Thunder, Warriors victorious on NBA opening night; Angels to tab Kurt Suzuki as manager; NFL Power Rankings

Plus, a first look at the World Series matchup between the Blue Jays and the Dodgers

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Good morning and happy Wednesday! It sure is good to have basketball back in our lives. Carter Bahns here to recap opening night in the NBA and fill you in on everything else happening in the sports world as we hit the week's midway point.

From Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League to managerial moves and World Series preparation in MLB, headlines are aplenty away from the hardwood. But the double-overtime classic featuring the reigning NBA champions stole the show last night, and we can't possibly start anywhere else but there.

🏀 Five things to know Wednesday

1. The Thunder and Warriors opened the NBA season in the win column. The first game of the year was an instant classic. What more could you ask for from a season opener than the double-overtime thriller the Thunder and Rockets produced? The Thunder pulled out a scintillating 125-124 triumph the same night they received their championship rings. The nightcap felt like a vintage Warriors performance. An explosive third quarter and a dagger 3-pointer from Stephen Curry pushed Golden State past the LeBron James-less Lakers in a 119-109 road win. It was a sweet night for Jonathan Kuminga, but a bitter one for Luka Dončić.
2. UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 continues this afternoon. Real Madrid control their own destiny in the quest to advance straight to the Round of 16. Liverpool seek to turn things around amid a four-game losing streak. And those are just two of the 18 teams in action Wednesday as UCL play continues. The first batch of Matchday 3 results were eye-opening. Arsenal crushed Atletico Madrid and looked like more than just UCL contenders in the process, Paris Saint-Germain continued to live up to the hype and Marcus Rashford notched a brace for Barcelona.
3. The Angels are set to hire Kurt Suzuki as manager. Los Angeles' other baseball team will hand the keys to the clubhouse to a first-time manager. Suzuki, a journeyman catcher, last played in 2022 after a 16-year playing career that included a World Series in 2019. He spent the last three seasons in the front office as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian and will become the club's fifth manager since 2022.
4. College basketball preseason All-America teams arrive. On the men's side, the Big Ten and Big 12 account for all of the first-teamers on the CBS Sports preseason All-America roster with Purdue's Braden Smith headlining the group as the lone consensus pick. In the women's game, UCLA's Lauren Betts and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo tied as the top vote-getters from the Associated Press panel.
5. All eyes are on the Raiders as the trade deadline nears. With the Raiders battling through a suboptimal start to the Pete Carroll era as the only team in the AFC West with a losing record -- and a measly 2-5 tally, at that -- Las Vegas could be a seller at the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Maxx Crosby will not be on the market, though, as the team reportedly informed its star pass rusher that he will not be moved over the next two weeks. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, however, doubled down on his preseason trade request.

⚾ Do not miss this: First look at the World Series

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The World Series matchup is set. The Dodgers and Blue Jays still have time to rest and prepare for the Fall Classic with a multi-day break before Friday's first pitch, but our MLB experts are wasting no time in breaking down what could be a thriller of a series between two high-octane offenses. Will the Dodgers repeat as champions? Is the Blue Jays' drought about to end? Here's what the analysts predict:

• R.J. Anderson: Dodgers in 7
• Mike Axisa: Blue Jays in 7
• Julian McWilliams: Dodgers in 6
• Dayn Perry: Dodgers in 6
• Matt Snyder: Dodgers in 5

Axisa is the lone wolf. His justification for taking the American League champions? The Blue Jays have the more reliable offense.

• Axisa: "I think these two teams are fairly evenly matched even though it feels like there's an air of invincibility with the Dodgers right now. I guess I just have an easier time seeing their lineup going cold with runners in scoring position for 7-10 days than I do Toronto's."

📈📉 Pete Prisco's Week 8 NFL Power Rankings

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The Colts are the best team in the NFL, Pete Prisco says as he admittedly eats his words in the Week 8 Power Rankings. They have the best record in football through seven games and a couple of unforeseen MVP candidates in Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor. The league's most pleasant surprise looks like it has staying power.

One team without staying power after a hot start, however, is the Steelers. They are the biggest movers in this week's rankings, down 11 spots to No. 14 after their "Thursday Night Football" loss to the Bengals. On the flip side, the Chiefs made the biggest climb with a nine-spot surge to No. 2.

• On the Chiefs: "Patrick Mahomes has his receivers back, and the offense is dynamic again. The defense also came up big in the shutout of the Raiders."
• On the Steelers: "Their loss to the Bengals at home shows their 4-1 start was a little fraudulent. They have too much age on defense."

Here are the top 10 teams in Prisco's Week 8 NFL Power Rankings:

1. Colts (previous ranking: 4)
2. Chiefs (11)
3. Packers (2)
4. Lions (5)
5. Buccaneers (1)
6. Broncos (6)
7. Seahawks (7)
8. Rams (8)
9. Patriots (9)
10. Bills (10)

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

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• A quarterback competition is underway in Las Vegas as the Raiders seek answers on the heels of a shutout loss.
• Michael Jordan talked about making a free throw recently, and his legacy on the game.
• Eagles legend Brandon Graham is coming out of retirement to aid the team's thin defensive line.
• Aaron Jones could reportedly be back in the lineup as soon as Thursday after the Vikings designated their star running back to return from injured reserve.
• Clemson will be without its top receiver, Bryant Wesco Jr., for the rest of the season after he was hospitalized with what Dabo Swinney called a "scary" back injury.
• The Knicks are reportedly without Josh Hart (back) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) for Wednesday's season opener.
• Kevin Durant nearly has a "Chris Webber moment."
• Jude McAtamney is out of a job. The Giants released their kicker after he missed three extra points in two weeks, including a key one in the final minute of Sunday's shocking loss.
• Jack Nicklaus won $50 million in a defamation lawsuit over false claims that he met with LIV Golf to become the face of the league.
• UConn coach Dan Hurley intends to tamp down on his fiery displays.
• NBA commissioner Adam Silver said WNBA players will get a "big increase" in compensation as the league's CBA negotiations continue.
• Texas A&M and Arizona State face $50,000 from the SEC and Big 12, respectively. The Aggies must pay up for a fake injury while the Sun Devils must atone for their field-storming infraction.
• LaLiga canceled the scheduled match in Miami between Barcelona and Villarreal. Numerous players protested the plan to move the contest to the United States to begin with.
• Duke landed a commitment from five-star recruit Bryson Howard, the son of ex-NBA star Josh Howard.
• Bill Belichick headlines the 12 coaching nominees eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026.
• Caitlin Clark is still not playing 5-on-5 amid her injury recovery but expects to compete with Team USA in March.
• Carson Wentz will get another start for the Vikings on "Thursday Night Football," but J.J. McCarthy is close to making his return.
• Russell Wilson fired back at his former coach, Sean Payton, over "classless" comments.
• Rick Pitino is in favor of NCAA Tournament expansion.
• Keegan Bradley opened up about "one of the toughest times in my life" in the wake of the Ryder Cup.
• Jets owner Woody Johnson gave Aaron Glenn a vote of confidence amid the 0-7 start to the season and took a jab at Justin Fields in the process.

📺 What we're watching Wednesday

⚽ UEFA Champions League: Qarabag at Athletic Bilbao, 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Bodø/Glimt at Galatasaray, 12:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Slavia Prague at Atalanta, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Club Brugge at Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Ajax at Chelsea, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Liverpool at Eintracht Frankfurt, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Tottenham Hotspur at Monaco, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Juventus at Real Madrid, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Marseille at Sporting CP, 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
🏀 Cavaliers at Knicks, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Red Wings at Sabres, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/HBO Max
🏈 Middle Tennessee at Delaware, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
🏈 Missouri State at New Mexico State, 9 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 Spurs at Mavericks, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN