Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – September 2nd

Now that we’re into September, the rosters in Major League Baseball have expanded to 40 men per team…which means that for the teams that are out of contention, it’s time to see what the top prospects from the minor leagues have to contribute — and for the teams that are still contending, you can expect to see a bit more intensity down the stretch. The New York Yankees have the best record in the sport, at 90-48, a game ahead of Houston, who leads the American League West. Minnesota has moved to a 5 ½-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central. Cleveland, Oakland and Tampa Bay are all within a game of one another and will be fighting over the two wild card spots down the stretch. In the National League, the Dodgers still lead the West, up 18 games on Arizona, and the Atlanta Braves lead Washington in the East by 5 ½ games. St. Louis has moved out to a three-game lead over the Cubs in the Central, and Washington and the Cubs are the current favorites to snag the two wild cards in the senior circuit. Don’t miss our two primo MLB betting picks from for the week ahead.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – September 2nd

The best farm systems in baseball:

1. Rays 2. Padres 3. White Sox 4. Braves 5. Dodgers 6. Blue Jays 7. Twins 8. Marlins 9. Orioles 10. Indianshttps://t.co/OA6AVrsYAA — Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 2, 2019

Tuesday, September 3

Houston at Milwaukee (7:40pm ET, ESPN+)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Zack Greinke (14-4, 2.99 ERA) (HOU) vs Jordan Lyles (9-8, 4.55 ERA) (MIL)

In his five starts with the Houston Astros since coming over from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline, Zack Greinke has posted a 4-0 record in five starts, although he has permitted two or more earned runs in four of those starts, giving up 16 runs (12 earned) in 35 ⅓ innings. In his last start, he was shelled by the Tampa Bay Rays, giving up five earned runs on six hits, including a pair of home runs, while striking out eight and walking one. Greinke has always had ace stuff, but when the pressure has turned up, he has tended to wilt. It will be interesting to see how well he pitches in October for a contender. Jordan Lyles was also a trade deadline acquisition, coming over from Pittsburgh. Since then, he has posted wins in four of his six starts, with his ERA coming down from 5.36 to 4.55 over that span. He has permitted more than one earned run just once in those six starts, and in his last two starts, he has thrown 11 ⅓ combined innings of one-run ball. He threw six hitless innings against Arizona on August 23, walking two and striking out five, and he held St. Louis to a run on six hits over 5 ⅓ innings on August 28. If he can hold down the Houston offense, Lyles has a chance to hand the bullpen a nice lead. MLB Betting Prediction: Milwaukee 5, Houston 2

Wednesday, September 4

San Francisco at St. Louis (7:45pm ET)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Madison Bumgarner (9-8, 3.62 ERA) (SF) vs Dakota Hudson (14-6, 3.53 ERA) (STL)

Since July 13, the Giants have lost just one game that Madison Bumgarner started, and that came back on August 18, when he got touched up for four runs on six hits by Arizona in a 6-1 loss. Since then, he has thrown 12 combined innings against Oakland and San Diego, permitting three runs on eight hits, striking out 14 and walking three. Bumgarner has not wavered much during an up-and-down season for San Francisco. Dakota Hudson has picked up wins in each of his last four starts, including three scoreless starts in a row against the Royals, Brewers and Rockies, a stretch of 18 ⅔ innings in which he permitted just seven hits. His last start, against Cincinnati, was a little bit of a disappointment, as he permitted four earned runs over 7 ⅔ innings, including a home run, but the Cardinals still won in 10-6 fashion. The Giants’ offense has not been particularly dominant this season, so if Hudson can get back to his previous form, he should be able to outduel Bumgarner. MLB Betting Prediction: St. Louis 3, San Francisco 1