Birmingham Legion of the USL have had a tough season with a 4 -11-10 record. They have struggled to defend, giving up 42 goals in 25 games. Birmingham has really struggled on the road; in the last 8 games they have 0-5-3 record with their last win on the road coming in June. They have to be looking forward to the trip to beautiful Detroit to take on a good Detroit team that has a 12-8-6 record and sits third in the Eastern conference. Detroit home games have been low scoring this season but that might change with the leaky Birmingham defense. I am going to take a shot on Detroit win at -156 and over 2 1/2 and a small play on the over 3 1/2. This game goes Saturday at 6:00 PM central.

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• Wang Cong presents a dangerous striking threat with proven durability and pressure, but Natalia Silva holds significant edges in cage movement, speed, top-tier Octagon experience, and defensive footwork.

  Having already outpointed elite movers like Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas, Silva has demonstrated the exact game plan required to manage aggressive strikers. Expect Wang Cong to land early hard shots, but Silva's superior speed and lateral angles should allow her to out-land Wang on points as the fight stretches into the championship rounds. Pick - N. Silva by Decision @ -110

• The Braves are resilient and carried momentum out of the Wild Card round, but their heavily depleted pitching staff—combined with high usage of key bullpen pieces—puts them at a distinct disadvantage at Dodger Stadium. The rested Dodgers offense will capitalise on a fatigued Braves pitching corps. Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (Run Line) @ +100

Jaymo because he's due finally score's not one but two TD against the reeling lowly Panthers that's my Best bet this weekend

Saturday’s college football card includes a late-night matchup with the Arizona Wildcats hosting the Cincinnati Bearcats in a Big 12 battle. VSiN Betting Odds show Circa Sports opened Arizona as an 8.5-point favorite, with a ‘total’ of 55. Early action has seen Cincinnati drop to as low as a 6.5-point underdog on other betting boards, while the ‘total’ sits at a widely available 55.5.

The Wildcats picked up their third win of the season last Saturday with a 34-24 victory over the Washington State Cougars. Arizona’s Noah Fifita tied his season-high with four touchdowns through the air, including a pair in the second half to surge ahead from the team’s 17-14 halftime deficit. While Fifita and Co. failed to ‘cover’ a heavy 11.5-point ‘number,’ Arizona now ranks second in the Big 12’s passing with 303.8 YPG.

Cincinnati remained unbeaten this season with its 31-26 upset win last week over the Kansas State Wildcats a 6.5-point ‘dog.’ The victory moved Scott Satterfield’s crew to a 3-1 mark ‘ATS,’ with the ‘total’ going ‘over’ for a third straight game. While the Bearcats have fared well at the betting windows, none of its contests have taken place yet outside the “Buckeye state.”

Arizona has yet to cash a point-spread ticket this season, but this Saturday’s ‘lumber’ is lower than its prior three spots as ‘chalk.’ This sets up a “buy low” type of spot for the Wildcats, while Cincinnati’s gridiron clocks will need to reset with an 11 p.m. ET start out west.

Based on VSiN Betting Splits, Circa Sports has taken mostly Bearcats bets at its current line of 7 while DraftKings has a majority of its backers laying 6.5 points with Arizona. I will be joining the ‘square’ DK crew with a Wildcats ticket but may avoid using them in VSiN’s “EDGE BOOST Average Joe” contest if Circa’s odds remain a half-point north.

Cincinnati saw a seven-game winning streak last season end with a 45-14 loss in Salt Lake City to the Utah Utes, missing the 11.5-point spread mark by a few ski slopes. Look for the Bearcats to again implode here, with Arizona piling on late points to collect at the ‘books.’

From my colleagues at MLB Network Research..

Looking Ahead: The winner in Game 1 of a best-of-five postseason series has gone on to win 116 of 160 series (73%) all-time. Across the past four postseasons, this has rung true in 14 of 16 series (the exceptions: 2022 Padres came back to beat the Dodgers; 2025 Mariners beat Tigers).

Guardians: Steven Kwan reached base safely in his final 18 regular-season games, slashing .362/.457/.493 (25-69 AB) with 11 runs scored during the streak.

• Kwan led MLB in AVG (.353) and OBP (.443) in the second half (MIN: 200 PA).

• Kwan vs. Chicago in 2026: .357/.460/.500 (15-42 AB), 7 runs.

Dodgers: won Game 1 of any postseason series at Dodger Stadium 12 times in 13 chances since Dave Roberts took over as the team’s skipper in 2016.

Rays: Drew Rasmussen is 9-0, 1.86 ERA in 12 starts since the All-Star break—all Rays victories. They haven’t lost a game started by Rasmussen since July 9…against the Yankees in TB.

Brewers: Jacob Misiorowski finished his Cy Young campaign with 18.2 consecutive scoreless innings. He hasn’t allowed a run since the first inning vs. the Cubs on September 8.

• Misiorowski finished the season with more strikeouts (252) than his opponents’ SLG (.246).

Dating back to 1979, only 2 teams have started the season 0-3 and made the playoffs

Ironically, those teams are one in the same:

Houston Texans

And they just so happened to do it last year

And here they are again at 0-3…

Solid plus money right now to make the playoffs and flip the script again. Would you back them with your money? And dare I say if they lose Sunday to Dallas, could they be the first team to make it after starting 0-4?????

Minnesota as a home dog is the way to go here. UM may be 3-1 on paper, but everyone in America knows they are actually 2-2. This is also their first trip outside of Ann Arbor. Minny comes back home for an early kickoff after the late night road win in Seattle last Saturday as double-digit dogs. Crazy that for a "trophy game", this contest isn't played on a yearly basis anymore. While UM has won the last 5 games they have played, this goes back to 2015. The last meeting in 2024, was only a 3 point UM win (27-24). Two good defenses here, with the offensive edge going to The Gophers. The momentum is in the Boat Rowers favor, they win the game outright and reclaim The Little Brown Jug.

This game will be played at 2:30 PM central at Protective Life stadium in Birmingham. These two schools are less than a mile apart but are not huge rivals as they play at different levels in football. UAB head coach Alex Mortensen played two seasons at Samford before transferring to Arkansas. I dont see him running the score up on Samford. UAB will win this game but i like Samford +30 1/2 to cover. UAB comes off a huge win vs Navy and has Memphis on deck so maybe its just get a win and get ready for Memphis. Samford is not good but did get their first win last week. UAB likes to run the ball and there is some thunderstorms in the forecast. Some things to like in this game. We will give it a shot with Samford +30 1/2

I like the Under 9 1/2 corners in the Kazakhstan vs Moldova game. Hoping for a midfield game with very few chances. also playing smaller amounts on under 8 1/2 and 7 1/2. This game goes at 9:00 AM central time.

The game was wide open , had no chance on under corners.

• Even without Jarvis, Carolina’s high-volume shooting scheme and structural dominance at home give them a slight edge over Washington. Expect a tight, physical Metropolitan Division battle where special teams play a massive role. Pick - Carolina Hurricanes ML @ -140

• Winnipeg usually brings heavy energy for home openers at Canada Life Centre, but Boston already has a game under its belt, showing early defensive composure behind Swayman. Expect a tight, lower-scoring battle that comes down to special teams execution in the 3rd period or overtime. Pick - Boston Bruins ML @ +107

• Northwestern keeps the game competitive early through disciplined defensive play and dynamic snaps from Aidan Chiles. However, Penn State's offensive line and rushing attack wear down the Wildcats in the second half to secure a bounce-back Big Ten victory. Pick - PSU -2.5 @ -122

🔥 Featured Match:
1⃣ Dallas Wings @ Golden State Valkyries

• While Arike Ogunbowale's historic Game 2 performance kept Dallas alive, replicating that volume on the road without secondary frontcourt depth (due to Alanna Smith's absence) presents a severe challenge. Expect Golden State to correct their perimeter foul discipline and use home-court energy at Chase Center to lock down transition lanes, advance to the semifinals, but getting 8.5 is a lot in this important game. Pick - Dallas Wings +8.5 @ -112

🔥 Featured Matches:
1⃣ Chesterfield vs. Tranmere

• Chesterfield enter Matchday 9 following solid momentum at home, where their high-pressing attacking unit consistently forces defensive errors from mid-table opposition. Tranmere have struggled for goals on the road and often fall back into a low block when missing regular midfield depth. Pick - Chesterfield ML @ -147

2⃣ Gillingham vs. Newport County

• Gillingham's matches at home are notoriously tight, disciplined affairs centered on solid defensive structure. Newport County have struggled with creative fluidity on the road, making a low-scoring contest highly probable. Newport County face disciplinary and squad-depth restrictions in attacking positions, while Gillingham welcome back key defensive personnel to maintain their low-block stability. Pick - Under 2.5 Total Goals @ -125

🔥 Featured Matches:
1⃣ Burton vs. Huddersfield Town

• Burton have proven tough to break down at home, but losing Sibbick directly destabilizes their structure against one of the league's most clinical away sides. Expect Huddersfield to control possession and capitalize on transitional mistakes. Pick - Huddersfield ML @ -122

2⃣ Reading vs. Bradford City

• Reading's matches at home feature high energy and plenty of end-to-end action, but defensive instability frequently yields goals. Bradford City have been one of the division's top side-producers in front of goal, making Both Teams to Score the safest play on the card. Pick DRAW @ +210

I also like Curacao over Trinidad & Tobago, Trinidad has lost 8 games in a row, Curacao has won 2 in a row and the 3 games before that were against much higher level teams.

I am playing it this way:

Curacao to win and over 1 1/2 -166

Curacao to win and over 2 1/2 - 105

Total over 2 1/2 - 165

Curacao wins 1-0 but played it wrong.

A couple of off the beaten path plays in CONCACFF:

I like Guyana over Dominica, Dominica has been terrible and has not scored in the last 5 games. Guyana has won their 4 games in 2026 allowing only 2 goals.

I am playing it this way:

Dominica under 1/2 goal -146

Guyana to win and under 3 1/2 -124

Guyana wins 5-1. But I played it wrong.

Some cool nuggets from my colleagues at MLB Network Research:

White Sox: first team in MLB history to hold the lead at the end of every inning in a multi-game postseason series (h/t: OptaSTATS).

Yankees: hit just .153 with two strikes in the regular season (2nd worst in MLB). In the Wild Card Series, they went 13-39 AB (.333) with two HR and nine RBI with two strikes.

Padres: held the Cubs’ high-octane offense in check the past two days:

• Chicago’s .145 SLG was the lowest ever in a multi-game postseason series.

• San Diego joined the 1983 Orioles and 1940 Reds as the only pitching staffs within the past century to hold the regular season’s R/G leader to 1 or 0 runs over any two-game span in the playoffs (h/t: Sarah Langs).

FOR TONIGHT..

• Philadelphia has lost all nine prior postseason series in which they lost Game 1. The Phillies and Rockies (0-4) are the only teams to never win a playoff series after losing Game 1.

• The Phillies are 12-0 in the postseason when Bryce Harper hits a home run. They are 10-18 in the playoffs when Harper plays but doesn’t homer.

The regular season is over and my Phillies are on life support. BUT we still have pitchers to handicap, folks! Nobody’s pulling the plug on the K department.

⚾ Tuesday:
• Chris Sale most Ks (+175) ❌

Sale finished with 9. Schlittler (+210) won with 10. Apparently 9 strikeouts was the Sale price. Full price was 10.

Ahem… Can He Get to 10? 👀

⚾ Wednesday:
• Sean Burke 8+ Ks (+525) 💰
• Sean Burke daily strikeout leader (+1000) 💰

Burke said he has no family, no girl, no kids—this is all he does.

THE MAN GAVE US HIS ENTIRE SCOUTING REPORT. THAT WAS THE HANDICAP!

⚾ Thursday: Putting the ball in Aaron Nola’s hands.

• Over 11.5 outs recorded (-135 | FanDuel)
• 5+ Ks (+157 | Caesars)
• 6+ Ks (+330 | Caesars)

Nola’s three starts against Atlanta this season:
• 4⅔ innings, 6 Ks
• 7 innings, 5 Ks
• 6⅓ innings, 3 Ks

He cleared today’s outs line in all three meetings. We need four full innings, and his workload against Atlanta gives us a reason to like that number.

For the K ladder, Nola reached 5+ in 22 of 33 starts (66.7%) and 6+ in 13 of 33 (39.4%). Since the All-Star break, he’s reached 6+ in 6 of 13 starts (46.2%).

For context, +157 implies a 38.9% break-even rate and +330 implies 23.3%. Those historical hit rates aren’t a forecast for today—postseason workload matters—but they give me a reason to like these prices.

The outs play asks for four innings, with 5+ and 6+ Ks forming the ladder.

All three depend on the same outing, so there’s shared risk here.

Your move, Aaron. Preferably toward the fifth inning.

I'm not sure how many people are staying up and betting the Asian Swing — and I'm not sure how many of our VSiN subscribers even bet tennis on normal hours. However, if you're up, these tournaments offer serious in-play betting value. The conditions over there are absolutely grueling, as the players are left baking in the sun to deal with the heat/humidity. Over the years, many players have folded. We see a good amount of retirements, and we also see players just going through the motions and looking forward to the end of the match.

Last night, I was able to catch Jaume Munar on a live play to beat Taylor Fritz. Heading into that match, Fritz would have been considered a near-lock to win. However, in the middle of the second set, he looked cooked. His hands were on his knees, he was making faces to the coaches in his box, and he had zero chance of winning rallies that weren't done in 0-4 shots. It was pretty clear to me that Munar, who is extremely fit, would take it from there.

Look out for some of this stuff over the next few weeks. Also, give a slight bump pre-flop to players that you know are extremely well-conditioned.

I'm seeing plus-money odds on Olson to go Over 1.5 HRR tonight. That's generally an auto-play for me when he's facing righties. This season, Olson is averaging 2.2 HRR per game against right-handed starters. He has also come up big against Aaron Nola in the past, as he has 18 total bases in 24 plate appearances against him. Of course, this is an HRR play and not a TB play. But I see him coming through with a RISP tonight, or just going yard and taking care of business himself.

In this years edition of the UEFA Nations League I have been playing under 9 1/2 corners across the board with success. In the early rounds it seems teams are more relaxed and not going forward with as much vigor.