Top MLB Picks and Predictions Today (Trust Angels, Go OVER in Cubs-Reds and Two More Totals to Bet)
We have a ton of afternoon baseball on Wednesday, the BetSided team has every game previewed for you.
Not only that, but Peter Dewey, Reed Wallach, Matt De Saro and Joe Summers are sharing their top picks for today's action, with odds from WynnBET:
Chicago White Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels Prediction and Pick
The Angels have the luxury tonight of getting double duty from the most versatile player this league has seen in the last 100 years. Shohei Ohtani is having another strong season on the mound with a 2.90 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 68 ⅓ innings of work.
Thing is, he’s been even better in four June starts with a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings. Ohtani has just one earned run in his last three starts spanning 21 innings. On top of that, the current White Sox roster is hitless against Ohtani with a OBP of .167 and four strikeouts.
Let’s not forget that Ohtani also is among the league leaders in home runs, RBIs, and slugging. The modern-day Babe Ruth is in midseason form and I, for one, am not a fan of betting against him. The Angels may be navigating a rough patch, but they are 3-0 in Ohtani’s last three starts.
While Ohtani is again putting up MVP numbers into the summer, Chicago’s Michael Kopech is heading in the wrong direction across the board. His 2.59 ERA and 1.01 WHIP might tempt you into a false sense of security with Kopech. But, be aware that his ERA so far in five starts this month is 5.23, and he’s allowed three or more runs in three of his last five games.
Kopech has also been quite bad against this lineup with a .286 batting average and OPS of 1.143. Kopech also has issues going deep into games which is a big problem considering the White Sox have a very suspect bullpen.
I’m banking on the Angels’ bats who aren’t named Ohtani or Mike Trout to wake up a bit tonight and get the Halos back on track after a drama-filled weekend.
Pick: Angels -1.5 (+115) -- Matt De Saro
Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE
Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays Prediction and Pick
Alek Manoah has been outstanding this season, posting a 2.05 ERA despite his strikeout rate dropping in his second season in the bigs (down from north of 10 per 9 innings to eight). Manoah has showcased much better control this season, less than two per 9 innings after walking nearly four last year.
He'll face a red-hot Red Sox lineup that has cooled off north of the boarder. The team is still second in wRC+ over the last two weeks, but Manoah should be able to have a strong start with his ability to limit traffic on the base paths (WHIP below 1 this season) and force groundball contact (less than one home run allowed per 9).
On the other side Nick Pivetta has been strong after a shaky first month this season. Here is his month by month ERA: 8.27 in April, 2.11 in May, 2.12 in June; see the trend? Pivetta has been elite when you look past his first four starts of the season.
The Red Sox deserve respect in the market and I wont lay it with the Blue Jays, but I'll back the first five under in what should be a pitcher's duel early.
LEAN: First 5 UNDER 4.5 (-120) -- Reed Wallach
You can find all of Reed's plays on Betstamp HERE!
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs Prediction and Pick
I can’t believe that we’re getting an OVER at plus money between these two terrible teams.
The Reds rank dead last in baseball in team ERA this season (5.32) while the Cubs are 26th (4.85). Now, with two struggling pitchers on the mound, I think it’s the time to trust these offenses, even though they haven’t been the greatest either in 2022.
Hunter Greene can be lights out when he’s on, the issue is that has happened very rarely in his rookie season. Over his last six starts, Greene has allowed four or more runs in four of them. He was lights out against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing just one hit in seven innings of work, but he’s sandwiched that with games where he’s allowed five, six and four runs in five or less innings of work.
As for Justin Steele, his ERA has hovered between 4.00 and 5.00 almost all season, and he was rocked by Pittsburgh in his last outing.
Considering that the Reds are 15th in the league in OPS against lefties, I think we see both starters struggle in this matchup.
Lean: OVER 8 (+105) -- Peter Dewey
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Detroit Tigers vs San Francisco Giants Prediction and Pick
Look, I don't care if it's me and Peter Dewey out there batting; there's no way on Earth that a game between Rony Garcia and Alex Wood should have a total of 7.5.
The over is 4-1 in Garcia's last five starts as he's been one of the worst starters in MLB. His 6.92 expected ERA would easily be the worst in the league if he had enough innings to qualify, and his MLB Statcast Pitching Profile is one not even a mother could love:
San Francisco has the seventh-highest OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last two weeks and the Giants' high-contact approach should pay dividends against the overmatched Garcia.
Alex Wood has been better, but not much better. He has an expected ERA over 4.00 and gave up four runs in five innings to the lowly Pirates before his debacle against Atlanta. He's been the Giants' worst rotation arm and the over is 7-3-1 in his last 11 outings as a result.
With two dreadful pitchers, lackluster bullpens and uninspiring defenses, I'd expect this total to be around 8.5. To get 7.5 is a gift, and I'm sprinting to the counter at WynnBET to lock my over bet in.
Pick: Over 7.5 (-105) -- Joe Summers
Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.