Rounding the Bases: MLB Straight Up Picks for Every Game Today (Can the A's Upset the Dodgers?)

Iain MacMillan | Aug 2, 2024

Jul 30, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder JJ Bleday (33) celebrates as he crosses home plate during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

After a short slate of just five games on Thursday, we're back to having a full slate of MLB games as teams settle in for their weekend series.

Let's see if we can start our weekend off on a strong note by cashing a few wagers. Whether you want to sprinkle on just a few different bets or place a parlay, I have what you're looking for in today's edition of Rounding the Bases.

Let's dive into my pick for all 15 games.

All odds in this article are via BetMGM Sportsbook

Cardinals vs. Cubs Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Cardinals -115

Erick Fedde was one of the few bright spots for the Chicago White Sox this season, sporting a 3.11 ERA across 21 starts. Now, he's a member of the St. Louis Cardinals after being acquired at the trade deadline and he'll make his debut for them tonight.

The Cardinals offense is already a unit that sits in the top 50% in the Majors and if they can get great production from Fedde and the rest of their rotation, they'll be a dark horse in the final stretch of the season. I like them to win as slight road favorites in Chicago tonight.

Diamondbacks vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Diamondbacks -140

The Arizona Diamondbacks lead the Majors in OPS dating back to the start of July at .852. Their offense is starting to get hot when they need it the most and they are poised to be in a great spot against the Pirates tonight with Brandon Pfaadt on the mound.

Royals vs. Tigers Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Royals +100

Just because the AL Cy Young favorite, Tarik Skubal (2.35 ERA) is on the mound for the Tigers doesn't mean we shouldn't consider betting the Royals as underdogs. Cole Ragans (3.37 ERA) is a solid pitcher in his own right and there's no denying the Kansas City offense is the superior unit in this game.

The Royals are sixth in the Majors in OPS (.761) dating back to July 1 while the Tigers sit at 12th at .739. I'll be brave enough to bet against Skubal and take the Royals to pull off the upset.

Brewers vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Nationals +105

Both offenses have been very comparable over the last month so I'll just go ahead and back the home team as underdogs with the superior pitcher on the mound. Jake Irvin (3.44 ERA) has had a better 2024 campaign compared to Frankie Montas (5.01 ERA) of the Brewers.

Blue Jays vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Yankees -165

The Blue Jays may have Kevin Gausman on the mound tonight, but their underperforming offense and the league's worst bullpen make them an almost impossible team to bet on, especially when facing a team as good as the Yankees.

Orioles vs. Guardians Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Orioles -115

Don't let their record fool you, the Guardians have a batting average of just .225 while ranking 28th in OPS dating back to July 1. It's tough to continue to win games when playing that poor offensively which leads me to believe regression is on the horizon for Cleveland.

Giants vs. Reds Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Reds -120

The Reds offense has woken up over the past month and they now rank 10th in the Majors in OPS (.755) in that time frame. That's well above the Giants who are only 22nd in OPS over that stretch. Now may be the time to invest in the Reds.

Marlins vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Marlins +195

There's no arguing that the Braves shouldn't be favored in this game, but I think a -250 price tag on a team that's just 23rd in OPS over the last month is too steep in my opinion. It's not like they're starting a dominant pitcher tonight either. Spencer Schwellenbach (4.06 ERA) has been solid for them this season, but he hasn't been good enough to justify their odds tonight.

I'll take a shot on the Marlins as significant underdogs.

Red Sox vs. Rangers Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Red Sox -115

The Red Sox offense continues to quietly be one of the best in the Majors. They lead the American League in OPS (.839) dating back to the start of last month. Now, with Kutter Crawford (3.60 ERA) on the mound, they're in a great spot to secure their 58th win of the season tonight.

Rays vs. Astros Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Astros -155

Yusei Kikuchi will make his Astros debut tonight and while his 4.75 ERA may not give you a ton of confidence, keep in mind he has a 3.65 Field Independent Pitching (FIP) which points to his ERA being caused more by the lack of defense by the Blue Jays than his actual performance with them.

Don't be surprised if he has a hot end to his season with Houston, starting with a strong start tonight.

White Sox vs. Twins Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Twins -300

The White Sox have lost 17-straight games ahead of tonight's meeting with the Twins and I don't see their streak being snapped quite yet. They are batting just .212 while sporting an OPS of .598 over the last month, both are by far the worst mark in the Majors.

It's a rough time to be a White Sox fan.

Mets vs. Angels Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Mets -145

The White Sox may have the worst offense in the Majors but the Angels aren't far behind, ranking 29th in OPS at .633 over the last month. Paul Blackburn, the new acquisition by the Mets, will make his first start with the club tonight.

Rockies vs. Padres Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Rockies +150

If you ever want to take a shot at betting on the Rockies as underdogs, do it when Austin Gomber is pitching. His 4.79 ERA is extremely impressive when you consider half of his starts have to take place at Coors Field. He gets the start for them today when they take on the Padres in San Diego.

Dodgers vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Athletics +135

The Oakland Athletics have the third-best OPS in Major League Baseball dating back to July 1. No, that's not a typo. While it may seem crazy to bet on them against the Dodgers tonight, I'm going to trust the numbers that are telling me we should back the hot bats as home underdogs and hope for the best.

Phillies vs. Mariners Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Phillies -110

The Mariners rotation can only carry them so far. Their batting average of .219 over the last month doesn't give me faith in their ability to deal with arguably the best team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies, this weekend.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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