Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – August 19th

The Minnesota Twins had dropped four of six going into their weekend series in Texas against the Rangers. There, the Twins found their bats again and delivered a four-game sweep and now sit 2 ½ games ahead of Cleveland in the American League Central. In the AL West, Houston has dropped six of ten but still leads the Oakland A’s by 7 ½ games. In the AL East, the New York Yankees have moved 40 games above .500 and lead the division by 9 ½ games over Tampa Bay. In the National League Central, St. Louis has won seven of ten to move into a tie with the Chicago Cubs, with Milwaukee just two games back. In the NL East, Atlanta still holds a 5 ½-game lead over Washington, while the Dodgers are still way ahead in the NL West, with an 18 ½-game lead over San Francisco. If you are considering including MLB betting action this week, don’t miss our top picks.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – August 19th

Power Rankings: Yankees, Dodgers rise, but only one can be No. 1 https://t.co/7qyTnYoVQA pic.twitter.com/oKy7TsuK4w

— ESPN New York (@ESPNNewYork) August 19, 2019

Tuesday, August 20

Washington at Pittsburgh (7:05pm ET)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Stephen Strasburg (15-5, 3.82 ERA) (WAS) vs Chris Archer (3-9, 5.23 ERA) (PIT)

Since May 23, the Washington Nationals have lost just three games that Stephen Strasburg has started — but two of them have come in August, as his ERA has jumped from 3.26 to 3.82 this month. Why? In three starts, against Arizona, the Mets and Cincinnati, he has permitted 16 earned runs in 17 ⅓ innings on 20 hits, including six home runs. The Nationals did win his last start thanks to a 17-run night from the Washington offense, but Strasburg still permitted four runs to a Cincinnati offense that is not particularly prolific. Strasburg needs to turn things around for the Nationals to have much hope in the postseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates have not won a game that Chris Archer started since July 3. Since then, he has permitted at least three earned runs in each start except for one, and in his last outing, in Los Angeles against the Angels, he permitted three earned runs on five hits over five innings, fanning ten while walking two. Archer still has his strikeout stuff, but he is also leaving way too many balls over the fat part of the plate. Given the way Archer and Strasburg has been pitching, this could turn into a barnburner — so take the over. MLB Betting Prediction: Washington 7, Pittsburgh 5

Philadelphia at Boston (7:10pm ET)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Aaron Nola (11-3, 3.56 ERA) (PHI) vs Brian Johnson (1-1, 6.45 ERA) (BOS)

Aaron Nola has been a bright spot in a largely disappointing season for the Phillies. The team has only lost two of the last ten games he has started, although in his last six starts he has alternated between dominant pitching and average pitching. In his last start, he threw seven sparkling innings against the Chicago Cubs, permitting a single earned run on three hits while striking out seven and walking just one. However, in his start before that, he gave up three earned runs on seven hits over five innings, striking out just three while walking two. A similar pattern like that goes back over his last six starts, and now he pitches in Boston against a powerful offense — although in interleague play, the pitchers often have the advantage because of a lack of familiarity by the hitters, at least the first time or two through the batting order. Boston counters with Brian Johnson on the hill, pitching as an opener. He was effective in his last outing, starting against the Indians with 2 ⅔ innings, permitting one unearned run on three hits, striking out one and walking two. In his last two outings before that as an opener, though, he permitted six earned runs over 5 ⅔ innings, including giving up a pair of home runs. I see Boston eking out a win against the Philadelphia bullpen on Tuesday. MLB Betting Prediction: Boston 5, Philadelphia 4