12 games played, by sport.
MLB The marquee game is the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Milwaukee Brewers, locked at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth in a series that's shaping up as a getaway day grind for both bullpens after the starters couldn't quite get through six. The Dodgers are clinging to a one-upmanship edge in the standings, so this one carries real weight, and either pen blowing it late could set up a walk-off for the home crowd. Later, the Tampa Bay Rays host the Cleveland Guardians as sizable favorites, with Tampa's lineup looking to get into the Guardians' starter early rather than wait on the heart of the order.
NBA The headliner tonight is Golden State at the Lakers, a marquee rematch with LeBron and the Lakers fresh off a win trying to keep pace against a Warriors squad that's splashing buckets early in the season. Keep an eye on Brooklyn at Washington too, both sitting undefeated at 2-0 so somebody takes their first L. Minnesota heads into the Garden as road favorites over a winless Knicks team still searching for their first dagger of the year.
NCAA Football Tuesday's slate is light but Jacksonville State hosting Florida International is the marquee tilt, with the Gamecocks favored by 3 and the over/under sitting at 43.5 as they try to push their record to 5-2. Earlier, Delaware heads to Middle Tennessee as a slight road favorite in a pick-em-type game between two 2-3 squads looking to find their footing at the line of scrimmage. Neither game screams statement win, but keep an eye on whether Jacksonville State can control time of possession and stay out of third-and-long situations against a feisty FIU defense.
NFL Monday night's marquee game is Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams, with the Rams favored by three and a half and the total sitting at fifty-five and a half, so expect both offenses to move the ball rather than a smashmouth slugfest. Buffalo comes in at three and one and will lean on controlling time of possession and avoiding third-and-long situations against a Rams defense that can get after the quarterback. Watch how each team finishes drives in the red zone, since if either side settles for field goals instead of touchdowns it could decide whether the game covers the spread or stays under.
NHL The marquee tilt is Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings, where the red-hot Oilers roll in at 4-0-1 against a Kings team still searching for its legs at 0-2-2, so expect Edmonton leaning on the power play all night. Also keep an eye on Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers, a clash of two of the league's hottest starts that could easily go to an OT winner. If you want a track meet, Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild pits the NHL's best record against a scrappy Wild squad that will be looking for stick saves and shorthanded breaks to keep it close.