Friday’s Top MLB Betting Picks – August 26th

We’re looking at three playoff leaders taking on three struggling teams in today’s MLB betting article. The American League East-leading Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles, while the two wild card holders in the National League, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies, also appear — with the Diamondbacks hosting the bottom-feeding San Francisco Giants and the Rockies visiting the plucky Atlanta Braves. We’re just over five weeks from the end of the regular season, so you can expect to see all of the contenders to keep pulling out all the stops to make the playoffs. Here’s our top picks for Friday, along with the latest MLB odds to kick off the weekend.

Friday’s Top MLB Betting Picks – August 26th

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Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox

When: 7:10pm ET Where: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts TV: MASN (Baltimore) / NESN  (Boston) Radio: 105.7 The Fan (Baltimore) / WCEC 1490 AM  (Boston) Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Betting Odds: TBA Pitching Matchup: Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 5.00 ERA) (BAL) vs Rick Porcello (8-14, 4.48 ERA) (BOS) Remember when Boston’s Rick Porcello had a 2-10 record? Well, he’s finding his groove once again. He’s won four starts in a row now, as his sinking stuff is dropping again instead of hanging out over the plate for the opposition. He faces Baltimore for the third time this season — in his first two starts, he posted an 0-2 record with a 3.75 ERA. Chris Davis (3 HR, 7 RBI), Ryan Flaherty (.375, 1 HR, 2 RBI), Seth Smith (.400, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and Manny Machado (.303, 2 HR, 4 RBI) have all hit Porcello in the past. Baltimore counters with Jeremy Hellickson, who has made four starts since coming over via trade from Philadelphia. His first two starts were solid, but he’s been shelled in his last two outings, permitting 13 runs over 9 ⅔ combined innings — including five home runs in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels. None of the Red Sox have more than nine at-bats against him, but Mookie Betts is a perfect 5-for- 5 with a home run, and Mitch Moreland (.667, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Xander Bogaerts (.444, 3 RBI) have all had success against the youngster. The O’s are clinging to wild card hopes, but I like the rejuvenated Porcello to win this pitching duel — and the Red Sox to win the game.

Colorado Rockies at Atlanta Braves

When: 7:35pm ET Where: SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Georgia TV: ATT SportsNet-RM (Colorado) / FSSO (Atlanta) Radio: 94.1 FM (Colorado) / 93.7 FM (Atlanta) Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Betting Odds: TBA Pitching Matchup: Chad Bettis (0-0, 1.93 ERA) (COL) vs Julio Teheran (7-11, 5.02 ERA) (ATL) Atlanta sends Julio Teheran to the mound, and despite those unsightly numbers, he did pitch well against the Rockies the last time he faced them, on August 14, throwing seven shutout innings. Jonathan Lucroy (.462) has hit Teheran hard in the past, but no one else with more than three at-bats against Teheran in the Colorado lineup has an average over .250 — and only Charlie Blackmon has an average above .176 against him out of that group. Chad Bettis makes his third start of the year against the Braves. In each of his two prior starts, he has lasted seven innings — and he was pitching against Teheran back on August 14, also throwing sevel shutout innings. He did give up a home run his last time out, but his record so far has been strong. Given what the Rockies have going in their lineup, I see them knocking off Atlanta to open this series.

San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks

When: 9:40pm ET Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona TV: NBC Bay Area (San Francisco) / FS-A (Arizona) Radio: KNBR 680 (San Francisco) / KHOV 105.1 (Arizona) Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Betting Odds: TBA Pitching Matchup: Ty Blach (8-9, 4.59 ERA) (SF) vs Zack Greinke (14-6, 3.16 ERA) (ARI) Zack Greinke might be blowing fumes by this point in the season; in four August outings, he has posted a combined 5.01 ERA and only lasted four innings his last time out. He did receive an extra day of rest to prepare for Friday’s game. He hasn’t seen the Giants since Opening Day, when he lasted five innings in a game the Diamondbacks would win, 6-5. Hunter Pence (2 HR, 4 RBI) and Nick Hundley (.313) have had the most luck against the Diamondbacks’ ace in their careers. San Francisco will start Ty Blach on Friday, and he is also struggling at this point in the year. In his last two starts, he has thrown a combined 11 ⅓ innings, permitting 12 earned runs (including three home runs). None of the Diamondbacks have faced Blach more than three times — although Adam Rosales homered off him the only time he faced him. The Diamondbacks still have the first wild card in the National League but have only won four of their last 10 games. Against the Giants, though, I like Greinke to have enough stuff to keep one of the National League’s least productive offenses in check.