VSiN Prime Time | September 1, 2026 | Hour 3

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
This is VSiN, the SportsBetting Network. Live from the Circus Sportsbook in downtown Las Vegas on VSiN, the SportsBetting Network.

**Tim Murray** (0:21)
Alongside Matt Youmans, I'm Tim Murray. Game of the night, Wrigley Field. Chicago Cubs lead three to nothing over the Milwaukee Brewers as Tyrone Taylor with a two run double down the left field line. The big swing in the bat there in the top of the fifth inning. So a three nothing lead for the Chicago Cubs. Nico Horner reached on a infield single. Tyrone Taylor scored on the error by Robert Gasser. That's how it was officially scored. So right now, three nothing is the score. Matthew Boyd, strong start, Matt. Not getting a ton of strikeouts, but effective four and two thirds, two hits, just one walk and two strikeouts as the Chicago Cubs entered this four game series, eight games back, one last night, and now up three nothing in the top of the fifth inning. We'll get you updated on what's happened across Major League Baseball, including more thoughts on the Arizona Diamondbacks Philadelphia Phillies game later on in this hour. But Matt, it is week one of the college football slates. You and I will reconvene on Thursday for the VSiN College Football Betting Podcast. Every episode available, iTunes, Spotify, also YouTube. Every episode, our numbers continue to grow. So much appreciated to all of you. Latest episode with Adam Burke recapping week zero, early look to the weekday games tomorrow. Brett Ciancia of Pick Six Previews and Wes Reynolds. Matt, I will be in attendance, Lambeau Field, Notre Dame and Wisconsin. Right now, Notre Dame, a 20 and a half favorite. If you like the dog, 21, available at Circa. Let's hear from Marcus Freeman, who is facing his old boss. He worked for Luke Fickel for four years, very close, and he gets an opportunity to go head to head against his old boss on Sunday night.

**Marcus Freeman** (2:09)
I was fortunate to work on Luke Fickel's staff for four years at Cincinnati.
And what I know about him and what you see on film is that his teams are gonna be tough and they're gonna play physical. They're gonna be aggressive. They're gonna be disciplined. And they're gonna play until all 60 minutes.

**Tim Murray** (2:29)
Pretty short clip there from Marcus Freeman, but kind of given your standard, yeah, they're gonna play to the whistle. All this and that there when it comes to the Wisconsin Badgers.
21 point favorites here at Circum at 20 and a half at a number of spots for this particular contest. I wanted to play this clip also from Luke Fickel and maybe I'm making too much of it, but the answer from Luke Fickel was one that made me scratch my head just a little bit at the tail end here. So here was Luke Fickel previewing their showdown with the Irish on Sunday.

**Luke Fickel** (3:07)
You have to be smart in all the things that we're doing. And we know this is a huge game in game one and kicking off the way we're kicking off in Lambeau against Notre Dame.
But we also understand there's a journey here. And so, you know, there's a part of this thing that we got to make sure that as we get closer towards game time, we do the things that are going to be best for us for this entire journey. And so there aren't decisions made completely on a lot of guys just yet. And we'll have to figure that thing out as we get closer to game day.

**Tim Murray** (3:36)
So, Matt, maybe I'm making too much of this, about this, but there are two starting offensive linemen, Kevin Haywood and Emerson Mandel, who right now their status is up in the air.
And Luke Fickel, that answer at the end, we know how big it is, yada, yada, yada. We know it's a long journey, though. So it did make me raise my eyebrow just a little bit to say, hmm, is he playing the long game here with two offensive linemen, not trying to get them into the lineup too soon? And is this a spot where there might be an understanding? Yeah, this probably isn't going to go too well on Sunday night.

**Matt Youmans** (4:18)
Okay, so a couple of things here. Marcus Freeman used to work for Luke Fickel. Now Freeman's a 21-point favorite over Fickel.

**Tim Murray** (4:25)
Now Fickel did beat him in 2021, right? Fickel was still at Cincinnati. Marcus Freeman left to be the de-coordinator at Notre Dame. So Fickel is 1-0, but not 1-0 with him being a head coach.

**Matt Youmans** (4:37)
Not as a head coach.