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

[1%] Free Play on Lions +7 -110

1* Free Play on over 185½

1 Dimer on Cardinals +1 -110

Free Total Annihilator On Mystics vs Aces over 168½ -115

1* Bet on Sparks/Liberty: over 185½

Ricky's 1* play on MIN.

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.

- The Phillies are 2-4 in their last 6 games.

- The Twins are 5-3 in the last 8 head to head meetings.

- Aaron Nola is 1-4 in his last 5 starts for the Phillies.

Verdict: The value is on the home favorite.

The Dream have the fifth best record in the WNBA. But there has not been a worse team in a favorite's role than Atlanta. The Dream have failed to cover 15 of the last 17 times when laying points.

Here Atlanta is laying double digits on the road, where they average nine fewer points per game.

Connecticut is 5-10 at home. The Sun are the lowest scoring team in the league, but are above average defensively. They give up just one more point per game than Atlanta.

The Dream have a nationally televised game against Indiana up next. Given this look-ahead spot and their horrendous record as chalk, I am backing the underdog Sun.

(#917) Philadelphia Phillies vs. (#918) Minnesota Twins | OVER | . 

Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.47 ERA) vs. Taj Bradley (9-4, 3.76 ERA) . 

Aaron Nola has been significantly better lately, especially over his past couple of starts. However, he's still giving up multiple runs in almost every outing. Nola got a bit knocked up in his last start as well, picking up a knee injury. But, he's ready to make the start on Thursday in the "Field Of Dreams" game against the Twins.

Although Taj Bradley has been brilliant this season, I don't know how well he's going to fare against the Phillies in this one. Bradley has allowed three runs in each of his first two outings in August & he allowed four runs (three earned runs) in his only start ever against Philadelphia. I like the "over" in this one.

Burns' Prediction: 7-4 Phillies.

3* on over

1* Free Wiseguy Play on Steelers +2½ -110

*All picks are based on situations, trends, statistics and injuries among many other factors*

As one of the most successful documented NFL preseason Handicappers over the last 25 years, I am exploding today on 3 BIG NFL PREMIUM PLAYS: TOUCHDOWN, TV, and LATE BAILOUT WINNERS for you. Get all 3, sweep the board, and win big in the NFL preseason tonight.

Thursday’s free winner: Pittsburgh Steelers.

Game 104.

4:00 PM PST/7:00 PM EST.

Money has certainly come on the Green Bay Packers in this preseason matchup. This line shifted significantly. But I really feel money is moving in the wrong direction. Yes, Green Bay is expected to be one of the top teams in the NFC, and also touted to win 10.0-games. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is a longshot to win their Conference, and is only expected to win approximately 8.0-games. Having said that, very few out there believe the Steelers could win their division, let alone their conference. But they have a very loyal fanbase. Playing at home in front of their loyal fans, I expect them to come out here and play this game as if it were for a title. I will admit, the Packers have some pretty big names in key backup roles. However, at the quarterback position, running back position, and wide receiver position, most people will know many of the names vying to better their slots on the Steelers team. I know there was a time under the old regime the Steelers did not care about being victorious in August. But they have a new boss at the helm, and he must establish a winning tradition, even if this is the preseason. Take the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thank you.

1* Free Play on Lions/Bengals over 36½ -110

1* Free Pick on Chargers/Texans: over 36½

Preseason opener, both benches wide open.

Herbert, Stroud, and most starters on both sides are watching in sweats.

The number of 36.5 assumes vanilla, conservative football.

That's not the read here.

Start with Houston.

Davis Mills is the Texans QB1 in this spot and he went 3-0 as a starter in 2025, completing 59.5% for 719 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT.

That's not a guy who bleeds three-and-outs.

Mills gets extended run in a game where coaches want to see him, not protect him.

On the other side, Mike McDaniel is running his first preseason game as Chargers OC.

His scheme is motion-heavy and built for explosive plays, and he's specifically said he wants to look at all three backs plus his tight end room of Oronde Gadsden (49-664-3 in 2025) and David Njoku against backup linebackers.

That's a coach who wants reps and points, not a coach in bubble wrap.

The opposition case is real.

Houston's defense posted -0.1521 EPA/play last year and -0.2613 over their last four.

But that defense isn't on the field tonight either.

Those numbers were built by Al-Shaair, Anderson, Hunter.

Preseason Week 1 is backup-vs-backup, and backup defenses give up drives.

The 36.5 is pricing the starters' defense against the backups' offense.

Both teams cleared 36.5 in their Week 17 meeting last year (20-16, 36 points) with mostly starters playing conservative football.

Backups in August won't be more careful.

I like the Over

Dave's Thursday Free Play:

1* on Los Angeles Angels +140

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the Los Angeles Angels as big home underdogs to the Texas Rangers.  Walbert Urena is having one of the best seasons in the majors that nobody talks about.  He is 7-8 with a 2.83 ERA in 21 games and 6-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 11 home starts.  Jacob DeGrom is 3-5 with a 4.87 ERA in 11 road starts.  DeGrom has yielded 8 ER in 8 innings in 2 starts against the Angels in 2026.  Urena has yielded one ER in 9 innings in 2 starts against the Rangers in 2026.  Take Los Angeles.

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1* FREE INFO PLAY Steelers +2 -110

1* Best Bet on Rangers/Angels under 8 +100

No analysis provided.

1* Free Sharp Play on Colts -2½ -110

NFLX 3X PERFECT Side BECK vs MENDOZA TOP Side PLAY + MLB, 100% CFL BANGER and WNBA. Big Card up. NFLX Free totals Pay below

The Thursday NFLX Comp play is on the Over in the Tennessee at San Francisco game at 9 eastern. The Titans are playing all their starters i the game hence their 5 point road favored stats here in SF. The Niners are looking to see what they have at the back end of the roster especially on offense. Robert Saleh more of a defensive minded coach has decided to be more pro offense after seeing what happened in NY with The Jets who were anemic in scoring during his time there. The Titans will look to move the ball and emphasize scoring with their added weapons and a progressing Qb in Cam Ward and camp standout RC Nick Singleton. The Titans will follow with Levis and Trubisky. SF will get their points as well here at home as they Mac Jones likely at QB for a good portion. As for a NFLX Exclusive Preseason totals system. Rob notes that week 1 preseason road favorites of =4 or more are 6 of 7 over and the games average over 45 points. Look for this one to sail over the total. GL Rob V-

Free Play from Doc’s Sports. MLS Soccer Take #209810 Atlanta over New York Red Bulls (7:30 p.m. EST, Saturday August 15) We think this is a great spot for Atlanta. They have not been playing their best lately but this will be a homecoming for them as they have not played a home match since May 9, before the World Cup. Even though they lost last time out, we liked what we saw from them at Philly. They were up by two goals most of the match vs the Union but they were a man down and Philadelphia scored two goals in extra time to steal three points. As we stated, Atlanta has not played at home in a long time and we think this return will give them an extra burst of energy and it’s not like the Red Bulls are a great side. They are quite far above Atlanta in the standings but have a -10 goal differential compared to -14 for Atlanta, who have faced a real tough schedule on this road trip. It’s telling that Atlanta is a decent favorite here with their recent performances, and we think this is an amazing spot for them to pick up three points and some momentum for the second half of the season in front of the home fans.

Pure Lock's FREE WNBA play Thursday 8-13-26

Atlanta -10 1/2

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Pure Lock has a TOP WNBA play available on Thursday on the Sparks/Liberty. 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 18-7 (72%) run over his last 25 OVERALL picks! $1,000 per game players have CASHED $11,410 since July 27, 2026!

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Mikey Sports FREE CFL play Thursday 8-13-26

British Columbia +4 1/2

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R&R Totals FREE NFLX Over-Under Thursday 8-13-26

OVER 39 1/2 Green Bay/Pittsburgh

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1* Free Pick on Steelers +2½ -110

The Packers roll into Pittsburgh Thursday night for the first full preseason game of the year, and the total is sitting right in that familiar 36.5 to 37.5 window. I’m on the under, and the deeper you dig into the league-wide and team numbers the more it feels like the right side of the math.

League-wide, the 37 threshold has been a reliable separator for years. Closing totals of 37 or higher have gone under at a 56.4 percent clip since 2010, a sample that runs well over 900 games. Since 2014 the under on those 37-plus numbers is even cleaner at 60.7 percent, returning solid units at standard pricing. The reverse holds too. When the number opens at 37 or lower the over hits closer to 59 or 60 percent. This matchup is perched right on the line, but the historical lean still favors the lower side once you account for how little the real starters play these days. Last year only 9.8 percent of preseason pass attempts came from quarterbacks who ended up starting Week 1. That is a sharp drop from the 30-plus percent range we saw a decade ago, and it means more backup-driven football, more conservative play-calling, and fewer explosive finishes.

The Steelers themselves have been a quiet under machine at home in the exhibition season. From 2002 through 2025 Pittsburgh as the home team went under in 67.4 percent of its preseason games, a 14-29-2 record that has produced double-digit units over the long haul. That is not a small-sample fluke. It lines up with the physical, run-heavy identity the organization has carried for years, even when the first-team defense sits most of the night. Green Bay has not been as extreme, but the Packers still play a brand of football that keeps games from turning into track meets, especially on the road in August.

Add the outdoor night setting in western Pennsylvania and the picture gets clearer. Early-season humidity and potential weather keep the ball on the ground more than the public expects. Combined scores in Week 1 preseason games have historically averaged just under 39 points against posted numbers that often sit in the mid-to-high 30s. When you stack the league-wide 56-to-60 percent under rate on 37-plus totals with Pittsburgh’s strong home under history, the edge starts looking real. At -110 a 56 percent hit rate over a 100-game sample nets you positive return after the juice. A 60 percent clip turns it into a steady grind that keeps bankrolls healthy over time.

There is the Rodgers-McCarthy reunion angle, and yes, the veteran may take 30 or 40 snaps against his old club. Even if he does, the majority of the game still belongs to the second and third units still working through timing and communication. Those groups rarely light up the scoreboard in Week 1. I like this under. It matches the long-term numbers, the team-specific home trend, and the reality of limited starter volume. Keep the stake sensible, enjoy the nostalgia, and let the points stay low.

My selection is on San Francisco plus the points over Tennessee at 9 pm et on Thursday.

The injury bug has hit the 49ers again this training camp and it has many bettors shying away from them as they host the Titans in their preseason opener on Thursday. I think this line has gone too far in Tennessee's direction. I understand the support for the Titans here in August as they do have a strong preseason quarterback rotation with experienced backups in Mitchell Trubisky, Will Levis and even Hendon Hooker who has made a splash in the preseason in prior years. With that being said, San Francisco has plenty of upside at the position behind Brock Purdy as well with Mac Jones firmly planted as the backup but Kurtis Rourke and Adrian Martinez capable of making some preseason noise. I just don't see enough of a depth advantage for a rebuilding Tennessee team to warrant it laying a field goal on the road in its first preseason contest. Both teams went 2-1 last August but dropped their respective preseason openers. It's worth noting the 49ers faced the tougher opening matchup against a deep Broncos team that has taken the preseason seriously under head coach Sean Payton. Take San Francisco (8*).

Be sure to pick up my 10* NFLX Total of the Year for 2026 which kicks off on Thursday! I went a profitable 9-5-1 in NFL preseason action last year and expect to deliver again this August; I'd love to have you on board!

Our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies to defeat the Minnesota Twins on Thursday at 7:30pm ET for a number of reasons. Here are some of the more important ones:

Philadelphia will start Aaron Nola who just got injured in his last start but made some good pitches in that game and was respectable.

The Phillies bring in a two game losing streak into today's Field Of Dreams game.

They still have a better record on the road this season than at home, making this series a great opportunity to get some more wins.

Minnesota will start Taj Bradley who has not been as good in games played away from home (this game is in Dyersville, Iowa).

The Twins have also been shaky lately, losing seven of their L11 games.

We're on the Phillies.

AAA Sports

1* on Steelers +2½

Free Play – Take #107 Indianapolis -2.5 over New England (7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, August 13)

The money and tickets say New England all day long, but the Colts have gone from +1.5 to -2.5. Why, Indianapolis has a real battle for the #2 quarterback slot with Riley Leonard taking on former #4 overall choice Anthony Richardson (still just 24). Leonard played pretty well as a rookie last season, and Richardson would love to impress to give himself another shot at being a starting QB in Indy or somewhere else. New England is pretty set at most spots on their roster and is looking at depth at numerous positions for the upcoming season. Urgency is the difference and Indy wins and covers.

>NFLX Thursday Throwdown!

DOUG UPSTONE has one play left for Thursday, his NFLX favorite pick! He looks to better his 173-141 long-term on all picks! Doug has a 215-173 mark on baseball picks. With NFLX here, Doug is 104-66 the last two decades in August pro football!

Upstone is a highly decorated betting expert with 30 monitored titles in various sports and 114 Top 10 finishes in his stellar 24-year career. Get Doug’s Best Bets, Top Plays, Super Systems and terrific trends.

Free Pick on Bengals -6½ -110

PSP Data Driven 1* Titans.

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 favorite. The Titans are 5-3 ATS in their last 8 games. The 49ers are 2-3 ATS in the last 5 head to head meetings versus the Titans.

Arizona Cardinals +120

We were on the Cardinals last week and stick with them here. They lost late, but I like the continuity angle — this team has a game already under its belt while playing this one as the road dog. Teams coming off a Hall of Fame Game loss also tend to tighten up defensively the following week, which plays into a lower-scoring script.

The matchup itself is intriguing on its own: Fernando Mendoza and Carson Beck face off again. But beyond that, Mendoza is surrounded by a veteran-heavy roster, and veteran QBs historically don't bring much urgency to preseason snaps unless there's an active competition for the job — which isn't the case here.

I lean Under on the total, but for the side I'm not messing with the points. Give me the road dog.

Pick: Cardinals +120

Risk 1 Unit to win 1.2 Units

Let's cash some tickets!

For my best free pick on the board here for Thursday I am looking at preseason NFL action and the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Detroit Lions. Lions are a Super Bowl contender and with those big expectations comes bettors that should flock to this kind of plus points but the Lions over recent history really do not play much of their talent in these games where as on the other side Cincinnati really has some positional battles going on. We will see some from Joe Burrow here on Thursday but really it’s the competition between Sean Clifford,Joe Flacco and Josh Johnson the latter two with a ton of NFL experience. Look for the Bengals to set the tone from this game on that they will be a factor in the AFC.

Play on the Cincinnati Bengals minus the points rotation #106

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