Overview
- Michigan routed No. 21 Auburn 102-72 in Las Vegas, shooting 52% with 14 three-pointers to improve to 6-0 and reach the Players Era championship game.
- The Packers-Lions opener at Ford Field could swing the division tiebreaker after Green Bay’s Week 1 win, with sportsbooks still rating Green Bay the NFC North favorite despite both teams trailing Chicago.
- Both teams carry lengthy injury lists, with Green Bay ruling out WR Jayden Reed, WR Savion Williams, DE Lukas Van Ness and DT Karl Brooks, listing Quay Walker, Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs as questionable, while Detroit’s offensive line and secondary remain depleted.
- The nightcap features Joe Burrow’s expected return for Cincinnati after a 1-8 stretch without him, with Tee Higgins out due to a concussion and Ja’Marr Chase available, against a Baltimore defense that has tightened over the past six games as Lamar Jackson seeks better form.
- The middle game pits Kansas City against Dallas in a matchup analysts view as favorable for Patrick Mahomes versus a struggling Cowboys pass defense, with models projecting a potential Chiefs cover.