MLB Picks Today: Expert MLB Picks for
Saturday, July 18
It's the first Saturday after the All-Star break, and teams are getting back into the swing of things - literally. In fact, there is an extra game, as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians try to play a doubleheader in smoky Progressive Field. Friday's game was postponed due to the unsafe air quality conditions from the Canadian wildfires. As it stands, winds will be out of the west-southwest, so that's good news for the games to be played. But, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, so Game 2 could be in danger, even if air quality is deemed safe.
Out of our 16 games, we have two nationally-televised contests, as the FOX national/regional matchups are back after a brief break due to the World Cup. On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees meet at 8:08 p.m. ET, or the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners battle at the same time.
Last week we had a 5-1 (83.3%, +395) record last Saturday, improving to 12-4 (75.0%, +733) across the past three weekend columns. We also hit last week's 3-leg Under (+562) parlay. It's a nice change after a tough middle of June.
Let's continue to keep building our bankroll for the rest of the season!
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San Francisco Giants at Seattle Mariners: Expert Betting Tips and Analysis
The Giants (42-55) and the Mariners (48-50) opened a three-game interleague series on Friday, with San Francisco belting Seattle 7-0 as moderate underdogs (+154) as the total pushed (7) at most shops.
San Francisco swept last season's series at Oracle Park in the Bay Area, and it remains the kryptonite of Seattle despite the better record of the M's.
In Friday's game, the Giants collected 12 hits, with the big blow coming off the bat of Willy Adames. The San Francisco shortstop swatted his seventh-career grand slam, while RHP Landen Roupp twirled seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and three walks, pushing his ERA down to 3.98, while improving to 7-8 on the season. Jung Hoo Lee collected three singles and two runs scored across four at-bats, too, while Heliot Ramos and Casey Schmitt had two singles apiece.
Friday's result was especially surprisingly considering RHP Bryce Miller had allowed just a single run in 22 2/3 IP in his first four starts, good for a 0.40 ERA and .095 opponent batting average. So, no matter how great the facts look, baseball is still baseball. Seattle looked like a slam-dunk play, but San Francisco had other ideas.
San Francisco has won three straight games since July 11, tying a season-high win streak. The Giants have won three in a row six times this season, but they're 0-5 in the previous attempts to go for four in a row.
RHP Logan Webb (5-7, 3.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) takes the ball trying for the elusive fourth straight win for the Giants. He was on the bump April 11 in Baltimore when the team was going for a fourth consecutive victory.
The Mariners counter with RHP Bryan Woo (7-6, 4.23 ERA, 1.07 WHIP), who doesn't have a great overall mark. But, he is 6-0 with a 2.10 ERA across eight home starts, with teams hitting just .156 against him at T-Mobile Park. Of course, Miller also had strong home splits, too.
However, the Mariners are a strong play here, especially at a nice price. And, while it's a tiny number, we'll go with the Under, based on a strong pitching matchup.
MLB Best Bets for Giants at Mariners:
- Mariners ML (-130 at Bet365, Caesars and Fanatics Sportsbooks)
- Under 7 Runs (-120 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Angels: Saturday Night Baseball Insights
The Tigers (45-52) and Angels (38-60) continue their series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim at 10:07 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The Tigers won 2-1 as slight favorites (-116) in Friday's series opener as the Under (8) cashed. These teams have now split the first four games of the season, with the Under cashing in each of the previous three meetings.
Detroit lost the final two games before the All-Star break, but it is 7-2 in the past nine games, and 10-3 across the previous 13 outings. The Under is 6-1 in the past seven outings, too, and 8-3 across the past 11 contests.
The Angels have dropped three in a row, and they're 2-11 in the past 13 outings, while the Under has cashed in four in a row. The Angels have cobbled together just 2.0 runs per game (RPG) in the past three outings, while allowing just 3.5 RPG in the past four games.
The Tigers use LHP Tarik Skubal (5-5, 3.09 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) for Saturday's outing, while the Angels counter with RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-2, 7.55 ERA, 1.74 WHIP). It's a mismatch, especially since the Halos are 9-17 vs. LHP, the second-worst record in the AL against southpaws.
We'll back the Tigers laying the run and a half, but also go low on the total despite Rodriguez's giving ways.
MLB Best Bets for Tigers at Angels:
- Tigers -1.5 Runs (-110 at Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics and FanDuel Sportsbooks)
- Under 8 Runs (-105 at Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings and Fanatics Sportsbooks)
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Best MLB Parlays Today
4-Leg MLB Giant Parlay (+1475 at BetMGM)
- Mariners ML (-135) vs. Giants
- Under 6.5 (+100) - Mariners vs. Giants
- Under 8 (-105) - Tigers at Angels
- Tigers -1.5 Runs (-110) at Angels
2-Leg MLB Sides Parlay (+232 at BetMGM)
- Mariners ML (-135) vs. Giants
- Tigers -1.5 Runs (-110) at Angels
2-Leg MLB Totals Parlay (+290 at BetMGM)
- Under 6.5 (+100) - Mariners vs. Giants
- Under 8 (-105) - Tigers at Angels
