The 2024 U.S. Open gets started bright and early on Thursday morning. Let's target a couple first-round bets for you to sweat out while faking your way through the work day.  Today's picks and sports betting news you need to know  |  Read in Browser U.S. OPEN BETTING: LOOK FOR FAST START FOR MORIKAWA Collin Morikawa has the perfect skill set for Pinehurst No. 2 because he's deadly accurate off the tee and precise with his long irons. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK The 2024 U.S. Open gets started bright and early on Thursday morning, and we can't wait for the sandy carnage to ensue at Pinehurst No. 2. We already have you covered with a ton of full-tournament betting content this week, but for you impatient bettors, let's target a couple first-round bets for you to sweat out while faking your way through the work day.  COLLIN MORIKAWA TOP-20 FINISH AFTER ROUND 1 (+185 DRAFTKINGS) We're looking for Morikawa to get off to a hot start at Pinehurst No. 2. The American ranks second on the PGA Tour this season in Round 1 scoring average (68.08), and he's shot 68 or better in the first round in five straight starts.  Morikawa is playing with loads of confidence right now. He's recorded three straight top-five finishes on Tour, and his approach play has improved in each of those events. The two-time major champion has the perfect skill set for Pinehurst No. 2 because he's deadly accurate off the tee and precise with his long irons. His short game is also the best it's been in his entire career. Morikawa has the advantage of going off early in the morning on Thursday when the golf course won't be as firm, so he should be able to put himself near the top of the leaderboard after Round 1.  18-HOLE MATCHUP: JASON DAY > CAMERON YOUNG (-115 FANDUEL) Young is on full fade watch at the U.S. Open. The 27-year-old finished runner-up at the Valspar Championship and T9 at the Masters in back-to-back starts, but he's been abysmal ever since. In his last five starts, Young has finished T62 in a 69-player field, T34, T63, cut, and T50. He lost strokes on approach and from around the green in four of those five starts, and those two areas will be pivotal around these sloped, turtleback greens at Pinehurst No. 2.  Day hasn't been great with his irons, either, but his stellar short game gives him such a high floor at this golf course. Both players are going to miss greens in the first round, but we trust Day to get up and down from awkward spots more consistently than Young.  - IN THE NEWS ... Kristaps Porzingis questionable for Game 3 with 'rare injury' — NBA reporters sent the Internet into a tizzy on Tuesday when they broke the news that Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. If you do any research on the unique injury, you could come away thinking Porzingis could play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals or require surgery and miss extended time. For now, the Boston Celtics are treating it as a day-to-day injury. With Porzingis' status in doubt, the Celtics are 2.5-point underdogs in Game 3. Jon Rahm withdraws from the U.S. Open — One of the top favorites at the U.S. Open won't be teeing it up at Pinehurst No. 2. On Tuesday afternoon, after he met with the media and checked out the golf course, Rahm withdrew from the tournament due to an infection in his left foot. The former World No. 1 pulled out of LIV Golf Houston last week to recover in time for the U.S. Open, but he won't be able to give it a go. Without Rahm in the field, Scottie Scheffler has shifted to +280 to win. Joey Chestnut starts beef with Nathan's Famous, won't compete in hot dog eating contest — The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest will be missing a legend this year, as Chestnut won't be competing on the Fourth of July. The 16-time champion reportedly agreed to a brand deal with Impossible Foods, one of Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs' competitors. There's no love lost in the hot dog game, frankly. - Today's Bark Bets is written by Jack Dougherty QUICK PICKS ◆1◆ Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks We're looking for the Mavericks to get off to a strong start in Game 3. Dallas shot a combined 13-53 (24.5 percent) from three in the first two games of the NBA Finals, but a return home should help the role players shoot with more confidence from deep. Luka Doncic has also been dominant early in games this postseason. Give us the Mavericks to cover -1.5 in the first quarter.  Wednesday, 8:30 PM Eastern SPREAD MONEY LINE OVER / UNDER Celtics +3 (-112) +130 > 213.5 (-108) Mavericks -2.5 (-112) -141 < 213.5 (-110) ◆2◆ Jrue Holiday over 24.5 points + rebounds + assists Holiday has been a do-it-all weapon for the Celtics in this series. The veteran guard is averaging 32.5 PRA in the Finals so far, clearing this line in each of the first two games. He's also averaging 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in the playoffs when Porzingis isn't on the court, which is a possibility in Game 3.   Latest Odds:  -108 ◆3◆ Miami Marlins @ New York Mets We've got two lefties on the bump in the Big Apple, and that greatly favors the Mets. New York ranks first in MLB in batting average and third in OPS against lefties over the last two weeks, while Miami ranks 28th in batting average and 29th in OPS against lefties in the same span. We'll take the Mets -0.5 in the first five innings. Wednesday, 7:10 PM Eastern SPREAD MONEY LINE OVER / UNDER Marlins +1.5 (-165) +130 > 7.5 (-112) Mets -1 (+102) -150 < 7.5 (-104) ◆4◆ Jake Irvin under 1.5 walks allowed What's more exciting than a walks prop in MLB? OK, a lot of things, but we still love this pick. Jake Irvin has the 12th-lowest walk rate (4.7 percent) and the fourth-lowest out-of-zone rate (44.1 percent) among 125 qualified pitchers this season, and the Detroit Tigers have the third-lowest walk rate (6.8 percent) in the league over the last four weeks.   Latest Odds:  -125 ◆5◆ Heliot Ramos over 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs You have to find a way to back Ramos whenever a left-handed pitcher is on the mound. The San Francisco Giants outfielder is batting .571 with a whopping 2.311 OPS in his last 23 plate appearances against lefties. Ramos is also recording an RBI in 20.2 percent of his at-bats this year, which is the second-best mark on the team.  Latest Odds:  -105 BETTING NEWS & NOTES NBA FINALS BEST BETS: CELTICS VS. MAVERICKS GAME 3 PICKS FOR WED. 6/12 Read More MLB BETTING: ANGELS VS. D-BACKS +700 SAME-GAME PARLAY ODDS, PICKS FOR WED. 6/12 Read More U.S. OPEN GOLF: LET'S GET CREATIVE WITH 3 WAYS TO BET SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER BESIDES OUTRIGHT Read More WNBA BEST BETS: SUN VS. SKY EXPERT PICKS, PLAYER PROP, PREDICTIONS FOR WED. 6/12 Read More MLB OPENING PITCH: ZERILLO'S EXPERT PICKS, ODDS, PREDICTIONS FOR WED. 6/12 Read More NBA FINALS PLAYER PROPS: BET JAYSON TATUM FOR GAME 3 ON WED. 6/12 Read More NFL FUTURES: SEASON-LONG RUSHING TD BETS TO MAKE Read More USA VS. INDIA CRICKET ODDS, PICKS, BEST BETS FOR T20 WORLD CUP 2024 Read More For all the latest betting news, check out the Yardbarker Sports Betting news hub. N (O [ /822 7] 502 Sports News, Rumors & Quizzes       CONTACT US    MY ACCOUNT       ADVERTISE    JOBS FREE NEWSLETTERS Copyright 2024 YB Media, LLC. 1534 Plaza Lane, #146, Burlingame, CA 94010. All Rights Reserved