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NFL

Eagles 3.5-point favorites vs. Falcons in Week 1

The NFL schedule is out and so are point spreads for the Week 1 matchups.

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas has installed the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles as 3.5-point favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 6. The Eagles beat the Falcons 15-10 in the divisional round of last season’s playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers opened as the largest favorites on the Week 1 board. The Packers are 9-point home favorites over the Chicago Bears in the Sunday night game.

The Cleveland Browns, who enter the season having lost 17 in a row, are the biggest home underdogs in Week 1. The Browns are 7-point underdogs to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland has been an underdog in 31 of its past 32 games. The Browns were 1-point favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 of last season.

The New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders also begin the season as home underdogs. The Giants are 4-point underdogs against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Dolphins are 2.5-point underdogs to the Tennessee Titans, and the Raiders are 1.5-point underdogs to the Los Angeles Rams in second of two Monday night games in Week 1.

The Detroit Lions are 6-point favorites over the New York Jets in the other Monday night game.

Other notable opening Week 1 lines include:

Soccer

Besiktas manager injured as violence erupts in abandoned Istanbul derby

Warning: Story contains graphic images

Crowd trouble in the Turkish Cup semi-final between Fenerbahce and Besiktas left visiting manager Senol Gunes injured and requiring five stitches as the second leg was abandoned at 0-0 on Thursday.

Sky Sports reports Besiktas boss Gunes was struck by an object thrown by Fenerbahce fans and suffered a head wound as a result, dropping to the ground and holding his head near the hour mark.

Gunes was helped to his feet and taken down the tunnel of the Sukru Saracoglu stadium to receive treatment. The rest of Besiktas’ players, coaches, and staff exited the match soon after, causing proceedings to be abandoned by the referee.

The Guardian adds Gunes was taken to hospital to treat his injury.

Footage seemingly showing a Besiktas staff member being beaten also emerged after the match:

The rivalry between the Turkish giants splits the city of Istanbul, and games between the two have a history of violence. The 2-2 first-leg draw featured a pair of red cards, issued to Fenerbahce pair Alper Potuk in the 44th minute and goalkeeper Volkan Demirel in the 76th, and the second leg, before its abandonment, saw Besiktas’ Pepe sent off for a mistimed lunging tackle at the half-hour mark.

The heated play on the pitch likely stoked the trouble in the stands. Fans of Fenerbahce aimed objects at Besiktas players during corner kicks, with the home players urging their own supporters to calm down, to no avail.