The bloom is off for UMass. After opening 4-0, the Minutemen have lost Mid-American Conference games to Miami of Ohio and Eastern Michigan.

Quarterback has become a major issue for UMass. Not only did the Minutemen lose their excellent dual threat starter Pop Watson, but backup QB Aedan McCarthy is injured, too. That leaves UMass in third and fourth string quarterback territory.

The timing here is certainly not good for that.

Buffalo has played two of the toughest teams in the MAC during the last two weeks and have looked very good. The Bulls upset Toledo, 23-8, as an 18 1/2-point road underdog last week and covered a 13 1/2-point spread in a 20-17 loss to Western Michigan.

The Bulls held these two offenses without an explosive run. Western Michigan averaged only 3.1 yards on the ground on 37 carries against the Bulls. Toledo's powerful offense could only manage eight points and 308 yards. That was 28 points and 177 yards below its average.

Buffalo's Messiah Burch is the second leading rusher in the MAC. The Bulls can rely on him. UMass has no one to rely on with Watson out.

After beating Winnipeg twice this season in close games, Edmonton is looking to go 3-0 in the regular season against the Blue Bombers for the first time since 1979.

I don't see it happening.

The key for Winnipeg is getting back QB Zach Collaros. He had missed the previous two weeks, but returned last Saturday to lead the Blue Bombers to an important, 33-28, victory against Calgary as a small underdog. Collaros was 19-for-27 passing for 349 yards and two touchdowns.

Collaros has a number of good skill position players to utilize. This includes wide receiver Dorian Singer, who has 279 receiving yards the past two weeks, and running back Brady Oliveira, who leads the CFL in rushing by 300 yards.

Edmonton clinched a home playoff spot for the first time since 2015 with a victory against Hamilton last week. So the Elks may be in a letdown spot.

Elks QB Cody Fajardo has gone three games without a touchdown pass. He is facing a Blue Bombers defense that has given up the fourth fewest passing touchdowns.

Early money has come on the Blue Bombers. Early money often is sharp money when it comes to the CFL.

Down 0-2 in this National League Championship Series, the Dodgers are back home in must win mode against the Brewers. They have a starting pitching edge with Blake Snell going against Robert Gasser.

But the Brewers hold a bullpen advantage and record-wise are the superior team. The Dodgers are just not scoring enough to back with any confidence. LA is averaging only 2.8 runs per game during its last five games.  The Dodgers haven't produced more than five runs during any of their last 11 games.

Gasser has been pitching his best ball down the stretch with a 1.73 ERA during his last seven starts. Brewers relievers had the best ERA in the National League during the regular season and their bullpen has been even better during the playoffs yielding only one run across 28 2/3 innings.

Snell has lived up to his lofty reputation with  a 1.13 ERA in his last eight starts. He wasn't that sharp in his last outing, however, giving up three hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings against the Braves in a 3-2 loss.

This has all the makings of a low scoring, one run type of game. So I'm willing to lay juice to get the Brewers at plus 1 1/2 runs on the run line. 

Along with the Chiefs and Vikings, the 49ers are the only 4-0 team. That is about to change. I don't see the banged up 49ers upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

The 49ers have a number of key defensive injuries, a cluster injury problem at wide receiver and just lost versatile fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

So how have the 49ers managed to go 4-0? They faced the no-show Rams in Australia, the non-competitive winless Dolphins, got past a bad Cardinals team despite giving up 30 points to them and beat the disappointing Broncos. San Francisco didn't get going against the Broncos until Denver lost both of its star starting cornerbacks.

The 49ers are ripe for the picking here and Seattle is the perfect team to fill that niche.

The Seahawks are the best defensive team San Francisco has faced. The 49ers have yet to give up a sack, but Seattle has the strongest pass rush by far of the opponents they have met.

The Seahawks have held the 49ers to an average of 15.8 in five games since Mike Macdonald became their head coach. Seattle has won the past two meetings against the 49ers, 13-3 and 41-6.

There is a lot at stake for Boise State in this game. Not only do the Broncos have revenge for a 30-7 home loss to Fresno State last year when their starting quarterback, Maddux Madsen, was knocked out of the game after throwing only four passes, but a win here bolsters Boise State's chances of being part of the College Football Playoffs.

The Broncos were 17 1/2-point favorites against Fresno State last season.

Madsen is back and playing well. I have the Broncos as being the best team in the Pac-12. Boise State has won four in a row after losing, 34-27, but easily covering a 25 1/2-point underdog road spread against Oregon in Week 1.

The Broncos are averaging 34.3 points per game and rank 23rd in rushing. They have the nation's leading rusher in Dylan Riley.

Both Boise State and Fresno State are 4-1. But I don't consider Fresno State to be in the Broncos' class.

The Bulldogs could only score two touchdowns against Washington State - the worst team in the Pac-12 - last week, were out-gained by Rice the week before that and needed a plus 4 turnover margin to defeat San Jose State three weeks ago. The Bulldogs also were shut out by USC, 39-0, opening week. The Trojans lost at home to Oregon, 41-27.

The Buccaneers have failed to cover in their last 13 games. That is the NFL modern-day record in case you were wondering.

Look for Tampa Bay to make it 14 consecutive non-covers as I don't see the Bucs keeping within a touchdown of the Cowboys on the road in this short week with backup rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels making his first NFL away start.

Dallas is averaging 30.5 points per game, second highest in the league. Dak Prescott is playing at a high level and CeeDee Lamb is off to the best start of his career. The Cowboys' run game is starting to find their groove and star left guard Tyler Smith is expected to make his season debut. Smith is going to make Dallas' potent offense even better.

Defense has been the problem for Dallas. However, the Cowboys have gone against four good quarterbacks this season - CJ Stroud, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart. Now they finally draw a bad quarterback. Jalon Daniels is more practice squad caliber player than NFL starter.

The Buccaneers' offensive line has been a major disappointment. So have their receivers. Tampa Bay is averaging 16.3 points a game during its last three games. 

The Valkyries are the best defensive team in the WNBA. They showed it in Game 1 of this semifinal series holding the Aces to a season low 60 points in a 71-60 victory this past Sunday.

Golden State has home court and much better depth than Las Vegas. The Aces are the defending champions and have the best player in the league, A’ja Wilson, along with two other big stars in Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. All three are clutch players.

Wilson, Gray and Young all played between 35 to 40 minutes when the Aces closed out the Fever in their quarterfinal series.

Now the Aces have had three days of rest. If they lose this game they are down 0-2 in this best of 5 series. So it is a critical game. The Aces have proven to be at their best in these instances.

Las Vegas won't have reserve guard Jewell Loyd, but expect to get back starter Stephanie Talbot and possibly key role player Dana Evans.

The Aces have the heart, deep playoff experience and star players to redeem their Game 1 embarrassment.

Kennesaw State ranks 105th in run defense and has only one takeaway. I don't see the Owls slowing down Jacksonville State's dual threat QB Caden Creel, who has accounted for 1,112 passing yards, a team high 375 rushing yards and a combined 13 touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, Owls QB Rickie Collins has been disappointing. Aside from West Georgia, an FCS team, Kennesaw State is averaging 13.3 points in its other three games.

The Owls don't figure to have good field position either as Jacksonville State is second in the nation in punting. 

The Flyers have yet to win in three games this season. I don't see that changing here against the Lightning on the road. If you go back to last season, Philadelphia is 1-9 in its last 10 games.

This is Philadelphia's fourth game in six days and the Flyers are starting Dan Vladar in goal. That is not good from a Flyers standpoint. Vladar saw only 8 minutes of preseason action before getting injured. He was in net for the Flyers' regular season opener. It did not go well for him to put it mildly. Vladar gave up seven goals in a 7-0 loss to the Penguins.

This is his first appearance since then. The Flyers have only scored four goals in three games.

The Lightning got back to form with a 3-1 win against the Capitals after losing their opener, 5-1, to the Rangers. Star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is projected to be in net for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay outscored the Flyers, 15-3, in going 3-0 against them last season. 

There are not too many teams in the NFL in worse shape right now than the Packers. Tampa Bay is one of those teams.

The Buccaneers not only are winless this season, but they have failed to cover in their last 12 games.

If there is one team Green Bay can beat it's the Buccaneers, especially given that undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is going to start at quarterback. There are decent backup QB's and there are terrible backup QB's. Daniels fits into the latter category. He is more third string at best, if not a practice squad caliber of player.

The Packers are on added rest off a humiliating home loss to the Falcons this past Thursday. That defeat has put coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst clearly on the hot seat.

Gutekunst has tried to cover up his inefficiency in protecting Jordan Love with adequate offensive lineman by frantically signing veteran but way over the hill offensive linemen Kevin Zeitler, Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton. No truth to the rumor the Packers wanted to sign Forrest Gregg until they found out he was dead.

Tampa Bay's offensive line has been even more disappointing than the Packers since it had way higher expectations. The Buccaneers have allowed the highest sack percentage in the league.

Marcus Mariota played extremely well in helping the Commanders upset the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks at home last week. Washington isn't very good, though. I don't see the Commanders carrying over that momentum especially going overseas and considering their injury situation.

Mariota has a history of inconsistency. Rarely has he put together two well played games in a row. The Commanders certainly can't count on its banged up defense to hold down a potent Colts offense.

Washington has allowed 11 touchdowns in three games and an opponent passer rating of 124.4, highest in the  NFL.

Daniel Jones is in line for his best game of the season after having faced the Texans, Chiefs and Ravens defenses. Lost in the glare of the Commanders' great win against Seattle was linebacker Leo Chenal suffering a season-ending neck injury. The Commanders also were plus 3 in turnover ratio in that game. A team should win when it has that lopsided of a takeaway/giveaway advantage. 

The Colts have terrible defensive numbers. But their talent level is better than those numbers. I see this as a Get Right game for Indy's defense. I'm not impressed with any of Washington's running backs and Mariota has been a backup for  many seasons for a reason after being the second overall draft pick in 2015. 

There are not many people in the world who have an obsession about the Akron football team. Central Michigan coach Matt Drinkall may be the only one on the planet.

That's because the Zips dealt Central Michigan a crucial 28-22 Mid-American Conference loss last season, perhaps their most disappointing of the year.

Now the Chippewas want revenge in their homecoming game.

"There's not another game on our schedule I have thought about more," Drinkall said. "I've thought about this Akron game, conservatively, 50 times a day, every day, for the last 365 days because we failed to perform to our standards in that game."

I like the Chippewa's chances of winning this contest by more than a touchdown. They are 2-2 with losses to fourth ranked Miami and New Mexico, a title contender in the Mountain West Conference.

Akron hasn't played that tough of a schedule. The Zips defeated Robert Morris, a FCS team, and have lost to Wake Forest, Minnesota and UNLV by a combined score of 117-33.

The Zips could be without their best quarterback, Cibastian Broughton, due to injury.

Central Michigan has been solid running the ball, averaging nearly 170 yards rushing per game. Now the Chippewas could become more balanced as Akron has allowed the second most passing yards per game in the Mid-American Conference.

The combination of the Liberty shooting well above their season average and a rare poor performance from star Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles enabled New York to upset the Lynx in the opening playoff game this past Sunday.

Now the Lynx must win or be eliminated. Look for Minnesota to not only win, but win decisively. The Lynx had the best team during the regular season and they had the best road record at 18-4.

Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart is going to get her points inside, but highly doubtful the Liberty can shoot well above their heads again like they did in Game 1 when they made 51% of their field goal attempts and made 13-of-25 3-point shots for 52%. They averaged 35.2 percent from 3-point range during the regular season.

Minnesota not only had a better shooting percentage than New York during the regular season, but the Lynx are the stronger defensive team, too. Center Jonquel Jones, New York's second best player, is dealing with an ankle injury. It is going to be rough on her playing for the second time in three days.

Lynx superstar center Napheesa Collier can take advantage. Miles, a legitimate MVP candidate along with being the rookie of the year, should play much better after scoring only 11 points and dishing off just one assist. 

Bears coach Ben Johnson can brag and predict his team will set an NFL scoring record. But after two games we know this about the Bears, they could only score three points in bad weather against the one good defense they faced in the Vikings. And that was having Caleb Williams for most of that game.

Now the Bears face an even better defense in the Eagles and they won't have Williams. Let's see what a genius Johnson is with the likelihood that 38-year-old, third-string journeyman Case Keenum is going to start. He last played in 2023. Backup QB Tyson Bagent missed most of the week while in concussion protocol. So he had limited practice working with the first team.

I'd rather back an elite Eagles defense under ace defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

There was a lot of off-season hype surrounding Luther Burden, Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze. So far these three players have combined for 14 receptions and no TD's.

The Eagles are still rounding into regular season playing form. They are not in peak shape yet. But they are still a couple of tiers ahead of the Bears.

Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are going to cook going against a Bears defense that surrendered 37 points and 478 yards to a pop-gun Carolina offense two weeks ago.

Both the Raiders and Saints are off to good starts. I trust the Saints more, especially being at home. New Orleans has won five of its last seven games going back to last season. Spread-wise, the Saints have covered eight in a row.

The Raiders opened with a home victory against the Dolphins, who are projected to have the worst record in the NFL. They then upset the winless Chargers, who could turn out to be the most overrated team.

The Saints rank second in passing yards. They are going to throw a lot, testing a Raiders secondary that ranks 29th in yards per completion.

The Raiders improved their offensive line during the off season. Still, it's an average at best O-line. The Raiders are below average at running the ball ranking 23rd in rushing yards. 

After an embarrassing, 39-0, opening week loss to USC, Fresno State has bounced back to beat FBS newcomer Sacramento State, 49-3, and San Jose State, 26-10.

I don't see Rice doing much on the road against Fresno State's defense. The Owls forced just seven turnovers last season. Only three teams had fewer. This season the Owls have only one takeaway on defense in three games.

Fresno State does not have an explosive offense. But the Bulldogs can control the clock and not worry about Rice coming up with takeaways. Fresno State is plus-5 in the turnover battle this year.

Beating LSU and Lane Kiffin this past Saturday night was one of Mississippi's best home victories in years. But it puts the Rebels in a very top situational spot here traveling to Florida to play the 3-0 Gators.

Florida is a top 25 team like Mississippi. The Rebels not only have to overcome this difficult spot, but also probably will be missing star running back Kewan Lacy, who injured his shoulder.

Lacey is considered by some to be the best running back in college football. It is Florida that now will have the best running back on the field in Jadan Baugh. He has gone above 100 yards rushing in all three games and scored eight  touchdowns, tied for first in the FBS.

Nothing against Mississippi's Trinidad Chambliss. He's an outstanding quarterback. Gators QB Aaron Philo is not in Chambliss' elite class, but he's thrown for 721 yards and six touchdowns. The Georgia Tech junior transfer has proven capable. Florida ranks 7th in scoring averaging 54 points a game.

It was Mississippi that had something to prove against its former coach Kiffin last week. It was a game of the decade type home atmosphere. Now it is Florida at home with that added motivation looking to get a huge signature win for first year head coach John Summerall.

This is the chance Cal has been waiting for, a nationally televised (ESPN) home night game against a premier football program in Clemson.

I like the spot for Cal and I like its quarterback, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. He is one of the better quarterbacks in the country. Clemson can't say the same about its quarterbacks, Christopher Vizzina and freshman Tait Reynolds, who is expected to start. 

The Tigers have not been the powerhouse the past few seasons that they once were. Their offensive line has allowed the most tackles for losses of any team in college football.

The Golden Bears should be ready for Clemson coming off an easy 49-7 victory over Wagner last week. Because of that lay-up opponent, Cal has really had two weeks to game plan for this particular matchup.

This is a long journey and a very unusual start time for Clemson. The last time the Tigers played at this late of a time was 44 years ago.

Heavy early market place activity has been on the Falcons driving this number way down from an opening Green Bay -6 1/2. It is to the point where the host Packers are now worth playing.

Being the road team is never easy when playing on a Thursday night following a Sunday game. The Falcons also are not used to playing on a grass field being an indoor carpet team.

Green Bay has offensive line injuries and so far an inefficient ground game. Hence, the heavy early action on Atlanta.

But this is not taking into account the talents of Jordan Love, who has mobility and a quick release. Love has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 16-to-4 during his last seven games.

The Falcons' two best pass rushers are unavailable and their defense is below par. Atlanta also is without its top cornerback, A.J. Terrell. He is on injured reserve with a groin injury. The Falcons are thin in the secondary as starting slot CB Billy Bowman Jr. is out, too, with an Achilles injury.

Bryce Young looked great against Atlanta's defense. Love is better than Young and has better receiving weapons. This is a huge step down in defensive class for the Packers after playing the Vikings and Jets both on the road.

The Falcons' offense has been held hostage by the horrendous quarterback play of Cooper Rush during the first two games. Part of the love for Atlanta is Michael Penix making his season debut mercifully replacing Rush. Yes, that's an upgrade. Nobody could be worse than Rush, or the equally bad fourth-stringer Jack Strand.

Penix, though, is no savior. The Falcons averaged only 16 points in Penix’s five road starts last season. Penix had a 76.7 passer rating on the road. When playing on artificial turf in his home dome, Penix had a far more respectable 104.7 quarterback rating.

Former first round draft pick Lukas Van Ness has taken some of the sting off the Packers not having injured Micah Parsons. Van Ness is playing his best ball since entering the NFL four seasons ago. The Falcons have surrendered the third most sacks. Penix, who has had three ACL surgeries, is not mobile.

The Packers also have a secret weapon - speedster Skyy Moore. He is giving Green Bay its best return specialist in four years.

I can't see the Dream defeating the Liberty twice in a span of three days in New York. Kudos to Atlanta for defeating the Liberty, 95-84, this past Monday.

That was a tough spot, though, for New York having just played in Toronto on Sunday. Having to play back to back games in the WNBA is a rarity.

The Liberty led Atlanta after the first quarter, but then ran out of gas. 

Keep in mind, too, that aside from having to play the Dream without rest the Liberty had seven participants in the recently concluded FIBA World Cup in Germany. The Liberty should be fully acclimated now.

Atlanta won't come into this game exactly rested either. This is the Dream's fourth game in seven days. The Liberty have gotten healthy and are playing much better than they were earlier in the season winning 13 of their last 18 games.

(Update: Hours after I wrote and posted this, Breanna Stewart was ruled out. I would still take the points with the Liberty, but downgrade my rating.) 

Now that they are back home and not in Australia, the Rams should do just fine. Matthew Stafford got the rust off having not played during the preseason. Certainly the Rams are not going to lack motivation after being embarrassed by the 49ers, 27-7, in that Australian loss.

It is the Giants turn to travel going from the East coast to the West Coast. You would have to go back to 2016 to find the last time the Giants defeated the Rams. I don't see it happening here.

Crucial might be too strong of a word, but the Rams' next three games are against the Broncos on the road, the Eagles on the road and Bills. So an 0-2 start by the Rams, the preseason Super Bowl favorite, could have devastating consequences.

Credit to the Giants for beating the Cowboys at home. Now, though, the Giants are stepping way up in defensive class. The Rams have an elite defense even without injured Myles Garrett. Giants QB Jaxon Dart is exciting, but can be erratic and lacks experience.

I am expecting Stafford to play much better with his matchup helped by the Giants possibly down two cornerbacks with Paulson Adebo going on injured reserve and Deonte Banks questionable with a calf injury.

Before opening week, the Seahawks were minus 10 against the Cardinals. That number has come way down because Sam Donald was injured and the Cardinals looked great in upsetting the Chargers this past Sunday.

I am going to take the discount here and lay this much lower number with Seattle. Drew Lock was solid against the Patriots. He is one of the better backup QB's in the league, a veteran with mobility who isn't afraid to throw downfield.

The Seahawks have had four extra days to prepare Lock having played last Wednesday.

The Cardinals could be better than many perceive. However, they are now going against a top-three defense. I also question if the Cardinals will be fully mentally prepared having pulled a major upset last week. It has been 16 games since the Cardinals last won two in a row.

The Saints became better during the middle of last season when Tyler Shough took over as the full-time starting quarterback. New Orleans is 4-3 in its last seven games going back to last season and has covered seven in a row. That record would be 5-2 if the Saints had converted a 2-point conversion in overtime last week against the Lions.

New Orleans is well coached on both sides of the ball. The oddsmaker has not caught up to how improved the Saints are.

The Ravens are 4-5 in their last nine September games. They also are 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games.

Baltimore has a long and troubling injury list, too. Here is the way things currently stack up: Nnamdi Madubuike (out), Teddy Buchanan (out), Trey Hendrickson (questionable), Zay Flowers (doubtful) and Ronnie Stanley (questionable).

So for sure the Ravens are going to be without two key defensive players. They also aren't likely to have Flowers, who is by far their best wide receiver, and they also may not have Stanley their best offensive lineman. 

This isn't an ideal spot for Missouri to be laying around four touchdowns. Troy is a solid Sun Belt Conference team with maybe the best quarterback in the league, Goose Crowder.

The Trojans have covered 67% as a road underdog the past three years under Gerad Parker.

Missouri just got through beating Kansas in a bitter matchup. Following this game, the Tigers go into SEC play taking on Mississippi State followed by Florida.

I believe 2-0 Troy has enough balance to stay within this large point spread, especially given the situation. But if the Tigers were to build a big early lead they are likely to pull their starters early leaving the back door open.

After crushing New Hampshire, 66-3, in its opener, Syracuse was upset at home by California, 21-18, last week. The oddsmaker has now overcompensated with this large point spread in favor of Pittsburgh.

The Panthers are 2-0, but have played less than stellar competition in Miami of Ohio and Central Florida.

Not only does Syracuse have revenge for a 30-13 loss to the Panthers last season, but will be idle the following week. So the Orange should be counted on for a strong all-out effort.

Pittsburgh beat the Orange last year when Syracuse didn't have injured QB Steve Angeli. He is back and makes a huge difference. Syracuse was 3-1 with Angeli last season. They went 0-8 without him.  Angeli averaged 329 yards passing with a 10-to-2 TD/INT ratio.

Note that Syracuse outgained Cal by nearly 200 yards, but was done in by a -3 turnover differential, including a pick 6. Syracuse's defense held the Golden Bears' offense to 14 points and 249 total yards. Impressive considering Cal has one of the top quarterbacks in the country, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Pittsburgh has a good quarterback, too, in Mason Heintschel. Yet Heintschel passed for just 143 yards with a TD and interception against Syracuse last year.

There is a 60% chance of rain and thunderstorms. That could mean more running from both teams. Syracuse is the better rushing team. The Orange average 4.5 yards per carry compared to Pittsburgh's 3.6 yards per run.

The Rays have the best record in the American League at 50-25. No other American League team is within seven games of that home mark.

The A's are 28 games below .500, done in by terrible pitching and their top power hitters felled by injuries. Each of their last seven losses have come by more than one run. They have lost those games by an average of 5.2 runs.

I don't see the A's being competitive at Tropicana Field in a pitching matchup of Jack Perkins against Griffin Jax, who is backed by MLB saves leader Bryan Baker.

Perkins is 3-11 with a 6.53 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. He can expect no help from an A's bullpen that has the highest ERA at 5.42.

Tampa Rays ranks in the top 10 in runs and has the highest batting average in the league. The Rays just faced Perkins on Aug. 12 and got to him for seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits in five innings in an 8-4 victory.

Jax has a 3.59 ERA as a starter. He just held the Braves to one run in five innings in a 7-2 victory six days ago. Jax is 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA in 13 appearances against the A’s.

The A's are missing injured sluggers Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom.

We have been here before with these two teams and the outcome is almost always the same - the Cowboys win. Dallas is 10-1 against the Giants during the past 11 meetings.

The Giants have a very soft secondary. That makes them a bad matchup against the Cowboys, who have arguably the best WR combo in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

I wasn't that impressed with the Giants' off-season hiring of John Harbaugh, especially since he brought in retread Matt Nagy to be the offensive coordinator.

Even if Malik Nabors plays, he may not be 100% yet, and the Giants' other skill position players aren't in the class of the Cowboys.

Giants QB Jaxson Dart is inexperienced and vulnerable playing behind a spotty offensive line. 

The Eagles may have the best defense in the NFL. Washington could have the worst offensive line after losing standout LT Laremy Tunsil for the season to a tricep injury. That is not a good combination for the Commanders.

Jayden Daniels is a magician, but he can only do so much behind a porous offensive line, below average running backs and over the hill wide receivers.

Philadelphia's offense could get back to humming like it was a couple of years ago with the offensive coordinator switch from Kevin Patullo to Sean Mannion. Jalen Hurts slipped noticeably under Patullo, who was a disaster. Expect a nice bounce back from Hurts this season.

The Eagles should wear down the Commanders whose defense is going to be on the field too much. 

Sure this is a mismatch. But given Rice's style of play and Notre Dame being in a bad situational spot, I see the Owls safely staying inside this number.

Notre Dame is the No. 3 team in the nation. But the Irish only outgained Wisconsin, a mediocre Big Ten team, by 66 yards last week. The Irish have Michigan State, another Big Ten team, next week. So I don't see a lot of motivation for Notre Dame here.

Rice hasn't had a winning season since 2015, but the Owls showed improvement in Scott Abel's first year as coach last season upsetting Connecticut and actually going to a bowl game. They have the right type of style to cover a large point spread being heavily run-oriented.

The Owls ran 69 times for 458 yards against Houston Christian in their opener, maintaining possession for nearly 40 minutes in a 31-3 win.

Notre Dame QB CJ Carr doesn't have the skill position talent around him like last season with running backs  Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price going to the NFL.

Just after getting Aaron Judge back, the Yankees lost Jazz Chisholm to a thumb injury. But that should not matter here. The Yankees hosting the Rockies in a pitching matchup of Ryan Feltner against Max Fried is a mismatch of epic proportions.

It's enough to safely back the Yankees laying 1 1/2 runs on the run line.

The Yankees have won by multiple runs in 13 of their last 14 victories, including the last seven.

The Rockies are a major league worst 25-49 on the road. They are averaging two runs per game during their last six away games. The Rockies are impotent outside of Coors Field.

I certainly don't see Colorado scoring much here. Fried is elite when healthy and he looks close to being 100 percent. Fried has a 2.73 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. The Yankees' bullpen has the lowest ERA in the majors at 3.06.

Feltner hasn't been just victimized at Coors Field. He is 1-6 with a 5.36 ERA on the road. While the Yankees have the lowest bullpen ERA, Colorado has the fifth highest bullpen ERA at 4.79.

There is no bigger game for 4-8 Hamilton than this Labor Day clash against rival 5-6 Toronto. The Tiger Cats would have little chance to finish in second place in the CFL East if they were to lose here.

I don't see that happening and I'm happy to take more than a field goal for insurance.

A Hamilton Stadium sellout is expected.

The Argonauts are 3-6 SU and ATS on the road this season. One of those away losses occurred to the Tiger-Cats, 24-23, on July 18. Toronto was a 5 1/2-point favorite in that game. The Tiger-Cats have won six of the last eight in the series.

Toronto's strengths are QB Chad Kelly and a defense that leads to CFL in sacks with 26.

Kelly, though, may not be operating at full strength and Hamilton's dual threat, mobile quarterback Tre Ford is the antidote to the Argonauts' pass rush. Ford has thrown for 568 yards the past two games without an interception. Ford leads all CFL quarterbacks with 383 rushing yards this season.

I rank Western Kentucky a level above Nevada. The Hilltoppers defeated Nevada, 31-16, last season and should do it again this year.

The Wolf Pack have an uncertain quarterback situation and are off a season where they had the fifth highest turnover ratio at minus 12.

Western Kentucky returns QB Rodney Tisdale Jr., who was the 2025 Conference USA Freshman of the Year. Tisdale accounted for 11 touchdowns and 1,432 passing yards after he became the starter for the final six games last year.

Tisdale has better weapons than the Nevada quarterbacks have. The Wolf Pack also are breaking in a new offensive system with a new offensive coordinator. So look for growing pains.

Auburn defeated Baylor on the road, 38-24, in last year's opener. The Tigers look better this season and they are hosting the Bears. Auburn is going for its 10th straight season opening victory.

I see the Tigers getting it by more than a touchdown. New coach Alex Golesh not only brought in his star quarterback at South Florida last year, Byrum Brown, but also a number of top receivers and his center from his former school.

Brown is a proven big time quarterback. Auburn's offense is going to be improved because of that.

Baylor QB DJ Lagway had a big reputation going into last season for Florida. But Lagway was a major disappointment. The Bears have also been a huge disappointment defensively under Dave Aranda, who had the reputation as being a defensive guru before he became a head coach.

I rate dual threat Carlos Del Rio-Wilson as the best quarterback in the Sun Belt Conference. I'm also seeing regression from Penn State, which lost a lot of defensive linemen. 

I think the Nittany Lions are going to take a step back going from coach James Franklin to Matt Campbell and from quarterback Drew Allar to Rocco Becht. I no longer consider Penn State an elite Big Ten team anymore and because of that I will take this many points with the Thundering Herd. 

Penn State had a strong history under Franklin in non-conference games going 29-19 (60%). Campbell's Iowa State’s teams had a losing record when playing outside the Big 12. 

There is going to be a lot of excitement in Fargo, N.D. for this matchup, which is North Dakota State’s first game as an FBS member. The Bison went 12-1 last year. But that was in the FCS and they had stars at QB in Cole Payton and receiver Bryce Lance.

The Bison no longer have Payton and Lance along with two All-American offensive linemen, left tackle Beau Johnson and center Trent Fraley. All told, North Dakota State lost eight starters from last season.

North Dakota State has a strong reputation for success, but the oddsmaker isn't giving enough respect to Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks went 7-1 in Conference USA last season and beat Troy, 17-13, in a bowl game.

The Gamecocks return QB Caden Creel, who had six games with at least 100 passing yards and 100 rushing yards, to head a promising run-oriented offense and five defensive starters, including their best linebacker and safety.

It's enough for Jacksonville State to make this game close if not spring the outright upset. 

This is a lot of points for 4-6 Calgary to be favored by, especially if missing franchise QB Vernon Adams Jr. He is not likely to play after suffering a head injury during the Stampeders' previous game.

Calgary cannot expect much from its defense. The Stampeders have surrendered 30 or more points in 10 of their 11 games this season.

Hamilton's mobile QB Tre Ford can give the Stampeders trouble.

The 4-7 Tiger-Cats have given up fewer points than Calgary despite playing one fewer game. They have the better defense. 

This is not the ideal spot for the Valkyries to be laying the most points they have all season on the road.

Golden State is off its most satisfying win of the season, a beatdown of the top-ranked Lynx two days ago at Minnesota. It was the first time in nine career games the Valkyries beat the Lynx.

This marks the Valkyries' third road game in six days and they have a much bigger matchup on Thursday against the Liberty in New York. That leaves the backdoor firmly open for the Sun if the Valkyries decide to cut back the minutes of their best players.

Connecticut is 3-15 on the road, but a more competitive 7-12 at home. The Sun upset the Sky, 87-81, at home last night getting big games from Aaliyah Edwards and Diamond Miller.

The Sun didn't have Brittney Griner nor Olivia Nelson-Ododa, two of their best front-court players, when they defeated Chicago. It is an added bonus if either of those two could play today.

The Mystics are in action for the first time since clinching a playoff spot with a, 105-100, road win against Portland two days ago. It is the first time in three seasons Washington has made the postseason.

Look for a letdown from the Mystics, playing for the fourth time in seven days.

Phoenix could be the most disappointing team in the WNBA. After making the championship finals last year, the Mercury are already eliminated this season. But they will be dangerous in this home game, especially after being humiliated in a 20-point road loss to the Mystics a little more than two weeks ago.

The Mercury have star power with Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and trade-deadline addition Kelsey Plum, who no longer is listed as being out. These are prideful veterans. 

Washington is 13-7 at home, but just 9-8 on the road. 

The Roughriders defeated the Lions, 31-27, back in Week 2 and I see them doing it again. Samuel Emilus, Saskatchewan's top receiving threat, caught three touchdown passes from Trevor Harris in that victory.

Emilus, however, has been out the past few weeks. He is due to return here, which should provide a big spark for the Roughriders, who were upset by Hamilton, 26-19, on the road last week. Saskatchewan is 2-0 following a loss.

The Roughriders have covered seven straight times against BC, winning six of those games straight up. Harris is 11-4 career-wise vs. BC. 

No other coach has a better NFL preseason record than John Harbaugh, whose teams are 47-17 SU and ATS. However, Harbaugh's new team, the Giants, lost their preseason opener, 13-10, to the Vikings.

I don't see Harbaugh losing a second consecutive preseason game, especially given the opponent and setting.

The Giants are playing the Dolphins, who project to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. The two teams have been having joint practices in South Florida. This has allowed the Giants to acclimate themselves with the oppressive South Florida heat and humidity.

These joint sessions also displayed how much more talent the Giants have than Miami.

Jaxson Dart looked very good against the Dolphins during these practices. Dart is backed-up by Jameis Winston, one of the better second-string QB's in the NFL.

The Dolphins' QB's are not nearly as good. Malik Willis is thought much better as a backup than as a starter. Second-string Miami QB Quinn Ewers has never impressed in the pros and is unlikely to play because of a groin injury.

That leaves Cam Miller, who has struggled in camp, and Mark Gronowski, who was put back on the roster after Ewers was hurt. That is an extremely weak Miami QB rotation. 

It is a red flag that Calgary could not win as a short road favorite against Toronto last week despite coming up with five takeaways, including getting a pick-6, and being plus 3 in turnover ratio.

Now the Stampeders return home after three consecutive road games on a short week to get the improved Lions.

BC is 4-2 in its last six games, including winning its last two beating Hamilton and upsetting Winnipeg on the road by 16 points.

The Lions are giving up an average of just 22 points per game during their last four games. They have not allowed more than 26 points in a game during their past six matchups.

Defensive improvement and the return of quarterback Nathan Rourke are spearheading the Lions. Rourke threw for 370 yards and two touchdowns against the Tiger-Cats in his return to action.

The Lynx are the best team in the WNBA right now. But they have not been good when it comes to covering point spreads.

Minnesota is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games. The Lynx have been at their worst when it comes to covering large point spreads like this one going 1-9 ATS when laying more than 9 pts.

The Lynx have had a bad tendency to play down to the level of their competition. Portland is an expansion team. The Fire, though, has been better than expected. They lead the WNBA in scoring during the last four games averaging 99 points.

Portland is on a 9-4 covering run.

Minnesota has road games against the Aces and Valkyries up next. So the Lynx could be cutting back on their starters minutes for this game, especially with a safe lead. That would leave the back door open for the Fire if needed to cover this number.

The Sky are not likely to make the WNBA playoffs. But they have not quit winning five of their last nine games and are the hottest point spread team in the league covering nine of their last 10 games.

The same cannot be said for Seattle.

The Storm have lost their last 11 games. They have the worst record in the league at 6-28 and already have been eliminated from the postseason. Their latest loss was to expansion Portland, 100-93, this past Saturday.

Chicago has played much better without the distractions of Skylar Diggins, who is out with a knee injury.

Seattle's best player is center Dominique Malonga. But the Sky have the bigs to handle her with Kamilla Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams.

The Sky are the superior team and need this game. It's not asking too much for them just to win. 

Despite being only in their second season in the WNBA, the Valkyries are vastly superior to the Sparks. Golden State has the second best record in the league at 22-9. LA is 12-18.

No chance of the Valkyries overlooking the Sparks either after LA pulled one of the biggest upsets of the season defeating Minnesota as a 16 1/2-point road underdog this past Thursday.

Prior to that unlikely win, the Sparks had lost seven of their past eight games. They have missed the playoffs during the past five seasons and cannot be trusted to follow through on their stunning victory against the Lynx.

Golden State has won three straight games and nine of its last 11. The Valkyries are the top defensive team in the league. The Sparks are the worst defensive team in the league surrendering 16 more points per game than Golden State.

Unlike the Fever, the Valkyries are rarely on National TV. This is one of those chances to shine on the national stage as the game is being broadcast by ESPN. 

Back in Week 3, Edmonton upset Montreal, 32-29, in overtime as a 2 1/2-point home underdog. That is the Alouettes' only loss of the season. Montreal has won four in a row since then to run its record to 7-1 best in the CFL.

Montreal QB Davis Alexander leads the league in passing yards. Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead are the top two wide receivers in the league in reception and yards. This firepower is why Montreal is averaging 34.1 points a game.

I like the Alouettes' chances of getting revenge at home against the Elks. Montreal is 4-0 at home. 

The Aces are the defending WNBA champions. But the Lynx are the best team in the league right now. Minnesota is 25-7 and ranks second in offensive and defensive ratings.

The spot lays out well for the Lynx to cover this point spread at home.

Minnesota had its 10-game win streak snapped in stunning fashion this past Thursday at home losing to the Sparks as a 16 1/2-point favorite.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve called out her team for their poor showing and lack of defensive intensity. I'm expecting a full and focused effort from the Lynx here.

The Aces' bench isn't nearly as good as Minnesota's. That could factor here as Las Vegas went overtime to nip the Fever, 86-84, at Indiana this past Thursday night. The Aces could only manage nine points from their reserves, all of which were scored by Jewell Loyd. 

Saskatchewan and Edmonton played an epic game last week. The Elks ended up nipping Saskatchewan, 36-34, on a last-second field goal by Vincent Blanchard. The kick was good from 57 yards. Cody Fajardo led the Elks throwing for a career-best 510 yards and four touchdowns.

Revenge comes fast because the two teams meet again Saturday.

I like the Roughriders to even the score. Their QB, Trevor Harris, had a big game, too, throwing for 386 yards and four touchdown passes.

Saskatchewan has scored three more TD's on the season than Edmonton despite playing one fewer game. The Roughriders also have given up the fewest points in the CFL despite last week's game. 

The 6-1 Alouettes are probably the best team in the Canadian Football League. Ottawa has the worst record at 0-6.

Yet Montreal is less than a touchdown favorite. What gives?

No, the line is not off. The Redblacks are more dangerous than their record shows with three of their last four losses coming by a combined nine points.

Ottawa is off a bye while the Alouettes just played this past Sunday and then have a much bigger game on tap against 6-1 Edmonton next week making this a classic sandwich spot.

The Redblacks nearly upset Montreal in the first meeting four games ago losing, 37-35, as a 9 1/2-point 'dog. Now Montreal is on a short week while Ottawa has had extra rest and prep time. 

The Mystics are going for a season-high fourth straight win. I don't see them getting it.

Dallas is the better team and won't lack motivation following a tough, 82-81, home loss to Atlanta this past Wednesday.

The Wings rolled past the Mystics, 92-69, at home earlier in the season.

Dallas holds a strong backcourt edge with Paige Bueckers and its frontcourt defense should improve with forward Alanna Smith healthy after being out with a knee injury. Smith is one of the best defensive forwards in the WNBA. 

It is suspicious that the line is pick at some books with Winnipeg hosting Calgary. The home team Blue Bombers have won three in a row while the Stampeders have dropped consecutive games.

On closer inspection, it makes sense that Winnipeg isn't much of a favorite if any at all. That's because Calgary is the better team with the superior quarterback.

The Stampeders' losses in their last two games both came to 5-1 Montreal in close outcomes. Winnipeg had to go overtime to nip winless Ottawa in its last game.

The Blue Bombers are missing quarterback Zach Collaros, who is on the six-game injured list. That means Dru Brown is their likely starter. I'll take Calgary QB Vernon Adams Jr., who has thrown a league-best 17 touchdowns with zero interceptions.

Adams will have receiver Damien Alford available for the first time this season. Alford was Calgary’s first overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft. He caught 20 passes for 407 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie before signing with the New Orleans Saints.

Winnipeg edged Calgary, 30-28, in the first meeting this season back on opening week on a field goal at the end of regulation. Since then, the Stampeders have gotten healthier on the defensive line while the Blue Bombers don't have Collaros now.

The Aces are playing well again having won 14 of their last 18 games. They are looking to finish strong heading into the all-star break.

Las Vegas catches the Mystics returning to the East Coast following two tough road games against the physical Valkyries at Golden State. This will be Washington's sixth game in 11 days.

The Aces rank third in scoring and first in field goal percentage. The Mystics are averaging 71.6 points per game during their last three games. That's nearly 19 fewer points per game than the Aces average.

This is too many points for the banged-up Liberty to be laying to the Sky, who have played better without injured and unhappy Skylar Diggins. Chicago has covered 11 of its last 15 games, including five of its past six.

Hit hard by injuries, New York has been one of the biggest underachievers in the WNBA. Six teams have a better record than the 14-12 Liberty, who are 3-8 during their past 11 games. New York has failed to cover nine of its last dozen games and remains without multiple rotation players.

Satou Sabally is out with a concussion. Leonie Fiebich is sidelined with a foot injury and Marine Johannes is questionable due to an ankle injury.

The Liberty barely won the lone prior matchup this season, 96-95, on June 17, on a late layup by Sabrina Ionescu. New York was at full strength in that game, too, unlike this rematch. The Liberty also were playing much better than now having won seven in a row entering that matchup.

The Sky are capable of pulling the outright upset with Kamilla Cardoso, one of the better frontcourt players in the league, former Liberty spark plug point guard Natasha Cloud and exciting rookie Sydney Taylor.

This is the Liberty's third game in five days all at different venues. They had to return to New York after edging Dallas, 99-98, in overtime on the road Monday night. The Wings were missing their superstar Paige Bueckers. The Liberty needed a career game from unsung reserve Marine Fauthoux to pull out that victory.

The Sky are the more rested team having last played on Sunday.

Just like the past couple of seasons, the Sky are poorly coached and have low morale. They are 8-16, the fourth worst record in the WNBA.

The Sky's latest internal conflict is veteran guard Skylar Diggins not playing ostensibly because of a knee injury. More like Diggins is trying to dig her way out of a bad situation in Chicago.

The Sky's best player is center Kamilla Cardoso. She missed her first game of the season this past Wednesday because of a knee injury. She is a game time decision here. It would be a huge break for LA if she did not play.

But I like the Sparks regardless if Cardoso plays or not.

The Sparks hosted Chicago last Friday and won, 102-87. Cardoso had 15 points in that game. LA was missing center Cameron Brink, who was out with an ankle injury. Brink is back healthy and gives the Sparks their best rim protector and defensive player.

LA has lost two in a row since defeating the Sky. Those defeats, however, came to the Lynx and Dream. This is a step down for the Sparks.

Led by Nneka Ogwumike, Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell, the Sparks haven't missed Kelsey Plum's offense. LA is averaging 96.7 points per game in its last four games. That is 10 more points per game than what Chicago averages. 

The Valkyries are the hottest team in the WNBA winning and covering their last seven games. They have the best point spread record in the league at 14-9 (61 percent). Golden State covered 62 percent of its games last season. It is not a coincidence.

Golden State is the No. 1 defensive team in the WNBA giving up 76.2 points a game. That is nearly 13 points fewer than what Indiana permits per game. The Fever rank fourth-from-the-bottom defensively.

The Valkyries are in great defensive form, too, holding their last three opponents to an average of 62.6 points a game.  

Golden State has been idle since Friday. Indiana just concluded a four-game road swing that ended with a blowout victory against the Aces on Sunday. Las Vegas was playing for the second consecutive day.

The Fever have not played at home since June 27. This is a nationally televised (USA Network) game. No big deal for the Fever. But it means something to the Valkyries, who rarely get national TV exposure.

Indiana has far more star power with Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. But Clark has been on a minutes restriction since recovering from a lingering back injury. She is 2-for-11 in 3-point shooting in two games since returning. The Valkyries are No. 2 in defensive field goal percentage.

It is a plus if All-Star Gabby Williams can play for Golden State after missing her first game of the season this past Friday because of a back injury. But even without Williams, I will take points with the superior defensive team that has better team chemistry, a strong bench and is the hottest team in the league. 

Before losing on the road to a fired up Sparks team, the Sky had been playing well going 3-2. Chicago's two losses during this span had both occurred to the 17-6 Aces, who are tied with the best record in the WNBA. Each of the two losses to Las Vegas came by eight points with one happening in overtime.

Dallas is at least one level lower than Las Vegas and in a vulnerable situational spot. The Wings just completed a highly satisfying four-game road sweep that concluded on Friday night.

This marks the Wings' first home game since June 28. It is a letdown spot for them following their successful road trip.

Dallas nipped Chicago, 93-92, as a 10 1/2-point home favorite on June 20 when the two teams last met. Expect another close game here.

Hamilton has outscored its four opponents by 20 points. Saskatchewan has a plus six scoring differential.

Yet Hamilton is more than a touchdown underdog to the Roughriders. Saskatchewan is the home team, but the main reason for this high point spread is the Tiger-Cats losing their franchise quarterback, Bo Levi Mitchell, to an ankle injury last week. Mitchell underwent ankle surgery and is out indefinitely. 

The loss of Mitchell certainly is huge. But it doesn't justify this large of a point spread. The Roughriders have yet to settle down defensively, surrendering an average of 31.5 points a game. Hamilton has given up an average of 22.6 points during its last three games.

Back-up Tiger-Cats quarterback Tre Ford has mobility and has given Saskatchewan problems before. Hamilton has other quarterback options in Jake Dolegala and Jarret Doege. It also has the CFL's fourth leading rusher in Larry Rountree to fall back on. 

The Lynx are tied with the Aces for the best record in the WNBA at 16-6. This spot sets up well for them - home court, short revenge and the return of star point guard Olivia Miles - to cover against the beat-up Liberty.

New York will be missing two of its better players as Leonie Fiebich (foot) and Satou Sabally (concussion) are out. The Liberty also could be down rotation players Pauline Astier (ankle) and Rebecca Allen (nose). Those two are questionable.

The Liberty defeated the Lynx, 99-86, at home just eight days ago. But now the short-handed Liberty have to come to Minnesota for this early start game. New York has dropped four of its last five road games.

Miles is off the injury report after missing the past two games because of a calf injury. She is averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals while emerging as both a Rookie of the Year and MVP candidate. 

The expansion Tempo are not in the Wings' class. But they are better than a normal expansion team and they are in a good situational spot here.

The Wings are playing their fourth straight road game. They return home for three consecutive games following this matchup. It will be easy for Dallas to overlook Toronto, especially since the Wings encountered no difficulty in defeating the Tempo, 89-76, this past Sunday having never trailed during the game.

Dallas also is in a letdown spot after upsetting the Liberty in its last game this past Tuesday.

Toronto is the No. 2 scoring team in the WNBA. The Tempo average more points per game than the Wings and certainly shouldn't lack motivation in this short revenge spot.

Connecticut pulled one of the biggest upsets of the WNBA season when it beat Minnesota, 90-89, as a 12 1/2-point road underdog two days ago.

The Lynx have the best record in the league at 15-6 while the Sun have the worst mark at 5-16.

Minnesota may have let down against the Sun having played the Liberty and Wings during their previous two games. The Lynx also didn't have star rookie point guard Olivia Miles for the first time due to a right calf injury.

Miles is unlikely to play today. However, I like the Lynx to get their rapid revenge. Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve is one of the best coaches in the league. Not only will the Lynx be extremely motivated to stop their first two-game losing streak of the season, but Reeve should make the proper adjustments.

Connecticut's 35-year-old center Brittney Griner, who is well past her prime, turned back the hands of time by  having her best game of the season by far with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Unsung reserve Kennedy Burke scored 6 points, which is eight points above her average.

I don't see these unlikely occurrences happening a second straight time. The Lynx won't play again for another three days. They will be fully focused and prepared here.  

After a good start, the Chicago Sky are showing once again how poorly coached and inefficiently run they are. The Sky has lost 13 of their last 16 games.

Their sagging morale has gotten even lower with veteran point guard Skylar Diggins demoted from the starting lineup. Diggins is Chicago's second leading scorer and top assists person.

Now the Sky have to play the Mercury in Phoenix. The timing is bad. The Mercury have regrouped to win a season high three straight games. Phoenix is averaging 96.6 points a game during this span.

The Mercury also have a rest advantage having been idle since Thursday. 

The oddsmaker is anticipating a low scoring game here. That is obvious by the total. So taking 1 1/2 runs with the visitor is huge.

Seattle is third from the bottom in batting average when playing at home. The Mariners are below average offensively in many of the major categories.

Yet the Mariners are a big favorite here in large part because they have Bryce Miller starting. Miller is having a huge comeback season with a 1.97 ERA and 0.72 ratio. His lifetime ERA, however, is 3.80. You could make the case he is due for heavy regression and that the Mariners have four starting pitchers better than him.

Angels starting pitcher Walbert Ureña can keep this game close. Ureña has been surprisingly solid with a 3.14 ERA. The Angels have a winning record in their last 10 games.

If given 1 1/2 runs, the Angels would be 17-8 in their last 25 games.

Dallas is the home team. But Minnesota is the superior team and is well coached and rested for this matchup.

The Lynx have the best record in the WNBA at 14-4. They last played on Wednesday. This is just their second game in eight days.

The Wings are 11-7 after losing on the road to Las Vegas, 99-84, this past Thursday night.

Minnesota's third in scoring and gives up the second fewest points. The Lynx rank first in defensive field goal percentage along with being first in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.

Dallas' third from the bottom in defensive field goal percentage and defensive 3-point percentage. The Wings just allowed their last two opponents, Las Vegas and Seattle, to shoot above 40% from the 3-point line.

Streak-shooting Arike Ogunbowale is only 6-for-26 in her last two games for Dallas. If Ogunbowale stays cold, likely against this strong defensive opponent, the Wings are in much trouble. 

Saskatchewan is off to a 2-0 start following its Grey Cup championship last year. But I believe the Roughriders' defense is vulnerable and Toronto can take advantage with quarterback Chad Kelly. So I will accept this many points with the visiting Argonauts.

Kelly has shown no rust from missing last season. He has produced 400 passing yards in each of Toronto's two games. The Argonauts have put up 40 and 31 points, respectively, in opening 2-0 with victories against the Stampeders last week and Lions.

The Roughriders are surrendering an average of 32 points a game and have multiple defensive backfield injuries that Kelly can exploit. 

The expansion Tempo opened as favorites against the Sparks because they are home and LA won't have injured star guard Kelsey Plum.

This is a wrong favorite.

LA has had ample time to game plan and rest for this matchup following an epic, 98-97, victory against New York this past Sunday at home. The Sparks rallied from 17 points down to beat one of the three best teams in the WNBA.

The Sparks upset the Liberty despite a poor performance from Plum, who was 5-of-14 shooting from the field and missed six of seven 3-pointers.

Rae Burrell sparked LA with 19 points off the bench. The Sparks are better than Toronto, which is 1-4 in its last five games. LA still has star power with Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby.

LA's weakness is its 14th ranked defense. That is the second worst in the league. Guess what? Toronto has the worst defense in the league. The Tempo give up the most points per game and also are second to last in defensive field goal percentage.

The Sparks have momentum from that huge victory against the Liberty. They can withstand Plum's absence in the short term especially against this opponent.

These two teams do not like each other. That was evident in the Fever's, 86-77, home win this past Monday. There were six technical fouls called and one player was ejected. 

The Mercury are the biggest underachievers in the league at 5-13 after reaching the WNBA finals last season. But they have a couple of star players - Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper - and they will be highly motivated for this short revenge heated rivalry matchup.

The Fever could be the most high profile team in the league thanks to Caitlin Clark, but nearly all of their victories have been against below .500 teams.

Thomas, a top five player, makes Phoenix dangerous. The Mercury are more than capable when aroused like they were when they played the Aces in Las Vegas and won by 30 points. The Mercury were up for that game because the Aces swept them in the WNBA finals.

They will be up for this game. 

Back playing at quirky Tropicana Field this season, the Rays are 26-11 at home. The Royals are 14-24 on the road and a major league-worst 4-17 (19 percent) in 21 games this year against left-handed starters. 

Guess what? Kansas City is on the road and facing one of the better lefties in the American League, Shane McClanahan.

So look for the Rays to win by multiple runs.

McClanahan has always been good when healthy. Problem is he rarely has been healthy - until now. He is 6-4 with a 3.33 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings. The Royals are 21st in runs and 24th in homers. They average just 3.6 runs on the road, lowest in the majors.

The Royals also have been experiencing life without superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who has been out the past few days because of a knee injury. He is day-to-day.

Tampa Bay is surrendering an average of only three runs per game during its last eight games.

Only two teams have a higher batting average than the Rays. They will be facing Royals starter Luinder Avila, who has a 5.50 ERA and 1.65 WHIP. 

Kudos to the Wings for upsetting the Aces at home two days ago. But Dallas has lost its last two road games falling to the Lynx and expansion Fire. The Wings are on the road here in a letdown spot.

Unlike Dallas, Golden State made the playoffs last season. The Valkyries are good again this season. They have won their last three games with the victory margin being by an average of 10 points.

The Valkyries are the No. 1 defensive team in the WNBA. They are giving up an average of five fewer points per game than the Wings.

So I will lay this short number with the superior defensive team at home catching their opponent in a major letdown spot.

This is a prime example of a buy-low, sell-high spot backing the home underdog Sky against Atlanta.

The Dream are 7-3, which is the best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference. They just destroyed Washington at home, 109-77, this past Saturday and return home to host New York in a much bigger game on Thursday. The Liberty trail Atlanta by one game.

Not only is this a look-ahead spot for the Dream, but they have a losing ATS mark on the road. Atlanta averages nine fewer points and gives up four more points as a visitor this season.

The Sky should improve as they are getting healthier. Azurá Stevens and Gabriela Jaquez are both back from injuries. They are two of Chicago's best five players. Kamilla Cardoso is emerging as one of the best low post players in the league.

Chicago ranks in the top five in several defensive categories, including field goal percentage, rebounds and blocked shots.

Note, too, that home teams have covered 68 percent of the time this month going 15-7. 

Calgary opened as a home underdog to Winnipeg. I think that's wrong. The Stampeders defeated Winnipeg in all three meetings last season. Calgary should be as good, if not better, this season with good skill position talent and a strong pass rush.

Veteran Vernon Adams Jr. was fifth in the CFL in passing yards during his first season with Calgary last year. Stampeders running back Dedrick Mills led the league in rushing.

Jaylon Hutchings had eight sacks for the Stampeders last season. He'll be joined by defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade, who missed the second half of the 2025 season with a torn Achilles. This pair could wreak havoc on a revamped Winnipeg offensive line that could take a while to jell. 

The Knicks certainly picked the right time to peak. They are on an 11-game win streak with an average win margin of 23.8 points. New York has covered in 10 of those games. If it weren't for a pair of one point losses to the Hawks, the Knicks would be a perfect 15-0 in the postseason.

I'm not going to step in against the Knicks, especially when they are getting this many points.

Kudos to the Spurs in upsetting the defending champion Thunder. But even though San Antonio is home here, this is a good spot for the Knicks. New York last played on May 25.

The Spurs had to go the full seven games in their Western Conference finals against the Thunder upsetting Oklahoma City, 111-103, in Game 7 on the road this past Saturday night. NBA Playoff teams off a Game 7 win vs. a team off a four-game sweep are 3-14 SU and ATS in Game 1.

That doesn't bode well for the Spurs. Neither does the Spurs' inexperience going this far in the playoffs. The Knicks have the veteran coach Mike Brown and the more experienced roster. 

Connecticut has the required rebounding and a secret weapon to stay within this large point spread against Atlanta.

The Dream are the No. 1 defensive rebounding team in the WNBA. Angel Reese is tied for first in rebounds per game. The Sun, however, lead the league in total rebounds and steals.

Brittney Griner is back healthy for Connecticut and can neutralize the Dream on the boards, while providing an inside scoring presence.

The Sun just activated Leïla Lacan, a French star who was selected as finals MVP in the La Boulangère Wonderligue. That is the top tier women's professional league in France. Lacan greatly upgrades Connecticut's backcourt.

I don't believe the oddsmaker has accounted enough for Griner and Lacan so I find value backing the underdog.

Dallas is a much improved team. Seattle is down from last season and has a couple of key injuries. So I understand this lopsided point spread. I just don't agree with it.

The Storm are 2-2 SU and ATS in their last four games. They are fourth ranked in fewest points allowed and in defensive field goal percentage. They rank fifth in 3-point defense. They have better defensive statistics than Dallas. 

Seattle, though, remains without its two best frontcourt players, Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga. Both are hurt.

The Wings, however, are guard oriented. Their offense is centered around the mid-range shooting of Paige Bueckers, erratic Arike Ogunbowale, who is shooting 33% from the floor, and rookie Azzi Fudd.

So this isn't a bad opponent for Seattle to be facing match-up wise. The situation is not bad either for the Storm. The Wings are fat and happy following upset victories against the Aces at home and Liberty on the road. There could be a rust element, too, as the Wings haven't played in four days.

This also is the largest the Wings have been favored by all season. They've only been chalk twice with the highest being by 4 1/2 points. 

Astros starter Tatsuya Imai was part of a combined no hitter during his last outing against the Rangers this past Monday. Despite pitching six scoreless innings in that game, Imai still has a 6.17 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.

I want to fade Imai off that performance while at the same time play on Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski, who is 5-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 0.83 ratio. Nobody throws harder than Misiorowski. He leads the majors in strikeouts with 100 in 64 innings.

The Brewers are 13 games above .500. The Astros are six games below .500.

Milwaukee is 16-5 in its last 21 games.

I see this as a lopsided Brewers victory so I will lay 1 1/2 runs on the run line to greatly reduce the juice. 

The Canadiens have proven resilient all season. But the toll of having played 18 playoff games compared to Carolina having played six fewer postseason games has left the Canadians out of gas.

The Hurricanes have won three in a row against Montreal. Now they can clinch this Eastern Conference Finals with a home victory here. Carolina is 10-2 in its last dozen home games.

Montreal is a very tired team. Playing 14 pressure packed games in 24 days can make you weary.

It is evident from watching the games. The Hurricanes have fired 108 shots on goal during the past three games. That is an average of 36 per game. Montreal has managed only 43 shots on net during the last three games, an average of just 14.3.

Carolina clearly is the better team. They have the deeper playoff experience, too. This is the Hurricanes' third appearance in the conference finals in four seasons.

The Canadiens have done extraordinarily well to reach this point. But now it is over for them. The Hurricanes won Game 4 on the road in convincing fashion, 4-0, this past Wednesday. Nothing has changed except Carolina is home now. I'm expecting another victory from the Hurricanes by multiple goals. 

The Aces are 4-0 on the road this season with their average victory margin being 16 points in their away games. The Aces travel to Dallas here having had a full four days to reflect on a 101-95 home loss to the Sparks this past Saturday.

Only once before had Las Vegas lost. The Aces followed that up with a 27-point road win against the Sparks.

Dallas enters this matchup in a giddy frame of mind taking advantage of the early struggles of the Liberty to post an impressive 91-76 win this past Sunday. That concluded a three-game road trip for the Wings.

The Wings are much improved from going 10-34 overall and 4-20 in the Western Conference a season ago. They are  a legitimate playoff contender now. But they are not in the Aces' class and this spot does not set up well for Dallas.

Las Vegas is the second highest scoring team in the WNBA and should be all business after having a bad defensive home game.

Rebuilding Connecticut has the worst record in the WNBA at 1-7. But the Sun should not be this big of underdogs to the expansion Fire, especially given the circumstances.

Yes, Portland is off to a surprising 4-3 start. The Fire just upset the Liberty as a double-digit road underdog this past Monday. Now they have to make the cross country trip home from New York. This will be their third different time zone in their last four games. Their last three games have been on the road.

So it's not an ideal situation for Portland, which also is in a letdown spot.

Connecticut has been on the West Coast for the past week. The Sun player's body clocks are attuned to West Coast time.

Portland does not possess outstanding talent. It is mediocre at best. The only time the Fire have been favored this season was against the Sun, laying 3 1/2 points at home on May 18. The Fire failed to cover in winning, 83-82.

The Sun could have pulled the upset if they would have shot better from the free throw line. They made only 11 of 20 free throws for 55 percent. Portland made 20 of 26 free throws for 77 percent.

Connecticut outrebounded Portland and should do it again even with Brittney Griner ruled out. Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa is back from injury and Connecticut has two good forwards in Aneesah Morrow and Aaliyah Edwards.

This is an unfamiliar and not a good role for the overachieving Fire. It would not surprise me if Connecticut won straight-up.

After building an early 15-point lead in Game 3 this past Friday at home, the Spurs may have subconsciously gotten overconfident. You can't do that against the defending NBA champion Thunder. San Antonio paid the price, losing 123-108, as a 2 1/2-point favorite.

I believe the Spurs learned a valuable lesson in that Game 3 loss. I look for them to bounce back with a victory at home in this Game 4. So does the oddsmaker, who has installed San Antonio as the favorite. If the Spurs were to lose, they would be down 3-1 with Game 5 set for Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

I like what San Antonio superstar center Victor Wembanyama said after his team's game 3 loss. “It’s my first playoffs,” Wembanyama was quoted as saying. “It’s the first playoffs for many of us. Of course, there was going to be hard trials. It’s to be expected, but now we’re going to see what we’re made of.”

The Spurs are 36-11 at home this season. They have shown what they are made of following a loss winning and covering 11 of the past 12 times in those circumstances.

No team has had more success against Oklahoma City this season than San Antonio. The Spurs are 5-3 vs. the Thunder in eight meetings this season.

Preseason future book odds had the Liberty favorites to win the WNBA championship this season, a feat they accomplished two years ago.

But minus their star guard Sabrina Ionescu, New York has gotten off to a disappointing 3-2 beginning.

Now, though, Ionescu is set to make her season debut against the Wings today at home. New York has four players that are among the 20 best in the league. The Liberty got one of them, Satou Sabally, back in their last game. That was a humiliating, 87-70, home loss to the Valkyries this past Thursday.

The Liberty will have all four of their best players with Ionescu joining Sabally, superstar Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.

Dallas has promising young talent. The Wings are going to be much better than their 10-34, tied for league-worst record, of last season. But they are two, if not three levels, behind the Liberty.

New York is averaging a WNBA-best 94 points a game despite being held to 70 points by Golden State, the league's top defensive team.

The situation lays out well, too, for the Liberty here. This is only their second game in 10 days. The Wings are playing their third road game in four days and fourth game in seven days. They just lost, 86-69, to the Dream in Atlanta this past Friday. The Dream are not as good as the Liberty.

Colorado has been the best team in hockey this season. An upset home lost to the Golden Knights in Game 1 of this Western Conference Final doesn't change my mind.

Credit to the Golden Knights. But the Avalanche had not played in a week and the rust showed. They played well beneath their capabilities.

Expect the Avalanche to play up to their capabilities in this Game 2 knowing another home loss would put them in dire circumstances. I don't expect that to happen. It has been 25 games since the Avalanche lost consecutive games.

The Avalanche were 5-0 at home in the playoffs until losing to Las Vegas, 4-2, this past Wednesday. Only once in their previous nine playoff games have the Avalanche tasted defeat. That came against the Wild. Colorado won by three goals in the next game and that came on the road.

Star defenseman Cale Makar is out for Colorado. However, the Golden Knights are missing their injured captain Mark Stone. So these important injuries even out. 

In the bizarre world of scheduling WNBA games, Atlanta finds itself playing for the first time since Sunday hosting Dallas.

The Wings find themselves in a massive situational disadvantage. This is the third time they will be in action in the last five days. Dallas defeated the Sky, 99-89, in Chicago this past Wednesday.

Dallas and Atlanta have already met. The Dream defeated the Wings, 77-72, as 1 1/2-point road favorites 10 days ago.

Atlanta is the superior team and the spot sets up well for the Dream. The 2-1 Dream are off their first loss of the season, 85-84, at home to the defending champion Aces. Las Vegas pulled the game out with 3.6 seconds to play on a fadeaway jumper by Chelsea Gray.

The Dream are anxious to play again having had ample rest and preparation time. They have the league's third highest scorer in Allisha Gray, who scores 25 points a game, and will get back their second best scorer, Rhyne Howard. She missed the Las Vegas game because of a concussion. But she is cleared to play in this game. 

Expansion team Toronto is off to a surprising 3-2 start. The Tempo have been fortunate to play the Sparks in two of their last three games. The other game during this span was against the Mercury. LA is the worst defensive team in the WNBA. Phoenix is below average, too, defensively.

But now the Tempo draw the well coached Lynx, a team that has been idle since Sunday while Toronto is playing for the third time in five days - all of the games away from home - and in action for the fifth time in nine days.

It is a clear situational edge for Minnesota and I expect the veteran Lynx to take full advantage with a blowout victory.

Toronto is being carried by its starting backcourt of Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey. They are averaging more than a combined 46 points a game. They are good players, but that combined average is unsustainable especially when they start taking on better defensive opponents such as the Lynx.

Minnesota had the best record in the WNBA at 34-10 last year. The Lynx aren't getting much respect this season because superstar Napheesa Collier is out with an injury.

However, the Lynx still have many good players, including Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard and  point guard Olivia Miles, who has looked outstanding and is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors.

The Cavaliers have been great in their two Game 7's during the playoffs. But they haven't been so good in their opening playoff game. They lost by 10 points on the road to the Pistons in Game 1 in their recently concluded series.

The timing is not good for Cleveland to stay close in this Game 1 opening playoff series road matchup against the Knicks.

While the Cavaliers are off an emotional road upset of the Pistons two days ago, the Knicks have been rested and prepared for the past nine days after sweeping the 76ers in their second round playoff series.

This setup is similar to when the Knicks hosted the 76ers in Game 1. Philadelphia had just upset the Celtics on the road in Game 7. They weren't ready to play and got blown out by the Knicks by 39 points.

The Knicks are riding a seven-game winning streak where they outscored their opponents by an NBA-record 185 points.

I find the Knicks to be the best team in the Eastern Conference. They have the top net rating of all the playoff teams during the postseason so far.

It is not a fluke. Credit to the Cavaliers for taking out the Pistons in come from behind style. But the Knicks have the better up and down roster, the superior defense and are in a hugely advantageous situation. 

The Pistons know this spot - a Game 7 at home. They were in this same situation just two weeks ago hosting Orlando. Detroit came through with a 116-94 victory.

Now the Pistons host the Cavaliers. Same scenario. Yes, Cleveland is better than Orlando. But the Cavaliers are not trustworthy on the road. They are 1-5 SU and ATS in their playoff away games.

Detroit is the superior defensive team. The combination of the Pistons' defense, being at home and Cleveland's lack of playoff success on the road puts me on the Pistons.

Home court and defense matter very much in this series. Detroit has both going in this Game 5.

The Pistons have won their last five home playoff games - two against the Cavaliers and three versus the Magic. Detroit allowed an average of only 96.8 points a game during these games.

Cleveland is 0-5 SU and ATS in its five road playoff games, losing twice to the Pistons and three times to the Raptors.

The Pistons win when they get defensive stops. That should be the case here. The Pistons ranked third defensively and also were third in defensive field goal percentage while being the top rated defensive 3-point team.

The Cavaliers are not as strong defensively ranking 11th defensively and 26th in 3-point defense. They are soft away from home. Don't expect the Cavaliers to get 20 fewer fouls called on them than the Pistons like they did during the past two games in Cleveland.