Phil Agius
Show Bio
Good morning, Pickswise Nation, and welcome to another fantastic Friday of sports. NFL Week 4 is underway and we have a packed MLB slate to enjoy today, as well as college football action and Ryder Cup golf, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better.
About Last Night
- Our NFL handicappers’ primetime success continued as our Lions -1 NFL pick was never in doubt in Detroit’s 34-20 TNF win over the Packers, which boosted our record on primetime side plays this season to 9-2-1. The 3-1 Lions are +2100 odds to win the Super Bowl with FanDuel Sportsbook and -195 favorites for the NFC North.
- There were some key games in the final week of the MLB regular season yesterday. The Diamondbacks failed to claim a wild-card spot by losing 3-1 to the White Sox, even though the Cubs lost 5-3 to the Braves, who clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Orioles took the AL East with a 2-0 win over the Red Sox, while the Blue Jays picked up a key win, 6-0 against the Yankees. There was late-night drama in New York, though, where the Marlins had rallied to go 2-1 up over the Mets when the game was suspended in the 9th inning due to rain. The game may have to be resumed on Monday if it affects playoff positions.
- Well, this one is more About This Morning, but the Ryder Cup began in Rome early this morning, with Team Europe sweeping the morning foursomes 4-0 against the United States, which is great news for our Ryder Cup best bet. Heading into the Day 1 fourballs, DraftKings Sportsbook had Europe at -450 odds with USA at +450 and the tie +1200.
Today’s Slate
- Check out our MLB picks for all today’s games including Astros vs Diamondbacks at 9:40 pm ET and Rangers vs Mariners at 10:10 pm ET.
- We have an all-ranked college football matchup on FS1 tonight as #10 Utah visits #19 Oregon State at 9:00 pm ET on FS1. You can read all our NCAAF predictions for the Week 5 games.
Best Bet of the Day
NCAAF: Louisville Cardinals -3.5 over NC State Wolfpack (-110)
7:00 pm ET, ESPN
Both of these teams are off to a great start. The Wolfpack are 1-0 in conference play after a road win at Virginia and their lone loss was to a good Notre Dame team. The Cardinals are 2-0 in conference play with wins at Georgia Tech and at home against Boston College. The Cardinals are playing well on both sides of the ball, and their offense is one of the most explosive in football, averaging 43 points per game and nearly 550 yards per game. NC State prides itself on defense, but this Cardinal group will be tough to slow down. Read our full Louisville vs NC State predictions
Must-read
- We have a Louisville vs NC State Same Game Parlay for tonight’s game
- You can also read our NCAAF Week 5 mega parlay, CFB Best Bets and Week 5 Saturday mega parlay
- Our baseball experts have today’s MLB mega parlay and the smart YRFI/NRFI Best bets
- NFL fans can check out our NFL Week 4 prop picks and NFL power rankings and Futures plays
- There’s also soccer action this weekend and we have a Saturday EPL parlay at +1049 odds
Read all of our sports betting articles as they arrive throughout the morning and afternoon on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
Today was the first time Europe (or Great Britain previously) has swept the opening session of a Ryder Cup. The USA has done it 3 times (1947, 1975 and 2016) and went on to win the trophy each time.
Quote of the Day
“Our fanbase here is electric. It’s a huge advantage for us. I’ve been on the other side where the fans get all over you. It makes for a tough night of sleep and an uncomfortable game.”
— Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud is thrilled his team will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
