MLB Picks Today:
Expert baseball handicapper Greg Peterson shares his top MLB picks today for Saturday, August 8.
Check out Greg’s Daily MLB Lines and his Baseball Betting Show Podcast. Also, check out our MLB Betting Splits and tools from our friends at Ballpark Pal, including Strikeout Prop Projections and the MLB YRFI Report.
Our Opta AI MLB Player Prop Projections are also available.
3:05 PM Eastern
Atlanta Braves vs. New York Yankees
The Yankees entered the series averaging 3.4 runs per game in their past 35 games. They give Gerrit Cole the start, who has a 3.42 ERA with 9.5 strikeouts and 2.1 walks per nine innings. Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale is registering a 2.08 ERA with 11 strikeouts and only 0.6 home runs per nine innings. He is supported by a bullpen that is first in the National League in ERA at 3.43, while the Yankees are second in all of baseball in bullpen ERA at 3.11.
Pick: Braves vs. Yankees Under 7.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 7.2
4:10 PM Eastern
Los Angeles Angels vs. Miami Marlins
The Angels entered the series having scored just 48 runs in their first 17 games since the All-Star Break. They face Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara, who has a 3.68 ERA with one home run and 2.4 walks per nine innings. Angels starting pitcher Walbert Uerna has a 2.54 ERA with a 3.78 fielding independent, with 8.6 strikeouts and 4.7 walks per nine innings allowed.
Pick: Angels vs. Marlins Under 8.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 7.7
6:05 PM Eastern
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies
It has been a miserable season for Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer. He posts a 7.92 ERA with 2.6 home runs and 4.4 walks per nine innings, but he is coming off by far his best start of the season, allowing one run in six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola has a 5.55 ERA with 2.1 home runs and 3.1 walks per nine innings. Nola is supported by a lineup that ranks eighth in scoring at home with 4.8 runs per game. The Blue Jays are last in offense with less than 3.9 runs per game.
Pick: Blue Jays vs. Phillies Under 10 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 9.3
6:40 PM Eastern
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets
Mets starting pitcher Robert Stock had a solid season debut with one run in five innings of work. At age 36, he has a lifetime 4.71 ERA with 4.9 walks per nine innings. Stock faces a Pirates team that leads the league in scoring at home with 5.4 runs per game. The Mets are 14th in the National League in road scoring. Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler has a 4.49 ERA with five walks per nine innings, but he has allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight of his past 10 starts.
Pick: Pirates Moneyline -130
Greg’s Handicap: Pirates -158
6:45 PM Eastern
Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals
Nationals starting pitcher Andrew Alvarez has pitched better than his 3.94 ERA would indicate. He has a 3.12 fielding independent with 8.9 strikeouts and 0.3 home runs per nine innings. Though the Nationals lead the league in scoring with 5.3 runs per game, their leader in home runs, James Wood, is out due to injury. Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns owns a 2.35 ERA with 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
Pick: Reds vs. Nationals Under 8.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 8.3
7:10 PM Eastern
Chicago Cubs vs. Kansas City Royals
Clay Holmes will make his first start as a member of the Chicago Cubs. Hs overall season numbers are solid with a 2.39 ERA, but he is pitching to a lot of contact with 7.7 strikeouts and 3.1 walks per nine innings. He is making a start at the MLB level for the first time since May 15. Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo has been significantly better at home this season, despite the fences being moved in at Kauffman Stadium. He posts a 3.63 ERA at home with 0.7 home runs per nine innings allowed, compared to a 5.31 ERA away from home with over 1.5 home runs per nine innings allowed.
Pick: Royals Moneyline +147
Greg’s Handicap: Royals +133
7:15 PM Eastern
Colorado Rockies vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore has had a rough season, posting a 4.97 ERA with 1.6 home runs and 3.4 walks per nine innings. Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland tops that with a 6.81 ERA with 1.7 home runs allowed per nine innings, which balloons to an 8.29 ERA with 2.1 home runs per nine innings allowed on the road. The Rockies bullpen ranks last in the National League in ERA at 4.96.
Picks: Cardinals Run Line -1.5 +135 and Over 8.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Cardinals -1.5 +111 and Total 9.2
Detroit Tigers vs. San Francisco Giants
Jackson Jobe will make his first MLB start of the season for the Tigers after being out due to injury. In 2025, he had a 4.22 ERA in 10 starts, but allowed 1.3 home runs and five walks per nine innings. Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp has pitched better than his 4.34 ERA. He owns a 3.48 fielding independent with 9.1 strikeouts and only 0.7 home runs per nine innings allowed.
Pick: Giants Moneyline -104
Greg’s Handicap: Giants -126
8:10 PM Eastern
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt has been the most profitable starting pitcher in baseball since June 30 with the team winning all seven of his starts. He has posted a 1.55 ERA with one home run in 40 2/3 innings allowed in this span. Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto owns a 2.76 ERA with one home run and two walks allowed per nine innings this season. For his career, he has better road numbers than home numbers with a 3.34 ERA and 1.1 home runs per nine innings allowed, compared to a lifetime 2.13 ERA with less than 0.6 home runs per nine innings allowed.
Pick: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks Under 8.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 8
