MLB Picks Today:
Expert baseball handicapper Greg Peterson shares his top MLB picks today for Saturday, August 2.
Check out Greg’s Daily MLB Lines and his Baseball Betting Show Podcast. Also, check out our MLB Betting Splits and our new tools from Ballpark Pal, including Strikeout Prop Projections and the MLB YRFI Report.
3:10 PM Eastern
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Colorado Rockies
Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes has been dominant this season with a 1.83 ERA, allowing just 0.4 home runs and 2.2 walks per nine innings. However, he’s backed up by an offense that averages just 2.9 runs per game on the road—last in the league. Fortunately for the Pirates, they face Rockies starter Austin Gomber, who enters with a 6.28 ERA. Colorado’s offense hasn’t helped much either, generating only 3.6 runs per game—the second-fewest in the league.
Picks: Pirates Run Line -1.5 (-120) and Under 10 Runs (Greg’s Handicap: Pirates Run Line -1.5 -176, Total 9.4)
4:05 PM Eastern
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals
The Brewers came into the series leading the league in road scoring with 5.4 runs per game. They’ll face Nationals starter Jake Irvin, who has allowed at least three runs in eight of his past 11 starts. Irvin owns a 4.69 ERA with 1.6 home runs and just 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings, and he’s backed by a bullpen with a league-worst 5.66 ERA. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff might regress from his 2.01 ERA, as his fielding independent pitching (FIP) sits at 3.36 with 1.6 home runs allowed per nine innings.
Picks: Brewers Run Line -1.5 (-104) and Over 8 Runs (Greg’s Handicap: Brewers -1.5 -111, Total 8.4)
4:10 PM Eastern
Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners
The Rangers averaged over 5.5 runs per game in July—third-most in the league—and will start newly acquired Merrill Kelly, who holds a 3.22 ERA. He’ll be tested by a Mariners lineup that ranks 12th in scoring, averaging over 4.5 runs per game, and recently added Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks. Seattle counters with Luis Castillo, who has a 3.19 ERA and allows just 0.9 home runs per nine innings—dropping to 2.29 at home.
Picks: Mariners Moneyline +100 and Over 7 Runs (Greg’s Handicap: Mariners -124, Total 7.7)
7:15 PM Eastern
Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds
This is a unique matchup played at Bristol Motor Speedway, with ballpark dimensions comparable to a traditional stadium. Reds starter Chase Burns enters with a 6.26 ERA, striking out 14.4 batters per nine innings but also allowing 4.4 walks per nine. Braves starter Spencer Strider owns a 3.71 ERA with 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings but has also battled control issues, issuing 3.7 walks per nine.
Picks: Braves Moneyline -118 and Over 8.5 Runs (Greg’s Handicap: Braves -129, Total 8.7)
