Sports Handicapper Sean Murphy's Picks & Predictions

My selection is on Cleveland over Minnesota at 7:40 pm et on Tuesday.

The Twins struggles against left-handed pitching in recent years has been well-documented and that trend has continued in 2026 as they rank 23rd in the majors in wOBA against southpaws. They'll face a lefty in Joey Cantillo on Tuesday. Cantillo has held current Twins hitters to just 10 hits in 42 at-bats (.238), good for a .629 OPS. He's not coming off his best outing but I like his chances of bouncing back here. Taj Bradley will counter for Minnesota. The Guardians haven't seen a lot of him but what they have seen, they've liked, going a collective 7-for-19 (.368) with a .926 OPS. Both bullpens got a much-needed reset thanks to an off day on Monday. Cleveland's 'pen gets the edge in this particular matchup. Guardians relievers have posted a 2.22 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over the last week and have converted 29 saves while blowing only eight this season. Minnesota's 'pen has had success closing out games but owns a 5.28 ERA and 1.54 WHIP on the campaign. Take Cleveland (8*).

My selection is on the draw (90 minutes) between Colombia and Switzerland at 4 pm et on Tuesday.

You would be hard-pressed to find a round of 16 matchup between two evenly-matched sides than this. Colombia checks in as the favorite and rightfully so as it has gone undefeated across its last six matches and hasn't conceded a single goal in its last three. With that being said, Switzerland has gone undefeated across its last seven matches including three straight victories. The Swiss have also scored first in six consecutive matches. There's reasons for both sides to be supremely confident entering this one and regardless which side gains the upper hand, an equalizer should never be too far off. I think there's a good chance we see the round of 16 wrap up with extra time here as there's little to choose between these two. Take the draw (8*).

My selection is on the Athletics over Detroit at 6:40 pm et on Tuesday.

These two teams are certainly trending in opposite directions right now but that's clearly reflected in the price. I think we have a case of undervalued vs. overvalued at play in terms of the starting pitching matchup as J.T. Ginn takes the ball for the A's against Tarik Skubal for the Tigers. Skubal is of course still waiting to see if he'll remain a Tiger come August. He was terrific last time out as he gave up just one hit and one earned run in a 9-3 win over the struggling Yankees. Prior to that, Detroit had lost three of his last four starts, however, and he'll face an A's club that ranks seventh in the majors in wOBA against left-handed pitching this season. Ginn has given up three earned runs or less in four straight starts. The A's are 4-1 over his last five outings and 5-3 when he takes the ball on the road this season. I simply feel the price is too good to pass up on the underdog A's in this spot. Take the Athletics (8*).

A.L. West Underdog Game of the Year. My selection is on Los Angeles over Texas at 8:05 pm et on Tuesday.

The Angels have been swept in consecutive series, first on the road against the Mariners and then at home against the Red Sox. It's been a tough stretch to be sure but I look for them to bounce back against the similarly struggling Rangers on Tuesday. Texas just dropped two of three games at home against Detroit. While Jacob deGrom figures to instill confidence on the mound, this hasn't been an ideal matchup for him. Current Angels hitters are a collective 17-for-54 (.315) with a 1.003 OPS off of the veteran right-hander. That includes nine extra base hits. Texas won deGrom's most recent start - a 4-2 victory in Cleveland last week. The Rangers have won consecutive deGrom starts just once dating back to April 28th (they won his two starts on June 1st and 7th). Angels starter Jose Soriano has at least shown signs of regaining the form that saw him get off to a terrific start this season. Last time out he gave up three earned runs on six hits but struck out nine and walked only one in five innings against the Mariners. He has held current Rangers hitters to 12-for-53 (.226) with a .595 OPS against him. Neither team has been hitting particularly well over the last week but I like Los Angeles' chances of using this road series as a reset after a difficult stretch. Take Los Angeles (10*).

My selection is on Dallas moneyline over New York at 8 pm et on Tuesday.

New York is being priced as if it is the vastly superior team in this matchup but I'm not convinced that's the case at all. Dallas was in a tough spot on Sunday in Toronto as it could have easily been caught resting on its laurels following a come-from-behind win in Connecticut on Friday and looking ahead to this difficult test on Tuesday. Instead, the Wings dominated from start to finish in an 89-76 victory. New York does enter this game playing well, off back-to-back wins and covers against two of the league's best teams in Las Vegas and Minnesota. With that being said, the Liberty have proven vulnerable at times this season and are still just 3-4 SU over their last seven games including a home loss against the Mystics over that stretch. Keep in mind, Dallas took the first meeting between these two teams by a lopsided score of 91-76 back on May 24th in Brooklyn. Take Dallas moneyline (8*).

Non-Conference Game of the Year. My selection is on Chicago moneyline over Phoenix at 10 pm et on Tuesday.

The Sky dropped both games of a home-and-home set against the Aces including an overtime heart-breaker in Las Vegas on Friday. There's no denying Chicago has been playing better basketball lately, however, as evidenced by its current 7-2 ATS run. The Sky will be out for 'revenge' on Tuesday after they dropped a 91-83 decision in Phoenix earlier this season. Note that the Sky were off to a 2-0 start to the season at that point after winning their first two games at Portland and Golden State. They would go on to win their next game as well, 86-79 in Minnesota. The Mercury are probably feeling pretty good about themselves on the heels of a season-high three straight victories both SU and ATS. They took full advantage of a complacent Seattle squad last time out, cruising to a 90-67 win on Thursday. I expect them to face a great deal more resistance here. Keep in mind, Phoenix is still just 8-13 on the season. Take Chicago moneyline (10*).