Odds and Bets: Jets and Browns meet in Hall of Fame game

Today’s Sports Betting Picks – Thursday, August 3, 2023

Orioles at Blue Jays: Big, bad, Baltimore

The Blue Jays and Orioles wrap up a four-game series Thursday afternoon in Toronto. Baltimore took the first two games, outscoring the Jays 17-5 in the process. Toronto answered back on Wednesday with a 4-1 win. It snapped a three-game losing streak for the Blue Jays.

Baltimore continues to lead the AL East with a 60-42 record. The O’s have a 1.5-game lead over second-place Tampa Bay and a 6.5-game lead over Toronto. The Blue Jays are third in the AL East with a 60-49 record. Toronto sits comfortably in the third AL wild-card spot, 2.0-games back of Houston and 2.5-game ahead of Boston.

Right-hander Jack Flaherty will make his first start for Baltimore on Thursday. Acquired from St. Louis on Tuesday, Flaherty had a 7-6 record with a 4.43 ERA for a Cardinals team that sits last in the NL Central this season. Flaherty last pitched July 26 in Arizona. He lasted five innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs with four strikeouts.

Kevin Gausman, who spent the first five seasons of his career in Baltimore, gets the ball for Toronto on Thursday. Gausman has essentially become the Blue Jays’ ace this season, going 8-5 with a 3.10 ERA. He earned the win in his last outing on July 28. Gausman went six innings, allowing just one hit and one earned run while striking out nine batters.

MLB best bet: Gausman finishes with Over 6.5 strikeouts (-160)

Lions at Blue Bombers: Best of the West

The Lions and Bombers meet in Winnipeg for the second time in 2023 on Thursday. They also faced off in Week 3, with B.C. blowing out the Blue Bombers 30-6. Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns, while Winnipeg pivot Zach Collaros finished with 191 yards and an interception.

B.C. leads the West Division with a 6-1 record as they look to extend a three-game win streak. They blanked Edmonton 27-0 on the road last week. Adams did not play after suffering a knee injury the previous week against Saskatchewan, although it’s not believed to be a significant injury. Dane Evans has started in Adams’ place and is expected to play on Thursday. Adams was named one of the CFL’s top performers in the month of July after going 41-of-57 passing (71.9 per cent) for 549 yards and three TDs over two games.

Winnipeg sits second in the West Division with a 5-2 record. They had a bye in Week 8 after beating Edmonton 28-14 at home in Week 7. The Bombers rank second in the CFL in points per game (27.1) and third in yards per game (278.0). That comes down to Collaros, winner of the 2021 and 2022 Most Outstanding Player award. Collaros’ 1,923 passing yards is second in the CFL, just seven less than Calgary’s Jake Maier. He has also thrown a league-high 13 touchdown passes and has the best QBR (115.5) among quarterbacks who have played more than three games.

CFL best bet: The Lions cover the spread as 5.5-point road dogs (-110)

Jets at Browns: Hall of Fame game

New York made a big splash in the off-season, acquiring four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers, which will obviously be a big upgrade over Zach Wilson at quarterback. Jets fans will have to do without Rodgers in the Hall of Fame Game, however, as head coach Robert Saleh has already said Rodgers will sit while Wilson is expected to start. That’s not a surprise given Rodgers hasn’t played in the pre-season since a brief appearance in 2018.

Other starters such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who is dealing with a low-ankle sprain, and cornerback Sauce Gardner will also sit out.

Offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, the 11th overall draft pick in 2020, is expected to play. Becton’s weight has been a concern over the past few seasons, but he reportedly showed up to camp in great shape and could been an impact player for New York this season.

Defensive end Will McDonald, the 15th overall selection in this year’s draft is also expected to play. McDonald suffered a leg contusion early in camp, but should be fine by Thursday.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is notoriously tight-lipped about who will play in pre-season games, but he did announce that rookie fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a quarterback out of UCLA, will see a lot of playing time on Thursday.

Deshaun Watson likely won’t see any playing time this early in the pre-season. Joshua Dobbs and Kellen Mond are expected to share quarterback reps with Thompson-Robinson throughout the pre-season.

Because Thompson-Robinson is a rookie, the most likely scenario is Dobbs and Mond each play one quarter in the first half, setting up Thompson-Robinson to play most, if not all, of the second half.

NFL best bet: Jets cover the spread as 2.0-favourites (-110)