MLB Expert Picks Including Twins vs Reds, Pirates vs Brewers, Astros vs Dodgers
- Tuesday’s MLB schedule features a 15-game slate
- The Reds seek their sixth win in their last seven games
- See the best bets for the day, below
Tuesday marks the first full MLB slate of the week with 15 games on deck. The action gets underway just after 7 pm ET in a handful of different ball parks around the league, with the first pitch in the final game of the evening in LA scheduled for 10:10 pm ET.
We’ll have more on the Astros-Dodgers contest later, but it’s the red-hot Reds that kick off our betting card against the Twins.
MLB Picks for August 3rd
| Matchup | Pick | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Twins vs Reds | Reds | -140 |
| Pirates vs Brewers | Brewers -1.5 | -115 |
| Astros vs Dodgers | O 7.5 | -110 |
All odds as of August 2nd at DraftKings.
Twins vs Reds Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins | +120 | +1.5 (-160) | O 9 (-110) |
| Cincinnati Reds | -140 | -1.5 (+140) | U 9 (-110) |
Cincinnati enters play winners of five of its past six, while Minnesota has lost four of five and was a seller at the deadline shipping out Nelson Cruz and Jose Berrios.
The Twins are a slightly above average hitting team, but have struggled on the mound all season. They rank 27th in ERA, 28th in both quality starts and opponent batting average, while allowing the most home runs in baseball.
That’s music to Joey Votto and the rest of the Reds’ ears as they’ve averaged seven runs per game over the last week.
Joey Votto is the 𝟴𝘁𝗵 player in MLB history to homer in SEVEN consecutive games! 🐐 pic.twitter.com/XA68DoWbny
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 31, 2021
Minnesota will send Kenta Maeda to the hill, who’s in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career. His K/9 rate is the lowest it’s been since 2017, and his fastball velocity (90.6 mph) hasn’t been this low since his rookie season.
Cincy will counter with Tyler Mahle, who’s fresh off 6 innings of shutout ball against the Cubs, and sports an 8-3 record through 21 starts.
Pick: Reds Moneyline (-140)
Pirates vs Brewers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +190 | +1.5 (-105) | O 9 (-105) |
| Milwaukee Brewers | -235 | -1.5 (-115) | U 9 (-115) |
Next up, is the Brewers hosting a Pirates team that ranks near the bottom in every major offensive category. No team has scored less runs or hit fewer homers than Pittsburgh, while the Pirates also rank bottom-two in slugging and OPS. They strike out at the highest rate in the National League and enter Tuesday’s action losers of six of their past eight.
Milwaukee’s Adrian Houser will face Pittsburgh for the third time in a month, and if the last two matchups are any indication, we shouldn’t expect much offense from the Pirates. Houser has held Pittsburgh to one run over 11.2 innings en route to a pair of victories, and has surrendered just one earned run or less in four of his past five appearances overall.
Brewers win their 60th game 7-3 over Pittsburgh✅
• Lorenzo Cain playing inspired ball
• Taylor, Garcia & Narvaez 7 combined hits
• Adrian Houser tosses another gemMilwaukee’s division lead stands at 7 games #FeartheBeer #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/qmUDmTlmnA
— IKE Brewers Podcast (@IKE_Brewers) July 29, 2021
Max Kranick will take the ball for Pittsburgh, fresh off a disastrous outing against this same Brewers team. The 24-year-old allowed 10 hits and six runs in a 7-3 defeat last week, and has surrendered 13 runs over his past 11 innings of work.
Pick: Brewers -1.5 (-115)
Astros vs Dodgers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | +155 | +1.5 (-145) | O 7.5 (-110) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | -180 | -1.5 (+125) | U 7.5 (-110) |
The top two offenses in baseball square off on Tuesday in a game that features a total of just 7.5. The main reason for that is LA starter Walker Buehler, who’s given up two runs or less in four straight outings, recording 32 strikeouts along the way. He’s got minimal experience against this Houston lineup, but the Astros offense is not a unit to take lightly.
JOSE ALTUVE GOING OFF WITH TWO BOMBS THIS ONE A DAMN GRAND SLAM pic.twitter.com/eHMuUT4MV6
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) July 31, 2021
They lead MLB in runs, hits, average and OBP, and rank second in slugging and OPS. Sure, they’ve dropped back-to-back games, but they’ve averaged 7.5 runs by themselves over their past six outings.
The Dodgers meanwhile, boast a lineup full of studs, as evident by the 26 runs they hung on Arizona over the weekend.
Justin Turner. Clutch.pic.twitter.com/yERkez8MPm
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) August 1, 2021
LA’s big bats will square off against Lance McCullers Jr, who hasn’t been himself lately. The right-hander has allowed four runs in two straight starts, and has surrendered at least six hits in four of his past five outings.
Pick: Over 7.5 (-110)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
