Tiny Nick’s Gambling Picks: 8/23

Locks

MLB (0.5 Unit) Washington Nationals/NY Yankees Over 0.5 First Inning (-110; Odds via Fanduel): 6:05 PM CT on YES

The Yankees have hit their longest losing streak in 41 years after dropping their 9th straight last night. Things have the potential to keep getting uglier tonight as they send their worst pitcher back to the mound. I still can’t get over Luis Severino calling himself the worst pitcher in baseball, but he might not be wrong. It’s hard to find anyone worse in the first inning, as Severino has a 14.79 ERA in opening frames this season. That kind of stat should create much worse odds than this for a YRFI, and I think at least one of these teams pushes one across.

WNBA (0.5 Unit) Phoenix Mercury Team Total Under 73.5 (-110; Odds via Caesars): 9:00 PM CT on CBSSN

The Mercury have been an easy fade with their stars out, and it appears both Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi will miss this game. But the spread is flying up on that news and getting a little too big for my liking, so I’ll look for Phoenix to continue to struggle offensively on the road. The Mercury are 6-1 under this team total in their past 7 road games while averaging 71 PPG, and that was before their best players went out. The Sparks own the league’s fourth-best scoring defense, and should hold down this short-handed Mercury team again.

Degenerates

No degenerates today.

Tiny Nick is 1458-1300 ATS (+67.3 Units) on his Locks since joining Zone Coverage. 

Every day he will offer his Locks and Degenerate picks. Locks are the games he’s confident in. Degenerates are entertaining but riskier picks.