Cappers Sports Picks

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Buffalo Bills.

Things aren’t looking too good for the Chargers right now and I think things are going to go from bad to worse for this team. Going back to last season this team has now lost and failed to cover five consecutive games. Let’s face it, my friends, so far this season they haven’t played the cream of the NFL crop going up against the Cardinals and the Raiders and only averaging 14 points per game in both and coincidentally yielding 26 points per game in both. Now they must go into Orchard Park in the brand-new Highmark Stadium to face an explosive Buffalo Bills team that is undefeated thus far both straight up and against the number. They have taken down both the Texans and the Lions with authority sporting an offense topping the NFL averaging 38.5 PPG, ranking in the top five in most every major offensive category, and failing to turn the ball over at all. Granted, their defense has allowed a lot of points. But in their defense (no pun intended, lol), they’ve played some pretty good offenses. Los Angeles must travel all the way east for aa 1 PM EST kickoff. Any way you look at this game, the Bills are the play. Even if the Chargers were playing well, they do not have the talent to keep pace with the 1-2 punch of Josh Allan and James Cook. Take the Buffalo Bills. Thank you.

Seattle Seahawks.

Many times, in the NFL we worry about a team being favored on the road. Well, I’m here to tell you the Seattle Seahawks are a covering machine even when they travel going 9-1 ATS their last 10 games played in the regular season on the road. Their offense is clicking on all cylinders and making very few mistakes, while their defense is absolutely ferocious. This does not bode well for a Washington Commanders squad has yet to win a game this season, and comes in here with injury issues. With quarterback, Daniels sidelined, it looks like Mariotta will take the helm. The once elusive play-caller did well for the team last season filling in for their starter. But he’s another year older and is not that dual-threat that he once was. Meanwhile, the Seahawks behind quarterback, Lock are looking really strong. Please remember this team had 17 starters return from last year’s Super Bowl Champion squad. And they picked up just where they left off. As impressive as their “O” has been, it is their defense that I believe will shine here against the lackluster Commanders “O”. Please remember the Seahawks “D” has allowed 17 points total to Drake May and Jacoby Brissett. The Seahawks will win and get a big ATS cover here as well. Take Seattle. Thank you.

Cincinnati Bengals.

Yes, it’s true. Traditionally, these two teams play each other very tough. But these are two very different teams this season. The Bengals are already off to 2-0 start both SU and ATS while the Steelers have split out their games already going 1-1 both SU and ATS. The Cincinnati offense is clicking on all cylinders lighting up teams for over 26.5 PPG and committing very few mistakes. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh offense is struggling ranking 31st in scoring, averaging just 11.5 PPG, coughing the ball up three times, and rank 29th both in passing and rushing yards. I believe this is a matchup their defense will lose in the trenches and be fatigued come the second half. Their once-feared stop unit is giving up a lot of yards on the ground, which does not bode well for this team here. I look for the Bengals to pound the ball up the middle on the ground to open up their passing game for a very impressive Joe Burrow. On the flipside, the aging Aaron Rodgers is looking his age. There is no love lost between these two division rivals. Take the Cincinnati Bengals. Thank you.

James Madison Dukes.

One of the most pleasant surprises already this early in the regular season has to be the James Madison Dukes, which are 3-0 both straight up and against the spread this season. You may recall a season ago they lit up all but one of their regular season opponents, then took down Troy in their Conference championship, and held in tight with Oregon in a first round Bowl matchup. They posted 34 points on the Ducks in that matchup. They enter this game this week with confidence knowing they have dominated Old Dominion taking four in a row straight up and three of those four against the spread, which includes last season’s 63-27 beat down at home. Speaking of the Monarchs, they have lost their last two games and have failed to cover all three of their outings this season. Their offense has coughed the ball up a whopping seven times while their defense has snagged just one take away. On both sides of the line of scrimmage they are outclassed here. Take Dukes. Thank you.

Los Angeles Rams.

In a battle for Los Angeles supremacy, Sean McVay, the and the Rams are set as an underdog once again. This preseason they have been made underdogs twice already and have won both preseason games outright on the road at Kansas City and at home against New Orleans. Their defense has been outstanding, my friends, yielding a combined 12 points in both outings. Last week, the Chargers took a beatdown at the hands of the 49ers, 41-17 on their own field. I doubt very much they’re going to come out with pride to turn things around and go into the regular season with momentum. They cannot jeopardize their big names for too long here. Head coach Jim Harbaugh says his starters should be playing for maybe six to nine plays. But I don’t feel that’s enough to make an impact on this game. Los Angeles Rams are deep and are covering this preseason. Take Los Angeles. Thank you.

Tennessee Titans.

The Seattle Seahawks as the defending Super Bowl Champions, have nothing to prove. They are expected to win 10.5-regular season games, and are one of the contenders to win the NFC Championship. They came out in Week 1 and took a 17-7 loss at home against the Dallas Cowboys. While they are loaded with playmakers at all key positions, I doubt very much you’re gonna’ see too many of them take a ton of snaps here. Meanwhile, Tennessee Titans head coach, Robert Saleh goes all out in August, sporting an 11-2-1 straight up record, and an 11-3 against the spread mark as a head coach in preseason. Cam Ward is expected to see the field for at least a series or two on Sunday night, and I expect him to really go all out here. Reports are this team starters will play about 20-25 plays, and perhaps even may play the entire first half. This is a team expected to win your 6.5-games this regular season. They have to do something here to give themselves a little confidence, a little momentum, and also get their fans excited about this upcoming campaign. Take the Tennessee Titans. Thank you.

Los Angeles Rams.

Traditionally, Rams head coach Sean McVay doesn’t play his starters in August. But somehow, they find a way to not just win, they cover the spread, as well. Ty Simpson looked sharp in the teams preseason opener, downing the Chiefs 20-12, as the quarterback threw for 190 yards on 21-of-25 passing with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. I will be honest the Saints depth chart and backups are who’s who of recognizable names. But this is a team that doesn’t put too much of an effort in preseason play, and I really believe making them a favorite on the road here is a mistake by the oddsmakers. Take the Los Angeles Rams. Thank you.

Pittsburgh Steelers.

Game 406.

4:00 PM PST/7:00 PM EST.

In Week 1 of the preseason, New York took a beating at the hands of Tampa Bay at home 24-16. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s preseason opener saw them prevail in high fashion, getting a big win over Green Bay, 28-9. It’s no secret the Jets are dealing with some injuries. It’s also been implied by head coach Aaron Glenn their starters will see some action. This means Geno Smith will take the field for the first time this season (check status). Some of their biggest offensive contributors are going to be sidelined here due to injuries. It really doesn’t matter to me as if the New York Jets are with or without their starters on the field. They are not a very good team. I mean they are expected to win 5.5-games this season, and that is being generous. The Pittsburgh Steelers are toted to win 8.5 games this season. My friends, this team has a tradition of winning, is very prideful, and loves to excite their loyal fanbase, especially at home. Reports are you will not see either their first second string quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph take the field at all here. Reports are stating Will Howard and Drew Allar are battling it out for the third spot, and each will take snaps for a half. Last week, the pair combined for 17-of-22 passing, 239 yards in the air, and three total touchdowns. Defensively, this team is loaded at key positions. I mean last week their backups picked apart the Packers second and third string offensive lines for five sacks and seven tackles for loss while holding them to six-points after the starters were pulled. This team traditionally prides itself on their defense. And I feel you’re going to see a lot of defense tonight, especially on their own field. Take the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thank you.

Tampa Bay Rays on the run line.

Winners of eighth straight games, the Tampa Bay Rays are striding right now. They possess the best overall record in the American League at 73-46, giving them a 6.0-game cushion over the New York Yankees in the East division. They have taken both matchups with the Athletics this season, and going back a bit to last August, five of the last six overall meetings. Speaking of the Athletics, this is a team that was playing very good at the opening of the regular season. But they have come back down to Earth, sinking into fourth place in the West, 13.5-games back at 47-73. They have dropped eight of their last 10 with a combination of inconsistent batting and deplorable pitching. Speaking of which, today Rasmussen and Perkins are slated. The Rays RH is 11-5 with a 2.75 ERA on the campaign, winning four consecutive starts, and hasn’t allowed a run in 20 innings over his last three turns. Over his career in five appearances, which includes four starts against the Athletics, he is a perfect 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA. The Athletics RH is just 2-8 with a whopping ERA of 7.04, with his last recorded victory coming back in mid-April. The team has dropped nine straight games in which he has made an appearance either in the starting or relieving roles. He has never faced today’s opponent. But things are going to go from bad to worse for this young man. No matter how you slice it, the Tampa Bay team is far superior, whether it be at the plate or on the mound, than their opponent here today. They are striding, have a stronger starter on the mound, and have the confidence of knowing they have dominated today’s opponent. Take the Rays and the run line. Thank you.

Los Angeles Dodgers on the run line.

Once again, this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are proving that they are a true force to be reckoned with. They possess the best overall record in the National League, at 52-30. Sitting just behind them in the National League West happens to be the San Diego Padres at 43-37. They have an 8.0-game cushion over their division rival. These two teams have split four meetings thus far this season, as San Diego took yesterday’s series-opener, 7-1. Rarely do the Dodgers get beaten badly. And when they get embarrassed, they usually come back the following game and make their opponents pay. They are one of the best road teams in the National League as well, as prior to yesterday’s defeat, they won three straight as a visitor. It’s no secret, their lineup is explosive, and their pitching staff has been superb. They rank third in scoring, first in team batting average, first in OPS, and third in home runs. All this and their pitching staff ranks fourth in the Majors, with a team ERA of 3.45. In all sincerity, the San Diego Padres pitching staff has been pretty good this season. But their lineup has been absolutely atrocious, ranking at or near the bottom of every major category; 29th in runs scored, 30th in team batting average, 30th in OPS, and 23rd in home runs. They average just 3.95 runs per game. Throw that into the mix today starters, and I really like the visiting team here to blow it up. Yamamoto and Vasquez are slated. The Dodgers right-hand is 7-5 with a 2.65 ERA in 2026. Over his last three outings, he is a perfect 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA, and on the road almost as impressive, going 4-2 with a 2.18 ERA. He faced the Padres just once this season back on May 18 on the road, and was the spectacular, yielding just one earned run on three hits. However, that game Los Angeles did not give him any run support and he lost 1-0. I look for him to come out with another stellar performance against a lineup that he will dominate. For San Diego, their right-hander is 6-5 with a 4.17 ERA this season. He is basically gotten shelled in most of his starts in June, and going back a bit, has yielded 21 earned runs in 28.1 inning pitched over his last six outings, in which he earned just one victory. Over his last three appearances, he is just 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA, and at home, he has struggled as well, going 3-3 with a 4.99 ERA. He got shellacked back on May 20 at home against Los Angeles, yielding three earned runs on six hits in 4.1 innings pitched getting blanked, 4-0. No matter how you slice it, I feel the Dodgers will explode today to redeem themselves from yesterday’s embarrassing loss. Take Los Angeles on the run line. Thank you.

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Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies (41-35) are just 7.5-games back in the National East of the best team in baseball, the Braves. What better team to face to get some big division victories than the Mets. To say the New York Mets are one of the biggest disappointments thus far this season, would be an understatement. They dwell in the division cellar, 14.5-games back at 34-42. Statistically, their offense ranks among the worst in baseball in just about every major category. Yesterday’s shellacking by this opponent, 15-3 was an example of that. Philadelphia has dominated this rivalry, taking five of the last six meetings over New York. Only one of those five victories came by a single run. During those five victories, they outscored the Mets by a combined 42-13. Their lineup is starting to find its rhythm. And I really like the pitching matchup here today. David Peterson and Zack Wheeler are scheduled. The Mets left-hander is just 3-5 this season with a whopping ERA of 5.9. Over his last three outings, he has not earned a decision either way, but saw his ERA rise to 7.59. The Phillies right-hander has been stellar thus far in 2026, earning a 6-1 record with an anemic ERA of 2.01. The team has come out victorious in eight of his 10 turns, as the starter has yielded three runs or less in nine of those 10 outings. Over his last three starts, he is a perfect 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA, and at home this season, he is just as impressive, going undefeated at 3-0 with an ERA of 1.78. With a better starting pitcher, more momentum, and the confidence of knowing they have dominated this rivalry, I really like the home team here. Take Philadelphia on the line. Thank you. 

New York Knicks.

New York has shown not just talent, but true heart in this year’s Finals. More than once in this series they’ve been down by double-digits, and have come back to win. Being down as many as 29-points in Game 4, and then coming back to win shows me exactly what this team is made of. While I feel San Antonio is a very good team, and has a very bright future ahead of them, they are just not ready this year. You see folks, their best player is young, and easily frustrated. As a matter of fact, the entire team is easily frustrated. When you look at the Knicks, this is one of the most unselfish, without ego teams I have seen in the NBA in as far back as I can remember. On any given night, any one player can lead in points another and rebounds, etc. They don’t care who gets the headlines. They only care about winning. Many teams don’t have what it takes to bounce back after giving up a 29-point lead to lose in the Final’s. And I really feel the Spurs are not one of those teams. As good as the home team is, New York is playing with momentum, playing very unselfishly, has the depth, the talent, and the coaching to not just keep this game competitive, but to win this game. I feel this will be very close, a lot closer than the pointspread. Take the Knicks. Thank you.

New York Knicks.

New York took game one over with authority, in the final three quarters. That was their third straight up win against San Antonio this season in four meetings, and their fourth ATS cover. Very quietly, the Knicks have now rattled off 12 straight wins this postseason. On the road in this years playoffs, they have covered seven straight outings. The one thing about the visiting team here, they are very unselfish. On any given night, someone can lead them in points, another player can lead a rebound, etc. They don’t care about the glory, my friends. They care about winning. While San Antonio certainly deserves to be here, I think we can all agree they can be frustrated easily. Especially their top player, Victor Wembanyama. I’m not going to deny he is a great player with an extremely bright future. However, he is still a young player and psychologically, I think New York can and will frustrate him badly. I know he led the Spurs in the series opener with 26-points. But he was just 6-of-21 from the floor. People forget how good the New York defense really is. The Knicks forced 13 turnovers in game one. They also shot better overall, offensively in that matchup as well. I believe once again they will be able to frustrate Wembanyama and the rest of the team, while they put a very physical style of play on San Antonio. I also feel their defense is way underrated. Not to mention they have a trio of players that have been playing together one way or another since early college days. They have a great rhythm and play unselfishly as I mentioned earlier. I feel this game will be extremely close if not another underdog outright winner. Take the New York Knicks. Thank you.

New York Knicks.

Not many people out there are giving New York any sort of a chance to win this series. Meanwhile, this is a team that has amassed of very good record, is strong on the road, and has covered the number quite often this season. They enter this matchup having won 11 straight playoff games this postseason. As a matter of fact, they have one and covered six straight games played on the road in this season’s playoffs. They come into this Game 1 better-rested having had four extra days to rest, heal, and prepare for the Finals. This season alone, they have covered all three meetings against the San Antonio Spurs, winning two of the games outright. The second game, which was sandwiched on the road between two home games, was a two-point loss in which they covered. With all respect to the Spurs, who do deserve to be here, they come in here, not as well-rested, coming off a grueling seven-game series against the Thunder. They are a very good team, my friends. But they are led by a young player in Victor Wembanyama. While he is extremely talented and has a very bright future, he is still young, and gets frustrated easily. I feel the physicality of New York is going to frustrate the center as well as the rest of the team. Something else I want you to understand; the Knicks are a very unselfish team. On any given night one player can lead the team in points and another player in rebounds, etc., and the next night it changes. They’re not here for glory. They’re here to win a championship. I think this game will be very close. Take New York. Thank you.

New York Yankees.

Sitting in second place in the American League East, cannot sit well with New York. They currently trail Tampa Bay by 3.5-games. But we all know, baseball is a very streaky sport. And, New York encapsulates the word “streaky“. The Yankees are in an upswing again, winning their last two outings, which does include game one of this series yesterday by a score of 4-3. To say they have dominated the Royals, would be an understatement. With yesterday‘s victory, New York has taken 10 consecutive meetings with Kansas City going back to April 2025. They have outscored them during that span by a combined 57-20. And, just FYI, only three of those 10 victories stand by a single run. The New York bats are starting to heat up, while their pitching staff has been very consistent this season, ranking third in the Majors with a team ERA of 3.24. As far as Kansas City goes, it looks like another long season for Royals fan. They sit in fourth place in the American League Central, 9.0-games back, with a record of 22-32. Statistically, their numbers are kind of depressing, ranking 25th in scoring and 20th in team ERA. S far as today’s starters go, Cam Schlittler and Bailey Falter are scheduled. The New York right-hander has been suburb thus far in the 2026 campaign, amassing, a 6-2 record with the lowest ERA in the big leagues at 1.50. The team has won eight of his 11 appearances so far this season. He has yet to allow a single lineup to put up better than three earned runs on him, and he is usually very reliable, going around 6.0 innings per game. On the road this season, he is a remarkable 5-1 with a 1.04 ERA. In his only appearance against KC over his career, back on April 17, he only allowed one unearned run on three, hits while fanning six batters in six innings pitched to result in a no decision. The Royal’s left-handed has yet to earn a victory. The Royals left-hander is 0-1 with an ERA of 9.82. He’s taken the mound four times this season, making his first start in his last turn, and prior to that three relief appearances. He rarely goes more than a few innings. But he has allowed a lot of earned runs. As a matter of fact, he is yielded eight earned runs in just 7.1 innings pitched overall. At home this season, he is 0-1 with a whopping ERA of 19.29, and in two career appearances against New York, which were both starts, he is winless at 0-1, with a whopping ERA of 14.14. Looking at this matchup, with the way the New York offense is beginning to surge again, along with the starting pitchers, we are compelled to play the Yankees on the run line. Thank you.