Playing in perhaps baseball’s toughest division, the Tampa Bay Rays were the class of the field this season.
The thrifty Rays clinched their fifth AL East title with a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees in the second game of a day-night doubleheader Tuesday as Drew Rasmussen allowed one hit in 6 2/3 innings and Yandy Diaz hit a pair of two-run singles.
Tampa Bay took the AL East for the first time since 2021 and surpassed that team by three days with the earliest division clincher in team history. The club also won division crowns in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season along with 2010 and 2008, when it reached the World Series and had the franchise’s first winning season.
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“It means a lot,” Díaz said through a translator. “It’s a tough division. It’s a competitive division almost every single year. With this group we knew that from the beginning, but we still believed in ourselves every single way. So here we are in Yankee Stadium celebrating and we feel really happy that we got the job done.”
Tampa Bay (96-61) opened a six-game lead over the second-place Yankees (90-67) with five to play and will be the No. 1 seed with home-field advantage in the American League playoffs. The Rays are two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in the majors and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
The Rays have led the division since June 27 and spent 128 days in first place ahead of the Yankees, who only had Aaron Judge for 66 games due to a fractured right rib and a sore right calf that likely will keep the slugger out of next week’s best-of-three Wild Card Series at home.
Tampa Bay initially moved into first place following an 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on April 14 but lost the lead despite winning 13 of 18. The Rays regained the lead following a 4-1 win at Boston on May 10 and stayed there until June 13 when they lost seven of 13.
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“We played really good baseball up to this point,” said Rasmussen, who underwent elbow surgery in 2023. “We got off to a little bit of a slow start in April but to play as we have since the beginning of May, this group’s different. We have a lot of fun together. We love being together and we’re trying to spend as much time as we can possibly together.”
The Rays won their latest division crown after returning to Tropicana Field and going 55-26 at home this season. Last year, Tampa Bay finished 77-85 overall and played home games at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the Yankees, because the domed roof at the Trop was ripped off during Hurricane Milton in October 2024.
The Rays secured this AL East title after getting approval on a financing plan that will allow them to build a new stadium in Tampa, Florida, that is expected to open in 2029.
“Everything the franchise has been through, to have the Tampa Bay on the chest tonight, the staff, the players for Tampa Bay, all of it, just, it’s really special,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said.
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After closer Bryan Baker retired Yankees rookie George Lombard Jr. for the final out, the Rays shook hands on the field and exchanged hugs near the dugout to start their celebration.
As many Yankees fans left the stadium, Rays fans moved closer to the visitors’ dugout and began cheering for the newly minted division champs. Once the party moved inside, the Rays sprayed bubbly and beer on each other while jumping up and down and dancing to loud music in their clubhouse.
“I’m very happy because this is a special group,” third baseman and AL MVP candidate Junior Caminero said. “When I (went) to spring training (the) first day, I saw this group and (thought), we’ve got a playoff team this year, and we did it.”
Rasmussen held the Yankees hitless until Heliot Ramos started the seventh inning with a double to left field. The right-hander exited after walking Jazz Chisholm Jr., but Kevin Kelly retired Austin Wells after allowing Lombard’s run-scoring single.
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After finishing with three hits during a 2-0 loss in the opener, the Rays all but locked up the division title with a three-run seventh in the nightcap. Taylor Walls had a bunt single and Díaz lined a single to center field for a 4-0 lead. Díaz added another two-run single in the ninth for his AL-leading 175th hit.
Sep 19, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up before a game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
It’s wild to think that we’re already about a month into the college football season, and the prediction markets certainly look different right now than they did in August.
Kalshi, the leading prediction market that allows users to trade contracts of real-world outcomes like college football, currently gives Texas the best chance of winning the national championship. Before the season, the Longhorns shared a 13% chance of winning the national championship with Ohio State, the team they upset in Week 2.
Let’s take a look at these markets and how they’ve moved as of Wednesday morning.
National championship
After coming back from an improbable deficit to dethrone Ryan Day’s Buckeyes in Week 2, Texas has the best chances of winning the championship on Kalshi. Right behind them?
Ohio State, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
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Led by quarterback CJ Carr, the Fighting Irish are still undefeated – and undeniably one of the best teams in the country. They have a 12% chance of winning the national championship, which is the same percentage as the Buckeyes.
Even though Ohio State lost to Notre Dame in Week 2, their College Football Playoff hopes remain intact because of a brutal upcoming schedule. Day’s team has proven capable of surprises whenever they reach the Playoff, and barring another upset, the Buckeyes will be a top contender all year.
Other contending teams include the Georgia Bulldogs and Indiana Hoosiers, who are both being given an 11% chance of winning the national championship along with the Miami Hurricanes, who have a 10% chance.
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Trinidad Chambliss Heisman watch is already on
Before the season, Chambliss was given a 6% chance of winning the Heisman on Kalshi.
Lane Kiffin had just departed Ole Miss, and there wasn’t a lot of faith in Oxford, even though Chambliss stayed loyal as the team’s quarterback following a very strong year.
Chambliss beat LSU in Week 3, and spiked up to a 20% chance of winning the Heisman.
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Typically, Heisman moments aren’t made in September, and other contenders including Miami quarterback Darian Mensah should be considered with a 17% chance. Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor is quickly rising as well, getting an 11% chance.
Pre-season prediction market leaders like Texas quarterback Arch Manning has slipped to just a 7% chance of winning the Heisman. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith currently leads all non-quarterbacks with a 9% chance of winning the Heisman, while his Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin is well below Manning with just a 3% chance of winning the Heisman.
If you are following Ireland into November, you have plenty to look forward to as the 2026 Nations Championship reaches its second phase, with interest around each Test.
Ireland are scheduled to face Argentina at Aviva Stadium on 6 November, Fiji on 14 November and South Africa on 21 November, giving you three different Tests to assess in Dublin.
These fixtures also have added significance, as the Nations Championship forms part of World Rugby’s revised international calendar. Ireland enter November with two wins and one defeat from the opening July block, having beaten Australia 33-31 and Japan 36-20 before losing 40-21 to New Zealand. That record gives you useful form data before November.
Understanding rugby betting markets
If you are new to rugby betting, it helps to understand what each market is actually measuring before you look at prices. Match-result markets focus on the winner while handicap markets adjust the starting margin between the teams. Total-points markets concern the combined score while player markets can focus on tries or other individual statistics where available.
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You can compare recent performances, home advantage and each opponent’s tactical profile before considering any market. Ireland’s November opponents offer three contrasting tests, so one recent result tells you little on its own. Argentina finished the July block with one win and two defeats, Fiji lost all three matches while South Africawon all three and currently lead their half of the competition.
Look closely at recent form
Recent form gives you a useful starting point, but you need to look beyond the final score. Ireland’s 33-31 victory over Australia showed their ability to win a close contest, while the 36-20 success against Japan produced a more comfortable margin. The 40-21 defeat to New Zealand highlighted the challenge posed by a side capable of creating repeated attacking opportunities.
Argentina also produced mixed results, losing to Scotland and England before beating Wales, while Fiji struggled across their three matches. South Africa provide the strongest recent record, as they beat England, Scotland and Wales in the July Nations Championship block before defeating New Zealand twice in August and September. Those results give you useful context when you examine rugby betting around Ireland’s November fixtures.
Consider the match-up
Team rankings and win-loss records are useful, but rugby is built around specific tactical contests, so look at how strengths and weaknesses interact. Ireland’s ability to control possession, protect the ball and create pressure through phases can look different against Argentina’s physical approach, Fiji’s open attacking style or South Africa’s powerful forward game.
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Set-piece performance also deserves attention, as scrum stability and lineout efficiency can influence territory and scoring opportunities. You can also examine defensive numbers, turnover rates and points conceded across recent matches. World Rugby’s current Nations Championship table has South Africa and New Zealand unbeaten after three matches, as Ireland sit on two wins from three. That wider picture gives your rugby betting research more substance than a ranking comparison.
Selection and injuries matter
You should also keep an eye on team selection as November approaches because international rugby squads can change significantly between matches. A new half-back pairing can alter tempo, while front-row changes can affect scrum performance. Ireland already rotated heavily during the July campaign, with Andy Farrell resting several established players against Japan before recalling many of them for the New Zealand match.
That approach showed how selection can depend on fixture sequence and player workload. For rugby betting, confirmed starting XVs ultimately provide more useful information than early assumptions about who will take the field. Injury updates matter too, as one late withdrawal can alter a team’s balance before kick-off.
Home advantage and scheduling
Playing three November Tests at Aviva Stadium gives Ireland a familiar setting although each opponent arrives with different preparation and travel demands. Argentina’s visit comes first on 6 November, Fiji follow eight days later and South Africa arrive one week after that, so the sequence creates a demanding run of matches.
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South Africa also have their own autumn schedule, with Ireland travelling to Cape Town on 24 October before the Dublin meeting later in November. That earlier fixture provides another reference point for rugby betting, as you can compare both meetings without treating either result as definitive. Scheduling can affect selection, recovery and tactical planning, so consider the full calendar when assessing November internationals.
Responsible rugby betting
Rugby betting is best approached as entertainment with financial risk, so you should decide what you are comfortable spending before placing any wager. Strong rugby knowledge does not remove uncertainty, as injuries, refereeing decisions and tactical changes can alter a match quickly.
If you notice that gambling is becoming difficult to control, support is available in Ireland through services such as Problem Gambling Ireland, while the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is the statutory regulator for gambling in the Republic. Keeping spending separate from essential household costs can help you maintain perspective throughout the international window. The November Tests offer plenty to analyse, so the sport remains the focus. 18+ only.
In the land of weird happenings in the NFL—often taking place at Soldier Field when the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are playing—another installment occurred on Sunday.
The Bears’ offense was coming off a prodigious effort last week (scoring eight touchdowns for 59 points) yet scored just three points against Brian Flores’ defense. The Vikings beat the Bears on the road 9-3 (with some timely help from an injury to Caleb Williams late in the contest), and they now sit atop the NFC North division with a 2-0 record.
Injuries happen in the NFL, especially to the quarterback position (folks will recall the Vikings losing their starting QB last week after 11 plays), so qualifying the win as a gift, or lucky, is too much. It took place at Soldier Field, so it can be considered weird, which is par for that course, but not undeserved. The rain and sloppy conditions was the great equalizer and altered the prospects of the two teams that put up 98 points, collectively, last week.
So, for the second week in a row, a win is a win. The Vikings defense held Caleb Williams in check (relatively speaking) and kept the Bears out of the endzone (causing and recovering a fumble at their own 1-yard line, and sacking the QB on the final play). The Vikings offense, though just mediocre (246 yards and no touchdowns), did enough to get the win—thanks to place kicker Will Reichard, who made all three of his field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder.
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There is plenty to digest in this one—a great defensive performance, rookies coming through, a 100-yard rusher and a darn good place kicker and punter. And the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com, and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com, are here to break it all down.
Tune in and check it out. Skol!
Listen to Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast here or on your favorite podcast network.
BALTIMORE — As the rain poured with no signs of abating Tuesday afternoon and the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles discussed whether to postpone the night’s game, Max Scherzer made one demand of John Schneider.
“It was,” the manager recalled, “‘make sure you call me at this time when you know, so I can either turn it on or turn it off.”
The day’s relentless downpour meant Scherzer turned his legendary intensity off, flipping back on Wednesday in the first half of a split doubleheader, when not even the future Hall of Famer could prevent his team’s inevitable elimination from the wild-card chase in a 4-2 defeat.
Loss No. 81 was in many ways a microcosm of this star-crossed season for the defending American League champions, failing to execute on a delayed double steal that allowed the Orioles to swipe a run in the second while going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position before finally breaking through on Brandon Valenzuela’s RBI single in the sixth, finishing 1-for-14 overall.
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An offence that began the day tied for 28th in runs scored has been a season-long issue while uneven defensive play has combined with a relentless stream of pitching injuries to prevent the Blue Jays from winning more than four games in a row.
Still, a 17-11 August and a 5-3 start to September briefly pushed them above .500 and gave them possession of the third wild-card spot, but they’re 4-8 since, ending their hopes of capitalizing on an overwhelmingly mid American League to sneak into the playoffs.
A key part of the August surge, the 42-year-old Scherzer, possibly making his last start for the Blue Jays — although Schneider did leave the door open to another outing on short rest Sunday — struck out the side around a walk in the first, was bled for two runs in the second, gave up a two-run shot to surging slugger Pete Alonso in the fifth and ended up allowing four runs in five frames with seven punchouts.
Now at 3,550 career strikeouts, Scherzer needs five more to pass Justin Verlander’s 3,554 for eighth all-time, although the Detroit Tigers righty pitches Saturday, adding impetus for another go in the finale.
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If it was his last go for the Blue Jays, the pending free-agent Scherzer has left a remarkable impact on the franchise, his insights contributing to the club’s reset ahead of the 2025 season while helping pitch the team back to the World Series for the first time since 1993, an epic outing in Game 4 of the ALCS versus the Seattle Mariners adding to his lore.
Schneider pointed to Scherzer’s humour and competitiveness, among other attributes, helping everyone around the club.
“He’s been awesome. It’s been really cool to watch him compete and get to know him and the many things that make him tick. He’s kind of one-of-one,” Schneider said.
There’s little doubt there — and whether this season is not only it for Scherzer and the Blue Jays, but his career, is up in the air. He’s likely to take his time with his decision and given his age and the toll of 19 big-league seasons on his body, a creative accommodation in which he starts the season late — something the looming lockout might force anyway — or is counted on for shorter portions of the season might make sense for him, especially around his familiar responsibilities.
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The $3 million contract he signed in the spring with $1 million in incentives every 10 innings starting at 65 — at 77.2 innings he crossed the second threshold Wednesday to push his incentive total to $2 million — demonstrates ways to accommodate unique accommodations that teams are increasingly willing to employ.
“We are a glaring example of you can never have enough pitching and you can never have enough starting pitching, just because of the ebbs and flows of the season,” said Schneider. “Really good teams are doing that now, where I don’t want to say you’re baking in some injuries or some time off, but you’re banking on not 200 innings, maybe a hundred. There definitely could be a pathway for that.”
Schneider added that after last season, he “was a little bit more sure that he would” return but now, “I don’t know. I think it’s a 50-50 call right now.”
And how would he feel about a return engagement with Scherzer?
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“Open door,” Schneider replied. “Not my call, but I would love to have him around.”
After a week of press conferences and conjecture, the 2026 Presidents Cup is set to get underway on Thursday at Medinah Country Club’s No. 3 course. A heavily favored U.S. team will aim to win its 11th straight Presidents Cup and improve its record to 14-1-1 in this competition, while the visiting International team hopes to buck the recent trend and shock the red, white and blue.
U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker announced, when making his final six selections for his squad, that the opening session will be four-ball, leaving the foursomes format for Friday, before both teams play both formats on Saturday ahead of Sunday singles.
Electing to defer, Snedeker matched International captain Geoff Ogilvy’s squad of Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im with his duo of Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns to kick off the 16th edition of the Presidents Cup. The world No. 1 will team up with his good friend and look to carry his individual success into this team setting.
Players Championship winner Cameron Young and two-time major champion Xander Schauffele drew a pair of Japanese players in Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune in the second match. Hisatsune will be the first rookie from either side to stick a peg in the ground in competition.
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It won’t be long for more to follow as 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun will be shepherded around by the most experienced American in Justin Thomas. They draw a favorable matchup for the U.S. in the third match against Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria.
Four major champions fall into the fourth match with Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa taking on Adam Scott, who is set to make his 12th Presidents Cup appearance, and Champion Golfer of the Year Ryan Fox. The final match will pit the International’s best team, Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim, against Patrick Cantlay and Chris Gotterup.
2026 Presidents Cup matchups: Day 1 (Thursday)
All times Eastern
Session 1 — Four-ball
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1
Scottie Scheffler & Sam Burns
12:35 p.m.
Min Woo Lee & Sungjae im
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2
Cameron Young & Xander Schauffele
12:53 p.m.
Hideki Matsuyama & Ryo Hisatsune
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3
Justin Thomas & Jackson Koivun
1:11 p.m.
Corey Conners & Nico Echavarria
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4
Wyndham Clark & Collin Morikawa
1:29 p.m.
Ryan Fox & Adam Scott
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5
Chris Gotterup & Patrick Cantlay
1:47 p.m.
Tom Kim & Si Woo Kim
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With five matches on the board, the International team will hope to win the opening session for only the fifth time in the competition’s history. When they win the first session, the overall event proves more competitive, which last happened in 2019 at Royal Melbourne when the hosting side entered Sunday singles with the lead.
On paper, the talent discrepancy tilts towards the home team with decidable advantages in the first three matches. What occurs in those final two bouts could very well determine whether this Presidents Cup is one filled with drama. The U.S. went 8-1-0 in the four-ball format in 2024 at Royal Montreal, including a 5-0 sweep in the opening session.
Jacob Bridgeman and Russell Henley will sit for the U.S. team on Thursday, while Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Nick Taylor will be sidelined for the International team.
Man Utd are continuing to slash their wage bill but those savings are being eaten up by debt repayments.
Manchester United cut their cloth once again last season, with a wage bill that has now shrunk from a high of £384.1million in 2021/22 to £303million in 2025/26.
While a couple of rounds of cost-cutting redundancies have affected United’s annual salary costs, the reduction is primarily due to a more prudent approach to player pay.
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The trend might change this season, with the 25% increase in many salaries for Champions League qualification present, while the exit of Casemiro was offset by the return of Marcus Rashford as the club’s highest earner, on a salary of more than £300,000-a-week.
That pay packet is why United began the summer looking to offload Rashford. Ineos are determined to slash costs and chief executive Omar Berrada has warned of more fiscal “discipline” to come.
In 2024/25, United had the fifth-highest wage bill at £313.1million. It’s not impossible that they dropped further down the league table last term.
Their wages-to-revenue ratio also continues to shrink. Staff salaries now account for just 45% of the club’s record £677.6million revenue. That is down from 50% last year and 55% the year before. The trend is obvious.
In 2024/25, the Premier League average was 65%. Manchester City won the league that season with a wage bill of £408.4million, around £95million higher than at Old Trafford. Their wages-to-revenue ratio was at 59%.
That season is the last for which full figures from every Premier League club were available. Only Tottenham (45%) were below United then but they have invested heavily in their squad this summer. It’s entirely possible that United now have the lowest wages-to-revenue ratio in the league.
Some would consider that good financial planning and the kind of cautious approach that will eventually see United start to turn more regular profits, which can then be reinvested into the playing squad.
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The problem is that wages remain a much better barometer of where a team will finish in the league than anything else, including transfer fees. So if United are paying salaries that put them fifth, sixth or seventh in that category, then that is likely where they will finish.
What makes this particularly difficult for fans to stomach is that while the players’ collective pay continues to fall, debt continues to rise. The headline figures are up to nearly £690million in the latest accounts, partly as a result of refinancing bonds to buy land associated with the stadium.
Most gallingly, an interest repayment of £69.6million on that debt is a significant chunk of money to leave the business. It’s a full-back or a striker. Or enough to sign a couple of players on bigger salaries.
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None of this really comes as a surprise. Twenty-one years of Glazer rule and debt piled high on the club were always going to take their toll eventually.
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Now that approach sits alongside Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s maxim of maximising profits and driving financial discipline. United have no control over the size of those interest repayments, but they can control the wage bill and the transfer expenditure.
Berrada has insisted United are on the right track and their prudent approach will eventually pay off, but that looks hard to square with the financial figures, especially at a time when the club are determined to build a 100,000-seater stadium that a substantial number of matchgoers are against.
That project will only pile even more debt on the club, a process that has already begun with the £63.5million spent on land for the new stadium. That cash was raised from a refinanced loan earlier this summer.
It all adds up to a messy picture but the bottom line is that money spent on the actual football is unlikely to increase while the Glazers’ debt remains such a burden, and at a time when so much of Ratcliffe’s focus and ambition is on building a new stadium.
Sep 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Jo Adell (7) safe at third base Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) in the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The MLB regular season gets another step closer to the finish line with 16 games — one double-header — starting with Washington vs. Detroit at 1:10 p.m. EST and ending with the Dodgers and Padres at 10:10 p.m. EST.
I’ve got a few ideas for y’all.
Here are my top picks for the best MLB bets of the day:
Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees
Under 6.5 at +123 (Caesars)
Rays starter Ian Seymour has a better record on the road (5-2) than at home (4-5) but has a 4.96 ERA and .257 OBA away from home. Gerrit Cole has a losing record at home (3-4), and his home ERA is a tad higher than on the road (3.93 to 3.41).
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But both pitchers are throwing well enough to control lineups that are hitting .206 (Yankees) and .191 (Rays) over the last week. The Yankees won 2-0 on Tuesday, and today’s outcome will likely be another low-scoring total.
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St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Pirates (alt line) -1.5 at +190 (FanDuel)
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The Cardinals have lost five of their last six, including last night’s game vs. the Pirates (2-0). They’ve been struggling at the plate over the last week, hitting just .191 while generating just 16 runs across five games.
Oh, and the starting pitcher scheduled for today has a 5.36 ERA and a 5-14 record. But for some odd reason, despite being on the road, the betting line had the Cardinals listed as favorites for this game.
Pittsburgh appears to be going with a bullpen day, and their offense has been hitting .283 over the last week. I can’t see any reason to believe the Cardinals will win. If anything, it will be another multi-run loss.
Cleveland Guardians vs. Boston Red Sox
Guardians ML at +114 (FanDuel)
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Boston is slumping at the wrong time. The Red Sox have lost three in a row after dropping last night’s game to Cleveland 3-2, and five of their last seven. They’ve struggled at the plate, hitting just .201 over the last week, scoring a total of 15 runs across six games.
Cleveland comes in on a hot streak with wins in their last six games, hitting .288 and scoring 27 runs across five games. For some crazy reason, Boston is the betting favorite. With Foster Griffin getting the start (15-5, 3.67 ERA, 1.19 WHIP).
Now, Boston is scheduled to send Sonny Gray (17-5, 2.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) to the mound. Gray has a solid history against the Guardians, holding opponents to .208 OBA. But even if he has a good day against the Cleveland lineup, he likely won’t get enough support from his lineup.
Jamey Eisenberg expects Jaylen Warren to break out in Week 3, while several backfields create tough start-sit calls that can decide your matchups.
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1 min read
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Chuba Hubbard is my Start of the Week for Week 3, as his role is clear now that Jonathon Brooks (groin) is on injured reserve. But we have questions about several backfields heading into Week 3, especially concerning injuries.
Saquon Barkley (shoulder), Jadarian Price (shoulder), J.K. Dobbins (hamstring) and Rico Dowdle (toe) all left Week 2. At the time of publication, we’re waiting for injury updates on several of these backfields, which will impact how Fantasy managers set their lineups.
If Barkley is out for Week 3 at Chicago, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley would be flex options. Emanuel Wilson would also be a flex option if Price can’t play in Week 3 at Washington.
We know Dowdle missed practice Wednesday and was in a walking boot. That doesn’t bode well for his Week 3 status against Cincinnati, but it puts Jaylen Warren in line to be a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues.
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As for the Broncos, it’s a complicated situation since Dobbins could practice this week, but we don’t know about RJ Harvey (hamstring), who also missed Week 2 against Jacksonville. And now Jonah Coleman (ankle) is banged up heading into Week 3 against the Rams.
We’ll continue to monitor all of these injuries for Week 3. But be prepared to use some backup running backs in your Fantasy leagues this week.
We have eight Mountain West teams in action this week across six games.
Four teams play conference games, with Hawaii visiting Wyoming in Larime and Air Force traveling to Nevada.
North Dakota State has a bye this week after opening the season 4-0 in their jump to FBS.
The hot start for the Bison make them the only program in the last 45 seasons to win its first four games as a fully fledged FBS team while scoring at least 30 points in each victory.
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Quite impressive, but just one of a few accomplishments for Mountain West teams.
New Mexico travels to in-state rival New Mexico State this week, following a 14-6 defeat at Oklahoma.
The Sooners’ point total was the fewest allowed by a MW school on the road against a ranked Autonomous-4 opponent since TCU held Oklahoma to 10 points in 2005.
As the non-conference season winds down across the country, the Mountain West has more non-conference FBS victories than C-USA, MAC and the Pac-12.
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Here is a look at the Mountain West games this week.
UNLV Rebels at Akron Zips
Saturday, Sept. 26 9:00 AM PT, ESPN+
Line:UNLV –13.5 Over/Under:52.5
UNLV is coming off a bye that followed a tough loss to North Texas.
The Rebels should be sharp and ready to rebound. UNLV likes to go up-tempo, averaging 70.7 plays per game, among the Top 20 nationally in plays per game.
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Coming off a bye will be big for the visitors traveling over half way across the country. Fresh bodies coupled with the pounding run game should favor the Rebels by a bunch.
Akron has gotten punished by opposing ground games in their two games this season against FBS competition, both double-digit losses to Power Four programs.
Against North Texas two weeks ago, the ground attack never got going for the Rebels. This week they should be able to run for 200+ and wear down the Zips defense.
Jackson Arnold vs North Texas | UNLV Athletics
Having Jackson Arnold as a threat to run the ball will also cause issues for the Akron defense. Against Wake in the opener, the Zips allowed QBs to scamper for 92 yards at 4.55 yards per tote.
Making matters worse for Akron in this one is they are banged up at the most important position. The Zips will turn to Brayden Roggow in this one after the starter Cibastian Broughton went out with a leg injury last week.
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The redshirt freshman was third on the depth chart at the start of the year prior to injuries. If the Zips can’t sustain some drives on offense, it will tax their defense even more.
The Rebels will wear down Akron and win this one going away.
Winner:UNLV ATS:UNLV O/U:Under
NIU Huskies at Georgia State Panthers
Saturday, Sept. 26 11:00 AM PT, ESPN+
Line:Georgia State –10 Over/Under:56.5
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Northern Illinois has not looked good in their three games this season. Getting destroyed by both Iowa and Arizona as well as dropping one to FCS runner-up from last season Illinois State.
The Panthers, on the other hand, enter this one 2-1 with the lone loss by 14 at Central Florida.
There is a reason GSU is a double-digit favorite in this one. The Panthers are averaging over 500 yards of offense per game with a balanced attack moving it on the ground and through the air.
NIU has allowed a lot of yards and points this season.
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On the other side of it, the Huskies have been one of the worst offenses in the country this season, averaging just 256 yards of production per game.
The only thing that could keep the Huskies is creating turnovers. NIU has intercepted at least one pass in every game this season, while Cameran Brown has thrown three interceptions while guiding the Georgia State offense.
But the NIU offense still needs to be able to capitalize on those errors.
GSU scores in bunches and Northern Illinois enters conference play winless.
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Winner:Georgia State ATS:Georgia State O/U:Under
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at Wyoming Cowboys
Saturday, Sept. 26 12:00 PM PT, CW
Line:Hawai’i –3 Over/Under: 44.5
This is the 30th all-time meeting between Hawaii and Wyoming, and the winner will go home with the Paniolo Trophy.
This will be the conference opener for the Cowboys while the Warriors already have a MW contest under their belt, falling to UNLV earlier this season.
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The Cowboys woes continued at Central Michigan last week while UH is riding some momentum after defeating New Mexico State their last time out in Week 2.
In the 10-point win over NMSU, Michah Alejado had his best performance of the season, throwing for 346 yards while completing 73% of his passes.
The QB currently leads the conference with 264.7 passing yards per game while ranking fourth nationally with 27 completions per outing.
DeVon Rice vs NMSU | Hawai’i Athletics
Statistically Wyoming has been pretty stingy against the pass this season limiting opponents to just 160 yards per game, good enough to rank 27th best in the nation.
Those numbers are a bit skewed however as they held CMU to just 32 passing yards last week. They also allowed the Chips to run the ball for 339, nearly 200 yards more than they have averaged in the first two weeks.
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So, in short, the Cowboys will have a very hard time stopping Hawaii when the ‘Bows have the football. UH has not moved the ball very well on the ground this season, but they did run for 118 against UNLV.
If the Warriors can do enough to keep the Cowboys from keying only on the pass, Alejado should be able to shred the defense.
Hawai’i wins this one by more than a field goal.
Winner:Hawai’i ATS:Hawai’i O/U:Under
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New Mexico Lobos at New Mexico State Aggies
Saturday, Sept. 26 12:30 PM PT, CBS Sports Network
Line:New Mexico –11.5 Over/Under: 48.5
It is the Rio Grande Rivalry—or is it the Battle of I-25? Depends upon who you ask, I suppose; UNM prefers the former while NMSU has dubbed it the latter.
I guess you can be sure it’s a rivalry when they can’t even agree on what the game is called!
The Lobos have been as stingy as any team in the country this season, ranking eighth in the nation with just 9.3 points allowed this season—and that includes limiting Oklahoma to just 14 points a week ago.
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A big reason for the low scores allowed has been the Lobos’ ability to once again force turnovers this season.
UNM leads the nation with a turnover margin of +3.67 while they also lead the nation with 7 interceptions and 11 takeaways—and UNM has yet to lose a turnover this season.
Turnovers were an issue for the Aggies in their loss at Hawaii last week.
The Lobos offense has been driven by committee. Scottre Humphrey and Kiefer Sibley shared the load on the ground, leading a ground attack that has rushed for 187 yards per game.
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TK King vs Hawai’i | Kaui Photography
The Lobos have also taken the QB-by-committee approach in the first three games with both Toa Fa’avaie and Luke Moga both behind center.
Moga has thrown the ball a bit better while Fa’avae has been more dynamic on the ground, but the offense has thrived in that approach.
Slowing down the Lobos will be key for the Aggies. Against Florida State they did a good job limiting the pass, but the Noles ran all over them.
In the loss at Hawaii, NMSU took away the ground game and the Rainbows beat them through the air.
Trey Hedden has directed the Aggies offense effectively this season, ranking 31st nationally with 260.3 yards per game. New Mexico will need to get him out of rhythm, and the best way to do that is to crank up the pressure.
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The Lobos are averaging three sacks per game, among the best in the nation. In the Aggies’ two losses this season, they have allowed 2.5 sacks per game, three to the Seminoles, who have mustered just one sack since the opener.
The Lobos are the better team in this one, and it will play out as expected. Look for New Mexico State to keep things level for opening portion of this rivalry before the Lobos pull away.
Winner:New Mexico ATS:New Mexico O/U:Under
Oregon State Beavers at UTEP Miners
Saturday, Sept. 26 6:00 PM PT, MW+
Line:Oregon State –10.5 Over/Under:48.5
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The Beavers are 1-2 on the season, but 3-0 against the spread.
That is indicative of just how tight OSU played this season against a couple of solid opponents in their two losses to Texas Tech and Houston.
Saturday night’s trip to the Sun Bowl to close out non-conference play should offer a bit of respite to the Beavers and is exactly why they are installed as a big favorite on the road this week.
Braden Atkinson has started his season on a tear. The Beaver QB leads the nation with 373.3 passing yards per game and owns a TD-to-interception ratio of 8-1. The transfer from Mercer has also rushed for a pair of scores.
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Slowing down the Beavers’ passing attack will be a tall order for the Miners. Last week UTEP let a pretty bad Michigan air attack throw for 246 on them, OSU might double that out put this week.
EJ Colson Jr. vs Oklahoma | UTEP Athletics
OSU should have no trouble scoring on the Miners, but will UTEP be able to keep up? No, but they will put points on the board. Last week they put up 17 on a pretty stout Michigan defense.
The Miners will have to get more production through the air. Against a pair of good defenses in Michigan and Oklahoma, UTEP had a non-existent passing attack.
In the win over Texas Southern, they were able to throw the ball effectively. I’d look for the production to be closer to what it was in the win than in the two losses.
Oregon State wins this one and will also remain unbeaten against the spread, but UTEP is going to score enough to push this over the surprisingly low total of 48.5
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Winner:Oregon State ATS:Oregon State O/U:Over
Air Force Falcons at Nevada Wolf Pack
Saturday, Sept. 26 7:30 PM PT, FS1
Line:Air Force –5.5 Over/Under:50.5
This is an interesting nightcap in Reno. The Falcons will play their second consecutive conference game while the Wolf Pack will open MW play this week.
Air Force fell in a tight game to North Dakota State that saw the Falcons be surprisingly balanced on offense, at least yardage-wise.
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They threw the ball for 179 yards while rushing for 214, granted they still ran the ball on 51 of their 66 offensive snaps.
Air Force is always one of the most disciplined teams in the nation, but this season they have been flagged 14 times in their opening two games.
Nevada has only been slightly better this season, getting flagged 6.3 times per game in the opening three weeks.
The big difference between these two teams this season has been turnovers.
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Liam Szarka vs NDSU | Joshua Genz/Special to the Gazette
Air Force has given the ball away just once this season while the Pack have turned over eight times, more than every team in the nation with the exception of two. That is not good.
Nevada certainly needs to clean up the miscues, but this one is going to come down to the home team’s ability to stop the run.
Air Force is going to run it; everyone knows it. Sure they will hit you up top on a deep shot and probably connect on a couple of them a game, but if Nevada can’t stop the run, this one is over.
In their three games, Nevada has allowed opponents to run the football.
The Falcons will run the ball, and Nevada is not going ot have an answer. This one gets in the way of the Falcons.
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Winner:Air Force ATS:Air Force O/U:Over
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).
North Dakota State has a bye this week after opening the season 4-0 in their jump to FBS.
UNLV Rebels at Akron Zips
NIU Huskies at Georgia State Panthers
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at Wyoming Cowboys
New Mexico Lobos at New Mexico State Aggies
Oregon State Beavers at UTEP Miners
Air Force Falcons at Nevada Wolf Pack
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