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After this weekend we are officially into the back-half of the season. What have we learned so far? The NFC North is really good, the NFC South is really bad, and the NFC West is going to be a brawl to the very end.
Let’s look at where the picks fell in those divisions this week. The NFC North is going to get even tricker this week if things play out how the picks are predicting.

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 1: Running back Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts runs for a first down in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on November 1, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Parker S.

The opening ODI of India’s upcoming home series against Sri Lanka has been shifted from Delhi to Visakhapatnam, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirming the venue change on Thursday. The December 13 fixture, originally scheduled to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, will now take place at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

New York sports betting is legal online and at authorized retail sportsbooks. You must be 21 or older and physically inside New York to place an online wager.
Fanatics, FanDuel and DraftKings are the three New York sportsbooks compared below. Sportsbook promos differ in reward type, qualifying wagers and claim schedules.

November brings NFL, NBA and NHL betting, while MLB markets shift toward next-season futures. Compare the same market across New York sports betting apps before choosing where to wager.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — In between playing two of the more physically gifted teams on the schedule, Ohio State football’s focus this week is more on the mental side of things.
The Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten, No. 12 CFP) dropped from No. 2 in the Associated Press poll last week to No. 11 following a 30-18 loss at USC.
The timing of their second setback of the season could have been better as the College Football Playoff committee released its first rankings Tuesday night.

Maraad Watson made it 61 yards to the end zone. Steve Sarkisian kept talking about what happened once he got there.

BIG MAN GOLD 😤 pic.twitter.com/bW3XZekWht
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 1, 2026

After Watson returned a fumble for a touchdown in the 31-3 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, his teammates joined him for a dance in the end zone. Sarkisian showed the play to his team Monday. The response around Watson was part of what he wanted to recognize.

Andrew Perloff and Paul Pabst discuss if the Mi

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The Indianapolis Colts are in their fire sale and rebuilding era. While the team has been agonizingly close to being competitive in the past, success has routinely been fleeting in the Shane Steichen era, leaving him as one of the most vulnerable head coaches in the NFL when it comes to guessing who will be fired next.

The Dan Patrick Show crew discusses the changin

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The final weeks of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal career: Bombshell statements, fines and Jorge Jesus clash leading to retirement originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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After 234 caps, 146 goals, one European Championship, two Nations League titles and countless moments of intrigue, Cristiano Ronaldo‘s national team career has come to a close.
The aging superstar announced his retirement from the Portugal national team on Thursday, 23 years after he made his senior national team debut.

LeBron James is aiming to get a sports betting app to stop using his likeness without authorization, a spokesperson for the 76ers star told Front Office Sports.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, asked about Quentin Lake’s comments on Justin Herbert’s struggles against the Rams, says, “I don’t see that.

The Browns’ Jared Verse says he spoke to his teammates about not defending him after a Steelers player was penalized for slamming him on a point-after try.

LIV Golf confirmed it is winding down operations after the league couldn’t get the necessary financial commitment and player support to proceed with LIV 2.0.

Skip Bayless joined Stephen A. Smith at the “First Take” desk on Thursday. It was just his second time on “First Take” in the last decade after he left ESPN for FS1 back in 2016. He appeared on an episode earlier this year and in September Smith announced that Bayless would join him once a week going forward.
Unsurprisingly, the conversation eventually turned to the Dallas Cowboys. Smith is their greatest hater and Bayless their most loyal fan. Well, most loyal fan who also makes a show of throwing Cowboys jerseys in the garbage after high-profile losses.

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Florida football turns to QB Tramell Jones Jr. for final month of season originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The No. 24 Florida Gators are making a quarterback change as they enter the final month of the season. Tramell Jones Jr. will get the start against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday night.
Jones will make his second career start. Coach Jon Sumrall declined to officially name a starter Monday, but adjusted the depth chart to list Jones and Aaron Philo with an “or” designation.

Green Bay Packers safety Evan Williams was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for the month of October, the NFL announced Thursday.
Williams produced 41 tackles, two interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery over five games in October. He created an interception, a sack and the game-sealing pressure in a win in Tampa Bay, a fumble recovery and 12 tackles in a win over the Bears, an interception in the red zone and a quarterback hit in a win over the Cowboys, two near interceptions in a loss to the Lions and 10 tackles in a win over the Panthers.

Simon Edvinsson, a highly coveted and unsigned defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings, has apparently been skating in Nashville.
According to an Instagram post by former Nashville Predators’ practice goaltender Dustin Smith posted on Nov. 5, Edvinsson was recently skating in full gear at Centennial Ice Rink. The video shows Edvinsson skating through drills and shooting pucks while wearing Red Wings gear.
The 23-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent, but does not have a contract with the Red Wings.

Two-time Paralympic gold medalist and Dancing w

Chris Dailey details the history of Notre Dame

It’s that time of year again: Jay Bilas is here to name the 65 best teams in the sport. You’re welcome.

Scott Van Pelt and Stanford Steve Coughlin give

Julian Edelman has a big next few days coming up with Fox Sports. On Thursday, he released a new music video, Talkin’ Football, with his former Patriots teammate and current Gronk & Jules podcast cohost Rob Gronkowski.
On Sunday, Gronkowski is getting inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame, the 2016 Super Bowl team will be honored, and their former teammate, Tom Brady, is calling his first New England game in two-and-a-half years with Fox when the Patriots take on the Packers. The network will also be celebrating Veteran’s Day with its programming.

We’re only a little over two weeks into the NBA regular season. It may seem a bit early to check in on this year’s collection of rookies, but if we are being honest … this group of talent is that good.
To me, the early part of the season is all about curiosity. Teams don’t quite have all of their “go-tos” in place, game plans are not quite as firm, rotations are expanded, and teams are trying to figure out which combinations and schemes work.

49ers reveal bad news on Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel for Raiders game originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Coming out of the Week 8 bye, the San Francisco 49ers will go up against the Las Vegas Raiders, a strong team that could give the 49ers some real trouble this week.
Unfortunately for the 49ers, things might be a lot more challenging than maybe initially thought. The reason why? The team shared some bad news about Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel for this Week 9 matchup.

The New York Giants (4-2-1) visit the Philadelphia Eagles (2-6) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Week 9.
Opening the week, the Giants were listed as 3-point road favorites, and that is where the spread remains as of this writing after briefly improving to -3.5.
Let’s take a look at who some of the experts and insiders around the league are taking in the Week 9 matchup.

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images.

Warriors’ Steve Kerr jokes about engaging in some light voter fraud with viral doppelgänger appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Everyone in the NBA world saw Steve Kerr’s doppelgänger, who even had the Golden State Warriors head coach befuddled when he was at Oracle Arena for a game.
Do they look so similar that they could pull off voter fraud? The championship-winning coach thinks so, as he told Inside the NBA.

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It is course-correction time in the NFL.
Tuesday’s trade deadline looms large, and with teams headed in different directions as the season wears on, NFL insiders believe this year’s list of deals could be larger than ever. One team, the Indianapolis Colts, has already shifted into seller mode and another, the Chicago Bears, swung for the fences in a deal for defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.
What other trades could be around the corner?
Let’s dive into the latest rumors.

On First Take, Skip Bayless joins Stephen A.

Stephen A.

The No. 6 ranked Michigan State Spartans host the Toledo Rockets out of the MAC in a Thursday night tilt on Peacock and NBCSN, the second game of a Big Ten double header.
More information below on Toledo and No. 6 Michigan State and how to watch the game.
How to watch Toledo vs. No. 6 Michigan State:

When: Thursday, November 5
Where: Jack Breslin Students Event Center, East Lansing, Michigan
Time: 8:00 p.m.

NCAA-Senate-Protect College Sports Act

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As lawmakers return to Capitol Hill next week, a relocation is in order.
More than 25 Republican House of Representatives incumbents who lost to their Democratic counterparts will be evicted from their offices. The ousted lawmakers and their staffs will be asked to move from their spacious, multi-room, carpeted digs to makeshift cubicles within a windowless wing of the Rayburn office building — a sort of biennial occurrence after such election results.

Unai Emery has been Aston Villa manager since October 2022 [Press Association]
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery is close to agreeing a contract extension at the club – which will hand him even more responsibility for long-term development.
The Villa boss held talks with the hierarchy on Wednesday to discuss the club’s future, with all parties keen on extending his time at Villa Park.
Emery would relish the opportunity to play an even bigger role in developing the club for the long term, with talks ongoing about the fine details, the finances, and the length of the new deal.

Nov. 5—FITHIAN — The atmosphere is calm, yet focused. Loose, but not out of control.
As a drab gray sky peeks through the windows of the weight room located near the back of Oakwood High School on the first Monday afternoon in November, Walker Enos stands in front of a squat rack and adds a pair of 45-pound plates on top of the two plates already at the end of the weight bar.
The 6-foot, 300-pound senior who starts at center and at defensive tackle for the Comets’ football team lowers his body underneath the bar.

For decades, the modestly sized but fervently loyal crew of University of New Mexico sports fans endured the same ritual. With the scent of grilled green chiles still wafting from tailgate parties outside, they would file into the football stadium, find their seats and gaze longingly across University Boulevard, toward the arena called The Pit.
As any true Lobos fan would attest, it was never too soon to start counting the days until basketball season arrived.
These days, though, hoops can wait.

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On Get Up, Adam Schefter, Andrew Hawkins and Mi

Scotland have been boosted by the return of key duo Sione Tuipulotu and Finn Russell for their Nations Championship clash against New Zealand on Saturday.
Neither player featured in Scotland’s previous game, a 33-17 victory over Fiji in July, but both are included in the squad along with several other crucial players.
Gregor Brown partner Scott Cummings in the second row and Matt Fagerson is fit enough to start in the back row alongside Rory Darge and former Glasgow Warrior Jack Dempsey.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft is recovering from back surgery, which he said will force him to miss Rob Gronkowski’s team Hall of Fame induction.

Should the Giants keep adding? Could the Bills go all-in? Would the Steelers stay conservative? Here’s how 18 teams at or above .500 should approach Tuesday’s deadline.

Ahead of the matchup on Saturday, both the UCLA Bruins and the Minnesota Golden Gophers released their first availability report of the week on Wednesday.
UCLA will be without starting punter Curtis Gerrand, who is one of eight Bruins who has been ruled out for the Week 10 showdown.
Gerrand is joined by DB Rodrick Pleasant, WR Mikey Matthews, WR Jonah Smith, QB Nico Iamaleava, OLB Ryan McCulloch, DL Ashton Sanders and Sam Yoon. OL Jordan Davis has been ruled doubtful while WR Brian Rowe Jr. has been listed as probable.

(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kimi Antonelli clinched his maiden Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
He almost did not finish the race.
Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord talked about what Mercedes found following the Mexico City Grand Prix, and just how close Antonelli was to retiring the car ahead of the checkered flag.
“We got the car back after the race, took the floor off the bottom – covered in oil,” exclaimed Lord.

🔥 Napoli eye Conceiçao, a gem for Juve, how is Dybala? Today’s news
With European competitions returning this week and the big clash between Inter and Como drawing closer, there is plenty of news surrounding our league’s biggest clubs.
Watch all Serie BKT matches live with LaB Channel on OneFootball: subscribe for just €9.99 a month!
As usual, here are the biggest stories.

Juventus not giving up on Kovacs
Juventus are still on the hunt for a striker and, according to Tuttosport, will take a close look at young Kovacs in the clash with AZ.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are on the road in Week 9, taking on the Baltimore Ravens.
Jacksonville enters this game at 5-2, while the Ravens are 4-4 and will be without quarterback Lamar Jackson. Rookie UDFA Joe Fagnano will make his first NFL start.
Here is who the experts have winning this game.
Sports Illustrated’s MMQB
The Monday Morning QB staff are all picking the Jaguars in this game. That’s 8-0 in favor of Jacksonville.
CBS Sports
Pete Prisco likes the Jaguars to win by two scores, 27-16.

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Victor Wembanyama is the alien, and on Wednesday night he achieved something that hasn’t been accomplished since shortly after Area 51 was opened.
Wemby went off to a level we haven’t see in decades against the Mavericks, finishingwith 52 points, 24 rebounds, and 8 blocks — the first player to hit these marks since Wilt Chamberlain in 1961.

It goes without saying: But everything about this highlight reel shows how unfair the game is.

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In his first competitive round since the birth of his fourth child, Jon Rahm displayed no signs of rust.
The 31-year-old Spaniard put together a bogey-free, 7-under 65 at Yas Links during Thursday’s opening round of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. He carded five birdies on his front nine and finished birdie-birdie on the final two holes.
He dominated the course’s longer holes, gaining three strokes at the four par-5s. The first of which came after a tremendous approach shot with his 5-iron from the fairway at the par-5 second hole.