Big games.
Sharper takes.

The defending champions are second after six matches at 5-0-1 and return home after a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest. Everton were unbeaten through six at 2-4-0, so this is not a soft favorite. Risk: Arsenal’s current absences include William Saliba, Christos Tzolis and Cristhian Mosquera, while Everton’s compact shape has produced four draws. Official fixture ↗; official table ↗; injury report ↗.

Lazio lead Serie A with six wins and a draw, have conceded only four goals and have yet to allow a first-half goal. Parma have the league’s fewest goals and lowest expected-goals total, have lost five straight away matches and arrive off consecutive 3-0 defeats. Risk: Lazio’s finishing is running well above its expected-goals output, so regression is a real concern. Official Matchday 8 insights ↗; Lazio form analysis ↗.

Barcelona are 9-0-0 with 39 goals and a plus-30 difference, versus Real Madrid’s 7-0-2 record and plus-14 difference. The leaders also have home field. Risk: El Clásico rarely behaves like a routine form comparison; Madrid have enough quality to punish any defensive error. Official table ↗; official match page ↗.

Dortmund opened with four straight wins and remain unbeaten after two draws; Frankfurt are 2-2-2 and have conceded 16 in six. Dortmund also won the previous meeting 3-2. Risk: Dortmund have gone two matches without a win and are missing Emre Can, Karetsas, Konstantelias and Lerma. Official matchup ↗; team news ↗.

Nashville lead the MLS power rankings, are unbeaten in six and remain on record-points pace; Montréal’s difficult league season leaves a clear form gap even with the venue flipped. Risk: Nashville drew its last away match and could rotate with the top seed nearly secured. Official MLS power rankings ↗; official fixture ↗.

Oklahoma City opened with a 116-104 road win over San Antonio as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32, then returns home while Denver is playing its season opener. Risk: one game is a tiny sample and Denver enters fresh; this is deliberately the slate’s lowest-confidence call. Official opener recap ↗; official schedule ↗.

Opta gives Houston a slate-high 79.1% win probability. The Texans return home after producing a season-best 426 yards in London, while the Giants are considering a quarterback change after another turnover-heavy loss. Risk: Houston is only 2-4 and the Giants have won five straight meetings in the series. Opta statistical preview ↗; official NFL schedule ↗.