Editor's note: Uristocrat's picks model is not live yet, so only the marquee below carries a Vegas line. For the full slate with live scores and every matchup on today's board, head to watch.uristocrat.com.
Saturday is a World Cup day first and everything else second. The two remaining quarterfinals settle the last two semifinal spots, with France and Spain already through to the final four. Once the soccer wraps, there is a loaded domestic board: three WNBA games led by a Liberty-Lynx rematch on ABC, and a fifteen-game MLB slate with the best records in each league in action.
World Cup today
Both quarterfinals are win-or-go-home, and both underdogs are trying to pull the upset a round after knocking out bigger names to get here.
- England vs Norway (5:00 PM ET, FOX). Played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. England go in as the favorite per the Opta model, but Norway have been the story of the knockout rounds. Winner books a semifinal.
- Switzerland vs Argentina (9:00 PM ET, FOX). Played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Defending champions Argentina, with Lionel Messi, have never lost to Switzerland in seven prior meetings. Switzerland need to break that history to reach the semis.
Marquee: New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx (1:00 PM ET, ABC)
This is a rematch of a July 3 meeting the Liberty won 99-86 behind a 36-point night from Breanna Stewart, so both sides know exactly what this looks like. Minnesota (16-6) sits atop the league and just took over the No. 1 spot in the power rankings, and they have been doing it without Napheesa Collier, who has been out all season after surgery on both ankles and only recently returned to practice. New York (13-9) is coming off a Commissioner's Cup title and gets the national ABC window to prove the gap between these two is smaller than the standings say. Get Collier back for Minnesota and this becomes the clearest Finals preview in the league.
Vegas line: Minnesota -4.5, total 173.5, moneyline Liberty +164 / Lynx -198 (ESPN).
Also today
- Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces (6:00 PM ET). Vegas (16-6) is tied with Minnesota for the best record in the WNBA. Phoenix (8-15) is the kind of opponent a contender is supposed to handle, which makes it a good read on where the Aces really are.
- Portland Fire at Atlanta Dream (4:00 PM ET). The expansion Fire (9-13) visit a Dream team (13-9) hanging around the playoff picture. Atlanta is the heavy favorite at home.
- New York Yankees at Washington Nationals (4:05 PM ET). The Yankees (52-42) are chasing in the AL East and can pad the record against a Nationals club sitting under .500. An afternoon game in D.C. before a national soccer night.
- Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds (7:10 PM ET). The Cubs (52-42) are one of the best stories in the NL Central and get a division game on ESPN. Cincinnati (43-50) needs to start banking wins to stay in the wild-card hunt.
- Atlanta Braves at St. Louis Cardinals (7:15 PM ET). Atlanta (54-39) has quietly built one of the better records in baseball. St. Louis (49-44) is right in the wild-card mix, so this one carries standings weight for both sides.
- Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (9:10 PM ET). The Dodgers (61-34) own the best record in baseball and close the night at home. Arizona (47-47) has the offense to make it interesting if the pitching holds.
The through-line is elimination pressure up top and separation pressure underneath. Two national teams go home tonight, and the domestic board is stacked with division leaders trying to turn a hot summer into a real gap. Start with the soccer, then let the Liberty and Lynx settle their rematch.
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