The college basketball eligibility rulebook is being shredded in real time, and there is no clear answer as to what will happen next.

On January 24, Charles Bediako stepped onto the court for Alabama against Tennessee and scored 13 points in 25 minutes. Unremarkable stat line, extraordinary circumstances. Bediako is currently under contract with the San Antonio Spurs. He spent the last three years playing professionally, including time in the NBA's G League. His return to college basketball, made possible by a court injunction, represents something unprecedented: a player with active professional ties competing in what we've always called amateur athletics.

The NCAA insists this shouldn't be happening. Dan Gavitt, the organization's vice president, maintains that signing an NBA contract should automatically disqualify players from college competition. Tom Izzo called the situation "utterly ridiculous" and a "shame on the NCAA." John Calipari argued that anyone remaining in the NBA Draft pool past the withdrawal deadline should be permanently ineligible. Even Florida's Todd Golden bluntly stated, "I don't think he should be playing."

But the courts aren't listening to what the NCAA thinks should happen. They're dismantling the artificial boundaries between professional and collegiate sports, and Bediako is just the most visible example of a much broader transformation.

Consider the current interpretation of professional experience. The NCAA recently cleared Baylor's James Nnaji, the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, despite his professional career in Europe. Louisville added London Johnson, who signed a two-year G League contract worth $1.1 million. The NCAA's "actual and necessary expenses" standard, once narrowly defined, now stretches to include mid-five-figure salaries for international professionals. The old line separating amateur from professional hasn't just moved. It's become nearly invisible.

Meanwhile, the transfer portal has created a roster construction model that would be unrecognizable to coaches from even five years ago. Nearly 3,000 athletes entered the portal before the deadline this year. One-third of college basketball rosters turn over annually. Coaches aren't recruiting four-year players anymore. They're operating as general managers in a perpetual free agency.

The NIL landscape adds another layer of complexity. The College Sports Commission recently issued warnings to 20 Division I schools about potential violations, targeting third-party deals being used as recruiting inducements. Every NIL contract over $600 must now be reported within five days, and the commission is taking a "substance over form" approach. If a deal involves a player's name, image, or likeness, it's treated as an NIL contract regardless of how it's labeled and non-compliance can mean loss of eligibility. What was supposed to bring transparency to player compensation has instead created a regulatory maze where schools navigate between legitimate endorsements, recruitment tools, and potential violations.

And then came the sobering reality check. On January 15, the Department of Justice charged 26 people in an international conspiracy to fix Division I basketball games, targeting 39-plus players across 17-plus schools. Bribes ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 to manipulate point spreads. The scandal exposed that while star players command seven-figure deals, many college athletes, particularly at mid-major programs, remain financially vulnerable enough that five-figure bribes present real temptation.

This is the landscape we're betting on now. Not the idealized amateur model of student-athletes playing for scholarships and school pride. Guys aren’t there long enough to learn the school song before they’re looking for greener grass. College sports have become something closer to a semi-professional league without the structure, oversight, or labor protections that typically accompany professionalism.

The five-year eligibility clock is being challenged. The transfer portal has eliminated roster stability. NIL deals blur the line between legitimate compensation and recruitment inducements. And court decisions keep chipping away at the NCAA's authority to enforce the rules it claims still exist.

This isn't college basketball anymore. It just happens on college campuses.

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⚽️ Champions League Group Stage Finale

Matchday 8 of the Champions League arrives Wednesday with all 18 games kicking off simultaneously in what promises to be absolute chaos. Teams fighting for automatic qualification to the Knockout Round, others desperately clinging to playoff hopes, and some already playing out the string. It's the perfect recipe for value, and these five bets stand out from the pack.

Bayer Leverkusen to Win vs Villarreal (-155)

Sometimes the simplest angle is the best angle. Leverkusen sits 20th with 9 points and needs this win to guarantee their playoff spot. Villarreal? They're dead last at 35th with a single point and have been mathematically eliminated for weeks now. The motivation gap here is massive.

Villarreal has been absolutely brutal in this competition, losing six of seven matches overall and getting blanked in all three road fixtures. Meanwhile, Leverkusen just snapped a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Werder Bremen that showed improved defensive discipline. Yes, their home form in Europe has been disappointing this year at 0-2-1, but they've never faced an opponent this lifeless.

With Alejandro Grimaldo providing three Champions League goals from the back and Patrik Schick hitting 9 across all competitions, Leverkusen has the firepower to break down a Villarreal side that has conceded 15 goals in seven matches. Kasper Hjulmand's possession-heavy approach should dominate a demoralized opponent that's already thinking about their weekend La Liga fixture. 

Club Brugge vs Marseille: Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals (-140)

This matchup screams goals from every angle. Brugge sits in 27th with 7 points, meaning they must win to have any chance at the playoffs. A draw likely won't be enough, which means Ivan Leko's side will be throwing bodies forward from the opening whistle. The problem is that they haven't kept a clean sheet in 10 straight matches across all competitions.

Marseille arrives in 19th with 9 points and a virtually guaranteed playoff spot, but Roberto De Zerbi is still demanding a response after that humbling 3-0 loss to Liverpool. The French side has been exceptional on the road lately, winning four of their last five away matches, and they possess the attacking weapons to punish Brugge's defensive gaps.

Brugge averages 3.2 goals per game at home in the Champions League this season, and their matches have averaged 4.09 total goals overall. Marseille's away fixtures have averaged 3.67 goals, and both teams to score has hit in 100% of their Champions League road games. When you factor in Brugge's expected goals at home (2.43) against Marseille's expected goals against on the road (2.08), this one looks primed to fly over. Both teams have the clean sheet percentage of a sieve, and the standings demand that Brugge attacks relentlessly. 

 🌲 The Pine Line

🏈 What’s a guy have to do? The coach with the most Super Bowl wins got some surprising news. 

🏴‍☠️ A pirate’s life for me. Tampa’s Stadium Series theme comes to life for Lightning-Bruins Sunday.

🏀 Let the young men eat. These rookies dominated the NBA Rising Stars draft.

⌚️ The 40th best QB of the season is heading to a Pro Bowl. That’s right, 7 TDs and 10 INTs is Pro-Bowl-worthy now.

⚖️ This Patriots DT had a court date conveniently postponed. I bet the judge has never heard “Super Bowl appearance” as an excuse.

👑 Super Bowl LX MVP Bets

by Ed Egros - Follow on X @EdWithSports

Before the masses begin betting every imaginable Super Bowl prop bet next week, now is a good time to identify potential early value.

One of my favorite markets is MVP, largely because of the self-fulfilling prophecy at play: if a team wins, it's often attributed to the player who already generated the most buzz.

Super Bowl MVP History

Quarterbacks get plenty of attention, so it’s no surprise that 34 of 59 (58%) MVPs have been gunslingers.  That list includes Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and Tom Brady.

In more recent history, four of the last 12 MVPs have not been quarterbacks, they’ve been either linebackers or receivers.  While it may seem like QBs are even more likely to win, this year could be different.

Pivoting Away from Quarterbacks

It’s safe to say Sam Darnold and Drake Maye have not attracted the same attention as the elite class like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.  Yes, Maye is in the running for the regular season MVP award, but he’s also coming off a weather game where he went 10/21 for 86 yards and was sacked five times.  Darnold did lead an incredible offense, but it’s easy to point to several quarterbacks with more impressive stats like Matthew Stafford and Jordan Love.  

This game may be as good as any Super Bowl to look for value away from quarterbacks.  Using Jaxon’s AI tools, here are three that I like:

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (+550)

Seattle is the favorite, but not an overwhelming one, so how do they win the Super Bowl?  Likely with a dominant passing performance.  The Seahawks’ WR1 deserves consideration.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a heavy favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year at last check, and his most recent game should silence any doubters: ten catches, 153 yards and a score. 

No receiver had a higher target share (35.8%), no one had more receiving yards (1,793) and almost no one had more receiving yards per route run among qualifiers (3.61).  JSN FTW.

Leonard Williams (100/1)

The total doesn't suggest a high-scoring affair, so defensive players deserve a look. If the spread is sharp in a slugfest, it's likely because Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams took over.

He's been a huge part of Seattle's pass rush, recording eight sacks and 31 quarterback pressures, both top-12 marks at his position. Williams also has 61 tackles this season, a top-three mark.

There’s also been a lot of chatter about what we’ll see from Drake Maye.  Did he have an incredibly easy schedule and additional breaks in the playoffs like going up against a backup QB in a blizzard?  If so, some exposure to a Seahawks defender is wise, and Williams is as good a choice as any.

Rhamondre Stevenson (30/1)

Just in case this spread is not sharp, I want to bet on at least one Patriot.  We haven’t seen a running back win this award in nearly three decades, but who doesn’t love a throwback?

Rhamondre Stevenson had a 94% snap share in the AFC Championship Game.  There’s a chance the Super Bowl will be more balanced with TreVeyon Henderson getting a lot of carries, but Mike Vrabel might ride the hot hand, especially if he continues averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Key Takeaway

The spread suggests Seattle should win, but Sam Darnold's reputation—even if unfair—could mean voters look elsewhere for an MVP. JSN and Leonard Williams make sense from a betting process standpoint, but Rhamondre Stevenson is also worth some exposure.

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