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Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman hits a solo home run in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday at Fenway Park in Boston. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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MIAMI, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- MLB's NLCS and ALCS finales, NBA weekend openers, NASCAR's playoffs, a PGA Tour golf tournament and hundreds of regular-season NFL, college football, soccer and NHL matchups pack the weekend sports schedule.
Baseball's final four teams -- the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves -- compete this weekend to determine which two will meet in next week's World Series.
The Astros have a 3-2 ALCS lead on the Red Sox in that best-of-seven series. Game 6 is at 8:08 p.m. EDT Friday in Houston.
MLB playoffs
Red Sox right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will start against the Astros in Game 6 of the ALCS. The Astros will turn to right-handed rookie Luis Garcia. The first playoff game of the weekend airs on FS1.
The Red Sox won two of the first three games in the series. The Astros responded with a 9-2 win in Game 4 and a 9-1 win in Game 5. They can clinch their third World Series berth in five years with one more win.
The Red Sox can extend the series with a victory. Game 7, if necessary, is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. EDT Saturday in Houston and airs on Fox.
The reigning champion Dodgers extended the NLCS with a Game 5 win over the Braves on Thursday in Los Angeles. The Braves lead that series 3-2.
Game 6 is at 5:08 p.m. EDT Saturday in Atlanta and airs on TBS. Ace Max Scherzer will start for the Dodgers. Fellow right-handed pitcher Ian Anderson will start for the Braves.
The Braves advance to the World Series with one more win, while the Dodgers need a win to avoid elimination.
Game 7, if necessary, is scheduled for 7:38 p.m. Sunday in Atlanta and airs on TBS. The 2021 World Series starts Tuesday and could run into early November.
NBA weekend
The 2021-22 NBA season started Tuesday. The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Brooklyn Nets in the first game of the season. The Golden State Warriors beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the other game involved in the league's opening night.
The 26 other NBA teams started their seasons Wednesday and Thursday. The league's first weekend slate of 2021-22 features a total of two dozen games from Friday through Sunday night.
Five of those matchups are on national TV. Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers host Kevin Durant's Nets at 7:30 p.m. Friday on ESPN.
LeBron James' Lakers host Chris Paul's Phoenix Suns at 10 p.m. Friday on ESPN.
The Miami Heat battle the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. Saturday on NBA TV. The Portland Trail Blazers host the Suns at 10 p.m. Saturday on the same network.
The Houston Rockets also host the Boston Celtics at 7 p.m. Sunday on NBA TV.
Football matchups
Nearly 100 college football games and 11 NFL matchups air from Friday through Sunday. ESPN2 airs two of those games Friday.
Memphis faces UCF at 7 p.m. EDT in Orlando, Fla. Arizona hosts Washington at 10:30 p.m. in Tucson, Ariz.
Four teams ranked inside the Top 10 in the Coaches Poll kick off at noon Saturday.
No. 2 Oklahoma battles Kansas on ESPN. No. 3 Cincinnati faces Navy on ESPN2. No. 6 Michigan hosts Northwestern on Fox. No. 8 Penn State faces Illinois on ABC.
No. 1 Georgia is on bye, but Saturday's late slate features several other top-ranked teams. No. 4 Alabama faces Tennessee at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN. No. 5 Ohio State battles Indiana at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Sunday's NFL schedule includes six 1 p.m. games, two 4:05 p.m. kickoffs, two 4:25 p.m. games and Sunday Night Football.
Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) face Derrick Henry's Tennessee Titans (4-2) at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS. The Baltimore Ravens (5-1) host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) in an important AFC North division matchup at the same time on the same network.
The undefeated Arizona Cardinals (6-0) face the Houston Texans (1-5) at 4:25 p.m. on CBS. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) also play the Chicago Bears (3-3) at 4:25 p.m. on CBS.
The San Francisco 49ers (2-3) host the Indianapolis Colts (2-4) at 8:20 p.m. on NBC's Sunday Night Football matchup.
Weekend schedule (in EDT)
Friday
College football
Memphis at UCF at 7 p.m. on ESPN2
Washington at Arizona at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN2
NHL
Bruins at Sabres at 7 p.m. on ESPN+
Kings at Stars at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLB
ALCS Game 6: Red Sox at Astros at 8:08 p.m. on FS1
Golf
Zozo Championship: Third round from 11:30 p.m. to 2:45 a.m. on Golf Channel
Saturday
Soccer
Premier League: Norwich City at Chelsea at 7:30 a.m. on NBCSN
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund at Arminia Bielefeld at 9:30 a.m. on ESPN+
Premier League: Watford at Everton at 10 a.m. on USA
Premier League: Manchester City at Brighton at 12:30 p.m. on NBC
MLS: Kansas City at Seattle at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: New York Red Bulls at Columbus at 6 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: DC United at NYCFC at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Nashville at Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Montreal at Toronto at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Salt Lake City at Chicago at 8 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Cincinnati at Miami at 8 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: LAFC at Minnesota at 8 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Portland at Colorado at 9 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Dallas at Los Angeles Galaxy at 10 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Vancouver at San Jose at 10 p.m. on ESPN+
College football
Illinois at Penn State at noon on ABC
Northwestern at Michigan at noon on Fox
Oklahoma at Kansas at noon on ESPN
Cincinnati at Navy at noon on ESPN2
Wake Forest at Army at noon on CBSSN
Kansas State at Texas Tech at noon on FS1
Wisconsin at Purdue at 3 p.m. on Big Ten Network
LSU at Ole Miss at 3:30 p.m. on CBS
Clemson at Pitt at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
Maryland at Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Oklahoma State at Iowa State at 3:30 p.m. on Fox
Oregon at UCLA at 3:30 p.m. on ABC
BYU at Washington State at 3:30 p.m. on FS1
Tennessee at Alabama at 7 p.m. on ESPN
San Diego State at Air Force at 7 p.m. on CBSSN
Nevada at Fresno State at 7 p.m. on FS2
UTSA at Louisiana Tech at 7 p.m. on TBD
USC at Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. on NBC
Ohio State at Indiana at 7:30 p.m. on ABC
South Carolina at Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network
NC State at Miami at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
NHL
Flames at Capitals at 1 p.m. on NHL Network
Maple Leafs at Penguins at 7 p.m. on NHL Network
Canucks at Kraken at 10 p.m. on ESPN+
NASCAR
Xfinity Series Playoffs: Kansas Lottery 300 at 3 p.m. on NBC
MLB
NLCS Game 6: Dodgers at Braves at 5:08 p.m. on TBS
ALCS Game 7 (if necessary): Red Sox at Astros at 8:08 p.m. on Fox
Golf
Zozo Championship: Fourth round from 11:30 p.m. to 2:45 a.m. on Golf Channel
Sunday
Soccer
Premier League: Spurs at West Ham at 9 a.m. on NBCSN
La Liga: Real Madrid at Barcelona at 10:15 a.m. on ESPN+
Premier League: Liverpool at Manchester United at 11:30 a.m. on NBCSN
Serie A: Juventus at Internazionale at 2:45 p.m. on beIN Sports
Ligue 1: PSG at Marseille at 2:45 p.m. on beIN Sports
La Liga: Real Sociedad at Atletico Madrid at 3 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Houston at Austin at 5 p.m. on ESPN
MLS: New England at Orlando at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
NFL
Panthers at Giants at 1 p.m. on Fox
Jets at Patriots at 1 p.m. on CBS
Chiefs at Titans at 1 p.m. on CBS
Washington at Packers at 1 p.m. on Fox
Falcons at Dolphins at 1 p.m. on Fox
Bengals at Ravens at 1 p.m. on CBS
Lions at Rams at 4:05 p.m. on Fox
Eagles at Raiders at 4:05 p.m. on Fox
Texans at Cardinals at 4:25 p.m. on CBS
Bears at Buccaneers at 4:25 p.m. on CBS
Colts at 49ers at 8:20 p.m. on NBC
NASCAR
Cup Series Playoffs: Hollywood Casino 400 at 3 p.m. on NBCSN
NHL
Red Wings at Blackhawks at 7 p.m. on NHL Network
Islanders at Golden Knights at 10 p.m. on NHL Network
MLB
NLCS Game 7 (if necessary): Dodgers at Braves at 7:38 p.m. on TBS