MLB Picks Today: Expert MLB Picks for
Monday, April 20
Baseball begins the week with 10 games on the schedule Monday. There are several underwhelming starting pitchers set to take the mound, which could lead to some high-scoring games. Let's dig into the matchups and highlight three of the top wagers to consider.
Mike Barner's season record: 13-7-1 (+4.15 units)
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MLB Picks Today: Expert Betting Tips and Analysis
Atlanta Braves 
at Washington Nationals 
Betting Picks
- Braves first 5 innings ML (-150) at FanDuel for 1 Unit
- Braves team total over 4.5 runs (-106) at FanDuel for 1 Unit
The Braves ae coming off a three-game sweep of the Phillies in Philadelphia. Their pitching staff was excellent, allowing a total of three runs in the series. They will send Bryce Elder to the mound Monday, who has a 0.77 ERA through four starts. That's not sustainable, but his 2.29 xERA confirms that he is pitching well. After allowing 1.4 HR/9 last season, he has given up just one home run this year.
Starting for the Nationals will be Jake Irvin, who has a 1.47 WHIP across four starts. His struggles to keep men off base is nothing new, given that he had a 1.43 WHIP last season. For his career, Irvin has a 4.98 ERA and a 4.96 xERA. Based on this starting pitching matchup, the Braves are in an excellent spot to hold the lead through five innings.
The Braves are already in a favorable position to score runs against Irvin, who has given up at least two runs in each of his four starts. He didn't last more than five innings in any of those outings, so we could see the Nationals bullpen early. That's not a good thing because Washington's bullpen has a 5.37 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. The Braves have already scored the most runs in baseball, so betting them to score at least five runs in this game is the way to go.
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Seattle Mariners 
vs. Athletics 
Betting Picks
- Mariners ML (-145) at BetMGM for 1 Unit
The Mariners are off to a disappointing 10-13 start that has them in fourth place in the AL West. Most of their struggles have come on the road, where they are 1-8. At home, they are 9-5. Last season, they had the sixth-best home record in baseball at 51-30.
In addition to having the advantage of this game being played at home, the Mariners have an edge in the starting pitching department with Emerson Hancock facing J.T. Ginn. Hancock has increased his strikeout rate to 29.4 percent, which has helped him record a 2.28 ERA and a 2.80 xERA. Making contact is an area of weakness for the Athletics, who are tied for the fifth-most strikeouts in baseball.
After beginning the season in the bullpen, Ginn is still being stretched out as a starter. In his last outing, he threw 78 pitches over 5.1 innings against the Rangers. He only gave up two runs in that outing, but it could have been worse because he issued four walks. For his career, Ginn has a 1.31 WHIP. The Mariners have a lot working in their favor to win this game.
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MLB Picks Recap
- Braves first 5 innings ML (-150) at FanDuel for 1 Unit
- Braves team total over 4.5 runs (-106) at FanDuel for 1 Unit
- Mariners ML (-145) at BetMGM for 1 Unit
