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Los Angeles Dodgers at Toronto Blue Jays odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s Los Angeles Dodgers at Toronto Blue Jays odds and lines, with MLB expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers (17-11) and Toronto Blue Jays (13-14) play the middle contest of a 3-game interleague series Saturday at Rogers Centre. First pitch is scheduled for 3:07 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Dodgers vs. Blue Jays odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Dodgers lead 1-0

Los Angeles won 12-2 Friday as slight road favorites (-118) in the series opener, while taking care of the Over (9) on its own.

The Dodgers have won 5 straight games, including 4 consecutive victories on the road. The Over and Under have alternated in the past 5 outings, too. L.A. pitching has been on point lately, allowing just 6 total runs in the past 5 contests, good for just 1.2 runs per game (RPG) allowed.

On the flip side, the Blue Jays offense has been awful lately, scoring just 7 runs in the past 4 games (1.8 RPG). Toronto has lost all 4 of those games, and the Under is on a 4-1 run, while cashing in 6 of the past 8 contests.

Dodgers at Blue Jays projected starters

RHP Tyler Glasnow vs. LHP Yusei Kikuchi

Glasnow (4-1, 2.92 ERA) makes his 7th start. He has a 0.95 WHIP, 2.2 BB/9 and 10.7 K/9 in 37 innings.

Last start: Win, 8 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 10 K in 10-0 home victory vs. New York Mets Sunday
2024 road splits: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 4 BB, 17 K and .125 opponents’ batting average (OBA) in 2 starts across 12 IP
Career vs. Blue Jays: 0-4, 6.86 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 20 BB, 51 K in 9 starts across 39 1/3 IP

Kikuchi (2-1, 2.28 ERA) makes his 6th start. He has a 1.08 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9 and 10.7 K/9 in 27 2/3 innings.

Last start: Win, 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 HR, 0 BB, 4 K in 5-3 road win at Kansas City Royals Monday
2024 home splits: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 3 BB, 18 K and .163 OBA in 2 starts

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Dodgers at Blue Jays odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:34 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Dodgers -155 (bet $155 to win $100) | Blue Jays +125 (bet $100 to win $125)
Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Dodgers -1.5 (+105) |
Blue Jays +1.5 (-130)
Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -105 | U: -115)

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Dodgers at Blue Jays picks and predictions

Prediction

Blue Jays 4, Dodgers 3

Moneyline

The BLUE JAYS (+125) are worth a look as short underdogs at home.

Glasnow faced Toronto plenty from his days with the Tampa Bay Rays. He likely wants to forget most of those outings against, as he is winless in 9 starts with 6 losses in his career against Toronto. Ouch.

While L.A. is 7-3 against left-handed starters this season, Kikuchi can more than hold his own, especially at home.

Run line/Against the spread

The Blue Jays +1.5 (-130) aren’t priced out of line if you’d like a little insurance and you’re a bit on the conservative side. However, I don’t want to double down on the moneyline and the run line. Take the moneyline for a much better value.

PASS.

Over/Under

UNDER 8 (-115) is the lean, but go with a conservative half-unit play at most.

The Under has a slight 5-4 edge in the past 9 road games for the Dodgers, while going 2-2 in interleague games this season.

For the Blue Jays, the total has gone low in 4 of the past 5 games, and the Under is on a 9-4 run in the past 13 outings.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

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Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic Game 4 odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic meet in Game 4 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference 1st-round series Saturday. Tip-off at Kia Center is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (TNT) as the Magic look to even the series by winning back-to-back home games. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Cavaliers vs. Magic odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.

Regular-season series: Split 2-2

The Cavaliers picked up a pair of home victories — and covers — to open this 1st-round series, but they’ll have to figure out how to recover after getting waylaid 121-83 Thursday in Game 3 in Orlando. The 38-point loss was the Cavaliers’ worst playoff defeat in franchise history. The Magic were 3-point favorites and the Over (202) cashed.

Cleveland shot just 39.0% (32-of-82) from the field, while hitting just 23.5% (8-of-34) from behind the 3-point line in Thursday’s loss. The Cavs also turned it over 14 times, to just 8 times for the Magic. Orlando shot 51.1% (47-of-92) from the field, too, while knocking down 35.1% (13-of-37) from downtown.

Despite the rout, the Magic are just 2-5 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) in their past 7 games. In their past 15, they’re 6-9 SU and 5-10 ATS.

Cavaliers at Magic odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:11 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Cavaliers +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Magic -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
Against the spread: Cavaliers +2.5 (-115) | Magic -2.5 (-105)
Over/Under (O/U): 201.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Cavaliers at Magic key injuries

Cavaliers

None

Magic

None

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

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Cavaliers at Magic picks and predictions

Prediction

Magic 107, Cavaliers 99

Moneyline

The Magic (-140) are slight favorites. If you don’t want to mess around with laying 2.5 points, then by all means back Orlando on the moneyline. However, it’s a better value laying the bucket and change.

PASS.

Against the spread

ORLANDO -2.5 (-105) is favored just a little less than it was in Game 3 when it was a 3-point favorite which covered easily in the 38-point rout.

Cleveland has won just once in its past 9 road games dating back to mid-March. The Cavs are 2-7 ATS in that 9-game span away from home.

BACK ORLANDO -2.5 (-105) to get the job done, and pull into a 2-2 series tie, heading for a pivotal Game 5 back in Cleveland Tuesday.

Over/Under

OVER 201.5 (-110) is a solid play. While the first 2 games of this series cashed Under tickets, Game 3 barely clipped the Over.

The total has ended up going high in 10 of the past 15 games for the Cavaliers, while the Over has a slight 6-4 edge for the boys from O-Town.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

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Panthers 3rd-round pick Trevin Wallace has a scary definition for ‘dawg mentality’

Trevin Wallace on dawg mentality: “I’ma hurt you every play. I want you to be scared of me.”

“Dawg mentality” has probably been the most popular buzz term for the Carolina Panthers this offseason. So, what it does mean to their latest draft pick?

President of football operations/general manager/dawg hunter Dan Morgan wrapped up a busy Day 2 by selecting University of Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace at the draft’s 72nd overall spot. And if you’re not familiar with his game, he provided quite a rundown when speaking to reporters after the big announcement.

“I got a little swag to my game,” Wallace said. “I feel like with my game, like I said ‘swag,’ I’m determined to get to the ball carrier. Like, no matter what it is. If the play go on for like 12 seconds, I’m still determined to get the ball carrier. So I’m real determined as well, too.”

That description showed in Wallace’s play, particularly during his final season for the Wildcats. The athletic 6-foot-1, 237-pounder totaled 80 tackles (8.5 for a loss) with 5.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

Wallace, clearly a dawg, was then asked what dawg mentality means to him.

“So dawg mentality to me, it might sound crazy, dawg mentality to me is you don’t care if you go out there and hurt somebody. It’s part of the game. You go in there and hurt somebody, you be like, ‘I did this and I’ma do it again.’ That’s what dawg mentality is. You don’t go in there being soft. You go in there like, ‘I’ma hurt you every play. I want you to be scared of me.'”

Geez.

Well, at least we know he’s got some bite.

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Panthers 2nd-round pick Jonathon Brooks expects to be healthy for training camp

Jonathon Brooks, who tore his ACL in November, believes he should be ready to go for the Panthers when training camp rolls around.

Even coming off an ACL tear, Jonathon Brooks was still the first running back taken in the 2024 NFL draft. And soon enough, that injury may not be a factor.

After a little movement in the second round, the Carolina Panthers settled in on the 46th overall slot used it to select Brooks. When speaking to reporters for the first time since the card was turned in, the 20-year-old rusher confirmed the belief that he should be ready to go by the start of training camp.

“Honestly, as far as rehab goes, it’s good,” Brooks said. “I’m out there, I’m running, I’m about to start cutting. So I’m progressing well. I’m right on track on where I need to be. For me to get back to camp, it’s also just a blessing. I feel like this injury’s a blessing from God just being that it gives me a chance to focus on a lot of other things.

“As bad as it is, it’s the best-case scenario. I just only tore my ACL and it was a complete tear. It’s great, I can’t wait to get back out there and just can’t wait to keep playing football.”

Brooks played some spectacular football before the tear—having rushed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns over just 11 games. His efforts, while cut short, still earned him a second-team All-Big 12 selection for the 2023 season.

The Panthers, who are sticking around in Charlotte this summer, will begin training camp in late July.

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Steelers NFL Draft grade: Zach Frazier, IOL, West Virginia 51st overall

The Steelers landed their starting center int he second round.

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to make major investments along their offensive line after using back to back first-round draft picks on tackles they now get some interior help with the selection of West Virginia interior offensive lineman Zach Frazier with the 51st overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft.

Frazier projects as the immediate starter as the Pittsburgh center and should bring massive improvement along the shaky interior of the Steelers offensive line. Troy Fautanu, Broderick Jones, and Zach Frazier will make a young offensive line core for the Steelers to lean on for years to come.

A scrappy, strong, and quick lineman, Frazier brings his wrestling skillset over to the football field and wins in a similar fashion. Expect Frazier to be productive early in helping out both the passing and running game in Pittsburgh.

Grade: B+

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Panthers GM Dan Morgan on picking up Jaycee Horn’s 5th-year option: ‘He deserved it’

Panthers GM Dan Morgan explained why CB Jaycee Horn, who has played in 22 of a possible 51 games in his NFL career, deserved his fifth-year option.

How did the Carolina Panthers, in the midst of Day 2 of the 2024 NFL draft, find time to pick up Jaycee Horn’s fifth-year option? According to president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan, they did so because Horn earned it.

After concluding his ventures through the second and third rounds on Friday evening, Morgan spoke with reporters and was asked about exercising the extra year for their No. 1 cornerback.

“You see Jaycee around here—the work he’s putting in, the dedication, just being here every single day, busting his ass,” Morgan stated. “He deserved it. I think, obviously, he’s had some tough stretches with injuries. But it’s not due to a lack of work or a lack of commitment from Jaycee. So we’re excited about him, we’re excited about his future and just really excited for him.”

Numerous injuries—including a broken foot in 2021, a broken wrist in 2022 and a hamstring strain in 2023—have derailed the early portion of Horn’s NFL career. In his first three pro seasons, the former eighth overall pick has played in just 22 of a possible 51 games for Carolina.

But when he’s on the field, there’s no denying how special of a defender he is—hence the team’s $12.4 million investment in him for the 2025 campaign.

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2024 NFL draft: Steelers select LB Payton Wilson in third round

The Steelers got a bargain at linebacker with Payton Wilson in the third round.

With each passing pick, we wondered which team would roll the dice on North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson. A whole lot of off-ball linebackers came off the board before Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers just waiting for their opportunity to snatch him up with their second pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Wilson is a ridiculously athletic linebacker who Was the Butkus and Bednarik Award winner and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He fills up the box score like no other defender in the draft.

Wilson ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at 233 pounds at the scouting combine and North Carolina State didn’t hesitate to use Wilson inside and outside. For Wilson, staying healthy will be the key and the only reason he fell to the end of the third round. Two torn ACLs for a guy with his level of athleticism raised some concerns but when you put on the film, you see no issues with any old injuries.

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Draft Grades: Bucs select DE Chris Braswell at No. 57 overall

2024 NFL Draft Grades: Bucs select Alabama outside linebacker Chris Braswell at No. 57 overall

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went defense in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft as they select defensive end Chris Braswell at No. 57 overall.

Braswell has a chance to contribute immediately in the pass rush. He was hidden behind a lot of talent at Alabama for the past few years, but finally started opposite Dallas Turner in 2023. He had eight sacks and 10.5 total tackles for a loss last season with the Crimson Tide.

It fills a need as they lost Shaq Barrett to free agency and it was a solid value. He isn’t the flashiest player but gets the job done. Tampa Bay has now addressed both sides of the trenches early in the draft.

Grade: B+

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Cardinals double up at CB on Day 2, select Elijah Jones 90th overall

Jones is long, athletic and great at making plays on the ball.

The Arizona Cardinals ended up using all four of their third-round picks on Day 2 of the NFL draft.

Using the 90th pick of the draft, they selected cornerback Elijah Jones out of Boston College, the second cornerback pick the Cardinals made on Day 2 after selecting Max Melton in the second round.

Jones is long and athletic, and his on-ball production is incredible.

He had five interceptions last season in only nine games, missing the final four with a non-injury issue. He had 28 passes defensed over the last two seasons in 20 games.

He is almost 6-foot-2 and weighs 185 pounds. He is already 24 years old.

He ran the 40 in 4.44 seconds at the combine and posted a 42.5-inch vertical leap and 131-inch broad jump.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Sub scribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith goes No. 89 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2024 NFL draft

Smith will bring a diverse skillset to the Buccaneers, as he played both safety and Georgia’s nickel safety/linebacker hybrid role.

The Georgia Bulldogs saw another defensive player come off the board in the 2024 NFL draft, as defensive back Tykee Smith has been drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 89th overall pick.

Smith began his career at West Virginia, where he played for two years and was a freshman all-American in 2019 and second-team all-Big 12 in 2020. He recorded 111 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and four interceptions over two years with the Mountaineers. He would then transfer to follow Jahmile Addae, his position coach at WVU, to Georgia.

Smith would struggle initially to fit into the Bulldogs system and then battle injuries through his first two years before putting it all together in his senior season with the Dawgs. Smith had 70 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and four interceptions from the STAR position for the Bulldogs.

Smith will bring a diverse skillset to the Buccaneers. He played both safety and Georgia’s nickel safety/linebacker hybrid role and can be moved to various positions across the defense. He joins a safety room featuring pro bowler Antoine Winfield and Jordan Whitehead in Tampa.