Today’s top games to watch, best bets, odds: Dodgers vs. Red Sox, Sparks vs. Liberty and more

Two struggling MLB playoff contenders collide on Saturday night, as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox meet for the second time in their three-game set at 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX. The Red Sox (55-50) entered the All-Star Break on a 10-game winning streak but have lost five of seven since. The Dodgers (61-43) took the first game of this series by a 5-2 score; however, they’ve dropped 11 of their past 16 games overall. 

Both teams will look to turn things around with their southpaws on the mound on Saturday. The Red Sox are trotting out ace Garrett Crochet (11-4, 2.19 ERA), while the Dodgers will counter with future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 3.27 ERA). 

Dodgers star Mookie Betts missed Friday’s game against his former team due to personal reasons, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that he doesn’t know whether Betts will be back in the lineup for Saturday’s showdown. Betts is having his worst season at the plate in his MLB career, with career-low marks in both batting average (.238) and OPS (.679). 

While Betts does not have home run odds available for Saturday due to the uncertainty of him playing, Shohei Ohtani has the shortest home run odds at FanDuel Sportsbook for this contest at +240. Ohtani entered Friday’s game against the Red Sox having left the yard in each of his previous five contests, but that streak was snapped after he went 1-for-4 with a single and a walk at Fenway last night. 

In addition to a jam-packed 16-game MLB slate (thanks to a Guardians-Royals doubleheader), Saturday also features two WNBA games and an intriguing UFC card. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet at the top sportsbooks on Saturday, July 26. All times Eastern.

WNBA best bets today, where to watch

Sparks at Liberty

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: New York | TV: NBA TV | Stream: Fubo (Start watching, save $20!)

SportsLine expert pick — Max Meyer: Breanna Stewart Over 17.5 points (-118)

The Liberty have won five straight games, all coming against teams that are currently in the WNBA playoff picture. After rallying for an 89-76 victory over the Mercury on Friday night, New York plays the second leg of a home back-to-back on Saturday night against the Sparks. WNBA expert Max Meyer thinks Liberty star Breanna Stewart is going to have a big performance after being held to a season-low six points against the Mercury yesterday. Meyer notes that earlier in the month, Stewart’s points prop was at 21.5 against this same Sparks team, and he thinks there’s been too big of an adjustment with her points prop for this upcoming clash residing at 17.5.

More WNBA best bets:

Meyer: Stewart 25+ points (+460)

MLB best bets today, where to watch

Dodgers at Red Sox

Time: 7:15 p.m. | Location: Boston | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Start watching, save $20!)

SportsLine picks — Model picks: Over 8.5 runs (-110), Michael Conforto Over 0.5 total bases (-115) 

The SportsLine Projection Model leans toward the Dodgers on both the money line and run line, but its strongest recommendation is on the total of 8.5. After 10,000 simulations, the Over hits 67.4% of the time with a projected final score of Red Sox 5.4-Dodgers 5.2. 

There is also one 5-star player prop suggestion from the model in this Saturday night showdown, with Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto Over 0.5 total bases receiving the top recommendation. Conforto has gotten at least one base in seven of his last eight games where the Dodgers have been road underdogs. He’s projected for 1.1 total bases on Saturday, providing strong value on Over 0.5 total bases at -115. 

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UFC best bets today, where to watch

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder

Time: 3 p.m. | Location: Abu Dhabi | TV: ABC/ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (Start watching, save $20!)

SportsLine expert pick — Daniel Vithlani: Tabitha Ricci (+142) over Amanda Ribas

A middleweight battle between former champion Robert Whittaker (27-8) and Reinier de Ridder (20-2) is the main event for UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. Whittaker is the -152 favorite in this bout at FanDuel despite losing two of his past four fights, while de Ridder is priced at +128.

One of SportsLine UFC expert Daniel Vithlani’s top plays for the card is a preliminary battle between Amanda Ribas and Tabatha Ricci. Vithlani is siding with the underdog Ricci here, stating that “Ribas is tough to trust as a betting favorite, considering she hasn’t beaten a noteworthy opponent since Viviane Araujo two years ago.”

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