Three bets worth considering when the weekend kicks off

U.S. Open
Los Angeles Country Club
June 15-18, 2023
SuperBook Line: Dustin Johnson +800

The first day of the 2023 U.S. Open has been completed. The short course at the Los Angeles Country Club has given some players trouble, but others have thrived. Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele are tied for first place at -8.

Heading into round two, Schauffele is the odds-on favorite to take home the trophy at +250, while Fowler is third at +550. Rory Mcllroy is +500, Scottie Scheffler is +650 and Dustin Johnson, who is currently tied for second is +800.

To be fair, a bet placed on any of these guys would be a pretty handsome payout. But which one makes the most sense? That would be Johnson.

At +800, Johnson is being criminally underrated. He is a distinguished golfer with two major victories, including a U.S. Open win in 2016. He is only two shots back after day one.

Johnson is in a fantastic position, yet he somehow has just the fifth-best odds to win the tournament. Getting +800 for a guy is two strokes back, with three days left to play, and a U.S. Open win already on his resume?

Bill Liteley’s pick: Dustin Johnson to win the U.S. Open (+800)

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Colorado Rockies at Atlanta Braves
Truist Park – Atlanta, GA
7:20 PM ET
SuperBook Line: Atlanta -250

Like any league, Major League Baseball has teams that range from great to downright terrible. However, when the season is 162 games long, and pitchers have to rotate, it’s not uncommon for bad teams to beat good ones.

That’s why most moneyline bets during the regular season are fairly even. It is rare to see a team open as a -200 favorite or better. On Friday night, the Braves open as a -250 favorite over the Rockies.

Atlanta is one of the best teams in baseball. At 43-36, the Braves are currently sitting in first place in the NL East. They also have the best record in the National League.

The Rockies, on the other hand, are 29-42. They’re dead last in the NL West and have the 13^th-best record in the National League.

The mismatch between these two teams is incredibly evident. Thursday night’s series opener proved that point.

The Braves handled the Rockies 8-3 in a game in which they started a 20-year-old rookie pitcher by the name of A.J. Smith-Shawver. Shawver gave up just three runs and got the win in his second ever MLB start.

On Friday, Jared Shuster will be on the mound for the Braves. Shuster is 3-2 this season and he will be up against Dinelson Lamet of the Rockies. Lamet is 1-3 with a lousy 10.38 ERA.

The Braves are stacked with talent that the Rockies just cannot handle. Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. are two of the biggest names in baseball and both of them will have their way with Dinelson on Friday night.

Expect another blowout win for the Braves. Take the run line in this one.

Richard DeMala’s pick: Atlanta -1.5 (-130)

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Tampa Bay Rays at San Diego Padres
Petco Park – San Diego, CA
9:40 PM ET
SuperBook Line: Tampa Bay -120

The San Diego Padres have a roster that is more than capable of competing for a championship. They are loaded with players such as Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis and Juan Soto, yet they are under .500 through 67 games.

At 33-34, they are currently in fourth place in the NL West and are three games back of being in the playoffs. With nearly 100 games to play, it certainly isn’t panic mode. However, teams like the Padres should win their division and this year is a prime opportunity to do so.

They are currently 7.0 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, it is likely that they will be 8.0 games back after Friday night.

The Padres will square off against the best team in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have already eclipsed the 50-win mark through just 72 games played. For those of you keeping track, that’s a 50-22 record that lands them first place in the AL East and gives them the best mark in all of baseball.

This will be the first meeting of the season between these two teams. Each will be rolling with their best pitchers.

For the Padres, that’s Yu Darvish, who is 5-4 with an ERA of 4.30. For the Rays, it’s Shane McClanahan.

McClanahan has been one of the best pitchers in baseball for a while now and is a major component of the Rays success this season. He is 10-1 with an ERA of 2.18. He leads the league in wins and is second in ERA. He is currently the favorite to win the AL Cy Young award.

The matchup between him and the Padres heavy hitters of Soto, Tatis and Machado, is a must-watch. However, despite that lethal lineup, it’s hard to bet against a guy that is 10-1. Take the Rays in a close one

Richard DeMala’s pick: Tampa Bay M/L (-120)