🦅 Eagles Win on TNF, OT Frenzy in the NHL, College Football & NFL Weekend Preview, + More!

Happy Friday, Blitzers!

Happy Feel Good Friday! Hope everyone’s had a tremendous week. We have a great weekend in sports, followed by a full week ahead (boo), but then we have the Thanksgiving week after that. Things are looking good for the rest of November. Let’s Blitz.

WTF Stat: The Eagles are rolling:

🏈  Saquon Barkley ran for 146 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 26-18 victory over the Commanders, extending their NFC East lead to 8-2. The Eagles have now won six straight since their bye, but the game was far from easy, with QB Jalen Hurts playing through a concussion scare. Hurts was spiked into the turf by linebacker Frankie Luvu in the second quarter, but after being evaluated in the medical tent, he returned to finish the game with 221 yards passing and a go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

• Eagles Takeaways: It certainly wasn’t easy, the first 3 quarters were tough to stomach for Eagles fans. The first half included two missed field goals and three punts. But they stuck to their guns (their guns being Saquon Barkley’s legs), and really came alive in the 4th quarter.

• Commanders Takeaways: This one hurt. This could have been one of those games that really legitimized this young Commanders team. But after this game that 7-4 record doesn’t look so hot. Five of those wins have come against the Giants 2x, Browns, Panthers, and Bears, and the two wins against the Bengals and Cardinals came earlier in the season when those teams weren’t playing well. QB Jayden Daniels will be fine but they really need their WRs to step it up. They can’t keep relying on veterans RB Austin Ekeler and TE Zach Ertz in the passing game.

🥊During the weigh-in for his upcoming fight with Jake Paul, Mike Tyson slapped Paul across the face after a tense stare-down, intensifying the drama leading up to their bout at AT&T Stadium on Friday. Tyson, who weighed in at 233 pounds, responded to Paul’s provocative behavior—specifically, Paul stepping on Tyson’s foot—by slapping him. Paul, who weighed in at a career-high 220 pounds, mocked Tyson and laughed, playing to the crowd.

Top College Football Games This Weekend

Utah (4-5) at #17 Colorado (7-2) - Sat. 12:00 PM (FOX)

What’s At Stake: Pretty weird that this game is at noon EST, which means that it is kicking off at 10:00 AM mountain time. I think we can all agree that FOX’s Big Noon is incredibly inconvenient for everyone and should be put out to pasture. Game time aside, this is a huge game for Coach Prime and the Buffs. They are in control of their destiny to get to the Big 12 championship. Standing in their way are the Utes, who have had one of the most disappointing seasons in college football after being anointed favorites to win the conference in the offseason. Something tells me that Colorado is due for a clunker and Utah has the tools to play the spoiler, especially after they nearly handed BYU it’s first loss last week.

The Pick: Utah +11

#22 LSU (6-3) at Florida (4-5) - Sat. 3:30 PM (ABC)

What’s At Stake: There has been a lot of chatter about how LSU could create a doomsday scenario by winning out and with some certain games bouncing its way, wind up in the SEC Championship. I love chaos, I’m here for it. The Tigers laid an egg against the Tide last week and now they have to go into the Swamp to save the season. I thought Florida would have put up more of a fight against Texas last week after making Georgia sweat the week before…but the Gators just aren’t there. LSU bounces back.

The Pick: LSU -3.5

#23 Missouri (7-2) at #21 South Carolina (6-3) - Sat. 4:15 PM (SEC Network)

What’s At Stake: Mizzou got written off real quick after blowout losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, but they are still 7-2 on the season. That means they are still very much in the hunt for a title game appearance. If they win this game against the Gamecocks, they have Mississippi State and Arkansas to close out the season. The problem is that South Carolina is playing really good football this season, good enough to be two touchdown favorites? Ehhhh, I don’t know. USC wins the game, but take the points.

The Pick: Mizzou +14

#7 Tennessee (8-1) at #12 Georgia (7-2) - Sat. 7:30 PM (ABC)

What’s At Stake: If Tennessee finds a way to win in Athens they will have all but locked up a spot in the SEC championship with just UTEP and at Vanderbilt left on the schedule. Vols fans who have been saying “This is Our Year” may actually be right. My instinct would be that Georgia comes out with a vengeance and keeps its playoff hopes alive, but there’s something off with the Dawgs. Plus, they’ll be missing Trevor Etienne who got ruled out for the game. However, Tennessee hasn’t played outside of the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium since October 5th…when they lost to Arkansas.

The Pick: UGA -9.5

Kansas (3-6) at #6 BYU (9-0) - Sat. 10:15 PM (ESPN)

What’s At Stake: The Cougars have had several close shaves this season including last week against rival Utah where they won on a last second field goal. Close wins and blowouts count the same in the win column, but eventually the bill comes due. Enter the Kansas Jayhawks. Despite its 3-6 record, Kansas is a team that if the ball bounced their way could very well be 6-3. They upset Iowa State last week and they are marching towards bowl eligibility. Jayhawks pay the bill and hand BYU its first loss.

The Pick: Kansas +2.5

Other Games I’m Keeping an Eye On

#3 Texas at Arkansas - 12:00 PM (ABC)

Virginia at #8 Notre Dame - 3:30 PM (NBC)

Boston College at #14 SMU - 3:30 PM (ESPN)

#13 Boise State at San Jose State - 7:00 PM (CBS SPORTS NETWORK)

#1 Oregon at Wisconsin - 7:30 PM (NBC)

NFL Week 11 Preview

NFL’s Most Intriguing Games

Green Bay (6-3) at Chicago (4-5) - 1:00 PM (FOX)

The View: The Bears moved on from offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after three straight paltry performances culminating with a 19-3 loss at home to New England. We’ve seen teams that change up staffing do get a bit of a boost (see New Orleans). The Packers aren’t necessarily juggernauts and the Bears have a capable defense that could keep this game close. I think the Bears cover in this game, but if they don’t, Head Coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t make it to the post-game presser.

Pick: Bears +5.5

Cleveland (2-7) at New Orleans (3-7) - 1:00 PM (FOX)

The View: Jameis revenge game! The Saints let him go to Cleveland in the offseason and I’m sure that Winston will have an electric pregame speech to not only his team, but to himself. The Browns still have a pretty good defense and the Saints are still quarterbacked by Derek Carr. The new coach shine is going to wear off this week and the Browns have the advantage of coming into the Caesars Dome off a bye week.

Pick: Browns +1

Baltimore (7-3) at Pittsburgh (7-2) - 1:00 PM (CBS)

The View: Mr. Unlimited Russ Wilson has the Pittsburgh offense cooking with four straight wins and has the Steelers at the top of the AFC North. Of note, those four wins are against the Raiders, Jets, Giants and Commanders. Not exactly upper echelon defenses or offenses for that matter (except Washington). The honeymoon comes to an end this weekend. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are going to take care of business.

Pick: Ravens -3

Seattle (4-5) at San Francisco (5-4) - Sunday 4:05 PM (FOX)

The View: The NFC West is tight! McCaffrey is getting healthier by the week and the Niners are looking to reassert its dominance over the division, which is currently being led by checks notes the Cardinals. The Seahawks are on a bit of a slide, losing five of the last six games, but Seattle is weird, like just when you count them out, they’ll look like a world-beater. However, history just isn’t on their side, they haven’t come within seven points of the Niners since 2021.

Pick: Niners -6.5

Kansas City (9-0) at Buffalo (8-2) - Sunday 4:25 PM (CBS)

The View: Before I go into my brief analysis…let me vent. WHY VEGAS?! WHY MAKE MAHOMES AN UNDERDOG?! DO WE NOT LEARN?! Ok, I’m calm. This game is probably the best non-divisional rivalry in the 2020s. Mahomes vs. Allen. These games always seem to produce an instant classic. The Bills have the advantage of playing this game at home with the Bills Mafia at full throat…but the Chiefs have the advantage of being allergic to losing in 2024. They’ll find a way to win again. 

The Pick: Chiefs +2.5

D-Man’s (4-4) Gambling Corner

There are few guarantees in life. Death, taxes, tails never fails, QB Patrick Mahomes as an underdog, and Mike Tomlin as a underdog. Really as easy as that this week. Add in the fact that QB Lamar Jackson is not great as a favorite over 3 and makes us like it even more. So Sunday we’re taking KC +2.5 and Pit +3.5.

NFL Gambling Record:

D-Man: 4-4

Jean Machine: 30-14

Full NFL Schedule click here

NBA Top Games

Jazz 115, Mavs 113: John Collins scored a game-winning dunk with 6.4 seconds left, securing their first home win of the season. Collins finished with 28 points and nine rebounds, while Jordan Clarkson added 20 points. Luka Dončić led Dallas with 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, but the Mavericks were without Kyrie Irving due to a shoulder injury.

(only 1 game last night)

NHL Top Games

Oilers 3, Predators 2: Connor McDavid scored his 1,000th career point and added an assist in overtime to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 win. McDavid reached the milestone in his 659th game, becoming the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to do so. He tied the game at 1 in the second period with a goal off a 2-on-1 pass from Leon Draisaitl, then assisted on Darnell Nurse's OT winner with a backhand pass.

Sabres 4, Blues 3: Rasmus Dahlin scored a power-play goal 1:33 into overtime to give the Sabres a 4-3 win over the Blues. The victory marked Buffalo's fourth win in five games. Alex Tuch and Ryan McLeod each contributed a goal and an assist, while Zach Benson also scored.

Rangers 3, Sharks 2: Mika Zibanejad, Jimmy Vesey, and Vincent Trocheck each scoring in the second period and that would be enough for New York to hold on to a close victory. Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves, helping the Rangers bounce back from a recent loss and secure their fourth win in six games.

Flyers 5, Senators 4: Matvei Michkov scored the overtime winner to lift Philadelphia to a 5-4 comeback victory. The Flyers rallied in the third period, with Anthony Richard and Bobby Brink scoring to tie the game. Ottawa outshot their opponents 111-62 over the last three games but came up short last night.

See full scoreboard here and standings here.

On this day in 1970, Paul Brown, defeats his former team the Cleveland Browns, with new expansion team, the Cincinnati Bengals. A moment he calls his "greatest victory". The Bengals were 1-6 at the time and the win sparked a 7-game winning streak that would put the Bengals in the playoffs. Brown was the first coach of the Browns, where he led the team to seven league championships in their first 12 seasons.

Yesterday’s Trivia Time Answer

Aaron Rodgers says he plans to play next year at the age of 41. Who has the second most passing yards after turning 40 (Tom Brady is in first by a mile with 23,055 yards)?

C) Brett Favre - Favre put up 5,874 after his 40th birthday. Playing both seasons with the Vikings.

Check back on Monday for today’s trivia answer and more info!