11:40 LRN Sportscast January 27

Two days into the search for Sean Payton’s replacement as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, several names are beginning to emerge. Dennis Allen, the team’s defensive coordinator, is the current favorite, but Gayle Benson has promised a thorough search. NOLA.com Saints reporter Rod Walker says that even though there is plenty of familiarity with Allen, the Saints should cast their net wide as they fill one of the most attractive job openings in the NFL.

Cut 17 (15) “…whoever you want.”

LSU men’s basketball ended its three-game losing streak and moved back to .500 in SEC play with a 70-64 win over Texas A&M, Wednesday night. Sophomore guard Brandon Murray led the Tigers with a game-high 21 points, and Eric Gaines added 16 points and six assists. LSU is back on the court Saturday when they host TCU at 11:00 a.m.

After suffering its first conference loss of the season, Louisiana Tech will look to get back on track as the host Rice Thursday night at the Thomas Assembly Center. The Owls, who lead the conference in three-point shooting, present a major challenge. Tech coach Eric Konkol says for Tech to collect the victory, his team is going to have to play disciplined and together on the defensive end.

Cut 20 (21) “…want to do well.”

There’s also a big in-state rival game tonight as Nicholls travels to face McNeese in Lake Charles. ULM is hosting Georgia Southern today, UL-Lafayette is hosting Georgia State, and Northwestern State hosts Incarnate Word.

With mobile sports betting set to kick off on Friday morning, individual platforms have begun to announce who will be online for bettors. Companies include DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesar’s.