Today’s Best Free Sports Betting Picks and Predictions From Our Experts

1* on Red Sox +127

Ricky's 1* play on SF.

Key Angle: It's important to remember that Ricky never makes a bet on any game based on just one angle. In order to make the grade, all his premium picks must meet several important criteria. He doesn't share all his secrets within his analysis, instead he chooses to reveal only the angle that he feels is the most significant. Here in this game the recent history of these two teams is particularly significant.

- San Francisco is 6-2 in its last 8 games against Athletics.

- Athletics is 3-9 in its last 12 games against an opponent in the National League West Division

- San Francisco is 7-2 in its last 9 games against an opponent in the American League West Division

Verdict: The value is on the Road underdog.

The Mets are averaging six runs per game during their last four games. Juan Soto is back healthy for the Mets and they have called up two exciting outfield prospects, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing.

After facing Cam Schlittler last night, the Mets drop down in pitching class drawing Carlos Rodon today. This will be just Rodon's second start of the season following elbow surgery. He had command issues during his first start giving up three earned runs and five walks in 4 1/3 innings to the Brewers.

The last time Rodon faced the Mets was last season. The Mets won that game, 12-6. Rodon surrendered six earned runs on two homers in five innings.

The Yankees have scored the fifth most runs in the majors and have hit the most homers. This shapes up as a bullpen game for the Mets with ineffective lefty David Peterson and his 5.49 ERA and 1.50 WHIP likely to get the bulk of the innings.

Both offenses should be aided by the wind blowing out at 12 to 14 miles per hour.

1* Free Pick on Artur Minev +165

1* Free Play on Padres +142

1* MLB - Cubs/White Sox FREE PICK on White Sox -102

1* Free Pick on Red Sox +127

The market has Boston as a +127 dog because Atlanta is 31-14 and Boston is 18-26. The records are real. The pitching matchup underneath them is not what the price suggests.

Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle is the more interesting arm in this game. He carries a 1.99 ERA backed by a 1.99 xERA and a .226 xwOBA across 87 plate appearances. That's not a fluke surface line. He punched out 11 Yankees on 4/23 and went 7 innings of 1-hit ball at Detroit on 5/4. The contact profile is real.

Braves righty Bryce Elder is the regression candidate. The 1.81 ERA looks great until you check the 2.90 xERA and the walks. He's issued 10 free passes over his last 18.1 innings. The market is paying him like an ace. The underlying numbers say back-end starter living on contact luck.

The opposition's best point is the record gap and Atlanta's 5-1 run. Fair. But Atlanta is also missing Ronald Acuna Jr. and Sean Murphy, with Mauricio Dubon leading off and Drake Baldwin hitting second. That's not the lineup the 31-14 record was built on. Tolle's strikeout stuff plays even better against a thinned-out order.

Yes, Boston is without Casas and Anthony. The offense isn't full strength. But getting plus money with the better xERA starter against a depleted lineup is the spot. I'm taking the price.

I like the Red Sox ML (+127)

1* FREE INFO PLAY Seattle Sounders FC -150

1 Unit FREE PLAY on San Francisco Giants +120

The San Francisco Giants lost Game 1 yesterday.  I expect them to bounce back against the A's in Game 2 today.  Trevor McDonald has been awesome in the big leagues with a 2.08 ERA and 0.96 WHIP giving up only 7 earned runs in 30 1/3 innings.  Two of those starts came against the Dodgers.  Luis Severino is 2-4 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in nine starts this season.  Severino is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three home starts.  He has been terrible at home with the A's since moving to Sutter Health Park last season.  Severino gave up 5 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 7-2 loss to the Giants in his last start against them at home last season.  Give me the Giants.

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1* Best Bet on Giants +120

No analysis provided.

1* Free Sharp Play on New York City FC +163

Pure Lock's FREE MLB play Saturday 5-16-26

San Diego +150 (Buehler/Gilbert) Listed

Pure Lock has a TOP MLB play available on Saturday on the Giants/A's. Pure Lock is mainly known for his selectivity in handicapping all sports and normally releases one pick per sport per day or passes! QUALITY over Quantity here. Currently on an impressive 10-6 (63%) run over his last 17 MLB picks! $1,000 per game players have CASHED $1,730 since April 29, 2026!

Pure Lock has a TOP UFC play available on Saturday. Pure Lock is mainly known for his selectivity in handicapping all sports and normally releases one pick per sport per day or passes! QUALITY over Quantity here. Currently on an impressive 41-19 (68%) run over his last 64 Fighting picks! $1,000 per game players have CASHED $14,790 since June 01, 2024!

Mikey Sports FREE UFC play Saturday 5-16-26

Arnold Allen -122

Mikey Sports has been on an INCREDIBLE 1341-1065 (56%) RUN over his last 2466 MLB picks! He has now made $1,000/game bettors $55,830 in profits since June 30, 2010. Join Mikey Sports with his Money Line for Saturday on Brewers v. Twins!

Mikey is 13-4 76% last 17 UFC plays!  Mikey has a TOP 10* UFC play for Saturday!  Don't miss out!

Rangers vs Astros 
7:10 EST 
7-Unit bet on the Astros priced as a 120-underdog.

This MLB betting system has produced a 139–114 record since 2004, winning 55% of the time. It has averaged a +133 price, delivered a 24% return on investment, and generated an estimated profit of $80,510 for a $1,000-per-game bettor or $4,025 for a $50-per-game bettor.

This angle applies when the following conditions are in place:

Bet on the home underdog in the first half of the season.

The matchup is within the division.

The underdog has a lower winning percentage than its opponent.

Both teams enter the game with losing records.

The game is one of the first two in the series.

The system becomes even stronger when the home underdog is coming off a three-game sweep and has lost at least three straight games. In that subset, the record improves to 19–14, with an average line of +128, a 28% return on investment, and profits of $12,190 for a $1,000 bettor or $610 for a $50-per-game bettor.

Saturday's Free MLB Pick

PLAY ON: Yankees -129

I've been around enough UFC cards to know that sometimes the betting public piles onto the name they recognize, and that's exactly what's happening in Saturday's featherweight main event at the APEX. Arnold Allen comes in as the slight favorite, a battle-tested veteran with elite striking fundamentals and a solid track record against top competition. But give me Melquizael Costa at plus money all day long, because this feels like one of those spots where momentum, physical edges, and pure finishing power line up for the underdog in a way that history loves to reward.

Costa is riding a six-fight win streak, and that's no small thing in a division as deep as featherweight. He's 26-7 overall, younger by a few years, and carries a noticeable height and reach advantage that lets him dictate range against shorter strikers like Allen. Recent form tells a clearer story than career records alone: Costa's been knocking out or submitting guys with real violence, including a flashy finish over Dan Ige that reminded everyone why "The Dalmatian" can turn a fight on a dime. Allen, for all his experience at 20-4, has dropped three of his last four and tends to grind out decisions in longer fights, his average time in the cage sits north of 13 minutes compared to Costa's quicker, more explosive pace around nine. When you stack that against Costa's higher striking output and willingness to press forward, you start to see why underdogs with this kind of hot streak have quietly cashed in featherweight matchups more often than casual fans remember.

Here's where the broader trends come in, and why this isn't just picking the flashy guy. Across recent UFC seasons, featherweight has been one of the better divisions for live dogs in close, ranked bouts, partly because the weight class rewards aggression and finishing ability over pure technical control. We've seen it time and again: a streaking striker steps up in class and catches a more measured veteran who's coming off setbacks. Add in the smaller APEX cage, which shrinks the distance and plays right into Costa's pressure game, and you've got a classic angle where the underdog's style mismatch gets amplified. It's the same reason why momentum plays have paid off in main events lately, even as favorites have had a strong run overall in 2026 so far. The public often overrates experience and underrates the guy who's simply winning right now.

Don't get me wrong, Allen's no slouch, and he's proven he can weather storms. But at plus odds, Costa offers that perfect blend of realistic path to victory and real payout potential without chasing some long-shot miracle. I've watched enough of these cards to feel that little itch when the numbers and the film line up like this, and it usually means the dog has more bite than the odds suggest. Saturday night at the APEX should be a banger, and if you're firing on the main event, Costa is the spot that actually feels like value rather than hope.

Bet with disipline and patience as the lines move fast and fights are chaos, but if you're tuning in, root a little for the underdog. Sometimes they write the best stories. Enjoy the card on Paramount+, and may your parlays be ever in your favor.

My selection is on Buffalo over Montreal at 8 pm et on Saturday.

We'll back the Sabres on Saturday as they look to stave off elimination and force a seventh game in Buffalo. Montreal won Game 5 in lopsided fashion on Thursday, skating to a 6-3 victory. The Sabres got off to a hot start in that contest but fizzled over the game's final two periods. I'm confident we'll see Buffalo rebound here, noting that Montreal has notched consecutive wins only twice since April 5th. The Sabres have dropped two games in a row only once dating back to April 6th. The Habs are being priced as if they have a significant edge on Saturday and while home ice is important, it's not the be-all, end-all in the Stanley Cup Playoffs - as we've seen in this series with the road team taking three of the first five games. Take Buffalo (8*).

Red Sox vs Braves MLB Free Pick

The Angle(s): Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle (1–2, 2.78) has often been an unlucky loser on an underperforming 16–26 club, allowing just five runs over four starts and more often than not doing his part to keep Boston in games.

Here, I like him at least not to take the loss against an Atlanta lineup that has stumbled to a 2–5 record as favorites when facing left-handed starters, suggesting this is not an ideal matchup profile for them.

The Bet: RED SOX (2%). 

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Free Pick on Giants +120

Recommended Bet: Charlotte FC -131

PSP Data Driven play on White Sox.

At Professionalsportspicks we see a future where those handicapping sports without advanced analytics and data-driven strategies will be left behind. Our data-driven picks use data integration, search and discovery, and knowledge management along with collaboration with our in-house handicappers. By isolating relevant trends, removing human bias, and targeting only lines with a positive expected value above a certain threshold, our data-driven picks promise to outperform any and all human competitors.

Our models suggest that the value is on the home team. Chicago White Sox is 5-1 in its last 6 games. Chicago White Sox is 4-1 in its last 5 games at home.