Wise n’ Shine: MLB best bets and NFL futures picks for Friday, August 4

Good morning, Pickswise Nation. Football returned last night as the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns faced off, but now we’re without football for the next few days. So that means it’s back to the diamond until then, and since it’s another big day in the world of sports, let’s get right to it and make your next bet better with Wise n’ Shine!

About Last Night

The NFL is back!
Can you feel it? The NFL season is nearly here! The first preseason Game took place last night as the Cleveland Browns defeated the New York Jets 21-16. But before the season starts, make sure to check out our NFL futures betting guide for all of our futures bets for the 2023 season!

MLB trade deadline acquisitions impress
There were 3 starting pitchers who made their debut for their new team on Thursday, and all 3 pitchers made a great first impression. Max Scherzer allowed just 3 runs in 6 innings as the Rangers beat the White Sox 5-3, Michael Lorenzen went 8 innings and surrendered only 2 innings as the Phillies defeated the Marlins 4-2, and Jack Flaherty gave up 1 run in 6 innings as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 6-1.

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Today’s Slate

Plenty of MLB action on Friday
Baseball begins early on Friday as the Braves and Cubs start the day at 2:20 pm ET at Wrigley Field, and action continues throughout the entire day until the Dodgers and Padres face off at 9:40 pm ET. Don’t miss our MLB predictions for all 14 games today.

Best Bet of the Day 

MLB: Houston Astros ML over New York Yankees (-135)
7:05 pm ET, Apple TV+ 

The New York Yankees’ pitching staff is a mess. Here’s a short recap — Carlos Rodon has a 6.29 ERA, Nestor Cortes is hurt, Domingo German will miss the rest of the season due to off-the-field issues, Frankie Montas is still out, and finally, Luis Severino has an ERA over 7 entering August. Yeah, not good. It’s clear that Severino is starting to feel the effects of his terrible season since he was quoted saying, “I feel like I’m the worst pitcher in the game” after his last start. The Astros have the 6th-best batting average and 7th-best wRC+ in the second half of the season, so I’m confident that they can secure a big win in the Bronx.

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Must-read

Baseball fans, don’t miss our+984 MLB mega parlay for Friday’s action! We are also ramping up NFL preseason coverage with a plethora of futures-related articles, and you can find all of them in our NFL Betting Guide. Read all of our sports betting articles as they arrive throughout the day on the Analysis tab. 

Stat of the Day

Luis Severino’s 7.49 ERA over 12 starts is the highest in Yankees history.

Quote of the Day 

“I hear they like their beer around here, so I’m looking forward to that.”

— Milwaukee Brewers trade-deadline acquisition Andrew Chafin after arriving in Milwaukee.

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