Lens is on a 16-match Euro road skid. ...

Christian McCaffrey can make some history. ...

Como hosts its first-ever European tie. ...

Both of SL's UFC experts are backing Chairez too ...

The Orange looked very different offensively in Week 1. ...

No Jacobs or Parsons for the Packers. ...

Is this line off? ....

Aaron Rodgers makes his final Week 1 start. ...

I looked at DNB for Houston yesterday and couldn't justify it priced around -250. But now this ... and love it so much I'm going fairly big because I believe the home side draws at worst. The Dynamo are eight spots higher and 11 points better in the West, so feel free to take the -110 ML but I like insurance. RSL has some major player availability concerns (led by Morgan Guilavogu) with a single road win. Houston has just two losses in 11 at home and has kept 11 clean sheets overall. This smells fishy, but I don't pretend to be a Wile E. Coyote MLS super-genius -- highly recommend the Coyote vs. Acme movie if you grew up watching as I did.

Do I think the Pats are good? Sure, but are you aware by one metric they had the NFL's easiest schedule last year this century? And they got punked in the Super Bowl by Seattle. The reigning SB champs usually win this Kickoff Game -- and the Hawks can tie a franchise record with their 11th straight win overall. No Tre'Veyon Henderson takes away one home-run threat for New England. Kept holding out for a stray -2.5 with Seattle safety Nick Emmanwori ruled out officially, but no dice.

So I think the rest of MLB season I'm going to be incredibly particular -- has worked on parlays this week in the newsletter and CBS Sports betting. I'll always double-take at outlier lines, and this is clearly an alt at BetRivers (all of our others at 4.5 and leaning slightly Under). It's Cards ace Andre Pallante and they are sitting Home Run Derby champ Jordan Walker (.282, 28 HR, 100 RBI). So if Giants starter Blake Tidwell can keep this to three runs over five I think this cashes as Pallante should largely keep the SF lineup in check -- which is without Rafael Devers. The full-game total is only 8.5.

Decent first day in the Champions League with Day 2 Wednesday. Atlético eliminated Liverpool from the Champions League in the 2019-20 season, but since they've lost all three matches in the series. That includes at Anfield on Matchday 1 last year, 3-2, on a 92nd-minute Virgil van Dijk goal. The Reds had blown a 2-0 lead. Liverpool also has won six straight group stage/league phase matches against Spanish clubs, keeping four clean sheets in the past five. The visitors have a few out at forward with Alexander Sorloth injured, summer addition Jonathan David (from Juventus) not ready and Arnau Ortiz suspended. Julian Alvarez will travel but has been not playing much as he's unhappy with Atleti after not getting a wanted transfer.

Do I expect a walk in the park today for Barcelona in its Champions League opener? Obviously, and so do the oddsmakers. But you are telling me that a Feyenoord side that is unbeaten in the domestic Eredivisie (not saying that's Barca's La Liga or anything, but also not hot garbage) can't lose 3-0 or 4-1? In addition, the manager for the Dutch side is Giovanni van Bronckhorst. He played for Barcelona for a few years back in the day and was an instrumental player in the side's 2005–06 Champions League title. So maybe the Blaugrana go a bit easy on him. The SL model has only a half-goal win. Not sure about that.

If not aware, the Champions League's league phase kicks off Tuesday with all six matches on Paramount+ and two also shown on CBS Sports Network -- including this one. Seems like a pretty fair price considering that Dortmund trashed visiting Villareal 4-0 about 10 months ago in the UCL behind two goals from Serhou Guirassy. The Germans are 2-0 in domestic play this year and Villareal is winless in four in Spain. I believe absolutely only a draw gets us Tuesday, but unfortunately DNB is way too expensive even for Mr. Big Moneyline himself. Dortmund has won its past three vs. Spanish clubs and outscored them 11-2. Villareal has only two wins in its past 10 against German foes.

Bit surprised Aston Villa is favored Tuesday in the UCL opener in Belgium, especially with some injury issues with midfielders Johan Manzambi and Leon Goretzka sidelined. Club Brugge has lost only three of its past 22 at home, and I win with a draw Tuesday so that's great. Brugge has scored three or more goals in six of its last seven home Champions League games. Aston Villa not only hasn't won in three Premier League matches yet this year, it hasn't scored. The Belgians have scored in 25 straight in all competitions obviously stretching back into last season. I asked ChatGPT for giggles, and it gave me Brugge 34% to win and 35% to draw. A 69% chance of cashing on a moneyline is -223.