Wise n' Shine: What you need to know to bet better on Friday, August 20

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Robbie Ray (38) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T-Mobile Park.
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Andrew Wilsher

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Managing Editor of Pickswise. Born and raised in jolly old London, England, with an undying love for the NFL, NBA, soccer and horse racing. A big-time sports bettor who loves futures markets and backing underdogs. Long-suffering New York Jets fan. For Andrew Wilsher media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.
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Good morning Pickswise Nation! Welcome to Wise n’ Shine, your one-stop shop for everything you need to know to bet better today. The weekend is almost upon us, and to kick things off we have 2 more NFL preseason games as well as a mega MLB slate of games. Let’s get right into it!

About Last Night

Patriots pummel Eagles
Week 2 of NFL preseason started with humiliation. Although the Eagles received plenty of action, having opened at +2.5 and starting the game at +1, Philly was decimated by the Patriots as they were crushed 35-0. Luckily we at Pickswise weren’t swayed by that shift, as we picked Bill Belichick’s men to cover. Given the way the game went, it was one of the most sweat-free bets you are likely to see.

Astros keep Pickswise MLB streak going
It was another winning night of baseball in the Pickswise office as we went 6-4 on our money line and run line picks, highlighted by our 3-star pick of the Astros -1.5 against the Royals (they prevailed 6-3). That was one of our MLB best bets, and our record with those remain superb at 147-94-5 for a 61 percent success rate. Make sure you check out today’s MLB best bet.

Today’s Slate

NFL preseason rolls on
NFL preseason continues and we have 2 interesting clashes to get excited for at 8pm ET tonight. The Bengals battle Washington on the NFL Network, while the Chiefs visit the Cardinals live on ESPN. Andy Reid revealed on Wednesday that his starters could play as much as the entire first half of that matchup. That means Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce will be in action, and it will be interesting to see if the Cards deploy star defensive end J.J. Watt. Find out our picks for tonight’s NFL action.

Mega night of MLB
It’s another big day of baseball with no fewer than 15 games set to take place. The Royals and Cubs provide bettors with afternoon entertainment as that matchup begins at 2.20pm ET before a host of hot evening games, including the White Sox against the Rays and a hot clash between the Mets and Dodgers. Make sure you check out our picks for all of today’s MLB games.

Best Bet of the Day

Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 vs Detroit Tigers
7.10pm ET

Detroit just got swept by the Angels and lost last night in a crazy way, having been up 10-2 before collapsing to lose 13-10. As for the Blue Jays, they just lost back-to-back games to the Nationals but have star pitcher Robbie Ray on the mound for this one. Ray has given up just 2 runs in 12.0 innings at the Rogers Center this season and he should be able to punish the Tigers. Make sure you check out our full game preview for this matchup.

Stat of the Day

Seven of Arizona’s last 8 preseason games have seen fewer than 41 points scored, which is the total line for their game against the Chiefs tonight. Read our preview for Chiefs vs Cardinals here.

Must-read

The 2021 college football season is almost upon us and Andrew Ortenberg has picked out three teams he expects to improve this year. Don’t forget you can find more of this week’s great betting content on the Analysis tab.

Boost of the day

Tom Brady to throw for 1+ yard against the Cowboys in NFL Week 1
Boosted to +100 with PointsBet

PointsBet is gifting their users with this incredible offer for Tom Brady to throw for 1 yard or more in the Buccaneers’ season opener against the Cowboys on September 9 at +100 odds. Max bet is $10.

Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news, and best bets. Check out our expert NFL Picks, NBA Picks, MLB Picks, and NHL Picks for the latest game picks.

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