Why our experts think the World Series will go seven games, plus recapping another great MNF game

Greetings sports fans, it’s Chris Bengel leading you into another day of riveting sports action.

Over the weekend, I came to the conclusion that Philadelphia sports fans just aren’t allowed to have nice things. I know this has been a common topic in these intros lately, but bear with me. The Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers are off to solid starts. The Flyers do have two losses to their credit, but one came to the Florida Panthers, who are looking to be one of the top teams in the NHL. Meanwhile, the Sixers are forging ahead without Ben Simmons and would be 3-0 if not for a meltdown against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

Then there’s the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles own a 2-5 record after an embarrassing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Head coach Nick Sirriani’s play-calling leaves so many scratching their heads and this team looks so overmatched sometimes. I’m not 100 percent sold on Jalen Hurts as the franchise quarterback, but it’s hard to really be sure of anything with the offense that Sirriani is choosing to run. It really looks like it’s going to be a long football season in Philly.

Anyway, enough of my misery. Let’s dive into the news.

What you need to know

1. Picks and predictions for the World Series

The World Series is officially upon us. As a Philadelphia Phillies fan, seeing the Braves reach the World Series isn’t exactly ideal. However, you do have to give the Braves front office a ton of credit for the moves that they made at the trade deadline. NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario, a trade deadline acquisition, has been Atlanta’s best hitter since the playoffs began as he’s hit .474 with three home runs and 11 RBIs.

With the World Series set to begin tonight, I’ll put my prediction out there in the universe: These are two very well-rounded teams that are capable of winning a pitcher’s duel or high-scoring affair. It’s really close to call, but I’m going to take the Astros because they’ve been here before. I’ll say Houston wins in six games with Carlos Correa earning MVP honors.

If you don’t want to listen to a bitter Phillies fan like me, our CBS Sports baseball scribes also released their predictions for who will take the World Series. 

• R.J. Anderson — Braves in seven | World Series MVP will be Freddie Freeman: “The Astros are probably the better team, but I have concerns about how Houston’s rotation sans Lance McCullers Jr. matches up against Atlanta’s lineup. Maybe it’s silly to get too locked in on that one aspect — especially given how bullpen-dependent both teams have been, and the quality of the Astros lineup — but it’s not like anyone is going to remember or care about these predictions in 100 years anyway, so we might as well live a little.”
  PICK: 
• Dayn Perry — Astros in seven | World Series MVP will be Jose Altuve: “I think Houston’s edge on offense is substantial, and I think having more rest going in than the Braves do will benefit the Astros’ strong bullpen. The Astros’ rotation may seem a bit uncertain right now, but I’m buying Luis Garcia‘s tweaked mechanics.”

That was just a glimpse of the picks. Check ’em all out right here.

2. Saints top Seahawks in defensive battle on the road

Another edition of Monday Night Football, another game that came down to the wire. In what has become the norm this season, the New Orleans Saints edged the Seattle Seahawks 13-10 in a down-to-the-wire battle. Saints kicker Brian Johnson, who was making his professional debut, drilled the game-winning 33-yard field goal with 1:59 to go. 

On the ensuing drive, the Saints defense made life miserable for Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. Smith was sacked on second and third down before turning the ball over on downs. The veteran quarterback has now lost back-to-back starts since taking over for an injured Russell Wilson.

Here’s what led to the Saints taking the lead with the game-winning field goal:

• On Seattle’s previous drive, kicker Jason Myers missed a 53-yard field goal that would’ve given the Seahawks the lead
• On 3rd-and-9 at their own 44-yard line, Jameis Winston was sacked, but the Seahawks were called for a roughing the passer penalty. The penalty resulted in a first down
• On 3rd-and-10 at the Seahawks 41-yard line, Alvin Kamara ripped off a 12-yard run, which resulted in a first down
• On 4th-and-5 at the Seahawks 24-yard line, the Saints were ready to attempt a field goal, but the Seahawks jumped offsides. That resulted in an automatic first down.
• On 4th-and-goal, Johnson connected on the game-winning 33-yard field goal

For more on Monday’s thrilling matchup, check out what our CBS Sports NFL scribes had to say about the action.

3. Why you should prepare for MLB’s first work stoppage in 26 years

In addition to, uh, the World Series, one of the biggest storylines pertaining to the baseball world is a potential work stoppage following the 2021 postseason. According to Associated Press, Major League Baseball is “almost certain” to have a work stoppage for the first time since the 1994-95 players strike.

The league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 1. Unfortunately for us fans, neither side is expecting a new CBA to be reached before that date. 

Here the most important line from the AP story: “Negotiations have been taking place since last spring, and each side thinks the other has not made proposals that will lead toward an agreement replacing the five-year contract that expires at 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 1,.”

CBS Sports baseball scribe Dayn Perry offered some further insight regarding what the labor stoppage could mean for the sport.

• Perry: “Given how far we are from spring training 2022, there’s no reason at this point to fret over any kind of altered schedule or lost games. As well, the Dec. 1 expiration date is, at this writing, still more than a month away. A Dec. 1 lockout, however, would also in essence put a freeze on the free agency process, and if that lockout drags on then the offseason calendar could become all too compressed for a normal run-up to the 2022 season.”

4. Panthers pounce to top of latest NHL Power Rankings

We’re two weeks into the 2021-22 NHL season and we’re starting to gain a bigger sample size of what teams could look like this year. Some of the Stanley Cup favorites haven’t exactly gotten off to the start that many envisioned.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the most notable of teams that are struggling early on this season. Part of that has to do with injuries. Star forward Max Pacioretty has a fractured foot and could miss six weeks. In addition, fellow forward Max Stone is dealing with a lower-body injury, but won’t require surgery. Still, the Golden Knights are missing arguably their top two forwards and it hasn’t made life easy for the team.

The Edmonton Oilers, on the other hand, have been extremely impressive through the first two weeks. Star forward Connor McDavid has been absolutely toying with defenders and truly looks like the best player in the world. On top of that, winger Zach Hyman has looked like one of the most underrated free agency signings with five goals on the season. 

Here’s a look at how the top 10 of our CBS Sports NHL Power Rankings shook out this week:

• No. 1: Florida Panthers
• No. 2: Minnesota Wild
• No. 3: Carolina Hurricanes
• No. 4: Boston Bruins
• No. 5: Edmonton Oilers
• No. 6: Colorado Avalanche
• No. 7: Tampa Bay Lightning
• No. 8: New York Rangers
• No. 9: Washington Capitals
• No. 10: Pittsburgh Penguins

Odds & Ends

What to watch tonight

 76ers vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m. | NYK -1 | TV: TNT

 Golden Knights vs. Avalanche, 8 p.m. | COL -175 | TV: ESPN

World Series Game 1: Braves vs. Astros, 8:09 p.m. | HOU -130 | TV: FOX

 Nuggets vs. Jazz, 10 p.m. | UTA -7 | TV: TNT

Best thing I saw on the internet

Tom Brady is going to go down as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Two of his only blemishes came against Eli Manning and the New York Giants. During Eli and Peyton Manning’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast last night, Brady was a guest. Eli couldn’t help but express how much fun he had beating Brady in a pair of Super Bowls. While talking to the brothers, TB12 said, “I enjoyed my games against Peyton more than the ones against Eli.”

Eli had the perfect response: “I enjoyed all of our games, Tom.”