The morning line

MLB The marquee matchup tonight is the Philadelphia Phillies heading to Dodger Stadium to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, two of the hotter clubs in the National League — the Dodgers are running a 36-20 record and their bullpen has been tough to solve late in games, so if the Phillies starter can go deep into the order and keep the heart of the lineup in check, they've got a shot. The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals renew their old NL Central rivalry at Busch Stadium, a division bout where both clubs are bunched near .500 and a series win swings the standings — watch whether either manager goes to the pen too early, because Busch can be a walk-off park when the late innings tighten up. Also keep an eye on the Atlanta Braves wrapping up their series against the Cincinnati Reds; at 38-19, Atlanta is the best record in the game right now and their starters have been posting the kind of WHIP numbers that make opposing lineups look overmatched even on a getaway day.

NBA The marquee game of the week is the San Antonio Spurs heading into Paycom Center to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, two of the best records in the league going at it — OKC at 64-18 and San Antonio not far behind at 62-20, so neither squad has been taking Ls lightly. The Thunder are favored by three and a half at home, but this Spurs team has been dropping buckets all season and won't be backing down on the road. With an over/under sitting at 212.5, expect both offenses to bring the heat — ice in his veins moments are coming from somebody on that floor tonight.

NHL Tonight's marquee game has the Montreal Canadiens skating into Lenovo Center to take on the Carolina Hurricanes at 8 PM Eastern on TNT, and Carolina comes in as massive favorites at -250, so the real question is whether Montreal can steal one on the road and keep their season alive. The Hurricanes have been suffocating all year with their relentless forecheck and penalty kill, and if they can keep the Canadiens to the outside and out of the slot, this could be a short night for Montreal's goaltender. If you want a moment to watch for, it's any stretch of five-on-five play where the Canadiens start to generate pressure in the crease — that's the only scenario where an upset gets interesting.

WNBA The marquee matchup tonight is the New York Liberty hosting the Phoenix Mercury at Barclays Center — the Liberty are 4-4 and looking to get right against a Mercury squad that's been taking Ls all season at 2-6, so expect New York to put on an absolute clinic in the paint. Keep an eye on the Minnesota Lynx rolling into Chicago as 4.5-point favorites; at 5-2 they've been getting buckets all year and the Sky at 3-4 need a win badly. Late night, the Atlanta Dream head to Portland as massive 8.5-point road favorites over the Fire, which tells you everything about how the league views that matchup right now.