Sports fans have a packed schedule to follow this week as the 2025 PGA Tour Championship begins Thursday, kicking off the final stage of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Alongside this premier golf event, Major League Baseball (<a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/baseball/mlb/”>MLB) offers multiple games daily, while the college football season opens with Week 0 matchups starting Saturday. Those engaged in online sports betting may find it challenging to decide where to place their wagers, but expert insights and advanced models aim to clarify the best bets for Wednesday across these sports.
Key MLB Picks for August 20
Among the MLB contests, the Washington Nationals are considered a solid pick against the New York Mets. Despite an 8-1 loss on Tuesday, the Nationals will start right-hander Brad Lord, whose recent starts have shown strong performance, conceding two or fewer earned runs in most outings lasting beyond four innings. Lord has also recorded five or more strikeouts in two of his past three games. The Mets, on the other hand, have struggled lately, losing 14 of their last 19 games. Projections from SportsLine’s computer model, which runs 10,000 game simulations, anticipate a 48% chance of a Nationals win, rating the Washington money line (+145) as an A-level pick.
In the Brewers versus Cubs game, the model favors the over on combined runs, projecting an average of 8.8 total runs scored. Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski and Cubs pitcher Colin Rea both had challenging previous outings, suggesting scoring opportunities for both sides. The over 7 runs option holds a B rating from the model’s analysis.
Additional MLB player props include endorsements for Athletics’ Nick Kurtz to achieve over 1.5 total bases and Brad Lord to exceed 14.5 total pitcher outs, underlining individual performances to watch.
Golf Insights and Predictions for the 2025 Tour Championship
The 2025 Tour Championship, starting Thursday, features the season’s top golfers vying for the FedEx Cup title. Among the notable picks, Russell Henley stands out as a strong contender to win outright at 20-1 odds. Golf expert Brady Kannon emphasized Henley’s consistent performance in high-profile events:
“Outside of Scheffler, Henley has probably been the very best American player this year,”
Kannon said.
“His last six starts go as follows, 15-17-10-2-10-5, and that is over the course of nothing but playoff, Signature, and major championship events. It is worth pointing out that East Lake Golf Club has strong correlations with TPC Sawgrass, TPC Southwind, and another Donald Ross design, Sedgefield Country Club, where they play the Wyndham Championship. Henley has performed very well at each of these venues.”
Other top PGA picks include a projected leaderboard modeled from a system that has accurately predicted 16 major championships. Harris English is another golfer drawing attention for a potential top-10 finish and is listed at +450 odds.
College Football Week 0 Betting Recommendations
The college football season opens with intriguing matchups, including Iowa State facing Kansas State at a neutral site Saturday at noon ET. Analyst Jacob Fetner highlighted the importance of evaluating road performance in these types of games:
“When looking at a neutral site game, it’s important to look at both teams’ road splits to see how well they travel,”
Fetner pointed out.
“Iowa State went 5-2 straight-up on the road last season, while Kansas State went just 3-3 SU and 1-5 against the spread. Iowa State had a positive turnover margin on the road last season, while Kansas State did not, and that could be a key factor here. The Wildcats coughed the ball up twice in their 21-29 loss to Iowa State last season.”
The pick currently favors Iowa State +3 against Kansas State.
Further insights are available through thousands of simulations for Week 0 and analyses by insiders like Bruce Marshall, along with power rankings intended to help bettors and fans ahead of the full season.
Week 1 NFL Best Bets Highlight High-Scoring Potential
With Week 1 of the NFL season fast approaching, the Thursday night game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys offers a promising betting opportunity, particularly on the total points scored. These <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/football/nfl/nfc/”>NFC East rivals both possess potent offenses; the Eagles averaged over 367 yards and 27 points per game last year, while the Cowboys plan to have Dak Prescott back under center following injury. SportsLine’s simulations expect approximately 53 points scored, projecting the over 46.5 points bet as an A-rated selection. Historically, this matchup has seen the over hit in seven of the last nine meetings, increasing confidence in this wager.
Comprehensive simulations of every Week 1 game and expert picks are also available, alongside resources designed to aid fantasy football drafts, offering bettors multiple angles to engage with the season start.
Significance and Betting Outlook Moving Forward
The intersection of baseball, college football, the NFL, and the culminating event in professional golf creates a vibrant scene for bettors and sports aficionados alike. The 2025 Tour Championship carries added weight as it concludes the FedEx Cup Playoffs, making predictions about players like Russell Henley critical. Meanwhile, MLB shows opportunities for wagering on both team outcomes and player performances amid transitional phases in pitching rotations. Early college football games set the tone for the season, with road performance and turnovers as key factors in predictions, while the NFC East rivalry in the NFL opens with strong indicators for a high-scoring clash. Together, these events shape a dynamic sportsbook environment where informed bets can enhance the experience and potentially deliver returns.