Thursday, July 16th, 2026

Argentina=Inevitable & MLB Post All Star Break Preview/Best Bets

Scott Seidenberg and Jake Hasan react to Argentina's win over England in the World Cup Semifinals and take a look at the 2nd half of the MLB season with best futures bets.

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⚽ ARGENTINA STUNS ENGLAND — THE FINAL IS SET

Argentina 2, England 1

The collapse: England led 1-0... then played not to lose.

Scott: "They did what all these teams do that pisses me off so much. You cannot park the bus against a team as good as Argentina and a player as good as Leo Messi. For the final 15-20 minutes it was Argentina with their pedal to the floor."

Jake: "Playing not to lose is COWARD'S BALL. This is one of the final four teams with the all-time greatest soccer player on the other side. What do you think is gonna happen? England got what they deserved."

⚽ SUNDAY: SPAIN vs ARGENTINA

The Final Odds

Jake's Lean: Argentina

Jake: "How can you not lean Argentina at that big of a dog? Doubted all tournament, come from behind, holding teams off — and now you're getting them as a significant dog AGAIN? It feels like a price discrepancy. But I could also hear the conspiracy that this is the passing of the torch from Messi to Yamal..."

Scott: "We've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. They almost lost this, they almost lost that — well, they still haven't lost. I don't hate the draw at +190 either, or the double result with Argentina."

⚽ GOLDEN BOOT & GOLDEN BALL

The Boot (Both at 8 Goals)

The edge: Messi plays in the FINAL. Mbappé's France plays the third-place game Saturday (FRA -160 vs England) — and does he even play?

Jake: "Even if Mbappé plays, are you getting full effort? Or is it show face, don't get hurt, get in, get out?"

The Ball: Locked Up

Scott: "Messi has locked up the Golden Ball as player of the tournament — even if Argentina loses the final. He doesn't need to do anything else."

Note: That market is already OFF THE BOARD.

⚾ SECOND HALF BEGINS TONIGHT

One Game: Mets at Phillies

The matchup: Christian Scott vs Aaron Nola — PHI -124

The warning: "The Mets are the least profitable team in baseball (-$3,289). If you bet on them tonight, you're probably going to lose more money."

⚾ THE WHITE SOX AUDIT REACTION

Jake Called It

Scott: "Do you realize the most profitable team in baseball is your Chicago White Sox? +$1,179, 11.6% ROI."

Jake: "They were dogs in just about every game early. And even when they're favored now, it's -115, -120 — the books are STILL lining them short. I'm still high on the White Sox in the second half."

AL Central: The Buy

Jake: "It's the White Sox. This is the year their window STARTS to open. They're firmly in the buy category — add an outfielder, add a reliever, margins moves that help. The Guardians always feel seller-ish, and Jose Ramirez's future is unclear."

⚾ JAKE'S FUTURES BOARD

The Rays Machinery

The stat recap: Favored 66 times, 40 of 43 wins covered -1.5 (+$2,614).

Jake's pick of the three options:

The Yankees Skeptic's Corner

Scott's case FOR (Pythagorean -4, health returning, Mason Miller rumors): "At the end of the year we'll realize the Yankees are still the Yankees."

Jake's case AGAINST: "We do this every year. Yankees Twitter says 'we're getting Miller, we're getting Skubal, we're getting Skenes' — and it's like, okay, here's a fourth outfielder that doesn't play. Cashman will say 'getting Judge off the IL is like acquiring a star.' Then they lose to the Rays in the division series and that same clown trio of Boone, Cashman, and Steinbrenner says 'without injuries, we go to the World Series.' Giant red flag."

🏆 THE FUTURES BETS TO HOLD FOR 3 MONTHS

1. Rangers AL Pennant — 13/1 (Jake)

Jake: "deGrom-Eovaldi is a one-two punch. Cody Bradford — a guy with number-two upside — is on rehab assignment. Get Seager, Jung, and Langford healthy at the same time and this lineup sticks with anyone. They have the devil magic — they did it in 2023. And I love Skip Schumaker. They're already leading the AL West."

2. Murakami AL ROY — +700 (Scott)

Scott: "McGonigal is -250 and the Tigers stink. No one deserves that price with this much season left. Voters love home runs — Murakami had 20 in 60 games before the IL. If he stays healthy and the White Sox win the division, we always reward winners."

Jake: "That was the one I was gonna say. Forty-homer potential on a division winner."

3. Hunter Goodman HR Leader — 25/1 (Jake)

Jake: "He's only FIVE behind Schwarber, who's -130. He's got 18 road homers vs 9 at Coors — the Coors homers are COMING. And he gets the boost of NOT being in the derby — he sat home and rested. Way wrong price."

4. Cubs NL Central — +490 (Scott)

Scott: "Five back of the Brewers is NOTHING in July — you make up three in one weekend series. If the Cubs win the Skubal sweepstakes, tell me that doesn't make them the favorite. And they play the Brewers SEVEN TIMES in the final month."

⚾ NL Pennant Talk

Jake: "It's just the Dodgers — this team chews you up and spits you out. But if you're naming the finalists, it's the Dodgers and the Phillies. Sanchez plus a PISSED OFF Zack Wheeler at the top, and Dombrowski will make a swing — maybe Buxton, maybe Joe Ryan, maybe Devers."

📅 Coming Up

Tonight

• MLB: Mets at Phillies — second half begins

Saturday

• World Cup: Third-place game — France vs England (FRA -160)
• The Open: Weekend rounds at Royal Birkdale

Sunday

• WORLD CUP FINAL: Spain vs Argentina