All 30 teams in Major League Baseball return to action following their traditional mid-summer hiatus that saw some history made at the All-Star Game.
MLB used the first tiebreaking swing-off in its history in order to prevent the players from exerting excessive energy and effort in an exhibition game. Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies homered three times in the novelty content to give the National League a 4-3 nod following a 6-6 tie through the first nine innings in which the American League overcame a six-run deficit.
Perhaps the biggest surprise to come out of the impromptu HR derby — as MLB threaded the needle of finding an alternative that protected the interest of the players while maintaining some smidge of competitive integrity — is that it was roundly well-received by fans and spectators who are notoriously cynical and quick to characterize any such tactic as a circus-like gimmick.
A popular narrative flowing amid the round of applause was the suggestion that regular-season MLB games might soon be determined with this same method, and there is a precedent in place among the major sports leagues. Ten years ago, the NHL adopted a format in which a shootout determines the outcome of contests that are still tied following a 5-minute overtime. Whether MLB follows suit remains to be seen, but the regular season will resume Friday behind the rare air of positive publicity stemming from the All-Star Break.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the first half of the season was the Detroit Tigers surging to an MLB-high 59 wins at the break and setting the course for shattering all of their pre-season expectations. The Tigers were priced around +275 in the sportsbook future odds to win the AL Central and their over/under win total of 83.5 suggested a possible step back from last year’s 86-76 campaign (third in the division).
On Friday, the Tigers (59-38), who hold a whopping 11.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central, visit the Texas Rangers (48-49) for the start of a three-game weekend series.
This matchup already has seen quite a bit of action at the sportsbooks as the MLB odds have flipped from the Rangers opening as a slight underdog to now being listed as a slight favorite at -115 (risk $115 to win $100), while the Tigers are priced at -105.
In addition to the 15-game MLB slate, the WNBA has an itinerary of All-Star Game festivities, and we’ll also look ahead to a huge MMA card at UFC 318 in New Orleans on Saturday. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet at the top sportsbooks on Friday, July 18. All times Eastern.
MLB best bets today, where to watch
Tigers at Rangers
Time: 8:05 p.m. | Location: Arlington, Texas | TV: FanDuel Sports Network
SportsLine picks — Model: Rangers ML -112 | Expert: Tigers -120 (Micah Roberts)
The SportsLine Projection Model likes the Rangers, who won four of six heading into the break, to start the stretch run on a positive note with a home victory in the series opener. The model’s 10,000-game simulation sees Texas winning this matchup roughly 55% of the time, a value position against the implied sportsbook odds of 52.8%. It generated a projected final score of 4.7-4.6 in the Rangers’ favor in the simulations.
However, SportsLine’s Micah Roberts, a former casino sportsbook executive, says he believes it’s a strong spot for Detroit to snap the four-game losing streak it took into the All-Star Break. He points out that Tigers starter Reese Olson has allowed just three runs across his past three starts and Detroit has won six of his past 10 outings.
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WNBA best bets today, where to watch
All-Star Festivities; 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Indianapolis | TV: ESPN
SportsLine picks — Expert: Kelsey Plum Over 19.5 points in first round (Max Meyer)
SportsLine WNBA analyst Max Meyer says he believes Plum will have something to prove after she scored a meager 14 points the last time she took part in the competition back in 2019. He points out that Plum ranks third in the league in 3-pointers attempted per game, and her 35.8% connect rate is respectable considering she is a focal point of the Los Angeles offense and most of those attempts are contested. With no defenders in sight for this competition, Meyer expects Plum to give a respectable showing.
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Looking ahead: UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3
Time: 10 p.m. Saturday (main card) | Location: New Orleans | TV: ESPN (prelims), pay-per-view (main card)
SportsLine expert picks: Francisco Prado (-142) to defeat Nikolay Veretennikov (Daniel Vithlani)
Dustin Poirier is perhaps the most decorated UFC fighter to have never won an undisputed title. The Louisiana-born slugger, beloved by fans for his action-packed fights and astounding durability, is getting a hometown sendoff Saturday in the main event of UFC 318 against rival Max Holloway in New Orleans.
Poirier has held the interim belt but came up short in three bids for the undisputed lightweight title. However, the 36-year-old combatant has numerous highlights on his resume, including two knockouts of Conor McGregor in 2021 and a 2-0 record against Holloway, the former featherweight champion who is similarly one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster.
The five-round main event opened as around a pick ’em (-110 on both sides) in the UFC betting odds before drifting toward the 33-year-old Holloway as a slight favorite (-130). SportsLine MMA analyst Danny “Brasco” Vithlani has issued his picks for the main event as well as the rest of the card. We can tell you he’s backing Francisco Prado to beat Nikolay Veretennikov in a prelim matchup. Click the link above to see all of Vithlani’s UFC 318 selections.
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- Nikolay Veretennikov (+120) over Francisco Prado (Kyle Marley)
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