Sports Handicapper Sean Murphy's Picks & Predictions

My selection is on Philadelphia over Atlanta at 6:05 pm et on Saturday.

We'll back the Phillies as they look to rebound off last night's loss to open this series. The starting pitching advantage certainly goes in Philadelphia's favor here as it sends Zack Wheeler to the hill against Martin Perez. Wheeler had a miserable outing two starts back but bounced back nicely last time out as he allowed just one earned run over six tidy innings in a 5-2 win in Anaheim. He's 11-5 with a 3.66 FIP and 1.08 WHIP and should still be fresh having worked just north of 130 innings. Perez has been pitching well for the Braves lately although Atlanta is still just 1-2 in his last three outings, producing a grand total of five runs in those three contests. Run production should once again be an issue here. We'll back the home side. Take Philadelphia (8*).

My selection is on Kansas City over Toronto at 7:10 pm et on Saturday.

The Blue Jays took the opener of this series in blowout fashion last night and have won three games in a row to stay in the thick of the A.L. Wild Card hunt. The Royals are simply playing out the string at this point but I look for them to play spoiler on Saturday as they send Seth Lugo to the hill against Max Scherzer of the Blue Jays. Lugo has held current Blue Jays hitters to 14-for-65 (.215) with a .599 OPS at the plate. Scherzer is coming off arguably his best start of the season but current Royals are a healthy 26-for-92 (.283) with a .855 off of him including four home runs off the bat of Salvador Perez. Take Kansas City (8*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Coastal Carolina and West Virginia at 12 noon et on Saturday.

While the favored Mountaineers boast plenty of upside entering the new season, that's not saying much following a disastrous four-win campaign in 2025. It's essentially a roster overhaul on both sides of the football and while that's certainly concerning, sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered following a disappointing campaign. The key here is the matchup. Coastal Carolina dismissed its head coach and saw a roster exodus following a mediocre six-win season in 2025. There are question marks all over the offense but not as much on the defense, where the Chanticleers retained just enough talent to compete right out of the gates this season. Coastal Carolina won't put too much on its quarterback's shoulders in the opener, instead looking to simply possess the football for stretches and let its defense do much of the heavy lifting. We've seen this total shift downward since opening and it's the right move in my opinion. Take the under (8*).

My selection is on Iowa minus the points over Northern Illinois at 4:15 pm et on Saturday.

It may seem wild to be laying this many points with the Hawkeyes given the reputation they carry as a defense-first, plodding offensive team. However, we've seen a reversal of course on the offensive side of the football. Last year's nine-win season was capped off by a 34-point performance in the Reliaquest Bowl against Vanderbilt. In fact, they scored 30+ points on six different occasions last season. The defense remains the strength, however, and this is a game I expect them to control from start to finish. Northern Illinois has sprung its share of big upsets in recent years - a stunner in South Bend comes to mind. The Huskies took a big step back last season and don't figure to be a lot better with plenty of roster turnover this year as they move to the Mountain West Conference. I don't think we'll see the Huskies generate much offense in this game, nor do I think they can keep their defense off the field long enough to avoid getting gassed early on. Take Iowa (8*).

My selection is on Oregon minus the points over Boise State at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

Boise State still carries a 'brand name' reputation so this line may seem a little steep to casual college football bettors. Oregon is on another level this year, however. The Ducks are a popular pick to win it all come January although the jury is still out as to whether they can carry their regular season success over the postseason, as always. One thing we know is that Oregon is absolutely loaded with talent and experience on both sides of the football as the new season kicks off. I'm not convinced Boise State has the horses on offense to keep up in a matchup like this - at least not right out of the gates. While set at quarterback, the Broncos are working in some new faces at wide receiver and will take on a Ducks secondary that was a little green last year but now becomes a team strength. I think it's only a matter of time before the Oregon offense really gets rolling against a Broncos defense that has had to do some re-stocking and re-shuffling in the offseason. Take Oregon (8*).