The MLB season marches on and we have a loaded slate of games to watch and bet on this Saturday.
We have action on throughout the day, starting in the afternoon and wrapping up at night. I have three games I'm targeting for my best bets, so let's dive into them.
Top MLB Picks Today
Braves -115 vs. PadresDodgers +105 vs. MetsPhillies vs. Athletics OVER 9.5 (+100)Padres vs. Braves Prediction
If you're going to bet on the Braves, the time to do it is when they're facing a right-handed pitcher to avoid their struggles against lefties this season. Thankfully, they're taking on a righty today in Michael King. The Braves' Ops improves from .653 against lefties to .723 against righties, and they've also recorded a .742 OPS over the past 14 days, which ranks in the top half of the Majors.
The Padres are trending in the opposite direction, ranking 20th in OPS over the past two weeks at .689. I think this is a great opportunity to buy low on a Braves team on a losing streak whose underlying numbers are better than you might think.
Dodgers vs. Mets Prediction
The Mets have had an up-and-down season from a metrics perspective and no matter their record of late, their bats have gone ice cold. Over the past two weeks, they rank 28th in OPS at .636 while the Dodgers are fourth in OPS in that time frame at .819. Despite that, the Dodgers are listed as underdogs in today's matchup.
The Dodgers have an issue with their rotation and pitching depth but Tony Gonsolin is the starter you want to pick on. The Mets may have a slight advantage in that category with David Peterson on the mound, but it's not near significant enough to overcome the offensive advantage Los Angeles has.
Phillies vs. Athletics Prediction
Both the Phillies and Athletics have been two of the best teams in the Majors in attacking left-handed pitching. Ahead of today's games, they rank fifth and sixth in OPS against lefties at .788 and .766 respectively. That's going to play a big role as both teams are also rolling with a lefty starting pitcher.
Cristopher Sanchez (3.10 ERA) of the Phillies will take on Jeffrey Springs (3.91 ERA) of the Athletics and both pitchers are in for a tough matchup against the opposing lineup.
Even if the starters survive the early part of the game, this OVER will never be out of the mix as both teams' bullpens rank in the bottom 10 of the Majors, including the Athletics who have a bullpen ERA of 6.06, the third highest amongst all teams.