Three bets worth considering when the weekend kicks off

Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays
Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, FL
6:40 PM ET
SuperBook Line: Tampa Bay -155

The Baltimore Orioles (59-37) and the Tampa Bay Rays (60-40) have the two best records in the American League. The Orioles were able to come away with an extra-innings win in Thursday night’s contest to stay ahead of the Rays in the AL East standings. Three games remain in the series, arguably the most meaningful yet for both teams.

Reasons to like the Orioles…

• They are 11-5 in July, while the Rays are just 3-12

• Kyle Bradish (BAL) has a 3.05 ERA, which is slightly better than Zach Eflin (TB), who enters at 3.59

• The Orioles are 4-2 against the Rays this year

Reasons to like the Rays…

• They are 35-15 at home this season, which explains why they’re favored despite their recent woes

• Zach Eflin has a better winning percentage (.666) than Kyle Bradish (.600)

• Tampa Bay boasts a run differential this season of +145, nearly 100 more than the Orioles (+47)

Richard DeMala’s pick: Baltimore M/L (+140)

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Los Angeles Dodgers at Texas Rangers
Globe Life Field – Arlington, TX
8:05 PM ET
SuperBook Line: Los Angeles -110

The Dodgers will head to Arlington for the first time since their 2020 World Series win. This time around, though, the Rangers have the better team. Texas is currently 58-39, while the Dodgers are 55-40. Both teams are atop of their divisions and this three-game series could help each team inch closer the best record in their respective leagues.

Reasons to like the Dodgers…

• They have won eight out of their last 10 games

• They have the better pitcher on the mound in Tyler Gonsolin; he’s 5-3 on the season, with a 3.72 ERA

• They’re coming off a series win against another AL frontrunner, having won two out of three over the Orioles

Reasons to like the Rangers…

• They have won seven out of their last 10 and are currently on a six-game winning streak

• They have a home record of 33-18, while the Dodgers are just 26-24 on the road

• They could be getting Adolis Garcia back from injury; this is certainly something to keep an eye on as he could be the key to a Rangers victory

Richard DeMala’s pick: Los Angeles M/L (-110)

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United States vs. Vietnam
Eden Park – Auckland, New Zealand
9:00 PM ET
SuperBook Line: United States -40000

Led by players such as Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan, the United States Women’s National Team is favored to win yet another World Cup. Their first game will be against the Vietnamese National Team, a group that has the odds stacked against them. They are +5000 to beat the USA and +50000 to win the World Cup. For reference, the U.S. is +250 to win the World Cup. To make this one interesting, it’ll take the prop bet route.

Reasons to like the USA scoring more than 6.5 goals…

• They have the best roster in the world, featuring arguably the three best players in the tournament

• In their last game, Vietnam lost 9-0 to Spain; in their last five games, all losses, they’ve been outscored 23-1

• With the Netherlands in the pool, the United States needs to send a message

Reasons to like Vietnam…

• They have absolutely no pressure on them, while the U.S. will be burdened by expectations

• It’s the first game for both teams, so there could be an element of surprise

• Prior to the 9-0 loss to Spain, they kept things close against New Zealand (2-0) and Germany (2-1)

Jorge Pare’s pick: USA over 6.5 goals (-105)