MLB Betting Picks and Predictions for Tuesday (June 8) Including Yankees vs Twins
- See the best bets in baseball on Tuesday, June 8, 2021
- Oddsmakers are expecting a lot of runs in NYY vs MIN
- There’s a pitching mismatch on tap when Cleveland visits St. Louis
After a quiet three-game day on Monday, all 30 MLB teams are back in action on Tuesday. I don’t see a lot of soft spots on the board, but here are two bets I’d put my own money on.
Pick #1: Yankees vs Twins – First 5 Innings Under 5.5
| Team (Pitcher) | Moneyline | 1st Inning Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yankees (Montgomery) | -112 | Over 5.5 (+102) |
| Twins (Pineda) | -104 | —>Under 5.5 (-127)<— |
Odds as of June 8 at DraftKings.
The Yankees are not the explosive offense everyone was expecting them to be. They sit 27th overall in runs per game (3.72) and bottom-half in advanced batting statistics like wOBA and wRC+. Today, the Pinstripes face a consistent pitcher (and ex-Yankee) in Michael Pineda. In six starts at home this season, he has allowed more than two runs just once.
Pineda has had a quite a big of success against these Yankee hitters, too. In 28 at-bats, they are hitting .264, but with just a .580 OPS and no home runs. Neither team has faced the opposing pitcher this season.
Minnesota’s offense has been above average (12th in runs per game, ninth in wOBA, and sixth in wRC+). But 5.5 is a big number for five innings, and Jordan Montgomery is another capable pitcher. He has a 3.92 ERA and 1.12 WHIP for the season.
The number here is just too high, and Rotowire advises that winds will be blowing in slightly.
Pick #2: Cleveland vs Cardinals – Cleveland Moneyline
| Team (Pitcher) | Moneyline | 1st Inning Total |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland (Bieber) | —>-167<— | Over 7.0 (-122) |
| Cardinals (Martinez) | +143 | Under 7.0 (+102) |
Odds as of June 8 at DraftKings.
The St. Louis Cardinals are a little bit broken right now, as is starting pitcher Carlos Martinez. The Cards have lost five straight and seven of eight. Martinez was tagged for six hits, four walks, and ten earned runs in just 0.2 innings of work against the Dodgers last time out. He now has a 5.83 ERA and 1.24 WHIP on the season. In limited action last season (20 innings), he had a 9.90 ERA and 2.10 WHIP.
He has only ever posted a WHIP lower than 1.22 once in his career (2019) which dates back to 2013.
Shane Bieber takes the mound of Cleveland and, while last year’s Cy Young-winning performance was a bit of smoke-and-mirrors, he remains a top-ten pitcher in the majors.
Cleveland also has a much better bullpen, statistically. The Cardinals’ relievers sit dead-last in the majors with a 5.03 xFIP. They are 19th in raw ERA (4.36). Cleveland is seventh in xFIP and fifth in ERA. Their lineup is anemic at the plate, but this is an opportunity to feast on subpar pitching.
Sascha was a hockey player in his youth, a lawyer in his capricious mid-20s, and has been with SBD since 2014. He specializes in football, basketball, politics, baseball, and hockey.
