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WHAT’S ON TAP IN SPORTS FOR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019:
Week 8 of the College Football season continues with four games on Friday night. The Astros take on the Yankees in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, while the National Hockey League brings six interesting matchups. Hereof, let’s take a look at our best wagers of the day:
MLB:
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American League Championship Series Game 5:
Astros +117 at Yankees -130
NHL:
Avalanche +105 at Panthers -125
Stars +120 at Penguins -140
Rangers +165 at Capitals -195
Blue Jackets +125 at Blackhawks -145
Red Wings +170 at Oilers -200
Hurricanes -125 at Ducks +105
CFB:
Marshall at Florida Atlantic (-5.5)
Pittsburgh at Syracuse (+3.5)
Ohio State at Northwestern (+28.0)
UNLV at Fresno State (-15.5)
FREE MLB BETTING PICK OF THE DAY
- Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees
Game 5 of the AL Championship Series will see Justin Verlander facing off James Paxton. It will be a rematch of Game 2 where the Astros outlasted the Yankees 3-2 in 11th inning. Paxton pitched only 2.1 innings for the Yanks, allowing four hits, two walks, and a run while striking out three.
On the other side, Verlander lasted for 6.2 innings. He allowed five hits, two runs, and two walks while striking out seven. The Yankees used eight players from their bullpen, and J.A. Happ lost the game after allowing a home run to Carlos Correa.
This should be another tight battle, and it’s hard to say who will grab a win. I cannot go against Verlander, while Paxton is 8-4 in his 14 starts against the Astros in a career. Still, keep in mind that the Astros had the best record against left-handers in the regular season (38-11).
Hereof, I would go with under on the totals even though the bookies haven’t announced the line yet. The under is 4-0-1 in the Astros’ last five outings, while the first three games of this series went in the under.
- Under on the totals
FREE NHL BETTING PICK OF THE DAY
- Dallas Stars vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Stars are off to a terrible start, losing seven of their first eight games of the season. They are riding a four-game losing streak, and the Stars are the most inefficient team in the league with 1.88 goals scored per game. Dallas is taking only 28.0 shots per contest (26th in the NHL), allowing 28.3 in a return (3rd).
On the other side, the Penguins are coming off a 3-2 victory to Colorado, handing the Avalanche their first loss of the season. The Penguins improved to 5-2 on the season, riding a four-game winning streak. They are tied-2nd in the NHL in goals per game (4.00) and tied-6th in goals against (2.57).
The Penguins have been dominating the Stars at home lately. They are 9-2 in their last 11 meetings with the Stars in Pittsburgh. Also, the Stars are 3-8 in their last 11 road encounters with the Eastern Conference. Give me the Penguins at money line odds.
- Pittsburgh Penguins -140 over Dallas Stars
FREE CFB BETTING PICK OF THE DAY
- UNLV Rebels vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
The Rebels (2-4; 3-3 ATS) snapped their four-game skid last weekend, beating Vanderbilt 34-10 on the road. On the other side, the Bulldogs (2-3; 1-3-1 ATS) are coming off a tough 43-24 loss at Air Force in Week 7.
Both UNLV and Fresno State are struggling on the defensive end. UNLV is allowing 32.8 points per game (109th in the country), while Fresno State is surrendering 29.8 points per contest (8th). On the other side of the ball, UNLV is scoring 25.2 points per game, whilst Fresno State is tallying 29.2 (70th).
On a paper, the Bulldogs are a better team than the Rebels. They thrashed off the Rebels 48-3 as 27-point road favorites last year, while both teams went 2-2 SU and ATS in the previous four head-to-head encounters.
The Bulldogs failed to cover in their last four outings at home, but they are 12-6 SU and 12-5-1 in the previous 18 home games. The Rebels are really bad defensively, so take the Bulldogs to cover.
- Fresno State Bulldogs -15.5 at -110