Wise n' Shine: What you need to know to bet better on Sunday, August 15

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacob Eason (9) drops back to pass Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, during a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers
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Andrew Ortenberg

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I'm an NFL handicapper here at Pickswise who was raised in a household full of sports fanatics. Since I unfortunately never had LeBron James' jumping ability I wasn't able to make it to the NBA, and chose writing about sports as the next best thing. An avid sports bettor myself, I'm excited to get to write about the industry as it gets set to take off across the country. Buckle up. For Andrew Ortenberg media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.
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Good morning bettors! Welcome to the fourth edition of Wise n’ Shine, your one-stop shop for everything you need to know to bet better each day. A busy week of NFL preseason action wraps up on Sunday and we also have a full slate of Major League Baseball action.

Here we go.

About Last Night

NFL preseason: Young quarterbacks make their debuts
The preseason really got into full swing on Saturday with 10 games, and we got a great look at the next generation of stars. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields all made their professional debuts. All 4 fared pretty well, but Fields and Lance were particularly impressive. They are also the 2 who are supposed to start the season off as backups, but Andy Dalton and Jimmy Garoppolo are surely feeling the pressure now. Elsewhere, Drew Lock appeared to take a firm lead in the competition to be the Broncos’ Week 1 starter over Teddy Bridgewater. Lock went 5-of-7 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Tim Tebow also lined up as a tight end for the first time for the Jaguars, and it didn’t go too well….

Pickswise handicappers go 7-3 on NFL sides and 7-3 on totals
We had a great day of NFL betting here at Pickswise. Our experts went 7-3 both against the spread and on totals. Interestingly, unders ruled the day. The under went 9-1 on Saturday, as only one game saw more than 35 total points scored. On sides, we went a perfect 6-0 through the first six games before cooling off a bit in the nightcap. One of our winners was the Bengals +6, and Cincinnati actually won outright as by far the biggest underdog of the slate. We have only one game Sunday, but it should be a good one between the Panthers and Colts. Check out our full game preview to see who we like.

Today’s Slate

NFL preseason weekend wraps up with one game
As I just mentioned, Sunday’s showdown between Indianapolis and Carolina is our only game. Only a few more Sundays until we have full slates of regular season football…so close we can taste it. But the Colts/Panthers game will still have plenty of intrigue, even though unfortunately we won’t get to see Sam Darnold make his Carolina debut. However, we will get an extended look at Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger for the Colts. If Carson Wentz isn’t ready for the start of the regular season, one of those guys will be under center Week 1 against the Seahawks. The game starts at 1 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally by NFL Network.

Full 15-game MLB schedule
What better way to wrap up the weekend than with a full MLB slate of 15 games? We have been killing it with baseball recently, cashing several different mega parlays with big payouts over the past few weeks. One of the highlights of the early slate will be a rubber match in the final game of a series between the Reds and Phillies that has big playoff implications in the National League. To wrap things up, the Dodgers will host the Mets for Sunday Night Baseball.

Lots of EPL and MLS matches
Don’t let NFL and MLB action make you forget about soccer! The most popular sport worldwide has plenty of momentum following the Euro Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup, and Copa America. Now it continues with another English Premier League season, which began on Friday with Brentford’s stunning 2-0 upset of Arsenal and continues on Sunday. There are also four matches on the MLS docket. The game between Los Angeles FC and Atlanta United will be televised nationally by ESPN at 4 p.m. ET.

Best Bet of the Day

Panthers @ Colts over 34.5
1:00 pm ET, NFL Network

As mentioned, we had a great NFL day on Saturday, mostly betting the under. But on Sunday we’re pivoting with a 3-star play on the over in Indianapolis. The Colts will be going all-out offensively as they attempt to decide between Eason and Ehlinger, and Panthers coach Matt Rhule isn’t the type to not care about a preseason game. Last year was his first as an NFL head coach, when the preseason was canceled. This is his first preseason game as head coach, and we’re expecting him to take this seriously. The Colts have some promising young offensive players who should get a lot of run. Be sure to check out our full game preview to find out what we like in terms of the side.

Stat of the Day

1-15. That’s the Orioles’ record in games that Keegan Akin has pitched in this season. Baltimore’s starter has a 8.23 ERA through nine starts and seven relief appearances, and his WHIP is an eye-popping 1.79. Now he gets the honor of going on the road to start against a Red Sox team that has the third-highest OPS in the league this season. If that’s not a recipe for disaster, we don’t know what is. We’re taking the Red Sox -1.5 on Sunday, and it’s one of our MLB Best Bets.

Must-read article

Sad that there’s only one NFL game on? Well there’s still plenty to tide you over on Sunday, including horse racing. We have 3 picks we like at Saratoga, including a +300 underdog.

Headline

Gilbert stunningly throws no-hitter in first major league start
It’s been a pretty bleak season for the Diamondbacks, without too many bright spots. That made it all the more special when Tyler Gilbert threw a no-hitter in the first start of his MLB career on Saturday. He became the eighth hurler to throw a no-hitter this season and the first since 1953 to throw one in his first ever start. It was really cool to watch an unheralded 27-year-old who was just recently taken in the minor league Rule 5 draft etch his name in the game’s history books.

Boost of the day

Tottenham vs Manchester City: Raheem Sterling to be the first goal-scorer
Boosted to +650 from +500 with DraftKings Sportsbook

One of those previously mentioned English Premier League games is getting a juicy odds boost from DraftKings. Bet on Raheem Sterling to score the first goal, and you’ll walk away with a payout of +650, up considerably from the previous +500 offering.

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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