Fresh off winning a four-leg parlay card last weekend, which paid out +526 odds, we’re back and ready to tackle this week’s loaded slate of games and fights.
Beginning on July 15th, we’ll be focusing our attention and money on Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the Canadian Football League, and UFC on ESPN 49.
As always, these picks will be introduced by my level of confidence. All odds are courtesy of Bovada.
Weekend Parlay Picks
| Picks | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chicago Fire | -145 |
| Nazim Sadykhov | -150 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers -9.5 | -115 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | -135 |
Pick 1: Chicago Fire (-145)
Saturday, July 15th at 8:30 pm ET
We haven’t focused too much on MLS with our weekend parlay selections, but Saturday evening brings about a good opportunity on the pitch. Additionally, it brings a good opportunity at the top sports betting sites.
Toronto FC was one of the most hyped squads entering the season. Big money acquisitions of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi were brought in from Serie A to provide added offense and goal-scoring.
Unfortunately, it simply has not materialized for the Reds in the first half of the MLS season. TFC are floundering at the moment, with many injuries throughout their squad. They have recently fired former manager Bob Bradley, and interim coach Terry Dunfield seems over his head, if his first few games are any indication.
Making matters worse for the road-weary Reds is that their high-priced Italian players are reportedly unhappy in Toronto. Upset with the style of play, culture differences, and lack of success, it’s believed that both Insigne and Bernardeschi are positioning to leave the club in the near future.
TFC enters Saturday night winless in their past eight contests, losing five straight matches. Despite their perceived skill and talent, the focus and determination just isn’t there with this crew.
Add in the fact that all of Richie Laryea, Sean Johnson, Matt Hedges, Federico Bernardeschi, Jonathan Osorio, Michael Bradley, and Lorenzo Insigne are all likely to be absent on Saturday night, and it’s a surprise to see a full-strength Chicago Fire side with very reasonable odds entering this contest.
The Fire enter Saturday evening with two consecutive shutout victories. They’ve recently shored up their defensive play and it’s resulted in more offensive chances at the net. Kei Kamara and Maren Haile-Selassie have formed an impressive duo, and a badly depleted TFC back-line is likely going to be overwhelmed with their pace and talent.
Chicago has started strong in recent contests, and can really break the spirit of Toronto FC early on Saturday night. The Fire have conceded just one goal in opening halves across their last six matches. that’s got to be bad news for Toronto as they’ve mustered just one goal across their previous three matches.
SHAQIRI! 🤯
The stunner brings it to 3-0 in favor of @ChicagoFire! pic.twitter.com/uooBxyxWMm
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2023
With Toronto showing virtually no signs of improving, and the drama only ramping up with their high-profile flops on the pitch, it’s impossible to look at backing them.
We love the value of backing the host team Saturday night, and at very reasonable -145 odds at MLS betting sites.
Pick 2: Nazim Sadykhov (-150) vs. Terrance McKinney
Saturday, July 15th at 10:45 pm ET
This weekend’s UFC on ESPN 49 fight card isn’t loaded with marquee names talent, but there should be some excitement and profitable betting opportunities with UFC betting sites.
One of the fascinating bouts on the docket takes place between two rising lightweight finishers in Nazim Sadykhov and Terrance McKinney. This match looks likely to kick-off the main card portion on ESPN.
Terrance McKinney fights are always exciting, with most of them finishing inside the distance. He is coming off of a tough knockout loss to Ismael Bonfim back in January, and McKinney knows that a convincing victory is needed on Saturday night to re-establish his positioning in the lightweight division.
Nazim Sadykhov enters this bout holding an impressive knockout streak and is seen by many experts as a rising star within this weight class.
Sadykhov holds some clear and decisive edges that can be used and exploited against McKinney. He’s a talented boxer with hard striking and his rapid combinations tend to overwhelm his opponents. There’s a reason why he’s ended so many of his recent fights with devastating knockout power.
Nazim Sadykhov fight week 🔥 #UFCVegas77 pic.twitter.com/2qBFRoxFBF
— The Patrick McCorry Sports Show (@Patrick_McCorry) July 11, 2023
McKinney will try to keep his distance, use his length when appropriate, and do his absolute best at getting this fight to the mat. He’s a talented wrestler, and has proven to be decently effective at shooting for takedowns.
The issue for McKinney is Sadykhov boasts impressive leg strength, sprawling ability, and takedown defense. If McKinney’s takedown attempts fail, Sadykhov will be in complete control.
Sadykhov is just too powerful and lethal of a striker for such short odds. McKinney is prone to mistakes. With Sadykhov likely able to keep this fight standing, McKinney will not have too many paths to success on Saturday night.
At a reasonable -150 price, backing Nazim Sadykhov to continue his ascension through the lightweight ranks is a worthy second selection to this weekend’s parlay. In terms of a prop bet for this contest, don’t be surprised to see him win via knockout!
Two-Team Parlay Odds
If you prefer to just go with a two-leg parlay card, Chicago Fire (-145) and Nazim Sadykhov (-150), you will get parlay odds of +182. This means you would win $182 dollars for every $100 dollars wagered.
Pick 3: Winnipeg Blue Bombers -9.5 (-115) vs. Ottawa Redblacks
Sat. July 15th at 4:00 pm ET
The CFL is back, and we have been quite successful with our selections throughout the first few weeks. Saturday’s afternoon clash features one of the bigger mismatches on paper in Week 6, as the (4-1) Blue Bombers head east to take on the (1-3) Ottawa Redblacks.
Winnipeg has been dominant offensively this season, and have become a favorite to win the 2023 Grey Cup. The Bombers have scored over 40 points a game and the Redblacks have yet to see an offensive group nearly as talented as Winnipeg’s.
An early season defeat to the BC Lions served as a necessary wake-up call for this hungry Winnipeg group. Since that unexpected loss, the Blue Bombers have conceded just 14 total points.
Winnipeg QB, Zach Collaros, has emerged as the best quarterback in the entire CFL, throwing for nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s the catalyst for this Blue Bombers offense.
THE BOMBERS ARE BOOMIN!😤
Blue Bombers 18 | 11 Stampeders
Collaros connects with Rasheed Bailey to make it 17 unanswered for Winnipeg!
Rasheed Bailey ATTS +130✅💰https://t.co/pNmFvm1l4c#CFL
— Coolbet Canada 🇨🇦 (@CoolbetCanada) July 8, 2023
Ottawa will look to stay competitive, but it remains to be seen how this team plans on scoring points. The Redblacks have been decimated by injuries in recent weeks, and their badly depleted lineup leaves a lot to be desired.
They’ve lost both their first and second-string quarterbacks to injury, as both Jeremiah Masoli and Tyrie Adams will be out on Saturday. Ottawa will have to turn to unproven and untested Dustin Crum. The aforementioned Crum struggled vs. Hamilton last week, throwing two interceptions and 167 yards through the air.
The Bombers have an experienced defense and will confuse Crum with all kinds of different looks and schemes. Winnipeg has been elite at generating pressure situations on opposing passers so far in 2023. You can expect Crum to crumble under Winnipeg’s pressure this weekend.
Look for Winnipeg to take full advantage of a rookie QB for Ottawa, and cruise to a blowout victory on Saturday night. Take the Bombers to cover the 9.5-point spread and enjoy the juicy -115 odds at football betting sites.
Three-Team Parlay Odds
Taking the first three parlay-legs of this weekend’s parlay card, Chicago Fire (-145), Nazim Sadykhov (-150), and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers -9.5 points at (-115), will return exciting +426 parlay odds. This means you would win $426 dollars for every $100 dollars wagered.
Pick 4: Toronto Blue Jays (-135) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Sat. July 15th at 3:07 pm ET
Our final selection of this weekend four-pack parlay will be on the diamond, where the Toronto Blue Jays look to continue their impressive run of form in an intriguing matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The D’Backs have been one of the surprise teams in Major League Baseball all season long. They currently sit tied atop the NL West. On Saturday afternoon, they’ll be sending their ace to the bump, as Zac Gallen enters Toronto riding a wave of confidence.
Gallen, who started for the National League in the 2023 MLB All-Star game, holds an 11-3 record with a miniscule 3.04 ERA and 125 strikeouts on the season. The hard-throwing right-hander has overwhelmed offenses and is firmly in contention for the NL Cy Young award.
Zac Gallen’s first career All-Star Game strikeout: Shohei Ohtanipic.twitter.com/gCsf6KMlLy
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) July 12, 2023
That being said, Gallen has only really been in exceptional form at home. Away from the friendly confines of Arizona, Gallen has struggled on the road.
He holds a 5.08 ERA, with opponents batting .260, compared to just .198 at home. Gallen has conceded 33 runs in 51 road innings.
The Jays enter Saturday as winners of six of their past seven contests, and have really improved their collective approaches at the dish.
They’re striking out less and have averaged 4.49 runs over the past couple of weeks. More patient at-bats are resulting in more positive outcomes at the plate, and they should be able to take full advantage of the road-weary Zac Gallen.
Toronto will counter with their ace on the hill, Kevin Gausman, who is also a contender for this year’s AL Cy Young. He is quite familiar with this Arizona lineup going back to his time with the San Francisco Giants.
Gausman has held Arizona batters to a miniscule combined .196 batting average. He was strong in his last outing before the break against Detroit, and has given up just five earned runs across his past four outings.
The odds are right where they should be for the favored Blue Jays. Look for their in-form offense to take full advantage of a potentially worn-down Zac Gallen. Given the quality and rest advantage of Kevin Gausman, this is definitely a valued final leg to this weekend’s parlay predictions.
Four-Team Parlay Odds
And there you have it, folks! Four exciting wagers spanning throughout a loaded Saturday slate to add a little excitement to your betting needs this weekend, as we pursue our second-straight parlay cash! If you do choose to wager on all four selections of this parlay card, you will receive parlay odds of +848. This means that you would win $848 dollars for every $100 dollars wagered.
