Sports
NFC South Is NFL's Most Mediocre Division
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won the last three NFC South titles.
At 3-1, they have the early lead in the division again and can strengthen their edge as they face their closest competitors—the 2-2 Atlanta Falcons and the 2-2 New Orleans Saints—in Weeks 5 and 6.
But no team from the NFC South has advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs since the wild-card Bucs won the Super Bowl after the 2020 season.
Tampa Bay can establish itself as one of the top early contenders in the NFC by winning Thursday night in Atlanta and 10 days later in New Orleans. But a loss in either or both of the games would create a logjam of mediocrity that has been a feature of the division in recent seasons.
While the Carolina Panthers, 1-3 after going 2-15 a year ago, appear to be facing an ongoing rebuilding project, the Falcons, who last made the playoffs in 2017, and the Saints, who last made the playoffs in 2020, both made significant off-season moves designed to help them unseat the Bucs and emerge as contenders.
But so far the results have been average.
Both teams hired highly regarded assistants to be their offensive coordinators, Atlanta grabbing former Rams quarterback coach/passing game coordinator Zac Robinson and New Orleans importing former 49ers offensive passing game specialist Klint Kubiak.
The Falcons, who at 7-10 finished two games behind the second-place Saints last season, went even further to help out first-year head coach Raheem Morris by signing free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract.
But Atlanta averaged less than 17 points per game in losing two of its first three, though it did beat the Saints 26-24 last Sunday without scoring an offensive touchdown.
New Orleans was as impressive as any team in the NFL in the first two weeks, beating the Panthers 47-10 and the Cowboys 44-10, but the loss in Atlanta was preceded by a 15-12 home loss to the Eagles. The Saints, who visit the undefeated Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Monday night, have outscored their opponents 127-70, tying the undefeated Vikings for the largest scoring margin in the NFL, but they have just a breakeven record (and a to-game losing streak) to show for it.
As for the Bucs, they are coming off a 33-16 victory against the Eagles and have two other impressive wins, handing both the surprising Commanders (37-20) and the Lions (20-16) their only losses.
But two weeks ago Tampa Bay was handled easily at home by the Broncos 26-7.
The upcoming back-to-back divisional road games will be a good gauge for the Bucs, whose game at Detroit has been their only game away from home.
Perceived contenders such as the Cowboys, Eagles, Packers, 49ers and Rams are off to surprisingly slow starts, while the Commanders, Vikings and Seahawks appear to be stronger contenders than generally was expected.
Meanwhile, in the NFC South, unless and until someone demonstrates otherwise, continued mediocrity is the only label that sticks.
Sports
WNBA Picks Tuesday: Best Bets for Lynx, Fever and Aces
Jul 22, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) shoot the ball against Seattle Storm center Awa Fam (11) during the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images The All-Star Break is done and it is time for the WNBA season to pick up where it left off. To that end, the league has given us a five-game slate today with plenty of great betting opportunities. Let’s talk about which ones are the WNBA Best Bets for the day.
There are several good ones, but the following are my top picks (odds via FanDuel):
Toronto Tempo vs. Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota hasn’t beaten a team by more than 15.5 points since June 17 (99-83 vs. Sparks). In the nine games they were double digit favorites, they covered in only three. So, why should we believe they’ll cover this spread tonight? There are several reasons:
Napheesa Collier is back and proved before the break she is ready to play. There may be some hiccups as the Lynx figures out how to keep everyone involved. But that shouldn’t be an issue against the team with one of the worst defenses in the league (92.3 ppg allowed).
My Pick: Lynx -15.5 at -110
Collier’s return should fix many of Minnesota’s recent issues. Big spreads warrant caution, but Toronto can’t match a healthy Lynx team. Minnesota beat Toronto by 28 on May 21. I don’t expect another beatdown, but the Lynx should cover.
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Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm
Indiana went into the All-Star Break absolutely rolling, averaging 105 points per game over the last five games while holding teams to 89.2 ppg. In the last five games leading up to the break, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell averaged nearly 50 combined points per game (49.4).
Does a struggling Seattle team stand a chance?
The Storm averaged around 90 ppg over the last five games prior to the Break. But there defense allowed an average of 96 ppg. But they did give Indiana a good fight the last time these two played (July 17, 110-107).
My Pick: Indiana -9.5 at -110
Clark is probable, while Malonga is questionable. If Malonga sits, Mitchell, Clark, and Boston should thrive inside. If she plays (or if Clark sits), it will be more challenging, but Indiana still should cover.
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Portland Fire vs. Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas should absolutely win this game. They have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, not to mention the WNBA’s best player in A’ja Wilson. With Wilson and the roster rested and ready to go, Portland will have its hands full just trying to keep up.
However, based on how both teams were playing prior to the break, Portland may be able to do just that. They lost five of their last eight before the break but went 7-1 ATS. Vegas went 3-3 before the Break outright but 2-4 ATS. Vegas won both prior meetings but went 1-1 ATS.
My Pick: Portland +11.5 at -110
If this was a single-digit spread, I’d probably go the other way. But with how both teams were playing before the break, I don’t see Vegas dominating this game. The Aces will win, but not by double digits.
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Sports
Cubs ride high-octane offense into rematch vs. Cardinals
Jul 27, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) is congratulated by third baseman Alex Bregman (3) after hitting a two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs are playing like a team that could make some noise in the postseason, but manager Craig Counsell knows there still is work to be done.
The Cubs will look to build on their momentum when they continue a four-game series against the host St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. Chicago pounded out 14 hits in a 7-3 win on Monday.
Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner each homered and had four hits for Chicago, which has won 26 of its last 38 games and holds a 5 1/2-game lead as the first wild card in the National League.
The Cubs have 25 runs over their past three games, going 2-1.
“Look, I think we have shown that we can play at a high level,” Counsell said. “The best thing about a major league season is you can’t fake your record, man, over 162 games. It’s too many games. And so, I feel like the teams that get to October, they’ve earned it. And we’ve got a long way to go.”
St. Louis has lost eight of its last 10 games and is a 1 1/2 games behind the final NL wild-card spot. The Cardinals also are back at .500 for the first time since April 13, when they were 8-8.
Like the Cubs, St. Louis is expected to be active ahead of the trade deadline next Monday. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said he has been connecting with his players to keep them focused amid any possible distractions.
“I just try to make sure we’re available to the guys that want to have a conversation to make sure that they’re in the right headspace,” Marmol said. “That’s basically it.”
The expected pitching matchup for Tuesday’s game will feature a pair of right-handers as the Cardinals’ Michael McGreevy (4-8, 3.07 ERA) faces Chicago’s Colin Rea (7-7, 4.85).
McGreevy, 26, allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings in a 10-6 home loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. He settled in after giving up a two-run homer to Tyler Locklear in the fourth inning.
“I think if I execute that pitch and I throw it a little farther down in the zone, it’s not a homer,” McGreevy said. “He might take it, he might hit a double down the line, but it’s not a two-run shot. But that’s just something you can learn from.”
Ian Happ is 4-for-8 against McGreevy, who is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA in three career starts vs. the Cubs.
Chicago will counter with Rea, who allowed four runs over five innings in a 5-1 home loss to the Detroit Tigers last Wednesday.
Rea, 36, has given up 17 home runs in 105 2/3 innings this season, including a three-run blast by Hao-Yu Lee in the loss to Detroit.
“I just threw a get-me-over fastball, and he put a good swing on it,” Rea said. “With two outs there, you’ve got to be thinking a little bit better. Even though it’s 3-0 there, you’ve still got to make a better pitch.”
Lars Nootbaar is 4-for-13 (.308) against Rea, who is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five career starts vs. St. Louis.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orioles vs. Tigers Bet Picks: Best Predictions for Tuesday July 28
The Baltimore Orioles (52-55) and the Detroit Tigers (50-57) meet Tuesday for the second installment of a three-game set at Comerica Park in Detroit. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET, and it can be viewed or streamed on MLB.TV.
The Orioles opened the series with an 8-5 victory on Monday night, although RHP Kyle Bradish wasn’t particularly impressive (4.2 IP, 5 ER, 10 H, 1 BB, 4 K). It was a strong offensive showing for Baltimore, however, as the O’s swatted three home runs. 3B Coby Mayo had an impressive night at the dish, going 2 for 4 with his 14th home run, two runs scored and three RBI. SS Jackson Holliday collected for hits, including a double, while coming in to score twice.
The O’s were able to collect a total of 12 hits and four walks while striking out just three times against Tigers pitching enroute to the victory.
The Tigers bats were decent on Monday, posting 11 total hits, while All-Star SS Kevin McGonigle ended up 2 for 5 at the top of the order. RF Zach McKinstry and 1B Spencer Torkelson each were 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI, and McKinstry collected his third triple of the 2026 season. Torkelson’s RBI came in the form of a sacrifice fly.
On Tuesday night, the Orioles roll out RHP Dean Kremer (1-3. 5.08 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), while the Tigers counter with the red-hot RHP Troy Melton (5-1, 1.95 ERA, 0.95 WHIP).
Kremer’s numbers aren’t impressive, and on the road, he is even worse, going 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA in three starts across 16 IP, allowing 11 earned runs and 14 hits, although he does have 17 strikeouts, which is always a concern. Detroit likely will have a lot more whiffs Tuesday, but it should also be able to get to him early, and often.
Melton, on the other hand, has been a tremendous bump for the Tigers’ rotation. The former San Diego State Aztecs pitcher has lit it up in his first 10 starts of the season, posting a sub-2.00 ERA, while recording 55 strikeouts in his 60 frames. He has been slightly more hittable at Comerica Park than on the road, allowing seven of his eight homers in the Motor City. However, he has limited the damage on those shots, and he has a still impressive .196 opponent batting average and 1.02 WHIP across 27.1 IP in five outings in the D.
The Tigers are on a three-game skid, after it looked like they might be ready to climb back into the postseason chase in the American League. The offense has been a bit moribund lately, compiling just 22 runs in the past six games, or 3.7 runs per game (RPG).
For the Orioles, they’ve struggled to stack wins, alternating wins and losses in each of the past six games, going 3-4 in the past seven since a rare seven-game winning streak from July 9-19 on both sides of the All-Star break.
We’ll back the TIGERS (-144) as moderate favorite in Tuesday’s game, as they look to bounce back from the series-opening loss. The pitching scales are tipped in Detroit’s favor with Melton against Kremer.
And, while we had an Over result in the series opener, let’s go UNDER 9.5 (-120) in Game 2. That’s a big number with Melton on the bump, and the Under is 4-2 in the past six games for the O’s, while going 14-6 in the past 20 outings. The total has gone low at a 4-1-1 clip in the past six for Detroit, and 12-4-1 in the past 17 games, while cashing Under in each of the past six starts by Melton.
WNBA Picks Tuesday: Best Bets for Lynx, Fever and Aces
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