The former No. 8 pick in the lottery out of Kentucky in 2024, Dillingham is now being shipped off to his third team in as many seasons. Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the Bulls are trading the raw, athletic point guard to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for sharpshooting swingman Buddy Hield plus, you guessed it, zero draft picks and cash considerations.

As Charania notes, the Bulls add a better present-day player while helping Charlotte shave off $3 million in salary. Per Spotrac’s Keith Smith, the Hornets will create a $2.7 million traded player exception. Charlotte will now be $25.6 million below the luxury tax. The Bulls, meanwhile, are now over the salary cap heading into 2026-27.

But assuming Hield or another veteran is offloaded before the end of the year, Chicago should still be able to dip back beneath the cap when all is said and done.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report notes that Chicago had been in the bidding for young veteran free agents Jonathan Kuminga and Bennedict Mathurin, both of whom would have generally aligned with the timelines of 20-year-old rookie power forward Caleb Wilson and 22-year-old second-year small forward Matas Buzelis. Now, Fischer predicts that All-Star shooting guard Norman Powell and Hield will likely get lots of run to build up their respective trade values ahead of the deadline this season.

The Bulls Say Goodbye to Rob Dillingham…

Dillingham washed out with the Minnesota Timberwolves, to the point where the team felt compelled to reconstruct its entire point guard rotation this offseason. Dillingham never averaged more than 10.5 minutes during his season-and-a-half with Minnesota. On Billy Donovan’s tanking Bulls for the end of the season, he was given far more runway. His jump shooting and ball control left a lot to be desired. Across 30 Chicago bouts last year, he averaged 9.6 points while slashing .428/.300/.743, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists (against 2.1 turnovers), and 0.9 steals in 21.5 minutes per.

Clearly, with new Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham now in for ex-president Arturas Karnisovas, Chicago was less inclined to hold onto Dillingham.

Bringing Hield aboard is a bit of a win-now play… for a team that will be winning later.

…And Hello to Elite 3-Point Shooter Buddy Hield

Hield, 33, ranks as one of the league’s elite sharpshooters. Across the past four seasons, the veteran marksman has been averaging 12.3 points on .439/.391/.834 shooting splits. That 39.1 percent shooting conversion rate from long range arrived on 6.8 triple tries a night. Hield is owed $9.7 million for 2026-27, and holds a $10.1 million player option for 2027-28.

Although he’s pretty well-traveled (this will be his eighth NBA team), Hield should — in theory — have plenty of value both to the Bulls in the short term and on the trade market in the long term. He’s elite at one of the most marketable skills in the game, as one of the best off-ball shooters out there.

Prior to the Hield move, the Bulls had been deeply bereft of 3-point shooters. As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes, power forward/center Jalen Smith and new All-Star shooting guard Norman Powell are the only other Bulls who connected on 37 percent of at least 3.0 long range tries last year.

Hield should help new Chicago head coach Tiago Splitter at least modernize his offense a bit. Hield joins the Bulls just in time for Media Day, which tips off on Monday. He’ll now join the Bulls’ training camp roster — set to start its preseason prep on Tuesday.

Adding Hield will certainly raise Chicago’s floor, although it likely won’t improve the club’s ceiling much. Still, Hield likely slots into Splitter’s top eight, and will compete for bench minutes along with probably Smith and point guard Tre Jones.

The first weekend with chilly temperatures always puts me in the mood for chili. And this year will be no exception. I’ve tried many different chili recipes over the years. I’ve lost count of how many combinations of meats, cheeses, beans, and other ingredients I’ve tried in the 20+ years I’ve been cooking chili. But all that trial and error has led to a go-to recipe that blends what I learned from watching my stepdad and my friend Jim’s award-winning chili recipe.

BEARS-EAGLES WEEK 3 PREVIEW

It’s worth noting how the ingredients are interchangeable in this recipe. For instance, you can swap out the ground beef for ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground chorizo. Don’t want to throw in steak bites? I’ve used diced chicken or chorizo chunks. Add a sprinkle of ground coffee or a smidge of chocolate powder for fun. But before you start experimenting, figure out a base recipe you can return to every time.

Bears Bites: My Go-To Game Day Chili Recipe

This is the kind of recipe that you’ll love on a Bears game day.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage (or hot)
• 1/2 pound – 1 pound of steak (cubed)
• 1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes (fire-roasted garlic is my go-to)
• 1 onion, chopped and diced
• 6 cloves of diced garlic (or 3 tablespoons of minced garlic)
• 1 serrano pepper (or 1 jalapeño pepper)
  • NOTE: If I’m cooking for mixed company, I’ll swap hotter peppers in exchange for de-seeded green and red peppers.
• 2 cans of beans (I usually use 1 can of spicy chili beans and 1 can of mild. But I’ll also use black beans, kidney beans … whatever is on sale)
• 16 ounces of low-sodium beef stock (you could also use vegetable stock or chicken stock; this is interchangeable for me)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 12-oz lager or lite/light beer (optional) (my top 3 beers for this recipe: Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Negra Modelo, Yuengling)
  • NOTE: If you won’t use beer, you can add another 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes)
• 6 tablespoons of chili powder
  • My home-made batch: 1 tablespoon guajillo chile powder (can substitute cayenne pepper), 1 tablespoon of ancho chili powder (can substitute chipotle chili powder), 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon back pepper, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder)

THE PROCESS

1. Prep the veggies: Dice your vegetables (onion, peppers, garlic), and put them in a bowl
2. Brown the steak: In one big pot, cook your steak bites (season with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, oregano/Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika) until done medium (or to your liking)
3. Sauté your veggies: Add your vegetables (diced onion, garlic, peppers) to the same pot and heat until fragrant.
4. Brown the ground meat, then season: Add 1 lb of ground meat to the pan and cook until browned; follow with the remaining pound. Season this ground meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano/Italian seasoning, and one-half of the chili powder (3 tablespoons). Mix your meat well so everything is well seasoned.
5. Combine the meat and sauce: Add the tomato sauce to the ground meat mixture and stir for 3-4 minutes; add the beef stock and stir until combined. Season this mix with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano/Italian seasoning, and one half of the chili powder (3 tablespoons)
6. Simmer and adjust: Simmer the chili for 20-30 minutes. After that, you can taste a spoonful and adjust seasoning if needed. Remember: You can always add, but you can never take away.
7. Ready to eat: Serve topped with shredded cheese (My favorites for chili: Chihuahua, Colby Jack, cheddar jack) and sour cream

The colder it gets, the spicier I like to make my chili. The deeper we get into winter, the more I want to experiment. And the better the Bears play, the more creative I want to be in the kitchen.

One last thing about this recipe: You can adjust it to fit the seasonal vibe. When the temperatures are frigid, I’ll use one serrano pepper and 1 jalapeño pepper. I’ll use hot Italian sausage instead of the mild. And I’ll even throw a dash of sriracha into the chili mix. Plus, the leftovers are always so, so, soooo good. They taste even better after a Bears win.

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Bagent practiced for the first time this week and was a full go in the team’s final practice session ahead of its Monday Night Football showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. This puts Bagent on track for his fifth career regular-season start. Although Bagent has appeared in games since his last start, replacing an injured Justin Fields in 2023, he’s been relegated to mop-up duty and the occasional cameo as a wide receiver. I’m curious whether one full practice is enough for Bagent to earn the start or if Case Keenum — who practiced as QB1 before Saturday — will get the nod. After all, Bagent is listed as “questionable” going into this one.

As for the rest of the injury report, here you go:

#Bears Injury Report pic.twitter.com/2LaYyqmJXs

— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) September 26, 2026

Chicago Bears Injury Report Before Week 3 Monday Night Football Game vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Some final thoughts…

• I’m not surprised quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring) was ruled out. We have 21 games of the Ben Johnson experience as head coach, which tells us that he won’t play a player who hasn’t practiced. I’m not sure we needed that to know he wasn’t going to start Williams just one week after his hamstring injury, but I like having evidence to support me when I notice a trend.

• Also ruled out for MNF are linebacker Noah Sewell (Achilles) and defensive tackle Shemar Turner (knee). Both players are still navigating through their 21-day practice window as they work their way back from the Injured Reserve/PUP List.

• Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (hamstring) and kicker Cairo Santos (right hip) were full participants in Saturday’s practice session. Stevenson began the week sitting out because of a hamstring injury, but has gotten better every week. This is an encouraging sign as Chicago prepares to defend against what could be a potent Philly passing game. As for Santos, Saturday marks his first practice appearance all week. Hopefully, he will be good to go with no reservations. Maybe the Bears should just score touchdowns and not settle for field goals.

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The Tribune’s Phillip Thompson shares that Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson says QB2 is out of concussion protocol as part of a collection of updates before Saturday’s practice:

Bears HC Ben Johnson Says QB Tyson Bagent has been cleared from concussion protocol; also QB Caleb Williams won't practice but K Cairo Santos will; CB Tyrique Stevenson progressing more than anticipated.

— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) September 26, 2026

Tyson Bagent Clears Concussion Protocol — Will He Play?

It will be interesting to see how much Tyson Bagent practices on Saturday. A “full” participation designation on the afternoon injury report could suggest Bagent is available for MNF. Anything less will make me think Keenum will be QB1 in Chicago’s first primetime game of 2026. What a late-in-the-game plot twist.

Part of me wonders how this will affect Eagles Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s game prep. But part of me knows Fangio probably has contingency plans for his contingency plans. That guy is as prepared as any defensive coordinator in the league.

In addition to the Tyson Bagent update, the Bears’ head coach also chimed in on the status of cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and kicker Cairo Santos. Stevenson was upgraded to a limited participant in Friday’s practice. I’m open to the possibility of Stevenson being a full go on Saturday. It would be nice to have a full deck of cornerbacks for Mondy’s game. As for Santos, he will also practice on Saturday. Maybe I’ll be able to exhale and not worry about the kicking game going into Monday. Stay tuned.

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Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill told us after the morning skate that the plan is for Spencer Knight to play the entire game. He also shared that veteran forward Jordan Greenway might have been able to play tonight and is expected to be available on Tuesday night in Vegas for the regular season opener. Greenway skated with the rest of the team on Saturday morning.

Broadcast Info

Puck Drop: 6:00 PM CT
TV / Streaming: CHSN+
Radio: WGN 720 AM

Expected Lineups

Chicago Blackhawks

Tyler Bertuzzi — Anton Frondell — Andrew Mangiapane
Teuvo Teräväinen — Roman Kantserov — Nick Lardis
Ryan Donato — Oliver Moore — Ryan Greene
Dillon Boucher — Dominic Toninato — Cole Smith

Alex Vlasic — Bowen Byram
Ethan Del Mastro — Artyom Levshunov
Ian Cole — Sam Rinzel

Spencer Knight
Arvid Söderblom

St. Louis Blues

Dylan Holloway – Robert Thomas – Jimmy Snuggerud
Pavel Buchnevich – Mason McTavish – Connor McMichael
Jake Neighbours – Dalibor Dvorsky – Jonatan Berggren
Alexey Toropchenko – Pius Suter – Ross Johnston

Philip Broberg – Logan Mailloux
Theo Lindstein – Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler – Brandon Carlo

Joel Hofer
Jordan Binnington

Injury Report

Chicago Blackhawks

• Connor Bedard is out.

St. Louis Blues

• n/a

What to Watch For

• The game was chippy on Thursday night. Will any of that carry over?

• Blashill said he wanted to get Kantserov some run at center to see how that plays. He’ll have Lardis and Teräväinen on his wings. We’ll see if the two young scorers can get on the board.

• The Blackhawks’ penalty kill has been really good in the preseason. There were questions about that unit after all of the departures before the trade deadline and in the offseason. The systems are still working. But… maybe try to stay out of the box?

Get Caught Up

Everyone knows Caleb Wilson has all the tools necessary to be incredible out of the gate. While new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham’s hiring of several former fellow New Orleans Pelicans staffers doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence per se, the addition of new head coach Tiago Splitter is plenty exciting. Can the other new names help the whole become better than the sum of its parts?

Bulls Bullets — September 26, 2026

• No Ceilings’ Tyler Rucker and Tyler Metcalf take a look at the Bulls’ impending 2026-27 season. Chicago has brought in rookies Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain, while signing All-Star shooting guard Norman Powell and trading for center Nicolas Claxton. Powell, Wilson, and Claxton will suit up alongside incumbent starters Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. Both Rucker and Metcalf are very, very high on Wilson — but Rucker is a bit more skeptical about the rest of the roster.

• The Bulls unveiled their entire training camp roster earlier this week, featuring five new signings! All five will compete for the team’s final available two-way slot, plus affiliate deals with the Windy City Bulls. Joe Cowley of The REKAP takes a look at five Chicago players worth a watch during training camp — which tips off on Tuesday. The Bulls’ five-game preseason slate starts on Oct. 7, a tilt against the Phoenix Suns. Everyone from Powell to second-year forward Noa Essengue, a former lottery pick who essentially redshirted last season thanks to a shoulder surgery, merits mention from Cowley.

• Cowley notes that Powell invited younger Bulls players to his house in Las Vegas, where he makes his offseason home, to

• The Bulls themselves got into the 2026-27 swing of things, with a new 22-minute video highlighting the arrivals of Wilson, Swain, and Graham.

• Bulls point guard Josh Giddey is putting his $100 million salary to good use. Per Somer Van Benton of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Josh Giddey Foundation and the Bulls have partnered to create a fresh game room at the Ronald McDonald House, a non-profit organization for families with ailing kids, at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

“It’s a colorful game room with a lot of Chicago Bulls and Australia-themed activities,” the Aussie-born Giddey said. “It means the world to me.”

• Our Chicago Sky’s 2026 season ended with a third straight missed playoff run… and a third straight offloaded lottery pick. As Alissa Hirsh of the Chicago Sun-Times notes, owner Michael Alter needs to consider making some dramatic changes this year. Head coach Tyler Marsh has led the Sky to a combined 26-62 record across his two seasons with the team.

• Put simply, it’s time for GM Jeff Pagliocca to hit the road, after draft mismanagement so bad it would make Ted Stepien blush. The Sky flipped Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for a pair of non-lottery picks in the offseason. Reese helped Atlanta to the WNBA’s No. 4 seed and became a fringe All-WNBA honoree. The almost-guaranteed Rookie of the Year, Minnesota Lynx point guard Olivia Miles, was selected with the Sky’s No. 2 pick — acquired when Chicago traded swap rights with the Lynx to move up and draft Reese in 2024. Reese’s Dream will play the rising Washington Mystics in the first round of the postseason. Washington is led by second-year All-Stars Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron. Citron, not incidentally, was selected with the Sky’s No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft — which Chicago had traded away in its ill-fated deal for Ariel Atkins. The Sky don’t have control of their own lottery pick until 2029 (the Mystics have swap rights with them for 2027, and outright possess their top pick in ’28 thanks to the Jacy Sheldon trade this offseason).

• Pagliocca also overpaid for a pair of aging former All-Star point guards, Skylar Diggins ($950K) and Courtney Vandersloot ($750K) — a decision that may have prompted him to ignore reigning UCLA champion Kiki Rice in the 2026 WNBA Draft and instead select her toolsy wing teammate, Gabriela Jaquez… whom head coach Tyler Marsh gave up on entirely by the end of the year. Undrafted rookie wing Sydney Taylor, however, has been good enough to at least warrant All-Rookie Team consideration. Will Pagliocca re-sign her in free agency this offseason?

• Back to Alter — as Hirsh points out, the team has been dragging its heels on the construction of a new Bedford Park practice facility that was supposed to be done in time for the Chicago-based WNBA All-Star Game this season. Oops. He may need to part ways with both Marsh and Pagliocca sooner rather than later, as fan patience wanes even while interest in the sport continues to grow.

• Two-time MVP point guard Stephen Curry has re-upped with the Golden State Warriors. Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the 11-time All-Star has agreed to a two-season, $116 million contract extension — $20 million less than what he could have made from the franchise, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Curry will have a player option for the last year of the deal, 2028-29 — when he would turn 41.

• Per the Third Apron’s Yossi Gozlan, this would see Golden State generating $64 million in available cap space circa 2027. Of course, Curry would be 39 at this point. The extension will put Curry’s on-court earnings at $652 million by the end of the deal — the most in league history, $54 million north of his former champion Warriors teammate Kevin Durant’s $598 million.

• The start of the NBA season, of course, also coincides with the kick-off of NBA 2K27. To celebrate, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Labaron Philon Jr. was locked into a truck outside Geno’s in South Philadelphia as part of NBA Take-Two Media’s “Stuck in the Truck” series. Philon’s mission: to play the latest installment of the contest until he could score 1,000 points.

• Philon competed against Philadelphia’s own Gillie Da Kid, Freeway, 2Rare, and others. On the court this season, the first-round draft pick will compete for minutes behind All-Star starting point guard Tyrese Maxey, on a loaded club that also boasts All-Rookie First Team shooting guard V.J. Edgecombe, All-NBA small forward Jaylen Brown, All-Star power forward LeBron James, former MVP center Joel Embiid, and bench guard Anfernee Simons.

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Not going to sugarcoat it, after watching the Cubs get swept in yesterday’s doubleheader, and watching them plate just nine runs in their last five games (1-4 record), “the vibes” are anything but great as the playoffs loom.

And as we’re all too aware of, it’s not just these last five games; it’s the freak Alex Bregman injury, the starting staff doing little to clarify what the playoff rotation should look like, and the bullpen’s shakiness for more than the past month.

All that said, the Cubs are in the playoffs, and you can’t win it if you’re not in it. October has a way of helping teams flip the proverbial switch, and with a veteran group that has plenty of playoff experience and the best position player in the game, I may be down, but I’m not out. To the bullets.

• At this stage of the season, we can’t be surprised when this Cubs’ offense goes quiet for a handful of games. It bottomed out with the 10-game losing streak in mid-May, and there have been more struggles in stretches smaller than 10 games than any of us would care to remember. But for every time these struggles have happened, the offense has bounced back, which is why it’s the Cubs that lead MLB with 5.24 runs per game.

• It can’t be a coincidence that the offense began to sputter around the same time that foul ball off Michael Busch’s bat met Alex Bregman’s face. The lineup tweaks that have had to take place as a result of his injury are notable, particularly with Pedro Ramirez having cooled off (.182, 12-66, since August 30). And now, even with Bregman back in the lineup yesterday in game one of the doubleheader, he was the DH out of caution, which pushes Michael Conforto to the bench.

• Perhaps I’m delusional, but I’m choosing to maintain a healthy amount of confidence in an offense that leads MLB in runs per game and is second in the number of guys it’s put on base this season.

• I was talking Cubs with a friend a couple of days ago and explained how at this point I’m giving up on my own take(s) of what the playoff rotation should be, and deferring to the Cubs’ computers to spit out which starter is optimal against whatever team and their particular lineup in any given matchup. Think about it, is there a guy among Kevin Gausman, Matthew Boyd, Clay Holmes, Shota Imanaga, and David Peterson that you’d be willing to beat the table for as the game 1 starter? Matchups be damned, this is THE guy? I don’t think so.

• However, if that starter existed, is it David Peterson? Peterson has had two stinkers in 15 starts as a Cub and carries a 2.66 ERA in his last 14 games. Now, let me be clear: I’m not actually making the case for Peterson to start game 1 of the Wild Card series, but at this point I wouldn’t break stride if that’s what was announced ahead of Tuesday. Which is something I would not have expected a month ago.

• Nico Hoerner’s season slash line sits at .264/.317/.351, and I sure haven’t seen anything in particular this season to account for what’s poised to be more than a 30-point drop in batting average from a season ago. Well, there are receipts to gather that Nico’s drop in production in 2026 is nothing more than bad luck, which leaves me thinking the baseball Gods owe him some favor in the postseason.

• The fun never ends with PCA. Not only is what’s below incredible, but even more so after looking back on Pete slashing .225/.302/.357 with five home runs in his first 50 games this season. Sarah had another incredible PCA stat tweet yesterday that puts him in company with Ty Cobb and no one else.

• These look incredible!

• Perhaps you’re more inclined to spend your dollars on a trading card than a new shirt? Don’t worry.

• Rhetorical question alert. Can I interest you in Josiah Hartshorn 2026 highlights?

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• Friday’s Bears injury report was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it was encouraging to see running back Kyle Monangai and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson get upgrades. Monangai was a full participant on Friday after being listed as a DNP on Thursday’s estimated injury report. I have little doubt he will suit up on Monday Night Football. It must be an all-hands-on-deck effort for the offense without quarterback Caleb Williams if the Bears have a shot here. As for Stevenson, he went from DNP to limited participation. Another upgrade for Stevenson would make me feel better about his odds of playing on Monday against the Eagles.

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• On the flip side, Cairo Santos missing Friday’s practice was a little unnerving. The Bears didn’t bring in a kicker for tryouts this week, so part of me is trying to talk myself into not being that worried about Santos’ absence. But part of me doesn’t feel comfortable after seeing two consecutive DNPs for the kicker. Could the Bears go for it on fourth down and go after two-point conversions? I guess we’ll have a better answer for that when Saturday’s injury report drops.

• Bears Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen on the state of the team’s pass rush (via 104.3 The Score’s Chris Emma):

“It’s still a work in progress, but I do feel like we’re getting better. I feel like when we do a good job of allowing front and coverage to work together, then we’re able to affect the quarterback. We’re not hitting him on every snap, but we’re able to affect him and I think that’s really what you’re trying to do.”

• There have been times when I’ve seen the front four generate some pressure, which has been encouraging. And the stats support what my eyes have seen. But I didn’t expect the numbers to look this encouraging. The Bears’ 60 percent pass rush win rate (via ESPN) is the seventh-best in football. I did a double-take when I saw that this morning.

• For instance, Grady Jarrett’s 18 percent pass rush win rate ranks 11th among defensive tackles. Jarrett played his best ball in 2025 at the end of the season and in the playoffs. It looks like Jarrett is the healthiest he has been since joining the Bears. Additionally, James Lynch’s 38 percent run-stop win rate is the fourth-best among “edge” defenders. I hadn’t thought of Lynch as an edge, but Pro Football Focus’ positional data has him with 23 snaps at left defensive end and 15 at right defensive end. I’m digging his positional flexibility. We’re two games in, and Lynch is proving to be a nice find.

• Other win rate numbers via ESPN: Right tackle Darnell Wright has the second-best offensive tackle pass-block win rate (95%), center Garrett Bradbury (98%) has the third-best pass-block win rate among interior offensive linemen, and left guard Garrett Bradbury (93%) checks in at 19th.

• Meanwhile, things aren’t looking so good for that Packers offensive line:

The Packers have a problem in the trenches 👀

Their 18.4% Pass Block Win Rate is the lowest by any team through two games in the last 10 seasons, per ESPN Analytics. pic.twitter.com/FT9vWrHWXw

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) September 24, 2026

• My favorite thing I read this morning while others were still sleeping: The Sun-Times provided a peek behind the curtain with how they photographed quarterback Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury. As someone who used to be his own photographer as a younger reporter, I had to learn on the fly how and why to take images, and how to explain to others why the pictures matter. Reading this makes me wish I’d had more time with Phil Greer, a 15-year Chicago Tribune veteran and my photojournalism professor at SIU before I dropped the class to explore other courses. Even after dropping his class, Phil was always there for me to pick his brain. You’ve gotta love teachers like that!

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• The NHL salary cap is reportedly set to take a significant jump, and Tab Bamford explains how the Chicago Blackhawks are well-positioned to take advantage of it.

• Over at BN Bulls, Alex Kirschenbaum takes a look at the team’s training camp roster heading into the 2026-27 season.

• After getting swept in a doubleheader on Friday, the Cubs will head to Florida to play their regular-season finale at the Tampa Bay Rays’ home stadium. With so many Boston and Chicago transplants in the area, that game could be a fun “neutral” site battle.

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Saturday’s College Football Week 3 Top 25 Games

College Football’s Week 4 Saturday slate features an action-packed lineup loaded with Top 25 teams. The afternoon kicks off with a massive early season SEC battle of No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee in Knoxville. The early evening window presents the most high-profile matchups, with No. 2 Georgia hosting Oklahoma, No. 4 Ole Miss traveling to No. 21 Florida, and our featured game of No. 18 Michigan hosting No. 17 Iowa in Ann Arbor. The Primetime window continues the excitement with No. 20 Oregon visiting No. 12 USC and No. 23 Texas A&M battling No. 10 LSU. See the full Top 25 Saturday schedule below.

• 12:00 PM ET – #1 Texas at #14 Tennessee (ABC)
• 12:00 PM ET – Illinois at #7 Ohio State (FOX)
• 12:00 PM ET – Sam Houston at #11 Texas Tech (TNT)
• 12:00 PM ET – Wake Forest at #16 Louisville (ESPN)
• 2:00 PM ET – #3 Notre Dame at Purdue (Peacock)
• 3:30 PM ET – Oklahoma at #2 Georgia (ESPN)
• 3:30 PM ET – #4 Ole Miss at #21 Florida (ABC)
• 3:30 PM ET – #15 Utah at Iowa State (FOX)
• 3:30 PM ET – #17 Iowa at #18 Michigan (CBS)
• 4:00 PM ET – #25 Houston at Georgia Southern (ESPN+)
• 5:00 PM ET – Wisconsin at #13 Penn State (Peacock)
• 6:30 PM ET – Central Michigan at #6 Miami (CW)
• 7:00 PM ET – South Carolina at #8 Alabama (ESPN)
• 7:30 PM ET – #23 Texas A&M at #10 LSU (ABC)
• 7:30 PM ET – #20 Oregon at #12 USC (NBC)
• 7:45 PM ET – #19 Missouri at #24 Mississippi State (SEC Network)
• 9:00 PM ET – Missouri State at #22 SMU (ACC Network)

Iowa vs Michigan Odds

Michigan enters their conference opener as a 5.5-point favorite over Iowa, with the handle leaning towards a Wolverines win and cover. The game total is set at a remarkably tight 38.5 points, projecting a classic, physical, and defensive Big Ten battle where yards will be hard earned and points at a premium in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines will look to carry over their 2nd-half performance from last week, over this week against Iowa’s stingy defense. Meanwhile, Iowa will count on quarterback Hank Brown to manage the game cleanly, relying heavily on running back Kamari Moulton and Xavier Williams to move the chains and feed off any mistakes.

Iowa vs Michigan Touchdown Odds

In a game projected to be a so-called “rock fight” and low scoring, touchdown’s will be at a premium, creating a high level of risk, yet tremendous reward in scoring props. For Michigan, their backfield leads the board to score, with running back’s Jordan Marshall, and Savion Hiter, along with the mobile Bryce Underwood the most likely to find pay dirt. For Iowa, running back Kamari Moulton stands out as the Hawkeyes’ most probable scoring option, followed by secondary backfield options Xavier Williams and Nathan McNeil, with wideouts Braeden Jackson and Tony Diaz offering some longshot potential.

Always Remember To Bet Responsibly

Early-season Big Ten conference openers and grinding, physical matchups at The Big House bring high variance as teams adjust to tough conference schemes and high-pressure environments. Betting on marquee matchups requires extra discipline:

• Set a Clear Budget: Separate bankroll funds entirely from day-to-day living expenses.
• Avoid Chasing Losses: Do not place panic live bets if early-game prop wagers fall short.
• Follow Official Reports: Base betting decisions on confirmed starting lineups and snap counts rather than team prestige.
• Use Betting Controls: Utilize deposit limits and cool-off options within sports betting applications to manage play.

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Responsible Gaming Resources

DraftKings Promo Code

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• Download the DraftKings app.
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• 21+ (18+ DC/NH/PR/WY).
• Make a deposit.
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17 Iowa at 18 Michigan Odds

We have a fantastic Top 25 matchup as No. 17 Iowa visits No. 18 Michigan on Saturday. The matchup is set for 3:30 pm ET on CBS. Michigan is a -5.5 spread favorite at home, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. When it comes to the moneyline, Michigan is -218 while Iowa is a +180 underdog. Michigan has covered the spread in each of its last 2 games after the wild season-opening win over Western Michigan.

Check out the game odds from DraftKings.

TD Scorers Including Jordan Marshall

Who will score a touchdown today? There are any-time touchdown scorer odds, first TD, and even 2+ touchdowns for this matchup. Jordan Marshall leads the touchdown scorer odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook. He is -110 to score at any point in the game. Marshall has 135 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Bryce Underwood has 2 rushing scores this season. Check out more touchdown scorer odds for this game from DK.

How Will Bryce Underwood Perform?

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood has thrown for 504 yards with 3 touchdowns over the first 3 games of the season. He has 156 rushing yards and a couple of scores. Underwood has helped Michigan to a 3-0 start heading into today’s crucial matchup. How will he perform? Check out some props from DraftKings.

Underwood is +109 to throw for at least 180 yards. He has only reached that mark once in the first 3 games. He had 223 yards against UTEP with 2 touchdown passes last week.

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