Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – August 6th Edition

The Boston Red Sox just completed a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees over the weekend, extending the Pinstripes’ losing streak to five games and marking just the fourth time since 1969 that Boston had swept the Yankees in a four-game series. Boston now leads the American League East by 9 ½ games. In the AL Central, Cleveland leads Minnesota by nine games; in the AL West, the Oakland A’s have come on strong, closing within four games of the Houston Astros and taking the second wild card slot from Seattle at this point. In the National League East, the Washington Nationals have won seven of 10 but have only gained one game on Philadelphia, and the Braves also remain 1 ½ games back. The Cubs and Brewers are only a game apart in the NL Central and the Dodgers and Diamondbacks are deadlocked atop the NL West. We have three matchups for this week for you to consider as you decide your MLB betting picks.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – August 6th Edition

Updated #MLB Power Rankings – https://t.co/N8Jj9JxwAA 1. #RedSox 2. #Astros 3. #Yankees 4. #Athletics 5. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/oDJQJOjir1

— The Sports Haven (@TheSportsHaven) August 6, 2018

Tuesday, August 7

Seattle at Texas (8:05pm ET)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Felix Hernandez (8-9, 5.49 ERA) (SEA) vs Bartolo Colon (5-10, 5.18 ERA) (TEX)

The Mariners come to Texas having dropped seven of 10, although they did get back on the right track on Sunday with a 6-3 win over Toronto. “King Felix” gets the start for Seattle, but he has struggled lately. In his last six starts, he has permitted fewer than three earned runs just once, and on July 28 he had his shortest start of the season, lasting just 2 ⅔ innings and getting pounded for seven earned runs on just six hits and two walks, permitting a home run. He has not won a game since June 30, and his slump mirrors that of the Mariners, who have fallen out of the second wild card position. Seattle will meet a Texas team that has won seven of 10 and three of four, as they thumped Baltimore over the weekend. They start Bartolo Colon, still looking to take the lead for career wins by a Latin American-born pitcher. He also has not won since June 30, and he has permitted at least five earned runs in each of his last three starts, most recently allowing five earned runs on seven hits in a 6-0 loss to Arizona on July 31. The Rangers have been mashing the ball lately, though, and I see them coming through for Colon on Tuesday as Hernandez, who has historically struggled against Texas, has another difficult start. MLB Betting Prediction: Texas 7, Seattle 5

Wednesday, August 8

L.A. Dodgers at Oakland (10:05pm ET)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 2.55 ERA) (LA) vs Brett Anderson (2-3, 4.64 ERA) (OAK)

This has been a frustrating season so far for Clayton Kershaw, with two stints on the disabled list and some inconsistent performances, but his last two starts have been solid. He has thrown 13 ⅔ combined innings on wins over Atlanta and Milwaukee, permitting three earned runs on 11 hits, striking out 15 and walking just two. Against Milwaukee, he generated 15 swinging strikes on 67 strikes thrown (98 pitches overall). Kershaw squares off against Brett Anderson, who has been up and down for the A’s as well. His last start was a gem, as he scattered a pair of hits in seven scoreless innings against Detroit, needing just 74 pitches, in a game that Oakland would win after he had left, 1-0. However, in his start before that he permitted four runs on eight hits in six innings, permitting a pair of home runs. I’m not sure that he has the stuff to outduel Kershaw in this one. MLB Betting Prediction: Los Angeles 3, Oakland 1

Thursday, August 9

Boston at Toronto (7:07pm ET)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Rick Porcello (14-4, 3.84 ERA) (BOS) vs Ryan Borucki (1-2, 2.30 ERA) (TOR)

It’s been feast or famine for Rick Porcello in his last four starts. On August 3, he threw a complete-game victory, striking out nine Yankees and permitting a solo home run as his only hit and walking none, in a 4-1 win. However, in his start before that, he allowed four runs on five hits in 5 ⅔ innings against the Twins. His two prior starts to that included a six-inning shutout performance over Baltimore…and a two-inning nightmare in which he walked four, gave up two home runs and surrendered eight earned runs against Toronto. So which Porcello will we see in Toronto this time? He has Ryan Borucki pitching opposite him. Borucki was also his counterpart in that awful start on July 13, and Borucki only lasted three innings himself, surrendering seven runs (four earned) on eight hits. However, his last three starts have been solid, as he has permitted just two earned runs over his last 20 innings combined, striking out nine and walking just one. I don’t see Porcello melting down again in this one, but this outcome will be much closer. MLB Betting Prediction: Boston 4, Toronto 3