Huge sports weekend means huge opportunities

Today is a fine day to catch our breath and take stock of what's to come this weekend. We have Week 9 in the NFL, a "Game of the Century" in college football and we'll be crowning a World Series winner on Saturday or Sunday.

Three NFL picks: One ATS and Two Over/Unders

Miami Dolphins -4 at Chicago Bears — Miami is just the better team on both ends, and the addition of Bradley Chubb makes this one of the AFC's most complete teams. While the Dolphins were adding to their defense, the Bears were shedding talent from theirs, shipping off both Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith in the past week. Justin Fields has had some nice moments the past few weeks, but the Bears' defense is a massive liability that Tua Tagovailoa and this lightning-quick offense are sure to take advantage of. Take the points.

Chargers-Falcons over 49.5 points — Both the Chargers and Falcons have defensive vulnerabilities that open this game up to scoring. Atlanta's secondary has been gashed unlike many others; they're allowing the most 20+ yard passes through the air and the second-most touchdowns to wide receivers. Both the Falcons and Chargers also tend to see a lot of touchdowns from running backs, so this would be a good game to target for some touchdown props. Atlanta is 5-3 to the over and Los Angeles has gone over at a 4-3 rate. We like this game hitting 50 points on Sunday.

Rams-Buccaneers under 42.5 points — We get a pair of underperforming NFC teams meeting Sunday in the late afternoon, and the right play seems to be on the under. Combined, these two teams are 11-4 on the under this season. Los Angeles has serious issues along their offensive line that has hampered their offensive abilities all season, and Tampa Bay just hasn't looked right this year. While one of these teams may straighten out at some point and take control of a playoff spot in a weak NFC, we're betting on a snoozer here.

Biggest college football game of the year is Saturday

No. 1 Tennessee +7.5 at No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs — The rankings you see here reflect the first College Football Playoff rankings, which gives the edge to Hendon Hooker and the Volunteers. Georgia is still No. 1 in the AP Top 25, but the ranking matters not here. We've got two 8-0 teams out of the SEC in the biggest game of their seasons. The winner here all but secures their spot in the CFP. We lean Tennessee's way. The Vols have one of the best offenses in the country led by the Heisman favorite Hooker, and with Georgia losing their top EDGE rusher Nolan Smith, this Tennessee aerial attack may have the time to get plays developed. We're betting on a close game that goes down as an instant classic. Give us the Volunteers +7.5.

In the news ...

Astros take control of World Series, with Games 6 and (maybe) 7 in Houston this weekend — Justin Verlander notched his first career World Series win on Thursday with Houston winning 3-2. An eighth-inning rally by Philly ultimately came up short, and Ryan Pressly shut down the heart of the order in the ninth to secure the save and give control of the Series back to Houston. Friday is a night off, but we will have a World Series champion this weekend. The Phillies will have Zack Wheeler in Game 6, and may go back to Aaron Nola should there be a seventh game. Houston will start Framber Valdez tomorrow. The Astros are now -550 to win the World Series, so if you believe in the Phillies in Game 6, you might as well grab their +450 price to win it all now.

Michael Thomas, Rashod Bateman both out for the season — Injury news out of the NFL late Thursday afternoon announced the end of the year for two receivers. Michael Thomas continues to battle injuries, as the former Offensive Player of the Year has had difficulties staying healthy the past few seasons. That has persisted this year, as a toe injury is shelving Thomas for the season. Chris Olave's Rookie of the Year betting stock is sky-high following the news, a bet you can grab at +500. In the AFC, promising young Baltimore receiver Rashod Bateman is out for the year after a Lisfranc injury forced surgery. Could the Ravens look to add Odell Beckham? Baltimore is currently 5-3 and in first place in the AFC North.

James Harden to miss a month — 76ers guard James Harden is set to miss a month with a foot tendon strain suffered in a loss on Wednesday night. Philly has had a less-than-stellar start at 4-5, and some are saying that this injury from Harden may actually save head coach Doc Rivers' job. Expectations are sky-high for the Sixers, but without one of their stars, the pressure should alleviate for a bit as they find their footing (no pun intended). 

Kyrie Irving suspended without pay — Days after sharing a link to a film promoting antisemitic views, the Brooklyn Nets suspended star guard Kyrie Irving after he failed to denounce the views shown in a media session. The timeline is unclear, but the Nets' statement mentions that Irving will be away from the team without pay for at least five games.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll