Wednesday July 10 Sports Betting Picks For 7/10/2024 MLB Slate & Copa America Semifinal Predictions

Copa America fever isn't running rampant, with the Americans long gone from the scene, but the semifinal clash between Colombia and Uruguay is a biggie. 

It also has me wondering: do ardent soccer bettors pick every match to end in a draw?

Well, there's no tying in baseball, and there's a full slate of games to choose from. Hot pitchers Gavin Stone (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Cristopher Sanchez (Philadelphia Phillies) square off as the National League division leaders meet again.

The Atlanta Braves are hot with four straight wins, and a tape measure should be handy when Adam Duvall comes to bat. His 441-foot blast Tuesday night still falls short of the 483-foot homer he swatted in 2021. That one seemingly landed on the roof of the nearby Phoenix Suns' arena.

ATLANTA BRAVES vs. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Atlanta has been in complete control of the season series with Arizona. The Braves have beaten the Diamondbacks in all five meetings, and they have scored at least five runs in each contest.

The Braves won the first two contests of this four-game series, with Monday's victory representing a tone-setter. The Braves were trailing by two runs and down to their final out when Sean Murphy hit a towering two-run homer to tie the score. Atlanta won in 11 innings and severely crushed the Diamondbacks' soul.

The Braves controlled Tuesday's 6-2 win throughout, getting the three-run homer from Duvall and 3 2/3 innings of one-hit scoreless relief from the bullpen. Atlanta will send veteran Charlie Morton to the mound Wednesday, and he is 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA in eight career starts against Arizona.

The Diamondbacks have just 10 hits in the series and are 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. That's not a formula for winning.

Braves -1.5 run line, +120 (DraftKings)

TEXAS RANGERS vs. LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The defending World Series champion Rangers are suddenly streaking with season-best five straight wins and taking seven of their last nine. They're still four games below .500 as they look to finish off a three-game road sweep of the hapless Angels.

Los Angeles hasn't been above .500 since April 12 in a lost season after Shohei Ohtani's departure and Mike Trout's latest lengthy injury absence. The Angels were shut out by the Oakland Athletics in back-to-back games last week and have lost eight of their past nine.

Anaheim native Michael Lorenzen figures to be pumped up as he starts for Texas, marking the right-hander's first start at Angel Stadium as a visiting player. He is making his 12th career appearance (10th start) at the ballpark (6-2, 2.96 ERA), with all of the wins and losses coming during his 2022 stint with the Angels.

Lorenzen attended nearby Cal State Fullerton before beginning his professional career. He is 5-4 with a 3.21 ERA this season and will go up against Angels right-hander Griffin Canning (3-9, 4.87), who is in a rut and has dropped five of his past six decisions.

Rangers -1.5 run line, +110 (DraftKings)

COLOMBIA vs. URUGUAY

The winner of this clash between the two South American powers will move on to face Argentina in Sunday's title match.

Colombia has a 27-match unbeaten streak on the line and has looked strong throughout the tournament. Colombia has outscored its opponents 11-2, including a 5-0 quarterfinal win over Panama.

Uruguay shares the record of 15 Copa America titles with Argentina but has to win this semi to get a shot at the mark. Uruguay has also been powerful, with a 9-1 edge in its victories, which included a quarterfinal win over Brazil on penalty kicks.

This feels like a penalty-kick match, with a scoreless regulation certainly in play.

Under 1.5 goals, +150 (DraftKings)