Worth the replay?

Thursday, October 9's games ranked by how good they turned out to be: late drama, comebacks, lead swaps and overtime. No scores, no winners, so you can decide what to watch without spoilers.

Best games of the season →

#1
TimberwolvesatKnicks
NBA· NBA TVOvertimeDown to the wireBig comeback
B+
74/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback17/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Overtime+8
Drama 99 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 74
#2
Jax StateatSam Houston
CFB· CBSSNDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
B+
70/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback20/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.70 (pre-game Watchability 40, estimated) = 70
#3
Golden KnightsatSharks
NHL· ESPN+/HuluOvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth
B+
70/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings20/25
Comeback9/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Overtime+8
Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70
#4
BlackhawksatBruins
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth
B+
68/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback7/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Overtime+8
Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68
#5
CavaliersatBulls
NBADown to the wireBack and forth
B
64/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings20/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 64
#6
PistonsatBucks
NBADown to the wireBig comeback
B
61/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback15/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 81 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 61
#7
SenatorsatLightning
NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire
B
59/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings19/25
Comeback12/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 79 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 59
#8
East CarolinaatTulane
CFB· ESPNDown to the wire
B
56/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings20/25
Comeback8/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 80 × pre-game weight 0.70 (pre-game Watchability 40, estimated) = 56
#9
IslandersatPenguins
NHL· ESPN+Down to the wireBack and forth
B
55/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback7/20
Decided late9/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 55
#10
DevilsatHurricanes
NHL· ESPN+/HuluDown to the wireBack and forth
C+
54/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings19/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late13/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 73 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54
#11
HornetsatThunder
NBADown to the wire
C+
49/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings17/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 65 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 49
#12
EaglesatGiants
NFL· Prime Video
D
30/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings18/25
Comeback12/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 40 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 30
#13
FlyersatPanthers
NHL· ESPN+
D
29/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30
Swings10/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late4/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 39 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 29
#14
MammothatAvalanche
NHL· ESPN+
D
28/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30
Swings10/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late4/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 38 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 28
#15
RangersatSabres
NHL· ESPN+
D
25/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late4/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 34 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25
#16
Southern MissatGA Southern
CFB· ESPN2
D
24/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension11/30
Swings13/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 35 × pre-game weight 0.70 (pre-game Watchability 40, estimated) = 24
#17
Blue JacketsatPredators
NHL· ESPN+
D
24/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30
Swings4/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late4/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 32 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 24
#18
Louisiana TechatKennesaw St
CFB· ESPNUBig comeback
D
20/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings11/25
Comeback15/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 29 × pre-game weight 0.70 (pre-game Watchability 40, estimated) = 20
#19
StarsatJets
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
17/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension11/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 23 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 17
#20
CanadiensatRed Wings
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
15/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings11/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 20 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 15
#21
DucksatKraken
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
11/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings7/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11
#22
FlamesatCanucks
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
7/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7
#23
WildatBlues
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
7/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7

Ranked from each game's win probability as it was played (ESPN's for football and basketball; ours, from the goals, for hockey): how in doubt it was near the end, how far the winner came back from, how late it was decided, how big its momentum swings were and how often a team erased a deficit, with a bonus for overtime. That drama is then weighted by how good a matchup it was going in (its pre-game Watchability score), so a thriller between top teams ranks above an equally wild game between minor ones.