Huffman Sports Wire News Break · ALL · Reporting · Published · Huffman Sports Wire News Desk
NBA: Two finales tonight and a full house of finales on Friday
The preseason schedule gives New York one last chance to make the standings look less rude on Thursday night. Toronto visits the Knicks at Madison Square Garden at 7:30 ET, and New York enters its preseason finale at 0-4 after Toronto won the first meeting 148-98 on Tuesday. The Knicks rested their starters in that Tuesday loss, so Thursday brings the regular rotation back into the picture and a much fairer test for both sides. A 50-point preseason loss still counts as motivation, even when everyone insists the games do not count.
The second game on Thursday sends Oklahoma City to Houston at 8:30 ET on NBA TV from the Toyota Center. The game is the third and final preseason outing for Houston, while Oklahoma City continues to sort out a rotation that lost rookie guard Otega Oweh for the season earlier this week. Friday then closes the preseason with a crowded slate that includes Boston at Philadelphia at 7 ET and Miami at Orlando at 7 ET. The real standings are almost here, and the dress rehearsals are officially out of excuses.
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MLB: Cleveland takes control at lunch and Los Angeles fights for its season at night
Cleveland turned a lunchtime start into a series lead on Thursday, beating Tampa Bay 3-2 in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field to move ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Nathaniel Lowe opened the scoring with a run-scoring double in the second inning for the Guardians. Chandler Simpson put Tampa Bay ahead with a two-run triple in the fourth inning against Cleveland starter Gavin Williams. Petey Halpin answered in the fifth inning with a two-run home run that put Cleveland back in front for good. Williams earned the win with 5 innings, 2 runs allowed and 9 strikeouts, while Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax took the loss after allowing 3 runs. Reliever Cade Smith recorded the final 4 outs for the save, including a strikeout of Yandy Diaz on a 10-pitch at-bat in the eighth inning with the tying run on third base. Game 4 is scheduled for Friday, October 16 at 6 ET in Cleveland, and the Guardians are now 2 wins from the World Series after a game that fit neatly inside a lunch break and a bullpen plan.
The nightcap carries elimination stakes at Dodger Stadium, where Milwaukee visits Los Angeles for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series at 8 ET on FS1. Milwaukee leads the series 3-0 and a win completes the sweep and sends the Brewers to their second World Series appearance and their first since 1982. Tyler Glasnow starts for Los Angeles and left-hander Shane Drohan opens a planned bullpen game for Milwaukee. Los Angeles shook up its lineup for the must-win game, moving Shohei Ohtani back to the leadoff spot after he batted sixth in Game 3, moving Mookie Betts to second, Freddie Freeman to third and Will Smith to the cleanup spot. Los Angeles has managed only 2 extra-base hits in the series, so the shuffle is less about style and more about finding any spark before the season ends. The World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday, October 23, and Milwaukee would host the first two World Series games if the Brewers finish the sweep. The two-time defending champions need a win tonight just to see Friday, which is a strange place for a dynasty plan to land.
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NFL: Hurts is out for Sunday and Thursday night opens in Denver
The biggest Sunday news arrived on Thursday, when Philadelphia ruled quarterback Jalen Hurts out for the Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers because of a blood clot in his leg. The team said a follow-up ultrasound on Wednesday night showed movement in the small superficial clot, which changed his status after he had played the previous Sunday and practiced in full on Wednesday. Philadelphia said doctors first found the clot after Hurts sought treatment for a calf issue tied to being cleated during the October 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams. No return timetable beyond Sunday was given, and Tanner McKee is in line to lead the offense for a 2-3 Eagles team trying to end a three-game losing streak. A quarterback room can change fast in this league, and Philadelphia just got the fastest version of that lesson.
Thursday night still belongs to Seattle and Denver, with the Seahawks visiting the Broncos at 8:15 ET on Prime Video from Empower Field at Mile High and both teams entering at 3-2. Denver plays without cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga, who were both ruled out with ankle injuries, while Seattle standout receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba carries no injury designation after returning to full practice. Elsewhere on Thursday, Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams was a full participant in practice for the second straight day and is on track to return against Atlanta after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury, with cornerback Kyler Gordon also practicing in full for the Bears. Denver gets the prime-time stage, Philadelphia gets the unwanted headline and Chicago might finally get its quarterback back, all before the weekend even starts.
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NCAAF: A playoff expansion report, a Tennessee quarterback call and three games tonight
College football spent Thursday talking about a much larger future, as reports said the College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand from 12 teams to 24 teams starting in the 2027 season. The expansion has not been officially announced and the reports describe the plan as pending final approvals, with ESPN finalizing a deal for the additional games through the 2031 season. The proposed format would give the top 8 seeds a first-round bye and would place the first two rounds on campus sites, with the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game on neutral sites. A field that tripled in size in 2024 could double again just three seasons later, which should keep every message board in America busy until the ink actually dries.
On the field, three games are scheduled for Thursday night, with East Carolina at UAB at 7:30 ET on ESPN, Georgia Southern at Old Dominion at 7:30 ET on ESPN2 and Colorado State at Texas State at 8 ET on CBS Sports Network. Looking ahead to Saturday, Tennessee is set to start George MacIntyre at quarterback against sixth-ranked Alabama at 3:30 ET on ABC in Knoxville, with Faizon Brandon listed as questionable because of a shoulder injury. The start would be the second straight start for MacIntyre, who threw for 247 yards and 1 touchdown on 18 completions against Arkansas in his first start. Tennessee enters at 5-1 and Alabama enters at 5-1, so the Third Saturday in October arrives with a backup plan at quarterback and no margin for a slow start.
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CBB: Tennessee State leads the Ohio Valley poll and the tie for third needs extra chairs
The Ohio Valley Conference released its preseason poll on Thursday and picked Tennessee State to repeat as league champion. Tennessee State collected 125 points and 13 first-place votes from the league head coaches and communication directors. Southeast Missouri finished second with 107 points and 2 first-place votes after a 20-13 season last year. Morehead State, SIUE and UT Martin finished tied for third with 86 points each, followed by Lindenwood with 61 points, Southern Indiana with 44 points, Eastern Illinois with 37 points and Western Illinois with 17 points. A three-way tie for third is poll season at its finest, with three fan bases all claiming the same chair.
The league holds its media day on Friday in Evansville, Indiana, and SIUE guard Tyler King enters the season as the lone returning All-OVC player from last season. Southeast Missouri opens its season at home against Lipscomb on Monday, November 2, giving the second-place pick an early home date to start proving the voters right or wrong. Polls do not win games in November, and that has never stopped anyone from arguing about them in October.
That is the Evening Edition. Five sports, zero filler. First pitch in Los Angeles is calling.
Sources: - [Covers](https://www.covers.com/nba/preseason-moneyline-predictions-picks-thursday-oct-15-2026) - [SportsHistori](https://www.sportshistori.com/2025/09/nba-preseason-schedule-dates-times-how-to-watch.html) - [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/playoffs/2026/10/15/guardians-vs-rays-watch-score-highlights-alcs-channel--live/92259888007/) - [theScore](https://fr.thescore.com/mlb/news/3615968/guardians-hold-on-for-game-3-win-take-alcs-lead-over-rays) - [Akron Beacon Journal](https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/mlb/cleveland-guardians/2026/10/15/guardians-game-live-score-rays-gavin-williams-stats/92244235007/) - [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/playoffs/2026/10/15/dodgers-lineup-vs-brewers-today-ohtani-game-4-nlcs/92268022007/) - [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/playoffs/2026/10/15/dodgers-brewers-watch-score-nlcs-game-4-highlights-channel--live/92266154007/) - [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel](https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2026/10/15/milwaukee-brewers-los-angeles-dodgers-score-live-updates-game-4-nlcs-highlights--live/92261821007/) - [NBC Sports](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/jalen-hurts-is-out-for-sunday-with-a-blood-clot-in-his-leg) - [Eagles Wire](https://theeagleswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/eagles/2026/10/15/eagles-jalen-hurts-blood-clot-statement-medical-timeline-panthers/92266420007/) - [Delaware Online](https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2026/10/15/thursday-night-football-live-game-tonight-how-to-watch-seahawks-broncos-stream-start-time-tv-channel/92265410007/) - [Broncos Wire](https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/broncos/2026/10/14/broncos-injury-report-pat-surtain-talanoa-hufanga-riley-moss-statuses/92252093007/) - [Bears Wire](https://bearswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/bears/2026/10/15/bears-falcons-injury-report-thursday-caleb-williams/92264762007/) - [NCAA](https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/college-football-tv-schedule-game-times-preview?-) - [SportsGrid](https://www.sportsgrid.com/ncaaf/article/college-football-playoff-nears-deal-to-expand-to-24-team-format) - [Saturday Down South](https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/news/college-football/tennessee-decides-on-starting-qb-for-alabama-game-week-7-per-report/) - [Knox News](https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2026/10/15/george-macintyre-start-quarterback-tennessee-football-vs-alabama/92146077007/) - [SIUE Athletics](https://siuecougars.com/news/2026/10/15/mens-basketball-picked-third-in-ovc-preseason-poll.aspx) - [Southeast Missouri State Athletics](https://semoredhawks.com/news/2026/10/15/redhawks-picked-second-in-2026-27-ovc-mens-basketball-preseason-poll) - [OVC Sports](http://ovcsports.com/news/2026/9/25/tennessee-state-picked-as-2026-27-ovc-mens-basketball-favorite.aspx)
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