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 Wednesday, July 26:
TOP PLAY
The play: MLB money line, Braves over Red Sox
The odds: -172
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Time/TV: 7:10 p.m. (MLB TV)
Our take: It’s hard to believe any MLB team has gone nearly two months without losing consecutive road games, but that’s how good the Braves have been. Even more incredibly, those last two back-to-back losses away from home came in Oakland on May 29-30.
In this one, Spencer Strider goes for Atlanta, and he has struck out double-digit opponents in four of his past five starts. He has been a little shaky in his past two trips on the hill, but in all, the Braves have won nine of his past 10 starts.
Meanwhile, Brayan Bello gave up six runs to the Athletics on July 19, and Boston has lost five of his past 10 starts.
The Braves will be extra motivated to win Wednesday after losing Tuesday. This seems like a steep price to pay, but we still think there’s value at -170 or better. If it gets above that, you’ve missed the train.
3M OPEN TOP 20
The play: 3M Open, Cameron Young to finish in the top 20
The odds: -110
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Our take: Golf is back in the States this week, as the final major was played last week across the pond.
And interestingly, the 3M Open has a decent field, considering it is not an elevated event and it comes after a big week. Is it that some golfers are trying to improve their position for the playoffs?
While Young is squarely in the playoff picture, he sits at 41 and would love to get in that top 30. His play as of late has helped him continue to move up the FedEx Cup standings, and a win here would be huge.
It is strange the favorite (+1400) is even money to finish in the top 20, but that is the case here. Young has finished in the top eight in back-to-back starts, and it is great value at even money to think he’ll be one of the top 20 here.
HOW WE’VE FARED
MLB total: Pirates-Padres over 8.5 runs (LOST)
MLB prop: White Sox’s Michael Kopech over 5.5 strikeouts and Kyle Hendricks under 4.5 strikeouts (LOST)
Tuesday’s record: 0-2
Total for the week: 1-3
Total for July: 19-25
Total for 2023: 169-188
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).
