Keys to Betting on Wimbledon

The greatest grass court tennis tournament in the world begins its second week with some outlandish results, especially on the women’s side, where No. 1 seed Arna Sabalenka was upset on Sunday by No. 14 Naomi Osaka. Top Americans advanced as No. 7 Coco Gauff defeated No. 11 Belinda Bencic and No. 4 Jessica Pegula downed No. 16 American Iva Jovic in three sets.

When it comes to advancing in Wimbledon, it’s important to take note of some of the previous results of players against their current opponent and on grass surfaces.

Betting on tennis in the second week should be a little easier because you should get better odds on the money line. The key is to shop for the best odds.

1)One of the best ways to bet on tennis is to bet on the game spread. For example, if a player is -3.5 games, and he/she wins 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, that’s by seven games, and they cover the 3.5 with ease. If you think the match is going to be very close, betting the underdog is the best move. Grigor Dimitrov is a 4.5-game spread favorite against Arthur Fery on Monday morning. He needs to win by five games, so something like 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 would be fine. However, if the match goes four sets, he might not cover.

2)Another option is to bet on the Over/Under total games. This is where the big serve and grass services come into play. A strong favorite against a weak returner usually means under games, while two big servers usually mean over games. In that Dimitrov/Fery match, the total is 39.5. The juice is -115 for the over and -125 for the under.

3)Another option is to bet on the first set. Once again, grass comes into play as the underdog with nothing to lose might start strong and then fade later. Some players are also just fast starters. In that Dimitrov/Fery match, Dimitrov is a -120 favorite in the first set.

4)Set Betting is also a strong option. This is where you pick the exact final score of a match in sets, rather than just picking the outright winner. On the women’s side, you can pick player A to win in straight sets (2-0) or three sets (2-1). On the men’s side, where it is Best-of-Five, there are six possible set score outcomes ranking from 3-0 to 3-2 for either player. If you bet on the heavy favorite to win 3-0 instead of just winning the match outright, your potential profit increases substantially.

5)If you are looking for prop bets, focus on ace betting. A lot depends on the opponent’s return quality. In the Dimitrov/Fery match, Fery is at 6.5 (Over -120/Under -120) and Dimitrov is 11.5 (Over -130/Under -110). Look at the overall numbers and what their averages are coming into the tournament and at Wimbledon or on other grass surfaces. For example, Dimitrov averages roughly 7.0 aces per match overall but he averages much more than that on grass, including 23 aces in his first round match, 10 in his second round match and 14 in his third round match. 

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Upcoming and Current Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 32 teams in the Knockout Stage, with most matches played in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS, NV
  Saturday, July 11th. *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+
• Duplesis vs. Usman on July 18 from OKC.
• Ankalev vs. Rountree Jr. from Abu Dhabi.
• Hall of Fame Game (Aug 6). Preseason NFL action begins as ATS enters its 34th football season. Early Bird discounts are available now!
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Happy July 4th Weekend and 250th birth to America. Soccer has been on most sports fans’ minds including bettors over the last few weeks and it was never so evident on Wednesday in the USA’s 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzogovina, which saw nearly 25 mllion viewers. That set a record for most watched telecast in English language history. 

1)World Cup moves to the round of 16. Friday’s matchups are the last of the round of 32. That includes returning champion Argentina (-2500) against huge Cinderella Cape Verde (+1000). Egypt (-140) also takes on Australia (+115) to open the action, while Colombia (-650) takes on Ghana (+425).

On Saturday, the 4th, we’re down to two matches with Canada (+215) facing Morocco at 1pmET and Paraguay (+950) facing France (-2000) at 5pmET. 

On Sunday, Brazil (-215) takes on Norway (+170) in the first game, while England (-140) takes on Mexico (+115) in the last game.

2)The first week of Wimbledon will finish up this weekend. On Friday, 7th-seeded Novak Djokovic takes on No. 25 Arthur Rinderknech. Djokovic is a -1060 favorite in that match. He’s a longshot since Jannik Sinner is the -155 favorite to win Wimbledon and Djokovic is +500 to win his eight title and 25th Grand Slam. Sinner has four GS titles and is going for his second Wimbledon title.

On the women’s side, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (+280) will face unseeded Jelena Ostapenko on Friday, while American hopeful No. 7 Coco Gauff (+1600) will face unseeded American Claire Liu on Friday.

3)We’re past the midway point in Major League Baseball and about a week away before the All-Star Break. There are some huge series coming up led by St. Louis (45-39) at the Chicago Cubs (49-38). In the AL Central, we have the improved Chicago White Sox (45-41) take on Cleveland (46-42) in a big series from Progressive Field. Don’t look now, but a big payroll isn’t for everyone and Miami (46-42) travels to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento to take on the Athletics (41-46) in an Interleague series. 

4)While most eyes are on where LeBron James will head and the aftershock of the Jaylen Brown deal to Philadelphia, the rookies and players trying to make an impact are headed to Vegas where we open on Friday with Miami (who just acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo) facing San Antonio at 8pmET. The Spurs are -3.5 (-115) and the total is 178.5. The games are still four quarters, but 10 minutes and they experimenting with a one shot rule for shooting fouls before two minutes left. In other words, if a player is fouled beyond the three-point line, he only has to shoot one free throw for 3 points. Inside the arc, means one free throw for two points. (I guess it would make the game faster, but ugh).

The Lakers are also in action in the later game on Friday, taking on Golden State. The Lakers (-1.5) are the slight favorite and the total is 176.5. 

On Saturday, Memphis and rookie third pick Cam Boozer face OKC at 3pmET from Utah. The Jazz and No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson will face rookie No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings and Atlanta at 5pmET from Utah. 

Peterson and top pick A.J. Dybantsa of the Washington Wizards will meet on Thursday, July 9 from Las Vegas at 9pmET on ESPN. 

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Upcoming and Current Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 32 teams in the Knockout Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS, NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+
• Hall of Fame Game (Aug 6). Preseason NFL action begins as ATS enters its 34th football season. Early Bird discounts are available now!
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This was supposed to be a quiet offseason in the NBA when it came to free agency and it has been somewhat silent. However, there have been several impactful trades that have changed the future betting odds for the finals and conference.

One of the key free agents available is 41-year-old LeBron James. Reportedly, he’s down to Golden State (+140) and Cleveland (+175). The longshots are Miami (+450), but with Philadelphia adding Jaylen Brown on Wednesday, their odds have moved to +700.

Speaking of the 76ers, they shocked the world with the addition of Brown from division rival Boston for Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2031 first-round pick and two future second-rounders. Boston was +650 to win the NBA Finals after the draft, but they have dropped to +1100. Philadelphia moved from +5500 to +2000 after the trade. Where does Boston go from here with a healthy Jayson Tatum and an aging Paul George? (odds from DraftKings and VegasInsider).

2)Miami added Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee for Tyler Herro, Ke’El Ware, Jaime Jaquez and Kasparas Jakucions, along with this year’s first-round pick, two more future first-round picks, a 2030 pick swap and a 2033 second-rounder. The Heat were not really considered a contender, opening at +1800 after the NBA Draft and they’ve dropped to +2500. 

3)Toronto re-acquires Kawhi Leonard for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one pick swap, and two second-round picks. That’s an awful lot for a 34-year-old oft-injured guard. Leonard is a seven-time All-Star who is coming off one of his best seasons (27.9ppg). His defense, along with Scottie Barnes, could make the Raptors a contender, but this has become a very difficult Eastern Conference. The oddsmakers don’t believe in the Raptors right now (+2500).

4)Portland adds Ja Morant for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. It’s hard to believe what Portland is doing, but they didn’t give up much for the super-talented 26-year-old guard, who has been suspended multiple times and has also dealt with numerous injuries. Portland (+8000) is a young team that has plenty of work to do to become a contender in the West. 

5)Charlotte deals Miles Bridges to Charlotte along with a 2029 first-round pick for Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neal. The Hornets also dealt star guard LeMelo Ball to Minnesota for Naz Reid and a series of draft picks, according to ESPN on Thursday. That didn’t exactly move the odds because Charlotte is a bit of an afterthought at +10000, but that says more about culture and building the team around Braxton Miller and Kon Kneuppel than it says about going for it with Ball and Bridges. Phoenix (+12000) is one of those teams stuck in neutral where they have an outstanding guard in Devin Booker, but not enough surrounding him. The Bridges move could energize them some.

6)What are the LA Lakers doing? James was expected to be gone, but trading two unprocted first-round picks and two first-round swaps for C Walker Kessler? Kessler is 7-foot-2 and an outstanding shot blocker when healthy. Offensively, he’s limited as a rim-runner. On Wednesday, the Lakers also picked up guard Quentin Grimes, forward Sando Mamukelasvili and guard Collin Sexton in free agency. In other words, this roster is built around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with some solid role players and Kessler will have to clean up some of the defensive mistakes of his backcourt. The Lakers are +4000 to win the title, which places them at 13th overall. A pickup of Jalen Duren (Detroit) may have improved those odds.

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Upcoming and Current Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 32 teams in the Knockout Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS, NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+
• Hall of Fame Game (Aug 6). Preseason NFL action begins as ATS enters its 34th football season. Early Bird discounts are available now!
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 When it comes to betting on baseball, things can look easy when you bet on the money line. But the juice can get you, so you have to be careful when betting heavy favorites. Betting light favorites and underdogs is often the way to go, along with first five innings, totals, and the run line.

As we are past the halfway point in the MLB season, the LA Dodgers are still the favorite at +200, while the NY Yankees are second at +500 (despite losing six straight games). This is one of the strangest first halves of baseball ever, especially in the American League, where there are just five teams above .500

(odds from DraftKings)

Top Five Teams to Bet on:

1)Chicago White Sox ($1278). The White Sox are just 45-39, but they’ve been so undervalued that they have the biggest ROI and are also 50-34 Over. So they are one of the best teams to go over with.

2)Washington ($1126) is another one of those teams that was undervalued coming into this season and with a record of 44-43, they aren’t even a wild card team. But they can hit and are 16-10 against the woeful AL (remember that stat).

3)Milwaukee ($851). When you have a starter named the “Miz” who throws 105mph and a staff that ranks second in ERA, that helps matters. 

4)St. Louis ($827). One of the surprises in the league, the Cards find ways to win. Not a special team at 44-38, but a strong team to bet on with good value.

5)Tampa Bay ($819). In a season of surprises, they might be second after the White Sox when most picked them last in the AL East. Yet, here they are again. It starts with hitting, as they rank second in baseball with a .259 average, but they won’t overpower you (74 homers). Kevin Cash is doing smoke-and-mirrors. Can they keep up in the second half?

Bottom 5 Teams to Bet against

30)NY Mets ($-2121).  Yuck. They aren’t the worst team in baseball, but the worst team to bet on. Andy Green is the new manager taking over for Carlos Mendoza. He has a lot of work to do as the Mets are 36-50.

29)Kansas City ($-1652). The Royals are dreadful and are likely to be sellers with Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo as prime pitching targets. At 35-51, they couldn’t get much worse.

28)Detroit ($-1617). The Tigers are one of the league’s biggest disappointments, and even with ace Tarik Skubal back in the rotation, they may have dug too deep a hole. Will some team take him as a rental before the trade deadline? Plenty will try, but Detroit should hold on to him unless they get an incredible deal. 

27)Boston ($-1333). Another disappointing team that fired its manager. Alex Cora is gone, but is there light at the end of the tunnel under Chad Tracy? A four-game sweep of the Yankees last weekend might have their plans on hold, but at 5 games behind the last wild card spot, they have a ways to go. 

26)Seattle ($-1211). The Mariners are 43-43, but have been a dreadful team to bet on. Injuries have slowed them down some. But the addition of Rob Refsnyder as a free agent has been a bust. Here’s a team that always seems to have hitting issues. They rank 26th in batting average (.231) and 24th in OPS (.696).

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Upcoming and Current Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 32 teams in the Knockout Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS, NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+
• Hall of Fame Game (Aug 6). Preseason NFL action begins as ATS enters its 34th football season. Early Bird discounts are available now!
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 The great thing about betting on baseball is that you can make a variety of daily bets (money line, 5 innings, props, totals, etc), but you can also wager on future bets. 

We’re now past the halfway point in the season, so let’s take a look at some of the awards and the top favorites at the mid-way points of the season.

(stats before Monday’s games)

AL MVP

Yordan Alvarez (-155), Houston. Alvarez is hitting .311 with 25 homers and 56 RBIs. But he was hitless over his last four games before Monday.

Nick Kurtz, (+250), Athletics. Looking to be a do. Kurtz has 19 homers, 64 RBIs and has a .423 OPS. Neither team is running away with a horrible West Division. It would help if one of them slows down red-hot Texas.

Bobby Witt Jr. (+750), KC. Another great player on a bad team. He does it with his bat (.288, 10, 33) and glove. 

A real long shot would be the underrated Ben Rice (+1300), catcher of the NY Yankees. They might be slumping without Aaron Judge and so is Rice. But he’s putting together quite the season at .272, 22 HR, 53 RBI and a .566 SLG.

NL MVP

Shohei Ohtani (-1600), LA Dodgers. As long as Ohtani is healthy, he’ll probably win this every season. He’s not only hitting .296, which feels like .346 in today’s game. But he’s also 3-0 wiht 25 Ks and seven walks over his last four starts.

Kyle Schwarber (+3500), Phillies. One of the most consistent sluggers in the game over the last decade. Schwarber is doing more than just hitting bats, raking at .25, with 30 HR, 54 RBI and a .591 SLG. 

Pete Crow-Armstrong (+3000) is a real long shot (if Ohtani is injured). He’s hitting .278 with 17 HR, 45 RBIs and 20 SBs. He’s in a bit of a slump but it helps that the Cubs are 46-38 and pushing for a wild cad in the NL.

Cy Young

AL

This would be Tarik Skubal’s award in the AL, but the Detroit ace is +6000 due to injuries and is just 3-4 with a 3.32 ERA, though he has 66 Ks in 59.2 IP and has just eight walks. Don’t count him out, but remember that he also could be dealt if Detroit is out of it before the trade deadline.

The favorite to win AL Cy Young is Cam Schittler (-115), NY Yankees. He’s been brilliant, with a 1.62 ERA, 8-2 reord, 118 Ks in 100 IP 

Another longshot? 

Drew Rasmussen (+900), Tampa Bay. The Rays are legit this season with a 48-33 record, and Rasmussen (7-4, 2.45 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, .191 OBA) has been a big reason.

NL Cy Young

Jacob Misiorowski (-225), Milwaukee. The Brewers are in first place in the NL Central and “The Miz” is a big season with his 105mph fastball. He’s been unhittable this season, going 9-3 with a 1.45 ERA, and teams are hitting just .144 against him.

Barring injury, the Miz is a lock, but Christopher Sanchez (+350) is not that far behind. He’s been fantastic, going 9-3 with a 2.13 ERA with 127 Ks and 21 BBs. 

(odds from DraftKings)

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Upcoming and Current Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 32 teams in the Knockout Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS, NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+
  _____________________________________________________________________

The World Cup is now down to 31 teams after the Knockout Stage began on Sunday, with Canada edging South Africa 1-0. 

There are some compelling matchups and, fortunately, no more draws. 

When it comes to future odds,  France (+350) is the favorite right now with Argentina (+400) taking over as the second-favorite over Spain (+700), who has dropped to third, which ties them with England (+700). 

France was the best team in the Group Stage, playing outstanding soccer, since a shaky first half against Senegal. Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in each of France’s first two games and had a pair of assists in Game 3.

A team to watch is Japan, who finished second in the very tough group including the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia. They’ll have a very tough game on Monday against Brazil at 1pmET on Fox. 

When it comes to superstar players, Mbappe’s teammate Ousmane Dembele has had four goals so far, including three against Norway in Game 3. However, Norway’s 6-5 attacker Erling Haaland did not play in the third game after scoring four goals in the first two games. 

The player to watch for Brazil is Vincius Junior, who has scored four goals.

Team USA has been impressive thus far despite losing its last game to Turkey in Game 3 with nothing to play for. The key is the health of star Christian Pulisic, who played some in the Turkey game and was electric in the opener against Paraguay. 

However, the biggest star is 38-year-old Lionel Messi, who has six goals for Argentina and is -125 to win the Top Goalscorer prop. Haaland (+1800) might be the best pure goalscorer aside from Messi and Mbappe, but Norway isn’t expected to go far.

On Monday, there are three outstanding games starting with Brazil (-310)/Japan (+235) at 1pmET from Houston. Germany (-900/+550) faces Paraguay at 4:30pmET from Foxborough, while the Netherlands (-165/+125) will meet Morocco from Mexico at 9pmET.

Norway (-180/+145) plays the Ivory Coast on Tuesday at 1pmET from Arlington, while France (-1100/+600) meets Sweden from East Rutheford, N.J. at 5pmET. The day will end with Mexico (-170/+135) hosting Ecuador from Mexico City at 9pmET.

On Wednesday, England (-1100/+650) takes on DR Congo at 12pmET from Atlanta. Belgium (-175/+140) takes on Senegal at 4pmET from Seattle. The U.S. (-1000/+550) is in action at 8pmET against Bosnia-Herzegovina from Santa Clara. 

On Thursday, Spain (-1000/+550) faces Austria at 3pmET. Portugal (-260/+200) meets Croatia at 7pmET. Switzerland (-195/+150) faces Algeria at 11pmET from Vancouver. 

On Friday, Egypt takes on Australia from Arlington at 2pmET. Argentina will meet Cape Verde from Miami at 6pmET. It ends with Colombia taking on Ghana at 9:30pmET from Kansas City.

That will conclude the Round of 32, and Canada has made the Round of 16 and will play on Saturday, July 4 at 1 p.m. ET from Houston against the Round 32 3 Winner. 

(odds from DraftKings)

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Upcoming Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 32 teams in the Knockout Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS, NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+
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We’re a week away from the Fourth of July in America, but just days away from the Knockout Stage of the FIFA World Cup. There are two more group-stage matches on Friday and Saturday. There are also some big series in baseball, the NHL draft on Friday and another strong UFC card, this one from Azerbaijan on Saturday, June 27.

1)The World Cup continues with two more big days of action with six matches on Friday and six on Saturday to end the Group Stage. We’ll end on Sunday with South Africa taking on Canada at 3pmET on Fox to open up the Knockout stage. Canada is a -140 favorite and the total is 2.5. Some of the key matches this weekend including Norway (2-0) and France (2-0) on Friday at 3pmET. France is -185/3.5. Spain (-210/2.5) is back in action on Friday to face 0-2 Uruguay at 7pmET from Mexico.

On Saturday, Croatia (1-0-1) takes on Ghana (1-1) at 5pmET from Philadelphia. Croatia is a -130 favorite and the total is 2.5. Colombia (2-0) could give Portugal (1-1) all they can handle. Portugal is still a slight favorite here at -120. England, coming off a disappointing draw, face 0-0-2 Panama on Saturday at 5pmET from East Rutherford, N.J. 

2)In baseball, we have one of the top rivalries with Boston (33-46) taking on the NY Yankees (48-32) from Fenway Park. The Phillies (45-36) also travel to Queens to take on the disappointing NY Mets (34-47) in an NL East battle. An even bigger NL Central battle takes place with Milwaukee (49-29) hosting the Cubs (44-37) over the weekend.  The battle of the Beltway moves to Camden Yards with Baltimore (38-44) hosting Washington (41-41) with two roller-coaster teams meeting.

3)The UFC is back from Baku, Azerbaijan. The headliner features Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres (lightweight) on Paramount+ at 12pmET. Fiziev is -105, while Torres is -115 on the Money Line. (odds from DraftKings).

4)NHL Draft goes Friday. Gavin McKenna is -20o00 to go as the No. 1 pick to Toronto. The first round goes on Friday from Buffalo, starting at 7 pm on ESPN. On Saturday, the NHL Network will cover Rounds 2-7. Ivar Stenberg (-1000) is expected to go second to San Jose. After that, the odds shrink with Caleb Malhotra (-120) the slight fave to go third to Vancouver. After that, it gets a lot less predictable. There should also be several more big trades.

We’ve already had Brady Tkachuk to Florida as Ottawa gets two first-round picks. Chicago also added Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway from Buffalo for the 4th overall pick and D Louis Crevey. Washington made two big deals, adding Jordan Kyrou from St. Louis and Alex Tuch from Buffalo. 

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Upcoming Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 48 teams and 12 groups in the Group Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
• UFC FIGHT NIGHT FIZIEV VS TORRES / BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
  Saturday June 27th
  *Projected +25 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $5,000+
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS, NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+ 

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Yes, it’s the season that never ends. We go from the New York Knicks winning the NBA Finals last week to the NBA Draft a little over a week later, followed by Summer League action about a week later. 

Let’s take a look at some of the top winners and losers of the NBA Draft.

(odds from DraftKings)

Winners

1)Washington Wizards: A.J. Dybantsa at No. 1 wasn’t an easy decision with Darryn Peterson around, but he fits the team well. His upside and athleticism are off the charts. They also made an underrated move by trading their late 2nd-round picks to move up to 46 to take Felix Okpara from Tennessee. He’s a bit of a project on offense, but he can protect the rim and rebound. They have little depth up front, so this made sense.

2)Memphis Grizzlies: Good for the Griz to not only take Cam Boozer at No. 3 and he should fit well with Zach Edey, But they also added two second-rounders and flipped 3 of them for C Isaiah Stewart from Detroit. Karim Lopez is a slight reach at 21, though he can really shoot it. 

3)San Antonio Spurs:  The Spurs didn’t need a lot of help, but they needed some toughness. That could come with the addition of Tarris Reed in the first round from UConn. But to add to that, they also picked Jayden Quantaince from Kentucky at 20, but he’ll miss the season due to a second knee surgery. They are talented enough that they can afford to take a chance on a potentially great defensive big man.

Losers

1)Dallas Mavericks: Dallas reached for Morez Johnson  Jr. from Michigan at No. 9. Most felt that they’d take a Michigan player with Dusty May taking over but they really need to give Cooper Flagg some offensive help. 

2)LA Lakers:  Taking a thin shooting guard in Cam Carr makes even less sense now that the Lakers re-signed Austin Reaves. What they really needed was a small forward who could defend (3 and D). 

3)Milwaukee Bucks: They gave up on Giannis Antetokounmpo and had two late lottery picks. Brayden Burries and Nate Ament are not exciting picks, as one was not even a starter in college and the other was very disappointing as a freshman. 

Future Awards

Rookie of the Year

Cam Boozer +240/AJ Dybantsa +300, Darryn Peterson +330.

It’s interesting to see Boozer as the favorite, but Memphis has very little talent and might trade Ja Morant, who rarely plays now. Washington has Trae Young and Anthony Davis, so Dybantsa might be the third option.

MVP

Victor Wembanyama +200. He’s the favorite for a reason. He’ll likely spend most of the offseason lifting weights and working on a post-game. SGA is +350 to win his third straight MVP. An interesting longshot would be Giannis at +1200, now with Miami. He’s now playing with Bam Adebayo, which is an incredible post duo. 

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Upcoming Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 48 teams and 12 groups in the Group Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
• UFC FIGHT NIGHT FIZIEV VS TORRES / BAKU AZERBAIJAN
  Saturday June 27th
  *Projected +25 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $5,000+
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+ 

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The first half of the Major League Baseball season is just about over. Players are getting ready to take a few days’ rest for the All-Star break, but before we get to that, let’s take a look at some surprises and updated odds in baseball in the first half.

Biggest surprises

1)Tampa Bay Rays (43-33, ML: $927). Even though they’ve lost three of their last 10 games, just to be second in the AL East is a major accomplishment with a limited payroll. WS Odds: +2200

2)Chicago White Sox (41-37, ML: $1082). This is a team that nobody expected to be in the playoff hunt, as their pitching staff has vastly outperformed expectations. WS Odds: +5500.

3)Milwaukee Brewers (48-29, ML: $805). Milwaukee is more than rookie ace Jacob Misirowski, but he’s as dominant a rookie pitcher as we’ve seen in a long time. Or at least since Paul Skenes. WS Odds: +1200.

4)Washington Nationals (41-39, ML: $1148). They don’t have the bullpen to go far, but the rebuild might finally be over. Having a young star like 6-6 James Wood, who has 20 homers already, doesn’t hurt. WS Odds: +35000.

5)St. Louis Cardinals (42-35, ML: $923). Jordan Walker (.290, .523 Slg, 18 HR, 58 RBI) leads a team that was 78-84 last season, but they never seem to rebuild. WS Odds: +15000.

Biggest disappointments

1)New York Mets (34-44, ML: $-1683). The Mets are usually in this category. Injuries are part of the problem, but they also let star 1B Pete Alonso go to Baltimore and replaced him with Jorge Polanco, who is hitting .179 and has missed most of the season due to injuries. WS Odds: +9000.

2)Baltimore Orioles (38-42, ML: $-484). The O’s are starting to come as of late, but few expected them to struggle this much, mainly due to the addition of Alonso. They could use another arm or two in the bullpen and rotation to make a playoff run.

3)Boston Red Sox (31-45, $-1654). Offense was expected to be offensive, and it lived down to expectations, ranking 29th in runs per game and in home runs. WS Odds: +15000.

4)Detroit Tigers (34-45, ML: $-1517). This has been a disastrous first half, and now the biggest question for Detroit is whether they trade superstar ace Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline.  They aslo expected more from Framber Valdez, who signed a 3-year, $115 million deal. WS Odds: +7000. 

5)San Francisco Giants (31-46, $-1105). The Giants are a mess and should be sellers at the trade deadline. They are stuck with a bad Rafael Devers contract, but they do have other tradeable commodities

(odds from DraftKings)

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Upcoming Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 48 teams and 12 groups in the Group Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night 
• UFC FIGHT NIGHT FIZIEV VS TORRES / BAKU AZERBAIJAN
  Saturday June 27th
  *Projected +25 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $5,000+
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+ 

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The first round of the NBA offseason gets underway with the Draft, which goes tonight at 8pmET from Brooklyn, N.Y. The second round will be broadcast on Wednesday at 8pmET on ESPN and ABC.

There have been two big moves on Monday already. 1)Michigan coach Dusty May moved on to become head coach for the Dallas Mavericks. 2)Minnesota traded veteran forward Julius Randle and the 28th pick to Brooklyn for the No. 33 pick, while Chicago gets Nic Claxton from the Nets.

Later on Monday, we got the expected trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was either going to Boston or Miami, according to multiple media reports. The “Greek Freak” wound up in Miami and Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Kel’El Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Kasparas Jakucionis, along with three first-round picks. Miami also gets veteran forward Bobby Portis in the deal. 

Final Mock Draft: Odds to land with the exact pick.

 1)Washington Wizards, F A.J. Dybantsa, 6-9, 217, BYU. Odds: -700

2)Utah Jazz, SG/PG Darryn Peterson, 6-5, 200, Kansas. Odds: -250

3)Memphis Grizzlies,  PF Cam Boozer, 6-9, 250, Duke. Odds: -260

4)Chicago Bulls, PF Caleb Wilson, 6-9, 210, North Carolina. Odds: -750. 

5)LA Clippers, PG Mikel Brown Jr., 6-4, 190, Louisville. Odds: +240.

6)Brooklyn Nets, PG Darius Acuff Jr., 6-2, 185, Arkansas. Odds: +240.

7)Sacramento Kings, PG Keaton Wagler, 6-5, 188, Illinois. Odds: +400.

8)Atlanta Hawks, PG Kingston Flemings, 6-3, 183, Houston. Odds: +330.

9)Dallas Mavericks, C Aday Mara, 7-3, 260, Michigan. Odds: +425.

10)Milwaukee Bucks, PF/SF Nate Ament, 6-10, 11, Tennessee. Odds: +330.

11)Golden State Warriors, PF Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-9, 241.  Michigan. Odds: +275.

12)Oklahoma City Thunder, SG Brayden Burries, 6-4, 215, Arizona. Odds: +1600.

13)*Milwaukee (in the Giannis deal), SF Karim Lopez, 6-8, 221, Mexico. Odds: +1000.

14)Charlotte Hornets, PF/C Morez Johnson Jr, 6-9, 250, Michigan. Odds: +340.

15)Chicago Bulls, SG Cameron Carr, 6-5, 184, Baylor. Odds: +450.

16)Memphis Grizzlies, PG Christian Anderson, 6-1, 180, Texas Tech. Odds: +500.

17)Oklahoma City Thunder, SF Dailyn Swain, 6-7, 211, Texas. Odds: +500. 

18)Charlotte Hornets, PG Labaron Philon, 6-3, 175, Alabama. Odds: +900.

19)Toronto Raptors, PG Bennett Stirtz, Iowa, 6-3, 186. Odds: +400.

20)San Antonio Spurs, PF Koa Peat, Arizona, 6-7, 245. Odds: +900.

21)Detroit Pistons, C Chris Cenac Jr., Houston, 6-10, 240. Odds: +600.

22)Philadelphia 76ers, F Allen Graves, Santa Clara, 6-8, 226. Odds: +600.

23)Atlanta Hawks, C Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky, 6-9, 255. Odds: +600.

24)New York Knicks, PF Hannes Steinbach, Washington, 6-10, 248. Odds: n/a

25)Los Angeles Lakers, G Isaiah Evans, Duke, 6-5, 188. Odds: +700.

26)Denver Nuggets, C Tarris Reed Jr., UConn, 6-10, 264. 

27)Boston Celtics, F Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State, 6-8, 246. 

28)*Brooklyn Nets, F Ebuka, Okorie, Stanford, 6-1, 186.

29)Cleveland Cavaliers, G Meleek Thomas, Arkansas, 6-3, 190. 

30)Dallas Mavericks, F Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s, 6-8, 245.

*-recent trade with Minnesota. 

(odds from DraftKings)

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Upcoming Events at ATS:

• The World Cup runs through July 19. Consists of 48 teams and 12 groups in the Group Stage, mainly playing in the United States. It’s the biggest event in the world. 
•  Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 29-July 12)
• UFC Fight Night on Saturday, June 20, anchored by Kape vs. Horiguchi in Las Vegas. (hit top 2 fights with Luana Santos and Manel Kape for 9 units combined).
• UFC FIGHT NIGHT FIZIEV VS TORRES / BAKU AZERBAIJAN
  Saturday June 27th
  *Projected +25 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $5,000+
  
• UFC 329 MCGREGOR VS HOLLOWAY 2 / LAS VEGAS NV
  Saturday July 11th
  *Projected +30 units as $250 /u clients expected to win $7,500+ 

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