Vol. IThe Bluffball AlmanacFRI, SEP 11, 2026✉ Write innew

Sportsinator

Daily sports news cheat sheets for people who want to talk sports

Back issues · May 2026 · 23 May

23rd may 2026

31 games played, by sport.

The morning line

EPL The marquee fixture is Arsenal making the trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace, with the Gunners' brilliant 25-win season on the line as Manchester City — heavy favourites at home against Aston Villa — look to keep pace at the Etihad; a dropped point from either side could flip the title race in a single afternoon. All ten matches kick off simultaneously at three o'clock, the classic final-day format that keeps every table position in flux until the last whistle blows. Keep an eye on the bottom as well: Wolverhampton Wanderers visiting a shambolic Burnley side — both sitting on just three wins from 37 matches — is a genuine relegation scrap where neither club can afford to settle for a draw.

MLB The marquee game tonight is the Los Angeles Dodgers rolling into American Family Field to face the Milwaukee Brewers on FOX, a matchup of two clubs with nearly identical records where the Brewers' bullpen has been stingy all year and every run against either heart of the order matters. Right now there's a live upset worth watching: the Washington Nationals have gone into Truist Park and held the Atlanta Braves — best record in baseball at 36-16 — off the board through eight innings, the kind of game where you wonder if the manager went to the pen too early and left the yard wide open. Tomorrow's getaway-day slate deserves a look too, with the Tampa Bay Rays (34-15, hottest team in the American League) heading into Yankee Stadium for a divisional showdown that'll tell you a lot about who actually owns the AL East.

MLS The marquee game of this MLS weekend slate is Philadelphia Union visiting Inter Miami CF on Saturday night, with Inter Miami heavily favored at -235 and sitting pretty at 8-4-2 on the season — the Union, meanwhile, have found the net just once in four wins all year and desperately need points. Keep an eye on the Western Conference showdown between the San Jose Earthquakes and Portland Timbers, where San Jose rolls in as one of the hottest sides in the league at 9-2-3 while Portland is a slight underdog at home. The nightcap to watch is Seattle Sounders FC at LAFC, two Pacific rivals with playoff positioning very much in play — lines are tight and this one has draw written all over it.

NBA Tonight's marquee game is the New York Knicks heading into Rocket Arena to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Cleveland laying 3.5 on a 215.5 over/under — expect both teams to be hunting buckets in the paint all night. The Knicks come in with the better record at 53-29 but the Cavaliers have home court and a chip on their shoulder, so whoever's got ice in his veins down the stretch is going to decide this one. Tomorrow night the Oklahoma City Thunder travel to San Antonio to face a Spurs squad that's been an absolute clinic all season at 62-20 — that's the can't-miss matchup of the weekend, two of the hottest teams in the league going at it on NBC.

NHL Tonight's marquee game is the Montreal Canadiens skating into Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, with Carolina sitting as heavy favorites at -205 and the over/under set at a tight 6.5 — expect both teams to pack it in defensively and make every power play opportunity count. The Hurricanes have been a penalty-kill machine all season, so if the Canadiens can get them into the box and create some slot traffic, that changes the whole complexion of the series. Also on the radar is the late game Sunday night when the Colorado Avalanche, one of the best teams in the league at 55-16-11, roll into T-Mobile Arena against the Vegas Golden Knights — that over/under of 5.5 suggests a grinding, low-event game, but with Colorado's firepower, do not be shocked if someone goes top shelf late in the third to steal it.

WNBA The marquee game tonight is Los Angeles Sparks at Las Vegas Aces, where the Aces come in at 4-1 and are laying nearly 10 points — if you want to see a team eating opponents alive in the paint, this is your spot. The New York Liberty hosting the Dallas Wings at Barclays Center is the other one to watch, a tight 3-2 versus 3-3 matchup where the Liberty are favored but not by enough to relax. And right now the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are knotted at 44 apiece heading into the fourth, so that one could go anywhere.

Saturday, 23rd May31games
DateLeagueMatchupFinal
Basketball4 games
Sat23 MayNBANew YorkKnicksvsClevelandhomeCavaliers121108
Sat23 MayWNBALos AngelesSparksvsLas VegashomeAces10195
Sat23 MayWNBAPortlandFirevsTorontohomeTempo9980
Sat23 MayWNBAMinnesotaLynxvsChicagohomeSky8575
Baseball14 games
Sat23 MayMLBColoradoRockiesvsArizonahomeDiamondbacks45
Sat23 MayMLBTexasRangersvsLos AngeleshomeAngels25
Sat23 MayMLBAthleticsAthleticsvsSan DiegohomePadres02
Sat23 MayMLBSt. LouisCardinalsvsCincinnatihomeReds67
Sat23 MayMLBLos AngelesDodgersvsMilwaukeehomeBrewers113
Sat23 MayMLBSeattleMarinersvsKansas CityhomeRoyals05
Sat23 MayMLBMinnesotaTwinsvsBostonhomeRed Sox42
Sat23 MayMLBNew YorkMetsvsMiamihomeMarlins14
Sat23 MayMLBWashingtonNationalsvsAtlantahomeBraves20
Sat23 MayMLBClevelandGuardiansvsPhiladelphiahomePhillies03
Sat23 MayMLBChicagoWhite SoxvsSan FranciscohomeGiants310
Sat23 MayMLBPittsburghPiratesvsTorontohomeBlue Jays25
Sat23 MayMLBHoustonAstrosvsChicagohomeCubs30
Sat23 MayMLBSt. LouisCardinalsvsCincinnatihomeReds81
Hockey1 game
Sat23 MayNHLMontrealCanadiensvsCarolinahomeHurricanes23
Soccer12 games
Sat23 MayMLSHouston Dynamo FCHoustonvsLA GalaxyhomeLA Galaxy11
Sat23 MayMLSFC DallasDallasvsColorado RapidshomeColorado21
Sat23 MayMLSSan Jose EarthquakesSan JosevsPortland TimbershomePortland31
Sat23 MayMLSVancouver WhitecapsVancouvervsSan Diego FChomeSan Diego42
Sat23 MayMLSNew York City FCNYCFCvsNashville SChomeNashville12
Sat23 MayMLSRed Bull New YorkRed Bull NYvsSporting Kansas CityhomeKansas City21
Sat23 MayMLSToronto FCTorontovsChicago Fire FChomeChicago12
Sat23 MayMLSNew England RevolutionNew EnglandvsCharlotte FChomeCharlotte01
Sat23 MayMLSCF MontréalCF MontréalvsD.C. UnitedhomeD.C. United44
Sat23 MayMLSOrlando City SCOrlandovsFC CincinnatihomeCincinnati26
Sat23 MayMLSReal Salt LakeSalt LakevsMinnesota United FChomeMinnesota11
Sat23 MayMLSAustin FCAustinvsSt. Louis CITY SChomeSt. Louis03