Editor's note: the only pick here is a Vegas line on the marquee, not our gut. Everything else is a preview. For the full slate and live game tiles, head to watch.uristocrat.com.
The Fourth of July gives you a real doubleheader of a day. The World Cup Round of 16 opens on American soil in the afternoon, and once the soccer wraps, a 15-game MLB slate runs into the night and ends with the Padres at the Dodgers under the lights. Start with the knockout soccer, end with the best team in baseball.
World Cup today
The Round of 16 begins on the Fourth, and both matches are in the United States. Single elimination from here, so there is no tomorrow for the loser.
- Canada vs Morocco (1:00 PM ET, FOX). Co-host Canada plays a knockout match at NRG Stadium in Houston. Morocco, which reached the semifinals in 2022, is the more proven side on paper and the one to beat here.
- France vs Paraguay (5:00 PM ET, FOX). The 2022 runner-up draws Paraguay at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. France has the talent to go deep again, and this is the round where that talent is supposed to show.
Marquee: Padres at Dodgers, NL West with a pitching edge (10:10 PM ET, SN LA)
The Dodgers own the best record in baseball at 58-31 and they close the nation's Fourth on their own field. Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the ball with a 2.67 ERA across 97.2 innings, and he draws Griffin Canning, who has been a mess in his first year with San Diego at 1-5 with a 7.08 ERA. The Padres sit at 43-44 and need this series to keep pace in a division Los Angeles has controlled all season. On paper this is a mismatch. San Diego's bats have to make Yamamoto work early, because if he settles in, this one gets away.
Vegas line (ESPN/DraftKings): Dodgers -1.5, total 8.5, Dodgers -259 moneyline.
Also tonight
- Golden State Valkyries at Atlanta Dream (1:00 PM ET, CBS). Two winning teams in the afternoon window. The expansion Valkyries have been the surprise of the WNBA season at 13-7, and the Dream are right behind at 12-8. A national CBS slot for a first-year franchise tells you how real they are.
- Rays at Astros (7:10 PM ET). Tampa Bay brings one of the best records in the American League into Houston at 52-33. The Astros have scuffled to 43-47 and need to hold serve at home. Talent gap says Rays.
- Cardinals at Cubs (8:08 PM ET, FOX). NL Central rivalry on national TV. The Cubs (49-39) hold the division and the Cardinals (46-39) are close enough to make this one matter in the standings.
- Mets at Braves (8:08 PM ET, FOX). The Mets have come apart at 36-52 while Atlanta sits at 51-35. The Braves should roll, but this rivalry usually finds a way to be closer than the records suggest.
- Brewers at Diamondbacks (9:40 PM ET). Milwaukee owns the best record in the National League at 54-32 and keeps winning. Arizona (43-44) is the kind of team that can bite you at home on a holiday night.
- Portland Fire at Seattle Storm (9:00 PM ET). The other expansion story closes the WNBA slate. The Fire (8-12) visit a struggling Storm side (5-16) in a Pacific Northwest nightcap.
A Fourth of July that opens with knockout soccer and ends with the best team in baseball under the lights is about as full a sports day as the calendar gives you. Full slate and live tiles are at watch.uristocrat.com.
Comments