Good morning! The WNBA playoffs continued over the weekend, the Ravens can’t stop winning (preseason games) and college football kicks off this weekend.
That’s where we begin today, but first there’s reportedly a new Kevin Durant suitor: the Grizzlies. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Memphis is showing interest in Durant and, with five first-round picks and plenty of young talent available, the franchise could make a compelling offer to Brooklyn for its disgruntled star.
The Grizzlies (+1600) are tied for the eighth-best odds to win the 2023 NBA title at SI Sportsbook, while the Nets (+2500) are further down the list of contenders with so much uncertainty brewing.
The NBA season tips off Oct. 19. Durant made his trade request known all the way back on June 30, to which Ja Morant seemingly responded: “Easy money.”
Alright, now let’s talk college football and more.
College Football Season Begins Saturday With Week 0 Slate
Football returns to college campuses—and Dublin, Ireland—this weekend with 11 games to occupy your Saturday.
If you’re looking for top-25 showdowns, you’re going to have to wait another seven days for Week 1—this is Week 0! But if you simply want to watch the first college football game since Georgia beat Alabama in the National Championship in January, then you’re probably going to tune in to see Austin Peay-Western Kentucky on Saturday afternoon and you’ll definitely want to stick around for Northwestern-Nebraska, which kicks off across the pond soon after.
Lines are available at SI Sportsbook for those interested in getting some skin in the game early, but we’re going to zoom out a bit and take a look at the win total over/unders and the futures odds for some of SI’s top-ranked teams:
1. Alabama
Win total: Over 10.5 (-300) | Under (+170)
SEC championship odds: -152 (First)
National championship odds: +190 (First)
2. Ohio State
Win total: Over 10.5 (-213) | Under (+170)
Big Ten championship odds: -250 (First)
National championship odds: +300 (Second)
3. Georgia
Win total: Over 10.5 (-275) | Under (+188)
SEC championship odds: +150 (Second)
National championship odds: +350 (Third)
4. Michigan
Win total: Over 9.5 (-111) | Under (-125)
Big Ten championship odds: +650 (Second)
National championship odds: +5000 (Tied-Eighth)
5. Utah
Win total: Over 8.5 (-133) | Under (+100)
Pac-12 championship odds: +240 (Second)
National championship odds: +5000 (Tied-Eighth)
6. Notre Dame
Win total: Over 9.5 (+120) | Under (-150)
National championship odds: +4000 (Tied-Seventh)
7. Clemson
Win total: Over 10.5 (-118) | Under (-118)
ACC championship odds: -143 (First)
National championship odds: +1200 (Fourth)
8. Texas A&M
Win total: Over 8.5 (-175) | Under (+125)
SEC championship odds: +1200 (Third)
National championship odds: +2500 (Sixth)
9. USC
Win Total: Over 9.5 (-133) | Under (+100)
Pac-12 championship odds: +200 (First)
National championship odds: +2000 (Fifth)
10. Oklahoma
Win total: Over 9.5 (-105) | Under (-125)
Big 12 championship odds: +160 (First)
National championship odds: +5000 (Tied-Eighth)
Read Pat Forde’s entire preseason top 25 here. And check out the links below for conference betting breakdowns of the Power 5, plus the most prominent independent:
SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | ACC | Pac-12 | Notre Dame
Fantasy Football Player Spotlights, Rankings
We’re getting into prime fantasy football draft season and Shawn Childs just dropped another update to his detailed projections and rankings for the 2022 season.
That’s just one of dozens of helpful articles that make up the SI Fantasy Football Draft Kit, which you can find here. Keep Childs’ cheat sheet open in another tab while you’re drafting or consult Michael Fabiano’s player tiers beforehand or call upon our other expert analysts’ helpful insight, like these player spotlights:
Why George Pickens Should Be on Your Radar
The Best Packers Wide Receivers to Draft
Isiah Pacheco’s Fantasy Stock is Quickly Rising
Amon-Ra St. Brown Shows Out on ‘Hard Knocks’
Why George Pickens Should Be on Your Radar
Late-Season Successes That Can Carry Over to 2022
Top-Five Fantasy Football RB2 Cheats
Other odds and ends and things you should know:
Tom Brady is expected to return to practice this week, Buccaneers guard Aaron Stinnie tore his ACL and MCL and is out for the season, Giants top pick Kayvon Thibodeaux said after leaving Sunday’s preseason game early with a knee injury: “I’m good, we’re good,” Michael Thomas is dealing with “a little bit of a hamstring,” and Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari has been activated from the PUP list.
Aces, Storm to Meet in WNBA Semifinals
Las Vegas and Seattle swept their first-round opponents over the weekend and advanced to the semifinals to face one another. The Aces blew out the Mercury, again, 117-80, to take the series 2-0, and the Storm handled the Mystics, 97-84, to complete the sweep.
Meanwhile, the Sky beat the Liberty on Saturday, 100-62, to tie the series and set up a Game 3 on Tuesday. And the Wings took down the Sun, 89-79, to do the same, though that game will tip off a day later.
The Aces (-125) still have the best championship odds at SI Sportsbook. They’re followed by the Sun (+350), the Sky (+500) and Storm (+550). The Liberty (+3300) and Wings (+4000) are both long shots.
Tuesday
(ESPN): Sky (-6.5) vs. Liberty | Series tied, 1-1
Wednesday
(ESPN): Sun (-6.5) vs. Wings | Series tied, 1-1
In Other News
Packers Win Total Betting Breakdown: Green Bay is the first team in NFL history to win at least 13 games in three consecutive seasons. Even without Davante Adams, Aaron Rodgers’s Packers are tied for the league-high win total at 11.5.
Horace Grant’s Championship Rings up for Auction: Grant won three titles with the Bulls and one with the Lakers throughout his 17-year NBA career. All four of his rings are up for auction with the ones from his Chicago years expected to fetch up to $100,000.
Albert Pujols’ Home Run Chase Not Stopping Retirement Plans: Pujols’s recent home run tear has him just eight shy of the 700 mark for his career. Nearing that milestone has not changed his mind about his intention to retire at the end of the year, though.
