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MIAMI, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The 2021 MLB playoffs lead the weekend sports schedule. Hundreds of football games, MLS contests, a PGA Tour golf tournament, a boxing title bout and the NASCAR playoffs also fill the Friday through Sunday slate. American League and National League Wild Card Games launched the 2021 MLB postseason earlier this week. The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers advanced out of those games to narrow the baseball playoff field to eight teams.
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Two American League Division Series and National League Division Series continue through the weekend and could carry into late next week. The ALCS and NLCS start next weekend and the World Series starts Oct. 26.
ALDS, NLDS baseball
The Houston Astros (1-0) look to jump ahead 2-0 in their series against the Chicago White Sox (0-1). Game 2 of that ALDS starts at 2:07 p.m. EDT Friday in Houston and airs on MLB Network.
White Sox right-handed starter Lucas Giolito will face Astros left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez.
The Milwaukee Brewers host the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS at 4:37 p.m. EDT Friday on TBS. Braves starter Charlie Morton faces fellow right-handed pitcher Corbin Burns in that matchup.
The Red Sox turn to left-handed pitcher Chris Sale for Game 1 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:02 p.m. EDT Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla. Right-handed pitcher Shane Baz will start for the Rays in that game, which airs on FS1.
The San Francisco Giants host the rival Dodgers in another Game 1 of the NLDS at 9:37 p.m. EDT Friday in San Francisco. Dodgers starter Walker Buehler is expected to face fellow right-handed pitcher Logan Webb at Oracle Park. That game airs on TBS.
The NLDS continues with two Game 2 matchups Saturday in Milwaukee and San Francisco, respectively. The two ALDS Game 3s are Sunday in Boston and Chicago.
Football matchups
More than 100 total NFL and college football games air from Friday through Sunday.
Cincinnati, the No. 6 team in the Coaches Poll, hosts Temple in the first game of the weekend at 7 p.m. EDT Friday on ESPN. No. 25 Arizona State hosts Stanford at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN.
No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 11 Michigan State, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 17 Ole Miss, No. 18 Florida and No. 23 Texas are among the teams with noon games Saturday.
Oklahoma battles Texas in the Red River Showdown on ABC. Arkansas faces Ole Miss on ESPN.
No. 1 Alabama faces Texas A&M at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS. No. 2 Georgia battles No. 19 Auburn at 3:30 p.m. CBS. No. 3 Iowa faces No. 4 Penn State in a major Big Ten game at 4 p.m. on Fox.
Week 5 of the 2021 NFL season features 14 games Sunday, including a morning matchup between the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons in London. The Jets and Falcons kick off at 9:30 a.m. EDT on NFL Network.
Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Miami Dolphins at 1 p.m. on CBS. The 3-1 Cincinnati Bengals host the 3-1 Green Bay Packers at 1 p.m. on Fox.
Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers host Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns in another matchup between 3-1 teams at 4:05 p.m. on CBS.
The Arizona Cardinals, the only undefeated team in the NFL, look to improve to 5-0 with a win over the San Francisco 49ers (2-2). The Cardinals and 49ers kick off at 4:25 p.m. on Fox.
Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs host Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills in Week 5's Sunday Night Football matchup. That game airs at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.
Boxing
A major boxing bout between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder airs Saturday night on ESPN+. Fury's WBC heavyweight title is up for grabs in the 12-round heavyweight fight. The bout is expected to start at 11 p.m. EDT Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nev.
Fury (30-0-1) is a heavy favorite to retain the title belt against Wilder (42-1-1). The 6-foot-9, 273-pound British boxer beat his 6-foot-7, 226-pound American foe with a seventh-round technical knockout (TKO) in February 2020 in Las Vegas.
Wilder entered that fight with 42 wins, one draw and no losses. The draw came against Fury in 2018 in Los Angeles.
Saturday's main card, expected to start at 9 p.m., features three other fights. Jared Anderson faces Vladimir Tereshkin an an eight-round heavyweight bout. Robert Helenius fights Adam Kownacki in a 12-round heavyweight bout.
Efe Helenius battles Frank Sanchez in a 10-round heavyweight both in the third fight on the main card.
Friday
MLB
ALDS Game 2: White Sox (0-1) at Astros (1-0) at 2:07 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
NLDS Game 1: Braves at Brewers at 4:37 p.m. EDT on TBS
ALDS Game 2: Red Sox (0-1) at Rays (1-0) at 7:02 p.m. EDT on FS1
NLDS Game 1: Dodgers at Giants at 9:37 p.m. EDT on TBS
Soccer
World Cup qualifier: Czech Republic vs. Wales at 2:45 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
World Cup qualifier: Cyprus vs. Croatia at 2:45 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
World Cup qualifier: Germany vs. Romania at 2:45 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
World Cup qualifier: Egypt vs. Libya at 3 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
Golf
PGA Tour Shriners Children's Open: Second round from 5 to 8 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel
College football
Temple at Cincinnati at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Stanford at Arizona State at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Saturday
College football
Maryland at Ohio State at noon EDT on Fox
Michigan State at Rutgers at noon EDT on Big Ten Network
Vanderbilt at Florida at noon EDT on SEC Network
Oklahoma vs. Texas at noon EDT on ABC
Arkansas at Ole Miss at noon EDT on ESPN
West Virginia at Baylor at noon EDT on FS1
South Carolina at Tennessee at noon EDT on ESPN2
Georgia at Auburn at 3:30 p.m. EDT on CBS
SMU at Navy at 3:30 p.m. EDT on CBSSN
Florida State at North Carolina at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Wake Forest at Syracuse at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
Boise State at BYU at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ABC
San Jose State at Colorado State at 3:30 p.m. EDT on FS1
Penn State at Iowa at 4 p.m. EDT on Fox
TCU at Texas Tech at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN
LSU at Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. EDT on SEC Network
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ACC Network
Michigan at Nebraska at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ABC
Alabama at Texas A&M at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS
Utah at USC at 8 p.m. EDT on Fox
Memphis at Tulsa at 9 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
New Mexico at San Diego State at 9 p.m. EDT on FS1
UCLA at Arizona at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Soccer
World Cup qualifier: Andorra vs. England at 2:45 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
Friendly: Portugal vs. Qatar at 3:15 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
MLS: Inter Miami at New York Red Bulls at 6 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
MLS: Philadelphia at Cincinnati at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
MLS: Vancouver at Seattle at 9 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
NASCAR
Xfinity Series Playoffs: Drive For The Cure 250 at 3 p.m. EDT on NBC
Golf
PGA Tour Shriners Children's Open: Third round from 5 to 8 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel
MLB
NLDS Game 2: Braves at Brewers at 5:07 p.m. EDT on TBS
NLDS Game 2: Dodgers at Giants at 9:07 p.m. EDT on TBS
Boxing on ESPN+
Jared Anderson vs. Vladimir Tereshkin at 9 p.m. EDT
Robert Helenius vs. Adam Kownacki after first fight
Efe Helenius vs. Frank Sanchez after second fight
Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder after third fight
Sunday
Soccer
UEFA Nations League: Belgium vs. Italy at 9 a.m. EDT on ESPNU
UEFA Nations League: France vs. Spain at 2:45 p.m. EDT on ESPN
MLS: Colorado at Minnesota at 4 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
World Cup qualifier: Brazil vs. Colombia at 5 p.m. EDT on FuboTV
World Cup qualifier: USA vs. Panama at 6 p.m. EDT on Paramount+
World Cup qualifier: Argentina vs. Uruguay at 7:30 p.m. EDT on FuboTV
NFL
Jets vs. Falcons at 9:30 a.m. EDT on NFL Network
Lions at Vikings at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox
Saints at Washington at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox
Patriots at Texas at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS
Dolphins at Buccaneers at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS
Packers at Bengals at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox
Broncos at Steelers at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox
Eagles at Panthers at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox
Titans at Jaguars at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS
Browns at Chargers at 4:05 p.m. EDT on CBS
Bears at Raiders at 4:05 p.m. EDT on CBS
49ers at Cardinals at 4:25 p.m. EDT on Fox
Giants at Cowboys at 4:25 p.m. EDT on Fox
Bills at Chiefs at 8:20 p.m. EDT on NBC
NASCAR
Cup Series Playoffs: Bank of America ROVAL 400 at 2 p.m. EDT on NBC
MLB
ALDS Game 3: Rays at Red Sox at 4:07 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
ALDS Game 3: Astros at White Sox at 8:07 p.m. EDT on FS1
Golf
PGA Tour Shriners Children's Open: Final round from 5 to 8 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel
