27 games played, by sport.
MLB The marquee game tonight is Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers favored at home despite the Brewers owning the better regular season record, so this is a heavyweight series with a getaway day rematch set for tomorrow. Watch how deep the Dodgers starter can go before the manager goes to the pen, since Milwaukee's lineup has gotten into its stuff all year. Earlier in the day, the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Cleveland Guardians in a tighter spot, with Cleveland a modest home favorite and the over-under sitting low enough that this one could come down to the bullpen and OBP at the top of the order.
MLS The whole MLS slate kicks off tonight, but Nashville SC hosting Sporting Kansas City is the headline, with Nashville a massive favorite riding the league's best record into a near-automatic clean sheet. Keep an eye on Chicago Fire against Philadelphia Union too, a tight playoff-positioning clash between two clubs with similar records. Don't sleep on Inter Miami at home against New York City FC either, a heavy favorite spot where a sitter in front of goal could decide things if Miami can't find the net early.
NBA The marquee ticket tonight is Denver and the Clippers at Intuit Dome, with Denver favored on the road and both sides chasing an early identity in a league still shaking off opening-week jitters. Keep an eye on the undefeated Nets heading into Miami as road dogs against a Heat squad looking to make a statement at home, and the Celtics should keep feasting on Charlotte if Boston's buckets keep splashing early. New York is still searching for a win and hosts Toronto tomorrow, so watch for any sign the Knicks finally find their footing before this slide turns into a real problem.
NCAA Football Tonight's slate is a mid-week Group of Five slog, but the headliner is Western Kentucky at Sam Houston on ESPN, where the Hilltoppers are favored by just a point and a half in a game that could come down to who wins time of possession in the fourth quarter. Keep an eye on Texas State hosting Colorado State too, since the Bobcats are sitting as 14.5-point favorites, so the story there is whether they can pull away early or let Colorado State hang around and cover easily. Elsewhere, Kennesaw State at Missouri State and East Carolina at UAB look like smashmouth, field-position battles that may turn on who can finally move the ball in the red zone instead of stalling out on third-and-long.
NFL The marquee game is a Thursday night tilt as the Seattle Seahawks travel to face the Denver Broncos at Mile High, with both teams sitting at 3-2 and looking to grab an edge in a tightly bunched division race. Seattle is favored by 2.5, and with the total sitting at 40.5, this one projects as a smashmouth, field-position battle rather than a shootout, so don't expect garbage-time stats padding anyone's line. Watch how Denver's defense handles the line of scrimmage early, because if they can win time of possession and keep Seattle out of the red zone, the under becomes the easy side; if not, Seattle's offense could cover easily.
NHL The marquee matchup is Utah Mammoth at Edmonton Oilers, where the unbeaten-in-regulation Oilers try to keep rolling at home against a Utah squad that has looked surprisingly dangerous early. Keep an eye on Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche too, a tight divisional tilt that could easily come down to a power play goal or a stick save with three minutes left in the third. If either game gets desperate late, watch for a team to pull the goalie and chase an OT winner top shelf.