⚾ Milwaukee’s Best
Even though I identify as a Chicagoan, I’ve always had a special affinity for the Milwaukee Brewers.
The first Major League Baseball game I ever attended was Brewers–White Sox at County Stadium.
The Brewers also provided one of my favorite memories as a young reporter.
In 1985, when I was an impressionable intern at the Milwaukee Sentinel, the city desk sent me out to get fan reaction to the baseball strike.
Naturally, I headed to the bar closest to County Stadium: Ray Jackson’s.
As luck would have it, Ray Jackson himself was there. I asked if he would mind if I talked to some customers about the strike.
“You are in luck,” he told me. “There is a player sitting at the bar.”
Basking in my good fortune, I walked up to the player and asked him about the strike.
The only word I distinctly remember from our brief conversation?
It started with mother and rhymed with trucker.
The player went on to appear in one of the most beloved baseball movies of the 1980s.
His identity is at the bottom of today’s newsletter.
⚾ World Series Game 1: A First-Time Champion Awaits
The Rays and Brewers open the World Series tonight (8 p.m. ET, FOX).
One sure bet: A team will win its first World Series title.
Adam Burke previews Game 1, with Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski facing Nick Martinez — a surprise selection for Tampa Bay instead of Drew Rasmussen.
Adam wonders whether the Rays are thinking about how Martinez fits with a fresh bullpen. But what does the matchup mean for tonight’s betting market?
>> Read Adam’s Game 1 Best Bet
What Do the World Series Trends Say?
Steve Makinen has uncovered an intriguing Game 1 trend: Home teams are 11-4 over the last 15 World Series openers (73.3%, +6.03 units, 40.2% ROI).
Steve has more betting systems and trends to consider before the first pitch.
>> See Steve’s World Series Trends
>> ICYMI: Adam’s World Series Preview
🏈 College Football: Five Games, Plenty of Picks
Friday’s five-game menu is headlined by Duke at Virginia, with the Blue Devils a 2.5-point underdog.
Adam Burke breaks down the matchup and the betting opportunity he sees.
>> Read Adam’s Duke–Virginia Analysis
Steve Makinen has plays involving Army and Air Force. His Week 8 breakdown includes the systems and numbers behind his selections.
>> See Steve’s Week 8 Best Bets
Dave Tuley also has a bet on the Air Force game. Get his take on the matchup alongside Steve’s analysis.
>> Read Tuley’s Week 8 College Football Picks
Zach Cohen has a selection on the late game, NC State at Stanford.
>> Read Zach’s Friday Night Pick
Looking Ahead to Saturday
Adam Burke already has three Saturday plays on the board, with more Week 8 coverage to come.
>> See Adam’s Saturday Best Bets
🏈 NFL: The Primetime Underdog Streak Is Over
The Bears beat the Patriots 30-24 on Thursday night, ending a streak of 12 consecutive covers by NFL primetime underdogs.
Chicago covered as a 3-point favorite. The first 11 underdogs in the streak had won outright; Washington then covered in Monday’s loss to San Francisco before New England came up short Thursday.
NFL Injury Watch
Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers): After dealing with a thumb injury, Mayfield says he is ready to play Sunday against Carolina. Watch for the team’s official status update.
Puka Nacua (Rams): Nacua reportedly injured his calf at practice. His availability for Sunday’s game against the Raiders remains to be determined.
Check Friday’s final injury designations before betting either game.
Steve’s Week 7 NFL Best Bets Are In
Steve Makinen has released his latest NFL selections, supported by his betting systems, trends and power ratings.
>> See Steve’s NFL Week 7 Best Bets
>> NFL Week 7 Survivor Pool Analysis
DonBest NBA Rotation Book — just $4.99. Keep the NBA schedule, matchups and betting information close at hand as Steve’s scheduling opportunities begin to appear.
🏆 25 Handicappers. 175 Picks. Tonight.
The 25 contestants in the Circa Friday Football Invitational have combined for a 569-464-17 record through six weeks — a 55.1% winning percentage on graded selections.
Matt Youmans unveils all 175 Week 7 picks tonight from 7–10 p.m. ET on VSiN.
Joining Matt: leader Ed Salmons, Jeff Petch, Chris Coyne and Weston Stradtman.
>> Follow the Circa Friday Football Invitational
Also joining Matt is Mark Morrow of Portsmouth, Ohio, the leader of the EdgeBoost Average Joe Contest.
There is still time to compete in Average Joe.
>> Average Joe Contest Details
STRIKE POINT SPORTS has tallied four winning NFL weeks out of five and four winning college football weeks out of six. VSiN readers can get a free $60 new-member account at Doc’s Sports.
🏈 A Complimentary Pick From Wunderdog, Every Day.
Get a complimentary daily pick and write-up, plus a $50 credit toward Wunderdog Pro Picks.
⚾ And My Favorite Brewer Is …
Pete Vuckovich.
Yes, the great Pete Vuckovich, who went on to play Clu Haywood, the fearsome Yankees slugger in the 1989 baseball classic Major League.
Before he was tormenting the Cleveland Indians on the big screen, he helped me make an important career decision: to become an editor instead of a reporter.
I’m grateful to him.
