Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, CFB matchups and more

A pair of WNBA clubs with extensive pedigrees collide in the 2025 WNBA Finals beginning Friday night as the No. 2-seeded Las Vegas Aces host the No. 4-seeded Phoenix Mercury. Game 1 in the best-of-seven series tips off at 8 p.m. ET from Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Both clubs have familiarity in the championship realm but have taken unlikely paths to reach this destination in the 2025 WNBA season. The Aces have won two of the past three WNBA titles but reshaped their roster following last year's campaign that ended in the semifinals. They were uneven for much of the season before a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 2 ignited what would become a 16-game winning streak to end the regular season.

Las Vegas received a strong challenge from a stubborn Indiana Fever club in the semifinals before advancing behind a 107-98 overtime win in Game 5 on Tuesday. A'Ja Wilson, who just earned her record fourth MVP award, led the way with 35 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The Mercury have won three WNBA championships in franchise history, but their most recent title came in 2014. They quietly rebuilt their roster following the retirement of iconic star Diana Taurasi and the departure of former center Brittney Griner to Atlanta.

Phoenix's biggest in its mini makeover was a multi-team trade in which it acquired perennial All Star Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun and Satou Sabally from the Dallas Wings. Even so, the Mercury's strong regular season appeared to go mostly unnoticed by basketball observers, few of whom picked them to do much in the postseason. Predictably, numerous Mercury players used the perceived slight as motivation during this run to the WNBA Finals.

"I've been saying since training camp that we were going to the finals," Thomas said. "We don't care about people's opinions. We've stuck together all season. We're going to go out there and play our basketball and fight every game.

Las Vegas is a 3.5-point betting favorite, and the over/under for total points scored is 160.5 in the WNBA Finals sportsbook odds for Mercury vs. Aces. 

In addition to Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, the sporting landscape on Friday includes a handful of college football matchups, and we'll look ahead to Saturday's MLB playoff slate. The following is a snapshot of the top games to watch for Friday, Oct. 3. All times Eastern.

WNBA Finals best bets today, where to watch

Mercury at Aces

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Las Vegas | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Experts: Mercury +3.5 (Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai)

WNBA analysts Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai say they are leaning toward the underdog Mercury in large part because of their significant advantage in rest. The Mercury have been off since last Sunday when they ousted the Minnesota Lynx 3-1 in the WNBA semifinals, while the Aces could be fatigued physically and mentally following their draining and dramatic overtime victory Tuesday night in Game 5 of the semifinals against the Fever. The WNBA analysts also note that they believe Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts did an excellent job keeping his players rested throughout the regular season so they would be positioned to play extensive minutes in the postseason. 

CFB best bets today, where to watch

West Virginia at BYU 

Time: 10:30 p.m. | Location: Provo, Utah | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: West Virginia +19.5 | Expert: BYU -18.5 (Bruce Marshall) 

The SportsLine Projection Model believes the Mountaineers, who have suffered back-to-back blowout losses since their upset win over rival Pittsburgh, are being disrespected by oddsmakers in this Friday night matchup. The model has a strong play on the underdog plus the points, projecting a 33-21 final score that sees West Virginia covering with room to spare. Its 10,000-game simulation has the Mountaineers covering 64% of the time, a whopping contrast to the implied sportsbook odds of around 52%.

However, SportsLine CFB expert Bruce Marshall (+267 over his last 35 CFB picks) expects the undefeated Cougars to keep rolling and doesn't see much resistance in store from West Virginia. He expects the Cougars' physicality and solid execution to spark another blowout victory in which they cover the big number. 

Looking ahead: Cubs at Brewers

Time: 2 p.m. Saturday  | Location: Milwaukee | TV: TBS | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 7 runs  | Expert: Brewers -149 (Matt Severance)

The SportsLine Projection Model has a slight lean to the underdog Cubs in Game 1 of this National League, but its stronger position lies in the Over 7 runs. The model sees an average of 8.3 runs crossing the plate in this matchup, resulting in the Over connecting about 57% of the time. This provides value window versus the implied sportsbook odds of around 52%.

However, SportsLine MLB expert Matt Severance (+1356 over his last 16 MLB picks) is riding with the moderate home favorite in Game 1. He expects an inspired performance from the well-rested Brewers behind ace Freddy Peralta, who is 9-1 with a 1.77 ERA at home this season. He anticipates a possible letdown spot for the Cubs following their wild card series win over the Padres and expects potentially strong reliance on a vulnerable bullpen.