Today’s top games to watch, best bets, odds: Mets at Padres, Paige Bueckers in action and more

The two teams with the best records in the National League open a key three-game series when the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs collide on Monday at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Both the Brewers and the Cubs are 62-43 and tied for the lead in the division. Only the Blue Jays (63-43) have a better record in all of baseball. After this week’s series, the rivals will have only one more series remaining, a five-game showdown in August at Wrigley Field. 

Monday’s pitching matchup features two NL All-Stars: Milwaukee phenom Jacob Misiorowski (4-1, 2.45 ERA) against Chicago lefty Matthew Boyd (11-3, 2.20). The 23-year-old Misiorowski has been sensational so far in his brief major league career, regularly hitting 100 mph, striking out 40 batters in 29⅓ innings, and being selected for the All-Star Game after just five career starts. In his last outing, against the Mariners, he struck out seven and walked only one in 3⅔ scoreless innings, but the Brewers eventually lost, 1-0. Monday’s game will be his first against Chicago.

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Boyd is in the midst of the best season of his career. His 11 wins already are two more than his previous career high, which he did twice, in 2018 and ’19 when he was with the Tigers. His 2.20 ERA and 1.01 WHIP are the lowest of his career in any season in which he was a starter.

Boyd enters Monday’s matchup on a roll. Over his last three starts, he has not allowed a run and has struck out 21 across 20 combined innings. Milwaukee has not seen Boyd since April 2023, when he gave up just two runs while striking out eight in five innings.

While the Cubs-Brewers showdown is the marquee attraction on the sporting landscape on Monday, other options include a 15-game MLB slate and a two-game WNBA card. 

Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Monday, July 28. All times Eastern

MLB best bets, where to watch

Mets at Padres

Time: 9:40 p.m. | Location: San Diego | TV: MLB Network

SportsLine pick — Model: Mets +1.5 -195

Two playoff hopefuls in the NL start a three-game series when the red-hot New York Mets and San Diego Padres square off at Petco Park. The Mets (62-44) have won seven in a row and lead the NL East by 1½ games over the Phillies. Meanwhile, the Padres (57-49) sit in second place in the NL West, four games behind the Dodgers. Frankie Montas (3-1, 4.62) is set to take the mound for New York, while Dylan Cease (3-10, 4.59) gets the call for San Diego. Montas has won each of his last four starts, while Cease has lost his last four decisions. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Mets have a 67.0% chance to cover, which is greater than the consensus odds implied probability of 66.1%, and gives a C grade to New York +1.5 (-195). 

Pirates at Giants

Time: 9:45 p.m. | Location: San Francisco | TV: MLBN

SportsLine pick — Model: Giants -131 

Highly touted San Francisco Giants pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt is set to make his major league debut when he takes the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oracle Park. A 24-year-old lefty, Whisenhunt is the franchise’s No. 3 prospect and top pitching prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. The former second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft gets the promotion after going 8-5 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 18 starts at Triple-A Sacramento this year. The Pirates will send Mitch Keller (4-10, 3.53) to the mound. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Giants have a 57.0% chance to win, which is greater than the consensus odds implied probability of 56.7%, and gives a C grade to San Francisco money line (-131). 

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WNBA best bets, where to watch

Liberty at Wings

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Arlington, Texas | TV: ESPN

SportsLine expert pick: Liberty -8.5 (Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai)

One of the best teams in the WNBA faces one of the worst when the defending champion New York Liberty visit the Dallas Wings. The Liberty (17-7) own the second-best record in the league, while Paige Bueckers and the Wings (7-19) have the second-worst. However, New York will be without star Breanna Stewart on Monday after the two-time league MVP left Saturday’s game against the Sparks in the first quarter with a leg injury. Stewart is averaging 18.3 points (seventh in the league), 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. But Wetzel and Barzilai believe that sportsbooks have overreacted to Stewart’s absence. “With Jonquel Jones back, this team still has plenty of firepower, depth, rebounding and defense,” they say. “Against a far inferior Dallas team, which is playing the second half of a back-to-back, it should be enough to cover this line — even on the road.”

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Looking ahead: Rays at Yankees

Time: Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. | Location: New York | TV: TBS

Two American League East foes with playoff hopes will battle for the second time in a four-game series on Tuesday. The Yankees just placed Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list, and New York trails the first-place Blue Jays by 5.5 games but occupies the first AL wild card spot. The Rays enter Monday having lost four in a row and are three games out of the final wild card spot. The Yankees will turn to ace Max Fried (11-4, 2.62 ERA) for Tuesday’s showdown, while the Rays will counter with Joe Boyle (1-0, 1.42 ERA).