Free NFL Preseason Week 3, College Football Picks Week 0
Free Sports Picks and Betting Predictions for Friday, August 28 Friday’s betting board features MLB, NFL preseason, WNBA and soccer action, with Saturday college football selections also beginning to take shape. For bettors looking to step up from complimentary selections to the highest-rated releases from proven handicappers in their strongest sports, check out Picks Depot Premium […]
Free Sports Picks and Betting Predictions for Friday, August 28
Friday’s betting board features MLB, NFL preseason, WNBA and soccer action, with Saturday college football selections also beginning to take shape.
For bettors looking to step up from complimentary selections to the highest-rated releases from proven handicappers in their strongest sports, check out Picks Depot Premium Picks.
For new betting predictions and free sports picks every day, bookmark the Picks Depot Free Picks page.
MLB: MARLINS -143 over Nationals
Handicapper: Stephen Nover
Stephen Nover backs Miami behind a substantial starting-pitching advantage.
Washington enters the series having lost 12 of its previous 16 games, while Miami has won eight consecutive meetings against the Nationals.
Eury Perez has been particularly sharp for the Marlins. Miami has won each of his last three starts, during which Perez has recorded a 2.00 ERA.
Washington counters with rookie Jackson Kent, who has struggled through his first three major-league starts with an 8.03 ERA and 2.11 WHIP over 12⅓ innings. Washington’s bullpen also entered the matchup with one of the higher ERAs in baseball.
With Miami owning the superior starter, recent head-to-head results and bullpen outlook, Nover’s free MLB pick is MARLINS -143.
MLB: BREWERS -172 over Rangers
Handicapper: Ricky Tran
Ricky Tran likes Milwaukee at home, pointing to both current form and recent history.
The Brewers have won seven of their last 10 games and six of their previous nine meetings against Texas. Starting pitcher Logan Henderson has also won four of his last five starts.
Milwaukee’s combination of home-field advantage, recent team form and Henderson’s performance gives Tran enough to lay the price with the Brewers.
Free Pick: BREWERS -172
Looking for the strongest premium releases rather than complimentary selections? The Picks Depot Premium Picks page features the highest-rated selections from top-ranked handicappers in the sports where they have performed best.
MLB: RANGERS +163 over Brewers
Handicapper: Dave Price
Dave Price takes the opposite side of the Milwaukee matchup and believes the value lies with the sizable underdog.
Texas remains involved in the AL West race and had Thursday off, while Milwaukee was finishing its series against the Mets in New York.
Price also points to Cody Bradford, who carries a 3.05 ERA through four starts for Texas and appears to be approaching full strength.
At +163, Price believes the combination of price, rest and starting pitching makes Texas worth backing.
Free Pick: RANGERS +163
MLB: PHILLIES-ANGELS OVER 8
Handicapper: John Martin
John Martin expects Philadelphia’s recent offensive production to continue.
The Phillies have scored at least four runs in 22 of their previous 26 games and six or more in nine of their last 12. The OVER has cashed in eight of their previous 11 contests.
Philadelphia starter Andrew Painter provides another reason Martin likes the total. Painter enters with a 6.04 ERA, and each of his previous six starts has gone OVER with at least 10 combined runs scored.
Martin expects both offenses to contribute enough to push this game past the number.
Free Pick: Phillies-Angels OVER 8
MLB: TWINS -109 over White Sox
Handicapper: Jack Jones
Jack Jones sees Minnesota holding a significant starting-pitching advantage.
Dean Kremer has gone 2-1 with a 3.81 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in five home starts. He has also dominated the White Sox historically, posting a 4-0 record and 1.53 ERA in five career starts against them.
Luis Castillo’s splits have been much less encouraging. He enters 4-10 with a 5.19 ERA overall and has a 5.51 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 13 road starts. Castillo has also struggled badly when pitching at Minnesota.
Jones believes those pitching splits make Minnesota the side at a near-even price.
Free Pick: TWINS -109
MLB: REDS-CUBS UNDER 8.5
Handicapper: Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy attacks the total at Wrigley Field.
Both Cincinnati and Chicago have displayed inconsistent offensive production recently, while starters Rhett Lowder and David Peterson have shown improved form.
Weather isn’t expected to provide a major boost to the hitters, and both bullpens enter rested following Thursday’s off day.
Murphy expects pitching and bullpen availability to outweigh the recent offensive volatility.
Free Pick: Reds-Cubs UNDER 8.5
For fresh MLB, football, basketball, hockey, soccer and other free betting predictions throughout the week, bookmark Picks Depot Free Picks.
MLB: PHILLIES -133 over Angels
Handicapper: Jim Feist
Jim Feist backs Philadelphia despite the strong season Reid Detmers has put together for Los Angeles.
The Phillies have recently handled left-handed pitching well, while rookie Andrew Painter showed major improvement in his previous outing, holding St. Louis to one run over seven innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Philadelphia also owns the deeper lineup. Kyle Schwarber’s power and Bryce Harper’s ability to consistently reach base headline an offense playing for postseason positioning.
Los Angeles enters having lost four straight, while Philadelphia continues fighting for playoff position.
Free Pick: PHILLIES -133
MLB: ORIOLES -108 over Athletics
Handicapper: ASA
ASA backs Baltimore at close to an even-money price.
Baltimore’s expected starter has been excellent away from home, carrying a 7-1 road record with a 3.67 ERA, and has remained effective since the All-Star break.
The Athletics possess a vulnerable bullpen and one of baseball’s weaker home records. Baltimore also enters with substantially more urgency while remaining in the Wild Card chase.
Free Pick: ORIOLES -108
MLB: RAYS -127 over Padres
Handicapper: Marc David
Marc David backs Tampa Bay behind Shane McClanahan.
McClanahan enters with a 9-6 record and 3.10 ERA, but his home results are particularly impressive: Tampa Bay is 10-1 in his home starts this season.
San Diego counters with Casey Mize, who allowed four earned runs while failing to complete three innings in his previous outing.
The starting-pitching matchup and Tampa Bay’s extraordinary results behind McClanahan at home make the Rays Marc David’s free selection.
Free Pick: RAYS -127
NFL Preseason: DOLPHINS +4 over Falcons
Handicapper: Joe Duffy
Joe Duffy identifies Miami as Friday’s strongest worldwide contrarian position.
Atlanta is attracting 75% of spread bets and 94% of spread money, creating an unusually one-sided preseason market.
There is also league-wide support for fading the Falcons. Since 2023, preseason favorites of at least 3.5 points receiving the majority of the betting handle are just 33-44 ATS, a 42.9% cover rate.
Another applicable setup works against teams coming off preseason games in which they scored at least 34 points. Those teams are just 15-20-1 ATS in their following exhibition game. Atlanta scored 34 against Indianapolis.
Miami has also gone 6-1 straight up and ATS in its previous seven preseason meetings with Atlanta.
The line movement has created additional value for the underdog after Atlanta opened around -2.5.
Free Pick: DOLPHINS +4. Playable at +3 or better, with +3.5 or higher strongly preferred.
NFL Preseason: GIANTS -3 over Jets
Handicapper: Rocky Atkinson
Rocky Atkinson puts his undefeated preseason record behind the Giants.
Atkinson enters this selection 6-0 on NFL preseason picks this year and 24-11 over his previous 35 overall selections.
His Friday free NFL preseason selection is the Giants laying a field goal against the Jets.
Free Pick: GIANTS -3
NFL Preseason: BENGALS-EAGLES OVER 36.5
Handicapper: R&R Totals
R&R Totals specializes in attacking over/under markets and goes to the high side in Cincinnati-Philadelphia.
The service enters with a 172-149 record over its previous 338 overall selections and identifies this matchup as Friday’s complimentary NFL preseason total.
Free Pick: Bengals-Eagles OVER 36.5
NFL Preseason: JAGUARS +3 over Buccaneers
Handicapper: Brody Vaughn
Brody Vaughn takes the full field goal with Jacksonville in Friday night’s preseason matchup against Tampa Bay.
With the Jaguars available as a home underdog at the key number of +3, Vaughn makes Jacksonville his complimentary NFL preseason selection.
Free Pick: JAGUARS +3
WNBA: SUN-FEVER UNDER 178.5
Handicapper: Matt Sullivan
Matt Sullivan goes UNDER in Friday’s Connecticut-Indiana matchup.
Rather than choosing a side in a game carrying a substantial point spread, Sullivan attacks the total and looks for the Sun and Fever to remain below 178.5 combined points.
Free Pick: Sun-Fever UNDER 178.5
Soccer: AC MILAN -1.25 over Venezia
Handicapper: Rob Vinciletti
Rob Vinciletti backs AC Milan on the Asian handicap.
Milan has won each of its previous four meetings with Venezia by a combined 11-0 score and possesses the substantially stronger roster.
Venezia lost its opener at home and enters this matchup without one of its leading scorers. Vinciletti expects Milan’s talent advantage to produce a multi-goal victory.
Free Pick: AC MILAN -1.25
Saturday College Football: TCU -7.5 over North Carolina
Handicapper: Alex Smart
Alex Smart backs TCU in the neutral-site matchup with North Carolina.
His primary argument centers on continuity and the trenches. TCU enters with the more settled roster, while North Carolina continues working through significant personnel and schematic changes.
The overseas setting adds another variable. Smart believes experience, physicality and continuity become especially important in an early-season neutral-site game requiring transatlantic travel.
Smart originally played TCU at -7 but indicates he remains comfortable with the current number.
Free Pick: TCU -7.5
Saturday College Football: NEW MEXICO STATE +31 over Florida State
Handicapper: Dan Kaiser
Dan Kaiser takes the points with New Mexico State.
Florida State is clearly the superior team, but Kaiser questions whether the Seminoles should be laying more than four touchdowns in the opener.
Florida State has failed to cover each of its previous five season openers as a favorite, creating enough historical resistance for Kaiser to grab the substantial underdog price.
Free Pick: NEW MEXICO STATE +31
These are complimentary selections from the individual handicappers credited above. Bettors who want the highest-rated premium picks from top-ranked handicappers in their strongest sports can visit Picks Depot Premium Picks.
For new free sports picks and betting predictions every day, bookmark the Picks Depot Free Picks page.