Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: Blue Jays look to sweep Yankees; Aces at Fever and more

The Toronto Blue Jays can complete a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees and take sole possession of the lead in the American League East when the two rivals collide on Thursday at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Blue Jays (48-38) have won the first three games of the series to move into a tie with the slumping Yankees (48-38) atop the division. (The Tampa Bay Rays are just a half game back.)

New York has not been swept in a four-game series since September 2021. The team that pulled off that sweep? Toronto -- at Yankee Stadium, no less.

Veteran righthander Chris Bassitt (7-4, 4.29 ERA) gets the call for the Blue Jays. He is coming off his worst performance of the season: nine runs on eight hits and four walks in 2 innings in a 15-1 loss to the Red Sox. Meanwhile Clarke Schmidt (4-4, 3.09) has been tasked to stop the bleeding for New York, which has lost 13 of its last 19 games. Like Bassitt, Schmidt also enters Thursday's game off a subpar effort: four runs on four hits and two walks in 6 innings in a 7-0 loss to the Athletics.

While the AL East showdown is the marquee attraction on the sporting landscape on Thursday, other options include the Guardians and Cubs on a 10-game MLB slate and a five-game WNBA card.

Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet at the top sportsbooks on Thursday, July 3. All times Eastern

MLB best bets today, where to watchYankees at Blue Jays

Time: 7:07 p.m. | Location: Toronto | TV: MLB Network

SportsLine picks -- Model: Blue Jays +1.5 (-156) | Expert: Chris Bassitt Over 16.5 total pitcher outs (-139)

New York's bullpen has been hit hard so far this series. Yankees relievers have allowed 12 earned runs in 9 innings through the first three games against Toronto. That includes two runs on Wednesday night given up by closer Devin Williams after the Bombers had rallied from an eight-run deficit to tie the game, at 9-9. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, gives a B-rating to Blue Jays +1.5 (-156), giving Toronto a 60.0% chance of covering on the run line.

The Blue Jays bullpen, meanwhile, has been used heavily recently, with Brendon Little, Yariel Rodriguez and Jeff Hoffman having pitched three of the last four days. That's one of the reasons why SportsLine expert Matt Severance likes Bassitt Over 16.5 total pitcher outs (-139). "In his lone start against New York this season, Bassitt went 5.2 innings at Yankee Stadium. And that's all we want here," Severance says.

Guardians at Cubs

Time: 8:05 p.m. | Location: Chicago | TV: MLB Network

SportsLine picks -- Model: Cubs money line (-143) | Model: Michael Busch Over 0.5 total bases (-161)

This is a matchup between two teams heading in opposite directions. Chicago (51-35) has the second best record in the National League and lead the NL Central by three games. Meanwhile Cleveland (40-44) has lost six in a row and 17 of 24, including the first two games of the series against the Cubs. The Guardians, who are 12½ games behind the AL Central-leading Tigers, have struggled offensively all season. They rank 29th in the majors in batting average (.225), 27th in slugging (.365) and 26th in both on-base percentage (.297) and runs per game (3.7). To make matters worse for Cleveland, Thursday's scheduled starting pitcher, Luis Ortiz, has been placed on paid leave while under MLB investigation. Joey Cantillo (1-0, 3.81) is set to be called up from Triple-A to make the start for Ortiz.

The SportsLine Projection Model is leaning toward the favored Cubs (-143). The model also gives a 5-star rating to Busch Over 0.5 total bases (-161). Over his last five games, Busch has gone Over his total base total four times.

More MLB best bets

WNBA best bets today, where to watchAces at Fever

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Indianapolis | TV: Prime

SportsLine expert pick: Aces -4.5 (-110, Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai)

Indiana, which won the Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday, will be without star Caitlin Clark for the fourth straight game while she recovers from a left groin injury. The Fever will face a well rested Las Vegas squad that has not played since Sunday. The Aces also have fortified their frontcourt with Monday's trade for NaLyssa Smith. Wetzel and Barzilai note that, since the inaugural Commissioner's Cup in 2021, the Cup winners are 1-3 in their next game. "Look for a Fever letdown here and ride Las Vegas out of the mini-break," they say.

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MLS best bets today, where to watchNYCFC vs. Toronto FC

Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: New York City | TV: Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass

SportsLine expert pick: NYCFC money line (-160, Brandt Sutton)

Two teams with ground to make up in the MLS standings square off when NYCFC host Toronto FC at Yankee Stadium. NYCFC sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference table with 28 points. The top seven teams in the standings earn an automatic berth in the first round of the MLS playoffs. Meanwhile Toronto are 13th in the table with 17 points. Sutton notes that NYCFC won earlier this season in Toronto, 1-0. "NYCFC held Toronto without a single shot on target in the reverse fixture, and they've conceded just 21 goals this season, tied for the second-fewest in the Eastern Conference," Sutton says.