We are one night away from five straight days of college football leading up to the first week of the NFL season, but before that, sports bettors can enjoy matinee baseball on Wednesday. The 15-game Wednesday MLB schedule opens with Yankees vs. Nationals from the Bronx, as the Yankees look to extend their three-game winning streak. The Yankees are -275 favorites on the money line in the latest MLB odds, but the SportsLine model sees the best value in this contest on the total rather than a winner, making Over 8.5 runs scored one of its MLB best bets for Wednesday.
Whether you’re looking into MLB betting, football betting, or anything else on the Wednesday sports schedule, there are a number of online sports betting options, and our team can help point you in the right direction. Our computer model and experts will weigh in on all of the biggest events every day, and they’re offering their top sports betting picks right now.
Here’s what we’re betting today:
MLB best bets
- Game: Nationals vs. Yankees (1:05 p.m. ET)
- The Pick: Over 8.5 (-110)
The Yankees have won three straight games, going Over this number in two of the three contests, including a 10-5 victory over Washington on Monday. New York has the No. 2 scoring offense in baseball (5.16 runs per game) behind an MLB-leading 1.66 home runs per game. Giancarlo Stanton had a home run and five RBI on Tuesday to continue his hot stretch in a lineup with Aaron Judge, who is on his way toward winning back-to-back American League MVP awards. The Yankees are starting their ace Max Fried, but Fried has a 6.43 ERA over four August starts. The model projects the Over to hit in well over 60% of simulations.
- Game: Rays vs. Guardians (1:10 pm ET)
- The Pick: Guardians +1.5 (-145)
Cleveland snapped its six-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday, but even during the skid, the Guardians rarely lost by multiple runs. Half of their six losses came by multiple runs, and the Guardians have either won or lost by one run in six of their last nine contests. Cleveland is 32-32 at home this season, while Tampa Bay is 30-35 on the road. Cleveland is starting Slade Cecconi, who held the Rangers to two runs over six innings on Friday in his last start. The model projects the Guardians to cover the spread well over 60% of simulations, bringing value at these odds.
- Game: Braves vs. Marlins (1:10 pm ET)
- The Pick: Over 8.5 runs (-110)
The Braves defeated the Marlins 11-2 on Tuesday to fly over this total, as Atlanta has gone Over this number in seven of its last 10 games. After a slow start to the season, the Braves are 12-5 over their last 17 games, largely due to an offensive surge. Atlanta has climbed to 15th in baseball in scoring at 4.41 runs per game in a lineup filled with star power, including Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies. Ryan Gusto is making his second start for the Marlins after being acquired from the Astros, and he has a 6.00 ERA over those two starts, including allowing three runs over six innings against the Braves on August 9. Braves starter Joey Wentz allowed six runs over 3 1/3 innings against the Mets in his last start on Friday. Given this matchup, the SportsLine model projects the Over to hit in well over 50% of simulations. Bet now at FanDuel and get $300 in bonus bets if your first wager of $5 or more wins.
More MLB best bets
College football Week 1 best bets
- Game: Boise State vs. South Florida (Thursday, 5:30 p.m. ET)
- The Pick: Boise State -5.5 (model)
Boise State lost its most high-profile player in running back Ashton Jeanty, who the Raiders selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Broncos do return their starting quarterback and other talent. Maddux Madsen threw for 3,018 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, and although Boise State lost its first College Football Playoff game to Penn State, Madsen threw for 304 yards and completed 65.7% of his passes in that contest. Boise State’s success wasn’t all due to Jeanty and its offense last season, ranking 37th in the nation in scoring defense (23.2 points per game), and the Broncos return a defense filled with upperclassmen this year. The model sees Boise State coming out to another fast start in the post-Jeanty era, projecting the Broncos to cover the spread in well over 60% of simulations.
More college football best bets
NFL Week 1 best bets
- Game: Cowboys vs. Eagles (Thursday, Sept. 4 at 8:20 pm ET)
- The Pick: Over 46.5 total points (model)
The SportsLine model projects offensive fireworks to begin the 2025 NFL season in a matchup of two of the better offenses and quarterbacks in the NFL over recent seasons. The Eagles had the No. 5 scoring defense (29 points per game) last season en route to their Super Bowl title. Dallas played half the season without Dak Prescott, which hindered its offensive success, but in 2023 with a healthy QB1, Dallas led the NFL at 30.1 ppg. The model projects the Over to hit in well over 60% of simulations to kick off the NFL season.
More NFL best bets
