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Monday’s Best College Football, NFL Week 1 & MLB Bets (9/4)

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No matter your sport of choice, there's always sports betting action to be had. We'll have you covered each and every day with our daily best bets. Here are all of our best bets across each major sport in action today.

Today's Best Bets

Here are today's best bets.

College Football Best Bets

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Clemson vs. Duke

Clemson's offense will look to get back to elite status in 2023. Cade Klubnik enters the year as the team's clear starting QB, and the offense should enjoy a refresh under new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who recently helped TCU's offense emerge as one of the best in the nation. It helps that talented tailback Will Shipley is back, along with four starting offensive linemen.

Meanwhile, Duke enters 2023 with real expectations under second-year coach Mike Elko. The Blue Devils were a pleasant surprise in 2022, going 9-4 with a victory in the Military Bowl. Duke returns nine starters on offense, including dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard, along with eight starters on defense. While the arrow is certainly pointing up for the Blue Devils program, they didn't face a team quite at the caliber of Clemson last season.

After last year's "disappointing" 11-3 season (that included an ACC title and New Year's Six bowl appearance), sentiment seems to be a bit low on the Tigers entering 2023. Betting against Elko is never fun, but I suspect Dabo Swinney will be looking to make a big statement in this season's opener: Clemson remains among the elite programs in college football. I'll lay it with Clemson so long as the line stays beneath two touchdowns.

Pick: Clemson -13 (-110)

-Matt Barbato

NFL Best Bets

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns

The Bengals haven't committed to Joe Burrow for Week 1 of the NFL season. However, it sounds likely that Burrow will start. While he could be limited, I highly doubt that the Bengals would start Burrow if he weren't 100% ready to go in Week 1. There would be too much risk in rushing him back.

Burrow's mobility could be a bit weak. But everyone had that same analysis with Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs, and he could do whatever he needed to despite hobbling in pain.

Quarterback play could be the difference in this Week 1 game. Joe Burrow was elite last year. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson wasn't. Maybe an entire season of preparation will help Watson figure some kinks out. But he only threw 1,102 yards in six games played. Watson finished with a 40.4 QBR last season and threw seven touchdowns with five interceptions.

He was also super inaccurate. Watson only completed 58.2% of passes and averaged a career-low of 6.5 yards per pass play.

Watson will have Elijah Moore at wide receiver. Maybe Cedric Tillman or David Bell step up. But this is mostly the same offense as last year.

I've got my eyes on the Bengals.

Bet: Bengals -2.5 (-110)

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MLB Best Bets

San Francisco Giants (+116) vs. Chicago Cubs (-134) | O/U 9 (-105/-115) 

The San Francisco Giants are a tough team to figure out, as their success against left-handed starting pitchers has a little "smoke and mirrors" feel. The Giants are eight games over .500 (23-15) against left-handed starting pitchers this year, but they are 27th or worse in wRC+, wOBA, and OPS in road games against southpaws. Now they face one of the best in Justin Steele, who is looking to match Spencer Strider for the league lead in wins (16) and has the second-best ERA of any starting pitcher (2.69). 

Not much separates the two teams in the standings, but the Chicago Cubs have been 9.5 games better than the Giants since the All-Star Break, going 31-17 (second-best record in the NL) compared to San Francisco's 21-26 second-half record. And while Giants righty Logan Webb still has the fifth-best odds to win the Cy Young Award (+3000 via DraftKings), his individual success (team leader in ERA, WAR, WHIP, strikeouts, and innings pitched) has not translated to wins, as the team is 13-15 in his 28 starts, including a -8 run differential in the last three (all losses).

The high total for a matchup with two solid starting pitchers suggests the wind may be blowing out at Wrigley Field, but even if that is the case, we trust the Cubs offense more.

Pick: Cubs Moneyline (-134)

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