What else is in today’s newsletter?

1. Southern Fried Jaguar

2. Ding Dong! The pitch is dead…

3. Watercooler: Previewing the FedEx St. Jude Classic

Southern Fried Jaguar

A fresh NFL schedule means a new world of betting opportunities but keep your head on a swivel — it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t fret my friends, we’re proactive.

The best way to avoid getting swallowed up by a tsunami of uncertainty in any walk of life is deploying the K.I.S.S method (keep it simple, stupid). Well, what could be easier than betting on Mike McDaniel’s high-flying offense under the blistering Miami sun?

These Dolphins are synonymous with motion, spacing, and per-snap efficacy. The only team to average over 400 yards/game just happens to also ride the Cheetah. Tyreek Hill plays the freak in a room full of freaks as the only NFL wideout to go over 1,750 receiving yards or average +110 receiving yards/game in 2023. The explosive combination of Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane provides regular nightmare fuel for opposing coordinators.

I’m especially interested to see if Jacksonville moves away from their zone-heavy preventative (and oftentimes overly passive) approach under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. If his time spent with Atlanta’s any indication, expect the 2024 Jags to throttle their 3-4 schematics for more 6-DB alignments — not that it matters if you can’t sufficiently jam multiple track-star Dolphins at the line of scrimmage.

The blazing 110-degree cherry on top’s been Miami’s secret, early-season, extra home advantage. Whether by pure genius or dumb luck, the physical positioning of Hard Rock Stadium cooks the opposition’s bench, steaming the life out of the visiting team. It’s played a critical role in the Dolphins’ September success, described as an insane cheat code by several NFL pundits.

Over the last two years, the Fins have averaged a wild 37.0 points per game in September home games. It’s hard not to envision the Jags getting flame-broiled in Week 1, leaving them to sleep with the fishes.

THE BET: MIA Team Total Over 26.5 (-105)

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💥💣 Ding dong, the pitch is dead 💣💥

Ben Lively takes the bump for the Guardians today even though his pitching lately’s been anything but. The crafty veteran’s showing signs of wear in the dog days, allowing eight longballs in his last six outings, bringing his season total to over 1.5 HR/9. The hometown ballpark won’t do him any favors either — Progressive Field is tied for 5th in HR/FB% this season. 

Lively and his very gettable, flyball-inducing 89 mph fastball is up against the Twins — a top-3 right-hand hitting offense across the board. They’ll be anchored by Byron Buxton, who’s killing RHP since the All-Star Break.

Don’t let the suppressed batting average fool you, this matchup’s perfect for a deep ball projection. In his last 60 plate appearances vs RHP, Buxton’s boasting an insane combination of underlying power stats — 51% Flyball and 29% Barrel rate with five HR!

If Big Ben challenges the zone with the four-seam or sinker…Ding dong, that pitch is dead.

THE BET: Byron Buxton Over 0.5 Home Runs

The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of sports betting nerds:

⛳️ The PGA TOUR regular season is behind us. Looking ahead to the FedEx St. Jude Classic

🚨 ICYMI: Dwain McFarland watched all of the Week 1 preseason action so you don’t have to. Every takeaway you need to know.

🐅 Can the Bengals restore the roar? There’s reason for optimism, and it’s worth betting on.

🤝 If you haven’t met him yet, get familiar. Give the newest scribe of Betting Life a follow on Twitter!

🪓 In company news, Fantasy Life has acquired Guillotine Leagues. Learn about the most exciting way to play fantasy football.

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