Tuesday, October 20, 2026 — College Football and NBA Betting Previews
It’s opening night of the NBA features three games, while college football starts Week 8 with three more games.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Missouri State at Delaware
7:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU | Delaware -2.5| Total 51.5
Both teams enter 2–4, and Delaware is seeking its first conference victory.
SU ATS O/U
| Missouri State | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 |
| Delaware | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 |
Last three games
| Team | Most recent | Previous | Third-most recent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri State | Beat Kennesaw State 24–21; covered +2.5 | Lost at WKU 34–13; failed -1.5 | Lost at SMU 34–24; covered +30.5 |
| Delaware | Lost at Middle Tennessee 33–30; failed -1.5 | Lost to Liberty 30–14; failed +6.5 | Lost at Virginia 42–3; failed +19.5 |
Last-game recap: Missouri State received a major lift from receiver Isaiah Myers, who caught seven passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns against Kennesaw State. Delaware’s freshman quarterback Tyler Bell threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns in his first start, but the Blue Hens surrendered the deciding touchdown with 3:06 remaining at Middle Tennessee.
Quarterback matchup: Henry Belin IV handled Missouri State’s passing against Kennesaw State, completing 28 of 39 for 300 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Skyler Locklear remains another option. For Delaware, Bell is the important preparation point after starting the previous game; veteran Nick Minicucci has missed two games.
Key injuries: Delaware QB Nick Minicucci—leg remains an availability concern. Delaware also lists WR T. Salazer out, WR B. Rehmann questionable and RB G. Spiller out for the season. Missouri State lists TE J. Rexroat and RB J. Joyner questionable.
Offense/Defense — yards per game
| Team | Offense: Rush / Pass / Total | Defense allowed: Rush / Pass / Total |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri State | 132.3 / 224.7 / 357.0 | 176.5 / 250.2 / 426.7 |
| Delaware | 94.0 / 271.0 / 365.0 | 131.5 / 259.2 / 390.7 |
Missouri State averages 22.2 points and allows 30.5; Delaware averages 22.8 and allows 26.8.
Weather: Approximately 56°F, clear, with winds around 6 mph.
Middle Tennessee at FIU
7:00 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network | FIU -10.5 | Total 44.5
Both teams are 3–3 overall and 1–1 in Conference USA. FIU is unbeaten at home; Middle Tennessee is winless on the road.
| Team | SU | ATS | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee | 3–3 | 4–2 | 2–4 |
| FIU | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 |
Last three games
| Team | Most recent | Previous | Third-most recent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee | Beat Delaware 33–30; covered +1.5 | Lost at Kansas 55–0; failed +21.5 | Lost at Jacksonville State 23–13; failed +7.5 |
| FIU | Lost at Jacksonville State 27–24; failed +2.5 | Beat New Mexico State 22–3; covered -6.5 | Beat LIU 20–3; failed -37.5 |
Last-game recap: Roman Gagliano threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns as Middle Tennessee rallied past Delaware. FIU accumulated 404 yards at Jacksonville State but lost by three, another example of its yardage production exceeding its scoring output.
Quarterback matchup:
- Middle Tennessee—Roman Gagliano: 58.5% completions, 1,204 yards, 11 TD/2 INT.
- FIU—JJ Kohl: 58.3% completions, 1,458 yards, 7 TD/7 INT.
Key injuries: FIU RB Anthony Carrie is listed out with an undisclosed injury. TEs K. Schaeffer and A. Passley, plus kicker N. Sidan, are questionable.
Offense/Defense — yards per game
| Team | Offense: Rush / Pass / Total | Defense allowed: Rush / Pass / Total |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee | 120.8 / 200.7 / 321.5 | 199.2 / 216.5 / 415.7 |
| FIU | 120.0 / 262.7 / 382.7 | 101.0 / 166.0 / 267.0 |
Middle Tennessee scores 22.8 points per game and allows 28.3. FIU scores 19.7 but allows only 14.7.
2025 meeting: FIU won 56–30 at Middle Tennessee, covering as a 1.5-point underdog; the game went Over 50.5.
Weather: Around 80°F with northeast winds near 15 mph. Wind direction and gusts deserve attention for longer throws and field goals.
South Alabama at Marshall
7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | South Alabama -2.5 | Total 62.5
South Alabama enters 4–2, 2–0 Sun Belt; Marshall is 3–3, 0–2. Published markets span the key number of three.
Last three games
| Team | Most recent | Previous | Third-most recent |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Alabama | Won at Arkansas State 56–49; covered as underdog | Beat ULM 52–35; covered | Lost at Kentucky 45–21; failed +20.5 |
| Marshall | Lost to Coastal Carolina 27–21; failed -4.5 | Lost at James Madison 45–17; failed +14.5 | Beat Gardner-Webb 36–35; failed -24.5 |
Last-game recap: South Alabama beat Arkansas State behind 296 rushing yards. Keenan Phillips supplied 157 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns and a 100-yard kickoff-return touchdown. Marshall outgained Coastal Carolina 505–308 but committed six turnovers and could not recover from a 27–0 deficit.
Quarterback matchup: South Alabama has used Jared Hollins and Bishop Davenport. The latest indexed totals list Hollins at 855 yards with 7 TD/2 INT and Davenport at 450 yards with 3 TD/0 INT. Marshall’s Carlos Del Rio-Wilson is 89-of-139, 64.0%, for 1,014 yards with 6 TD/5 INT; Zion Turner has also played.
Key injuries: South Alabama lists WR D. White questionable; WRs K. Marion and B. Barnes and TE M. Lynch are listed out for the season.
Offense/Defense — yards per game
| Team | Offense: Rush / Pass / Total | Defense allowed: Rush / Pass / Total |
|---|---|---|
| South Alabama | 220.3 / 217.5 / 437.8 | 164.2 / 264.8 / 429.0 |
| Marshall | 158.7 / 247.8 / 406.5 | 193.8 / 253.5 / 447.3 |
South Alabama averages 38.8 points and allows 34.5; Marshall averages 22.0 and allows 33.7.
NBA — OPENING NIGHT
All three games air on NBC/Peacock. Boston–Detroit starts at 3 p.m. ET
Last season’s records and Offense/Defense
| Team | SU | ATS | O/U | Points scored | Points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 56–26 | 49–33–0 | 30–52–0 | 114.9 | 107.2 |
| Detroit | 60–22 | 44–38–0 | 37–43–2 | 117.8 | 109.6 |
| Philadelphia | 45–37 | 43–38–1 | 39–42–1 | 115.9 | 116.1 |
| New York | 53–29 | 43–38–1 | 37–44–1 | 116.5 | 110.1 |
| Oklahoma City | 64–18 | 39–42–1 | 44–38–0 | 119.0 | 107.9 |
| San Antonio | 62–20 | 46–34–2 | 35–46–1 | 119.8 | 111.5 |
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
3:00 p.m. ET | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit -1.5
Key injuries: Boston’s principal rotation is available; two-way guard Devin Carter is out with mononucleosis. Detroit forward Taurean Prince is questionable for personal reasons. Detroit’s main starters are expected to play.
Key additions/subtractions:
- Boston added: Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, Mike Conley and rookie Chris Cenac Jr. Departed: Jaylen Brown and Nikola Vučević.
- Detroit added: John Collins and Isaiah Joe. Departed: Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart.
Last four meetings
| Oct. 26, 2025 | Detroit 119–113 |
| Nov. 26, 2025 | Boston 117–114 |
| Dec. 15, 2025 | Detroit 112–105 |
| Jan. 19, 2026 | Detroit 104–103 |
Detroit won the series 3–1 SU. The four combined totals were 232, 231, 217 and 207.
Principal matchup: Jayson Tatum versus Detroit’s wing defenders including Ausar Thompson, with Cade Cunningham controlling the other end. Last season, Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in a limited 16-game regular season due to coming off an innjury. Cunningham averaged 23.9 points and 9.9 assists; Jalen Duren contributed 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.
Offense vs. Defense: Boston faces a Detroit defense that allowed 109.6 points per game. The Celtics need Tatum’s creation and perimeter shooting to pull Detroit away from its preferred defensive positions. Robinson offers offensive rebounding and rim protection.
Detroit’s Cunningham–Duren actions test Boston’s interior coverage. Collins supplies another finishing option, while Joe adds shooting. Boston’s 107.2 points allowed last season establishes a strong defensive baseline, although its personnel has changed.
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
7:00 p.m. ET | Madison Square Garden | New York approximately -4.5 | Total 231.5
Key injuries:
- Philadelphia out: Dominick Barlow—back; Tacko Fall—quadriceps; Ariel Hukporti—Achilles, season.
- Philadelphia questionable: Anfernee Simons—hamstring; Adem Bona—foot; Dean Wade—ankle.
- Philadelphia’s expected starting five—Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid—was available on Monday night’s report.
- New York’s reviewed report lists no injuries.
Key additions/subtractions:
- Philadelphia added: LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dean Wade. Departed: Paul George, Andre Drummond, Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry.
- New York added: Andre Drummond, with James Wiseman retained for additional center depth. Departed: Mitchell Robinson, Ariel Hukporti and Jeremy Sochan.
2025–26 matchups: The regular-season series finished 2–2:
| Dec. 19, 2025 | Philadelphia 116–107 |
| Jan. 3, 2026 | Philadelphia 130–119 |
| Jan. 24, 2026 | New York 112–109 |
| Feb. 11, 2026 | New York 138–89 |
New York then swept the playoff series 4–0, winning 137–98, 108–102, 108–94 and 144–114. That playoff series was 3–1 ATS for New York and 2–2 O/U using OddsTrader’s listed lines.
Principal players: Last season, Maxey averaged 28.3 points, Embiid 26.9, Brown 28.7 with Boston, and James 20.9 points/7.2 assists with the Lakers. New York counters with Jalen Brunson’s 26.0 points/6.8 assists and Karl-Anthony Towns’ 20.1 points/11.9 rebounds.
Offense vs. Defense: Philadelphia’s new starting unit has considerably more creation than last season’s team, so its previous scoring average is only a starting point. James can organize possessions, Maxey can attack in transition and Embiid can draw help inside. The question is how quickly those responsibilities fit together.
New York’s offense can target Philadelphia’s depleted reserve frontcourt. Brunson–Towns actions force difficult choices between containing the ball and staying attached to shooters. Philadelphia’s injuries could also increase the starters’ workload.
Matchup analysis: New York has the continuity advantage, while Philadelphia has the potential to outperform its historical offensive numbers. The bench minutes could decide the spread, especially when Embiid rests. New York must replace Robinson’s offensive rebounding, making Drummond’s role immediately relevant.
Keys to win: Philadelphia needs clean offensive spacing, controlled turnovers and competitive non-Embiid minutes. New York needs to pressure the reserves and make Philadelphia defend multiple actions.
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
9:30 p.m. ET | Frost Bank Center | San Antonio -2.5 | Total 231.5
This is a rematch of last season’s seven-game Western Conference finals.
Key injuries: The latest Monday evening update indicates Chet Holmgren is available after missing preseason with a quadriceps injury, superseding earlier uncertain listings. Oklahoma City lists Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber and Otega Oweh out. San Antonio lists Tobias Harris out with a calf strain and Jayden Quaintance out.
Key additions/subtractions:
- Oklahoma City added: Rookies Aday Mara, Otega Oweh and Bennett Stirtz. Departed: Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Branden Carlson.
- San Antonio added: Tobias Harris and rookies Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. Departed: Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee, Bismack Biyombo and Lindy Waters III.
2025–26 matchups
| Dec. 13, 2025 | San Antonio 111–109 |
| Dec. 23, 2025 | San Antonio 130–110 |
| Dec. 25, 2025 | San Antonio 117–102 |
| Jan. 13, 2026 | Oklahoma City 119–98 |
| Feb. 4, 2026 | San Antonio 116–106 |
San Antonio went 4–1 SU and ATS, with 2 Overs and 3 Unders, using the listed closing lines. The Spurs then won the conference finals 4–3, finishing with 118–91 and 111–103 victories in Games 6 and 7.
Principal matchup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander versus San Antonio’s perimeter defenders, with Victor Wembanyama protecting the basket. Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points; Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks.
Expected lineups: San Antonio plans to use De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Wembanyama. Oklahoma City’s expected group is Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Prop Bets
Points
SGA 30+ -118
Carson Wallace 11+ +100
Rebounds
Victor Wembanyama 12+ -118
Upcoming and Current Events at ATS:
- ATS Football is set for a huge run! . If you want to test the waters, call or email us about our big weekend as a huge game goes on Saturday, October 24.
- Hockey wins big for again for the week and has now won over 30 units over the last two weeks.
- Basketball tips off on October 20 with the NBA and Nov. 2 in College Basketball. Last season, we opened winning 4 of the last 5 weeks and ended winning 6 of the last 7. Don’t miss this season as the Lock Club is projected to set records!
- Baseball Playoffs win for the third straight week!