Friday 8/21/20 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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White Sox at Cubs 8/21/20 - MLB

On Friday, the Chicago White Sox open a three-game interleague series on the road at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. The White Sox improved to 14-11 following a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. Chicago has won four straight and six of its last eight to climb into third place in the American League Central two games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins.

Jose Abreu is batting .277 to lead Chicago. The first baseman has team highs in RBIs with 17 and hits with 28. Left fielder Eloy Jimenez is leading in home runs with seven. On Friday, Chicago will send Dallas Keuchel to the mound. The left-hander is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.07, 16 Ks and 6 BBs.

The Chicago Cubs improved to 16-8 with a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. The Cubs lead the National League Central by four games over the Milwaukee Brewers and won three out of five over the Cardinals while playing a series that included two doubleheaders to make up for games postponed due to the Coronavirus.

Ian Happ is batting .315 to lead Chicago. The Chicago Cubs center fielder has team highs in home runs with six, RBIs with 14, hits with 23 and on-base percentage at .438. On Friday, the Cubs will send Jon Lester to the mound. The veteran left-hander is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.74, 14 Ks and 4 BBs.

Recent Betting Trends
The White Sox are 4-1 in their last 5
The UNDER has cashed in 4 of the White Sox last 6
The Cubs are 15-6 in their last 21
The OVER has cashed in 4 of the Cubs last 6

Free MLB Pick: Chicago Cubs -130

The Chicago Cubs are in first place in the National League Central and have the second best record in baseball behind just the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs will send left-hander Jon Lester to the mound who is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.74.The Cubs have won 15 of their last 21 overall. Final Score Prediction, Chicago Cubs win 6-3.

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Twins at Royals 8/21/20 - MLB

With the Twins they are playing some very impressive baseball on the year so far. The Twins have managed to post a 16-8 record, but when playing on the road this year Minnesota is sitting on a 5-6 record. In their last game the Twins ended up getting a 9-3 beat down by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Minnesota is heading into the game here with a .234 average on the season with a total of 181 hits. The Twins have managed to get a total of 116 runs across the plate, but have ended up with a total of 37 homers on the year. The pitching for the Twins has been fairly impressive with a team ERA of 3.22, but have allowed the opponent to hit only at a clip of .215.

Kansas City is coming to the game here after playing in a double header game before play on Thursday. The Royals in the double header actually ended up splitting the games with the Cincinnati Reds. One of those games the Royals were able to shut out the Reds, but in the other game the Royals pitching staff was throttled by the Reds.

For the Royals they are coming to the game here hitting better at a .250 clip with 191 hits on the year. The Royals have ended up with a total of 93 runs scored on the year, but have managed to get a total of 28 homers on the year. The pitching staff for the Kansas City club has posted a 4.02 ERA and have allowed the opponent to hit at a clip of .244 on the season.

Recent Betting Trends

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games.
Minnesota are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kansas City's last 7 games.
Kansas City are 3-5 SU in their last 8 games.

Free MLB Pick: Minnesota Twins -150

This game will be one that is going to showcase the great pitching matchups that a lot of fans are going to want to check out. The Royals are coming in the game with a slightly worse pitching staff, but the hitting for the Royals is better than the Twins. The major flaw for Kansas City is their hitting may be better, but they are unable to score runs a lot and that will definitely be a telling sign in the game here as the Royals are unable to keep pace with the Twins offense. Final Score Prediction, Minnesota Twins win 6-2.

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Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves 8/21/20 - MLB

The Philadelphia Phillies travel on the road to Truist Park to take on the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies had a four game losing streak snapped their last time out after falling on the road 6-3 to the Boston Red Sox and dropping their record on the season to 9-10. The Braves came into a matchup at home against the Washington Nationals on a three-game winning streak but also lost. The Braves fell 8-5 and dropped to 14-11 on the year.

The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the best offenses in the MLB this season, coming in leading the team in runs per game averaging 5.58 while batting .260 as a team, the 5th best clip in the MLB this season. The Phillies have one of the best catchers in baseball, JT Realmuto who leads the team in homreuns (8) and RBIs (20) while batting .275 on the season. All-star right-fielder Bryce Harper is batting .349 on the year and has added 5 homeruns and driven in 15 runs.

The Phillies pitching staff has not shared the same success this season and comes in with a 5.56 ERA, the 27th ranked team ERA in the MLB this season. Taking the hill for the Phillies is Aaron Nola who is 2-1 on the season while posting a 2.05 ERA on the season. Nola has made four starts with 26 innings of work, striking out 37 and walking just 4.

Atlanta comes in batting .253 as a team ranking 10th in the MLB this season and are averaging just under 5 runs per game at 4.96 runs per game, also ranking 10th. Young shortstop Dansby Swanson comes in leading the team in batting average (.303) and has driven in a team-high 16 runs. Left fielder Marcell Ozuna leads the Braves in homeruns with 5, while batting .261 and 13 RBIs.

The Braves pitching staff has been average this season coming in posting a 4.42 team ERA to rank 16th in the MLB and has allowed opponents to hit .243. The Braves will send out their ace, Max Fried who has been virtually unhittable this season. Fried has made five starts this season, working through 29 innings striking out 28 and walking 9. Fried first outting against the Phillies on August 9th was a decisive win, going 5 innings allowing just four hits and no runs in a 8-0 Braves win.

Recent Betting Trends

Phillies totals' have gone under in four of their last five games.
The Phillies have won four of their last five games.
Braves totals' have gone over in two in a row and six of their last eight.
The Braves have won three of their last four games.

Free MLB Pick: Phillies -110

With these two-star pitchers going head to head runs will likely be at a premium and with one of the best offenses in the MLB the Phillies get the job done. Despite their struggles against the Braves, and specifically Fried, this Phillies team has taken a huge step forward especially at the plate since then scoring 6.8 runs per game over their last five games. The Phillies offense sneaks across some early runs, Aaron Nola shuts down the Braves and the bullpen holds on for the Phillies to get the win in an evenly matched battle between two NL East teams. Final score prediction, Phillies win 4-3.

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Brewers at Pirates 8/21/20 - MLB

PNC Park will play host to a Friday night NL Central Division meeting between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last night, Milwaukee managed just five hits and struck out nine times during a 7-1 road loss against Minnesota. 1B Justin Smoak’s seventh inning solo shot was the only offense for the Brewers, who fell to 11-12 on the year.

Twenty-seven year old righty Adrian Houser (1-1 3.27 ERA) has proven to be a reliable starting option for the Brewers. Last time out, Houser gave up three runs in five innings during a 6-5 road victory against Chicago.

The Pittsburgh Pirates come into this series looking to snap a four-game losing streak and are a major league worst 4-17 overall. On Thursday, Pittsburgh batters struck out 16 times and walked just once during a 2-0 home loss versus Cleveland. SP Trevor Williams (1-4) allowed one run across four frames and took the loss for the Pirates.

The Pirates will give the nod to twenty-seven year old righty Chad Kuhl (0-1 3.21 ERA) in the series opener. Through his first 14 innings, Kuhl has allowed three home runs and struck out 18 batters.

Recent Betting Trends

Brewers are 0-5 in their last 5 during game 1 of a series.
Pirates are 0-4 in their last 4 games as a home underdog.
Under is 3-1-1 in Brewers last 5 during game 1 of a series.
Over is 5-2-1 in Pirates last 8 overall.
Brewers are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Pittsburgh.

Free MLB Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates +140

Pittsburgh SP Mitch Keller (oblique) has begun playing catch and is scheduled to throw off a mound next week. Through 23 games, Milwaukee ranks 26th in OPS and 26th in runs scored. Pittsburgh counters with an offense that ranks 30th in OPS and 29th in runs scored. Take the Pirates to get a much needed victory. Final Score Prediction, Pittsburgh Pirates win 5-3.

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Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles 8/21/20 - MLB

Coming to the game here the Red Sox are coming off of a win over Philadelphia in their last game. The final score for the win for Boston was by a 6-3 mark and it was one which the Red Sox were able to take full advantage of for a change to improve their record. The Red Sox with the win moved up to a 7-18 record on the year, but playing on the road Boston is sitting on a 3-8 mark.

On the season the Red Sox have managed to hit at a clip of .254 with 217 hits. The Red Sox have brought home a total of 110 runners on the year and sent 28 balls to the stands. The Red Sox have a team ERA of 6.22 and have allowed the opponents to hit at a clip of .269 which would explain a lot of the losses.

Baltimore for their part is coming into the game here after getting a loss handed to them in their last game by Toronto. The loss ended up coming in the form of a 5-2 score and it was definitely not something that the Orioles were expecting. The loss dropped the Orioles to a 12-12 mark on the year. The Orioles for their part are sitting on a 4-11 mark at home.

This year Baltimore has managed to hit at a clip of .262 with 217 hits. Run production for Baltimore is not that bad with 123 runs and 35 homers on the season thus far. Pitching for Baltimore has improved quite a bit with a team ERA of 4.77, but the opponents are hitting at a clip of .274,

Recent Betting Trends

Boston are 1-9 SU in their last 10 games.
Boston are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against Baltimore.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 7 games.
Baltimore are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games.

Free MLB Pick: Baltimore Orioles -110

With the game here the Orioles are coming to it with the better hitting team, but also the better pitching staff as well. The problem is the Orioles tend to allow the hitters to get contact on the ball and if the Red Sox can figure out how to play small ball in the game here do have a good chance of winning the game. The Red Sox, though, tend to rely on the power quite a bit and that will eventually cost the Red Sox like it does in the game here as the Orioles pitchers do not give up a lot of homers. Final Score Prediction, Baltimore Orioles win 5-3.

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Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 8/21/20 - MLB

AL East Division foes will clash on Friday night, when the Toronto Blue Jays invade Tropicana Field to face the Tampa Bay Rays. On Thursday, OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. delivered a walk-off single to lift Toronto to a 3-2 home victory versus Philadelphia. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Jays (12-11) rallied for seven runs during the sixth inning of a 9-8 win.

Thirty-three year old righty Matt Shoemaker (0-1 5.23 ERA) will take the mound for the Blue Jays in this matchup. Through 20 plus innings of work, Shoemaker has surrendered six long balls and struck out 19 batters.

The Tampa Bay Rays have won 11 of their last 12 games and have surged ahead of New York atop the AL East Division standings. On Thursday, Tampa Bay completed a three-game sweep of New York with an impressive 10-5 road victory. C Mike Zunino connected on a three-run shot for the Rays, who improved to 17-9 overall.

The Rays will counter with twenty-eight year old southpaw Ryan Yarbrough (0-2 4.13 ERA) in the series opener. Last time out, Yarbrough allowed four hits in three shutout innings during a 3-2 victory at Toronto.

Recent Betting Trends

Blue Jays are 18-37 in their last 55 games as a road underdog.
Rays are 36-15 in their last 51 games as a home favorite.
Under is 6-0 in Blue Jays last 6 games as a road underdog.
Under is 5-0 in Rays last 5 games as a home favorite.
Blue Jays are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings.

Free MLB Pick: Under 8.5 Runs

Toronto SS Bo Bichette has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 sprain of the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. Through 22 games, Toronto ranks 13th in OPS and 25th in runs scored. Tampa Bay comes into this game with an offense that ranks 6th in OPS and 3rd in runs scored. Take the under on Friday. Final Score Prediction, Tampa Bay Rays win 4-2.

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Marlins at Nationals 8/21/20 - MLB

The Friday MLB schedule will get underway with a battle between the Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals from the nation’s capital. Miami had their game on Thursday postponed due to positive COVID tests within the New York Mets’ organization. The Marlins (9-9) are looking to snap a five-game losing streak and are led by 1B Jesus Aguilar in all three Triple Crown categories.

Twenty-five year old righty Elieser Hernandez (0-0 1.84 ERA) will make his fourth start of the year for the Marlins. Through 14 plus innings, Hernandez has allowed just one home run and fanned 19 batters.

The Washington Nationals have dropped 12 of their first 21 games and are currently in last place in the NL East Division standings. On Tuesday, every Washington starter contributed to a 17-hit attack during an 8-5 road victory against Atlanta. 1B Eric Thames had two base knocks and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who are three games out of first place.

Washington manager Davey Martinez will turn to talented left-hander Patrick Corbin (2-1 3.91 ERA) on Friday. Last time out, Corbin was tagged for five runs in five innings during a 7-3 road loss against Baltimore.

Recent Betting Trends

Marlins are 16-37 in their last 53 road games.
Nationals are 40-16 in their last 56 games as a home favorite.
Under is 4-1 in Marlins last 5 road games with the total set at 9.0-10.5.
Under is 6-1 in Nationals last 7 games as a home favorite.
Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Washington.

Free MLB Pick: Under 9 Runs

Washington 2B Starlin Castro will undergo surgery on Friday to repair his broken right wrist and could possibly return for the playoffs. Through 19 games, Miami ranks 25th in OPS and 28th in runs scored. Washington counters with an offense that ranks 9th in OPS and 21st in runs scored. Take the under in the series opener. Final Score Prediction, Washington Nationals win 5-2.

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Vancouver Canucks vs St Louis Blues 8/21/20 - NHL

Vancouver is coming into the game here after picking up a win in the last game to take a 3-2 series lead. The Canucks in the game looked impressive for the most part, but ended up having some issues in the game that could only be considered questionable at best. Look for that type of play to continue in the game here for Vancouver.

In the win the Canucks ended up getting a total of 30 shots, but managed to play very physical play with a total of 38 hits in the game. The Canucks ended up winning 21 faceoffs. When it came to the power play the Canucks ended up going 0-3.

Saint Louis managed to jump out to the early lead in the game. However, after the lead was secured the Blues looked like a team that simply gave up on keeping the pressure on the opponent. That allowed the Canucks to get back into the game and actually look like a great team that was able to get the win while overwhelming the Blues defense.

Saint Louis for their part was able to land a total of 39 shots in the game. The Blues physical play only resulted in a total of 42 hits. The Saint Louis team managed to get a total of 32 faceoffs won, but ended up going 1-2 on the power play.

Recent Betting Trends

St. Louis are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games.
St. Louis are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against Vancouver.
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Vancouver's last 20 games.
Vancouver are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games.

Free NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks +120

In the game the Blues have their back against the wall and a loss will not work. Look for the Blues to play hard in the game here, but the play from the Canucks relies more on the finesse type of plays and that will allow Vancouver to get the puck past the Blues goalie in the game here to secure the series and the win in this game. Final Score Prediction, Vancouver Canucks win 4-2.

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Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers 8/21/20 - NHL

The Flyers had a chance to put Montreal out of the playoffs, but failed to do so. That type of loss by the Flyers can be a momentum killer and could actually be one that does not give the Flyers back the upstart play that they had been able to get. Now, the Flyers have to face a Canadiens team in this game that has figured out how to play great hockey and could potentially win the next game as well.

For the Flyers they managed to get a total of 29 shots in the game. The Philadelphia team ended up with a total of 28 hits in the game. Philadelphia did end up winning 39 faceoffs in the game. When it came to the power play the Flyers went 3 for 7.

Montreal for their part finally found an offense in the series. That offense allowed the Canadiens to get close to pulling even in the series. However, the win also made it easier for the Canadiens to be one of the teams that could end up playing their way to a game 7 as the win definitely looked impressive for Montreal and could help them out in a much needed confidence boost.

With Montreal they were able to get only a total of 33 shots in the game, but recorded a total of 39 hits. The Canadiens did manage to win 26 faceoffs in the game, which was far fewer than the Flyers. The Canadiens for their part went 1-7 on the power plays.

Recent Betting Trends

Montreal are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games at home.
Montreal are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games against Montreal.
Philadelphia are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games on the road.

Free NHL Pick: Montreal Canadiens +115

Heading to the game here Montreal has all the confidence they need. They were able to keep the Flyers offense at bay with equal strength, but need to improve on their discipline to keep themselves out of the penalty box. If the Canadiens are able to do that in this game it could be an even bigger win for the Flyers who have been able to play great equal strength hockey, but have been unable to do much on the penalty kill. In this game look for the Canadiens to be more disciplined of a team and that leads to them having a better chance of winning the game. Final Score Prediction, Montreal Canadiens win 4-2.

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Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx 8/21/20 - WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury meet up and both teams come in on streaks, the Lynx have two in a row and three of their last four. The Lynx are coming off a solid 91-84 win over the Dallas Wings to improve their record on the season to 8-3 on the year. The Mercury comes in on a two-game losing streak, falling 83-74 to the LA Sparks their last time out and dropping back to .500 on the year at 6-6.

The Mercury are one of the best offenses in the WNBA this season coming in averaging 86.7 points per game ranking 3rd in the MLB this season. Center Brittaney Griner leads Phoenix in scoring with 17.7 points per game and rebounding with 7.5 per game. The Mercury have three other players averaging 15 or more points, including starting point guard Diana Taurasi who averages 16.8 points per game while contributing a team-high in assists with 5.6 per game.

Minnesota comes in averaging 81.3 points per game, the 7th ranked scoring offense in the WNBA this season. As a team the Lynx shoot the three-ball exceptionally well, shooting 37% as a team which is the third-best clip in the WNBA. Leading the Lynx in scoring is Napheesa Collier who averages 15.2 points per game and adds 8.7 rebounds, good for second on the team. The Lynx will be missing Sylvia Fowles in this game who was averaging a WNBA high 9.7 rebounds per game while adding in 14.6 points per game.


The Lynx frontcourt is one of the best defensively in the league and it shows allowing 75.9 points per game, ranking 2nd in the WNBA in scoring defense. Opposing teams are shooting 42.3% from the field, which also ranks the Lynx second in the WNBA this year. The Mystics have allowed 81.8 points per game ranking 6th in scoring defense.

Recent Betting Trends

The Lynx have covered the spread in four of their last five games.
The Lynx totals' have gone over in six straight games, and nine of their last ten.
The Mercury have covered the spread in their last three games.
Phoenix totals' have gone over in four of their last six games.

Free WNBA Pick: Phoenix Mercury -1

The Mercury have really struggled as of late dropping their last two games while the Lynx seem to have found their groove and are now sitting in second place in the Western Conference. However, without Fowles the Lynx will have real trouble stopping Brittney Griner and the balanced and deep scoring attack of the Mercury. Minnesota's defense is one of the best in the WNBA, but without Fowles to neutralize Griner, the Mercury will have plenty of opportunities and take advantage. Phoneix stops the losing streak and get back on track with a win. Final score prediction, Phoenix Mercury win 92-86.

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Washington Mystics vs Dallas Wings 8/21/20 - WNBA

The Washington Mystics look for their second consecutive victory on Friday when playing the Dallas Wings. Washington snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 98-91 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday. Stella Johnson scored a team-high 25 points for the Mystics in the victory. Washington is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference 3 ½ games behind the first place Chicago Sky.

Myisha Hines-Allen is leading Washington in scoring and rebounding with averages of 15.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Emma Meesseman is the leader in assists for Washington with an average of 4.5 per game. Washington continues to play without stars Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles, Aerial Powers and Natasha Cloud.

Dallas dropped to 4-8 following its 91-84 loss on Wednesday to the Minnesota Lynx. Dallas has lost four of its last five and seven of its last nine. In the loss to Minnesota, Allisha Gray was the leading scorer with 22 points while Arike Ogunbowale scored 20. Dallas is in last place in the Western Conference seven games behind the first-place Seattle Storm.

Arike Ogunbowale is leading Dallas in scoring with an average of 21.4 points per game. Satou Sabally is the leading rebounder with an average of 7.0 per game and Tyasha Harris is leading in assists with an average of 2.9 per game. Dallas has three players averaging double figures in scoring.

Recent Betting Trends

Washington is 1-7 ATS in its last 8
The UNDER has cashed in 7 of the Mystics last 9
Dallas is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9
The UNDER has cashed in 7 of the Wings last 10

Free WNBA Pick: Washington Mystics -7

Washington has battled injuries throughout the first half of this abbreviated WNBA season with players such as Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles and Natasha Cloud not playing. However, Washington has managed to win four times this season and is coming off a hard-fought victory over the Atlanta Dream. Dallas has failed to cover seven of its last nine overall. Final Score Prediction, Washington Mystics win and cover ATS 88-77.

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Atlanta Dream vs LA Sparks 8/21/20 - WNBA

Atlanta is heading into the game here after getting handed a loss by the Mystics. The loss was just another of a compiling number of losses on the hands of the Dream. The Dream only managed to score 91 points in the game and allowed the Mystics to get a total of 96 points. The loss dropped the Dream to a 2-10 mark.

Betnijah Laney was the leading scorer for the Dream in the losing effort. She ended up putting up a total of 35 points in the game. She was supported by Courtney Williams who put in a total of 30 points in the game. Monique Billings ended up leading the Dream in rebounding in the game with a total of 12 boards.

Coming to the game here the Sparks were able to bring home the win over the Mercury. The win ended up coming with an 83-74 score in the game. The Sparks with the win ended up improving to a 7-3 mark on the year overall.

In the game for the Sparks they had 3 individual players, Parker, Gray and Sykes who all put in a total of 16 points in the game. The Sparks for their part ended up being led in the rebounding by Parker who managed to pull down a total of 12 boards in the game.

Free WNBA Pick: Los Angeles Sparks -5

The Dream have struggled on the year and have really not been able to contain the opponents offense so far to the point of picking up wins. With Atlanta the team is coming to the game here facing a Sparks team that has been able to get the ball passed around rather easily and not relying on any single player to control the game, which keeps the Dream off balance defensively as the Sparks are a master at passing the ball to the open woman. Final Score Prediction, Los Angeles Sparks win 99-88.

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On Friday, the Houston Dynamo will host FC Dallas as both clubs return to regular season play in the MLS. Houston will look to give manager Tab Ramos his first victory in the MLS following three draws and two losses in his first five matches at the helm. In the MLS is Back Tournament, Houston opened with a 3-3 draw against LAFC followed by a loss to Portland and were eliminated following a 1-1 draw with LA Galaxy.

Houston has been busy during the transfer window bringing in midfielder Wilfried Zahibo. In exchange, the Dynamo gave up Tommy McNamara. Houston also announced it signed Ariel Lassiter, who was playing for LD Alajuelense in the Costa Rican League. Word is that Houston could also acquire Darixon Vuelto, a forward from Honduras who is under contract with Real Espana.

FC Dallas is coming off two disappointing matches at home at Toyota Stadium versus Nashville SC, in which Dallas was only able to take one point after losing the opening match and then drawing in the second. The only point taken by Dallas came on Sunday with a 0-0 draw. In the two matches against Nashville FC, Dallas was outshot 21-12 on its home pitch.

Dallas could lose fullback Reggie Cannon, as the US national team member has been linked to a transfer to Barnsley in the English Championship League. Dallas must find a way to put shots on goal and balls into the opponents net as the club was able to score just once in its two matches against the expansion Nashville FC.

Free Soccer Pick: Houston Dynamo +130

The Battle of Texas takes place at the Texas Derby on Friday between Houston and Dallas. Over the last 18 matches played between the two in Houston, the Dynamo have won eight, Dallas has won 4 and 6 have ended and in a draw. Houston will look to give manager Tab Ramos his inaugural victory in the MLS and will pressure the Dallas backline from start to finish and come out on top. Final Score Prediction, Houston Dynamo wins 2-0.

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Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Toronto FC 8/21/20 - MLS

Toronto is heading into the match here after taking down Vancouver in their last meeting between the teams. In the game back the Toronto club actually came in and just thrashed the Whitecaps like they were not even on the pitcher. The Toronto club ended up getting 3 goals and only allowed no goals.

This season the Toronto offense has been playing good with 13 goals on the year. The defense for the Toronto club has been questionable at times with 10 goals allowed. One thing that Toronto has done is managed to get 6 assist on the year.

Vancouver is heading into the game here wwith a fairly weak offense that has only managed to get 7 goals on the year. The Whitecaps have allowed a total of 13 goals this year, which puts them at a -6 on the year. Passing for the club has been decent with 6 assist on the year.

The last meeting not only ended up with a 3-0 final score, it was also dominated by the Toronto club. Toronto ended up controlling the ball 75% of the time and ended up with 24 shots on goal. The Vancouver team only controlled the ball 25% of the time and ended up with only 4 shots on the goal.

Free Soccer Pick: Under 3

Vancouver has not looked good in the opening game and that could really haunt them here. Not to mention the game was against the Toronto club and that was going to be a problem as well as the Toronto club has a great offense that showed up in the game. Not to mention Vancouver did not have an offense that showed up in the game and that will definitely make it hard to see the Vancouver squad pull out a win, but the one thing that Vancouver is able to do is keep the game on the under. Final Score Prediction, Toronto FC wins on the under 2-0.

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FC Girondins Bordeaux vs FC Nantes 8/21/20 - Ligue 1

Bordeaux will open its 2020 Ligue campaign at home in Matmut Atlantique Stadium Friday hosting Nantes. The last meeting between the two clubs was played in January and Bordeaux defeated Nantes 1-0 on the road. Bordeaux has defeated Nantes in each of the last two meetings and four of the last five. Over the last 12 head-to-head meetings between the two rivals in the top-flight French league, Nantes has just one victory.

During it's summer break, Bordeaux played in five friendlies with just one victory a 4-0 win over Reims. Dating back to last season Bordeaux has one win, five draws and two losses in its last eight matches played. However, playing on his home pitch, Bordeaux will be favored to start its Ligue 1 with a victory. Pablo Castro is out injured for Bordeaux.

Nantes played just three friendlies prior to the start of the season in the top flight French league. The Canaries won two of those and one ended in a draw. Dating back to last season. Nantes has lost two straight with one victory in nine matches prior to its three friendlies just played. Nantes does not have any injuries to report for the first match of the season.

Free Soccer Pick: FC Girondins Bordeaux +137

Although Bordeaux has not played well in its pre-season friendlies leading up to this opening match of the 2020 top flight French league campaign, the club will be on its home pitch and has dominated Nantes of recent. In the last 12 matches played between the two French clubs, Bordeaux has lost just once. Final Score Prediction, Bordeaux wins 3-1