Editor's note: We are not putting picks on every game yet. The only Vegas line below is on the marquee, pulled from a real sportsbook this morning. For the full slate, scores, and where to watch each game, head to watch.uristocrat.com.
It is a 15-game MLB Tuesday, but the one to circle tips off late. The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces meet for the first time this season, and they do it exactly one week before they play each other again for the Commissioner's Cup. Tonight is the dress rehearsal. The baseball fills out the rest of a long evening.
Marquee: New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces (10:00 PM ET, USA Network)
Two of the three best teams in the league, on national TV, a week from a trophy game. The Aces (12-4) host the Liberty (11-6), both 8-2 over their last 10 and both chasing the Minnesota Lynx at the top of the standings. A'ja Wilson leads the WNBA in scoring at 25.7 a night; Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu carry New York. Las Vegas is shorthanded in the rotation, with Dana Evans, Chennedy Carter, and Janiah Barker all out, while the Liberty list Betnijah Laney-Hamilton as day-to-day with a knee. The result barely matters next to the rematch on June 30, but neither side wants to hand the other a confidence win first.
Vegas line: Aces -2.5, total 178.5, moneyline Las Vegas -142 / New York +120 (DraftKings, via ESPN).
Also tonight
- Dodgers at Twins (7:40 PM ET). The night's national baseball window on TBS. Los Angeles on the road against a Minnesota club that plays everyone tight at home. Best non-marquee draw on the board.
- Braves at Padres (9:40 PM ET). The late ESPN game, two clubs with October ambitions. Petco Park under the lights is one of the better backdrops in the sport. A good one to leave on after the WNBA tips.
- Yankees at Tigers (6:40 PM ET). New York visits Detroit, a Tigers team that has spent the season punching above expectations. An early-evening East Coast start if you want baseball before the headliner.
- Cubs at Mets (7:10 PM ET). Two National League contenders at Citi Field. Chicago and New York both need every game in a crowded NL race, so there is more here than a midweek date suggests.
- Phillies at Nationals (6:45 PM ET). An NL East matchup in Washington. Philadelphia keeps the pressure on at the top of the division; the Nationals play spoiler.
- Red Sox at Rockies (8:40 PM ET). Boston at altitude in Coors Field, where the ball flies and the scoreboard rarely sleeps. If you want runs, this is your game.
The shape of the night is simple: one WNBA headliner worth planning around, then a deep baseball slate to graze through until it tips. Start with the early MLB games, settle in for Liberty-Aces at 10, and remember the real stakes land next Tuesday when these two play for the Cup.
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