Top MLB Picks and Predictions Today (Have High Hopes From NL Favorites Mets, Dodgers)

There’s a full day of baseball to help recover from a fun three-day weekend. BetSided has a preview for every game on today, but there are a few games that stand out above the rest. 

The BetSided crew ofJoe Summers, Josh Yourish and Matt De Saro has you covered with their favorite picks for the games today, via WynnBET Sportsbook.

Rockies vs. Dodgers Prediction and Pick

For some reason, the Dodgers have had trouble with Colorado this year and with a win tonight would only pull the season series to even at four wins apiece. German Marquez has faced LA twice this year, once on April 9 and once just last week. Marquez went 7.0 innings and allowed just one run his first time facing the Dodgers lineup, but June 29 did not go as planned. LA got to him for five runs across 3.1. 

That last outing is more indicative of the pitcher Marquez is this year, he has a 5.89 ERA and is allowing 10.4 hits per nine innings. He is not the All-Star he was in the first half, a year ago. 

Mitch White is continuing the process of stretching out into a starting role for LA. He began the season in the bullpen but has made six starts from May 21 on. In that time he has worked his ERA down from 6.17 to 3.93. The Dodgers are 3-3 in his starts this year. 

It is tough to get a read on this one. Will Marquez dazzle like he did early in the year or struggle like he did last week? Will Mitch White pitch well enough to hand it to the LA bullpen with a lead and get the win like he did against San Diego? Why do the Dodgers have a losing record against Colorado? I don’t know, but I do know that LA is the much better team and sometimes that is good enough. 

Lean: Dodgers -1.5 (-110)

Follow all Josh’s bets HERE

Cardinals vs Braves Prediction and Pick

Ian Anderson has been the lone wart on an otherwise stellar Braves roster, but his underlying metrics suggest better times are ahead for the 24-year-old righty. His expected ERA (4.09) is more than a run lower than his actual ERA (5.31) as batters are hitting .311 on balls in play, which is unlikely to continue.

His command is a legitimate problem though. Anderson walked 14 batters in 28.2 June innings, and his inability to quickly put batters away puts pressure on the Braves' bullpen. St. Louis has the seventh-highest OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last three weeks and will take advantage of Anderson's wayward command.

But Matt Olson and the Braves' lineup are on fire. They lead MLB in OPS over the last month and while Pallante has been excellent, he's in just the 14th percentile in hard hit percentage and could be in for a rude awakening.

Atlanta is 15-2 in their last 17 as home favorites while the Cardinals are 2-11 in their last 13 as road underdogs. Thus, I think the Braves have the edge here. But with Anderson on the mound, I also like the over. It's 8-3-2 in his last 13 starts. With favorable weather conditions in store, we should be in for another high-scoring affair between two powerful lineups.

Pick: Braves (-140) and Over 9.5 (-120)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.

Mets vs. Reds Prediction and Pick

I’m going to make the not-so-bold prediction that the Reds and Nick Lodolo are going to get crushed today by New York. Lodolo will make a return to the mound today after a stint on the 60-day IL due to back issues. He made three starts before going on the shelf, two of which were downright awful.

He allowed the Guardians to score five runs over four innings in his MLB debut. Lodolo followed that up with a three-run, five-inning performance against the Padres. He allowed three home runs in those two games. 

Admittedly, Lodolo did pitch well in his third game against the Cardinals with one run over 5 ⅔ innings. But, after such a long time off, I doubt his abilities to shut down such a dangerous offense. 

The Mets currently rank fourth in runs per game, sixth in hits per game, and sport a combined batting average of .256. They don’t strike out much and rank third with a SO rate of just 20 percent. 

But, their offense isn’t even the biggest reason to bet on the Mets tonight. Max Scherzer is also making his return to action after more than a month on the IL with a strained left oblique muscle. In his first season with the Mets, Scherzer is 6-2 with a 2.54 ERA in eight starts. 

The Mets have a massive advantage on both sides of the ball and I see no reason to fade them on the road in this spot. There is no value on the ML so let’s take a chance on New York covering the run line. 

Pick: Mets -1.5 (-120)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE