15 games played, by sport.
MLB The marquee game tonight is Game 1 of this World Series tilt between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, with the Brewers coming in as the National League's best record and the Rays favored at home behind their deep bullpen. The top of each lineup is the heart of the order to watch, so keep an eye on OBP and who's getting good swings early against whoever draws the start. If either manager goes to the pen too early in a tight one, don't be surprised if it ends in a walk-off.
NBA The marquee matchup tonight is Minnesota Timberwolves at Cleveland Cavaliers, with the undefeated Timberwolves looking to keep their perfect start rolling against a Cavaliers squad that'll need someone to catch fire from deep to keep pace. Also keep an eye on Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Phoenix Suns, a measuring-stick game for the defending-caliber Thunder against a Suns team searching for buckets, and Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics, where Boston is a two-touchdown favorite and could put on an absolute clinic if Chicago can't get stops in the paint. Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat is worth a glance too, since Miami's still winless and desperate to avoid another L.
NCAA Football The marquee matchup is Delaware Blue Hens at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, a near pick-em with the Hilltoppers favored by just a point and a half as two 3-4 teams try to keep their bowl hopes alive. The over-under sits at 57.5, so expect both offenses to move the ball between the twenties even if the line of scrimmage battle stays even. Later, Sam Houston Bearkats at Missouri State Bears is more of a smashmouth survival game, with the Bears favored by 5.5 as Sam Houston tries to avoid garbage-time stats on a lost season.
NFL The marquee game is the Dallas Cowboys at the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, and with both teams sitting at a shaky 2-4 this NFC East rivalry has turned into a desperation game before anyone expected it to. Dallas is favored by four and a half on the road, so watch how the Cowboys handle time of possession against an Eagles defense that will need to win at the line of scrimmage early to avoid another slow start. The over sits at 43.5, which feels low for this matchup, so if either offense starts moving the ball in the red zone this one could blow past the total in a hurry.
NHL The marquee matchup is Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes, pitting the league's two best records against each other with the Hurricanes defending home ice at Lenovo Center. Also keep an eye on Toronto Maple Leafs at Calgary Flames, where Toronto will lean on its power play to pull away from a Flames club that has been shaky on the penalty kill. If either of these stays tight, watch for traffic in the slot and a goalie pulled late for an extra attacker with the game on the line.
WNBA The marquee game tonight is the Atlanta Dream heading to Chase Center to face the Golden State Valkyries, with Atlanta favored by a point and a half despite being the road dog. Both teams are rolling with winning records, so this one's about seeding positioning down the stretch, and expect buckets in the paint early before it turns into a track meet. Keep an eye out for a dagger three late if either team's shooters get hot from deep.