Spencer Closs

Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.

US Open quarterfinal picks and predictions: Bet on Sinner, Swiatek to win comfortably

US Open quarterfinal picks

Only a few competitors remain as the US Open reaches the quarterfinal stage.

The pregame narrative: Jannik Sinner has been on a tear which is why he’s the target of my best bet. Elsewhere, I’m backing Iga Swiatek to dominate while betting on Grigor Dimitrov and Frances Tiafoe to go over their total games.

Check out my top US Open quarterfinal picks.

US Open quarterfinal picks

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Best Bet: Sinner -1.5 sets (-125)

The world’s No. 1 ranked player has lived up to the status at the US Open and continues to dominate on this surface.

He’s now 52-5 on the year with an incredible 27-2 record on outdoor hard courts. He’s played 13 sets across four rounds of the tournament and won 12 of them.

The same can be said for his opponent Daniil Medvedev, but the recent history between the two players has me excited to jump in on the Italian at his top form.

Sinner has five wins in his last six matches against Medvedev with the one loss coming on grass at Wimbledon. The wins all come on some sort of hardcourt surface. Two of the three on outdoor hard courts were won in straight sets.

As the 23-year-old matures, he seemingly has figured out his Russian counterpart.

Before his US Open success, Medvedev lost three of his last four matches on this surface. He has yet to face a seeded player at the tournament whereas Sinner disposed of 14th-ranked Tommy Paul in straight sets.

Medvedev can win one set against the Italian and this bet can still cash, but I expect the favourite to win comfortably.

Key stat: Sinner has won his last eight completed matches, covering this spread in six of them.

Other picks

Swiatek -1.5 sets (-134): Swiatek has been playing to her standard and she has a wealth of success against her opponent Jessica Pegula.

The world’s No. 1 ranked women’s player is 29-4 on outdoor hard courts and is rolling at the US Open, winning every set thus far. She’s held 33-of-35 service points (94%) through the first four rounds and looked unbeatable in her last few matches.

As well as Pegula is also playing, I’m backing the recent success we’ve seen from the flourishing Polish star.

In Swiatek’s last eight encounters with her opponent, she’s won six times. Five of the wins were on this same playing surface.

The single 2024 meeting went the way of Swiatek as she won dominantly in straight sets (6-1, 6-0). Pegula taking just one game in that meeting gives me concern for her in this matchup.

I mean, who has had success against the No. 1 seed on outdoor hard courts? The answer is no one. She carries a 113-18 record on the surface since the start of 2022.

Dimitrov/Tiafoe over 39.5 games (-120): If you can’t wait until tomorrow’s action, here’s one pick for tonight.

Dimitrov has been in form at the US Open, dropping only two sets in his first four matches. And both came against the only seeded player he faced so far, Andrey Rublev, in the Round of 16.

Tiafoe on the other hand has won back-to-back matches as the underdog and most recently halted the momentum of Alexei Popyrin who was playing at a world-class level.

It’s hard to pick a winner between these two but I am backing a closely contested match. After all, that has been the result when they met on the outdoor hard courts in the past.

Both of their career meetings on this surface went over this number.

US Open picks made at 12:45 a.m. on 09/03/24

US Open quarterfinal picks and predictions: Bet on Sinner, Swiatek to win comfortably

US Open quarterfinal picks

Only a few competitors remain as the US Open reaches the quarterfinal stage.

The pregame narrative: Jannik Sinner has been on a tear which is why he’s the target of my best bet. Elsewhere, I’m backing Iga Swiatek to dominate her match.

Check out my top US Open quarterfinal picks.

US Open quarterfinal picks

Visit full US Open betting markets.

Best Bet: Sinner -1.5 sets (-130)

Embed: #93451

The world’s No. 1 ranked player has lived up to the status at the US Open and continues to dominate on this surface.

He’s now 52-5 on the year with an incredible 27-2 record on outdoor hard courts. He’s played 13 sets across four rounds of the tournament and won 12 of them.

The same can be said for his opponent Daniil Medvedev, but the recent history between the two players has me excited to jump in on the Italian at his top form.

Sinner has five wins in his last six matches against Medvedev with the one loss coming on grass at Wimbledon. The wins all come on some sort of hardcourt surface. Two of the three on outdoor hard courts were won in straight sets.

As the 23-year-old matures, he seemingly has figured out his Russian counterpart.

Before his US Open success, Medvedev lost three of his last four matches on this surface. He has yet to face a seeded player at the tournament whereas Sinner disposed of 14th-ranked Tommy Paul in straight sets.

Medvedev can win one set against the Italian and this bet can still cash, but I expect the favourite to win comfortably.

Key stat: Sinner has won his last eight completed matches, covering this spread in six of them.

Other picks

Swiatek -1.5 sets (-134): Swiatek has been playing to her standard and she has a wealth of success against her opponent Jessica Pegula.

Embed: #93452

The world’s No. 1 ranked women’s player is 29-4 on outdoor hard courts and is rolling at the US Open, winning every set thus far. She’s held 33-of-35 service points (94%) through the first four rounds and looked unbeatable in her last few matches.

As well as Pegula is also playing, I’m backing the recent success we’ve seen from the flourishing Polish star.

In Swiatek’s last eight encounters with her opponent, she’s won six times. Five of the wins were on this same playing surface.

The single 2024 meeting went the way of Swiatek as she won dominantly in straight sets (6-1, 6-0). Pegula taking just one game in that meeting gives me concern for her in this matchup.

I mean, who has had success against the No. 1 seed on outdoor hard courts? The answer is no one. She carries a 113-18 record on the surface since the start of 2022.

US Open picks made at 12:45 a.m. on 09/03/24

Ravens vs. Chiefs Week 1 best bet: Fade offence in first game of the season

Chiefs vs. Ravens best bet

The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs clash on Thursday to kickstart a new NFL season.

The pregame narrative: In a game loaded with offensive talent, the defensive units from both teams are amongst the strongest in the league. Therefore, I’m backing the under in an intriguing Week 1 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

Check out my Ravens vs. Chiefs best bet for their Week 1 matchup on Sept. 5.

Ravens vs. Chiefs best bet

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Last year’s Super Bowl champions against the No. 1 seed from the regular season. What a matchup.

The Ravens stormed out of the gate last season and never looked back, finishing with a 12-3 record. They ultimately fell short against the Chiefs in the AFC championship game.

In the offseason, Baltimore added arguably the best running back of the last decade, Derrick Henry. The expectation is that he will pair exceptionally well with the dual-threat style of Lamar Jackson.

Kansas City had an up-and-down season going 11-6 but Patrick Mahomes and the defence stepped up when it counted and won the Chiefs’ third Super Bowl in the Mahomes era.

Now, Week 1 of the NFL season provides a blockbuster matchup between these two contenders.

Take the under on TNF

Best Bet: First half – under 22.5 points (-106)

Even though both these sides possess powerful offences, their defensive units stole the show in the AFC championship last season. The game finished 17-10.

While the Chiefs didn’t turn the ball over, the Ravens did — three times.

I don’t expect the same sloppy play on Thursday but I do expect an early run-heavy approach from both sides resulting in a running clock.

Baltimore should be ecstatic to go to the ground game with the acquisition of Henry in the backfield. In all honesty, the Ravens could improve on their league-leading 156.4 rushing yards per game from last season. However, I’m not expecting it to come together right away.

In the first nine weeks last season, 22-of-29 primetime games (Thursday, Sunday, Monday) stayed under their totals (75.8%). A lot of that was due to safe playcalling and running the football. I expect much of the same in the first game of the year, especially in the opening half.

For Kansas City, Mahomes was much worse on Thursday and Monday nights last year as compared to other situations. He threw six touchdowns and four picks in four Monday/Thursday games. For context, he had a 21:10 TD-to-INT ratio on Sundays.

For at least one half of football, I am backing the Ravens and Chiefs’ defences while the offensive units figure things out.

Key stat: Both defences combined to allow 17.7 first-half points per game last season.

Picks made at 10:08 p.m. ET 09/03/2024.

Ravens vs. Chiefs Week 1 best bet: Fade offence in first game of the season

Chiefs vs. Ravens best bet

The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs clash on Thursday to kickstart a new NFL season.

The pregame narrative: In a game loaded with offensive talent, the defensive units from both teams are amongst the strongest in the league. Therefore, I’m backing the under in an intriguing Week 1 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

Check out my Ravens vs. Chiefs best bet for their Week 1 matchup on Sept. 5.

Ravens vs. Chiefs best bet

Embed: #93417

Go to full NFL betting markets

Last year’s Super Bowl champions against the No. 1 seed from the regular season. What a matchup.

The Ravens stormed out of the gate last season and never looked back, finishing with a 12-3 record. They ultimately fell short against the Chiefs in the AFC championship game.

In the offseason, Baltimore added arguably the best running back of the last decade, Derrick Henry. The expectation is that he will pair exceptionally well with the dual-threat style of Lamar Jackson.

Kansas City had an up-and-down season going 11-6 but Patrick Mahomes and the defence stepped up when it counted and won the Chiefs’ third Super Bowl in the Mahomes era.

Now, Week 1 of the NFL season provides a blockbuster matchup between these two contenders.

Take the under on TNF

Best Bet: First half – under 22.5 points (-104)

Embed: #93425

Even though both these sides possess powerful offences, their defensive units stole the show in the AFC championship last season. The game finished 17-10.

While the Chiefs didn’t turn the ball over, the Ravens did — three times.

I don’t expect the same sloppy play on Thursday but I do expect an early run-heavy approach from both sides resulting in a running clock.

Baltimore should be ecstatic to go to the ground game with the acquisition of Henry in the backfield. In all honesty, the Ravens could improve on their league-leading 156.4 rushing yards per game from last season. However, I’m not expecting it to come together right away.

In the first nine weeks last season, 22-of-29 primetime games (Thursday, Sunday, Monday) stayed under their totals (75.8%). A lot of that was due to safe playcalling and running the football. I expect much of the same in the first game of the year, especially in the opening half.

For Kansas City, Mahomes was much worse on Thursday and Monday nights last year as compared to other situations. He threw six touchdowns and four picks in four Monday/Thursday games. For context, he had a 21:10 TD-to-INT ratio on Sundays.

For at least one half of football, I am backing the Ravens and Chiefs’ defences while the offensive units figure things out.

Key stat: Both defences combined to allow 17.7 first-half points per game last season.

Picks made at 10:08 p.m. ET 09/03/2024.

Braves vs. Phillies Sunday Night Baseball picks: Fade offence and back Aaron Nola

Braves vs. Phillies picks

The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies close out the weekend with Sunday Night Baseball.

The pregame narrative: I expect both starting pitchers to dominate as the Phillies try to split the series with the Braves. Therefore, the under on the game total is my best bet for tonight. I’m also taking a plus-money prop on Aaron Nola and Kyle Schwarber.

Check out my Braves vs. Phillies picks for Sunday Night Baseball on Sept. 1.

Braves vs. Phillies picks

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Best Bet: Under 8 runs (-106)

I expect both pitchers to be firing on all cylinders tonight so the safe bet is the under.

The Phillies’ Nola has a wealth of experience against this Braves lineup and I expect him to use that to his advantage. He’s also been excellent in recent starts.

Across his three most recent outings, the experienced righty allowed just two earned runs in 19 innings pitched. We’ll talk more about Nola in the next pick but I’m expecting him to deal.

I want to use the rest of this section to cover the success of Spencer Schwellenbach who’s been exceptional in his rookie season.

The 24-year-old has a 3.72 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 87.0 IP. Compare that to 17 walks and it feels like we’re seeing the evolution of a future ace.

He’s started two games this year against the Phillies and both have stayed under this number.

Key stat: 11 of the last 13 games that Schwellenbach has started have ended below this total.

Quick picks

Nola over 6.5 strikeouts (+140): I want to circle back to Nola and dip into his strikeout market.

Don’t get me wrong, he hasn’t hit the number often this season but that’s the reason for the nice plus-money number.

In a whopping 343 plate appearance sample size, this current Braves lineup has 95 hits off Nola but more importantly 109 strikeouts (.318 K rate).

If he can work deep into this game like he has recently, I think he can have an outlier game in the Ks department.

Schwarber under 0.5 runs (+100): Schwarber was on a heater earlier in the season but his bat has seemingly cooled off.

He has 88 runs in 125 games which is impressive but if we narrow it down to his last 15 games, the designated hitter’s three runs stand out for the opposite reason.

Two of those runs came in the same game meaning this bet has cashed in 13 of his last 15.

I also cannot ignore Schwellenbach’s success against Schwarber in the past even if it’s limited. The Phillies’ slugger is 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk.

Picks made at 2:19 p.m. ET 09/01/2024.

Braves vs. Phillies Sunday Night Baseball picks: Fade offence and back Aaron Nola

Braves vs. Phillies picks

The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies close out the weekend with Sunday Night Baseball.

The pregame narrative: I expect both starting pitchers to dominate as the Phillies try to split the series with the Braves. Therefore, the under on the game total is my best bet for tonight. I’m also taking a plus-money prop on Aaron Nola and Kyle Schwarber.

Check out my Braves vs. Phillies picks for Sunday Night Baseball on Sept. 1.

Braves vs. Phillies picks

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Best Bet: Under 8.5 runs (-121)

Embed: #93286

I expect both pitchers to be firing on all cylinders tonight so the safe bet is the under.

The Phillies’ Nola has a wealth of experience against this Braves lineup and I expect him to use that to his advantage. He’s also been excellent in recent starts.

Across his three most recent outings, the experienced righty allowed just two earned runs in 19 innings pitched. We’ll talk more about Nola in the next pick but I’m expecting him to deal.

I want to use the rest of this section to cover the success of Spencer Schwellenbach who’s been exceptional in his rookie season.

The 24-year-old has a 3.72 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 87.0 IP. Compare that to 17 walks and it feels like we’re seeing the evolution of a future ace.

He’s started two games this year against the Phillies and both have stayed under this number.

Key stat: 11 of the last 13 games that Schwellenbach has started have ended below this total.

Quick picks

Nola over 6.5 strikeouts (+140): I want to circle back to Nola and dip into his strikeout market.

Embed: #93284

Don’t get me wrong, he hasn’t hit the number often this season but that’s the reason for the nice plus-money number.

In a whopping 343 plate appearance sample size, this current Braves lineup has 95 hits off Nola but more importantly 109 strikeouts (.318 K rate).

If he can work deep into this game like he has recently, I think he can have an outlier game in the Ks department.

Schwarber under 0.5 runs (+110): Schwarber was on a heater earlier in the season but his bat has seemingly cooled off.

Embed: #93285

He has 88 runs in 125 games which is impressive but if we narrow it down to his last 15 games, the designated hitter’s three runs stand out for the opposite reason.

Two of those runs came in the same game meaning this bet has cashed in 13 of his last 15.

I also cannot ignore Schwellenbach’s success against Schwarber in the past even if it’s limited. The Phillies’ slugger is 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk.

Picks made at 2:19 p.m. ET 09/01/2024.

Best MLB prop bets Sept. 1: Bet on Soto to have an efficient game at the plate

MLB prop bets

I’m backing two bats and fading one pitcher in today’s MLB prop bets.

The pregame narrative: On Sunday, I like Juan Soto to break his slump and have a strong outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. Elsewhere, I’m backing Luiz Arraez to score a run against the Tampa Bay Rays, while fading Ronel Blanco in a tough matchup.

Check out how I’m backing them in the top MLB prop bets for Sept. 1.

MLB prop bets

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Best bet: Soto over 1.5 total bases (-117)

Embed: #93260

Soto has been cold at the plate but I think he has the matchup to have an offensive explosion so I’m jumping in at this buy-low price.

Since August 16, he has a .167 batting average in 14 starts. But let me (and Baseball Savant) remind you just how good Soto is at the plate with some numbers:

  • 94.2mph average exit velocity (98th percentile)
  • 56.2% hard-hit rate (99th percentile)
  • .672 xSLG (100th percentile)

Not that you needed reminding but those stats are too nice not to share. Soto is arguably the best pure hitter in baseball so while backing him in the middle of a slump is risky, getting good value on his player props is the reward.

The matchup is just as important, however, and the Yankees’ slugger has a nice one today.

Miles Mikolas is an inning-eater for the Cardinals but he does so inefficiently. The 36-year-old has a 5.23 ERA this season across 149.2 innings pitched.

Soto is 6-for-19 (.313 BA) with a double and a home run off of Mikolas and luckily for bettors, the righty has only walked 24 batters all year.

New York’s right fielder is the best in the majors at taking walks but today I expect him to have an efficient outing with the bat.

Key stat: Soto has recorded at least one hit in each of his six career games against Mikolas.

Quick picks

Blanco under 5.5 strikeouts (-127): This isn’t a number Blanco cashes frequently and the Kansas City Royals don’t allow pitchers to surpass the mark often.

Embed: #93261

Let’s start with the latter. Despite Yusei Kikuchi throwing a masterclass of a game yesterday and recording 12 Ks across 7.0 IP, the Royals don’t strike out much. In fact, they strike out the second-fewest times per game (6.86).

On top of that, Blanco has six or fewer Ks in eight of his last 12 starts. Everything points to the under here as I don’t see the Astro’s starter replicating what his teammate did a night ago.

Arraez over 0.5 runs (+125): I’m always giddy to find a plus-money bet that I like.

Embed: #93262

Firstly, Arraez hits lead off in a potent San Diego Padres’ offence, giving the first baseman ample opportunities to score.

Next, he faces Ryan Pepiot and he’s had success against him before. Arraez has eight plate appearances against the Rays starter and reached base in four of them.

It’s not surprising as the Padres’ leadoff man is one of the best contact hitters in baseball. He carries a .309 BA, .343 OBP and has scored 70 runs in 128 games.

Picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET on 09/01/2024.

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US Open predictions and best bets for Sept. 1: Back Popyrin, Zverev to advance

US Open best bet

The Round of 16 at the US Open starts on Sunday.

The Latest: Alexei Popyrin is in top form and I’m backing him to win on Sunday as my best bet. Elsewhere, I’m taking the over on the total games in the match between Emma Navarro and Coco Gauff.

Check out my top US Open predictions and best bets for Sept. 1.

US Open predictions

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Best bet: Popyrin to win (-120)

Following the biggest win of his career, I’m taking the Australian to advance into the quarterfinals at the US Open.

Popyrin defeated Novak Djokovic, 3-1, on sets on Friday (6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4). Even though Djokovic was battling injuries, he’s still one of the best and this win can’t be undervalued.

The 25-year-old is in incredible form currently, which includes winning the National Bank Open in August on hardcourt, which is the same surface the US Open is contested on.

That was no easy run for Popyrin, either. He defeated highly-ranked players Ben Shelton (No. 13) Grigor Dimitrov (No. 9 ranked), Hubert Hurakacz (No. 7) and Andrey Rublev (No. 6) on the way to the tournament win in Montreal.

Remarkably, the best run of the Aussie’s career has come against the top competition in the world.

Sunday’s opponent, Frances Tiafoe, ranks lower than all of those players (No. 20). And the American has played a lot of tennis already in this tournament. His last match — against Shelton — lasted 54 games.

The accumulation of long matches has resulted in Tiafoe playing 8:55 of tennis at the US Open. By comparison, Popyrin has spent just north of seven hours on the court across his first three contests.

Key stat: Popyrin has a 16-5 record on the outdoor hardcourts this year.

Other US Open pick

Navarro/Gauff over 21.5 total games (-117): I have a futures bet on Navarro to win the US Open, but I can’t deny Gauff’s excellent play up to this point.

In fact, both players have been stellar, playing an identical 57 games apiece to reach this stage tournament. That success isn’t surprising for either on this playing surface, though.

Navarro is 29-10 on outdoor hardcourts and Gauff is 22-7. With that kind of form on both sides, I’m expecting an exciting match that goes the distance.

Considering the over here could cash in two close sets, it feels like a no-brainer to jump on board.

Tennis predictions made at 4:01 p.m. on 08/31/24

US Open predictions and best bets for Sept. 1: Back Popyrin, Zverev to advance

US Open best bet

The Round of 16 at the US Open starts on Sunday.

The Latest: Alexei Popyrin is in top form and I’m backing him to win on Sunday as my best bet. Elsewhere, I’m taking the over on the total games in the match between Emma Navarro and Coco Gauff. Lastly, expect Alexander Zverev to win but not without resistance.

Check out my top US Open predictions and best bets for Sept. 1.

US Open predictions

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Best bet: Popyrin to win (-122)

Embed: #93209

Following the biggest win of his career, I’m taking the Australian to advance into the quarterfinals at the US Open.

Popyrin defeated Novak Djokovic, 3-1, on sets on Friday (6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4). Even though Djokovic was battling injuries, he’s still one of the best and this win can’t be undervalued.

The 25-year-old is in incredible form currently, which includes winning the National Bank Open in August on hardcourt, which is the same surface the US Open is contested on.

That was no easy run for Popyrin, either. He defeated highly-ranked players Ben Shelton (No. 13) Grigor Dimitrov (No. 9 ranked), Hubert Hurakacz (No. 7) and Andrey Rublev (No. 6) on the way to the tournament win in Montreal.

Remarkably, the best run of the Aussie’s career has come against the top competition in the world.

Sunday’s opponent, Frances Tiafoe, ranks lower than all of those players (No. 20). And the American has played a lot of tennis already in this tournament. His last match — against Shelton — lasted 54 games.

The accumulation of long matches has resulted in Tiafoe playing 8:55 of tennis at the US Open. By comparison, Popyrin has spent just north of seven hours on the court across his first three contests.

Key stat: Popyrin has a 16-5 record on the outdoor hardcourts this year.

Other US Open picks

Zverev over 20.5 games won (-121): To win a match at a Grand Slam major, a player must win a minimum of 18 games, so let’s start there.

Embed: #93210

Zverev is -420 on the moneyline and I expect him to get the win, but his opponent may not be so easy to put away.

Brandon Nakashima has played spoiler at the US Open thus far, eliminating two top-20 players: Holger Rune and Lorenzo Mussetti. He’s spent most of his time on hardcourts this season (26 matches) and his experience is starting to become a factor.

At the end of the day, all Nakashima needs to do is win one set against Zverev to push this into a fourth, which would make it likely for the German to win some extra games beyond the minimum.

Considering Nakashima is -200 to cover the +2.5 set spread, and the total games is set at 38.5, I feel confident in the young American to keep it relatively close but ultimately lose out to Zverev.

Navarro/Gauff over 21.5 total games (-117): I have a futures bet on Navarro to win the US Open, but I can’t deny Gauff’s excellent play up to this point.

Embed: #93211

In fact, both players have been stellar, playing an identical 57 games apiece to reach this stage tournament. That success isn’t surprising for either on this playing surface, though.

Navarro is 29-10 on outdoor hardcourts and Gauff is 22-7. With that kind of form on both sides, I’m expecting an exciting match that goes the distance.

Considering the over here could cash in two close sets, it feels like a no-brainer to jump on board.

Tennis predictions made at 3:07 p.m. on 08/31/24

Blue Jays picks vs. Twins Aug. 31: Back Blue Jays behind Guerrero Jr.

Blue Jays picks vs. Twins

The Toronto Blue Jays look to bounce back against the Minnesota Twins.

The pregame narrative: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went hitless last night but I’m expecting him to rebound and have a productive outing tonight. I’m also placing a wager on the Blue Jays to win with the red-hot Jose Berrios on the mound.

Check out the best Blue Jays picks vs. the Twins on Aug. 31.

Blue Jays picks vs. Twins

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Best Bet: Guerrero Jr. over 1.5 bases (-112)

Embed: #93180

Vladdy failed to cash this bet yesterday in a 2-0 loss. I’m chalking that up as a tough matchup and hopping back on the wagon today.

Guerrero is still on a monumental heater, don’t get it wrong. Since the all-star break, he is slashing .404/.482/.801 with 13 home runs, 17 doubles and just 14 strikeouts.

Pablo Lopez was a tough matchup for the Blue Jays, but I don’t feel the same threat with today’s starter.

Zebby Matthews is having a strong start to his MLB career, posting a 3.00 ERA in his first three starts. What is less impressive was his time spent in Triple-A earlier this season (5.68 ERA across four starts). He was called up due to injuries, not his stellar play.

Vladdy is now sitting second in the majors in hits (167) due to his otherworldly last month and a half. I don’t predict an incoming cold streak for Toronto’s star hitter.

Instead, I’m taking a prop he’s been consistently cashing at a reasonable price.

Key stat: Guerrero has topped this total in six of his last eight games.

Quick pick

Blue Jays moneyline (+123): To continue with Matthews, the righty allows a 37% hard-hit rate and sits well below average in both whiff rate (20.2%) and chase rate (25.0%), per Baseball Savant.

Embed: #93181

This could be just what the Blue Jays need to get their offence back on track. Toronto strikes out the sixth-fewest times per game (7.5) and should make Matthews work for every out.

Jose Berrios gets the call for the Jays and he’s the more seasoned MLB starter and has been dialled in over his last four starts.

He owns a 1.88 ERA and has pitched seven or more innings in each contest during that span. Toronto is 4-0 in Berrios’ past four starts and I like the Jays again tonight at plus money.

Royce Lewis under 1.5 bases (-139): On top of Berrios’ recent success, Lewis hasn’t been very good lately.

Embed: #93182

In his last 13 starts, Lewis has surpassed 1.5 bases just once, so this line caught my eye immediately. Over that time, he’s hitting .204 with a measly .241 SLG and just two walks compared to 17 Ks.

The third baseman is ice cold right now and I’m looking to take advantage with Berrios on the mound.

Picks made at 11:07 a.m. on 08/31/24.