MLB Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (7/1)
We have a monster slate of MLB games today as all 30 teams hit the diamond. There's a bonus game since last night's Yankees vs. Cardinals game was rained out. The two storied franchises will play a doubleheader in St. Louis today.
From a sports betting standpoint, I've narrowed in on the three best bets from today's schedule. Here's where I'm laying my money!
MLB YTD: 53-99 (-0.04 units)
Today's Best MLB Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Washington Nationals (+180) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (-215) | 8.5 (-120/-102)
The Nationals took care of business in last night's series opener against the Phillies, beating the divisional foe 2-1. The victory marked their third straight win and fifth in their last six games. The two sides are back at it today at 4:05 p.m. ET from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA.
MacKenzie Gore gets the nod for the Nats today while the Phillies counter with Zack Wheeler. I feel pretty confident that the Phillies will win, and I'm laying the 1.5 runs in this spot. Mainly, it's due to Gore's inconsistency. Over his last 11 starts, Washington is just 2-9 in his outings. Included in the 11-game sample is a 4-2 Philadelphia win back on June 3rd. Furthermore, the Phillies have been quite successful against Gore, slashing .295/.311/.432 against him over 44 at-bats.
Ultimately, this feels like a series where the Phillies need to take two out of three games. With Wheeler toeing the rubber in front of his home crowd, we should see them bounce back and secure a win here. Let's ride with the Phillies -1.5.
Bet: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (-108)
Milwaukee Brewers (-136) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (+116) | 8.0 (-118/-104)
The Pirates opened up the weekend with a walk-off win last night over the Brewers, beating them 8-7 in Pittsburgh. They'll go for their fifth consecutive win this afternoon when they send Johan Oviedo to the hill. The Crew counters with Corbin Burnes in this divisional clash scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET from PNC Park.
Both of these teams have been playing decent baseball lately, but I'm rolling with the Brewers on the moneyline in game two of the series. While Corbin Burnes hasn't been in his typical dominant form, he's still the ace of this staff, and I expect him to turn in a solid outing here.
This is a prime opportunity for the right-hander to get back on track as he'll face a Pirates squad that's 24th in K% over the last 14 days at 25.7%. Meanwhile, Burnes enters this game with a respectable 8.49 K/9 rate this year. Finally, the current Pittsburgh roster is slashing just .200/.250/.333 against him, with two extra-base hits over 30 at-bats. We should see a lower-scoring game here, but I think the Crew does enough to win behind a great start from Burnes.
Bet: Milwaukee Brewers Moneyline (-136)
Cleveland Guardians (+112) vs. Chicago Cubs (-132) | 8.0 (-105/-115)
The Cubs snapped their four-game skid yesterday when they beat the Guardians 10-1 at Wrigley Field. Game two of the interleague series features a pitching matchup between Tanner Bibee and Marcus Stroman. This one gets underway at 7:15 p.m. ET from Chicago, IL.
I'm backing Chicago to pick up its second straight victory this evening. While Cleveland's offense has been decent over the last few weeks, they're running into another great starter tonight in Stroman. The right-hander is currently 9-5 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. At home, his ERA dips to 2.25, and opponents are hitting just .162 against him. As for the head-to-head numbers, we have a small yet crucial sample size. The big guns of Josh Bell, Josh Naylor, and Jose Ramirez are a combined 8-41 (.195) against Stroman with no extra-base hits.
On the flip side, Bibee has struggled away from home this year. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA, and opponents are hitting .308 against him away from Progressive Field. Obviously, the Cubs are seeing the ball well after putting up 10 runs yesterday. They'll have another favorable matchup here, so I expect them to fly the W in Wrigleyville when the dust settles this evening. Give me the Cubs on the moneyline.
Bet: Chicago Cubs Moneyline (-132)
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