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A berth in the 2025 WNBA Finals is at stake Tuesday night when the Las Vegas Aces host the Indiana Fever in a playoff elimination showdown. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas in the nationally televised contest on ESPN2.

The No. 6-seeded Fever forced an elimination game in this best-of-five series by notching a 90-83 home victory in Game 4 over the No. 2-seeded Aces. The Fever have incredibly managed to move within a game of a Finals appearance despite missing the services of injured star Caitlin Clark for most of the season.

An upset victory by the Fever on Tuesday night would set up an all-underdog Finals matchup. The No. 4-seeded Phoenix Mercury await the winner of Tuesday's game after they knocked off the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 3-1 in the other WNBA semifinals series.

The Aces, who have won two of the past three WNBA titles, entered the playoffs on a 16-game winning streak and added another in their first postseason game to achieve the second-longest such streak in WNBA history.

They are 17-5 on their home floor this season and are led by four-time MVP A'ja Wilson, who registered 31 points and nine rebounds in their Game 4 loss. However, the resilient Fever are now 3-0 in playoff elimination games this season, and coach Stephanie White expects another poised performance Tuesday night.

"The desperation and the urgency that we play with when we're in those positions has been exactly what we need," White said. "And we've got to bottle that up and take it with us. It's a one-game season right now, and we've got to carry it over, and we've got to be better."

Las Vegas is an 8-point favorite, and the Over/Under for total points scored is 156.5 in the WNBA betting odds for Fever vs. Aces. 

In addition to the monster WNBA playoff game, the sporting landscape on Tuesday night includes the MLB wild-card slate and we'll look ahead to Thursday's NFL battle. Here is an overview of the top games to watch on Tuesday, Sept. 30. All times Eastern.

WNBA best bets today, where to watch

Fever at Aces

Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Las Vegas | TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Experts: Aces -8 (Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai)

WNBA analysts Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai agree that it would simply be foolish to bet against Wilson and the Aces in this position considering their history of success in bounce-back scenarios and their record on their home floor. Although they applaud the short-handed Fever for making it this far, they anticipate Tuesday night's game representing the last chapter in their Cinderella story and expect the Aces to roll in a dominant performance. They are also suggesting the possibility of betting alternate spreads to get juicy odds on the Aces. 

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MLB best bets today, where to watch

Red Sox at Yankees

Time: 6 p.m. | Location: New York | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Yankees money line -138 | Expert: Yankees money line -135 (Micah Roberts)

This iconic, timeless  MLB rivalry will add another chapter when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees square off in a best-of-3 series. Game 1 features an incredible pitching matchup in the Bronx, with Garrett Crochet (18-5, 2.59 ERA) getting the nod for the Red Sox while the Yankees counter with Max Fried (19-5, 2.86 ERA).

There is agreement here between the SportsLine projection model and a SportsLine expert, as both are siding with the home team in Game 1. The model has the Yankees winning Game 1 in 64% of simulations, bringing value to those -138 money line odds. SportsLine expert Micah Roberts says that the "Yankees lost eight of their first nine meetings with the Red Sox this season but finished strong, winning three of their last four. ... I expect the two All-Star starters to push, but the Yankees bullpen wins it."

Reds at Dodgers

Time: 9 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 7 runs | Expert: Dodgers -1 -125 (Matt Severance)

The SportsLine Projection Model sees some value on the surging Reds, who clinched a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season, to pull the upset Tuesday night. However, its stronger play lies on the Over 7 runs, as its 10,000-game simulation projects nearly nine runs crossing the plate in this matchup. The model sees this game hitting the Over nearly 60% of the time, a stark contrast from the sportsbook implied odds of around 54%.

However, SportsLine MLB expert Matt Severance (+763, 6-2 last 8 MLB picks) is backing the favored Dodgers and he's willing to lay a run to fetch better odds. He notes that Reds starter Hunter Greene is 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers and 2-3 with a 4.81 away from home this season. Moreover, Dodgers starter Blake Snell pitched a no-hitter the last time he faced the Reds, as a member of the San Francisco Giants last season.

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Looking ahead: 49ers at Rams

Time: 8:15 p.m., Thursday | Location: Inglewood, Calif. | TV: Prime Video 

SportsLine picks -- Model: Rams -5.5 

The Week 5 NFL slate kicks off Thursday with an important NFC West showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Kickoff from SoFi Stadium is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.

Both clubs are 3-1, tied with the Seattle Seahawks atop a crowded division, and are just a play or so away from being undefeated. The Rams saw their potentially game-winning field goal blocked two weeks ago against the Eagles but bounced back with a late rally for a 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The injury-ravaged 49ers saw their fourth turnover halt a possible go-ahead drive in their 26-21 home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even so, they have held up remarkably well amid a slew of injury concerns that extend to quarterback Brock Purdy, along with receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. The team continues to suffer the absence of injured tight end George Kittle and wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who has yet to return from an injury suffered last season.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and star wideout Puka Nacua continue to deliver in key spots for the Rams, who are tied for second in the NFL with 14 sacks behind a fearsome pass rush.

In large part because of the San Francisco injury concerns, the Rams have moved from a 3-point betting favorite to -5.5 in most markets with an Over/Under of 47. The SportsLine Projection Model leans toward the home favorite, with a projected final score of 27-21 in favor of Los Angeles.