The Key for the week of January 12, 2026
And then there were none…
In a division deemed to be the strongest in the AFC, the North comes out of the NFL’s Wild Card weekend with no team in the final eight. With injuries hampering both the Bengals and the Ravens, and with the Ravens and Browns already ditching their coaches, the Steelers were the last men standing for the division. Instead of advancing, they were defeated soundly by a Houston defense that forced Aaron Rodgers into two turnovers that turned into two touchdowns, more than enough to send the Steelers packing. Who’s the favorite now in the AFC? It’s hard not to be impressed with the Broncos and the Patriots. Don’t be surprised if the #1 (Denver) and #2 (New England) seeds meet next week for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
Redsfest is back!
Hope springs eternal in the off season, and so it goes with the Reds, as they bring back Redsfest to help open the newly-renovated downtown convention center. The two-day (Friday and Saturday) event will feature present players like Andrew Abbott, TJ Friedl, Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, while alumni scheduled to appear include Bronson Arroyo, Danny Graves, Barry Larkin and more. It’s Christmas morning for Reds fans to get an autograph and buy Reds memorabilia. Tickets available ahead of time at reds.com.
Ben’s Best Bet
A sure sign that summer is here, at least in the southern hemisphere, is the start of the Australian Open tennis tournament this weekend. Reigning women's champion Aryna Sabalenka enters the tournament as the overwhelming betting favorite according to ESN BET, having successfully defended her title last year. Sabalenka is also fresh off a win at the US Open last September. Second favorite is Iga Swiatek who, along with Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, all have at least one Grand Slam in the last three years. No woman has had a three-peat at the Australian since Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999. On the men's side, defending men's champion Jannik Sinner is considered the betting favorite ahead of French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz and 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. Ben says don’t count the Joker out, but you’d be safe to take the favorites for both the men’s and women’s singles titles.