September can be one of the hardest months to judge NFL teams.

Offseason expectations remain fresh, yet every new game provides evidence that can challenge what bettors thought they knew before kickoff. Small statistical samples can also distort early trends.

That uncertainty makes early NFL lines particularly interesting to follow. Instead of allowing a single September result to reshape an entire outlook, bettors can focus on the information that appears repeatable as the opening weeks reveal more about each team.

Understanding the Limited Data Behind September NFL Lines

Opening Lines, Current Lines and Market Movement

Opening numbers provide a reference point, while current markets show how expectations have changed. Bettors can get the latest NFL lines to check spreads, moneylines and totals before assessing how far a number has moved and what influenced the adjustment.

Why a line moves matters as much as how far. Injuries, depth-chart changes and broader betting market activity can all contribute. Key NFL margins also matter, particularly three and seven points, making a move from -2.5 to -3.5 especially significant.

Closing line comparisons can add further context. Consistently noting where a chosen number finishes by kickoff can help bettors assess whether their timing is producing stronger numbers over time. This can reveal whether early market reads are proving accurate.

Early Results and the Danger of Overreaction

Analysis of upcoming NFL games and props can provide another layer of information as the early season develops and expectations evolve, when deciding whether an early performance represents an emerging pattern or simply one unusual Sunday.

New Coaches, Quarterbacks and Offensive Systems

What Early Games Reveal About NFL Totals

Injuries, Weather and Late-Week Information

Let September Build the Picture

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Nolan Teasley was asked about possibly trading J.J. McCarthy. Given that it’s a pertinent topic, the question is a good one to ask (at least if you ask me).

Part of the problem is that Mr. Teasley didn’t appear particularly keen about digging into the issue. His answer about whether teams had been calling: “That’s something I’ll probably keep internal. We get calls all the time but it’s not something I would directly comment on [in] regards to any player.” Teasley, in short, opts to keep his cards close to his chest. Maybe teams called; maybe teams didn’t. All that he’s saying is that front offices talk commonly about trades but he wouldn’t go any further.

Does J.J. McCarthy Get Sent Packing Via Trade?

Of course, the possibility remains that Mr. McCarthy will get sent packing. Any trade needs a pair of partners to do business.

Presumably, there are teams out there willing to send out a draft pick(s) to snag the 23-year-old quarterback. The issue is simply that nobody in their right mind would hand over anything close to what the Vikings had to pay to get him in the first place: the No. 10 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Minnesota can therefore hang onto the young fella or sell for pennies on the dollar.

In his column earlier today, Jeff Diamond wrote about the McCarthy trade issue.

“If another team offered a first round pick for McCarthy,” Diamond writes, “it would be hard to pass up. That’s certainly not going to happen after his injury-prone and inconsistent play last year (although he did end the season with better play and four straight wins) and in preseason this year with his accuracy still a major concern.”

More from Diamond: “There’s no way Teasley and O’Connell would trade McCarthy for the minimal return of probably a fourth round pick at this point (which is what the 49ers received from the Cowboys for Trey Lance in 2023 and Lance was the third overall pick in 2021 but was often hurt and inconsistent and he was beat out for the starting job by Brock Purdy).”

Similarly of note is the work of Tom Rudelius, a math nerd who ventured into the precedent of recent NFL history to gauge what J.J. McCarthy could demand on the trade market.

After spilling some digital ink, Rudelius writes that “it’s hard to imagine that McCarthy could net more than a 5th Round pick at this point. Part of the reason why the price for former 1st Round QBs has dropped in recent years is probably because none of the QBs in the table above have brought any meaningful value to the team that traded for them.”

Would Nolan Teasley move on from J.J. McCarthy if the offer involved recouping a 4th or 5th? That’s a good question, but it’s hard to know if there has even been some trade discussions happening at all.

In 2025, McCarthy went 6-4 as Minnesota’s starting quarterback. Pushing his team to that winning record came despite completing a horrible 57.6% of his passes while only climbing up to 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns. Keep in mind that he had 12 interceptions alongside 6 fumbles.

At 23, J.J. McCarthy still has a lot of football in front of him. Whether that football gets played in the North Star State is an open question.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

David Benavidez is set for one more fight in 2026 before heading into a blockbuster clash in early 2027. However, while many fight fans are hoping to see Benavidez take on Jai Opetaia, one reigning cruiserweight world champion is hoping to disrupt the plans.

Benavidez is on a mission to claim the undisputed cruiserweight world title after halting and dethroning WBA and WBO Gilberto Ramirez for the WBO and WBO on his debut in the division.

Meanwhile, Opetaia, who has long called for a fight with Benavidez, was stripped of his IBF world title after signing with Zuffa Boxing. Next weekend, the Aussie is set to collide with WBC cruiserweight titleholder, Noel Mikaelian. 

With Mikaelian having been mandated to face Benavidez himself, it seems as though the WBC could soon strip the Armenian champion of his belt.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Mikaelian said that he doesn’t care if that happens.

“I asked them [the WBC] for my voluntary defence back, since I got it at the beginning of the year and then the contract was withheld from me from my promoter, for the Jai Opetaia fight since March.

“I haven’t heard from them, I always acted in good faith towards my promoter and towards the WBC. At this point, I have already been a two-time world champion, they took it away from me before, I don’t even care anymore.

“They got to do what they have got to do, everybody has to do their job. I don’t care if I defend my belt or not, I am just focussed on the fight and being victorious on September 12, to put on a great show and give my best performance so far.”

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It is understood that Benavidez will face WBC Interim champion, Michal Cieslak in December – with Cieslak poised to be installed as the new full WBC world champion if Mikaelian is stripped – before an in-demand showdown against Opetaia in the first half of 2027.

However, Mikaelian went on to deny suggestions that Benavidez is the boogeyman of the division and vowed to take ‘The Mexican Monster’ on himself if he is able to overcome Opetaia.

“Why is he the boogeyman of the division? Why would somebody say that he is a boogeyman? He had one fight at cruiserweight, against Ramirez, who is also a former super-middleweight, he was also not a real cruiserweight.

“He is a great fighter, he is very entertaining, he throws a lot of combination punches and he is great. He is young, he is hungry, definitely a good fighter, but I wouldn’t see him as a boogeyman.

“The winner of this fight, me or Jai, will fight him next.”

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Opetaia-Mikaelian is the co-main event of the Garcia-Benn card next Saturday, whilst Benavidez-Cieslak is being touted for Saturday, December 12.

As for the IBF world title, Opetaia has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to be reinstated as champion, but if he is not, London’s Viddal Riley is expected to take on New Zealand’s David Nyika in a vacant title bout.

We got a good taste of college football in Week Zero, but this week the season kicks off in full.

The best conference in the nation gets things started on Thursday with a trio of games at Rutgers, Minnesota, and Illinois.

The conference that has claimed the last three national championships enters 2026 with several teams at the top with Playoff aspirations and no less than four teams that could realistically be the last team standing in January.

Among them are three from the West.

Oregon and USC certainly have teams capable of winning the whole thing, while Washington has a team that could crash the Playoff party.

The fourth West Coast Big Ten team, UCLA, might just be one of the most improved in the league.

Each week, I preview the games of the four West Coast schools plus two other games that intrigue me to get to our six.

This week, those two are Notre Dame at Wisconsin and Toledo at Michigan State.

The Irish look to be one of the best in the nation, and I think the Badgers could be much improved.  The return of Pat Fitzgerald makes the Michigan State game worth watching, and with Petros Papadakis on the call, it almost seems like a West Coast game.

Here are my previews of the six games in broadcast order.

Fresno State at No. 14 USC

Friday, September 4
6:00 PM PT, FOX
(Connor Onion, Robert Griffin III and Alexa Landestoy)

Line: USC -21.5
Over/Under: 51.5

USC looked super for three quarters of the opener, then the fourth quarter got a little bit ugly.

Thankfully for the Trojans, the game was out of hand, and the San Jose State scores at the end against the backups really just made it look a lot closer than the game was.

Still, you would like to see a team with Playoff aspirations keep the pedal to the medal, even with backups entering the game.

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The SC offense had no trouble moving the ball against SJSU as they racked up 505 total yards and the passing game looked like a well-oiled machine.

That passing attack is particularly pleasing, given the number of new pass catchers that Jayden Maiava is working with this season.

The youth certainly delivered for the Trojans as the freshmen quartet of WR Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, TE Mark Bowman, WR Trent Mosely, and WR Tron Baker accounted for 214 of the 341 receiving yards.

Moving the ball will be much more difficult this week against a Fresno State unit that was stingy last season and looks to be equally as difficult to move the ball on in 2026.

The Fresno State defensive front will provide more pressure, and the secondary will force more than six incompletions.

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Matt Entz has named Jayden Mandal the starter for the Bulldogs, and the similarities to his SC counterpart begin and end with the first name. Mandal has only attempted nine passes in his injury-riddled collegiate career.

Better defense or not, this USC offense is going to be one of the best in the nation this season, and they will put up a ton of points. The Bulldogs will score some also, but the Trojans pull away with a comfortable win.

Winner: USC
ATS: USC
O/U: Over

Boise State at No. 2 Oregon

Saturday September 5
12:30 PM PT, CBS
(Brad Nessler, Charles Davis and Jenny Dell)

Line: Oregon -24.5
Over/Under: 51.5

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We have a Pac-12 vs. Big Ten showdown in Eugene, one of three for the two conferences in Week One.

Boise State is a better team this season than they were last season, and the Broncos are hardly a program that will be fazed by traveling to the No. 2 team in the nation.

Maddux Madsen is healthy and should be able to make some plays.

The Broncos should also be able to create some pressure on Dante Moore with their edge rushers, especially in the form of Jayden Virgin-Morgan.

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The past two seasons, the Ducks have rarely struggled, but when they have, it was in games where they failed to keep the pocket clean. Getting pressure on Moore is the first step to pulling off the huge upset.

This Oregon offense will be deep enough to move the football, but the real edge for the Ducks will come on the defensive side of the ball.

The UO secondary is among the best in the nation, and they will make it very tough for the Broncos to move the ball through the air.

Last season, Fernando Mendoza was the only QB to complete more than 60% of his passes against the Ducks, and the unit should be even better this season.

And I have not even mentioned the front four yet. A’Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander will be difficult for the Broncos to run the ball against. And when Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti pin their ears back and meet the QB—look out.

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As good as BSU may end up being this season, they could be in for a long afternoon on Saturday.

Winner: Oregon
ATS: Oregon
O/U: Over

UCLA at California

Saturday September 5
7:30 PM PT, ESPN
(Tom Hart, Roddy Jones, and Quint Kessenich)

Line: UCLA -2
Over/Under: 53.5

The instate rivalry is renewed in the opener for Cal and UCLA.

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The Bruins return 67% of their offensive production from last season, the ninth most in the nation. But is that a good thing?

Jokes aside, the UCLA offense should be pretty good this season, and the addition of Wayne Knight in the backfield gives UCLA a do-everything weapon they lacked in 2025.

UCLA also has Nico Iamaleava back directing the offense, and the QB is healthy and ready to go. But for UCLA to take the next step and show significant improvement, they need their QB to be a lot better than he was in 2025. I think he will be.

Cal has significantly upgraded their roster in 2026, and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele should have a lot more weapons at his disposal. Adam Mohammed will give the Bears a weapon out of the backfield.

I think this game will be close, and the two-point spread for the visitors would indicate Vegas also sees a tight one in Berkeley.

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I think the Bob Chesney era gets off on the right foot with a big road victory in an exciting game between a pair of teams that both should be much improved over last year’s versions.

Winner: UCLA
ATS: UCLA
O/U: Under

Washington State at No. 17 Washington

Sunday September 6
1:00 PM PT, NBC
(Paul Burmeister, Yogi Roth and Zora Stephenson)

Line: Washington -23.5
Over/Under: 50.5

Obviously, with conference realignment, we lose certain traditions, but for me, there is something special about opening the season with your archrival.

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For 100+ years, this game was played in November or late October, and for the third season in a row it will be a September game. But never before has it been played this early.

The Apple Cup coming in Week One of the season is a pretty cool way to kick things off.

The Huskies enter this one as big favorites and for good reason. UW is poised for a breakout season while the Cougars will be looking to make waves in the new Pac-12.

I think if the Cougs just stay afloat in the league, they will be in good shape.

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So, this season opener for the rivals could very well mirror the season to come for each school.

For Washington, the offense will run through Demond Williams Jr., and despite the rocky offseason, the product on the field is unquestioned.

Williams is coming off a season in which he threw for over 3000 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 69.5% of his passes and adding another 611 yards and six TDs on the ground.

He is a playmaker and will be an issue for the Cougars on Sunday.

WSU will turn to Caden Pinnick at QB. The last time he faced Washington he was playing for UC-Davis and completed eight of his 16 passes for just 15 yards in a 70-10 loss.

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This week the numbers and the score should be better, but it will still be a big win for the Huskies.

With apologies to my SuperWest Sports colleague and Wazzu alum Nick Bartlett, UW rolls in the Apple Cup.

Winner: Washington
ATS: Washington
O/U: Under

writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).

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Nick Kyrgios is eligible to return to tennis after accepting a one-month ban for testing positive for cocaine.

The Australian, 31, was provisionally suspended on 4 August after a sample he submitted during the Mallorca Open in June was found to contain benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.

Kyrgios told investigators from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that he used cocaine at a nightclub in Magaluf in the early hours of 20 June.

He played his first-round match at the Mallorca tournament two days later, losing in straight sets to compatriot Adam Walton.

The ITIA accepted he used cocaine outside of competition after consulting with an an independent expert.

Kyrgios could have faced a maximum three-month ban but it has been reduced to one month after he entered a treatment programme.

His one-month ban ended on Thursday, 3 September.

Kyrgios, who has fallen to 918 in the world rankings, will also lose his prize money and ranking points from Mallorca.

When the positive test was announced, Kyrgios said he would step away from social media and public life for the next 28 days to “focus on getting myself right”.

The former world number 13 has played just four singles matches this season, having struggled with knee and wrist injuries in recent years.

He last played in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon, where he and partner Alexander Bublik lost in the first round.

After his initial suspension was announced, Kyrgios said the past few years of injuries had taken “a huge toll on me, both mentally and physically”.

“My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do,” he wrote in a lengthy statement on Instagram.

“Coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.

“None of that excuses what I did.”

Cocaine is classified as a stimulant and substance of abuse on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list.

Kyrgios has long been a controversial figure in tennis.

His behaviour on court has been widely criticised and he has been given numerous large fines for smashing racquets, making audible obscenities and arguing with the umpire.

In 2023, he admitted assaulting an ex-girlfriend two years earlier. He avoided a criminal conviction.

He was criticised further for making a series of comments which have been considered misogynistic.

In 2024 he shared a post from controversial influencer Andrew Tate. He later said he had gone “to all lengths” to distance himself from the self-proclaimed misogynist.

Kyrgios was also critical of the handling of two high-profile anti-doping cases involving top players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, calling them “disgusting” for tennis.

Kyrgios has won seven ATP Tour singles titles and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic.

He and compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis won the Australian Open men’s doubles title together in 2022.

Kyrgios has also spoken about his struggles with mental health, saying he “genuinely contemplated” suicide and spent time in a psychiatric hospital in London after losing at Wimbledon in 2019.

Manchester United have sanctioned the exit of one of their young stars nearly two days after transfer deadline day

Manchester United have confirmed that young forward Gabriele Biancheri has left the club to complete a permanent move to Austria. The 19-year-old has joined FC Wacker Innsbruck, who play in the second tier of Austrian football, with the deal confirmed less than two days after the transfer window closed in England.

United had the chance to sign players via the transfer market until 11pm on Tuesday, and opted not to bring in any new faces on deadline day.

The transfer window in Austria closes on Thursday evening, with Biancheri’s move to Innsbruck happening on the country’s deadline day.

United are able to sanction player exits to countries whose window remained open, despite it being closed in England, which allowed Biancheri to move to Austria.

Biancheri signed for United from Cardiff City back in 2023, where it was reported that he signed a four-year deal at the time.

The teenager spent the second half of last season on loan at Rotherham United, where he featured 11 times, and has now left the Reds without making a single first-team appearance for the club.

This is not the only departure that United have announced since the transfer deadline in England passed on Tuesday evening.

Chido Obi left Old Trafford earlier on Thursday to complete a season-long loan move to Willem II in the Netherlands, as the young striker seeks regular first-team football.

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United had a quiet end to their own transfer window with no new signings confirmed on deadline day, despite continuous rumours of a new left-back being wanted.

Leicester City star Louis Page also emerged as a target for the Reds, but a deal could not be agreed with the Foxes before the 11pm deadline on Tuesday.

Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba were all signed by United as the midfield was identified as a priority area for a need of reinforcements, while goalkeeper Karl Darlow also moved to Old Trafford earlier in the summer.

United will now prepare for their third Premier League match of the season this weekend, where they will face Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.

Michael Carrick and Co. go into the game with three points to their name and picked up their first win of the campaign last weekend with a 5-2 home victory over Ipswich Town.

We are nearly there.

Eight months on from the last time the Minnesota Vikings played meaningful football, Week 1 of the regular season is nearly upon us, with the Minnesota Vikings kicking things off by hosting the Green Bay Packers in just over a week. What should the expectations be for the 2026 incarnation of the Vikings? This seems the perfect time to look at what would constitute a good season for Minnesota in 2026.

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What Constitutes A Good Season For The 2026 Vikings?

Unless there are some very last-minute additions to the roster following the late pickup of Kyle Van Noy to the practice squad, the Vikings roster is set, and we know what we are dealing with for the 2026 season.

Last year, it felt like the Vikings were a disaster, but a flurry of late-season wins dragged Minnesota up to nine wins.

Only two major departures have occurred. First, Jonathan Greenard was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite offseason speculation, there is still no sign of Harrison Smith coming back for one more year.

Important incoming players include Kyler Murray, Jauan Jennings, and James Pierre, as well as this year’s band of rookies. Should we expect better from the Vikings in 2026? I certainly think so. Below I set out five different ways this season can go and what that means for the franchise.

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8 Wins or Less = Bad

Fewer wins than last season just wouldn’t be acceptable and would surely put head coach Kevin O’Connell on the hot seat. As long as Murray stays healthy, the Vikings should get consistent enough play out of him to at least match last year’s record.

If it’s eight wins, maybe O’Connell can survive, but the lower the win tally gets, the more likely he is to follow Kwesi Adofo-Mensah out the door, and new general manager Nolan Teasley will look for his own guy.

Wild Card Playoff Spot = Decent

The minimum requirement. O’Connell needs to do what he’s managed to do in every season that starts with an equal number, and lead his team to the playoffs. In a tough division, 9-10 wins and a wild-card spot in the playoffs would be a respectable effort. This is where I personally expect the Vikings to be this season, which should bring a tough first game in the playoffs on the road.

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Division Winners = Good

It feels like a big ask, but the Vikings weren’t expected to win the division in O’Connell’s first season back in 2022. If they could do it again, that would certainly make it a good season. How many wins would it take? 13 wins did it in 2022, but 14 was only good enough for second place in 2024. Last season, the Chicago Bears needed only 11 wins to take the division crown. However many wins it takes, a division title is always a positive thing. It would put Minnesota back where they want to be and possibly make them genuine contenders.

Win(s) in the Playoff = Very Good

O’Connell has yet to win a playoff game, and it is a glaring omission from his CV. His coaching has received a lot of buzz across the league, including winning Coach of the Year in 2024. For his name to be firmly in the conversation as one of the league’s best coaches, he has to guide his team to a playoff win.

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Can he do that this year?

Of course, a lot can depend on where the team lands in the seeding and who they come up against, but a playoff win has to be the big goal. Snag one, and you can make this season a success. You have to go back to 2019 for the last time the Vikings won a playoff game.

Super Bowl Win = The Dream

No one is expecting this team to win the Super Bowl, but no one was expecting the Seattle Seahawks to win it last season. It’s the joy of sports and why so many — fans included — invest so much time and emotion into it. If they could pull off this dream scenario, the 2026 Vikings would go down as the greatest team in franchise history.

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Dare to dream!

Also Read on Vikings Territory:Kyle Van Noy a Needed Addition, More on Why McCarthy Stays and Cutdown Reactions

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Rayo Vallecano and Racing Santander face off at the Estadio de Vallecas on Saturday as the early weeks of the 2026-27 La Liga campaign roll on. While the newly promoted visitors arrive in the capital on the back of their first win of the season, the hosts’ sluggish start has stretched into a fourth game, leaving them desperate to get going.

Despite last season’s exploits, in which they constantly defied expectations and external factors to finish eighth in La Liga and feature in the UEFA Conference League final, Rayo Vallecano failed to strengthen significantly during the summer window and are now being made to pay for that in the early days of the season.

As issues concerning their stadium lease continue to persist, Vallecano have struggled this season, kicking things off with a defeat to Sevilla and a draw with Deportivo Alaves. Los Franjirrojos‘ early-season troubles then reached a new low on matchday three when they suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat away to champions Barcelona.

Racing Santander, meanwhile, had home comforts to rely on in their first game back in the Spanish top flight since the 2011-12 campaign, hosting Villarreal at El Sardinero. Racinguistas came away with a point but will be largely disappointed not to have claimed all three after squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2.

Jose Alberto Lopez’s men then lost 1-0 to Getafe in their second game before finally getting off the mark last weekend. Facing off against Elche, Yassir Zabiri stole the spotlight for Racing by bagging a superb hat-trick, and although the newcomers had to weather a late onslaught, they ultimately held on to secure a 3-2 win.

Rayo Vallecano vs Racing Santander Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• The two teams last met during the 2019-20 campaign, with Vallecano completing the double over Racing in the Segunda Division.
• Racing have kept just one clean sheet in their last 18 competitive matches.
• Only Elche (nine) have shipped more goals than Vallecano (eight) after the first three rounds.
• Los Franjirrojos have lost just one domestic home game since the start of October 2025.

Rayo Vallecano vs Racing Santander Prediction

Racing arrive in the capital this weekend as the more confident side while also boasting the slightly stronger squad on paper.

However, Vallecano possess a wealth of experience at this level alongside an excellent home record in recent months, both of which should combine to give them the edge on Saturday.

Prediction: Rayo Vallecano 1-0 Racing Santander

Rayo Vallecano vs Racing Santander Betting Tips

Tip 1 – Result: Rayo Vallecano to win

Tip 2 – Goals – Over/under 2.5 – Under 2.5 goals

Tip 3 – Both teams to score: No