Sports betting roundup: Betting favorite Mexico beats US in Gold Cup soccer final

The betting favorites won the CONCACAF Gold Cup on a holiday weekend with plenty of baseball action.

The Mexican national soccer team beat the United States 2-1 in the final on Sunday night in Houston. Mexico went into the match favored at +150 at the BetMGM online sportsbook, while the American team was +210. A tie was listed at +185.

Besides baseball, there was also the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour and a NASCAR race in Chicago.

Mexico its won record 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title on Sunday at NRG Stadium. The Mexican team took in 38% of the bets and 55% of the money.

The three most-bet MLB teams in terms of bets and money all won on Sunday. The Baltimore Orioles (+130) beat the Atlanta Braves 2-1, the Detroit Tigers (-220) defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-2 and the Philadelphia Phillies (-250) beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1.

Tigers ace pitcher Tarik Skubal’s over 7.5 strikeouts was the most-bet prop of the day. It easily cashed with Skubal striking out 10 Guardians hitters.

Shane van Gisbergen won the NASCAR race in Chicago. He was the favorite (+125) and took in the most money (33%).

Brian Campbell won for the second time on the PGA Tour this season, taking the John Deere Classic in a playoff over Emiliano Grillo. Both players finished at 18 under, and Campbell made par on the first playoff hole to secure the victory. In pretournament betting, Campbell was +35000 to win.

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain the favorites to win the World Series. They are +210 after opening at +400. The New York Yankees are the next closest team at +700, after opening at +800.

After winning eight games in a row, the Toronto Blue Jays are now +1900. They opened +6000 and were +3500 at the start of last week.

This column was provided to The Associated Press by BetMGM online sportsbook.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

Brian Campbell tees off on the second hole during the final round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament, Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Silvis, Ill. (Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

Shane van Gisbergen does a victory burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Grant Park 165, Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal pauses before a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Mexico forward Roberto Alvarado (25) shoots as United States midfielder Max Arfsten (18) defends in the first half of the CONCACAF Gold Cup final soccer match in Houston, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mexico midfielder Edson Álvarez (4) celebrates after scoring against the United States in the second half of the CONCACAF Gold Cup final soccer match in Houston, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)