SUN 10
Lions at Bears (noon, Ch. 2): What’s everybody so bent out of shape about? The Bears swept Detroit last season; they’ll be fine. Probably. Maybe? OK, this one’s kind of scary. But aren’t they all?
Illinois at Arizona (8 p.m., Pac 12 Network): College basketball is here, people. Learn it. Live it. Try to at least tolerate it before March starts rolling around. No kidding, the Illini, led by rangy guard Ayo Dosunmu (Morgan Park) and high-energy big fella Giorgi Bezhanishvili, have a chance to be pretty darn good.
Vikings at Cowboys (8:20 p.m., Ch. 5): This one’s big in terms of playoff positioning in the NFC. Why must that voice in our head keep telling us to “insert Bears crack here”?
MON 11
Seahawks at 49ers (7:15 p.m., ESPN): The visitors have one huge thing going for them, and it’s that they’re absolutely terrible guests. Four times this season, the Seahawks have popped into an opposing team’s stadium. Four times, they’ve ransacked the joint and ran off with the “W.” Not that the 8-0 Niners are all that worried.
TUE 12
Knicks at Bulls (7 p.m., NBCSCH): The first time these teams met this season, the Bulls led by eight in the closing minutes when they made the regrettable tactical decision to stop playing basketball. Bobby Portis and the Knicks laughed their way through a 15-0 game-ending run. Can we get a little payback?
WED 13
Clippers at Rockets (6:30 p.m., ESPN): Assuming L.A.’s Kawhi Leonard isn’t too busy resting, it’ll be fun to watch him go against Houston’s James Harden and Russell Westbrook, who, as far as we know, haven’t killed each other yet. Game 2 of a doubleheader pits the Lakers against whatever is left of the Warriors.
Northern Illinois at Toledo (7 p.m., ESPNU): Football on a Wednesday? God bless America. The Huskies are having a down season and probably will be beaten soundly by the division-rival Rockets, but did we mention a football game is on?
THU 14
MLB Awards: MVP (5 p.m., MLB Network): Mike Trout or Alex Bregman in the AL? Cody Bellinger or Christian Yelich in the NL? Why are we pretending not to know at least one, and probably both, of those answers already?
SAT 16
Blackhawks at Predators (7 p.m., NBCSCH+): The Hawks are still easing into the season, searching for their groove, just waiting to turn things around. Translation: The dreaded Preds are pretty much doubling them up in points.
Iowa at Wolves (7 p.m., My 50): And then there’s the Chicago hockey team that isn’t bumbling around at the bottom of the standings. Way to make the middle of the AHL pack look good, boys.
