Friday August 9 Finest Sports activities Betting Picks for Olympics, MLB and NFL Preseason

The Paris Olympics are winding down, with gold medals nonetheless to be received.

One workforce closely favored to win one is the USA ladies’s basketball workforce, in motion on Friday within the match semifinals.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks are enjoying the second contest of a four-game set. You could recall that Zack Wheeler dominated the Diamondbacks in final season’s Nationwide League Championship Collection, however Arizona received in seven video games to advance to the World Collection.

In relation to NFL preseason video games, crucial factor is determining which workforce must win extra. A workforce often within the playoffs is extra concerned about making it by August with out sustaining accidents, however different groups want to realize some momentum—or improve ticket gross sales—by profitable some video games.

We’ll take a look at USA ladies’s basketball, the baseball rematch, and an NFL sport that matches the above profile.

AUSTRALIA VS. UNITED STATES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

There is not a lot probability of an upset right here within the semifinals. The U.S. has received seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and 59 straight video games in Olympic competitors.

Then once more, no person felt Serbia would ever lead the Staff USA males by 17 factors, and it took a valiant comeback for the Individuals to stave off that upset bid. Australia is able to placing forth a powerful effort, significantly with a gold-medal sport spot on the road.

Alanna Smith had 22 factors and 13 rebounds in Australia’s 85-67 victory over Serbia to succeed in this sport. Different WNBA gamers like Jade Melbourne, Sami Whitcomb and Ezi Magbegor are additionally strong gamers.

In fact, the U.S. has A’ja Wilson (averages 20.3 factors and 10 rebounds), the prime ladies’s participant on this planet. And demoting 42-year-old Diana Taurasi in favor of Jackie Younger, a much-better all-around participant, has solely made the Individuals a stronger workforce.

Australia plus 15.5 factors, -108 (DraftKings)

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Wheeler went 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA in three appearances (two begins) within the 2023 NLCS, however Arizona went 4-1 within the video games Wheeler did not begin. Wheeler confronted the Diamondbacks in June and as soon as once more silenced them by limiting them to 1 run and two hits over seven innings in a 12-1 victory.

Wheeler can be a scorching pitcher getting into the matchup, as he allowed no runs in two of his previous three begins. Mix that together with his 5-2 profession mark and a pair of.97 ERA in 9 profession regular-season begins in opposition to Arizona, and the Diamondbacks are in for a problem.

Philadelphia has received 4 of its final 5 video games after shedding six straight and 12 of 15. Arizona has been hovering with a 14-5 mark because the All-Star break and had received 4 straight previous to Thursday’s 6-4 loss within the collection opener.

Ryne Nelson begins for Arizona, and he was torched for 3 runs and 4 hits in two-thirds of an inning in Sport 2 of the NLCS. Nelson is 3-0 with a 2.98 ERA over his final seven begins, so search for a low-scoring affair.

Beneath 8.5 runs, -118 (DraftKings)

ATLANTA FALCONS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS

The Falcons have not made the postseason because the 2017 marketing campaign, earlier than Matt Ryan’s profession started spiraling downward. They’ve since missed the playoffs in six straight seasons and fired coach Arthur Smith in January after three straight 7-10 seasons below his watch.

Miami has made the playoffs in each seasons below coach Mike McDaniel, together with an 11-6 common season in 2023. The Dolphins are right here to get in some work, preserve gamers wholesome, and take a look at to determine who’s their backup quarterback—Mike White or Skylar Thompson—whereas Tua Tagovailoa performs zero or one collection.

Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins as a free agent within the offseason, however do not anticipate to see a lot of him. This can be a time for rookie Michael Penix Jr. to point out everybody why the Falcons chosen him eighth total within the 2024 draft, though they added Cousins.

New Atlanta coach, Raheem Morris, is attempting to ascertain a brand new tradition. The Falcons aren’t favored to win as a result of they’ve higher expertise; it’s as a result of they want the victory.

Falcons -2.5 unfold, -110 (DraftKings)