Here’s a warning to fans of teams with bloated payrolls, in big television markets, that wait for the three-run homer: The World Series you are about to see may be disturbing.
The 2026 World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays is a celebration of small: small payrolls, small markets and small ball. The series features the highest combined payroll rank (47) in a World Series on record. The matchup also has the smallest combined television market in a World Series since 1985 when St. Louis and Kansas City squared off. And Brewers vs. Rays also pits the two lineups that ranked first and second in all of baseball in batting average and last and second-to-last in launch angle.
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The series opens with Game 1 on Friday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Presumed NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA) takes the mound for the Brewers. Meanwhile, Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10), who lives in the strike zone, gets the ball for the Rays.
Milwaukee is a slight -189 money line favorite over Tampa Bay (+158) in the latest MLB betting odds for Game 1.
While Brewers vs. Rays Game 1 is the marquee attraction on Friday, there are other sports betting options that include 12 NBA games and a partial college football schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet at the best sports betting apps, for Friday, Oct. 23. All times Eastern.
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MLB best bets, where to watch
World Series Game 1: Rays at Brewers
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Milwaukee | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Over 6.5 | Expert: Jacob Misiorowski Under 16.5 Total Pitcher Outs -130 (Doug «Prop Bet Guy» Kralstein)
Though it’s only 19 days before he officially wins the Cy Young Award, Misiorowski has tailed off in the playoffs. In his two postseason starts, he has given up three runs on nine hits while striking out 11 and walking four in 8 1/3 innings. He failed to get out of the fifth inning in both appearances, and the speed gun says he has lost a couple ticks on his 105 mph stuff. «He’ll have a very tough matchup against the Rays, who don’t swing and miss often and have been grinding out at-bats a bit better in the postseason than they did in the regular season,» Kralstein told SportsLine. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, says that there’s a 72.8% chance the teams combine for seven runs or more and assigns a «B» grade to Over 6.5.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Knicks at Celtics
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Boston | TV: Prime Video | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Celtics -2.5 | Expert: Karl-Anthony Towns Under 4.5 Total Assists -129 (Bob Konarski)
New York and Boston are both 0-1? Believe it. The defending champs and the perennial powers are looking to bounce back from losses on Tuesday. Konarski notes Towns has gone Over 4.5 assists only once in 10 career games against the Celtics. «Early in the season, he’ll look to establish himself as a scorer as compared to the end of last season, where he was more of a distributor in the playoffs,» he told SportsLine. The SportsLine Projection Model says that Boston has a 54% chance to cover and gives a «C» grade to Celtics -2.5.
Rockets at Spurs
Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Austin, Texas | TV: Prime Video | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Under 224.5
Former Texas Longhorns star Kevin Durant returns to Austin on Friday when he and the Houston Rockets battle the rival San Antonio Spurs. Houston is coming off a dominant 128-110 victory over the Mavericks on Wednesday. San Antonio is looking for its first win after a 116-104 loss to the Thunder in the season opener. Friday’s matchup features two of the six best defenses from last season. (The Rockets were sixth, at 112.1, and the Spurs were third, at 110.4.) The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 61.2% chance the teams combine for 224 points or fewer and assigns a «B» grade to Under 224.5.
College football best bets, where to watch
Duke at Virginia
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Charlottesville, Va. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Duke +2.5 | Expert: Duke +2.5 (David Bearman)
This is a rematch of last season’s ACC Championship Game, which Duke won 27-20 in overtime. This season, both the Cavaliers (4-3, 2-2) and the Blue Devils (4-2, 1-2) would need a lot of help to make a return trip to Charlotte. Bearman notes Duke has at least been competitive recently, losing by three to Georgia Tech and four to North Carolina while outgaining both of those teams. Meanwhile, «Virginia got off to a great start with a blowout of NC State, but has not done much since, losing to Florida State by 31 and SMU by 10 last week,» Bearman told SportsLine. The SportsLine Projection Model agrees. It says the Blue Devils have a 63% chance to cover and gives a «B» grade to Duke +2.5
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NC State at Stanford
Time: 10:30 p.m. | Location: Stanford, Calif. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Stanford +240
The Wolfpack running game has disappeared recently. Over the last two games, they are averaging just 2.0 yards per rush (down from 5.6 yards per carry over the team’s first four games of the season). In addition, NC State has struggled mightily on the road over the last two seasons. The Wolfpack have lost their last six true road games, losing by an average of 20.7 points a game. On Friday, they have a challenging road test, flying across three time zones to face a Cardinal team that is 7-3 over its last 10 home games. The SportsLine Projection Model says Stanford has a 36% chance to win and assigns a «B» grade to Cardinal money line (+240).
