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.
👑 Five things to know Wednesday
- LeBron James stole the show on the NBA's opening night. The first day of the season began with the Pistons' 22-point second-half comeback against the Celtics and ended with the Thunder avenging their conference finals loss to the Spurs with a 12-point road win. In between was the main event: James' debut in a 76ers uniform against the Knicks on the same night they received their championship rings and raised their banner. Even at 41 years old, King James still has all of the tools in his belt and delivered a performance worthy of high marks in a 106-100 win over the defending champs. The rest of the league embarks on the 2026-27 season over the next two days. Our preseason NBA Power Rankings show where everyone stands as they gear up for their openers.
- Meet the 2026 college football Midseason All-Americans. The Big Ten accounts for the most selections of any conference with seven, but the SEC features four of the five unanimous honorees: Colin Simmons, Princewill Umanmielen, Xavier Gilliam and Chris Cole. Notre Dame was shut out entirely despite boasting a pair of Preseason All-Americans, while there are two representatives from the Group of Six, both of whom are freshmen: Oregon State's Jesse Legree and James Madison's Michael Scott.
- The Eagles will not be punished for their handling of Jalen Hurts' blood clots. There are still more questions than answers surrounding Hurts' health, specifically when it comes to how the team diagnosed the blood clots and what they permitted the quarterback to do after finding them. Everything dates back to Oct. 4 when Hurts sustained a calf injury in a game against the Rams, and from there, conflicting reports detail how and when the Eagles determined Hurts could play in Week 5 but not in Week 6 and beyond. The NFL concluded that the team handled the situation appropriately and will reportedly not punish them, but the NFL Players Association called for the league to launch a full investigation.
- Julian Sayin could be out for the season, clouding Ohio State's CFP outlook. The arm injury Sayin suffered in Saturday's win over Indiana will sideline him indefinitely, according to coach Ryan Day. The Buckeyes are preparing to be without their star quarterback for the rest of the year and plan to give first-team snaps to both Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair during this week's bye. While Ohio State still comfortably projects as a College Football Playoff team, the selection committee will have to compare its performance with and without Sayin and consider any lingering uncertainty about his postseason availability when it comes time to build the bracket. From a power ratings perspective, this is a downgrade for what was previously the No. 1 team in the sport.
- Paris Saint-Germain might be headed toward another UEFA Champions League title. It is still very early in the process, but a 4-2 win over Barcelona on Matchday 2 has PSG off to a roaring start in European competition. If neither a powerhouse like Barcelona nor a rash of injuries to key players can stop them, then what will prevent them from winning a third consecutive Champions League trophy? PSG's depth was not the only key takeaway from Tuesday's action. Elsewhere, Liverpool climbed out of a 2-0 hole to defeat Villarreal 4-3 and Phil Foden netted a hat trick for an undermanned Manchester City squad. As Matchday 2 rolls on, Cesc Fabregas and Como have a chance to make a statement against Manchester United, and our expert picks are in for the marquee matchup between Bayern Munich and Arsenal. You can watch every match on Paramount+.
🏆 Do not miss this: World Series picks and X-factors
The best team in the National League meets the best team in the American League in the 2026 World Series, and while that might sound obvious, it is actually more uncommon than it seems. This is only the sixth time in the Wild Card era that the two No. 1 seeds will clash in the Fall Classic. This year was all about the NL flexing its muscles on the AL, and our experts widely expect that to play out over the course of this best-of-seven series with only one of them, Kate Feldman, siding with the Rays.
- Feldman: "I think these two are pretty close to evenly matched and I think the Rays heating up late in the ALCS is going to give them a slight upper hand. But only slightly. This is going to be thrilling. Pick: Rays in 7"
The winner will be a first-time champion. If it is the Brewers, as most of our panel foresees, they will join elite company as a rare team to boast MLB's best regular-season record and proceed to win the World Series. They have been the top team in baseball for months, so what will it take to unseat them from the catbird seat? Our Mike Axisa says these three X-factors need to work in the Rays' favor in order for them to pull off the upset:
- The battle of the infield defenses
- Liam Hicks and Nick Fortes vs. Milwaukee's running game
- Bryan Baker's velocity
📈📉 Pete Prisco's Week 7 NFL Power Rankings
So much for the whole "preseason Super Bowl favorite" thing, because the Rams are a complete disaster at 2-4. They already have more losses in their ledger than some thought they would suffer all year, and it could get a whole lot worse with Davante Adams set to miss 6-10 weeks with a hamstring injury. The team that opened the year at No. 2 in Pete Prisco's Power Rankings suddenly finds itself all the way down at No. 18.
- Prisco: "The next four games will decide their season, starting this week at the Raiders. They need to go at least 3-1 in this part of the schedule, or they can kiss the division goodbye."
The Rams' eight-spot drop from last week is the largest downward movement for any team entering Week 7. Their new tier is loaded with some of the biggest risers and fallers of the week. This is where they landed:
15. Texans (↑8)
16. Browns (↑3)
17. Steelers (↓4)
18. Rams (↓8)
19. Cowboys (↓2)
20. Giants (↓4)
With Los Angeles tumbling out of the top 10, there is a new member in that range. Here's a hint: That team's quarterback Maye have solved his early-season problems.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
- Get your fantasy football waiver claims in for Omar Cooper Jr., Demario Douglas and the other top Week 7 targets. Not sure who to add or drop? Dave Richard's trade chart and rest-of-season rankings are here to help.
- It's time to get ready for UFC 333. Two title fights and tantalizing storylines make Saturday's event another can't-miss. For Movsar Evloev, the featherweight championship bout against Alexander Volkanovski is years in the making.
- The knee injury Terry McLaurin suffered on "Monday Night Football" is, unfortunately, a season-ender. Speaking of the Commanders, coach Dan Quinn denied losing track of downs after a viral clip seemed to catch him confused on the sideline.
- Auburn dismissed All-American linebacker Xavier Atkins, who announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. That's another reason why there is still more work to be done even on the heels of an upset win over Georgia.
- The SEC will not clear RJ Luis for another year of eligibility, but LSU received good news elsewhere on its unconventional basketball roster.
- What's up with the "Peanut Punch?" Here's what you need to know about the defensive move taking the NFL by storm (and how Jim Nantz is faring after painfully attempting the move in the broadcast booth).
- The Titans released Jordan Elliott after an incident at the team facility, and the Giants released Najee Harris following his criticism of the team's running back rotation.
- Our first batch of NFL picks for Week 7 is in.
- Amid their stalled contract negotiations, Karl-Anthony Towns confirmed he is willing to re-sign with the Knicks at a discount.
- A quarterback change is underway at Michigan, so what's next for Bryce Underwood?
- AJ Dybantsa's NBA debut is on hold. The No. 1 draft pick will miss the Wizards' season opener with an ankle injury.
- Three teams earned first-place votes in the women's college basketball preseason AP Top 25.
- Kentucky's climb in the Week 8 SEC Power Rankings has the Wildcats in uncharted territory.
- Matt Fitzpatrick and Tom Kim are among the movers in our latest Power 18 golf rankings.
📺 What we're watching Wednesday
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Manchester United at Como, 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Arsenal at Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 Timberwolves at Heat, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Flyers at Sabres, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
⚽ US Open Cup final: St. Louis City at Crew, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
🏀 Valkyries at Dream, Game 3, 8 p.m. on USA Network
🏈 New Mexico State at Sam Houston, 8 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Warriors at Lakers, 10 p.m. on ESPN
