A Numbers Game | August 5, 2026 | Hour 1

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
The numbers told the story, they always do. One of those idiots who believe in analytics.

**Dustin Swedelson** (0:05)
This is A Numbers Game with Gil Alexander on VSiN.
August the 5th, be with you on a Wednesday morning. Welcome on into A Numbers Game. I'm Dustin Swedelson. He's Kelley Bydlon, the Bearded Brothers, reunited for a few more days here on VSiN, the sports betting network. We got a fun one lined up for you today. We got plenty more to do as far as college football is concerned. The VSiN College Football Betting Guide is out. We are highlighting some of our favorite entries into that thing. And the new coaches, I think it's very important to be up to date on that. We will examine some of the better hires out there. I have two total plays on two new head coaches, and there's one I'm looking to add. I'll run it by Kelley a little bit later on in the program. Some usual suspects that you're used to seeing on the program. We have a new coach joining us today in about an hour. Will Hill in studio, VSin betting analyst in town, hanging out with us. We'll do a little baseball. We'll do a little football with Will as his New York Yankees with a fun one last night. Nick Whalen drops by.

**Kelley Bydlon** (1:10)
You think Will is going to be in okay shape? Started bet bash last night. I don't know how rowdy he got.

**Dustin Swedelson** (1:16)
I feel like Will Hill is a veteran of the game. I feel like he knows to pace himself at this point in his career and his life.

**Kelley Bydlon** (1:22)
Although, you do get nervous when people come to town from Connecticut, away from their family, away from their children, away from their 17 kids and dogs.

**SPEAKER_1** (1:30)
Yeah, he's got a lot going on there.

**Dustin Swedelson** (1:32)
There's always the concern that you maybe get a little too loose, a little too early.
Speaking of that, too loose, too early. Nick Whalen joins us at 11:45 a.m. Eastern time. Then Paul Sporer will break down baseball with him coming up in a couple hours, 12:15 p.m. Eastern time. That always throws me off the A&P.

**Kelley Bydlon** (1:48)
Yeah, I know, right?

**Dustin Swedelson** (1:50)
But we begin Kelley Bydlon, because you and I were talking about this on Monday, and I saw the social media reaction when you and I were also hanging out over the weekend when the Dodgers acquired Tarik Skubal. They ruined baseball. They're gonna win the World Series. Why are we even playing the game?

**Kelley Bydlon** (2:05)
Unstoppable.

**Dustin Swedelson** (2:06)
Yeah, well, since that happened, they've lost five games.
Or they're on a five-game losing streak, I should say. I guess that'd be a four-game losing streak since then, right? No, no, it might be five, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. So, okay, never mind. Yeah, four.
Either way, they lose last night, in case you missed it. Five-one to the Cubbies. How about Chicago? By the way, the Cubs, who I took a little bit on at 20-1 to win the World Series after the trade deadline, they're still 17-1 in the market. This is the team. I know VSin put out my list from Monday before the trade deadline of teams that can beat the Dodgers. The Cubs were not there because I didn't trust the pitching. But since then, they've added Kevin Gossman, they've added Clay Holmes. I believe in the Cubs. I believe in this Cubs offense.

**Kelley Bydlon** (2:48)
We need to re-edit an Instagram reel. Yeah.

**Dustin Swedelson** (2:50)
Can we go back retroactively and fix that thing? Five won the score last night. They blow up Tarik Skubal's debut. Skubal was fine. He goes six innings, two earned, six strikeouts and 85 pitches. We cashed the under on the 7.5Ks there. It was a little bit plus money. Swanson, Homer, Nico Horner goes yard. Kyle Tucker is starting to heat up for the Dodgers, in fairness, on the other side. But the Dodgers lost five in a row and don't look now.
The mighty Dodgers at Wrigley Field, trying to avoid a sweep are plus money.
The Cubs are favored to sweep the Dodgers on the heels of the Red Sox, sweeping the Dodgers. Hold on people, what happened here baby? You told me the Dodgers were inevitable and now all of a sudden they look pretty mortal. I'd also add into the mix, is that the Dodgers haven't had pitches thrown by Blake Snell and Tyler Glass now in months, and you're all just factoring them being a part of the playoff rotation. We're going to have Robleski, we're going to have Lauer going tonight. It's not a sure thing that they're going to get those guys back, and if they're back, if they're not going to get injured again, because those are two guys routinely over their careers who are always hurt year in and year out. Dave Roberts reflected on the loss of Tarik Skubal's debut after the game last night.