Nothing on the World Cup futures front today, but we’ll catch up on that tomorrow or Monday. Just baseball ahead.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Paul Skenes is 0–5 over his last seven starts, a stretch over which he’s…
- Striking out more than 1.3 batters per inning.
- Posting a 3.24/3.54 FIP/xERA slash.
- Averaging five and a half innings per start.
Not great, but far from bad, and he’s made five quality starts in a row. The Pirates have a winning record. Believe it.
Pick: Pittsburgh to win –176. 6.59 units to win 3.74.
AL West
The Rangers are right there, the A’s haven’t left, and the Astros are starting to loom. But the value’s on the Mariners right now. They’ve got half a season and they’ve got a small head start. They’re the best team in the group on paper and the only one with clear buying incentives as the deadline starts to show up on the horizon. Not a bad price when we frame it like that.
Pick: Seattle to win –145. 4.00 units to win 2.76.
**
These first two numbers are for the 2026–27 effort, which runs from the end of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final through the end of the 2027 NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Final, and maybe College World Series? We’ll see what all we’re betting when spring rolls around.
2026–27: –25.35 units (started with 1,000-unit bankroll)
2026–27: –31% average ROI (weighted by unit; sample size: 16 single-game markets plus zero completed futures portfolios)
Pre-2025: 0% average ROI (worse when limited to only sports)
2025–26: –4% average ROI
Units taken from best odds we can find at major sportsbooks available to most Americans.
These bets are not investment advice. If you’re worried you or someone you know might have a gambling addiction, call 1-800-GAMBLER for free, confidential help.
**
