MLB Betting Picks and Predictions for Tuesday (June 1) Including Angels vs Giants

• See the best bets in baseball on Tuesday, June 1
• Cease vs Bieber should be a pitcher’s duel in Cleveland
• The NL-leading Giants host the languid Angels as reasonably short favorites

The MLB slate for Tuesday, June 1, features a full 15 games, meaning all 30 teams are in action.

Several of the leading CY Young favorites are in action, including reigning AL-winner Shane Bieber taking on young Dylan Cease and the Chicago White Sox in the early game of the day.

Here are the bets I will be making on Tuesday.

Pick #1: White Sox vs Cleveland – First 3 Innings Under 2.5

Odds as of June 1, 2021. 

Shane Bieber has not been able to recreate his 2020 Cy Young-worthy form in 2021, sporting a 3.13 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. His regression was predictable, to an extent. In the shortened 2020 season, he made 12 starts and ten came against below-average offenses. The other two coincidentally came against the White Sox. One was great (five scoreless innings); the other was mediocre (three runs in six innings, all earned).

But his peripherals this season still portend greatness. His strikeout rate is 36.4%, sixth-best in the majors, and his xFIP is 2.58, third-best. His last start was exceptional, pitching seven innings of one-hit, one-run ball with 12 Ks (albeit against the lowly Tigers). He also pitched a complete-game shutout against the White Sox on April 13 (three hits, 11 strikeouts).

His counterpart, Dylan Cease, has a rock-solid 2.98 ERA, but is actually outperforming his peripherals. His own xFIP is a shade over four (4.02), while his strikeout percentage is a mediocre 30.3% and his walk rate is a concerning 11.9%.

But I still like the early under here because Cleveland’s lineup is anemic. Their team wRC+ is a paltry 86 (with 100 being league average). Only four teams have been worse at the plate: the Tigers, Pirates, Brewers, and Rockies.

Pick #2: Angels vs Giants – Giants’ Moneyline

Odds as of June 1, 2021. 

By now, oddsmakers and bettors alike are onto the San Francisco Giants, who own an NL-best 34-20 record and pristine +69 run differential. Tonight, they host the 24-30 Los Angeles Angels, who are just 11-16 away from home and are sitting at -49 runs for the year.

While Shohei Ohtani is doing his best Babe Ruth impression (and sits atop the AL MVP odds) and Jared Walsh (160 wRC+) has been a pleasant surprise, their batting order without the injured Mike Trout is mediocre at best.

Starter Andrew Heaney is having one of his worst seasons ever.  His ERA is over five (5.24) and his FIP isn’t much  better (4.42). He’s making hitters miss (11.1 strikeouts per nine) but is struggling with the longball, surrendering nine homers in just 44.2 innings.

Giants starter Alex Wood is 5-2 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.04 WHP. He has held his opponents to one run (or fewer) in four of eight starts and only given up more than two runs once (versus the Dodgers on May 27). His xFip is almost as good as his actual ERA (2.97), meaning his great start hasn’t been the productive of luck.

In sum, betting the Giants means backing the better pitcher with the better lineup at home. The price (-157) is right.