Top MLB Betting Picks: August 18th Best Bets & Predictions
A loaded slate greets us Monday for another action-packed day in MLB. Here are our three best bets for the day when analyzing moneylines, spread and run totals.
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Best Bets Monday
Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox 
Red Sox ML (-120 @ Caesars Sportsbook)
The numbers pretty much tell the whole story here. The Red Sox sit 11 games above .500, while the Orioles are 10 games below that same mark. On paper, it makes sense for the Red Sox to be considered favorites for this Monday's matchup at Fenway Park. The fact that Boston has been better than what the numbers indicate, with an x-W/L of 72-53, and Baltimore has been even worse (x-W/L of 55-69), which further strengthens the notion of the Red Sox being tipped to win this series opener.
The Red Sox haven't been at their best of late, though, and have gone 4-6 over their last 10, but they're also a solid 41-23 at home. The Red Sox will start RHP Dustin May (7-8, 4.67 ERA) while the Orioles will counter with LHP Trevor Rogers (5-2, 1.43 ERA across 69.1 innings). The Orioles might have the pitching advantage, but Rogers has been punching above his weight and is due for a regression. That could very well happen against a Boston lineup that ranks second in the AL in runs scored.
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Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies 
Over 11.0 total runs (-115 @ BetRivers Sportsbook)
There's no question the Dodgers are overwhelming favorites here, as they sit at the top of the NL West with a 71-53 record, and they'll face a Rockies squad that has won an MLB-worst 35 games. No other team in baseball has won fewer than 40 games, and only another one has won fewer than 50.
However, as bad as the Rockies have been this season, the fact that this game will be played at Coors Field suggests there should be a lot of runs scored, regardless of which team is hitting. The fact that the Rockies will have LHP Kyle Freeland on the mound isn't fascinating. He owns a 5.18 ERA this season, and the Dodgers' lineup should feast against him. The Rockies might be able to score a few runs off RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who gave up six earned runs against the Angels the last time out, so by all accounts, this feels like a game that should hit the over in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in MLB.
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San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres 
Over 7.5 total runs (-110 @ BetMGM)
The Padres' offense needs to wake up after losing three in a row to the Dodgers this past weekend, while scoring six total runs in the process. A ball club with players such as Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis, Xander Bogaerts and Ramon Laureano, just to name a few, should provide far more offense on a regular basis. Thus, they'll begin their comeback tour at home against the Giants, a team that has gone 3-7 over its last 10 games.
The pitching matchup doesn't look promising from a hitting perspective, as LHP Robbie Ray (9-6, 2.98 ERA) will get the nod for San Francisco while LHP Nestor Cortes (1-1, 5.71 ERA) will do so for San Diego. Still, the Padres need to find a way to bounce back. However, Cortes isn't really in his best form, especially when considering he's made just two starts since mid-April. This is far from a lock, but the potential for a high-scoring matchup is there, particularly given that the run total is one of the lowest in Monday's slate.
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MLB Picks Recap
- Orioles vs. Red Sox: Red Sox ML (-120 @ FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Dodgers vs. Rockies: Over 11 (-115 @ BetRivers Sportsbook)
- Giants vs. Padres: Over 7.5 (-110 @ BetMGM)