With the World Cup's Round of 16 nearly completed at the time of publication, sports fans and bettors have a chance to return to more traditional summer fare like MLB and WNBA on Tuesday, July 7. America's pastime is nearly at its All-Star break with the All-Star Game slated for a week from today. The league's top teams will be jockeying for playoff position all the way to the break, particularly in the AL East, where the New York Yankees are chasing the Tampa Bay Rays for the division title.
The teams are in the middle of a four-game series at Tropicana Field at the moment and New York claimed Monday's game behind a strong effort from emerging ace Cam Schlittler. Tampa Bay now leads the division by three games, meaning a Yankees sweep would put the Bronx Bombers in first place. That outcome hardly seems likely, though.
New York, which is 2-8 in its last 10 games and under .500 over its last 30, has badly struggled without superstar Aaron Judge, who hasn't played since May 31. Cody Bellinger has seen his production nosedive since then, and breakout star Ben Rice also endured a small swoon. Injuries to Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon complicated matters in the field and starter Carlos Rodon went down with an elbow issue in late June. Given the factors at play, it's remarkable that New York remains 10 games over .500.
Catching the Rays will be difficult. Third baseman Junior Caminero has gone supernova this season. While his July has seen a notable cooldown, his 3.0 fWAR has him in great position to surpass the 4.6 he posted in 2025. He's the bedrock of a Tampa Bay lineup that has serious aspirations of claiming the East.
Elsewhere in MLB, the Miami Marlins are hot and send newfound ace Max Meyer (9-1, 2.53 ERA) to the hill to face Bryan Woo (7-6, 4.17) and the Seattle Mariners, and the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals play the nightcap of a doubleheader.
There are also two WNBA contests, including a star-studded New York Liberty vs. Dallas Wings matchup -- more on that below.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Tuesday, July 7. All times Eastern
MLB best bets, where to watch
Yankees at Rays
Time: 6:40 p.m. | Location: St. Petersburg, Fla. | TV: TBS, MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model: Yankees -1.5 (+167) | Expert: Ian Seymour Over 5.5 strikeouts (-111, Larry Hartstein)
Southpaw Ian Seymour (5-1, 4.02 ERA) is tasked with getting the Rays back in the win column after Monday's 5-1 loss to the Yankees. It will be just the fifth start of the year for Seymour, who has worked largely in relief. SportsLine's Larry Hartstein likes the Over on Seymour's strikeout prop, noting that he fanned eight and seven batters in his last two starts. Will Warren (7-3, 3.73) gets the ball for New York.
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Mariners at Marlins
Time: 6:40 p.m. | Location: Miami | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Over 8 (-105) | Expert: Marlins money line (-120, Micah Roberts)
Could the Marlins make the playoffs? Miami has an astounding 22-8 record in its last 30 games and seems poised to make a run. The Marlins can log another win tonight with breakout star Max Meyer on the hill. The first-time All-Star will face a Mariners offense that ranks 23rd in the league in runs scored. Seattle starter Bryan Woo has a 6.38 ERA on the road. Three SportsLine experts are backing Miami to win.
WNBA best bets, where to watch
Wings at Liberty
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Some of the WNBA's biggest stars will be on the court when the Dallas Wings meet the New York Liberty at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday. Both teams are 13-8 on the season, a record good enough for the Libs to lead the Eastern Conference but finds the Wings in fourth in the West. Paige Bueckers and Dallas have taken a huge step forward from last season and have already improved their win total by three. With Azzi Fudd now in the fold for the Wings, they're a real threat to New York despite the presence of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones. The Liberty will be without Satou Sabally and Leonie Fiebech on Tuesday. Matt Severance has a two-leg FanDuel parlay for the game.
