World Series highlights huge betting weekend

The World Series begins tonight, and the weekend will bring Week 9 in college football and Week 8 in the NFL. We're sharing the looks that stand out to us for all three of the big-ticket items that await us.

Aaron Nola and Justin Verlander on the bump tonight

Tonight's betting odds: Houston -1.5 (+135), Over/under 6.5 runs, Houston -165 | Philadelphia +140

In a slight surprise, Philadelphia has opted to give their ace Zack Wheeler an extra day's rest, meaning we'll see Aaron Nola against likely Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. Verlander's pitched just 10 innings this postseason, allowing seven total runs and striking out 14. Nola comes into this one with a 3.12 ERA and 18 Ks across 17.1 IP during the Phillies' playoff run.

While the postseason numbers don't catch the eye, Verlander was dominant for Houston this season, finishing 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 185 Ks in 175 IP. He's certainly the best pitcher the Astros have, which is saying something given their starter depth. Verlander should be able to mitigate much of the damage Philly can do with their bats, though his shaky performance against Seattle in the ALDS is still fresh in our memory bank.

Nola saw Houston once this year, striking out nine and allowing just two hits in 6.2 innings of shutout ball. Yes, this was a late-season matchup when the Astros had nothing to play for, but the lineup they'll be deploying tonight was out there that day against Nola.

We're on the Phillies bandwagon to win the Fall Classic at +160, and we'd like to see them come out strong to begin the series. We could see both offenses come out a bit sluggish after such a break in the action, which has us leaning towards the under.

We've moved the lines a bit to form this +100 SGP on DraftKings: Phillies +2.5, Under 7.5 runs.

NFL Week 8 Picks ATS

Atlanta Falcons -4.5

We're giving Atlanta a chance to get back to the spread-covering machine we grew accustomed to, and this Week 8 NFC South matchup is just the spot to do so. The Falcons are 6-1 ATS while the Panthers are 2-5 both in the standings and ATS. Off a big upset win over Tampa Bay, an impending crash in play feels likely for Carolina. The Falcons should be able to run the football and limit the mistakes and come away from this one with a comfortable win.

New York Jets +2.5

This has been a New York Jets newsletter since Zach Wilson got back on the field, and all he's done is helped the Jets to a 5-2 record and a 5-2 record ATS. Acquiring James Robinson after the Breece Hall injury helps lessen the blow and should allow New York to continue running the ball effectively. Meanwhile, New England is spiraling after a blowout loss to the Bears. The old saying "if you have two quarterbacks then you have none" is ringing especially true for the Patriots. The Jets getting points here at home is just disrespectful, we're riding the better team.

Buffalo Bills -11

This is a tricky line, as Aaron Rodgers has never been listed as an underdog quite like this. This Packers team has issues, and it feels like sportsbooks are hanging this line out begging you to bet on Green Bay. The Packers are 2-5 ATS and have seriously struggled to score the ball. How will that change against an elite Bills defense? Buffalo is rested off the bye, at home, and 4-1-1 ATS. It's a massive spread on "Sunday Night Football," but the Bills are about to show us why they're the Super Bowl favorites.

Can Kentucky spoil Tennessee's perfect season?

One of the biggest games of the college football weekend will take place down in Knoxville, as the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers look to remain unbeaten against No. 19 Kentucky in an SEC East showdown. Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is a Heisman candidate, but the Wildcats sport a strong defense and a 2-1 record against Top 25 teams this season. While we're not ready to take Kentucky to win this game at +360, we will bet on a close contest and grab Wildcats +12.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll