2024 MLB All-Star Game Odds, Picks & Predictions
Baseball’s best convene for two days of festivities that culminates in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, otherwise known as the “Midsummer Classic.†The American League has dominated the All-Star Game for the last quarter of a century, going 21-4-1 in the previous 26, but the National League snapped the AL’s nine-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory. While home-field advantage in the World Series is no longer awarded to the All-Star Game winner, the NL will clearly be motivated to start their first All-Star Game winning streak since winning three straight from 2010-12.
Read on for our best bet and who we are taking as a flier to win All-Star Game MVP. Here are our top picks for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.
MLB All-Star Game Odd, Picks & Predictions
Details
- Opening Lines: DraftKings had the odds open at American League -120, National League +100; O/U 7.5
- Location: Globe Life Field; Arlington, TX
- Start Time: 8:10 PM ET
- Television: FOX
- Last Meeting: National League defeated the American League 3-2 in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game at T-Mobile Park
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
MLB All-Star Game Best Bet: Under 7.5 (-120)
Tyler Glasnow, Chris Sale, Ranger Suarez, and Logan Gilbert will not be available to throw in the All-Star Game due to various injuries and ailments. However, all of those pitchers are starters, which means a majority of the innings will be thrown by relievers who are more used to coming out of the bullpen.
Regardless of what pitchers are available, hurlers have had the advantage at the All-Star Game for nearly two decades, as the Under has cashed in 14 of the last 17 Midsummer Classics. An average of 6.6 runs (113 runs total) have been scored in that span, and the last time a nine-inning All-Star Game had double-digit runs scored was back in 2005. It has also been especially difficult to score runs early, as there have been no runs scored in the first inning of four of the previous five All-Star Games.
The game’s format makes it difficult for batters to find a rhythm; most will get up to two plate appearances, and upwards of 20 pitchers will be used on both sides. This year’s venue figures to help offenses much more than last year, as Baseball Savant Park Factors labeled T-Mobile Park the lowest of all 31 MLB stadiums (which includes London Stadium) in terms of runs scored, wOBACon, and OBP. However, while Globe Life Field ranks in the top half of the league in all those categories, we cannot argue with the low-scoring nature of recent All-Star Games.
We would also give a slight lean to the National League’s moneyline odds (+100), as the American League will be without sluggers Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Rafael Devers, and Kyle Tucker.
Paul Skenes to win All-Star Game MVP
Five of the last nine All-Star Game MVPs have been starters, which makes sense considering they usually get more at-bats. And of the four that were not starters, two were pitchers. Shane Bieber won the MVP in 2019, pitching in front of his fans at Progressive Field. Mariano Rivera essentially won a lifetime achievement MVP while pitching at Citi Field, which was his home city although not his home stadium. But there is precedent for a flame-throwing pitcher who opened the game to win MVP, as Pedro Martinez took home the honors in 1999 when he struck out five batters in his two innings of work.
Skenes definitely fits the storyline narrative, as he is the first Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher to start an All-Star Game since 1975, despite him making just 11 career starts. If Skenes is allowed to throw two innings, he absolutely has the capability of recording five-plus strikeouts like Martinez, as his 89 strikeouts through 66 1/3 innings are the most by a pitcher with an ERA under 2.00 through 11 starts since ERA became a statistic in 1913, per ESPN Stats & Information. His phenomenal start to his rookie season have made him the third-shortest favorite to win the Cy Young Award, and while DraftKings does not yet have All-Star Game MVP odds, his +3000 odds at FanDuel are worth a flier, especially if there are no late-game heroics from any batter to steal Skenes’ thunder.
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.