The sports schedule for Friday, August 22 is filled with excitement featuring four NFL preseason matchups, a complete 15-game MLB lineup, three WNBA games, and the second round of the 2025 Tour Championship. This night also marks the last evening of preparation before the commencement of the 2025 college football season with five Week 0 games on Saturday, kicking off with No. 22 Iowa State versus No. 17 Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland. Before that, Friday presents a variety of captivating options for sports gamblers, including Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City starters going head-to-head against Caleb Williams and the Bears starters at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Whether you’re exploring MLB betting, football betting or any other aspect of the Friday sports agenda, there are numerous online sports betting choices available, and our team is here to guide you. Our model and experts will provide insights into the major events daily and currently have their top sports betting selections available.
Here’s what we’re wagering on today:
MLB top picks
- Game: Rockies vs. Pirates (6:40 p.m. ET)
- The Pick: Over 8.5 runs (-110)
The Rockies are conceding the most runs in the league (6.4 runs per game) and are sending Antonio Senzatela to the mound, who has a 7.00 ERA this year. The 30-year-old faces the Pirates for the second time this month, and Pittsburgh scored eight runs against him before the conclusion of the first inning in a wild 17-16 affair during their last encounter. While envisioning 30+ runs again is challenging, the model anticipates both teams will find offensive success, as Pittsburgh’s hitters could feel confident against Senzatela once more. The Pirates have a record of 3-8 in their last 11 games and gave up at least seven runs in five of those contests. The model predicts the Over will be achieved in 70% of simulations.
- Game: Nationals vs. Phillies (6:45 pm ET)
- The Pick: Over 9.5 runs (+100)
The Phillies and Nationals face off for their second series within a week, and during their last meeting, they amassed 20 runs in an 11-9 victory for the Phillies. The Phillies have emerged victorious in four consecutive games, scoring at least six runs in each challenge while averaging 10 runs per game in that stretch. Meanwhile, the Nationals are riding back-to-back wins against the Mets, averaging seven runs in those games. The 33-year-old Taijuan Walker is taking the mound for the Phillies, while Cade Cavalli makes just his fifth major league start for the Nationals. The model anticipates increased offensive firepower on Friday, predicting the Over to hit in nearly 60% of simulations, presenting value on the Over at plus-money odds at FanDuel.
- Game: Braves vs. Mets (7:15 pm ET)
- The Pick: Braves ML (-118)
The Mets have struggled with a record of 5-16 over their last 21 games, and while the Braves have been a letdown this season at 11 games below .500, they boast a 10-2 record over their past 12 games. The Braves claimed two of three games against the Mets last week in New York, and now they’ll return home to Atlanta. Nolan McLean is making his second career start for the Mets, demonstrating strength in his debut with 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Mariners. The Braves are set to start Joey Wentz, who has allowed only one earned run in his last two starts. Given the contrasting trends of the two teams and Atlanta’s experienced lineup opposing a novice pitcher, the model indicates value in the Braves, projecting them to win in nearly 70% of simulations.
Additional MLB top picks
NFL Friday preseason top picks
- Game: Vikings vs. Titans at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+ Premium
- The Pick: Titans -2.5 (-110) (R.J. White)
The Titans plan to field their starters, including Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall choice in the 2025 NFL Draft, on Friday, while the Vikings are unlikely to have their starters on the field. White believes this is a prime opportunity to support the starters for the initial few drives, but he also has faith in Tennessee’s reserves.
«It’s important to mention that the Titans backups performed better with Trevor Siemian last week as opposed to Tim Boyle, while it was Brandon Allen who truly excelled in leading Tennessee to victory,» White conveyed to SportsLine. «I have more faith in this quarterback group than I would in Minnesota’s if J.J. McCarthy isn’t playing. The Vikings struggled without any touchdowns last week, generating four field goal drives of 53, 48, 31, and negative-1 yards, and we can expect to see more players fighting for a spot on the roster this week.» The Titans have become 3.5-point favorites, but White stated he would still back the Titans up to 3.5-point favorites.
College football Week 0 top picks
- Game: Stanford vs. Hawaii (Saturday, 7:30 ET on CBS and Paramount+ Premium)
- The Pick: Hawaii -2.5 vs. Stanford (Chip Patterson)
The odds have shifted in favor of Hawaii, who is now favored after initially being considered an underdog. Although other SportsLine analysts backed Hawaii earlier in the week when they were underdogs or offered better odds for bettors, Patterson is endorsing Hawaii as the favorite at a crucial number under 3 points. Stanford is essentially starting anew this season with Frank Reich stepping in as interim head coach following the firing of Troy Taylor in March. Timmy Chang enters his fourth season at Hawaii, and Micah Alejado, who passed for 469 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-30 win over New Mexico after stepping in for the injured starter John-Keawe Sagapolutele, is positioned to take over as QB1 this year. Patterson, along with other SportsLine experts, leans towards Hawaii at home on Saturday.
Further college football top picks
NFL Week 1 top picks
- Game: Giants vs. Commanders (Sunday, September 7 at 1 pm ET)
- The Pick: Commanders -6 (-110)
The Giants have shown considerable promise in the preseason, exceeding 30 points in all three of their preseason games, largely attributable to their deeply talented quarterback room. However, in terms of the QB1 dilemma, Washington appears to hold the advantage with Jayden Daniels, last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, in contrast to the 36-year-old Russell Wilson. Washington will host the Giants in Week 1, and the Commanders had a strong home record of 7-2 overall and against the spread last season. Meanwhile, the Giants struggled on the road last year with a 2-5 ATS record. The Commanders cover in well over 60% of simulations, making them one of the model’s premier spread selections for Week 1.
Additional NFL top picks
