<p>Game three of the Eastern Conference Finals is set for Sunday night when the Boston Celtics visit the Miami Heat. This series has completely flipped on its head with Miami winning both games in Boston and taking complete control of this series. Below is my NBA pick for the Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boston-celtics-vs-miami-heat-betting-pick"><a></a><a></a>Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Betting Pick</h2>



<p>The Pick: Miami Heat +3.0</p>



<p>This game will be played at Kaseya Arena at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 21, 2023.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-bet-the-miami-heat"><a></a>Why Bet the Miami Heat:</h2>



<p>✅ Miami has been elite of late and have covered the spread in nine of their last 11 games.</p>



<p>✅ The Heat have won six straight games in Miami.</p>



<p>✅ Boston has covered the spread in just two of their last six games played.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boston-celtics-are-in-trouble"><a></a>Boston Celtics Are in Trouble</h2>



<p>Boston will feel they should be heading to Boston with a 2-0 series lead, but they have been shellshocked after losing both games on their home court. The Celtics won three of the four quarters in game one but were soundly beaten in the third quarter and suffered the defeat. It was not quite the same story in the second game, but Miami was dominant in one quarter to take a 2-0 series lead.</p>



<p>Game two saw both teams battle in the first quarter with Boston leading by one after 12. Miami got it going in the second half and led by four points at the half. The third quarter was all Boston as they came out of the half firing and grabbed an eight-point advantage heading into the final quarter. Miami has not put their heads down all postseason and that continued in this one as they went on a big fourth quarter run and grabbed a 111-105 victory. After winning both games on the road, the Heat will be big favorites to advance to the NBA Finals.</p>



<p>Jayson Tatum did his part as he had 34 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists in the defeat. The rest of the Celtics team struggled to do much on the night.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-miami-heat-have-that-dog-in-them">The Miami Heat Have That Dog in Them</h2>



<p>Miami has been referred to as the “Zombie Heat” and that persona fits them perfectly. Just when you think you have them where you want them, they come back to life and take the game two win. The Heat are a well coached, tough, team and they are now two wins away from advancing to the NBA Finals.</p>



<p>In the game two win, Bam Adebayo had a night with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists. Jimmy Butler did a bit of everything with 27 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks on the night.</p>

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Game 3 Betting Pick - 05/21/23

The Arizona Wildcats have found themselves in a little hot water, and they decided to take some preemptive steps to try and stop the bleeding. We're not necessarily talking about what's happening on the floor, but instead what is happening on an administrative level in terms of their status with the NCAA. As it is, they will proceed without any hope of a postseason bid. and so maybe these games against conference opponents in the Pac-12 will carry a lot more weight, relatively speaking.

One of those games takes place on Thursday night against the USC Trojans, and it will begin at 9 p.m. eastern time at the McKale Center in Tucson. ESPN2 will televise it, and if you are a customer at <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/betanysports"><strong>BetAnySports</strong></a>, you'll be able to place wagers in real time, utilizing the state-of-the-art software available through Sports Betting Prime.

Arizona has gotten itself caught up in a lot of improper activity by officials of the program. We don't want to go into a lot of details here, but what they have done is execute a self-imposed one-year ban from any postseason play. That includes not only the NCAA Tournament but the Pac-12 Tournament as well. According to an official statement by the athletic department, there were "serious lapses in judgment" in the process of bringing players in.

Thus far they have won nine out of 10 games ,and recently scored a huge 88 - 74 win over Colorado where 6 - 1 guard James Akinjo registered 22 points and eight assists. This is not supposed to be one of Sean Miller's better teams, but perhaps this will function as a useful developmental season.

USC hasn't faced the toughest schedule, but they did put together a pretty impressive victory over BYU (79 - 53) . Andy Enfield has yet to really break through, at least not like he did when he helmed the Florida Gulf Coast program and brought it out of obscurity and into brief national prominence.

Both of these teams have a lot of size to offer - they are the #1 (USC) and #11 (UA) “biggest” teams in the nation.

In the Pac-12 basketball odds posted on this game by the people at <a href="http://bangthebook.com/s/bas"><strong>BetAnySports</strong></a>, Arizona, the home team, is laying points:

<strong>Arizona Wildcats - 3</strong>
<strong>USC Trojans + 3</strong>

<strong>Over 138 points -110</strong>
<strong>Under 138 points -110</strong>

When you are talking about USC, you have to start with their star recruit. Freshman Evan Mobley is a mobile 7-footer who came into the program as a McDonald's All-American and, while he has a developing offensive game, has become a major defensive force on the inside. Mobley, who can play either the power forward or center position, has blocked 2.9 shots per game. and inasmuch as he appears to be a "one-and-done" player at the school, he appears in all the mock drafts as a top-five NBA pick.

We should mention that he joined his brother Isaiah, a 6 - 10 sophomore who was also a former McDonald's All-American. Isaiah might be the best offensive rebounder on the team, and that is saying something, since the Trojans rank 20th in the nation in Offensive Rebounding Percentage.

Arizona only takes 32% of its shots from three-point territory, so they are naturally venturing into a potential trap with Evan Mobley underneath. What they do very well is get to the free-throw line. And that looks like a decided edge over a USC team that is absolutely lousy from the charity stripe (60.5%). .

But that’s only effective if all of that is even. When you can hold your opponents to just 38.9% shooting from TWO- point range in 29.4% from beyond the arc, as USC does, you simply make it very difficult for the opponent to manufacture points unless they can draw a lot of fouls. Evan Mobley looks like the real thing, and even though Arizona can throw some big men at him, he will mitigate some of the things the Wildcats do well. We are going to go ahead and take the points with the Trojans in this Pac-12 matchup.

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Pac-12 Basketball Betting -- USC and Arizona Engage in ‘Battle of the Bigs’

<p>Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Tigers versus the Lobos? Tip off is at at 9:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on MWN. The game will be played at The Pit in Albuquerque, NM. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 150 points, with New Mexico being favored by -18.5 over Grambling State.</p><h3>GRAMBLING STATE TIGERS VS NEW MEXICO LOBOS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Grambling State Tigers +18.5</p><p>This game will be played at The Pit at 9:00 ET on Thursday, November 21st.</p><h3>WHY BET THE GRAMBLING STATE TIGERS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Lobos.</li><li>Even though we have New Mexico winning straight-up, we like Grambling State at +18.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 150 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.</li></ul><h3>Is a Road Win Possible for the Tigers?</h3><h3>Grambling State Tigers Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>Grambling State dropped to 0-1 on the season after an 86-62 loss to the Gators on Monday. The Tigers were +26 point underdogs going into the game, but managed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 148 fell just short of the O/U line of 150.5.</p> 

<p>Grambling State trailed 43-28 at halftime and allowed another 43 points in the 2nd half while scoring 34 of their own. They’ll look to tighten up defensively and find more scoring options as they move forward this season.</p><p>Grambling State managed just 62 points in their latest game, shooting 42.6% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.4%, with a poor 16.7% from beyond the arc, hitting only 2 of 12 attempts. They were more successful inside, connecting on 50% of their two-point shots.</p> <p>The Tigers struggled to create opportunities, finishing with just 4 assists and 5 offensive rebounds. At the free-throw line, they converted 82.4%, making 14 of 17 attempts. Kintavious Dozier led the way with 19 points, shooting 63.6% overall and 50% from three-point range.</p><p>Grambling State's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 86 points on 45% shooting from the field. They allowed 22 two-point baskets on 41 attempts, a 53% success rate for their opponents.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, Grambling State's defense held their opponents to 30% shooting, with 7 made threes on 23 attempts. However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 26 times, where they converted 21 free throws at an 80% clip. Grambling State also gave up 17 offensive rebounds.</p><h3>Can the Lobos Pull Off a Home Win?</h3><h3>New Mexico Lobos Recent Game/Games</h3>

<p>New Mexico fell to St. John's 85-71 on Sunday, November 17th, in an away game. The Lobos entered the game as +7 underdogs and did not cover the spread. The total points for the game were 156, falling short of the 162-point over/under line.</p> 

<p>New Mexico trailed 40-29 at halftime but managed to score 42 points in the 2nd half. However, they allowed 45 points in the 2nd half, preventing them from closing the gap.</p><p>In their latest game, the Lobos put up 71 points, shooting 43.8% from the field. They connected on 44.4% of their threes, hitting 8 of 18 attempts, while their effective field goal percentage stood at 50%.</p> <p>New Mexico struggled at the free-throw line, making just 7 of 18 attempts (38.9%). RJ Luis Jr. led the way with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Mustapha Amzil and Nelly Junior Joseph each contributed 16 points, with Amzil knocking down 4 threes at a 57.1% clip.</p><p>New Mexico's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 85 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 50% from the field. The Lobos had a particularly tough time defending inside, where they allowed 60% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team hitting 30 of 50 shots.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, New Mexico held their opponent to 22% shooting, with just 4 made threes on 18 attempts. However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 13 free throws. The Lobos also gave up 22 offensive rebounds.</p>

Grambling State Tigers vs New Mexico Lobos NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

We go from one short track to another in NASCAR, as the drivers make the short trip from Bristol, Tennessee to Richmond, Virginia for the second race in the State for Lovers on the young season. This is the Toyota Owners 400 and Ford has been the only manufacturer with a chance to own Toyota this season, as the Camry has five wins and the Mustang has three.

We’ll see if anything goes differently on the short track here at Richmond, which comes in at .75 miles. That means that the drivers will run 400 laps on the .75-mile track for 300 miles and they’ll actually do so on Saturday this week, so we’ll be running a day earlier than most races.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be idle next week for the Easter holiday and will reconvene at Talladega in two weeks.

Odds for this week come from <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/5dimes"><strong>5Dimes Sportsbook</strong></a> on the right-hand side for desktop viewers and below the comment box for mobile viewers.

&nbsp;
<h5><strong>Catching Up</strong></h5>
Let’s take a look at how things have gone as we head into the ninth race of the season. Kyle Busch’s third win of the season came last week at Bristol and he now leads by 24 points over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin. Joey Logano is third with 326 points. Kevin Harvick is fourth with 301 points, even though he hasn’t finished higher than fourth yet this season. Brad Keselowski is a distant fifth with 271 points.

Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, and Chase Elliott round out the top 10. Only four drivers have punched a ticket to the playoffs thus far. Busch, Hamlin, Logano, and Keselowski have taken checkered flags. Everybody else has not made it to the winner’s circle.

&nbsp;
<h5><strong>Richmond</strong><strong> Raceway</strong></h5>
There will be fewer spectators this year at Richmond, as capacity has been lowered from 59,000 to 51,000, but America’s Premier Short Track still boasts some of the best racing of the small loops. Low-banked turns and a really flat backstretch give drivers the opportunity to run hard. Even though this is only three quarters of a mile, speeds here regularly average in the upper 90s and we’ve even cracked an average of 100 in the last 14 years.

This race dates back to 1953 as the Richmond 200. The September race dates back to 1958 when the appropriately named Speedy Thompson won the first of two installments of that race. That late-summer race made up for the missed spring race. Racing has been held twice a year here since 1959.

&nbsp;
<h5><strong>How Sweep It Is</strong></h5>
Kyle Busch won the spring race last year for the first time since 2012. For good measure, he won the September race for the first time ever. It is a hard claim to make that there is a better short track racer right now than Kyle. If he picks up his sixth win in this event this weekend, he’ll tie Richard Petty for the record. He has a long way to go to get to Petty’s 13 career wins at Richmond.

We’ve had five different winners in the last six years since Busch’s 2012 win. Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano twice, Kurt Busch, and Carl Edwards have been the victors. It is not a surprise to see Busch at the top of the odds board once again this week, but it is also not a surprise to see Logano also up there given his recent history. He’s got two wins and three additional top-five finishes in his last six April races at Richmond. For what it’s worth, he also runs extremely well at Talladega, so keep an eye on him early next week.

We’ve had eight different winners in the last eight years in the September race. That’s one of the reasons why some of the other prices are pretty spread out. Denny Hamlin hasn’t won this race, but he’s won the September race three times. At +1200, his price seems to be a touch too high.

&nbsp;
<h5><strong>The Best of the Rest</strong></h5>
Like always, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski are sniffing around the top of the odds board. Harvick did finish 13th last week at Bristol and was sixth at Martinsville, so he’s off to a slow start on the short tracks. Keselowski swept everything at Martinsville, so he’s likely to get a little bit of love this week.

Ryan Blaney should get some attention as well. Blaney was fourth and led the most laps last week. He was also a solid fourth at Martinsville. His finishes at Richmond have not been good at all, but he’s been a different driver the last two years since joining Team Penske, who has deeper pockets than the Wood Brothers Racing team. It didn’t necessarily help last year, but he’s been evolving as a driver and has four top-five finishes in his last five starts.

This has been a good track for Chase Elliott. Elliott had two top-five finishes here last year and owns an Xfinity Series win at Richmond. He likes tight racing more than most, as evidenced by his win at Dover last year and his second top-five in three years in the first Martinsville race. His price at +1400 might be worth looking up.

&nbsp;
<h5><strong>Picks</strong></h5>
You have to have Kyle Busch on your card here and, quite frankly, just about every week right now. The price on Logano is depressed a little bit and I’d be more inclined to take him in two weeks at Talladega. Blaney makes a lot of sense this week, especially because it’s been Ford vs. Toyota all season and Penske guys tend to run very well on these short tracks.

2019 NASCAR Toyota Owners 400 Betting Odds & Free Picks

<p>FOX will broadcast the week 12 NFC North matchup between the Vikings and Bears at 1:00 ET. The Bears are the underdog at +148 on the money line, with the Vikings favored at -174. The Vikings are favored by -3 on the road, and the over/under line is at 39.5 points. The Vikings and Bears need to add their current records.</p><h3>MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS CHICAGO BEARS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Chicago Bears +3</p><p>This game will be played at Soldier Field at 1:00 ET on Sunday, November 24th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE CHICAGO BEARS:</h3><ul><li>We have the Bears winning this one by a score of 24 to 19</li><li>Not only do we have the Bears winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +3</li><li>Look for this game to go over the line of 39.5 points</li></ul><h3>Will The Vikings Pick Up A Win On The Road?</h3><p>Heading into week 12, the Vikings sit 8th in our NFL power rankings and have a 95.1% chance of making the playoffs. They have won three straight games, including a 23-13 win over the Titans in week 11. Minnesota was favored by 6 points and covered the spread, bringing their ATS record to 7-3. They are 4-3 as favorites and 3-0 as underdogs.</p> <p>So far, the Vikings have an O/U record of 3-7, with the under hitting in three straight games. Their games have averaged 41.4 points, while the O/U line has been 44.8. Against the Titans, the teams combined for 36 points, with the line set at 40.</p><p>Heading into week 12, the Vikings rank 14th in our offensive power rankings. They are 9th in the NFL in points per game (24.4) and 15th in yards per game (341). Minnesota has been strong in the first quarter, leading the league in scoring with 8.2 points per game. They rank 13th in red zone conversion percentage and 12th in 3rd-down conversions, with a 39.7% success rate.</p> <p>Sam Darnold bounced back in week 11, posting a passer rating of 107 with 246 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Titans. He connected with Justin Jefferson 6 times for 81 yards. Aaron Jones was held to 39 yards on 15 carries, while the Vikings scored all 23 of their points in the first three quarters.</p><p>In their 23-13 win over the Titans, the Vikings' defense allowed just 33 rushing yards on 19 attempts, giving up only 1.7 yards per attempt. They also recorded five sacks and held Tennessee to a 40% third-down conversion rate. Despite allowing 261 passing yards, Minnesota defended the pass well, allowing just 17 completions and holding the Titans to a 54.8% completion percentage. Additionally, they picked off one pass and limited Tennessee to one passing touchdown.</p><h3>Will The Bears Win At Home Over The Vikings?</h3><p>The Bears have now dropped four straight games, including a 20-19 home loss to the Packers in week 11. Chicago was a 6-point underdog in that matchup, but they managed to cover the spread. The O/U line was set at 41 points, and the combined scoring fell just short of that, marking the Bears’ fourth consecutive under.</p> <p>Chicago currently sits 24th in our NFL power rankings and has a 1.1% chance of making the playoffs. They are 6-4 against the spread this season, with a +0.7 scoring margin. Their O/U record is 3-7, with their games averaging 38.1 points compared to an average line of 42.6.</p><p>Heading into week 12, the Bears rank 22nd in our offensive power rankings. They are 21st in the NFL in points per game (19.4) and 29th in yards per game (289). Chicago is 28th in passing yards per game (173.8) on 32.5 attempts per game, which ranks 12th. On the ground, they average 115.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 22nd in the league. Despite being 28th in 3rd-down conversions, they are 3rd in the NFL in red zone conversion percentage (60.9%).</p> <p>In week 11, Caleb Williams threw for 231 yards on 23/31 passing, with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked 3 times after being sacked 9 times in week 10. D’Andre Swift rushed for 71 yards on 14 carries, while Rome Odunze led the team with 6 catches for 65 yards. The Bears scored 19 points, with 9 coming in the 3rd quarter.</p><p>In their 20-19 loss to the Packers, the Bears' defense allowed 260 passing yards on just 13 completions. The Bears defended the run well, allowing only 106 yards on 25 attempts. Despite this, they gave up 366 total yards to the Packers and struggled to get off the field, as the Packers converted 80% of their fourth down attempts and 50% of their third downs.<p></p>Chicago's defense came up with one interception and held the Packers to a 76.5% completion rate. They managed one sack and had one tackle for loss more than the Packers.</p>

Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears Betting Pick & Prediction 11/24/24

<p>In a non-conference matchup, the 76ers (-218) are favored by 5.5 points over the Grizzlies (+179). The over/under line for the game is currently sitting at 209.5 points.</p>

<p>Philadelphia (35-26) is 7th in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the Atlantic Division. Memphis (21-41) is 13th in the Western Conference and 4th in the Southwest Division. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 ET and the game will be televised on NBCS.</p><h3>MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Memphis Grizzlies +5.5</p><p>This game will be played at Wells Fargo Center at 7:30 ET on Wednesday, March 6th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 109-105 in favor of the 76ers.</li><li>Our projections have Tyrese Maxey finishing with Tyrese Maxey points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the 76ers finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.0% and knocking down 13 threes.</li></ul><h3>Do the Grizzlies Stand a Chance in Philadelphia?</h3><p>The Grizzlies are 15-31 as the underdog this season and are currently 5.5-point underdogs against the 76ers. As the underdog, Memphis has an average scoring differential of -7.8 points per game.</p>

<p>On the road, the Grizzlies are 18-13 against the spread and have covered the spread in their last two road games. Overall, they are 30-32 ATS for the season.</p>

<p>In terms of their O/U record, Memphis is 28-33-1 for the season. Today's O/U line of 209.5 is lower than the average of 222.1 points per game in their other games. In 58 of their 62 games, the O/U line has been higher than 209.5.</p>

<p>The Grizzlies are coming off a 106-102 win over the Nets, where they were 9.5-point underdogs. The combined scoring in that game was 208 points, and the O/U line was 206.</p>

<p>Memphis is currently 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 21-41. Against the West, they are 13-28 and 7-7 against other teams in the Southwest Division.</p><p>On the season, the Grizzlies are averaging just 106.1 points per game, which is 30th in the NBA. However, they have actually been better on the road, averaging 108.7 points per game compared to 103.4 at home.</p>

<p>When it comes to three-point shooting, Memphis is 11th in the league with 13.4 made threes per game. They are also 5th in three-point attempts. However, their three-point shooting percentage is just 34%, which is last in the NBA.</p>

<p>Overall, the Grizzlies are 30th in field goal percentage at 43%. In terms of pace, they are 16th in the league at 98.2 possessions per game.</p><p>The Grizzlies' defense is presently ranked 10th in the league, allowing an average of 112.6 points per contest. Memphis' defense is currently forcing 14.2 turnovers per game, which is 27th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 5th in blocked shots, with an average of 6.1 rejections per game.</p><h3>Does Philadelphia Stand a Chance at Home?</h3><p>Today, the 76ers are favored by 5.5 points against the Grizzlies. This season, Philly has been favored in 41 of their 61 games and has a record of 29-12 in those games. As the favorite, they have gone 25-16 against the spread, with an average scoring margin of +7.7 points per game.</p>

<p>Philly's most recent game was a 112-107 loss to the Nets. The O/U line for that game was 212.5, and the 76ers were favored by 1 point. This marked their second straight ATS loss at home.</p>

<p>This season, the average O/U line in 76ers games is 230.6, which is higher than today's line of 209.5. Philly has an over/under record of 33-28 for the season, and their games have averaged 230.7 points per game.</p>

<p>In the Eastern Conference, the 76ers are currently in 7th place with a record of 35-26. Against other Eastern Conference teams, they are 23-18 and 5-7 against division opponents. Overall, they are 19-13 at home and 16-13 on the road.</p><p>At home this season, the 76ers are averaging 117.3 points per game, which is 13th in the NBA. Overall, they are 13th in scoring at 117 points per game.</p>

<p>Heading into this game, Philadelphia has outscored the NBA scoring average in 54.1% of their games. In terms of pace, the 76ers are 19th in the league at 98 possessions per game.</p>

<p>When it comes to field goal percentage, Philadelphia is 18th in the NBA at 47%. From three-point range, they are shooting 36%, which is 22nd in the league. However, the 76ers are 1st in free throw attempts and made free throws per game.</p><p>On average, the Philadelphia defense is giving up 113.7 points per game (14th). Right now, they are on a 2 game streak of giving up fewer points than their season average. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the 76ers squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 55.2% inside the arc, and they're also giving up 35.2% from downtown.</p>

Memphis Grizzlies vs Philadelphia 76ers Betting Pick & Prediction 3/6/24

<p>Corbin Burnes and the Orioles (85-68) are at home on Friday, and they are heavy favorites on the money line (-199). They'll be hosting the Tigers (80-73), who are on a four-game winning streak. Keider Montero is starting for the Tigers, and they are +166 on the money line. Friday's over/under line is at 7.5 runs.</p>

<p>First pitch from Oriole Park at Camden Yards is set for 7:05 PM ET, and APLTV will be carrying this game on TV. The forecast in Baltimore calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 80s. Baltimore is currently in second place in the AL East, while the Tigers are third in the AL Central.</p><h3>DETROIT TIGERS VS BALTIMORE ORIOLES BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Detroit Tigers Moneyline +166</p><p>This game will be played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at 7:05 ET on Friday, September 20th.</p><h3>HOW TO BET THE TIGERS VS ORIOLES:</h3><ul><li>We have the Tigers winning by a score of 5 to 4</li><li>If you're looking for a run line pick, we also like the Tigers to cover</li><li>As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over</li></ul><h3>Tigers Records & Stats</h3><p>Riley Greene and the Tigers are coming off a good performance to close out their series vs. the Royals, picking up a 4-2 win. Greene went only 1/5, but his one hit was a home run, and the Tigers scored three runs in the 3rd inning. Detroit's offense was the only one to score after the 3rd, and the Royals could only score two runs, both of which came in the 1st.</p>

<p>Tarik Skubal got the start for the Tigers, going five innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. He also issued only one walk and struck out seven Royals batters. Will Vest closed things out in the 9th, picking up the save.</p><p>Detroit is 80-73 overall and 3rd in the AL Central, trailing the Guardians by 8.5 games. The Tigers head into today's game on a four-game winning streak, and they are 8-2 across their last ten games. This season, they are 27-22 against other teams in the AL Central.</p>

<p>So far, the Tigers have been good on the road, going 41-37 compared to 39-36 at home. Detroit has won five straight games on the road, and they have an overall series record of 24-20-5, including four straight series wins. As the underdog, the Tigers are 28-31 this year, and they have won three straight as the underdog overall.</p><p>The Tigers have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 82-71 overall. They have been particularly good on the road, where they are 49-29 vs. the run line. They have covered the run line in four straight games and have been a good bet as an underdog, going 60-33 vs. the run line in those games.</p><p>The Detroit Tigers are on the road today against the Baltimore Orioles, and the over/under line for the game is set at 7.5 runs. The Tigers have played in 96 games this season with over/under lines higher than 7.5 runs, and their games have averaged a combined 8.2 runs per game. Their over/under record for the season is 75-74, and their over/under record when the line is set at 7.5 runs is 21-18. The under has hit in their last two games.</p><p>Keider Montero is on the mound for the Tigers today as he faces the Orioles on the road. So far, he has made 15 starts and has a record of 6-6. Montero's ERA is 4.60, and he is coming off a start in which he didn't allow a run. In that outing vs. the Orioles, he went five innings and gave up just one hit. Montero has one complete game shutout this year. Looking back at his last four outings, he has gone 5 innings, 9 innings, 4 1/3 innings, and 5 innings. Montero has allowed at least one homer in three of his last four outings.</p><p>Heading into today's game, the Tigers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .235, and their on-base percentage of .299 is 19th in the league. Detroit's team slugging percentage of .387 is also below the league average.</p>

<p>Riley Greene comes into the game with a team-high 24 home runs and 71 RBIs, while batting .262 for the season. He has four homers in his last eight games. Colt Keith is also swinging a hot bat right now, as he is on a four-game hitting streak and is batting .264 for the season. Matt Vierling is 2nd on the team with 16 homers.</p><h3>Orioles Records & Stats</h3><p>The Orioles's offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Giants, closing out their series with a 5-3 win. After allowing one run to the Giants in the top of the first, the Orioles responded with three runs of their own. Baltimore went on to add another two runs in the 4th inning.</p>

<p>Gregory Soto was excellent out of the Orioles's bullpen, going three innings and giving up just one run, and picking up the win. Baltimore's offense was carried by Anthony Santander, who went 1/3 with a homer and two RBIs.</p><p>With a record of 85-68, the Orioles are four games behind the Yankees for the AL East lead. Baltimore will host the Tigers today, with the Orioles' overall record including a mark of 30-19 in AL East matchups. The Orioles lost two of three in their most recent series vs. the Giants.</p>

<p>So far, the Orioles have gone 43-35 at home compared to 42-33 on the road. As the favorite, the Orioles are 69-50 this season and 16-18 as the underdog. Baltimore's overall series record is 25-17-7, but they have dropped four straight series.</p><p>When the Orioles win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.7 runs per game. But when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.6 runs per game. Overall, they have a run line record of 81-72, with a run line record of 37-41 at home and 44-31 on the road. As the favorite, they are just below .500 on the run line at 59-60, while as the underdog, they are 22-12.</p><p>When the Orioles are at home, the over/under line is typically set higher, with an average line of 8 runs per game. Their games have averaged a combined 9.1 runs per game this season, and the over/under record for their games is 81-61. When the line is set at 7.5 runs, the over/under record is 9-7. Overall, 79.1% of their games have had higher lines than 7.5 runs, and they are currently on a three-game over streak.</p><p>Right-hander Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Orioles today as he faces the Tigers at home. He has made 30 starts this season and has a record of 14-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Burnes' WHIP for the season is currently 1.12, and opponents are batting .215 off him this year. In his last outing, Burnes pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and one walk. He finished with seven strikeouts in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight starts. Burnes has made 21 quality starts this year.</p><p>Heading into today's game, the Orioles are 2nd in the league in home runs and are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 7th in the league. Baltimore has been even better on the road this season, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .248, which is 9th in the league.</p>

<p>Anthony Santander and Gunnar Henderson have been the Orioles' top power threats this season, with Santander leading the team with 42 homers and Henderson just behind him with 37. Santander is also 13th in the league with 97 RBIs. However, both players have had a rough stretch at the plate, with Santander going 3/23 in his last six games and Henderson hitting just .176.</p>

Detroit Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles Betting Pick & Prediction 9/20/24

If you’re bummed out about the strength of the field for the FedEx St. Jude Classic this season, just wait because it will be one of the WGC events next year, as the Bridgestone Invitational will become the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and will move to August. For now, it is the final tune-up event for next week’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills, which is why we have a watered-down field on hand.

It makes sense for a tournament benefiting one of the best children’s hospitals in the world to do more to attract players. TPC Southwind in Memphis has hosted this event since 1989 on the 7,244-yard par 70 course. The purse for this event will take a sizable jump as a WGC event, which will certainly attract more players, not to mention what it will do for the Official World Golf Rankings. Right now, players are vying for a cut of $6.6 million and a first-place prize of $1.188 million.

Four of the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking are on hand, with Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Henrik Stenson as the three most notable names. Brooks Koepka is the other one, as those four players look to smooth out any rough edges in advance of next week’s major. Daniel Berger has a shot at winning his third straight FedEx St. Jude Classic, but the list of names that has won this thing lately speaks to the type of field we see. Fabian Gomez, Ben Crane, Harris English, Dustin Johnson, Harrison Frazar, and Lee Westwood are the other winners this decade. This is a pretty regular stop for DJ, but a lot of other notables do bypass this event.

The front nine at TPC Southwind is a lot friendlier than the back 9, at least until you get to scoring holes at 15 and 16. This course really doesn’t look that challenging from an aerial view or when standing behind the tee box, but the best winning score here this decade is just 13-under par, which has been done three times. The par 70 element does limit scoring a little bit, so you have to keep that in mind as well, but this is a course that can be challenging. Weather conditions are expected to be quite warm this week, so we could see some hard and fast greens as well.

The favorite this week per <a href="http://bangthebook.com/s/5dimes"><strong>5Dimes Sportsbook</strong></a> is Dustin Johnson at +620. DJ won this event back in 2012 by one shot over John Merrick. At the time, that was just his sixth professional win. Now, Johnson has 17 to his name. He is pretty much a fixture at this event, so we do have a lot of course form data, but we’ll start with his recent form, which is solid. Johnson hasn’t finished lower than 17th in his last five events and finished eighth at the Memorial thanks to a final-round 67. Johnson actually skipped this event last year, but was fifth in 2016 and 24th in 2014. He withdrew in 2015, but he usually does try to make this an annual stop. An out-of-nowhere 75 drove him down the board in 2014 and a 73 did the same in 2016, so if he can avoid a bad Saturday and replicate his other six rounds under par, he’ll be right there.

Brooks Koepka is the second-highest-rated player in the OWGR heading into this week and draws the second favorite role at +985. Koepka is now ninth in the OWGR after his second-place finish at Colonial. He skipped last week’s event at the Memorial in order to gear up for this one and the US Open. Koepka returned from an injury at the Zurich Classic and missed the cut in that team event, but he seems to be back on track with an 11th at TPC Sawgrass and that runner-up in Fort Worth. Koepka has three rounds of 63 over his last two events. In terms of this event, specifically, Koepka was 37th last year, which was a major step down from finishing second in 2016 and third in 2015. He was 19th in 2014. Koepka certainly plays well here and showed at Colonial that his wrist injury is very much in the rearview mirror.

Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson are both +1400 with the next competitors down the board at +2500. This will be Stenson’s first visit to TPC Southwind in six years, so we don’t have a whole lot of usable course form data. Only 13 of this week’s players are playing Shinnecock Hills next week and Stenson is one of them, so he clearly feels like he needs the work. It’s hard to argue, as he’s finished outside the top 10 in his last three events. That’s not to say he has played bad, but he could use a little more consistency. Stenson hit 87.5 percent of fairways and 77.8 percent of greens in regulation last week at Muirfield Village. The putter just let him down.

Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, putted very well at Muirfield Village, but sprayed the ball all over the place on Thursday and put himself too far out of contention. Still, it was a good return for Mickelson, who missed the cut at the PLAYERS Championship. He was 13th last week for his second top-15 of the month. The +1400 price tag isn’t great, but Shinnecock Hills might be a place for Lefty to turn back the clock. Lefty was ninth here last year, second in 2016, and third in 2015.

So, who is a good bet this week? Two-time reigning champion Daniel Berger is +2500 in his quest to become the first back-to-back-to-back winner of an event since Steve Stricker in the 2009-11 John Deere Classic. It really didn’t come easy for Berger last year, though. Kevin Chappell is a good bet this week at +5500. Chappell had four rounds in the 60s last year and finished 22nd back in 2015, including a second-round 64.

Chez Reavie is +6600 this week after a fourth-place finish last year and a 12th in 2016. He didn’t play in 2017. Another course form pick this week is Billy Horschel, but the +2500 price tag is a bit low. Horschel was fourth last year, eighth in 2015, and sixth in 2014.

Coverage of the 2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic will be on Golf Channel and CBS throughout the weekend.

Odds as of June 4, 2:30 p.m. ET:

Dustin Johnson +620

Brooks Koepka +985

Henrik Stenson +1400

Phil Mickelson +1400

Tony Finau +2500

Daniel Berger +2500

Adam Scott +2500

Billy Horschel +2500

Charl Schwartzel +2800

Byeong Hun An +2800

Joaquin Niemann +3300

Peter Uihlein +3300

Luke List +4000

Steve Stricker +4000

Keegan Bradley +4000

Charles Howell III +4000

Russell Knox +5000

Kevin Chappell +5500

J.B. Holmes +6600

Chez Reavie +6600

Chris Kirk +6600

Shane Lowry +6600

Scott Piercy +8000

Ryan Palmer +8000

Ollie Schniederjans +8000

Patrick Rodgers +8000

Danny Lee +8000

Brandt Snedeker +8000

Harris English +8000

Keith Mitchell +8000

Ben Crane +8000

Andrew Putnam +10000

Kevin Tway +10000

Grayson Murray +10000

Braden Thornberry +10000

Brian Gay +10000

C.T. Pan +12500

Austin Cook +12500

Corey Conners +12500

Joel Dahmen +12500

James Hahn +12500

Lucas Glover +12500

Matt Jones +12500

Shawn Stefani +12500

Trey Mullinax +12500

Tom Hoge +12500

Tom Lovelady +15000

Tyrone Van Aswegen +15000

Vaughn Taylor +15000

Troy Merritt +15000

Nate Lashley +15000

Nicholas Lindheim +15000

Sam Ryder +15000

Seamus Power +15000

John Huh +15000

J.T. Poston +15000

David Lingmerth +15000

Cameron Percy +15000

Bronson Burgoon +15000

Ben Martin +15000

Abraham Ancer +15000

Harold Varner III +17500

Johnson Wagner +17500

Sam Saunders +17500

Scott Stallings +20000

Retief Goosen +20000

Matt Every +20000

Michael Thompson +20000

Patton Kizzire +20000

Padraig Harrington +20000

William McGirt +20000

Wesley Bryan +20000

Stewart Cink +20000

Talor Gooch +20000

Ethan Tracy +20000

Fabian Gomez +20000

Chad Campbell +20000

Brian Stuard +20000

Brice Garnett +20000

Denny McCarthy +20000

Daniel Summerhays +20000

Ben Silverman +20000

Aaron Baddeley +25000

Cody Gribble +25000

Conrad Shindler +25000

Derek Fathauer +25000

David Hearn +25000

Dominic Bozzelli +25000

Brandon Harkins +25000

Hunter Mahan +25000

Kelly Kraft +25000

John Peterson +25000

Stephan Jaeger +25000

Sung Kang +25000

Tyler Duncan +25000

Zac Blair +25000

Peter Malnati +25000

Nick Taylor +25000

Lanto Griffin +25000

Richy Werenski +25000

Rick Lamb +25000

Ryan Blaum +25000

Robert Garrigus +25000

Robert Streb +25000

Scottie Scheffler +25000

Scott Brown +25000

Cameron Tringale +27500

Brett Stegmaier +30000

Dawson Armstrong +30000

Jonathan Byrd +30000

George McNeill +30000

Greg Chalmers +30000

Eric Axley +30000

Ricky Barnes +30000

Michael Kim +30000

Mackenzie Hughes +30000

Martin Flores +30000

Martin Piller +30000

Adam Schenk +30000

Blayne Barber +32500

Rob Oppenheim +35000

Will MacKenzie +40000

Steve Wheatcroft +40000

Bob Estes +40000

Andrew Yun +40000

Billy Hurley III +50000

Casey Wittenberg +50000

Dicky Pride +50000

D.A. Points +50000

Grant Hirschman +50000

J.J. Henry +50000

Jonathan Randolph +50000

K.J. Choi +50000

Jon Curran +50000

Kyle Thompson +50000

Will Claxton +50000

Tommy Gainey +50000

Troy Matteson +50000

Xinjun Zhang +50000

Zecheng Dou +50000

Roberto Diaz +50000

Matt Atkins +50000

Brendon de Jonge +55000

John Daly +75000

Smylie Kaufman +75000

Johan Kok +100000

David Berganio, Jr. +100000

&nbsp;

<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>-END OF 2018 PREVIEW-</strong></span>

&nbsp;

Many of the world’s top golfers are taking the week off to prepare for next week’s U.S. Open but there are still 8 of the top 30 in the latest world rankings in the field for the FedEx St. Jude Classic, which begins on Thursday in Memphis. Rickie Fowler is the favorite at odds of +800 with Brooks Koepka the second choice at odds of +1200 and Adam Scott the third choice at odds of +1300. This could be a good week to take a longshot, as the winner of this event has gotten their first PGA Tour win in four of the last six years.

The FedEx St. Jude Classic takes place at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee from June 8th through June 11th with Rickie Fowler listed as the favorite.

<strong>Top Contenders</strong>

Before we get to the list of top contenders we want to consider what is needed to win at TPC Southwind. The stats that have mattered in the past are Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee and Driving Accuracy.

<strong>Rickie Fowler +800</strong>

Fowler is just 45<sup>th</sup> in Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee and he is 5<sup>th</sup> in Strokes Gained” Approach. The concern with taking Fowler is that he has to know the history in that no player has ever won the PGA Tour event the week before the U.S. Open and then gone on to win the Open. I think Fowler is overvalued at these odds.

<strong>Brooks Koepka +1200</strong>

Flip a coin if you can figure out which Koepka will show up. He can look so good one week and then struggle the next. I don’t like that he is 117<sup>th</sup> in Approach so I will pass.

<strong>Adam Scott +1300</strong>

Scott is 30<sup>th</sup> in Approach and 54<sup>th</sup> in Off the Tee but his odds are 13-1. I think those odds are simply too low on a golfer who hasn’t won in more than a year.

<strong>Francesco Molinari +2000</strong>

I really like Molinari this week at odds of 20-1. He is tied for 29<sup>th</sup> in Off the Tee and 2<sup>nd</sup> in Approach. He is a very accurate driver and he has spent a lot more time this season on the PGA Tour where he has been in contention than on the European Tour.

<strong>Phil Mickelson +2500</strong>

Forget about a U.S. Open prep for Phil, as he is skipping next week’s major to go to his daughter’s high school graduation. Mickelson has played well in this event in the past but how excited can you get about taking a golfer who has not won since 2013?

<strong>Longshots</strong>

If you want a couple of longshots who could hit at a big price then Steve Stricker and Kyle Stanley are worth a look. Stricker has always been known for his driving accuracy and he is still trying to get into the U.S. Open, while Stanley is 7<sup>th</sup> on the PGA Tour in Approach.  They are both listed at odds of 40-1.

This event is played at TPC Southwind, which is a par 70 that is 7,239 yards. It has hosted this event since 1989.

CBS and Golf Channel will provide coverage of the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

<strong>FedEx St. Jude Classic Odds</strong>

Rickie Fowler +800

Brooks Koepka +1200

Adam Scott +1300

Francesco Molinari +2000

Phil Mickelson +2500

Russell Henley +2500

Billy Horschel +3000

Charl Schwartzel +3000

Daniel Berger +3500

Kevin Chappell +3500

Kyle Stanley +4000

Ryan Palmer +4000

Steve Stricker +4000

Rafa Cabrera Bello +5000

Danny Lee +5500

Ian Poulter +5500

Kevin Tway +5500

Graeme McDowell +6000

William McGirt +6000

J.B. Holmes +6500

Scott Piercy +6500

Harris English +7000

Keegan Bradley +7000

Peter Uihlein +7000

Russell Knox +7000

Ben Martin +7500

Seung-Yul Noh +7500

Stewart Cink +7500

Daniel Summerhays +8000

Jamie Lovemark +8000

Chris Kirk +9000

Smylie Kaufman +9000

Brian Gay +10000

Cameron Tringale +10000

Chad Campbell +10000

Harold Varner III +10000

Nick Watney +10000

Sung Kang +10000

J.T. Poston +12500

Jim Furyk +12500

Xander Schauffele +12500

Bryson Dechambeau +13500

Brandon Hagy +14000

Brian Stuard +14000

Camilo Villegas +14000

Hudson Swafford +14000

Kyle Reifers +14000

Padraig Harrington +14000

Patrick Rodgers +14000

Ricky Barnes +14000

Scott Brown +14000

Vijay Singh +14000

David Hearn +15000

John Huh +15000

Luke List +15000

Matt Jones +15000

Retief Goosen +15000

Chez Reavie +16000

John Peterson +16000

Willy Wilcox +16000

Boo Weekley +17500

Cameron Percy +17500

D.A. Points +17500

Grayson Murray +17500

Kelly Kraft +17500

Scott Stallings +17500

Seamus Power +17500

Sebastian Munoz +17500

Shawn Stefani +17500

Zac Blair +17500

Ben Crane +20000

Blayne Barber +20000

Bob Estes +20000

Chris Stroud +20000

Dominic Bozzelli +20000

Ernie Els +20000

Julian Etulain +20000

Patton Kizzire +20000

Robert Streb +20000

Sam Saunders +20000

Andres Gonzales +22500

Bryce Molder +22500

Jonathan Randolph +22500

Ryan Blaum +22500

Tim Wilkinson +22500

Tom Hoge +22500

Tyrone Van Aswegen +22500

Bill Lunde +25000

Cody Gribble +25000

Fabian Gomez +25000

Gonzalo Fdez-castano +25000

J.J. Henry +25000

Ken Duke +25000

Michael Putnam +25000

Robert Garrigus +25000

Spencer Levin +25000

Tag Ridings +25000

Whee Kim +25000

Alex Cejka +27500

Carl Pettersson +27500

Greg Owen +27500

Hiroshi Iwata +27500

K.J. Choi +27500

Roberto Castro +27500

Troy Merritt +27500

Davis Love III +30000

Joel Dahmen +30000

John Rollins +30000

Johnson Wagner +30000

Nicholas Lindheim +30000

Rory Sabbatini +30000

Ryan Brehm +30000

Bobby Wyatt +35000

Brett Drewitt +35000

Brett Stegmaier +35000

Hunter Mahan +35000

Jason Bohn +35000

Mark Hubbard +35000

Michael Thompson +35000

Nicholas Thompson +35000

Sam Horsfield +35000

Trey Mullinax +35000

Andrew Loupe +40000

Arjun Atwal +40000

Brad Fritsch +40000

Chad Collins +40000

Derek Fathauer +40000

Garrett Osborn +40000

Jordan Russell +40000

Mark Anderson +40000

Martin Flores +40000

Matt Every +40000

Max Homa +40000

Miguel Angel Carballo +40000

Peter Malnati +40000

Richy Werenski +40000

Rick Lamb +40000

Ryan Armour +40000

Steve Wheatcroft +40000

Stuart Appleby +40000

Will MacKenzie +40000

Braden Thornberry +50000

Brian Campbell +50000

Chip Deason +50000

Richie Schembechler II +50000

Zack Sucher +50000

Dicky Pride +60000

S.J. Park +60000

Shane Bertsch +60000

Steven Alker +60000

Tyler Aldridge +60000

Bobby Gates +75000

Steven Bowditch +100000

Oliver Peacock +150000

David Duval +200000

2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic Picks, Odds & Predictions

<p>The Hilltoppers and Gamecocks are set to face off at 5:00 ET on ESPN+. The Gamecocks will host the game at Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville, AL. The over/under for this game is set at 148.5 points, and Jacksonville State is favored by -2 vs. Western Kentucky in a Conference USA conference matchup.</p><h3>WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS VS JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Jacksonville State Gamecocks -2</p><p>This game will be played at Pete Mathews Coliseum at 5:00 ET on Saturday, February 10th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-70 in favor of the Gamecocks.</li><li>Not only will Jacksonville State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 148.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.</li></ul><h3>Can the Hilltoppers Offense Score Enough in Jacksonville?</h3><p>Western Kentucky enters this game with a record of 16-7 and a two-game win streak. They are 5-4 in Conference USA games and 11-3 in non-conference matchups. On the road, the Hilltoppers are 6-4 this season, and their average scoring margin is +2.2.</p>

<p>So far this season, Western Kentucky has been the underdog in nine of their 23 games, and their record in those matchups is 5-4. In their most recent game, they defeated Louisiana Tech by a score of 81-76. Over their last 10 road games, the Hilltoppers have gone 6-4.</p><p>As the underdog, Western Kentucky has a solid ATS record of 6-3 this season. On the road, the Hilltoppers have gone 7-3 vs. the spread this year and they are 12-8 overall. Over their last 10 road games, Western Kentucky has an ATS mark of 7-3.</p><p>Western Kentucky's over/under record for the season is 9-11 and the average scoring total in their games is 153.8. Today's over/under line is 148.5. So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today's line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 155 points.</p><p>In their recent game, the Hilltoppers' offense concluded with 81 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 80.7 points per contest. The top scorer for the Hilltoppers was Donald McHenry with 20 points, while Rodney Howard also added 18 to the scoreboard.</p><p>At this time, the Hilltoppers' defense is positioned 239th in the country, permitting 74.9 points per game. Western Kentucky will look once again to perform well on defense, holding Louisiana Tech to just 41% shooting in their most recent game.</p><h3>Will Jacksonville State Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?</h3><p>The Gamecocks will be hoping to extend their two-game winning streak at home, where they have gone 6-4 this season. For the year, Jacksonville State is 12-12, including a 4-5 mark in conference play.</p>

<p>So far, Jacksonville State has been favored in nine of their 24 games, going 6-3 in those contests. At home, they have gone 7-3 over their last ten games.</p><p>As the favorite this season, Jacksonville State has gone 5-4 vs. the spread. Their overall ATS mark is 11-10-1, and at home, they are 5-5.</p><p>Today's over/under line of 148.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Jacksonville State's games this year (134.7). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 142 points compared to a season average of 133.3 points per game. So far this year, their over/under record is 9-13.</p><p>Jacksonville State recently showcased a strong offensive performance, scoring 79 points against Sam Houston State. This output exceeded their season average of 70.9 points per game. The top scorer for the Gamecocks was Kyky Tandy with 19 points, while Juwan Perdue also chipped in with 15 points.</p><p>Jacksonville State's defense has been playing well, ranking 30th nationally, with 64.8 points allowed per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 5.7 threes per game vs. Western Kentucky. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 28.7%.</p>

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks Betting Pick & Prediction 2/10/24

Newsletter

One late game is on the betting board for tonight in Major League Baseball and it will be the game on ESPN between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. After last night’s roller coaster, we’ll have to see how both teams respond. The line is pretty even both ways, though the Phillies are taking a little bit of money and have been listed as a -115 favorite at <strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bovada/">Bovada Sportsbook</a></strong> with a total that has been bet down to 7.5.

Let’s take a look at this one and see how it could play out.
<h2><strong><u>Philadelphia Phillies</u></strong></h2>
Nobody seems to want to take charge in the NL East. The Phillies are tied for first with the Mets at 18-16. New York is 15-13 after having some games postponed early due to COVID-19. Every team in the division has at least 13 wins, which is actually the case in four of the six divisions. The suppressed offensive environment and deadened baseball have brought a lot of parity into the league.

The Phillies will have to have a short memory to shake off last night’s game. After blowing a two-run lead in the ninth, the Phillies scored in the 11th to take the lead, only to blow that one as well. After scoring three runs in the 12th, the Phillies turned to recently recalled reliever Enyel De Los Santos. It didn’t work out, as he faced three batters, recorded zero outs, and Matt Moore gave up the game-winning hit for an 8-7 loss.

It was also a hideous beat for under bettors, but the big story is that the Phillies bullpen showed shades of 2020 in the losing effort to spoil a good start from Vince Velasquez. They say that momentum is tomorrow’s starting pitcher. If that’s the case, the Phillies should be in good hands with Aaron Nola on the bump.

Nola has a 2.89 ERA with a 2.44 FIP in his 43.2 innings of work thus far. He’s got tremendous stats across the board with 49 strikeouts against just seven walks. He’s only allowed three home runs and just 36 hits over his seven starts. Perhaps most importantly, he’s averaged over six innings per start, which will hopefully keep the bullpen from having to do too much if you want to bet on the Phillies tonight.

Philadelphia’s offense scoring seven runs is a bit of a rarity and squandering that is a real bummer, seeing as how the Phillies rank 21st in wOBA this season. They’ve struck out in nearly 28% of their plate appearances and struck out 14 more times last night.
<h2><strong><u>Atlanta Braves</u></strong></h2>
Huascar Ynoa has 38 K in 34.1 innings of work, so he’ll be looking for punchies against the Phillies lineup. Based on what we’ve seen so far, he should be able to get some of them. Ynoa doesn’t have to rely on the strikeout, though. He’s only allowed 23 hits in his 34.1 innings of work. The problem for him is that five of them have been home runs, but he’s still got a 2.36 ERA with a 3.48 FIP.

Ynoa is basically a two-pitch pitcher, as over 94% of his pitches are fastballs or sliders. It does leave me concerned when he faces a team for the second time and would help explain his Hard Hit%, which sits north of 50%. The Phillies only saw him for one inning on April 3 before Ynoa became a full-time starter on April 7. He has already faced the Cubs and Nationals twice and pitched well in the second outing both times.

The biggest story for the Braves in this one is the status of Ronald Acuna Jr. Their star MVP candidate was hit by a pitch on the hand and in severe pain. Initial x-rays were negative, but there are a lot of small bones in that pinky finger, so follow-up examinations may reveal something more when the swelling goes down. Either way, it seems unlikely that Acuna will be in the lineup for this one.

The Braves have a top-10 offense by wOBA, as they rank ninth in that department at .317, but are just slightly below league average in wRC+. In their defense, there are some teams up at the top like Boston and the LA teams that are skewing league average a little bit by defying the baseball.

A big reason why Atlanta has struggled to this point has been the bullpen. It wasn’t great last night with those four runs allowed in extra innings. We’ll see if they can right the ship anytime soon here. There is too much talent for the relief corps to be posting a league average FIP at 4.18 and a 4.56 ERA.
<h2><strong><u>Phillies vs. Braves Free Pick</u></strong></h2>
We understandably have a total of 7.5 here with Nola and Ynoa and the likely absence of Acuna, but it is extremely hard to bet an under with a total like that in an Atlanta game. It also feels like we’ve seen a lot more offense in the month of May. It may be easier to flip a coin and find a side for this game. Fading Nola seems unwise, especially if he won’t have to face Acuna. Therefore, I agree with the slight line movement on the side of the road favorite.

<strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/mlb/">Pick</a>: Philadelphia Phillies</strong>

Sunday Night Baseball Pick: Philadelphia Phillies vs Atlanta Braves 05/09/21

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