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Good morning and welcome to the weekend, sports fans! It’s Austin Nivison greeting you on this beautiful Friday. Slow time for sports news, huh? I kid, I kid. Just a little sarcasm to get your day started. Justin Herbert and the Chargers steamrolled the Vikings, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still super human, the World Series stars tonight and Chauncey Billups allegedly has some mafia ties.
Did I miss anything? Probably, so let’s dive into all of that and more.
💰 Five things to know Friday
- Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier were arrested in connection with an FBI gambling investigation. The FBI took Rozier into custody for allegedly using non-public information to bet on NBA games. Billups, on the other hand, was arrested for his alleged involvement in poker games tied to organized crime. Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones was also taken into custody.
- Justin Herbert and the Chargers crushed the Vikings, 37-10. Los Angeles had no interest in giving fans an entertaining game as it rolled to a win over Minnesota. Herbert totaled 289 yards and three touchdowns while the Chargers’ defense got to Carson Wentz for five sacks and an interception. With this win, Jim Harbaugh became the first member of the 60-60 club since 1973. And Jeff Kerr has his overreactions to Los Angeles’ dismantling of Minnesota.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 55 points in an epic 2024 NBA Finals rematch. Last night’s clash between the Thunder and Pacers did not disappoint. Oklahoma City pulled out a thrilling 141-135 double-overtime win (their second in three days) while Gilgeous-Alexander went off for a career-high 55 points. SGA was a menace for the Pacers’ defense all night, and he got 23 of his points from the free throw line.
- Lionel Messi signed a contract extension with Inter Miami that runs through 2028. Right before the start of the MLS Playoffs, Inter Miami and its fan base got some good news when Messi signed a contract extension that keeps him with the club for the next few years. In a nice touch with the official announcement, Inter Miami showed Messi signing it on the site of the club’s new stadium.
- Tyreek Hill spoke publicly for the first time since suffering a gruesome leg injury. For the first time since he was carted off the field in Week 4, Hill discussed his NFL future. The superstar receiver was surprisingly honest, saying he didn’t “want to make any rash decisions” about returning to football. In fact, Hill said the injury will give him the chance to “really sit down and enjoy my life.”
⚾ Do not miss this: 2025 World Series preview
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After a long week of waiting, the Fall Classic has finally arrived. Tonight, the Blue Jays and Dodgers begin their battle for baseball’s ultimate prize, and CBS Sports as you covered from all angles.
Let’s start here: Five MLB experts logged their predictions for which team lifts that shiny World Series trophy. Four of them picked the Dodgers to repeat as world champions, but four of them also expect the series to go at least six games.
The lone detractor in the group, Mike Axisa laid out his case for why Toronto will win its first World Series since 1993.
- Axisa: “The Dodgers manhandled the Brewers in the NLCS, though I wouldn’t say their offense fired on all cylinders that series, and it’s hard to expect their pitching to be that good again. Toronto’s offense is similar to Milwaukee’s, just better, because it has power to go along with all the contact. I think these two teams are fairly evenly matched even though it feels like there’s an air of invincibility with the Dodgers right now. I guess I just have an easier time seeing their lineup going cold with runners in scoring position for 7-10 days than I do Toronto’s.”
The experts also called their shots on the World Series MVP (we’ll see whether anybody outshine Shohei Ohtani), and they went out on a limb with a few bold predictions.
While these two squads are about to fight tooth and nail for a championship, what if they were merged to form one super team? That’s what our MLB team did with its All-World Series team, and as you might expect, there were some tough calls. Freddie Freeman vs. Vlad Guerrero Jr. at first base was the closest.
Still looking for more? Here you go:
🏀 Unraveling the NBA gambling scandal
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Former and current NBA players. Illicit gambling. Illegal poker games. The mafia. The FBI. No, I’m not describing a John Grisham novel. This was a real story that broke in the basketball world yesterday.
Trail Blazers coach and Hall of Fame guard Chauncey Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier and former assistant coach Damon Jones were all arrested for their alleged involvement in illegal sports gambling and rigged poker games. That’s enough to make anyone’s head spin, but we put together a breakdown for those looking to catch up.
- Billups is accused of partaking in rigged poker games conducted by the mafia to lure in unsuspecting victims and drain their wallets. According to the FBI, the con ranged from rigged shuffling machines to special contacts allowing certain players to see marked cards. There’s also some speculation that Billups shared tanking information with bettors.
- Rozier allegedly took his inside knowledge of lineup information and passed it along to bettors. If he’s found guilty, Rozier could face a lifetime ban from commissioner Adam Silver.
- Jones, a former assistant coach with the Cavaliers, had restricted access to the Lakers in 2022-23 when he allegedly texted a co-conspirator about a player (believed to be LeBron James) who would be sitting out that night.
While Billups is dealing with the legal process — and his attorney has promised a fight — Tiago Splitter will serve as the Trail Blazers’ interim coach.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
📺 What we’re watching this weekend
Friday
⚽ Leeds at West Ham, 3 p.m. on USA Network
🏈 North Texas at Charlotte, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏒 Maple Leafs at Sabres, 7 p.m. on Hulu
🏈 California at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Celtics at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video
⚾ World Series, Game 1: Dodgers at Blue Jays, 8 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Game 1: Nashville SC at Inter Miami, 8 p.m. on FS1
🏈 Boise State at Nevada, 10 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 Timberwolves at Lakers, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
Saturday
⚽ Fulham at Newcastle United, 10 a.m. on USA Network
🏈 UCLA at No. 2 Indiana, 12 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Syracuse at No. 7 Georgia Tech, 12 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma, 12 p.m. on ABC
🏈 No. 18 USF at Memphis, 12 p.m. on ESPN2
⚽ Brighton at Manchester United, 12:30 p.m. on NBC
🏒 Avalanche at Bruins, 3 p.m. on NHL Network
⚽ Liverpool at Brentford, 3 p.m. on USA Network
🏈 No. 4 Alabama at South Carolina, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 No. 11 BYU at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Baylor at No. 21 Cincinnati, 4 p.m. on ESPN2
🏈 No. 22 Texas at Mississippi State, 4:15 p.m. on SEC Network
🏈 Wisconsin at No. 6 Oregon, 7 p.m. on FS1
🏈 Stanford at No. 9 Miami, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Canadiens at Canucks, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
🏈 No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 20 LSU, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 No. 25 Michigan at Michigan State, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Thunder at Hawks, 7:30 p.m. on NBA TV
🏈 Houston at No. 24 Arizona State, 8 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ World Series, Game 2: Dodgers at Blue Jays, 8 p.m. on Fox
Sunday
⚽ Manchester City at Aston Villa, 10 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Tottenham at Everton, 12:30 p.m. on USA Network
🏈 Giants at Eagles, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Dolphins at Falcons, 1 p.m. on CBS
🏈 Jets at Bengals, 1 p.m. on CBS
🏈 Browns at Patriots, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Bills at Panthers, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Bears at Ravens, 1 p.m. on CBS
🏈 49ers at Texans, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏒 Avalanche at Devils, 1 p.m. on NHL Network
🏈 Buccaneers at Saints, 4:05 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Cowboys at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. on CBS
🏈 Titans at Colts, 4:25 p.m. on CBS
⚽ Game 1: Fire at Union, 5:30 p.m. on FS1
🏈 Packers at Steelers, 8:20 p.m. on NBC
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