so good not long ago. Then injuries and COVID-19 ruined everything.

It's really true. After beating the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, the then 8-3 Ravens sat atop the division and, even better, the entire AFC. It was a sloppy game, one with four Lamar Jackson interceptions, but the result put Baltimore in a spot where the playoffs looked nearly assured.

Since 1990, 95 teams have started the season with a record of 8-3 and 88 of them (92.6%) made the postseason. Even with the NFL expanding the regular season to 17 games in 2021, it was hard to imagine an 8-3 team tumbling out of the playoff picture so quickly.

Now, after four straight losses, the Ravens and their fans are forced to imagine it. The team currently sits on the outside looking in, with two games remaining against teams at .500 or better. John Harbaugh has had some brilliant coaching moments this season but has had to be highly aggressive at times, which has cost them.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has been very aggressive this season, perhaps out of need as his roster has deteriorated. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Some of the team's issues, such as the health of the quarterback position, are most likely short-term concerns. Other worries are more chronic. The team's depth, which has been tested severely at certain positions going back to August, is most certainly one of those.

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The good news for the Ravens whether they make the playoffs or not is that their concerns feel fixable. They're in respectable salary-cap shape, currently around $26 million under for 2022, although Jackson's likely extension figures to eat up a big chunk of that.

But they also have a strong allotment of draft capital, with an expected surplus of draft picks (extra selections on Day 3 via prior trades and compensatory picks). If Baltimore misses the playoffs, it could land the team's highest first-round pick since selecting Marlon Humphrey 16th overall in 2017. Plus, the strengths of the 2022 NFL draft appear to match up with the Ravens' most concerning needs.

So let's take a shot at solving some of those issues through the draft and how the Ravens can rebound next year.

Minnesota OT Daniel Faalele

In our mock draft posted last week, we projected the Ravens a cornerback: Andrew Booth Jr. from Clemson. Let's work off that template and drop down to their second-round choice for this story.

If they can address a defensive issue DB or defensive line in Round 1, coming back in Round 2 with an offensive tackle could be a smart approach. And if Faalele is still on the board around the 50th overall pick or so, his pairing with the Ravens feels almost too perfect.

The Ravens have long sought mass and length in their offensive linemen (think Ronnie Stanley, Orlando Brown Jr., Ben Cleveland, Tyre Phillips, David Sharpe, et al) and absolutely will take a long, hard look at the 6-foot-8, 380-pound Faalele. Along with his sheer mass, Faalele boasts 35-inch arm length and some of the biggest hands (11 1/8 inches) and one of the longest wingspans (86 inches) you'll ever see in an NFL prospect.

At 6-8 and 380 pounds, Minnesota OT Daniel Faalele is absolutely the Ravens' mold of blocker. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

That's the stuff you can't teach. Faalele remains raw as a player, so it's tricky to project what he might be able to offer in Year 1. But if we follow his growth over the Australian's three years of organized football with the Gophers, it's easy to see how good Faalele could be in a few years from now.

He's a natural fit at right tackle, and the drawback is that it's the only position he's played in college. But Faalele could be tried as a hulking guard as well, we think. Although he's not exceptionally athletic (compared to 325-pounders, anyway), Faalele moves pretty darned well for a man his size, with some impressive flexibility and at least passable lateral quickness.

With strong testing, he could work into the first-round range. But if Faalele is in range of the Ravens' second-round pick, they'd be massive favorites to vie for his services.

Arkansas DL John Ridgeway

At some point the defensive line must be addressed. Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams and/or Justin Ellis could be free to walk, assuming the team is a bit cap-tight. Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington Jr. can help fill those voids, but more would be needed if one or more of those veterans do not return.

Ridgeway is a high-floor prospect who perhaps has somewhat limited upside. But his final season with the Razorbacks, following four years of high-level play at Illinois State, showed he can handle the rigors of the SEC, earning a Senior Bowl bid.

Arkansas DL John Ridgeway (#99) notched a sack and six tackles against Texas just two weeks after an appendectomy. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Less than two weeks after having an appendectomy, Ridgeway suited up against Texas and logged six tackles and a sack in 24 snaps. That's toughness, and he was a starter for the remainder of the season at nose tackle, also taking snaps as a 5-technique.

It's easy to project the Ravens liking Ridgeway's length at 6-foot-5, with 34-inch arms and an 80-inch wingspan. His high-school wrestling background shows up on tape in his ability to press out blockers and leverage them quickly. Ridgeway possesses limited pass-rush ability but has surprising quickness off the snap and profiles as an interior disruptor who can short-circuit blocking schemes and hold up well vs. power.

We believe Ridgeway will end up as a borderline top-100 prospect, but he has the earmarks of a very useful pro in a DL rotation, both inside on the nose and able to play over the offensive tackle.

Coastal Carolina EDGE Jeffrey Gunter

Gunter is a prototypical 3-4 edge rusher who seems to fit the Ravens' mold. He's been accused of being somewhat of a dirty player or at least one who plays through the whistle often thanks to highly aggressive hits against BYU QB Zach Wilson and Liberty QB Malik Willis, among others.

But we're guessing the Ravens wouldn't mind adding a dash of vinegar to their EDGE rotation. They've gotten quality reps from Tyus Bowser and 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh this season but must plan for life after Justin Houston and Pernell McPhee.

Coastal Carolina EDGE Jeffrey Gunter is a highly aggressive defender who fits the Ravens' mold. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

Adding a fiery competitor such as Gunter makes sense. The East-West Shrine Game selection is believed to be a Day 3 prospect because of some stiffness, athletic limitations and one-note pass-rush technique, which could limit his mass appeal a bit.

Yet he's got the build (6-foot-4, 261 pounds, 33 1/8-inch arms, 81 7/8-inch wingspan) to fit the Ravens' outside rush spot, brings a white-hot motor to the party and can be disruptive in limited snaps. Watch both of his games vs. Kansas and Arkansas State the past two seasons, and you can see how Gunter can go from being a later pick to a productive pro.

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NFL draft makeover: Ravens address major depth worries on both sides of the ball - Yahoo Sports

So this is Christmas, and what have you done?

That's the question every NHL team should be asking itself as the league enters its abrupt, COVID- and Christmas-induced pause to the 2021-22 season. With most squads roughly over a third of the way into the schedule, each team has a pretty good idea of what it has and what it doesn't.

While there are certainly some really solid teams in the league, you'd be hard-pressed to find one that's perfect. With it being the holiday season and all, here's one thing each NHL team should be putting on their wish list.

Anaheim Ducks: More of this.

Arizona Coyotes: A place to play hockey games after this season ends would be nice.

Boston Bruins: Some depth scoring.

Only five forwards on the Bruins have scored more than 10 points. (NHL.com)

Buffalo Sabres: Where do I start?

Calgary Flames: Maybe we could get Darryl Sutter to crack a smile?

Carolina Hurricanes: Good health is about all this team needs. It's pretty loaded!

Chicago Blackhawks: How about some offense? Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews get paid a combined $21 million, and the two have teamed up for 38 points in 30 games. Only the Coyotes, Canadiens, and Islanders have scored fewer goals per game than the Hawks, which is a concerning group to be among.

Colorado Avalanche: It'd be great if the top line could actually skate together. In 27 games this season, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog have all been on the ice in just 10 contests.

The Avalanche's star-studded top line hasn't had many opportunities to play together this season. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)

Columbus Blue Jackets: Cole Sillinger to show that he can play in the top-six. The 18-year-old rookie has had an OK first campaign, but he was one of the team's three first-round picks from the 2021 NHL Draft and figures to be one of the cornerstones of the Blue Jackets' rebuild.

Dallas Stars: A resurgent Tyler Seguin. Now back from knee and hip surgeries, the Stars forward has just eight goals and 14 points in 29 games.

Detroit Red Wings: A Moritz Seider or Lucas Raymond Calder Trophy. Both rookies have been great this season, and are among the betting favourites for the award.

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Edmonton Oilers: A healthy Mike Smith would be nice. When your fanbase is debating who's better between Stuart Skinner and Mikko Koskinen, you know things are getting pretty rough.

Florida Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky to start being "the guy" again. The Russian puck-stopper has faltered since his red-hot start to the season, owning a poor .867 save percentage over his last seven appearances.

Los Angeles Kings: Can Dustin Brown score some goals, please? This man has taken 92 shots, which sits top-30 in the NHL, yet he only has four goals to show for it.

Minnesota Wild: Some better goaltending would be great. Cam Talbot has been OK while Kaapo Kahkonen has seen mixed results when given opportunities. If this team wants to be a Stanley Cup contender, the play between the pipes will need to be better.

Montreal Canadiens: #PainForShane. It's been a pretty brutal year to be a Habs fan.

Nashville Predators: Can we get this team a better Stadium Series jersey, please?

New Jersey Devils: A Jack Hughes breakout. The 2019 first-overall pick is in his third season, and it's about time he starts to consistently showcase the high-end potential that landed him such high draft capital in the first place.

New York Islanders: Some semblance of offense. The Isles' 2.19 goals per game is third-worst in the NHL. The squad has never been an offensive dynamo under Barry Trotz, but New York has been a tough watch for hockey fans this season.

New York Rangers: More Jacob Trouba body checks. He's lowered the boom on several opponents this season.

Ottawa Senators: A goalie. Definitely could use someone who is good at stopping pucks.

Philadelphia Flyers: A good ol' fashioned rebuild. The Flyers have tried to win with this core, they really have, but it seems unlikely this team's next championship window is going to include players like Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Getting this first line healthy. Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Bryan Rust have all dressed in just six of Pittsburgh's 30 games this year. Not to mention, Evgeni Malkin hasn't laced them up at any point this season, either.

San Jose Sharks: I honestly couldn't tell you what the Sharks want. I can't figure out if they're trying to make the playoffs or tank.

Maybe that explains why they're stuck in standings purgatory.

Seattle Kraken: An identity.

St. Louis Blues: Charlie Lindgren to be Jordan Binnington 2.0? The career minor-leaguer owned an 8-1-1 record and a .925 save percentage with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds and has been just as good in the NHL, posting a 5-0-0 record and a .958 save percentage for the Blues.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Some salary cap circumvention to revamp that third line.

Toronto Maple Leafs: A playoff series win.

Vancouver Canucks: They already opened their present.

Vegas Golden Knights: A happy and healthy Jack Eichel.

Washington Capitals: More Ovi goals and more Ovi records.

Winnipeg Jets: A winning father-son duo. Interim head coach Dave Lowry is the father of longtime and current Jets centre Adam Lowry.

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One thing on each NHL team's holiday wish list - Yahoo Sports

So many of the recent headlines surrounding the bowl schedule have involved games getting canceled because of COVID-19. On Tuesday, though, there are five games on the schedule to enjoy.

If youre looking to bet on these games, heres what you need to know.

Time: Noon | Line: Auburn -2 | Total: 51

Auburn was 6-2 and ranked in the top 15 entering November before losing its last four games to finish 6-6. Three-year starting QB Bo Nix was injured late in the season and transferred to Oregon. T.J. Finley will start in Nixs place. The Tigers will also be without CB Roger McCreary, LB Zakoby McClain and tackle Broadarious Hamm, all of whom opted out, and veteran lineman Tashawn Manning, who transferred to Kentucky. How motivated will the Tigers be?

Houston lost its opener, won 11 straight and then dropped the AAC title game to Cincinnati. UH will be without star cornerback Marcus Jones in this one. An All-American, Jones had five interceptions and four special teams touchdowns as a returner this season. UH hasnt won a bowl game since 2015.

Time: 3:15 p.m. | Line: Air Force -1 | Total: 54.5

Louisville was a slight favorite in the weeks leading up to this game, but the line has shifted toward Air Force, which is now favored by a point. Both of these teams can really run the ball. Air Force runs an option-based offense and averages 342 rushing yards per game. Louisville has one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the country in Malik Cunningham. Cunningham will be featured in the run game and can also beat you with his arm and is the most explosive player Air Force has faced this season.

Im expecting a pretty high-scoring game and like the over 54.5 here.

Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham (3) runs against Duke during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Durham, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Time: 6:45 p.m. | Line: MSU -10 | Total: 58.5

The biggest storyline here is Mike Leach facing his old school. Leach coached Texas Tech for 10 seasons before a messy ending that he has been very vocal about for years. Dont be surprised if he runs up the score if hes in a position to do so.

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And he could be in that position. MSUs Air Raid is a tough matchup for a Texas Tech team that has struggled defending the pass. MSUs 3-3-5 defense could also present some difficulties for Texas Tech freshman quarterback Donovan Smith. TTU is a program in transition. Matt Wells was fired during the season, Sonny Cumbie was the interim and Joey McGuire is the new head coach. Cumbie was hired as Louisiana Techs head coach but will coach TTU in this game.

I picked MSU -9.5 earlier this week. The team totals could be worth a look too.

Time: 8 p.m. | Line: NC State -2 | Total: 59.5

UCLA went a combined 10-21 in Chip Kellys first three seasons but broke through with a solid 8-4 mark this year. The Bruins have a fun offense led by senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, running back Zach Charbonnet and tight end Greg Dulcich. UCLA hasnt won a bowl game since 2015 and motivation is high for the Bruins here.

NC State will be motivated too. The Wolfpack has a really solid defense, one of the nations most underrated quarterbacks in Devin Leary and a potential first-round tackle in Ikem Ekwonu. A win here would get NC State to 10 wins for just the second time in program history. The only other time that happened was 2002 when Philip Rivers was the QB.

This could be the best game of the day. I dont have an official pick for this game, but I lean toward NC State.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, left, congratulates running back Kazmeir Allen after Allen made a touchdown catch during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Southern California Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Time: 10:15 p.m. | Line: Minnesota -5 | Total: 44.5

At 44.5, this game has one of the lowest totals of the bowl slate. Its understandable based on how Minnesota plays. The Gophers run the ball 67.4% of the time and then try to hit big plays with play-action passes. There have been a few perplexing losses along the way, but generally its a formula that has worked. Having an excellent defense helps that cause.

West Virginia has struggled on offense for much of the season and really relied on running back Leddie Brown. Brown opted out of this game, and that will put even more pressure on turnover-prone quarterback Jarret Doege.

I'm on Minnesota -4.5 and still like it at 5.

If youre not a college football fan, theres plenty of NBA action available on Tuesday night. There are eight games in all with the Golden State Warriors hosting Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets as the headliner.

Jokic, the reigning MVP, is having another excellent season, averaging 25.9 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. The Nuggets are 16-16 on the year but 13-19 against the spread. The Nuggets are 7.5-point underdogs on Tuesday night. They are 7-11 ATS in road games this year, including a 5-7 ATS mark as a road dog.

The Warriors, meanwhile, have the best record in the NBA at 27-6. Theyve been great against the spread too, going 21-10-2 ATS. That includes a 13-4-1 mark as a home favorite.

College basketball has been decimated by COVID-19 in recent weeks, but there are a still few interesting matchups worth a look on Tuesday night.

Notre Dame is just a 3.5-point favorite on the road against a putrid Pittsburgh team with losses to The Citadel, UMBC and Monmouth. Notre Dame hasnt been great this year, but it has faced some really tough competition and has a win over Kentucky.

My favorite plays of the day are the Air Force vs. Louisville over 54.5 and Minnesota -5.

I gave my reasoning in my picks column that you can read here.

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The Daily Sweat: What you need to know for Tuesday's bowl games - Yahoo Sports

Retirement reform advocates in Washington have had a bumpy 2021. Multiple efforts to help people save more effectively for retirement, including one informally called SECURE 2.0, seemed to be on track for passage before Congress' other efforts crowded them out.

But the effort may gain renewed traction in 2022. In a recent webinar co-hosted by Yahoo Finance and the Bipartisan Policy Center, Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA) said, I think our chance for success in the upcoming year to get the SECURE 2.0 on the books is pretty positive.

Keller and other lawmakers have focused on one particular provision: linking retirement savings to student loan debt. The idea is to allow businesses to contribute to employees' retirement accounts when workers make their student loan payments. In other words, if you put $100 towards your student loan, your company could match it with up to $100 going into a retirement plan like a 401(k).

The proposed law would help young people avoid missing out on years of valuable 401(k) matches. Currently, many people put off retirement saving in their early years even as experts often note that those exact years of saving are the most valuable, given the power of compound interest.

Data from Bankrate suggests that college graduates with student loans often have to delay other priorities. Thirty-four percent report having delayed emergency savings, 23% say they have delayed buying a home, and 29% have delayed retirement savings.

Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA) - seen above at an event protesting vaccine mandates for businesses - is a conversative Republican who wants to ally with Democrats on retirement reform legislation in 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The idea to allow simultaneous loan payments and retirement savings has bounced around Washington for years, gaining support from Republicans as well as Democrats like Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon. For his part, Keller thinks 2022 could be the moment for this idea.

There's a lot of support from employers because they understand the importance of making sure that their workforce is secure, Keller says.

Those not fully on board with the idea note that one-third of private sector workers dont have access to a retirement plan at work. Therefore, they argue, a new student loan and 401(k) feature wouldnt necessarily help many Americans, especially those on the lower end of the income spectrum.

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Why aren't we fixing the tax code so that employers can actually just pay peoples student loans directly rather than just try and do this round-about system? Jennifer Brown, a researcher at UnidosUS, told Yahoo Finance in 2019.

But Keller calls this a positive step to help recent students.

This, to me, is a thing that I think everybody can get behind because it's incentivizing people to save and the important part about this is it's not something where the government has to come up with money to put into this like you would have to in forgiveness and so forth, he said.

Keller, who opposes student loan forgiveness, says the proposed SECURE 2.0 reforms are a sustainable model for how to help students that has a good chance of passage.

I look forward to doing everything we can to get this across the finish line in 2022, he said.

Other provisions in the legislation, called the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021, concern raising the required minimum distribution age when people must start taking money out of their private retirement plans as well as measures to push employers to automatically enroll new employees in retirement plans.

In late 2019, Congress passed "SECURE 1.0," the first major retirement legislation in years; it included 401(k) provisions to help part-time workers save and improved access to annuities among other changes.

In an interview with Yahoo Finance, House Ways and Means Ranking member Kevin Brady (R-TX) listed further retirement reforms as one of his top priorities for 2022. Noting that SECURE 2.0 has bipartisan support and would be another significant reform to retirement savings, he expressed hope that it could get done in the coming 12 months.

For now, student debtors have a reprieve from paying off their federal student loans. The U.S. government paused federal student loan repayments through Jan. 31 in response to the pandemic, and President Joe Biden recently announced an extension through May 1.

Ben Werschkul is a writer and producer for Yahoo Finance in Washington, DC.

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Who didn't play in Week 16 was more important than the players on the field. COVID ravaged rosters around the league while bettors reacted by targeting totals in several games. The roster challenges combined with the NFL coming off its lowest-scoring week of the year had bettors driving totals down in a big way. The average closing total this past weekend hit a season-low 43.1 points. Bettors' expectation of another low-scoring week never came to fruition.

Overs went 10-5 and those who bet later in the week may have paid the price. The final scores in two games landed under the opening number but they closed as an over due to getting pushed down throughout the week. Overs were only 8-7 to the opening line, a contrast that helps highlight the importance of betting early in the week. The market is constantly moving without you, so if you are waiting until kickoff you are losing value. When targeting an under, don't let the uncertainty of players' statuses stop you from getting the best of the number. Here are two games that I bet today to go under the total for Week 17.

We all could have predicted that Matt Rhule's plan of rotating quarterbacks was not going to work. The Carolina Panthers notched six points on Sunday, which marked the third time in the last four games they scored 14 points or less. Carolina has dropped to 31st in EPA per play on offense above only the Houston Texans. Considering how the Texans looked yesterday, I think there is a chance we see Carolina last by the time the season wraps up. Matt Rhule's answer to his offensive woes is to hand the ball off more. That won't work against the New Orleans Saints' top-three rush defense. However, it will waste some time off the clock, which is good for our bet.

The Saints' offense will get a boost next week as Taysom Hill is expected to return off the COVID list. That's how bad it's been for Sean Payton's offense this season. New Orleans ranks 30th as a team in QB completion percentage and it will only get worse with Hill throwing into a strong Panthers secondary. It's much tougher running on the teams when you are one-dimensional. These teams combined for 33 points back in Week 2. Despite looking much different now, neither looks any better offensively. Ian Book starting for the Saints on national television Monday will only hurt the public's perception of the Saints' offense moving forward. Take the under today before it plummets.

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This might sound familiar as we hit the under in the Minnesota Vikings' last road game at Chicago two weeks ago. They scored a total of 17 points against the Bears' defense in chilly 38-degree temperatures. The forecasted low for Sunday night in Green Bay is 8 degrees. That's extremely cold and it's a problem for Minnesota in more ways than one.

Not only is that less than ideal for a team that plays the majority of its games indoors. It will also amplify Vikings coach Mike Zimmer's conservative nature, which has been a detriment to this offense all season. As if going up against Aaron Rodgers with your playoff lives on the line isn't enough pressure, Cousins still has to fight off the demons of previous underwhelming prime-time performances. The Green Bay Packers offense operates at the slowest pace in the NFL, and they are 7-3 to the under in games that close over 46 this season. Let's take the under and run.

Stats provided by teamrankings.com, espn.com, Football Outsiders, and Ben Baldwin (based off 90/10 WP).

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NFL betting: It's gonna be an ugly night at Lambeau in Week 17 - Yahoo Sports