It’s pretty wild how fast these weeks are flying by, but that only means one thing to us here at betcha: it’s time to comb through this weekend’s action and get onto our best bets. We have NPC, NRL, football, and so much more to sink our teeth into, so I’m very excited to crack into another edition of the betcha Best Bets series.
The Pirates shocked the MLB world by essentially burning their roster to the ground at the trade deadline, offloading players for pennies on the dollar. Since then, they’ve been on a heater when it comes to scoring runs, but on the flip side, they’ve been conceding plenty unless Paul Skenes is on the mound. Over their six games since the deadline, there have been more than 70 total runs scored, which is an astronomical number.
The Reds, by contrast, have had more reserved score lines. However, they’ve still hovered around the eight-run total in most of their games. With the Pirates involved, I expect runs to be the main theme.
In Saturday’s matchup, neither team will have their ace on the mound, which gives both lineups a great opportunity to generate offense. The Pirates are starting Mitch Keller, who is 5–10 this season. For the Reds are expected to start Chase Burns, who has allowed 22 runs on 30 hits across just seven starts, which aren’t great numbers.
All in all, I like the over in this one.
A heavyweight bout is set for Saturday afternoon between Wellington and Waikato. With both teams coming off very tough first-round matchups. Waikato opened the season against Auckland in a thrilling comeback win where both teams scored 30+ points.
Wellington, on the other hand, got off to a slow start with a 33–15 home loss to Canterbury. It was a game marked by poor offensive execution, leaving plenty of points on the table, while Canterbury capitalised on every opportunity Wellington’s lacklustre defense gave them.
This weekend, Waikato will look to go 2 from 2, while Wellington will be aiming for their first victory of the 2025 season. I think both teams have plenty of attacking firepower, and this could turn into a bit of a shootout. That’s why I’m looking at the 51.5 total points mark in this game and thinking the overs look like a good play.
The Raiders are coming off a supremely disappointing loss to the Dragons after back-to-back wins where they broke the 40-point mark. The Sea Eagles, on the other hand, are stuck in mid-table and on a two-game skid, having been beaten handily by the Bulldogs and Roosters. This comes after one of their signature wins over the Storm nearly a month ago.
For Ricky Stuart, the focus will be on proving that his side isn’t just pretending at second on the ladder. A good team shows its strength by bouncing back quickly from adversity, and this weekend’s home clash with the Sea Eagles presents a great opportunity to do just that.
Given the form and the context, I see this shaping up as a comfortable win for the home side. That’s why I’m looking at the -5.5 line, which I think offers solid value for Saturday night’s matchup.
Liverpool come into the 2025 Community Shield final against Crystal Palace as overwhelming favorites, and for good reason. They begin the new season as reigning Premier League champions and have been building what many are calling a super team in the second year of Arne Slot’s tenure.
One of the key additions to that squad is Hugo Ekitike, one of the most sought-after strikers on the market this season. He arrives from the Bundesliga after a career-best year and is being touted as “Baby Isak.” Heading into this game, he will be looking to build momentum ahead of the Premier League season. His all-round skill set makes him both a goal threat and a strong creator for those around him.
If Liverpool dominate, which many expect, Ekitike could be on the end of several good chances or play a key role in setting up players like Salah and Wirtz for goals of their own.
I understand it’s only NFL preseason, and with many pundits, players, and experts saying it’s not even real football, it should make predicting outcomes more difficult. This is especially true given that teams often rest their key players. For the Chargers, that likely means we won’t see names like Justin Herbert or Ladd McConkey.
However, that approach may not apply to the Saints. They enter the season with a legitimate three-man QB1 battle, and this first preseason game presents a massive opportunity for those quarterbacks to make their case. Because of that, I expect the Saints to take this game a bit more seriously than most teams typically would in the preseason.
Given that added weight and focus, I think there’s a good chance the Saints come out more competitively from the start and could take the spoils in this one.