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The 2025 WNBA playoffs are heating up amid the backdrop of a potential underdog storyline emerging as the No. 6 seed Indiana Fever face the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night on the backend of a doubleheader. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. In the first game of the nationally televised WNBA twin bill, the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx host the No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury, with Minnesota looking to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 series.

In the late game, the Fever will attempt to continue to build on what could be viewed as an unlikely postseason run. Playing for most of the season without injured star Caitlin Clark, Indiana was on the playoff bubble down the stretch of the regular season before winning five of seven to secure a postseason bid.

The Fever have made the most of their opportunity thus far. After dropping Game 1 to the No. 3 seed Atlanta Fever 80-68, they took the series with back-to-back victories, including an 87-85 thriller on the road in Game 3. They avoided a potential letdown spot with a dominant 89-73 road victory in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals against the Aces, who have won two of the past three WNBA titles. Their season accolades include a 17-game winning streak, the second-best such mark in WNBA history, which was snapped against the Seattle Storm in the first round.

Kelsey Mitchell has emerged as the postseason stalwart for the Fever. She is averaging 26 points on 50% shooting from 3-point range and went for a game-high 34 points in the series opener against Las Vegas.

"Kelsey is just a tough shot-maker," Fever coach Stephanie White said. "There have been multiple times this season when she's put us on her back."

Las Vegas also has shown it can overcome adversity. Following its 86-83 road loss to Seattle in Game 2 of the first round, the Aces responded with a clinching 74-73 victory behind 38 points from league MVP A'ja Wilson, who has won the award four times. 

In addition to the two-game WNBA postseason card, the sporting landscape Tuesday night also features a full MLB slate, and we'll look ahead to the Thursday night Week 4 NFL matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. Here is an overview of the top games to watch on Tuesday, Sept. 23. 

WNBA best bets today, where to watch

Fever at Aces

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

SportsLine picks -- Expert: Aces -8.5 

Using the time-honored, zig-zag betting theory, WNBA experts Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai point out that every WNBA team that failed to cover in Game 1 of its first-round series bounced back with an ATS cover in the next outing. They expect that trend to hold up in this Tuesday night showdown.

With the Aces in desperation mode to avoid a 2-0 deficit in the series, they expect a focused and motivated performance from the hosts, leading to a cover.

MLB best bets today, where to watch

Brewers at Padres

Time: 9:40 p.m. | Location: San Diego | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 8.5 runs | Expert: Brewers -105 (Zack Cimini) 

The SportsLine Projection Model leans toward the Brewers to win but also likes Over 8.5 runs in this matchup. Its 10,000-game simulation sees an average of 9.2 combined runs scored and has the Over hitting at about a 54% clip, a slight advantage over the implied sportsbook odds of 52%. 

However, SportsLine MLB expert Zack Cimini has a strong play on the Brewers. He notes the club is just one win away from tying its franchise record for wins and has been adept at avoiding three-game losing streaks this season, with only two such instances since May 11. 

More MLB best bets

Looking ahead: Seahawks at Cardinals 

Time: 8:15 p.m., Thursday | Location: Glendale, Ariz. | TV: Prime Video 

SportsLine picks -- Model: Seahawks +1.5 

The NFC West race has already proved to be one of the more compelling storylines of the NFL season, as the four teams head into Week 4 with a combined record of 9-3, the only division to feature winning records by every club.

The San Francisco 49ers moved to 3-0 with their 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals (2-1) and have seen their three victories come by 10 combined points, all in one-score games. The Los Angeles Rams saw their attempt to reach 3-0 thwarted by a blocked field goal on the final play in a heartbreaking 33-26 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.

We kick off Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season with a pivotal NFC West showdown between the Cardinals and Seahawks, who moved to 2-1 on the strength of their 44-13 rout of the New Orleans Saints. This matchup already brings significant implications for the division title and playoff aspirations of both clubs. The Seahawks won both meetings last year by double figures and a combined score of 46-24, but oddsmakers expect a competitive matchup Thursday night.

Arizona opened as a 1.5-point favorite with the over/under for total points scored set at 43.5 in the sportsbook odds for Seahawks vs. Cardinals. The SportsLine Projection Model is calling for a narrow victory by the Seahawks, releasing a B-rated play on Seattle while also offering a lean toward the Over on the posted total.