pick

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 21.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. TV: CBS, NFL Network.

Line: Chargers by 1½. O/U: 39½.

Houston has been a hard matchup for the Chargers, and can turn up the heat on Justin Herbert. But Jim Harbaugh’s team has found new ways to win, and is capable of outscoring the Texans, who are really struggling in the red zone. Low-scoring and physical.

Pick: Chargers 20, Texans 17

Phillip Danault’s decreasing role with the Kings led to the veteran two-way center getting an opportunity for a fresh start in a familiar setting after being traded to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.

The Kings acquired a second-round draft pick while also freeing up salary-cap space and ice time for other players in the trade reached just before the NHL holiday roster freeze on Saturday. The draft pick the Kings landed is one Montreal previously acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Prompting the move for the Kings was the development of Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere, and the offseason additions of Joel Armia and Corey Perry. General manager Ken Holland also expressed a desire to provide more playing time for Alex Turcotte and second-year center Samuel Helenius.

“Phil’s role changed here, got reduced on the penalty killing and on the power play. It’s been a bit of a struggle here offensively for Phil since the start of the year,” Holland said on a video call.

“So I found a trading partner, and I think it’s going to be good for Phil,” he added. “He gets to go back to a city where he had a lot of success. And we get a second-round pick and obviously we see some cap space to use going forward.”

Danault was in the fifth season of a six-year, $33 million contract he signed with the Kings in the summer of 2021.

The 32-year-old Danault, who topped 40 points in each of his first four seasons with the Kings, hasn’t scored a goal and has just five assists in 30 games, while missing the past four with an illness. Holland said he consulted with Danault and his agent in opening trade discussions before landing what he believed was the best offer.

Danault, who is from Victoriaville, Quebec, returns to Montreal where he spent six seasons and established himself as one of the league’s better defensive-minded forwards.

He had 54 goals and 194 points in 360 games with Montreal over a stretch that ended with the Canadiens reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, which they lost in five games to Tampa Bay.

Danault was selected in the first round of the 2011 draft by Chicago, and spent his first two seasons with the Blackhawks before being traded to Montreal.

The Canadiens add a 12-year veteran to a young, up-and-coming team that reached the playoffs last season for the first time since 2021, and is in the thick of a tightly packed race. At 18-12-4, Montreal enters Saturday eighth in the Eastern Conference standings with eight points separating the last-place Blue Jackets and second-place Washington Capitals.

The Kings are in a similar situation in the West. At 15-10-9, they’re seventh, with eight points separating the 10th-place St. Louis Blues and fourth-place Vegas Golden Knights.

The trade comes after the Kings ended an 0-2-2 skid with a 2-1 win at Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

Holland acknowledged the Kings need more offensive production — they rank 28th in the NHL, averaging 2.56 goals per game. But he’s pleased with the team’s defensive play and goaltending, with the Kings ranking third in giving up 2.5 goals per outing.

“Certainly we need more goals,” he said, noting the Kings are a combined 5-9 in overtime and shootouts. “I’m hoping that some of the people that have scored in the past will start to score here going forward.”

Holland also backed third-year coach Jim Hiller by noting how the Kings are no different than a number of NHL teams approaching the midway point of the season.

“If we’re in a malaise, then 25 teams are in a malaise. Like, the whole league’s packed together,” Holland said. “Jim’s done a good job, and our team is playing very structured and competes every night.”

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: CBS, Paramount+.

Line: Bills by 10½. O/U: 41½.

After an amazing comeback against a really strong New England team last Sunday, the Bills are emboldened and Josh Allen is on an MVP pace. Cleveland relies on its stout defense, but that unit didn’t show up in Week 15 against Chicago, surrendering 31 points. Buffalo, which is 7-2 outside the division, wins this going away.

Pick: Bills 27, Browns 16

When you’re already paying hundreds of pounds for flights, baggage, transfers and hotels, it can be a kick in the teeth to then have to fork out for extra legroom on a flight

Experts have revealed exactly what seats to pick when flying with easyJet or Ryanair to get extra legroom for no further price. When it comes to booking a holiday, there are so many costs to think about including flights, hotel, transfers and excursions.

It’s clear why people have an issue with paying extra for an allocated seat when they could already be paying hundreds of pounds for the flights themselves and more for baggage allowance. For some people, paying for seats with extra legroom is an expense they’re just not willing to pay.

Experts at Which? have revealed that you don’t have to pay through the nose to have extra legroom on a number of aircrafts, including some used by easyJet and Ryanair. The expert explained that if you’re flying on a Boeing 737, used by Ryanair, you can choose one of 33 seats to get an inch of extra legroom.

She said: “Want more legroom on a flight? Just sit on the right. Take Ryanair for example almost all of their planes are Boeing 737 so choosing seats D, E or F in rows three to 15 will give you the most legroom.

“With easyJet, meanwhile, you should choose seats D, E or F in rows three to 13 if you’re flying on their Airbus A321neo. It will give you an extra inch of legroom compared to sitting in rows six to 17 on the left hand side of the plane.

“It might not seem like much, but it could make all the difference on a near five hour flight to Tenerife.”

The expert explained the reason there is extra legroom in these seats is due to airlines squeezing in an extra row on the left side of the plane by removing storage lockers.

She continued: “It might make the airlines more money, but squeezing in an extra row can leave us with less room.

“All planes are different, so it’s always worth checking before you book. Just head to Google Flights and type your destination and date in to find the model number.

“Then use seat plan experts AeroLOPA to find your aircraft’s configuration.”

Underneath the video explainer posted by Which?, one commenter warned other viewers about what they will find if they choose one of the seats with extra legroom.

They said: “What they don’t tell you is that there are no windows on those seats.”

EasyJet flies from major UK airports like London Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Belfast. RyanAir fly from airports including London Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Belfast International.

EasyJet’s seat allocation involves paying to select a specific seat or checking in for free up to 30 days in advance, which assigns a random seat. Ryanair seat allocation is either free and random or reserved and paid.