Top MLB Betting Odds & Picks for Monday, August 22nd (2022)
As the end of August draws near, some MLB division races are taking on a completely new look. Suddenly, the New York Yankees are feeling some heat in the American League East after what was seemingly an insurmountable lead in July. In addition, the St. Louis Cardinals have created breathing room in the National League Central, as a seven-game winning streak has them five games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Here are our best bets for Monday’s MLB action. (Odds courtesy of DraftKings)
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet >>
New York Mets vs. New York Yankees ML
The Yankees lost their sixth consecutive series over the weekend when they dropped three of the first four games against Toronto. It marked the franchise’s first six-series losing streak since 1995. Their recent downfall and the fact that they have been one of the worst teams in baseball since the All-Star break was the brunt of many jokes over social media the last couple of days.
Oddsmakers expect the Yankees to lose its seventh consecutive series over the next two days against the Mets. They are +140 moneyline underdogs today and will likely be a similar price tomorrow against Jacob deGrom. The fact that the Yankees are underdogs should not go unnoticed, as this is their first game as home underdogs this season, and they are 4-4 in eight games as road underdogs.
The Yankees are 5-15 in their last 20 games and 10-20 since the All-Star break. They have scored a total of 25 runs in their previous 12 games and are 27th out of 30 teams in OPS (.274), wOBA (.269), and wRC+ (75) over the last 14 days. Facing Scherzer (9-2, 2.15) is not a recipe for breaking out of slumps. We expect him to add to the Yankees’ offensive woes and to hand them a loss in their first game as home underdogs this season.
Bet: New York Mets ML (-165 at DraftKings)
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers RL
The Brewers were competitive in a home series against the Dodgers last week, winning two of the four. However, they scored just one run combined in the two losses, and the unfortunate thing for Milwaukee is that Corbin Burnes cannot pitch every day. Milwaukee is 2-5 in its last seven games not started by Corbin Burnes and has won two of its last ten road games overall.
Julio Urias (13-6, 2.40) takes the mound looking to continue a torrid stretch. He is unbeaten in his last 11 starts while pitching to a 2.00 ERA in that span. He has allowed just one earned run in three August starts (spanning 18 innings) and faces a Brewers team that ranks 22nd or worse in August in OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ against southpaws.
The Dodgers are an MLB-best 24-6 since the All-Star break and 43-11 in their last 54. So if you are not in the business of consistently laying -250 or steeper moneyline odds with them, the Dodgers have returned a much better investment with their runline odds. Los Angeles has covered the -1.5 runs in 37 of its last 43 victories, which is the smartest economical wager in this game.
Bet: Los Angeles Dodgers RL (-115 at DraftKings)
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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.