Even Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback Kirk Cousins knows that it's only a matter of time before Fernando Mendoza becomes the lead guy for the Raiders.
And that timeline may have sped up on Tuesday when the No. 1 overall pick and future of the franchise received extensive snaps with the Raiders' first team offense in a practice against the Texans. While Mendoza was not perfect in those reps (he was picked off by Jalen Pitre and had another would-be interception dropped), the quarterback, by all accounts, acquitted himself well against Houston's nasty defense.
On Thursday, Mendoza gets another chance to close the gap on Cousins when the Raiders square off against the Texans in the first NFL preseason game of Week 2. Las Vegas is a 1.5-point favorite over Houston.
While Raiders vs. Texans is the marquee attraction on Thursday, there are other sports betting options on a sporting landscape that includes one other NFL game and a nine-game MLB slate. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet at the best sports betting apps, for Thursday, Aug. 20. All times Eastern.
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NFL best bets, where to watch
Raiders at Texans
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Houston | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Expert: Under 40.5 (Jeff Hochman)
These two teams scored a combined 21 points in Week 1 of the preseason. The Texans offense looked particularly stagnant. After scoring a touchdown on its initial possession, Houston didn't manage a score the rest of the game. More importantly, the Texans lost third-string quarterback Graham Mertz for the season with a torn ACL. That forced the team to sign backup Brett Rypien, who is expected to see action tonight. In addition, these teams have been practicing against each other all week, so the defenses' familiarity with the opposing offenses is high. "With preseason playbooks intentionally 'vanilla' to conceal advanced schemes, defenses can easily anticipate the predictable plays run by backup offenses during these matchups," Hochman says.
49ers at Chargers
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Inglewood, Calif | TV: NFL Network | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Expert: Under 39 (Jeff Hochman)
San Francisco scored just 13 points in its preseason opener playing mostly its second and third teamers. And the quarterback who led the 49ers to their only touchdown, Kurtis Rourke, will not play tonight because of a rib injury. While starter Brock Purdy is expected to make his preseason debut against Los Angeles, much of the quarterback workload will likely fall to Adrian Martinez, who had just a 68.6 passer rating last week. The Under hit in both teams' preseason openers last week.
MLB best bets, where to watch
Yankees at Orioles
Time: 6:35 p.m. | Location: Baltimore | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Orioles +1.5
Fair or foul? Fans are still debating last night's bomb hit by Baltimore's Pete Alonso down the left-field line. The ball was originally ruled foul, and a review upheld the call despite replay suggesting the ball was fair. However, video that wasn't available to viewers at the time suggests the ball may have indeed been foul. Despite the non-home run, Alonso has been on a tear. He is on an 11-game hitting streak in which he is hitting .476 and slugging .929 with six home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.470 OPS. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every MLB 10,000 times, says the Orioles have a 66% chance to cover and assigns a "B" grade to Baltimore +1.5 on the run line (-162).
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Nationals at Rangers
Time: 8:05 p.m. | Location: Arlington, Texas | TV: FS1 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Nationals +147
Jacob deGrom is coming off his shortest start of the season. Already dealing with a left hip and glute injury, he was taken out of his last start after just two innings against the Angels because of right triceps fatigue. Over his last three starts, he is 1-2 with a 6.97 ERA. The Rangers have lost 11 of deGrom's last 18 starts and four of his last five. Meanwhile, Texas has been ice cold at the plate, with a .617 OPS during August, the second worst in all of baseball. The SportsLine Projection Model says Washington has a 45% chance to win and gives a "C" grade to Nationals money line (+147).
Angels at Astros
Time: 8:10 p.m. | Location: Houston | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Astros -181
AL West-leading Houston has been scuffling at the plate recently. Over the last four games, the team has scored 11 runs total. So the Astros will be glad to see struggling Angels righty Grayson Rodriguez (3-6, 7.17 ERA). Batters are hitting .283 against him, and the Angels have lost each of his last six starts. The SportsLine Projection Model says Houston has a 65% chance to win and assigns a "C" grade to Astros money line (-181).
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