There’s a reason they’re called exhibition games: Best Bets for August 25

Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.

Here are our best bets for Thursday, Aug. 26:

TOP PLAY

The play: NFL preseason, Packers-Chiefs under 37.5 points

The odds/bet: -110 ($22 to win $20)

The book: Almost everywhere, including Caesars Sportsbook

Time/TV: 7 p.m. (NFL Network)

Our take: Aaron Rodgers hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2018, and that streak will bleed over into at least 2023, as Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he won’t play tonight either. In fact, hardly any of the Green Bay starters will be on the field in this exhibition finale.

Kansas City coach Andy Reid was more noncommittal about whether Patrick Mahomes will play for the Chiefs, but even if he does, it would be shocking to see him play for more than a series.

In other words, it seems as if it will be a game chock full of backups playing with a very vanilla game plan, and as we have said throughout these meaningless games, we like the under when hardly anyone of significance will see the field.

MLB FAVORITES PARLAY

The play: MLB parlay, Astros over Twins and Yankees over Athletics

The odds/bet: +127 ($10 to win $12.70)

The book: Caesars Sportsbook

Time/TV: Astros-Twins at 7:10 p.m. and Yankees-Athletics at 8:40 p.m. (MLB TV)

Our take: It is getting down to crunch time, as both the Yankees and Astros try to cement their holds on their respective division leads with a little more than a month to go in the regular season.

For Houston, Luis Garcia hasn’t been great in his past two starts, but he has won both of them, including one against Oakland 12 days ago at Minute Maid Park. Meanwhile, after a sluggish start to August, the Yankees have won three games in a row (interestingly by the same score of 4-2) against the Mets and Blue Jays.

HOW WE’VE FARED

Wednesday’s best bets

PGA Tour Championship: Justin Thomas to finish in top 10 (PENDING)

PGA Tour Championship: Cameron Smith to finish in top 10 (PENDING)

PGA Tour Championship: Sam Burns to win (PENDING)

Tuesday’s profit/loss: +$0 (0-0, 3 pending)

Total for the week: +$74 (3-1, 3 pending)

Total for August: +$41.50 (23-25, 3 pending)

Total for 2022: -$98.60 (214-240, 3 pending)

NOTE: If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)

Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, a $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).