Tasty midweek parlay serves up Phillies, Angels

I haven't had a chance to pick a parlay in close to a week, which means I'm probably due. Don't act so surprised. I told you when I first started writing for Yardbarker back in June that I really like parlays. I could give you all the sayings — I like parlays as much as a fat man likes cake; I like parlays as much as Joey Zanaboni likes using similes in his broadcasts; I like parlays as much as Kate Veatch from "Dodgeball" likes unicorns; etc. — but you already knew that. Parlays are risky but sure feel good when they hit!

If you follow me on Twitter at @jaredshlensky, you'll notice both my parlays hit on Tuesday, and I'm confident both of today's are going to hit, too. There are definitely more afternoon games on Wednesday than there were on Tuesday, but that won't be an issue. I've got a two-leg parlay I really like. 

The Play: Philadelphia Phillies -1 and Los Angeles Angels +1 (+114 odds via Caesars)

When it comes to parlays, I don't like conventional. I like to customize. No doubt parlays fail more than they succeed, but if I'm going to place a parlay bet, I want every advantage I can get. One of those advantages is via alternate runlines. Most sportsbooks allow you to select alternate runlines, and best of all, they even allow you to combine them into a parlay of your choice. It took me some time to find these two games with the odds I was looking for as a parlay, but I found it. With plus odds — +114 to be exact via Caesars — I'm all about the Phillies (-1) against the Nationals and the Angels (+1) against the Marlins.

Let's start with the Phillies. They're 5-1 vs. Washington on the season, they've won four of their last five, and have outscored their opponents, 15-0, in their last two games. But it goes way beyond that. Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs in his first two at-bats on Tuesday and now leads the National League with 25, Wednesday's starter Aaron Nola tossed eight shutout innings against the Nats the last time he faced them back on June 18, and the Philly bullpen — yeah, the same one that was so bad under Joe Girardi — has allowed just one run in its last 41 innings. I'd say that's pretty darn good. 

So, instead of taking the Phils just to win, take them -1 on the alternate runline. It's way less risky than taking them -1.5 on the runline, which very well could hit, but unlike the -1.5 runline, if they only do win by a run, your parlay doesn't lose; it just voids the Philadelphia -1. If they do win by more than a run on Wednesday, you're still getting better odds than just the plain moneyline, just not as good as the -1.5. 

Now as much as there is to like about how good Philadelphia has been, there's just as much to like about how bad Washington has been. Superstar Juan Soto is unlikely to play after suffering a calf injury over the weekend, the Nationals have lost six straight, are 6-29 vs. the NL East, and starter Josiah Gray allowed six runs on 10 hits in his last start against Miami. That's not exactly a team that's trending upward.

Philadelphia -1 is a solid, low-risk leg to include in your parlay. The Phillies are playing well, and the Nationals have been stinking it up, hot garbage style. Don't overthink it; take Philadelphia -1 on the alternate runline. 

As for the Angels, they can't score, or even win as of late, so why am I including them in my parlay? The reason: They are a completely different team when the reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani is on the mound. Yes, I'm aware the Halos have scored just five runs in their last four games and have lost four straight. However, Ohtani hasn't allowed a run in a career-best 21.2 consecutive innings, and the Angels are 4-0 in Ohtani's last four starts. Plus, it's not like they're facing the Yankees or the Astros — it's the Marlins. I think the Angels win, but just to be safe, I'm going to take Los Angeles +1 on the runline.

In other news ...

Djokovic survives quarterfinals scare, advances to Wimbledon semis: Top-seeded Novak Djokovic avoided a quarterfinals upset on Tuesday with a comeback win vs. Jannik Sinner. After dropping the first two sets, Djokovic won the next three to advance to the Wimbledon semifinals. Djokovic (-400) remains the consensus favorite, followed by Rafael Nadal (+550). 

Oklahoma City favored to win NBA Summer League Championship: The Oklahoma City Thunder (+800) are the favorites to win the NBA Summer League Championship following Tuesday's 98-77 victory over the Utah Jazz. No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren finished with a game-high 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists in his Summer League debut on Tuesday.

Wright favorite to go first in NHL Draft: Shane Wright (-350) is currently projected to be the top pick in Thursday's NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. Juraj Slafkovsky (+225) and Logan Cooley (+1000) follow as the next two favorites to be the top pick in Thursday's draft.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Jared Shlensky