Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: Bills at Falcons, Bears at Commanders, MLB playoffs and more
Find best bets and props for the biggest games in sports on Monday from the SportsLine Projection Model and top CBS Sports experts

The Buffalo Bills will try to bounce back from their first loss of the season when they face the Atlanta Falcons in the first of two Monday Night Football games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Bills (4-1) entered last week's Sunday Night Football game against the Patriots as the NFL's last remaining undefeated team but turned the ball over three times and lost 23-20. Meanwhile, the Falcons (2-2) are coming off their bye week. Prior to their bye, they beat the Commanders, 34-27.
Despite the loss, Buffalo still has arguably the best offense in the league. Josh Allen & Co. lead the NFL in total offense (395.8 yards per game) and scoring offense (30.6 points per game) this season. In addition, the Bills have scored at least 30 points in eight straight games against NFC teams. That's the longest streak by any team all-time in interconference games.
However, Buffalo will have to face a stingy Atlanta defense. The Falcons lead the NFL in both total defense (244.0 yards per game) and pass defense (135.0 yards per game). In the victory over Washington, Atlanta limited the Commanders to 147 passing yards.
The Bills are 3.5-point favorites over the Falcons.
In the second game on Monday, the Commanders (3-2) will host the Bears (2-2) in a rematch of one of last season's most improbable finishes. In Week 8 of last year, Noah Brown caught a 52-yard Hail Mary pass from Jayden Daniels as time expired to complete an 18-15 Washington victory. The Commanders would go on to reach the NFC Championship Game, while the setback began a 10-game losing streak for Chicago.
Daniels & Co. enter Monday's game off a 27-10 victory over the Chargers. In that game, Washington rushed for 163 yards, averaging a robust 5.8 yards per carry. The Commanders boast the league's top rushing offense, which churns out 156.4 rushing yards per game. On Monday they have a plus matchup against a defense that allows 164.5 rushing yards per game, the second worst in the league.
The Bears, who are riding a two-game winning streak, are rested after enjoying a bye in Week 5. Takeaways have been the catalyst behind the team's recent success. Chicago had four takeaways in each of those two wins over the Cowboys and Raiders. That was just the third time in the past 30 years that the Bears had back-to-back games with at least four takeaways.
For Monday, Washington is a 5.5-point favorite over Chicago.
While the Monday Night Football doubleheader is the marquee attraction on the sporting landscape on the day, there are other options on a sporting landscape that also includes the MLB playoffs.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Monday, Oct. 13. All times Eastern.
NFL best bets, where to watch
Bills at Falcons
Time: 7:15 p.m. | Location: Atlanta | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model: Bills -210 | Expert: Bills -3.5 -114 (R.J. White)
Both teams excel in primetime showdowns. Buffalo is 8-2 in its last 10 primetime games while Atlanta is 7-1 on Monday night since 2015, the second best Monday record in the league over that span. White notes the lookahead line for this game was Bills -5.5, which means Buffalo bettors are getting two points of value after a game in which the Bills committed three uncharacteristic turnovers. "The Falcons defense has played well this year but has gotten to face J.J. McCarthy, Bryce Young and Marcus Mariota since giving up three TDs to Baker Mayfield in Week 1," White adds. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, gives Buffalo a 79% chance to win and assigns an "A" grade to Bills money line (-214).
Bears at Commanders
Time: 8:15 p.m. | Location: Landover, Md. | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model: Bears +206 | Expert: Commanders -4.5 (Larry Hartstein)
This game features the top two picks, Chicago's Caleb Williams and Washington's Jayden Daniels, from the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams, who was selected No. 1 overall, has a 7-14 record in his career and has 29 total touchdowns against 13 turnovers. Daniels is 14-6 with 35 touchdowns against nine turnovers. Hartstein notes Williams averaged just 5.9 yards per attempt in an easy matchup against the Raiders in his last game. "This will be tougher, as Washington ranks No. 2 in pressure rate (46.9 percent)," Hartstein says. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Bears have a 37% chance to win and gives a "B" grade to Chicago money line (+205).
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MLB best bets, where to watch
ALCS Game 2: Mariners at Blue Jays
Time: 5:03 p.m. | Location: Toronto | TV: FOX/FS1 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model: Mariners +112
The Seattle Mariners will try to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series when they face the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 at the Rogers Centre. In Game 1 on Sunday, the Mariners got six strong innings from starter Bryce Miller, a home run from Cal Raleigh and two clutch hits from Jorge Polanco in a 3-1 victory. Polanco also drove in the winning run in the 15th inning in the team's Game 5 victory over the Tigers on Friday night. For Game 2 of the ALCS, Logan Gilbert (1-0, 1.13 ERA) will take the mound for Seattle while rookie Trey Yesavage (1-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the call for Toronto. The SportsLine Projection Model gives the Mariners a 58% chance to win and assigns a "B" grade to Seattle money line (+112).
NLCS Game 1: Dodgers at Brewers
Time: 8:08 p.m. | Location: Milwaukee | TV: TBS/tru TV/HBO Max | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model: Brewers +128 | Expert: Brewers +1.5 -130 (Matt Severance)
The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers collide in the first game of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field. The Brewers, who owned the best record in baseball (97-65) during the regular season, are coming off a 3-1 win over the rival Cubs on Saturday in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the NLDS. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have not played since Thursday when they eliminated the Phillies with a 2-1 win in Game 4. Blake Snell (2-0, 1.38 ERA) is set to take the mound for Los Angeles in Game 1, while Milwaukee has yet to name a starter. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Brewers a 57% chance to win and gives an "A" grade to Milwaukee money line (+128). In addition, Severance notes the Brewers went 6-0 against the Dodgers during the regular season. "Blake Snell is terrific on the mound for the Dodgers but had some hiccups on the road during the regular season," he says.