The morning line

MLB The Tampa Bay Rays roll into Yankee Stadium as the hottest team in baseball at 33-15, and with the over/under sitting at eight runs tonight, expect the heart of both orders to get into their stuff early — if the Yankees' starter can't keep his WHIP clean against a Rays lineup that grinds at-bats, the manager will be going to the pen way too soon. Tonight's FOX showcase is the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, where Milwaukee already jumped the Dodgers for three runs in the bottom of the first this afternoon, and if the Brewers' southpaw can go deep and hand the bullpen a lead late, this series has a walk-off feel to it. The Atlanta Braves at 35-16 are quietly running away with the National League East, and at -199 on the moneyline against the Washington Nationals, the only real drama at Truist Park is whether the Nationals can steal a getaway-day win before the rest of the evening slate kicks off.

MLS The marquee matchup tonight is Real Salt Lake traveling to Allianz Field to face Minnesota United FC, with Real Salt Lake coming in red-hot at 8-1-4 and looking like genuine table-toppers. Watch the late West Coast window too, where the San Jose Earthquakes head to Providence Park against the Portland Timbers — San Jose is also riding a 9-2-3 run and the Earthquakes have been finding the net with alarming consistency. The nightcap at Dignity Health Sports Park, Houston Dynamo FC at LA Galaxy, is worth a look as well: Houston hasn't dropped a single game all season (7-0-6), so something has to give against a Galaxy side that will fancy their chances at home.

NBA Tonight's marquee game is the Oklahoma City Thunder heading into Frost Bank Center to take on the San Antonio Spurs — two of the best records in the league going at it, so expect buckets on both ends and a crowd that knows what's at stake. The Spurs come in as slight favorites at home, but the Thunder have been an absolute clinic all season at 64 wins, and if their offense gets cooking in the paint early, San Antonio's going to have a long night. On the other end of the slate, the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers tip off Saturday in what's shaping up to be a grinder — both teams are locked in a dead heat in the standings and neither side can afford to take the L.

NHL Tonight's headliner sends the Vegas Golden Knights into Ball Arena to face the Colorado Avalanche, who have been the class of the league all season at 55-16-11 and come in as heavy home favorites — Vegas will need to stay disciplined and keep their forwards out of the penalty box, or Colorado's power play will snipe them to death in the slot. The later game on TNT brings the Montreal Canadiens to Lenovo Center to face the Carolina Hurricanes, a defensive shop that keeps opponents from getting anything clean in the crease and has the over/under pegged at a stingy 5.5. Both home teams are heavily favored, so the real question is whether Vegas or Montreal has enough jump to force the kind of tight third period where a shorthanded chance or a pulled goalie with two minutes left changes everything.

WNBA The marquee game tonight is the Las Vegas Aces hosting the Los Angeles Sparks — Vegas is the class of the league at 4-1 and laying 8.5, so expect them to put on an absolute clinic in the paint against a Sparks squad that's been inconsistent. Earlier on CBS, the Minnesota Lynx visit the Chicago Sky in a battle of two 3-2 teams where every game matters this early, with the Lynx favored by 2.5 — that one's got tightness written all over it. Two games are already live: the Indiana Fever and Golden State Valkyries are neck and neck at halftime, and that's the one worth watching if you want live buckets.