Wise n' Shine: MLB picks and NCAAF best bets for Thursday, August 31

Welcome to a terrific Thursday of sports, Pickswise Nation. We finally have the official start of Week 1 of the college football season, plus more MLB games and US Open tennis, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better!

About Last Night

MLB YRFI/NRFI picks keep rolling
Wednesday was another packed slate of MLB action and our own Caleb Wilfinger kept rolling with his YRFI/NRFI picks, going 2-0 on Wednesday to bring his run to 27-10 in this market over the last 2 months. It was a busy day across baseball, with the Cubs beating the Brewers, the Reds toppling the Giants, the Astros defeating the Red Sox and a come-from-behind win for the Mets over the Rangers.

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Today’s Slate

College Football is back!
After a long and eventful offseason, college football is finally back and we’re set for a wonderful slate of Week 1 action beginning with four games on Thursday. Don’t miss all of our college football picks.

Quiet night on the diamond
After a full slate on Wednesday, Thursday offers a much quieter night across Major League Baseball. The action kicks off with the Yankees and Tigers at 1:10 pm ET and will conclude with a massive late-night tilt between the Braves and the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Check out all of today’s MLB picks.

Second round continues at Flushing Meadows
Second-round tennis action continues in New York and our expert has their US Open day 4 best bets for today’s action.

Best Bet of the Day

NCAAF: Nebraska vs Minnesota Under 43.5 (-110)
7:30 pm ET, FS1

This matchup is a bit of a doozie as both schools have had some major turnover since last season. For Nebraska, Matt Rhule takes the reins as head coach while Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims is expected to make his Cornhusker debut as QB1. Rhule and Sims add some much-needed pizzazz to what has been a struggling program for the last 6 years. Although Rhule commanded an RPO-heavy, pass-first offense during his stint at Baylor, he’ll likely revert to his run-heavy, two-tight end sets that he ran while coaching Temple considering Nebraska returns 3 of its top 4 rushing leaders. Furthermore, Sims is a run-first, mobile QB and Rhule should have a variety of plays designed for Sims to use his legs. Check out our full Nebraska vs Minnesota predictions.

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Must-read

The start of the college Football season means a 3-team NCAAF mega parlay at +610 odds to kick off Week 1. Make sure that you don’t miss our MLB YRFI/NRFI best bets as well, as our expert looks to add to his 27-10 run. All our NFL preview content is in our NFL Betting Guide and we also have the bets to make after the NFL preseason, our US Open Tennis Day 4 preview, and college Football Week 1 early picks.

Head over to the Analysis tab for even more great sports betting content as it arrives throughout the day.

Kentucky sportsbook bonuses and promo codes.

With sports betting going live in Kentucky on September 28, residents of the Bluegrass State can get ready for the big day by taking advantage of these great KY sportsbook offers and bonuses:

• DraftKings Kentucky: Receive $200 in bonus bets delivered as 8 x $25 bonus bets
• FanDuel Kentucky: Receive $100 in bonus bets + $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• Bet365 Kentucky: Earn $10 per touchdown in Lions vs Packers up to a maximum of $50
• BetMGM Kentucky: Receive $100 in bonus bets

Stat of the Day

The Kent State Golden Flashes are replacing all 11 starters on offense from a season ago. Kent State takes on UCF on Thursday in Orlando.

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