114 games played, by sport.
EPL The marquee game is Manchester City hosting Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium, where an undefeated City side is a heavy favorite to keep its clean sheet streak alive against a Sunderland squad still finding its footing. Also worth watching is Manchester United on the road at Fulham, a match that could easily end nil-nil if United's finishing woes continue, while Liverpool visits AFC Bournemouth looking to bounce back after a shaky start. Crystal Palace at Leeds United rounds out the slate, a tighter affair where one well-placed through ball could be the difference between a draw and three points.
MLB The marquee game is the Phillies at the Mets, already into the top of the eighth with New York up 6-3 as the Mets bullpen tries to close out a getaway day and keep their fading playoff hopes on life support against a Phillies club that has already clinched a postseason spot. Later tonight, keep an eye on the Braves at the Astros, a heart-of-the-order slugfest with a high over-under, and the Giants trying to avoid getting steamrolled by a Dodgers rotation that's been dominant all September. If you want a walk-off watch, the early games in Cleveland and Cincinnati are both early innings and still scoreless or lopsided, so plenty of time for a starter to get into his stuff or a manager to go to the pen too early.”
MLS The night's headline act is Inter Miami CF hosting San Diego FC, with Miami favored at home and both sides chasing points as the MLS playoff picture tightens. Also keep an eye on Nashville SC against Chicago Fire FC, since Nashville's got the league's stingiest defense this season and will be looking for another clean sheet. Vancouver Whitecaps travel to Real Salt Lake as slight favorites despite being on the road, so an upset there wouldn't be a total shock.
NCAA Football The marquee game tonight is Florida State against Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where the Seminoles are up 21-13 in the second quarter and threatening to knock off a ranked Crimson Tide team that couldn't move the ball much on their opening drives. Later, LSU heads to Ole Miss as a slight road underdog in a game that'll shape the early SEC picture, with the over sitting at 58.5 for anyone tracking the total. Keep an eye on Notre Dame hosting Michigan State too — the Irish are favored by nearly four touchdowns, so this one could turn into garbage-time stats for the backups if Notre Dame's defense bails out an early lead in the red zone.
NFL The marquee matchup is the surprising 2-0 Indianapolis Colts trying to hang with the Kansas City Chiefs under the lights at Arrowhead, with Kansas City favored by 6 and looking to shake off a slow start behind the line of scrimmage. Keep an eye on the Miami Dolphins heading into San Francisco as touchdown-and-a-half underdogs, a spot where the 49ers could go smashmouth early and put this one in garbage time before the fourth quarter. Also watch Philadelphia at Tennessee, where the Eagles are favored by 7 and the total sits at just 39.5, setting up for a time-of-possession grind rather than a shootout in the red zone.
NHL The marquee tilt is preseason's Battle of Ontario, Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs, with the two Original Six rivals actually flipping the matchup again the next night in Montreal, so it's a home-and-home to watch power plays and penalty kills get their timing down early. Since it's the opening slate of preseason nothing's on the line standings-wise, but keep an eye on Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers for a first look at fresh lines trying to find chemistry in the slot and around the crease. Nothing's expected to need a pulled goalie or an OT winner tonight, but a couple of snipes top shelf will still get bragging rights flowing among fans.
WNBA The marquee tilt is New York Liberty at Toronto Tempo, with the Liberty favored but on the road against a Tempo squad trying to spoil their playoff push. Don't sleep on Minnesota Lynx at Connecticut Sun, where the league's best record rolls in as a heavy favorite looking to keep stacking buckets against a Sun team just trying not to take another L. Also keep an eye on Indiana Fever hosting Washington Mystics, a tighter spread that could come down to who's got ice in their veins in the fourth quarter.