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This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

 🏀 Five things to know Thursday

  1. The 64-team March Madness field is set. On the second day of the First Four, Prairie View A&M dropped 40 second-half points to beat Lehigh, and Miami (OH) rained 3-pointers to roll past SMU. First-round matchups are now set as the action tips off this afternoon. Be sure to get your Bracket Games selections submitted, and check out the complete first-round schedule to map out your viewing priorities.
  2. Louisville freshman Mikel Brown Jr. has been ruled out vs. South Florida. The Cardinals will be starting their NCAA Tournament journey this afternoon against USF, but they will do so without one of their best players. Louisville has ruled out Brown for at least the first round -- and possibly the second round -- due to a back injury. Before finalizing those brackets or submitting those bets, make sure to double-check our March Madness injury tracker.
  3. Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal against Nashville SC. Shifting away from the hardwood for a moment, Messi tallied his 900th career goal in the Concacaf Champions Cup. In doing so, Messi joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only male players to reach that career milestone. Unfortunately for Messi and Inter Miami, it wasn't all good news. The 1-1 final score meant Nashville SC advanced due to the away goals tiebreaker.
  4. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole made his first start after Tommy John surgery. After missing the entire 2025 season due to injury, Cole is hoping to bounce back and lead the Yankees to a World Series. Wednesday's spring training start against the Red Sox was an encouraging sign. Cole threw one scoreless inning, and he showed off that flamethrower attached to his right shoulder. Cole hit 98.7 mph in the brief outing.
  5. The WNBA and WNBPA have agreed to a new CBA. In the early morning hours on Wednesday, the WNBA and the players' union struck a deal on a new CBA that will allow the 2026 season to start on time. Not only is this a big step forward for the WNBA, but it could be a sign of things to come for women's sports across the board. With the CBA drama in the rearview mirror, it's time to get ready for the free agent frenzy. 

🏀 Brackets lock soon! Get your first round March Madness picks

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The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is truly a glorious time to be a sports fan. Most Americans will be pretending to work while watching four games at once and monitoring the collapse of their bracket in the office pool (seriously, join Bracket Games and lock up your selections before tip-off).

Starting with Ohio State vs. TCU at 12:15 p.m. ET, we'll be treated to a gluttonous feast of college basketball drama, and our team of experts has you covered with picks, predictions and bracket assistance. For instance, four of our experts teamed up to dole out picks for six of Thursday's most intriguing games.

In one of those contests, Nebraska will try to notch the first NCAA Tournament win in program history. Chip Patterson threads the needle with the Huskers getting over the March hump yet believing the Trojans will stay within the number. He also believes it will be a low-scoring game:

  • Patterson: "If Nebraska can force Troy to take a lot of 3-pointers and the Trojans miss approximately 65% of those shots the Cornhuskers will secure the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament win. Speaking of, there is a vibes aspect of this pick that is eyeing the anxiety of ending the March Madness drought and wondering if maybe Nebraska isn't a little bit tight down the stretch."

Whether you're a procrastinator or making some last-minute tweaks to your March Madness bracket, CBS Sports is here to assist you. Matt Norlander has a quick cheat sheet (I won't tell anyone), and Zach Pereles used just 63 sentences to make 63 bracket selections. Might I also suggest picking a couple of teams that might be more dangerous than their seed lines suggest?

If you're looking for a more in-depth preview, you can find that on the site as well. Here's a thorough breakdown of each region:

🏈 NFL Power Rankings: Rams make big moves

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The NFL free agent frenzy has started to settle down a bit, and teams have undergone major facelifts ahead of the draft. What does that mean? You guessed it: Time for an offseason edition of Pete Prisco's NFL Power Rankings.

The Bills and Broncos have made some big splashes, but the Rams were able to flip their biggest weakness into a strength with just a couple of moves. By trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson, Los Angeles is poised to make at least one more Super Bowl run with Matthew Stafford at the helm, and that's enough to earn the No. 2 spot in Prisco's rankings.

  • Prisco: "The really good teams targeted players to fix their issues because they know now is the time. One such team was the Los Angeles Rams. They first traded to get cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs and then landed his Chiefs teammate in corner Jaylen Watson in free agency. The main problem that kept them from being a Super Bowl team last year was suddenly fixed."

Compared to the last time Prisco dropped a fresh batch of Power Rankings, there was a lot of movement in the middle of the pack. Here's a peek at that game of musical chairs:

16. Vikings (+1)
17. Texans (-6)
18. Chiefs (+7)
19. Colts (+5)
20. Steelers (-5)

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

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📺 What we're watching

🏀 We'll be tuned into March Madness all day long. Here's how to watch!
⛳ Valspar Championship: First round, 2 p.m. on Golf Channel
🏀 Magic at Hornets, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
⚽ Galaxy at Mount Pleasant FA, 7 p.m. on FS1
⚽ FC Cincinnati at Tigres UANL, 9 p.m. on FS1