The Key for the week of November 3, 2025
Well, that was fun…
As a friend of Ben’s said, “The Bengals had a good 10-day season.” But it doesn’t seem fair that after 350 days of buildup, the 2025 NFL season is all but over for the men in stripes in just over two weeks. As we saw with Joe 1 last year and this year with Joe 2, the Bengals can score points—they just can’t stop the other guys from scoring. And if you’re Joe Burrow, would you rush back from your ouchy toe just to play three meaningless games in the cold of December and January? Ben thinks better luck next season—and a better defense.
Sunday night was brutal..
Because not only did the Bengals snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, FC Cincinnati was seemingly out of their playoff match with Columbus almost as soon as it began Sunday night. Good news for FC, this is not an aggregate score situation—it’s best two out of three, straight up. The third version of Hell is Real in the Playoffs comes Saturday at TQL Stadium, where FC has the chance to advance—or think about another heartbreaking loss to their arch rivals for another off-season.
The best title money can buy
The Dodgers had to go seven, but their $417 million dollar payroll (as opposed to Toronto’s $280 million) paid off with a thriller of a final. Seems only fitting that Yoshinobu Yamamoto turned in a Herculean performance to win three of the four, and come in for a relief appearance in game 7 on no days rest. This is why the Dodgers signed him to a 12 year, $325 million deal two years ago. No surprise, the Dodgers start the 2026 betting season as favorites to repeat, with the Yankees close behind.
Ben’s Best Bet
Speaking of repeats…with the NBA season under way and injuries already affecting teams (we see you, Indiana Pacers and LA Lakers), we look at the favorites for the title, and the Oklahoma City Thunder start the season as fairly strong favorites to repeat. Cleveland is second in the betting order, according to ESPN BET, tied with Denver. Ben says with all the unknowns surrounding the league right now, and who else may be caught in the FBI net, it’s probably best to stay away from the league until things shake out.