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It’s Monday, December 23, and the Washington Wizards (4-22) and Oklahoma City Thunder (22-5) are all set to square off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The Wizards are currently 1-11 on the road with a point differential of -15, while the Thunder have a 8-2 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts. Game details & how to watch Wizards vs. Thunder live today Date: Monday, December 23, 2024 Time: 8:00 pm EST Site: Paycom Center City: Oklahoma City, OK Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page , along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game. Game odds for Wizards vs. Thunder The latest odds as of Monday: Odds: Wizards (+1160), Thunder (-2439) Spread: Thunder -18 Over/Under: 223 points That gives the Wizards an implied team point total of 110.79, and the Thunder 120.15. Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more! Expert picks & predictions for Monday’s Wizards vs. Thunder game NBC Sports Bet Best Bet Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) loves OKC’s defense: Alexandre Sarr Under 13.5 Points + Assists (-120) “Sarr is on a nice scoring stretch of 10 or more points in six straight and nine of the past 10, but that will likely come to an end versus Oklahoma City. The Thunder have the second-ranked defensive net rating in December and will challenge Sarr from three (31.2% allowed in Dec.) after he’s made 42.9% of his triples this month. Sarr averages 4.0 potential assists per game in December, so he’s not much of a threat to set up his teammates either. I like his Under 13.5 P+A and his Under 20.5 PRA as a pivot.” Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals. Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Wizards & Thunder game: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Wizards at -18. Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 223.00. Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar! Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Wizards vs. Thunder on Monday · The Thunder have won their last 11 games against teams with worse records · 4 of the Wizards’ last 5 road games against the Thunder have gone OVER the Total · The Thunder have covered in 4 of their last 5 games If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: - Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)Farmer shot 7 for 13 (5 for 8 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Penguins (5-5, 2-0 Horizon League). Nico Galette scored 11 points and added nine rebounds and six assists. Juwan Maxey and Jason Nelson both added 11 points. Allen David Mukeba Jr. led the Golden Grizzlies (3-5, 1-1) in scoring, finishing with 17 points. Tuburu Niavalurua added 12 points for Oakland. D.Q. Cole had 11 points. NEXT UP Up next for Youngstown State is a Saturday matchup with Toledo at home, and Oakland plays Michigan State on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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Whatever 2025 holds for world markets, talk of an end to business cycle investing eerily reflects past periods of hubris and makes all the persistent bullishness seem slightly reckless. The years since 2020 have been extraordinary, with pandemic-distorted supply and demand patterns that are still playing out. Serial geopolitical shocks and mega trends in technology and green energy have followed. Amidst all that, inflation in Western economies recorded its biggest spike in 40 years, and central banks scrambled to snuff it out with the most brutal credit tightening in decades. But setting aside the deep but brief pandemic-induced economic contraction in early 2020, the United States has managed to avoid a recession. And few if any forecasters see one unfolding next year. For BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, it is simply different this time. "We've argued since 2020 that we are not in a business cycle," it said in its 2025 outlook. "Historical trends are being permanently broken in real time as mega forces, like the rise of artificial intelligence, transform economies." Ignoring the business cycle is a big call and certainly a brave one at this stage. Yet, looking at the United States over the past few years, it's hard to argue against it. Previously near foolproof bellwethers of cyclical downturns, such as the inverted yield curve or the 'Sahm Rule' on when rising joblessness presages a downturn -- have flashed bright red, but to no avail. US real GDP has expanded continuously since a one-quarter contraction in the first three months of 2022 and as 2024 comes to a close, growth rates are still well above trend at more than 3%. If anything, that looks set to be underscored by both lower interest rates and tax cuts next year. Even the most dogged bears on Wall Street have thrown in the towel, seemingly assured that the services-dominated US economy can sail on unfettered. Most of the big brokers expect further punchy gains for Wall Street stocks in 2025. The already expensive S&P 500, still led mostly by a narrow group of mega-cap tech giants, is set to record its second consecutive year of 25%-plus gains for the first time since 1998. RESONATING MILESTONES All the same, comparisons to the late 1990s should ring some alarm bells. The final years on the last century were certainly different to today but there are also uncanny parallels with the present, including mounting euphoria about a US-dominated technology, a turbulent world economy and seemingly Teflon US growth. The end of the Cold War had given rise to many hubristic books, most famously Francis Fukuyama's bestseller The End of History and the Last Man on the durable triumph of liberal democracy. By the end of the decade, the internet bubble gave vent to endless talk about business cycle being transcended in the face of transformative technology and US exceptionalism. What's more, there were also a few hesitant Federal Reserve interest rate cuts that kept the expansion going before eventually being reversed as the economy dodged turbulence abroad and the domestic bubble grew bigger. The upshot? A tech-led bubble burst in 2000, ushering in three years of consecutive S&P 500 losses -- the longest series of annual downturns since World War II. It took seven years to recover the peaks of 2000, just before the banking crash hit. To be sure, anyone who stuck with durable tech names that survived the dot.com bust made a fortune over the past 20 years. But the business and investment cycle was far from ending. TEFLON ECONOMY So what could go wrong now? Even if there is a cogent argument for continued US economic and market outperformance next year, it's hard to see how America remains entirely insulated if there is significant economic weakness overseas. Asset managers' 2025 outlooks all dwell heavily on the uncertainties surrounding the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump. And they all acknowledge that some type of trade war is in the offing, with China, Europe and even US neighbours Canada and Mexico all in the crosshairs. A global economic hit from tit-for-tat tariff salvos and investment curbs could come back to haunt the United States if it stymies world demand or lifts US prices, causing the Fed to halt or reverse its policy easing. BlackRock's view, for the record, is that the US and global economies may well experience bouts of turbulence in the coming year. But their conclusion is that such moves would only impact tactical trades and that major investment decisions should stay focused on multi-year big themes, such as artificial intelligence and green energy. But even if the United States can remain an "oasis of prosperity", in the words of another famed phrase from the late 1990s, financial distortions could eventually sow the seeds of an eventual fall. Monetary easing around the world has already accelerated, potentially in response to trade fears. This is buoying the dollar and holding down US Treasury yields, too, as investors rotate into what's now become a high-yielding "safe asset". Some argue that inappropriately low US long-term borrowing rates could, by themselves, catalyse a downfall by overheating the economy and further inflating asset bubbles. That scenario suggests that any downturn likely wouldn't come next year. But the rumoured death of the business cycle may yet prove to be greatly exaggerated. Reuters Mike Dolan is Reuters editor-at-large for finance & markets.
Middle East latest: Defense minister acknowledges Israel killed Hamas leaderHegseth meets with moderate Sen. Collins as he lobbies for key votes in the SenateIt’s not hard to understand the value tight end Josh Oliver brings to the Vikings. ADVERTISEMENT Just listen to the way people talk about him. “He’s an animal,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “Once he gets his hands on somebody, it’s kind of like, ‘Good luck.'” It was similar sentiment from offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “He’s the best blocking tight end in the league, and that’s no disrespect to anybody else,” Phillips said. “We will take Josh over anybody in this league in the role that he’s in. It’s not only that he’s physically imposing as a 270-pound man. It’s the attitude that he plays with out there.” ADVERTISEMENT What are the Vikings losing now that Oliver has been ruled out with an ankle injury? His absence will be felt most when the Vikings try to run the ball against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Though he has proved he can contribute in the passing game, Oliver has been a force in the running game since signing with the Vikings. There have been multiple times this season that Oliver had singlehandedly carved out space for running back Aaron Jones to go to work. That’s partially why Hockenson has played only about 50% of the offensive snaps since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament a few weeks ago. Even if the Vikings are often telegraphing a run when Oliver is on the field, they don’t care because they feel that strongly about his ability as a blocker. “You see it every single week,” Phillips said. “He’s moving large men and putting them on the ground.” ADVERTISEMENT It’s safe to assume Oliver would suit up for the Vikings if he were able to do so. He’s been playing through a wrist injury for the past few weeks, for example, and has still been extremely effective at the point of attack. How tough is it to replace Oliver in a vacuum? “It’s a big challenge because of all the things he does on a snap in and snap out basis,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We will see some guys make some impacts on some different downs and distances than we have maybe seen up to this point.” ADVERTISEMENT The only other players on the injury report for the Vikings are tight end Nick Muse (hand) and edge rusher Gabe Murphy (knee). Both players were officially listed as questionable and being full participants in the walkthrough on Friday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Gainey McKenna & Egleston Announces a Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against AstraZeneca PLC (AZN)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose and other major indexes surged in the shortened Christmas Eve trading session on Tuesday. ( ) dipped after all its U.S. flights were temporarily grounded. Meanwhile, ( ), ( ) and ( ) basked in the technology sector's glow on the stock market today. Stocks popped on the first day of the so-called Santa Claus rally period — the last five trading days of December and the first two of the new year. It is a truncated session, with markets closing at 1 p.m. ET. The Dow surged more than 200 points, or 0.5%, with artificial intelligence chip giant Nvidia adding 0.7%. Its fellow Magnificent Seven member ( ) and ( ) led the index's charge with gains of nearly 2% each. ( ) lagged, losing 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite fared best out of the major indexes on the stock market today with a 1% jump as Big Tech continues to do well. The index looks set to rise for the third session in a row and is back near record levels as it re-approaches the 20,000 mark. It also has moved clear of all of its short-term moving averages once again and sits more than 4% above its Top performers on the tech-heavy Nasdaq included bitcoin play ( ), which popped 8%. Tesla was also strong as it rose more than 5%. Pinduoduo parent ( ) dawdled, though, dipping nearly 1%. Stock Market Today: Growth, Tech Stocks Shine The benchmark S&P 500 climbed 0.8%. Palantir Technologies, the top performing stock on the index this year, was at it again as it rose nearly 2%. It touched a record high in the process and . Also on the S&P, investment management play ( ) fared even better with a gain of nearly 5%. ( ) and ( ) were the stragglers, with each dipping more than 1%. The . Consumer discretionary and technology were the strongest areas while health care made the slimmest gain. Small caps reversed higher, with the Russell 2000 up 0.4%. Growth stocks surged, with the Innovator IBD 50 ( ) exchange traded fund up nearly 2%. Santa Claus Rally: Why Being On Naughty List Isn't Nice Investors should be rooting for the Santa Claus rally to provide good returns this year according to Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial. He said that the period correlates closely to January and following year returns. So if investors find lumps of coal in their stockings it could be a bad sign. "When investors are on the 'nice' list, and Santa delivers a positive Santa Claus rally return, the S&P 500 has generated an average January and forward annual return of 1.4% and 10.4%, respectively," he said in a note to clients. He also said that when stocks are lower over this period that the "S&P 500 has generated an average January and forward annual return of -0.02% and 5.0%, respectively." Turnquist looked back at results dating back to 1950. Today's S&P 500 stock index was launched in 1957. Performance before then utilized the performance of the predecessor index, the S&P 90. Stock Market Today: American Airlines Dips American Airlines stock edged lower after as the busy Christmas Eve travel day got underway. The carrier now says it is resuming flights delayed at the start of one of the busiest travel days of the year. A technical issue was reportedly the cause for the halt order. Bloomberg cited a possible problem with software used to calculate weight and balance factors in aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration said American had requested a ground stop for all its flights. American Airlines pared most of its losses on the stock market today, and was off 0.2% in recent action. The stock sits near a recent high after previously clearing its 20% profit goal from a 14.66 cup-with-handle entry. Before First Day Of Christmas: 3 Stocks Eye Entries The markets are just about to enter what the proverbial song calls the first day of Christmas. Rather than three French hens, though, here is a hat trick of equities eyeing buy points. Premium clothing play ( ) is close to a consolidation entry of 237.16, . This is a midstage pattern, which is neutral. Overall performance is strong here, which is reflected in the stock's . Both earnings and price performance are solid. It boasts an Earnings Per Share Rating of 92 out of 99 and is the top 10% of issues in terms of price performance over the past 12 months. Adtalem, Fortinet Also Near Buy Points Higher education stock ( ) is nearing a flat base entry of 92.93. It has recaptured the , an encouraging sign Earnings performance is key for Adtalem, with its EPS Rating a muscular 97 out of 99. Big Money has also been snapping up the stock lately, netting it an Accumulation/Distribution Rating of A-. In total, 72% of its stock is held by funds, . The company operates institutions including the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, and the Ross University School of Medicine. Finally, cybersecurity play ( ) has formed a flat base with an ideal buy point of 100.59. This is an early stage base, which means it has a better chance of netting good gains. The stock has a best-possible , and a rare perfect EPS Rating of 99. It has rallied by nearly 65% in 2024 so far. It has an Accumulation/Distribution Rating of B, with the highly rated Fidelity Contrafund among its noteworthy holders.
Meta said it is “99pc of the way there” in solving an ongoing social media blackout with its apps. On Wednesday at around 6pm, thousands of social media users in parts of the UK reported an outage with Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The social media giant reported that a “technical issue” had left users unable to access its services. Ireland, the UK and parts of Europe, the US, Asia, Australia and South America are experiencing glitches. By around 10pm on Wednesday, DownDetector UK said there had been 23,445 reports of Facebook outages, 11,466 Instagram outages and 18,646 on WhatsApp across Britain. In an update issued at 10.26pm on X, Meta said the problem was now nearly resolved. A spokesperson said: “Thanks for bearing with us! We’re 99% of the way there – just doing some last checks. “We apologise to those who’ve been affected by the outage.” The company’s systems appear to have suffered a major technical issue at around 6pm Irish time, or 10 am local pacific time. But they appeared to quickly recover and most of the company’s apps appeared to be functioning as normal within the hour, though some did report problems with specific parts of certain apps. According to Downdetector, Facebook outages were first reported at about 6pm on Wednesday and have reached more than 100,000 complaints of an issue. Today's News in 90 seconds - 11th December 2024 WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, also saw numerous reported disruptions around the same time. This is a breaking news story. More follows.Global 3D ICs Market Set to Grow at 18.1% CAGR, Driven by Rising Demand for High-Performance Electronics
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Jude Bellingham inspired champions Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-0 victory at Girona on Saturday in La Liga, with Kylian Mbappe also on the scoresheet after two high-profile penalty misses. Los Blancos cut the gap on league leaders Barcelona to two points after the Catalans drew 2-2 at Real Betis, with Madrid having played one fewer match. Bellingham opened the scoring before half-time and set up Arda Guler for Madrid’s second before Mbappe produced a clinical finish for their third. Both Bellingham and defender Ferland Mendy were replaced with apparent knocks in the second half ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Atalanta. Coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Bellingham would be fit for the game but said Mendy had suffered a muscular injury. After Madrid’s fifth defeat across all competitions in midweek against Athletic Bilbao, having lost just twice last season, Ancelotti pledged his team would improve, and they were significantly better against Girona. “Bellingham scored his fifth goal running (in La Liga), Mbappe scored, Brahim (Diaz) did good work, Arda scored a great goal, as I said, bit by bit we will come back (to form),” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. With Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo sidelined, Ancelotti selected Bellingham and Diaz in support of Mbappe. The French forward has been the focus of criticism in recent weeks after blowing penalties against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao, and struggling to find the form which made him a star with Paris Saint-Germain and his country. Girona, who ran Madrid close for the Spanish title for much of last season before eventually finishing third, started the stronger and Bryan Gil fired wide, with Donny van de Beek lashing over. Madrid settled into the game and, keeping the hosts at arm’s length, began to create chances of their own. Paulo Gazzaniga saved Brahim Diaz’s fierce drive from the edge of the box as the champions clicked into gear. Bellingham broke the deadlock after 36 minutes when Diaz’s cross was blocked, and the ball fell kindly to the England international, who fired home through a crowd of players. Related News Vinicius back for Real Madrid Champions League clash - Ancelotti La Liga: Mbappe misses penalty as Bilbao beat Real Madrid UCL: Liverpool advance to knockout stage as R'Madrid, City, PSG face uncertainty It was Bellingham’s fifth goal in his last five La Liga games, with the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder finding the form which inspired Madrid to a Champions League and La Liga double last season. After a quiet first half, early in the second Mbappe broke through and fired wide, although the striker had handled the ball to control it and if he had scored it would not have stood. – Improved display – Madrid kept pushing and Gazzaniga saved well from Aurelien Tchouameni’s header from Luka Modric’s free-kick. Los Blancos got their second in the 55th minute when Bellingham threaded through a fine pass for Guler, who rolled the ball home. Bellingham hobbled off after sustaining an apparent knock in a challenge before Mbappe rattled home Madrid’s third. After Thibaut Courtois saved well from Yaser Asprilla, Madrid burst forward on the counter-attack. Modric sprang the French forward, who finished with aplomb from a tight angle on the right side of the area, across Gazzaniga into the bottom corner. Madrid beat Girona 3-0 at Montilivi and 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu last season and this victory was another which showed their superiority over the Catalan minnows. Ancelotti will hope they can carry some momentum into the vital Champions League visit to Atalanta, for which Vinicius is expected to return from a hamstring problem. Girona, eighth in La Liga after a poor start to the season exacerbated by a host of injuries, welcome Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday. “If we were more accurate in front of goal, it would have been different,” said Girona defender Miguel Gutierrez. “We have to continue, we have two very important games, Liverpool in the Champions League and then at Mallorca (in La Liga).”