Daily sports news cheat sheets for people who want to talk sports
21 games played, by sport.
MLB The marquee matchup tonight is the Atlanta Braves hosting the Milwaukee Brewers at Truist Park — two clubs separated by just one game in the standings, so whoever's starter goes seven and keeps the heart of the order quiet will have a real leg up in what figures to be a low-run affair with the over-under sitting at 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers, the best record in baseball at 48-27, welcome the Baltimore Orioles to Dodger Stadium late, and the books have them at -219, meaning the bullpen better not blow a lead after the starter does his job. Keep an eye on the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds at Yankee Stadium too — the Yankees are heavy favorites to pad their spot atop the AL East, and any Reds pitcher who can keep the Bronx bombers from leaving the yard will be earning his paycheck.
WNBA The marquee matchup is the Minnesota Lynx at the Golden State Valkyries tonight at Chase Center — the Lynx are running the best record in the league at 12-3 and the Valkyries at 10-5 are one of the few teams that can hang with them, so expect buckets on both ends and a real fight in the paint. Earlier in the evening, the New York Liberty host the Washington Mystics at Barclays Center; the Liberty are 11-4 and laying 11.5, so if you want to see an absolute clinic in how to dissect a defense, tune in to ION. Tomorrow's ABC doubleheader rounds things out with the Indiana Fever visiting the Atlanta Dream — two winning teams that are neck-and-neck in the standings — and the Seattle Storm at the Phoenix Mercury, which is the kind of bottom-of-the-league clash where someone's losing streak is about to get longer.
World Cup The marquee game on today's slate is Brazil hosting Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field, where Brazil enter as massive favorites at -900 but are already on the back foot after dropping their opener — a loss here would be a genuinely shambolic start for the five-time champions. Right now at halftime, Morocco lead Scotland one-nil at Gillette Stadium, and if that result holds, Scotland's early momentum from a strong record will take a real hit. The can't-miss fixture comes tomorrow when the Netherlands host Sweden, two sides who know each other well and both need a result badly after stumbling in matchday one.