Friday is an appetizer to a huge weekend of sports action ahead, with plenty of MLB teams beginning crucial series with goals of reaching the postseason, and a two-game college football slate before a jam-packed Saturday schedule. Oklahoma State hosts Tulsa at 7:30 p.m. ET on the Friday college football schedule, and one of the SportsLine model’s top picks throughout Friday’s sports calendar is Oklahoma State to cover an 11.5-point spread. The model projects the Cowboys to cover in 64% of simulations, making it one of the model’s Friday best bets.
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Whether you’re looking into NFL betting, MLB betting, college football betting, or anything else on the Friday sports schedule, there are a number of online sports betting options, and our team can help point you in the right direction. Our computer model and experts will weigh in on all of the biggest events every day, and they’re offering their top sports betting picks right now.
Here’s what we’re betting today:
Friday college football best bets
Game: Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Model Pick: Oklahoma State -11.5
Oklahoma State is coming off an embarrassing 69-3 loss to No. 6 Oregon, but Tulsa doesn’t have nearly the talent level as the Ducks, and a 66-point loss can be a wake-up call that a team needs to focus more during the next week. Freshman Zane Flores completed just 7 of 19 passes for 67 yards and two interceptions on Sept. 6 against Oregon before a bye last week. He completed 65% of his passes in Week 1. Meanwhile, Tulsa is 97th in the nation in scoring (18.5 points per game), and is coming off three straight losing seasons. Mike Gundy has 18 winning seasons over his first 20 years at Oklahoma State, and given the program’s consistent success under his coaching, the model projects the Cowboys to win and cover the spread in 64% of simulations.
More college best bets
Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa picks from SportsLine expert Gene Menez
Rutgers vs. Iowa picks from SportsLine expert Tom Fornelli
Friday MLB best bets
Game: Detroit Tigers vs. Atlanta Braves (Friday, 6:40 p.m. ET)
Model Pick: Tigers money line (-115)
The Tigers have a 3.5-game lead in the American League Central, and although they are very likely to win the division, they haven’t clinched yet, so Detroit still has something to play for this weekend. Detroit was swept by the Guardians during the week to keep Cleveland within striking distance. However, the Braves don’t have postseason aspirations as a part of their late-season motivation. The Braves are starting Bryce Elder, who has a 5.56 ERA this season and allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Astros on Saturday. The model projects the Tigers to win in 54% of simulations. You can find the best odds at BetMGM at -115, while other sportsbooks have the Tigers at -120 odds or longer, and with the latest BetMGM promo code, new users can get up to $1,500 back in bonus bets if your first bet loses.
Game: Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs (Friday, 6:40 p.m. ET)
Model Pick: Reds +1.5 (-155)
Hunter Greene silenced the Chicago offense on Thursday, tossing a one-hitter as the Reds look to keep the Cubs hitters uncomfortable on Friday as well. Nick Lodolo takes the mound for Cincinnati, and the 27-year-old has a 3.30 ERA on the season. He threw a four-hitter against Washington in July, so he’s shown the ability to dominate and pitch deep into games as Greene did on Thursday. The Reds’ bullpen is fully rested, which will aid Cincinnati if Lodolo gets into trouble. The Reds are still in pursuit of the final National League Wild Card spot, currently two games behind the Mets for the postseason, as they’ll be highly motivated for the victory. The Cubs are starting Shota Imanaga, who has a 4.76 ERA over three September starts.
The Reds have won three of their last four games, and the model gives them a 66% chance to cover on Friday. Fanatics Sportsbook offers the best price on Reds +1.5 at -155 odds, and with college football in action today, new users can use the latest Fanatics Sportsbook promo code to receive both $100 in FanCash with a $10+ bet and $100 back in FanCash every football gameday. Claim the promo here:
More MLB best bets
Top player prop: Riley Greene, Tigers, Over 1.5 total bases (+119) (MODEL)
Top player prop: Giancarlo Stantoni, Yankees, Over 0.5 RBI (+135) (MODEL)
Week 3 NFL best bets
Game: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Model Pick: Steelers money line (-120)
The Steelers had two crucial mistakes that played a key role in their 31-17 loss to the Seahawks last week, both occurring in the end zone. Aaron Rodgers threw a costly interception in the end zone, and rookie Kaleb Johnson let a kickoff bounce into the end zone, which the Seahawks recovered for a touchdown. But this is also the same Steelers team that scored 34 points in Week 1 on the road against the Jets, with Rodgers throwing four touchdowns. The Steelers travel to New England, but the model still likes their chances at a victory. Mike Tomlin is 3-0 against Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, although all three games came with Vrabel as the Titans head coach. The model projects the Steelers to win in 63% of simulations. FanDuel is offering the best odds on Pittsburgh, and with the latest FanDuel promo code, new users receive $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins.
More NFL best bets