{"id":489250,"date":"2025-10-31T12:44:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T12:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/489250\/"},"modified":"2025-10-31T12:44:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T12:44:13","slug":"ravens-top-dolphins-in-lamar-jacksons-return-world-series-will-end-in-toronto-nfl-college-football-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/489250\/","title":{"rendered":"Ravens top Dolphins in Lamar Jackson’s return; World Series will end in Toronto; NFL, college football picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Good morning and Happy Halloween! Carter Bahns here with you on the final day of October. In the mood for something spooky on this holiday? How about a walk through a haunted house filled with the 10 most frightening players in NFL history<\/a>? Or perhaps you could simply rewatch the Ravens’ dismantling of the Dolphins on “Thursday Night Football,” because that was a terrifyingly dominant performance from Lamar Jackson and friends. <\/p>\n

This weekend will also get scary for a number of College Football Playoff contenders, as the losers of a handful of de facto elimination games will be up against it in their search for postseason bids. <\/p>\n

We’ll take a look at those key college football matchups, Week 9 in the NFL and tonight’s potential World Series clincher in this edition of your morning newsletter. <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc26\u200d\u2b1b Five things to know Friday Lamar Jackson threw four touchdowns in his victorious return to the Ravens’ lineup. Is it too little, too late for Baltimore? Thursday’s 28-6 win over the Dolphins<\/a> was never in doubt, and the Ravens looked like the best version of themselves — one that could contend for a championship. It would take a colossal effort to pull themselves out of a 2-5 hole, but they picked up win No. 3 with Jackson back in the lineup and, importantly, stiffened up on defense. The Dolphins, on the other hand, appear entirely lost.MLB will crown a World Series champion this weekend — perhaps tonight. The Blue Jays can put a bow on the baseball season tonight with a win over the Dodgers. Los Angeles, meanwhile, needs a win to force a Game 7 on Saturday. That will be a challenge given that the series shifts back to Toronto for the final two games and that the Dodgers’ offense has not been as productive<\/a> as it needs to be throughout the series. Dave Roberts’ squad holds a decisive pitching advantage<\/a>, but the Blue Jays have been electric at the plate all postseason and need just one more strong showing to win the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993.The Nationals are reportedly set to hire Blake Butera as manager. Butera, 33, will become MLB’s youngest skipper since 1972<\/a>. This is Butera’s first managerial role since he led the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs to league championships in 2021 and 2022. He also spent two years with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades and was, at the time, the youngest manager in Minor League Baseball. He most recently served in a variety of coaching and player development roles with the Rays. The Nationals now have their replacement for Dave Martinez, and Butera will be tasked with overseeing a rebuild that got stuck in the mud during the latter stages of his predecessor’s tenure.Matt Rhule landed a contract extension at Nebraska, clouding the Penn State coaching search. Rhule will remain under contract with the Cornhuskers through 2032 as a result of the two-year extension<\/a>. While the new deal reportedly does not come with a raise, it does include a $15 million buyout on his side of the contract should he leave prior to the 2026 season. That effectively takes him out of the running<\/a> for the Penn State job after he emerged as a potential candidate.LSU and athletic director Scott Woodward will part ways amid the Tigers’ football coaching search.\u00a0The writing was on the wall for Woodward after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the athletic director would not hire the Tigers’ replacement for Brian Kelly due to his track record of owing colossal buyouts to fired coaches. Woodward’s departure<\/a> comes just days after he fired Kelly, triggering a massive $53 million buyout good for the second-largest in college football history. \ud83c\udfc6 Do not miss this: 2025 NFL midseason awards
\n Getty Images<\/p>\n

The midway point of the 2025 NFL regular season has arrived, and the first eight weeks featured some truly remarkable individual performances. Not everything went according to expectations along the way. For instance, who thought Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor would have the Colts on track to compete for the Super Bowl? <\/p>\n

Those Indianapolis stars both picked up quite a few votes for our midseason NFL awards<\/a>. The panel of 14 voters across CBS Sports named its picks for MVP, Offensive and Defensive players of the year and more. Below are the results. <\/p>\n

MVP: Colts RB Jonathan TaylorOffensive Player of the Year: Colts RB Jonathan TaylorDefensive Player of the Year: Browns DE Myles GarrettOffensive Rookie of the Year: Buccaneers WR Emeka EgbukaDefensive Rookie of the Year: Browns ILB Carson Schwesinger and Giants OLB Abdul CarterComeback Player of the Year: Cowboys QB Dak PrescottCoach of the Year: Shane Steichen, Colts \ud83c\udfc8 NFL Week 9 preview, picks
\n Getty Images<\/p>\n

The second half of the campaign opens with one of the NFL’s biggest regular-season matchups: Bills vs. Chiefs. Could we be looking at an AFC Championship Game preview? It is entirely likely that Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are set to meet for the first of multiple times this year in a battle between two premier Super Bowl contenders. <\/p>\n

Tyler Sullivan is riding with the Bills straight-up<\/a> in the game of the week. He likes Buffalo to win, 28-24, as a home underdog. He also outlined his predictions for the rest of the slate, including the prime time matchups between the Seahawks and Commanders on “Sunday Night Football” and the Cardinals and Cowboys on “Monday Night Football.” <\/p>\n

Seahawks 30, Commanders 24: “This could be another game where Washington’s defense is exposed. In the past three contests, the Commanders are giving up a league-high 32.3 points per game, and opposing quarterbacks are averaging a 111.2 passer rating over that stretch. The duo of Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba could go off in prime time.”Cardinals 30, Cowboys 27:\u00a0“The Cowboys are allowing opposing quarterbacks to post a 112.0 passer rating this season — worst in the league. That should set up Kyler Murray for a roaring return, with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride likely able to get open early and often.” \ud83c\udfc8 College football Week 10 outlook, best bets
\n Getty Images<\/p>\n

November brings the home stretch of college football’s regular season, raising the stakes for the teams contending for spots in the College Football Playoff. It often provides de facto CFP elimination games<\/a>, and the clash between No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 14 Tennessee arguably falls under that umbrella with the loser set to pick up a third loss. No. 9 Vanderbilt travels to No. 20 Texas for a game that could push the Longhorns out of the race, too. And in the Big 12, No. 24 Utah needs a win over No. 17 Cincinnati to stay afloat in the conference title race. <\/p>\n

Those are the three ranked matchups on the Week 10 schedule, and there are a number of other showdowns with implications of their own. Can USC keep its CFP dark horse status alive on the road at Nebraska? Will No. 10 Miami take care of business in a trip to SMU? <\/p>\n

Here are Tom Fornelli’s best bets<\/a> for the biggest games of the week: <\/p>\n

No. 17 Cincinnati at No. 24 Utah — Under 55.5: “In Big 12 play, the Utes’ defense leads the conference in pressure and sack rates. If that unit can overwhelm Cincinnati’s offensive line to take away the run game, can the Bearcats do enough in the air to score points?”No. 9 Vanderbilt at No. 20 Texas — Under 45.5: “Texas ranks second nationally in EPA per rush on defense. The Longhorns should be able to minimize the damage Diego Pavia and the Vandy rushing attack are able to do, and if that happens, I’m not overly confident in Vandy being able to drop back in the passing game and tear Texas to shreds.” \ud83d\udc4d\ud83d\udc4e The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
\n Getty Images
\n \ud83d\udcfa What we’re watching this weekend Friday <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 NBA Cup: Celtics at 76ers, 7 p.m. on Prime Video
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 25 Memphis at Rice, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
\ud83c\udfd2 Islanders at Capitals, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
\ud83c\udfc8 North Carolina at Syracuse, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
\u26be World Series, Game 6: Dodgers at Blue Jays, 8 p.m. on Fox
\ud83c\udfc8 Sam Houston at Louisiana Tech, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
\ud83c\udfc0 NBA Cup: Lakers at Grizzlies, 9:30 p.m. on Prime Video <\/p>\n

Saturday <\/p>\n

\u26bd Arsenal at Burnley, 11 a.m. on USA Network
\ud83c\udfc8 Army at Air Force, noon on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 10 Miami at SMU, noon on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc8 Penn State at No. 1 Ohio State, noon on Fox
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 9 Vanderbilt at No. 20 Texas, noon on ABC
\ud83c\udfc8 West Virginia at No. 22 Houston, noon on FS1
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 16 Louisville at Virginia Tech, 3 p.m. on The CW
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 5 Georgia vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 2 Indiana at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 12 Notre Dame at Boston College, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 13 Texas Tech at Kansas State, 3:30 p.m. on Fox
\u26bd MLS Playoffs, Round One, Game 2: Charlotte FC at New York City FC, 3:30 p.m. on Apple TV+
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 15 Virginia at California, 3:45 p.m. on ESPN2
\u26bd Aston Villa at Liverpool, 4 p.m. on USA Network
\u26bd MLS Playoffs, Round One, Game 2: Philadelphia Union at Chicago Fire FC, 5:30 p.m. on Apple TV+
\ud83c\udfc7 Breeders’ Cup Classic, 6:25 p.m. on NBC
\ud83c\udfc0 Warriors at Pacers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
\ud83e\udd4a UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama, 7 p.m. on ESPN+
\ud83c\udfc8 South Carolina at No. 7 Ole Miss, 7 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc8 Purdue at No. 21 Michigan, 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network
\ud83c\udfc8 Washington State at Oregon State, 7:30 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 8 Georgia Tech at NC State, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 18 Oklahoma at No. 14 Tennessee, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 23 USC at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
\u26be World Series, Game 7 (if necessary): Dodgers at Blue Jays, 8 p.m. on Fox
\u26bd MLS Playoffs, Round One, Game 2: Inter Miami CF at Nashville SC, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV+
\u26bd MLS Playoffs, Round One, Game 2: San Diego FC at Portland Timbers, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV+
\u26bd MLS Playoffs, Round One, Game 2: Vancouver Whitecaps FC at FC Dallas, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV+
\ud83c\udfc0 NBA Mexico City Game: Mavericks vs. Pistons, 10 p.m. on Peacock
\ud83c\udfc8 No. 17 Cincinnati at No. 24 Utah, 10:15 p.m. on ESPN <\/p>\n

Sunday <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Falcons at Patriots, 1 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 49ers at Giants, 1 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 Bears at Bengals, 1 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 Colts at Steelers, 1 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 Chargers at Titans, 1 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 Panthers at Packers, 1 p.m. on Fox
\ud83c\udfc8 Broncos at Texans, 1 p.m. on Fox
\ud83c\udfc8 Vikings at Lions, 1 p.m. on Fox
\ud83c\udfc1 NASCAR Playoffs at Phoenix, 3 p.m. on NBC
\u26bd San Diego Wave at Kansas City Current, 3 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc8 Jaguars at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. on Fox
\ud83c\udfc8 Saints at Rams, 4:05 p.m. on Fox
\ud83c\udfc8 Chiefs at Bills, 4:25 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\u26bd Gotham FC at NC Courage, 5 p.m. on ESPN
\u26bd MLS Playoffs, Round One, Game 2: FC Cincinnati at Columbus Crew, 6:30 p.m. on Apple TV+
\ud83c\udfc8 Seahawks at Commanders, 8:20 p.m. on NBC
\u26bd MLS Playoffs, Round One, Game 2: Los Angeles FC at Austin FC, 8:30 p.m. on FS1\/Apple TV+ <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":489251,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[331,51900,1999,7,58101,2733,79769,6060,155,79772,49,48,6,6020,23214,79771,79770],"class_list":{"0":"post-489250","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-college-football","9":"tag-college-football-odds","10":"tag-fantasy-football","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-lamar-jackson-injury","13":"tag-miami-dolphins-news","14":"tag-mike-mcdaniel-hot-seat","15":"tag-mlb","16":"tag-nba","17":"tag-nba-scores","18":"tag-ncaa","19":"tag-ncaa-football","20":"tag-nfl","21":"tag-nfl-betting","22":"tag-nfl-injury-news","23":"tag-otani","24":"tag-world-series-odds"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115468846004253053","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=489250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489250\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/489251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=489250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=489250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=489250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}