Newsletter

<p>The Phillies and Braves are set to face off in an NL East matchup at 7:20 PM ET at Truist Park in Atlanta. The money line odds have the Phillies at +100 compared to the Braves at -119. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs.</p>

<p>Wednesday's matchup features Aaron Nola for the Phillies and Max Fried for the Braves. Nola is 73-52 on the season, while the Braves have won three straight to move to 67-58. Atlanta is currently 2nd in the NL East, while the Phillies are 1st.</p><h3>PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS ATLANTA BRAVES BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Philadelphia Phillies Moneyline +100</p><p>This game will be played at Truist Park at 7:20 ET on Wednesday, August 21st.</p><h3>HOW TO BET THE PHILLIES VS BRAVES:</h3><ul><li>We have the Phillies winning by a score of 5 to 4</li><li>However, if you're looking for a run line pick, we like the Braves to cover</li><li>As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over</li></ul><p>Atlanta picked up a 3-1 win over the Phillies in the most recent game of this series. The Braves offense only had seven hits but took advantage of some Phillies miscues, as they scored three unearned runs in the 1st and the Phillies could only muster one run in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Braves were at +132 on the money line.</p>

<p>Reynaldo Lopez started for the Braves and went five innings while giving up just one run and striking out 10. He picked up a win in the game, while Raisel Iglesias closed things out. Zack Wheeler had a good outing for the Phillies, going six innings and giving up two earned runs.</p>

<p>Marcell Ozuna, Whit Merrifield, and Alec Bohm each had two hits for their respective teams. Ozuna and Merrifield each scored a run and drove in a run for the Braves' offense.</p><h3>Phillies Records & Stats</h3><p>Philadelphia is currently 73-52 overall this season, putting them 1st in the NL East. They hold a six-game lead over the Braves for the division lead. The Phillies have dropped two straight games, which includes losing the first game of this series vs. the Braves.</p>

<p>So far, the Phillies have gone 19-13 in divisional games. At home, they are 42-23 compared to 31-29 on the road. As the favorite, the Phillies are 62-40 this year, and they are 11-12 as the underdog. Looking at their overall series record, the Phillies are 21-14-6 this year. They are also 21-19 when favored on the road.</p><p>When betting the Phillies on the run line, it's been a bit of a coin flip this season as they are 61-64 overall. They have been a better bet at home than on the road, going 31-34 at Citizens Bank Park compared to 30-30 on the road. The Phillies have lost four straight on the run line on the road and are 2-6 in their last eight games as the run line favorite.</p><p>The Phillies have played in 93 games with an average combined run total of 8.9 runs per game. Their over/under record is 58-61, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. When the over/under line has been set at 8 runs, their record is 17-14-1. Overall, 61 of their games have had over/under lines set above 8 runs, which accounts for 48.8% of their contests.</p><p>Right-hander Aaron Nola gets the start for the Phillies today as he faces the Braves on the road. He has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 11-6 with a 3.45 ERA. Nola's WHIP for the season is currently 1.16. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, going 6 2/3 innings and not giving up a run to the Nationals. Before that, he had lost three straight starts. Nola's ERA on the road is 4.57 compared to 3.49 at home.</p><p>Over the past 10 games, Alec Bohm has been swinging a hot bat for the Phillies, going 12/38 with one home run and seven RBIs. This has helped him move into the team's top spot in RBIs, as he has 85 for the season. Bohm is also 3rd on the team with a batting average of .298. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are the Phillies' top power threats, with Schwarber's 28 homers leading the team and Harper's 26 long balls not far behind.</p>

<p>As a team, the Phillies are 8th in the league in scoring at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are 4th in batting average and have the 7th ranked slugging percentage in the MLB.</p><h3>Braves Records & Stats</h3><p>With an overall record of 67-58, the Braves are six games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. Atlanta has gone 19-16 against other teams in the NL East. The Braves have won three straight games, and they are 7-3 across their last 10.</p>

<p>At home, the Braves are 33-26 this season and 34-32 on the road. So far, the Braves have been the favorite in 103 of their games, and they are 57-46 in those games. As the underdog, the Braves are 10-12 this year, which includes a 1-1 mark as the home underdog.</p><p>The Braves are 57-68 against the run line this season, including a 24-35 mark at home. Their average run margin for the season is +0.4 runs per game, but they have been outscored by an average of 0.1 runs per game at home. As the favorite, they are 45-58 against the run line, while they are 12-10 as the underdog.</p><p>The Braves have been involved in a lot of high-scoring games this season, as their games have averaged 8.2 runs per game. Their over/under record is 47-73, and when the line is set at 8 runs, they are 7-13-1. The over/under line for today's game against the Phillies is set at 8 runs, and the under has hit in their last two games.</p><p>Max Fried will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Giants, as he gets the start for the Braves today vs. the Phillies. In that start, which came on August 15th, Fried took the loss, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs. Looking back over his last three outings, Fried has given up at least three earned runs in each. Fried's record for the season is 7-7, and he has an ERA of 3.62. This year, opponents are batting .229 vs. Fried. He has made 21 starts, and his WHIP for the season is 1.25.</p><p>Marcell Ozuna has been on a tear of late for the Braves, going 15/35 in his last nine games, including two home runs. For the season, he is batting .309 with 37 homers and 94 RBIs, which is 4th in the league. Ozuna also comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak. Matt Olson is 2nd on the team with 21 homers but is batting just .228.</p>

<p>As a team, the Braves are 4th in home runs and are averaging 4.3 runs per game. Their team batting average is just 13th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts. Overall, they are 10th in slugging percentage and have the 6th best isolated power mark in the league.</p>

Philadelphia Phillies vs Atlanta Braves Betting Pick & Prediction 8/21/24

BetDSI

Bookmaker

Bet US

BetOnline

Bovada

<p>Planning on watching today's Royals and Cougars game? Catch the action at Marriott Center in Provo, UT, as the Cougars hosts this showdown at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 157.5 points, with BYU being favored by -28.5 over Queens (NC).</p><h3>QUEENS (NC) ROYALS VS BYU COUGARS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Queens (NC) Royals +28.5</p><p>This game will be played at Marriott Center at 9:00 ET on Wednesday, November 13th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE QUEENS (NC) ROYALS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 86-64 in favor of the Cougars.</li><li>Even though we have BYU winning straight-up, we like Queens (NC) at +28.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 157.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 150 points.</li></ul><h3>Will the Royals Make it Happen in Provo?</h3><h3>Queens (NC) Royals Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>The Royals faced a tough challenge on Tuesday, November 12th, as they took on the Utah Runnin' Utes on the road. Queens entered the game as +23 point underdogs and ended up losing 96-65.</p> 

<p>After trailing 41-31 at halftime, Queens struggled in the 2nd half, allowing 55 points while scoring 34. The total points for the game were 161, just over the O/U line of 160.5.</p><p>Queens struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 36.4% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc, finishing with an effective field goal percentage of 42.4%. They connected on 9 threes, but hit only 10 of 16 free throws, a 62.5% mark.</p> <p>Gabe Madsen led the way with 24 points, hitting 5 of 12 from deep, while Mike Sharavjamts contributed 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting, including 3 of 4 from three, and added 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Chris Ashby chipped in 14 points, knocking down 4 threes.</p><p>Queens (NC) struggled defensively, giving up 96 points on 48% shooting from the field. Their opponents went 35/72 overall, including 21/42 on two-point shots.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, Queens allowed 14 threes on 30 attempts, a 46% clip. They also sent their opponents to the line 19 times, where they hit 12 free throws. Queens gave up 17 offensive rebounds.</p><h3>Is a Home Win Possible for the Cougars?</h3><p>BYU opened their season with an 86-80 win over UC Riverside at home on Friday, November 8th. The Cougars were -21.5 point favorites going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread.</p> <p>BYU led 40-33 at halftime and scored 46 points in the 2nd half, but they allowed 47 points to UC Riverside after the break. The total points for the game hit 166, going over the pre-game O/U line of 153.</p><p>BYU's offense put up 86 points in their latest game, shooting 53.2% from the field. They were dominant inside, hitting 67.5% of their two-point attempts, though they struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 27.3% of their threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 58.1%, and they grabbed 11 offensive rebounds.</p> <p>Egor Demin and Kaleb Smith each scored 20 points, with Demin adding 7 assists. Nate Pickens and Isaiah Moses both shot 60%, with Moses also hitting 2 threes. Keba Keita was efficient, going 5/6 from the field and pulling down 10 rebounds in 19 minutes.</p><p>BYU's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 80 points on 53% shooting from the field. The Cougars had a tough time inside, allowing their opponents to hit 67% of their two-point attempts, going 27/40.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, BYU held their opponents to 27% shooting, with just 6 made threes on 22 attempts. However, they sent the other team to the line 26 times, where they converted 14 free throws at a 53% rate. BYU also gave up 11 offensive rebounds.</p>

Queens (NC) Royals vs BYU Cougars NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/13/24

Even though we are desperately hoping for things to go right during the COVID pandemic, it was nice to see something go left this past weekend. That something was the NASCAR Cup Series with its return race at Darlington. Kevin Harvick, who was the top pick from our write-up on the Darlington Raceway 400 was the winner. Let’s see if we can go that with the Xfinity Series this time around for the Toyota 200.

The Xfinity Series makes its return with some Tuesday night racing in Darlington, South Carolina, as long as Mother Nature approves. Rain is in the forecast throughout the week, but the hope is that racing can be completed.

The timing makes sense for Kyle Busch to make a stop on the Xfinity Series circuit. Busch failed pre-race inspection and had to start at the back of the pack for the Cup Series race on Sunday and never really looked all that comfortable en route to finishing 26th. Some extra laps around the track seem like a pretty good idea.

He’s the overwhelming favorite this week, which he would be anyway, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that he was able to get behind the wheel and get some reps in. He’s -135 with the next closest driver listed at +625.

Let’s check out the odds from <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/5dimes"><strong>5Dimes Sportsbook</strong></a> for the Toyota 200 and then figure out how we want to bet this one:
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="295">Kyle Busch</td>
<td width="295">-135</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Chase Briscoe</td>
<td width="295">+625</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Harrison Burton</td>
<td width="295">+880</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Justin Allgaier</td>
<td width="295">+1320</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Brandon Jones</td>
<td width="295">+1320</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Noah Gragson</td>
<td width="295">+1600</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Ross Chastain</td>
<td width="295">+1760</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Austin Cindric</td>
<td width="295">+1760</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Daniel Hemric</td>
<td width="295">+2750</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Riley Herbst</td>
<td width="295">+3300</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Field (any other driver)</td>
<td width="295">+5500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Ryan Sieg</td>
<td width="295">+6600</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Michael Annett</td>
<td width="295">+11000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Justin Haley</td>
<td width="295">+11000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Anthony Alfredo</td>
<td width="295">+33000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Myatt Snider</td>
<td width="295">+55000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Joe Graf Jr</td>
<td width="295">+200000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="295">Timmy Hill</td>
<td width="295">+200000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Starting positions were randomly drawn and Noah Gragson and Michael Annett get to start in the front row. Kyle Busch starts 26th, so he’ll have some ground to make up in order to cash at -135. Harrison Burton, the third favorite on the board, starts 12th. Chase Briscoe, the second favorite, also starts in the sixth row in 11th. There are 39 cars in the race and only nine are Toyotas for the Toyota 200.

February and early March were a little crazy, so I was a tad bit lax in my responsibilities to cover the Xfinity Series. Four races took place before the world went to hell and everything shut down. The race winners were Gragson, Briscoe, Burton, and Brandon Jones. Gragson won Stage 2 at Phoenix as well. Briscoe had another top-five finish at Daytona to go with his win at Las Vegas. Burton finished in the top five in all four races, finishing first at Fontana and second at Daytona and Phoenix. Jones led the most laps and won both stages at California before finishing 30th. He won the next week at Phoenix.

Justin Allgaier sits ninth in points, but had three stage wins before the abrupt halt to the year. He hasn’t finished higher than eighth this season. Austin Cindric, Ryan Sieg, and Justin Haley all had at least two top-five finishes in the first four races. Rookie Riley Herbst was second at Auto Club.

Now that you’re caught up, we can break this one down. The Lady in Black is a 1.366-mile oval with a big loopy curve at one end and a tighter, sharper curve at the other. Up until 2015, the Xfinity Series stop at Darlington was in the spring, but it moved to late summer when the schedule was changed around. This is going to be an extremely tough race for the drivers and the teams.

Assuming this one goes off as scheduled, it will be a night race. There are not many of those in the Xfinity Series. The drivers and the teams also have to navigate the very different ends of the track while not having practice or qualifying. We saw that play a big role in the Cup Series race and could see it play a big role here, too.

So, what do we do here? The reality is that Kyle Busch probably wins, but why bet him at -135 with so many unknowns and variables in this race. The chances of one of the other drivers taking him out seem a lot higher than usual.  If you ever wanted to take a long shot gamble in an Xfinity Series race, this is probably it.

There are some good drivers at bigger prices that are on my radar this week. One of them is Daniel Hemric at +2750. In 69 career races, Hemric has 40 top-10 finishes, but has never won. He didn’t run all of last year in the Xfinity Series. Now he is with a pretty good team in JR Motorsports. It hasn’t worked out to this point, but this is the type of time to take a guy like him. He’s an experienced driver that had 16 top-five finishes in 2018.

Austin Cindric is a guy to watch overall in the Xfinity Series and his price looks a bit high here at +1760. He is a great bet on road courses. Though this race isn’t, it will have some road course feel to it with everybody trying to get back in the swing of things and probably some tight, awkward racing. Cindric actually has six top-three finishes over his last 11 races dating back to last season. The 21-year-old has excellent backing with Team Penske and equipment could matter a lot here.

I’d be very careful with this race. The Cup Series was unpredictable enough, but this one could go a couple different ways. It could be controlled chaos or it could be a dominant win for Kyle Busch. I’ll look for option #1 and back Hemric and Cindric with some low-risk, high-reward wagers.

The Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway will be on FS1 on Tuesday May 19 at 8 p.m. ET.

Toyota 200 Betting Odds, Picks, & Predictions - Xfinity Series Returns at Darlington

BetDSI

Bookmaker

Bet US

BetOnline

Bovada