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

[1%] Free Play on Nationals over 9½ +105

Ricky's 1* play on PHI.

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 6-4 in their last 10 games.

- Kyle Leahy is 1-3 in his last 4 starts for the Cardinals.

- The Phillies are 3-1 in their last 4 road games.

Verdict: The value is on the road favorite.

Don't count out the defending American League champions just yet. The Blue Jays have won five of their last seven games. That puts them just 3 1/2 games back of the final American League wild-card spot with 42 games remaining in the regular season.

Toronto has momentum. Boston doesn't.

The Red Sox have gone from winning nine straight games to losing four in a row. They have scored 3 or fewer runs in four consecutive games for the first time since May.

The pitching matchup is Ranger Suarez versus José Soriano. They have similar numbers. Suarez is 4-3 with a 3.32 ERA. Soriano is 9-6 with a 3.24 ERA.

Suarez, though, is not in good form posting a 5.06 ERA in three starts since returning from the injured list. Soriano has allowed three earned runs during his past three starts spanning 16 2/3 innings.

3* on over

1* Free Wiseguy Play on White Sox -136

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

1* FREE INFO PLAY Pirates vs Marlins over 8 -110

1* Free Sharp Play on Mets vs Braves over 8½ -110

Wednesday Card led by the Leagues CUP TOTAL OF THE YEAR at night and a RARE 8* WNBA 16-0 TOTALS PLAY and a Top totals play in UEFA Afternoon Soccer in the Aston Villa VS PSG Match. Comp Play below

The Hump Day Comp play is on the Over in the WNBA Game pitting Toronto at Dallas at 8 eastern. Dallas has won the first 2 meetings and the last one had 203 points. The Wings have cashed overs in the last 3 games. Toronto has gone over in their last 2 games. To tie in a nice totals system Rob notes that road dogs of 15 or less like the Tempo are 15-2 to the over if they allowed 100+ points in a road dog loss and are playing a .550 or better opponent that allowed 75 r more. Look for this game 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.

1* Free Pick on Diamondbacks -170

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*).

PSP Data Driven 1* Blue Jays +1.5

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 Underdog. The Blue Jays are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games. The Red Sox are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games.

Sam Burns vs. Xander Schauffele

Both players sit among the top contenders this week, but Burns combination of current form, course fit, and putting edge makes him the play.

Sam Burns has been the hottest player on Tour over the last month:

3rd at The Open Championship

2nd at the U.S. Open

T4 at the Memorial

T20 at the Canadian Open

T12 at Travelers

Five straight finishes between 2nd and 20th, with major contention, elite putting, and noticeably improved iron play. He skipped the week after the Open and arrives rested.

Burns history in this event adds to the case: runner-up in 2021, 5th in 2024, and a track record of solid finishes here. As a Louisiana native, he's grown up on Bermuda greens — a real edge on this surface.

Xander Schauffele is still chasing his first win of 2026, but the underlying form has picked up:

2nd at the Rocket Classic (his best finish of the season, strong tee-to-green)

T7 at the PGA Championship

T9 at the Masters

T11 at the U.S. Open

T18 at The Open

There have been rougher weeks mixed in (MC at the Scottish Open, T51 at Travelers), but the Rocket runner-up was a genuinely high-quality performance that should carry some momentum into the playoffs. His own history here is solid too — a runner-up finish in 2024 and a prior top-6.

Key statistical edges:

Par-4 scoring is critical on this layout, and Burns has ranked near the top of the Tour in this metric recently — as high as 2nd.

Putting favors Burns clearly; he's typically elite with the flat stick, which plays up on Bermuda.

Ball-striking/tee-to-green favors Schauffele, who generally holds the historical edge and reinforced it at Detroit.

Both players handle pressure and limited-field events well, and neither is a pure bomber — a good fit for a water-laden, accuracy-focused setup.

The Play: Sam Burns at the current price, on the strength of superior recent results, Bermuda expertise, and course history.

Take: Sam Burns over Xander Schauffele (+105)

Let's cash some tickets!