The Best Free Sports Betting Picks and Predictions

Sports Betting Rundown for Today

🏟️ Sporting Events Happening Today (July 30, 2025)

Major U.S. / North American offerings:

• Major League Baseball (MLB): A full slate of games is on tap today, including matchups like Blue Jays vs Orioles; Mets vs Padres; Rays vs Yankees. Prop-betting is trending strong, especially targeting pitchers’ performances (e.g. strikeout totals or outs pitched) and player bases totals. The Blue Jays–Orioles game highlights betting on Dean Kremer’s projected strikeouts; Mets–Padres features a Darvish prop, and Rays–Yankees has bets on Will Warren’s outing length. 

• WNBA basketball: Regular‑season WNBA continues, with Phoenix Mercury visiting Indiana Fever today. Other teams across the league also have matchups. The schedule is tight—average rest just 2.7 days—with key players rotating in and out.

• USL & Leagues Cup soccer: Multiple North American soccer events—U.S. lower-division USL matchups and Leagues Cup fixtures such as Pumas UNAM vs Orlando City and Portland Timbers vs Atlético San Luis—offer betting markets.

• World Aquatics Championships (swimming): Coverage continues with finals and prelims; while not typical for standard sportsbooks, some global operators allow betting on swimming medaling.

• ATP/WTA Toronto tennis: Today features Tsitsipas vs Christopher O’Connell in Toronto, with betting interest in total games over/unders given volatile performance.

• Fox coverage includes WNBA, tennis, swimming, horse racing, golf and more as part of daily broadcast listings.

International / Global action:

• UCI BMX World Championships: Running July 28–31 in Copenhagen, elite and masters levels. Select operators offer niche cycling/bmx wagering.

• Shanghai Masters (snooker): Tournament began July 29, with early rounds today featuring top players like Trump and O’Sullivan. Prop markets exist for frame totals and match winners.

• Esports World Cup (multi‑title), League of Legends MSI, Mobile Legends, PUBG, Overwatch, Rainbow Six: Ongoing in Riyadh and elsewhere; esports betting is booming globally, especially in match‑winner, map totals, and in‑game markets.

• World Championship of Legends (cricket): Retired international players competing in England through August 2; limited but growing betting markets focused on match winners or top‑scorer props.

• Bowling (PBA and PWBA Tours): Tour events ongoing in the U.S. Pro and women’s professional ten‑pin bowling offer betting lines in select venues.

🌍 The Broader Sports Betting Landscape in 2025

North American / U.S. climate:

• Boom market: U.S. sports betting handle topped around USD 142 billion in 2024, with about USD 13 billion in revenue kept by operators—mobile bets represent 80–90% share. Popular states include New York, New Jersey, and Illinois.

• Competition & innovation: FanDuel and DraftKings still dominate, while new players like ESPN BET, Fanatics, and BetMGM are expanding fast.

• Regulatory pressure & taxation: States like Illinois will soon impose new per‑wager taxes (e.g. $0.25–$0.50 per bet starting Sep 1), expected to raise costs for casual bettors. Legal challenges in D.C. and California are shaking up how platforms operate.

• Prediction markets rising: Platforms like Kalshi, Polymarket and Robinhood host “all‑event” binary bets regulated federally—bypassing state gambling laws. DraftKings is entering this space via acquisition. Legal battles over tribal exclusivity and old laws are ongoing.

• Social & integrity concerns: Issues like online abuse toward female athletes (e.g. WNBA players) and MLB athletes receiving threats tied to prop‑bet losses have spurred calls for better protection. The NCAA is pushing to ban prop bets on college athletes.

• Responsible gaming is a growing theme: Many states and operators are ramping up self‑exclusion tools, cooling‑off periods, real‑time interventions and public health efforts—but critics say addiction services remain underfunded.

Global/legal/regional trends:

• Massive global expansion: The worldwide sports‑betting market is projected to grow rapidly—estimates suggest increases of USD 220–90 billion by 2029, fueled by mobile, AI, crypto, and expanding legalization. Growth rates around 12–13% CAGR.

• Live/in‑play/micro betting dominance: Live‑betting now accounts for about 70% of online revenues. Bettors can wager on next play, point, or micro‑market—especially in fast sports like hockey, football, tennis, and esports.

• AI & personalization: Operators are increasingly using AI to set dynamic odds, personalize promotions and detect problem gambling patterns.

• New verticals & niche sports: Betting in esports, darts, MMA, pickleball, table tennis and fringe sports is rising quickly. Fantasy and prediction markets blur the lines between gambling and skill‑based contests.

✅ Summary

Your betting breakdown for today:

• MLB: full slate with prop markets on pitchers and hitters.

• WNBA: Mercury at Fever and other league games.

• Soccer: USL, Leagues Cup multiple matches.

• Tennis: ATP/WTA Toronto match Tsitsipas vs O’Connell.

• Swimming (World Aquatics), snooker (Shanghai Masters), cycling BMX Worlds, pro bowling, cricket legends: available in niche markets.

• Esports: multiple major tournaments live in Riyadh.

Industry snapshot:

• U.S. continues aggressive growth with mobile apps dominating.

• Regulation and taxation intensifying, especially in states like Illinois and D.C., and legal battles in California.

• Prediction markets gaining attention as alternative to traditional sportsbooks.

• A shift toward AI, in‑play, micro‑betting, crypto and niche sports.

• Growing societal concern over addiction, harassment, athlete safety, and a push for stronger responsible‑gaming oversight.