26 games played, by sport.
MLB The must-watch game tonight is Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, with the Rays already sitting at 96 wins and pushing for playoff positioning while the Phillies try to keep their bullpen fresh for October. Keep an eye on Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins too, since Atlanta's heart of the order can leave the yard in a hurry against a shaky Marlins staff. It's a getaway day slate around the league, so watch for managers going to the pen early to protect arms before travel.
MLS The night's marquee slate is a full MLS card, and the headliner is New England Revolution visiting Real Salt Lake, with New England's 14-4-8 record among the best in the league as they push for playoff positioning. Don't sleep on Vancouver Whitecaps hosting D.C. United, since Vancouver has been nearly unbeatable at home and is a heavy favorite to keep a clean sheet against a struggling D.C. side. For a tighter watch, Nashville SC hosting Toronto FC has draw potential, but a top-heavy Nashville squad chasing a strong playoff seed will be looking to avoid a sitter and find the net early.
NCAA Football Texas at Tennessee is the marquee game of the slate, both undefeated at 3-0 with a spot in the College Football Playoff conversation on the line, and the Longhorns are just 4.5-point road favorites in a hostile Neyland Stadium. Don't sleep on Oklahoma at Georgia in prime time, where the Sooners will need to control the line of scrimmage and win time of possession to have any shot against a Bulldogs defense that can bail out a shaky offense in the red zone. Ohio State laying 26.5 on Illinois is the classic smashmouth mismatch that could turn into garbage-time stats by the fourth quarter, while Michigan-Iowa's low over/under of 38.5 screams a grind-it-out, third-and-long kind of afternoon.
NHL The marquee ticket tonight is Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild, with the undefeated Stars looking to stay perfect while the Wild try to defend home ice in front of a raucous crowd. Also circle Edmonton Oilers hosting the Calgary Flames in the late window, a Battle of Alberta that always brings extra chippiness to the crease and no shortage of penalty kill drama. Keep an eye on Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals early, where a Bruins power play snipe from the slot could set the tone for the rest of the night's slate.