It’s Thanksgiving weekend. Now that all the niceties have been addressed and the leftovers have been packaged, ideally for easy access, it is time for self-care. Immerse yourself in our viewers’ guide to the most exciting sporting events of the weekend, as well as some reasons why you should leave the family behind and relax onto your couch.
Friday
8 a.m.: Qatar vs. Senegal (FS1)
Netherlands vs. Ecuador at 11 a.m. (Fox)
Noon: No. 21 Tulane travels to No. 25 Cincinnati (ABC)
2:00: England vs the United States (Fox)
Christian Pulisic is a member of the U.S. men’s national team.
AP
A repeat of their legendary battle on Bunker Hill, with slightly less at stake. The United States would be in grave danger of failing to advance from Group B of the World Cup without a win or even a draw versus England in this match. Can Christian Pulisic produce another moment of brilliance comparable to the one he had while setting up the U.S. goal in a 1-1 draw with Wales? Can goalie Matt Turner and the defense withstand an England onslaught that scored six goals in the opening match of the World Cup? This may be the best opportunity Team USA has in this World Cup, so do not miss it.
No. 24 NC State vs No. 13 North Carolina at 13:30 (ABC)
This is an excellent opportunity to observe Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye. According to The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, there is “buzz in the scouting industry that the big-armed dual-threat Maye is a greater prospect than both Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.” Maye is eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cal will host No. 16 UCLA at 4:30 p.m. (Fox)
No. 1 North Carolina vs Iowa State at 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Drake Maye is the quarterback for North Carolina.
Getty Pictures
7 p.m.: Duke vs. Alabama (ESPN+)
The first of four quarterfinals of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament will begin on ESPN+ on Friday evening, followed by three more on Saturday evening. Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame, and championship favorite UCLA are all still alive. Duke hopes to cause an upset with goalie Ruthie Jones, also known as the younger sister of Daniel Jones.
Trail Blazers vs Knicks, at 7:30 p.m. (MSG)
After silencing naysayers with a 3-2 road trip, the Knicks return to the Garden, where they have been less than convincing. The Trail Blazers have lost four consecutive games and will be without star point guard Damian Lillard due to a calf issue. Trap game, anyone?
7:30 p.m.: No. 3 Kansas vs. No. 22 Tennessee (ESPN)
7:30 p.m.: Florida at Florida St. (ABC)
The Knicks have been led by Jalen Brunson to a 9-9 record.
Getty Pictures
8 o’clock: Nets against. Pacers (YES)
8 p.m.: Devils vs Sabres (MSGSN) … Isles against Blue Jackets (MSGSN2)
The Devils have gone 13-1 in their last 14 games.
10:30 p.m.: Nuggets at Clippers (NBA TV)
What better way to cap a day of hard work in front of the television than with a potential preview of the Western Conference Final? Observe two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic for only a few minutes, especially when he makes “rewind and watch it again” passes. There may not be a player in the game now with a finer understanding of the court. Even though the Clippers have seldom been healthy enough to reach their full potential, their roster, which may be the deepest and most flexible in the NBA, contains a Finals candidate.
Saturday
5 a.m.: Tunisia against Australia (FS1)
What you must see here is… Just joking! We are not suggesting you wake up at 5 a.m. We are not cruel.
8 a.m.: Poland vs. Saudi Arabia (FS1)
Saudi Arabia pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament by defeating Argentina in the opening match of the World Cup. A “outcome” — meaning a win or a tie — in this clash against a lackluster Poland squad might result in a surprising berth in the Round of 16.
11 a.m.: France vs. Denmark (FS1)
Noon: Third-ranked Michigan vs second-ranked Ohio State (Fox)
Despite being undefeated and rated third in the nation, Blake Corum (2) and the Michigan Wolverines are clear underdogs versus Ohio State in the rivalry game.
Getty Pictures
Over the previous decade, this game has averaged over 69 points each contest. The three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust approach of the Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes era has been replaced with an annual offensive pyrotechnics display featuring NFL talent and national championship implications this season. Will C.J. Stroud prove he deserves to be the top quarterback (or overall choice) in the next draft? Will speculations of Jim Harbaugh joining the NFL resurface? Are there sufficient leftovers in your refrigerator to carry you through this game without a trip to the store?
Georgia Tech vs No. 1 Georgia (ESPN, noon)… South Carolina against Clemson (No (ABC)
1 p.m.: Oilers at Rangers (MSG, NHL Network)
Fordham at New Hampshire (ESPN+), 2:00 p.m.
Learn Tim DeMorat’s name, if you don’t already. The senior quarterback is leading Fordham (9-2) into the first round of the FCS playoffs with video-game-like statistics. DeMorat passed for 503 yards and six touchdowns in the previous week, raising his season totals to 4,561 yards (414.6 per game) and 53 touchdowns (against eight interceptions) with a 65.7 completion %. He will be an NFL Draft prospect in the spring. Here, he is attempting to save the Rams’ season.
2 p.m.: Niagara at St. John’s (FS2)
The perfect Johnnies!
2 p.m.: Argentina vs. Mexico (FS1)
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi AP
After Argentina’s shocking loss to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi and the Argentine squad are in a desperate position. It will be entertaining to watch what they devise against Mexico. I hope they can recover and make a deep run.
3:30 p.m.: Auburn at No. 8 Alabama (CBS)
In this year’s Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide are favored by a margin of more than three touchdowns. However, next season will be more competitive when Lane Kiffin leads the Tigers against Nick Saban’s powerhouse, right?
No. 9 Oregon takes on No. 21 Oregon State at 13:30 (ESPN)
Four o’clock: Iowa State against No. 4 TCU (Fox)… Penn State at No. 11 Michigan State (FS1)
5 p.m.: Mavericks At Raptors (League Pass)
This Saturday, Andre Curbelo and St. John’s will risk their undefeated start.
AP
No. 5 LSU at Texas A&M, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
7 p.m.: Capitals at Devils (MSG) (MSG)
7:30 p.m.: Flyers at Islanders (MSGSN)
No. 18 Notre Dame faces No. 7 USC at 7:30 p.m. (ABC)
Caleb Williams, quarterback for USC, is AP
If either Ohio State or Michigan loses early in the day, the Trojans may be fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame is a legitimate challenge for a USC squad that has failed to score at least 40 points in all but two games, is two points away from being unbeaten, and has perhaps the Heisman frontrunner at quarterback in Caleb Williams. Yes, your eyes may be a little blurry from watching so much football, but you’ve gone this far, so you can’t give up on the weekend just yet.
8 p.m.: Kansas at No. 12 Kansas State (Fox)
8 p.m.: WWE Survivor Series (Peacock)
Now for something a bit unique. Are there any professional wrestling fans present? Two WarGames gimmick fights, in which two teams of five wrestlers face off in two adjoining rings encircled by a supersized steel cage, will be the main event of WWE’s autumn show this year. Roman Reigns leads his Bloodline team in the men’s WarGames competition. The women’s match might contain an unexpected participant, perhaps Sasha Banks? Becky Lynch? — on the squad of babyfaces.
No. 13 Washington takes on Washington State at 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday
5 a.m.: Japan vs. Costa Rica (FS1)
8 a.m.: Belgium vs. Morocco (FS1)
11 a.m.: Croatia vs. Canada (FS1)
No. 3 UConn/Duke vs No. 9 Iowa/Oregon State at 1 p.m. (ABC)
UConn guard Azzi Fudd AP
When UConn and Iowa signed up for this Phil Knight-sponsored mini-tournament in the preseason, it set up a possible matchup between the two most entertaining guards in women’s college basketball, UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, in the championship on national television. The probable final… still has the two most entertaining players in women’s basketball after Bueckers’ ACL tear. Azzi Fudd, a sophomore with the most beautiful shooting stroke this side of Steph Curry (he’s a big admirer), has stepped up for UConn in the absence of her best pal Bueckers, scoring 30 points per game thus far. Clark, who topped Division I in points and assists during the previous season, is now at 26.8.
1 o’clock: Bears vs. Jets
Mike White replaces Zach Wilson as the starting quarterback for the Jets against the Bears following Wilson’s benching.
William Kostrou
This week, the Jets halted their improbable playoff run with some old-fashioned drama, benching quarterback Zach Wilson and handing the starting job to Mike White. No pressure, Mike. Just keep the home-crowd pessimists happy and don’t make a mistake as a 6-point favorite against a weak Bears club led by Justin Fields and his left arm that is hanging.
1pm: Broncos against. Panthers… Buccaneers against Browns… Ravens against Jaguars… Texans against Dolphins… Bengals at Titans … Falcons approaching Commanders (Sunday Ticket, NFL RedZone, your local bar)
There is nothing actually lacking here. It is not risky to watch the Jets.
2 p.m.: Spain vs. Germany (FS1)
In its tournament-opening 7-0 demolition of Costa Rica, Spain resembled a world-class team. Japan defeated Germany 2-1, putting Germany’s World Cup aspirations on life support. With the 2014 World Cup champion Germans now having so much to play for, this may be the greatest match in the whole group stage.
Trail Blazers at Nets, 3 p.m. (YES)
It’s always interesting to watch what’s happening inside the Barclays Center – Ben Simmons is looking fit! Up to tenth place! — in addition to keeping track on what type of spectacle is occurring outside.
Chargers at. Cardinals (CBS), 4:05 p.m. Raiders at Seahawks
Gavi (left) celebrates a goal scored by Spain.
AP
Rams at. Chiefs, 4:25 p.m., on Fox… Saints at 49ers
6 p.m.: Grizzlies at Knicks (MSG)
Would you say that Julius Randle is having a successful season? He averages 20.8 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 46.7% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range.
8 p.m.: Mavericks at Bucks (NBA TV)
Eagles at Packers at 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Why did Aaron Rodgers wait a month and a half before revealing his fractured thumb?
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