Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
Here are our best bets for Monday, July 17:
TOP PLAY
The play: MLB, Twins at Mariners UNDER seven runs
The odds/bet: +105 ($30 to win $31.50)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time/TV: 9:40 p.m. (FS1)
Our take: Neither the Twins or Mariners lineups have lived up to expectations, but they’ve managed to stay afloat thanks to their pitching staffs.
That’s why we’re liking the under in their matchup tonight even though the total is set at a low seven runs, but we don’t see more than seven being scored considering both Logan Gilbert and Sonny Gray have been above average starting pitchers.
Gilbert and Gray project to go deep into the game and contain the opposing lineups, and the bullpens are dependable enough to where the under should deliver.
CUBS TO WIN
The play: MLB, Cubs (money line) over Nationals
The odds/bet: -140 ($14 to win $10)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time/TV: 8:05 p.m. (MLB Extra Innings)
Our take: The Cubs haven’t been able to keep up in the NL Central race even though they’ve had above average starting pitching, but tonight could mark the start of a turnaround in a favorable matchup.
The Nationals have struggled as expected in 2023 and will have young starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore on the mound, and he’s been slumping as of late after a promising start to the season to where the Cubs lineup should be able to break through.
The Cubs will have veteran Drew Smyly on the mound, and while he hasn’t been anything more than midlevel starter, he shouldn’t have trouble against the struggling Nationals lineup.
HOW WE’VE FARED
Sunday’s best bets
- Wimbledon: Djokovic wins the match and both players win a set (LOST $30)
- Wimbledon: Alcaraz-Djokovic to go to five sets (WON $19.50)
- Scottish Open: Tommy Fleetwood to finish top 20 (WON $33)
Sunday’s profit/loss: +$22.50 (2-1)
Final total for the week: -$13 (5-5)
Total for July: -$7.50 (12-15, 1 pending)
Total for 2023: -$396.25 (162-177, 1 pending)
NOTE: If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)
Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).
