5 Things to Watch Going Into NFL Week 11

NFL Week 11 is here, and things are heating up. Each season is exciting, but I really think this season is special. There are so many surprises, from two star quarterbacks being out (sorry, Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins) to Taylor Swift being in the stands, rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs. As we head into NFL Week 11, here are some choice games to watch and what makes them extra intriguing.

Top game: Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs, Monday (Nov. 20) at 8:15 p.m. on ABC and ESPN. Duh. This is the game everyone is talking about. Of course, these two teams went up against each other in Super Bowl LV11. There is unfinished business here, if you ask Jalen Hurts. This is a huge rematch that will have NFL fans glued to their TVs Monday night. Plus, Taylor Swift will reportedly be there with her parents, rooting for Travis Kelce. Don't hate me for saying this, but I think they're super cute together.

Runner-up: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens, Thursday (Nov. 15) at 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video. This is another good one. These are both exceptional AFC teams. It's really a coin toss who could win. I'm leaning towards Baltimore, though, as Lamar Jackson is out for blood.

Another pick: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, Sunday (Nov. 19) at 1 p.m. on Fox. As a Detroit Lions fan, of course I'm watching this. Some may think this will be a blowout, because the Bears are, well, the Bears. But, Justin Fields will be back, so I'm a bit nervous. Please hold my hand through this one.

If you can't watch the Lions: Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans, Sunday (Nov. 19) at 1 p.m. on CBS. Here's another evenly matched game that should be a good watch. But, watch the Lions instead. Just saying.

Good later Sunday afternoon game: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday (Nov. 19) at 4:25 p.m. on CBS. Having Matthew Stafford back for this game will make it more competitive. It should be a good one to catch.

There you have it. Some choice NFL Week 11 games to watch. Also, let's do football together. Listen to my NFL podcast "The Squad with Anne Erickson" below, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Reach out here.

I love playing Florida Lottery scratch off tickets. But I also want to win. And the best way to win (I hope) is to do a little research. Did you know that some of the tickets at the counter have all of their top prizes already gone? It's true, and they don't tell you. I mean, I'll tell you, with this link right here. But if you're impulse buying at the Publix in Fort Myers, you really don't know. Also, you really don't know which tickets are completely fresh, meaning, which tickets have never had a grand prize claimed. But I know, and I'll tell you.

The Florida Lottery has a website that tracks all their current tickets. You can see the odds, the prizes, and more importantly - how many of those prizes are available. You can also sift through the data and find out who won on what ticket and where they bough it. Take for instance the 500X The Cash Game. It had a $25 million dollar top prize. A guy in Bonita Springs bought one of those winning tickets at a Circle K on Bonita Beach Road. The other went to a guy in Riverview, Florida and he got his ticket at Publix.

It's with that data, I found that there's only 3 Florida Lottery scratch off tickets that no one has claimed a grand prize - yet. Does this mean these tickets are due? Maybe it means that these tickets aren't as popular? Does it mean that someone has a winning ticket and for some reason hasn't turned it in yet? I really don't know. But one of these tickets has to hit big eventually, and I want it to be from me.

I don't usually play the $2 tickets, but they are great as Christmas gifts. There are 6 $50,000 winning tickets out there somewhere. Your odds of finding one is 1-in-3,025,450. The odds of being bit by an alligator in Florida is 1 in 3.2 million. So your odds of winning with this ticket is better than being bit by an alligator while living in Florida.

Here's the $20 version of that other ticket. Eight people will be lucky enough to find a $5 million dollar winning ticket while playing this game. Unfortunately, the odds of that are 1-in-3,774,705. So I'd steer clear of alligators. 

This one is absolutely nuts. This $50 ticket was launched on February 27, 2023 and no one has claimed a grand prize yet. $1 million dollars a year for life. You could actually afford to buy a house in Florida with that kind of money. What are the odds? There's only 2 of the grand prize tickets out there, and the odds that you'll find one is 1-in-21,727,995. Those odds seem daunting, but the odds of winning Powerball are 1 in 292 million. So by comparison. It's better. But I'd really steer clear of alligators. 

Yeah, as of November 15th, 2023 that's the only 3 that fit the criteria. Another thing you may want to know is that many of those tickets at the counter have no big winner left. I put that list right here.

https://espnswfl.com/listicle/7-florida-lottery-scratch-off-tickets-that-you-may-want-to-avoid/

Good luck all. And play responsibly. Scratch off tickets should be fun.