Saturday’s MLB Betting Picks, Previews & Predictions

The drama swirling around the July 31 non-waiver MLB trade deadline will reach fever pitch this weekend as the contenders try to pick up those last pieces that will push them as close to the World Series as possible. Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers stands as the biggest player yet to be traded, as several teams (the Yankees, the Nationals, the Red Sox and the Dodgers) are rumored to want to go after another starting pitcher) pursue what would just be a three-month rental on a player hitting the free agent market at the end of the Fall Classic. As you plan your MLB betting for this weekend, check out our Saturday matchups.

Saturday’s MLB Betting Picks, Previews & Predictions

Lights out. See you tomorrow, baseball. pic.twitter.com/zi01No6fdc

— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2017

Los Angeles Angels at Toronto Blue Jays

When: 1:07 PM ET Where: Rogers Centre TV: FS-W (LA) / SNET (Toronto) Stream: MLB.tv Radio: KLAA 830 (LA) / SN590 (Toronto) MLB Betting Odds: TBA Pitching Matchup: Yusmeiro Petit (2-0, 2.70 ERA) (LA) vs Francisco Liriano (6-5, 5.99 ERA) (TOR) Yusmeiro Petit moves from the bullpen to the rotation on Saturday in a spot start in place of Alex Meyer. However, Petit is not expected to go much beyond 50 pitches, which means that the Angels could be using their bullpen before the end of the third inning. Petit makes his first start in more than a year, as he faced the Dodgers as a starter on June 20, 2016. Only two of the Blue Jays have faced Petit more than three times, and neither of them (Miguel Montero – .083 and Troy Tulowitzki – .091) has fared particularly well, but it could be interesting to see what happens when the Blue Jays come up for the second time. The Blue Jays start Francisco Liriano, who has seen control issues limit his durability — his last time out, he only lasted five innings, but he did limit the opposition to two runs on two hits. If he can find the strike zone more reliably, he should go deeper. Kole Calhoun, Shane Robinson and Albert Pujols are the only Angels who have had extended success against Liriano, and I see him guiding the Blue Jays to an afternoon win against a spot starter.

Latest MLB Betting Trends

• Angels are 2-4 ATS in the last 6 games on the road
• Angels are 2-4 SU in the last 6 games
• The total went OVER in 4 of LA Angels’s last 6 games
• Blue Jays are 4-2 ATS in the last 6 games
• Blue Jays are 4-1 SU in the last 5 games
• The total went UNDER in 4 of Toronto’s last 6 games

Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers

When: 7:10 PM ET Where: Miller Park TV: WGN (Chicago) / FSWI (Milwaukee) Stream: MLB.tv Radio: 670 The Score (Chicago) / WTMJ 620 (Milwaukee) MLB Betting Odds: TBA Pitching Matchup: Kyle Hendricks (4-3, 3.95 ERA) (CHI) vs Junior Guerra (1-4, 5.22 ERA)(MIL) The Chicago Cubs have steamed past the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central standings with their recent hot streak, and the Cubs lead the division by 1 ½ games at this writing and hold three games in hand. Kyle Hendricks has already started twice against the Brewers this season, posting a 1-0 record but permitting eight earned runs in 11 innings. Brewers slugger Ryan Braun (.143 lifetime average) has struggled against Hendricks, with Orlando Arcia (.333) and Travis Shaw (.333, 1 HR, 3 RBI) the only ones finding much success. The Brewers start Junior Guerra, who only lasted four innings on Sunday as the Philadelphia Phillies knocked him around for five earned runs in a win. Guerra did put up a pair of quality starts against the Cubs in 2016, though. Only three Cubs (Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell) have faced Guerra more than four times, and none of them have ever hit safely against him. Even so, I like the Cubs to continue their hot streak and pick up the win.

Latest MLB Betting Trends

• Cubs are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games
• Cubs are 11-2 SU in the last 13 games
• The total went UNDER in 13 of Chi Cubs’s last 18 games on the road
• Brewers are 1-6 ATS in the last 7 games
• Brewers are 2-9 SU in the last 11 games
• The total went UNDER in 9 of Milwaukee’s last 12 games

Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers

When: 8:05 PM ET Where: Globe Life Park in Arlington TV: MASN 2 (Baltimore) / FSSW (Texas) Stream: MLB.tv Radio: 105.7 The Fan (Baltimore) / 105.3 The Fan (Texas) MLB Betting Odds: TBA Pitching Matchup: Kevin Gausman (7-7, 5.79 ERA) (BAL) vs Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-0, 4.53 ERA) (TEX) A pair of teams who have flirted with the .500 mark but ultimately showed no real propensity toward contending this year square off in Arlington as the Orioles visit the Rangers. Austin Bibens-Dirkx came out of the bullpen on Wednesday in the Rangers’ 22-10 loss to the Miami Marlins but should still be ready to start on Saturday night. He has pitched more effectively in the rotation than out of the bullpen, although Chris Davis (1-1 lifetime against Bibens-Dirkx with a grand slam) is likely eager to see the Ranger rookie on the mound again. Kevin Gausman has not pitched consistently this season, but he has already beaten the Rangers twice this season, most recently on July 19, when he threw eight solid innings and struck out eight. The Rangers’ Adrian Beltre may still be on the trek toward 3,000 hits when Saturday comes, although he is only three away at this writing. Joey Gallo (.500, 1 HR, 1 RBI), Shin-Soo Choo (.273, 1 HR, 4 rBI) and Rougned Odor (.364) have all had success against Gausman. Give me the Rangers to follow Bibens-Dirkx to a Saturday night win over the O’s.

Latest MLB Betting Trends

• Orioles are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 games
• Orioles are 2-4 SU in the last 6 games
• The total wentOVER in 7 of Baltimore’s last 9 games
• Rangers are 3-8 ATS in the last 11 games
• Rangers are 4-2 SU in the last 6 games
• The total went OVER in 6 of Texas’s last 9 games