11:40 LRN Sportscast February 9

Dennis Allen is officially the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints. After interviewing several candidates, the team came back to the man it considered its top candidate from the outset. Allen believes he is the right man at the right time to continue the Saints winning tradition.

Cut 4 (12) “…New Orleans Saints.”

A record 31 million Americans are expected to place a bet on Sunday’s Super Bowl according to the American Gaming Association. Senior Director of Research, David Forman says ever since Louisiana sports wagering went live at casinos in November and now with online gaming, it’s more accessible to legally bet on the big game.

Cut 8 (11) “….pretty big numbers.”

Since last year, 45 million more Americans can legally wager on the Super Bowl.

The LSU men’s basketball team ended its three-game slide with a 76-68 victory over Texas A&M. The Tigers led by 20 at the half but had to hold off the Aggies in the second. Tari Eason led LSU with 25 points and 12 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the season. Next up for the Tigers, Mississippi State at home in the P-MAC on Saturday night.

The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., and Tony Snell from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada, and picks. Oleh Kosel, editor of The Bird Writes-dot-com, says the deal is a big win for the Pels.

Cut 16 (12) “…almost every game.”

Even without Hart and Alexander-Walker, the Pels extended their winning streak to four games with a 110-97 victory of the Houston Rockets, in the first of a 6-game home stand. Brandon Ingram led New Orleans with 26 points, and Herb Jones had 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Pels go for their first five-game win streak since 2018 on Thursday night when they host the Miami Heat.