Ricky Dimon
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We are getting the Major League Baseball weekend started with a full 15-game slate on Friday. Week 5 in the 2022 Premier Lacrosse League season has also arrived, while the first full day of the NBA free agency window should be crazy. It’s another big day in the world of sports, so let’s not waste any time and get right to making your next bet better. Here is our latest installment of Wise n’ Shine!
About Last Night
Astros complete New York run in successful fashion
The Astros wrapped up a stretch of nine consecutive games against New York-based teams by beating the Yankees 2-1 on Thursday. Houston went 4-0 against the Mets and 3-2 against the Bronx Bombers. Meanwhile, a couple of offensive outbursts saw Philadelphia bash Atlanta 14-4 and the Cubs humiliate Cincinnati 15-7.
MLS best bet cashes at plus money
In a small Thursday slate of two Major League Soccer games, our three-star best bet of New York Red Bulls beating Atlanta United and under 4.5 goals was a winner. New York came out on top 2-1 by erasing a late deficit with goals in the 83rd and 89th minutes.
NBA free agency begins
Unsurprisingly, NBA free agency officially tipped off on Thursday evening with former Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson signing with the Knicks. That came on the heels of Dejounte Murray getting traded from the Spurs to the Hawks, while Thursday’s chaos also saw Kevin Durant request a trade from the Nets. Thus the stage is set for more wild days ahead.
Today’s Slate
Dodgers, Padres continue four-game series
A full 15-game MLB slate on Friday features the Dodgers hosting the Padres at 10:10 pm ET on FS1. It marks the second leg of a four-game series between the two NL West rivals. Today’s schedule begins with a pair of afternoon contests, including Red Sox at Cubs. Check out all of our MLB previews.
PLL Week 5 is upon us
The Premier Lacrosse League will pick up the summer slack with the NBA and NHL in the rearview mirror. Week 5 gets started on Friday, when the Archers go up against the Redwoods and the Atlas face the Chrome. As always, ESPN+ is broadcasting all of the action. You can find every PLL game preview here.
Wimbledon third round gets underway
On the other side of the pond, Wimbledon is heating up as the draw sizes get cut down. Men’s favorite Novak Djokovic will be in third-round action on Friday along with women’s second favorite Ons Jabeur. Be sure to check out all of our tennis coverage.
Best Bet of the Day
PLL: Archers -1.5 over Redwoods (-125)
7:00 pm ET, ESPN+
In a game that features two very strong defenses, an advantage must be found. When we examine the Archers’ other strengths, we see the highest-scoring offense in the league coupled with a clear advantage in between the pipes (Adam Ghitelman of the Archers is saving 53% while the Redwoods’ Tim Troutner is at 36%). Ghitelman leads the league in “messy saves” with 48. That means that even when the Archers’ defense breaks down, he is there to bail them out. The Redwoods are the worst team in the PLL when it comes to transition offense, scoring only twice on 13 attempts. The Archers are the clear favorites for a reason and we would even be comfortable playing this at -2.5. Read our full Archers vs Redwoods preview.
Must-watch
Make sure you catch today’s edition of our daily sports betting show, Let’s Bet It!, at 10:00 am ET on our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/c/Pickswise.
Hosts Jared Smith and Alex Glaze will be joined by Fangraphs writer Paul Sporer to discuss all things baseball. Football Friday (don’t miss these rookie prop bets!) headlines the show, as well. There will also be MLB predictions, Wimbledon picks and Plays of the Day.
Must-read
We have several Wimbledon futures bets that are looking good, but also be sure to note our Day 5 best bets before Friday’s first ball is struck on the grass. It is an action-packed day on the lacrosse field, as well; for that, we have provided our PLL Week 5 best bets and favorite PLL prop plays.
Finally, Jared Smith has taken a look at the MLB futures market as the halfway point of the 2022 season arrives.
Check out more great content as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Orioles and Twins could be in for a high-scoring affair on Friday night. Spencer Watkins is starting for Baltimore and he has a 5.14 ERA to go along with a 6.47 xERA. Minnesota boasts the league’s fifth-best OPS in June (.759).
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news, and best bets. Check out our expert MLB picks and Soccer picks for the latest game picks.
