MLB Best Bets and Betting Picks for August 1
The 2023 MLB Trade Deadline may be stealing the baseball headlines on this Tuesday, but we still have plenty of MLB betting picks to lock in! Of course, keep an eye on any MLB trade rumors or baseball roster moves ahead of the 6 pm ET deadline as you make your MLB bets today. We could have starting pitchers scratched or players out of the lineup at the last minute with betting odds shifting. We do know one thing at the deadline, though. The Chicago Cubs are going for it and not trading away Cody Bellinger. That'll be the focus of a few MLB picks tonight. We also look for some bets in the Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees AL East battle. Read on to find MLB bets, MLB player props, and baseball picks for Tuesday night's games. Don't forget to check out the latest MLB weather report and the confirmed MLB lineups when placing MLB betting picks. Plus, the MLB daily projections and MLB Batter vs Pitcher page will help you find the best matchups for MLB player props. Let's now jump into the MLB best bets and baseball betting picks for Tuesday, August 1st.
MLB Best Bets for August 1
Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees – 7:05 pm ET
The AL East is full of storylines and playoff scenarios at this MLB Trade Deadline. This matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees is especially interesting with both squads looking to strengthen their postseason chances and seeding. In yesterday’s series opener, the Rays won 5-1 in a lower-scoring contest. Let’s bank on another low total tonight. Yankees starter Carlos Rodon has been shaky since returning from injury, but he put together a solid outing last week with 5.2 innings of one-run ball against the Mets. We know the proven talent of Rodon (Cy Young contender in each of the past two seasons), and hopefully, he showcases that again tonight. The left-hander will face a Rays offense that’s actually one of the league’s worst vs southpaws over the past two months with a .267 wOBA (last), 71 wRC+ (last), .103 ISO (second-worst), and .221 batting average (fourth-worst). It’s the same story over the past month for Tampa Bay against lefties.
On the other side, the Yankees offense is infamously struggling right now and it hasn’t gotten much better with Aaron Judge back in the lineup. The Yanks are averaging 3.8 runs per game since the All-Star break with three runs or fewer in eight of the past 12 games. More specifically, over the past week against right-handed pitching, New York is last in the MLB in wOBA (.271) wRC+ (71), and batting average (.186). Meanwhile, Rays right-hander Zach Eflin has been up-and-down lately but he certainly has the stuff to keep the Yankee bats quiet tonight. Furthermore, both teams’ bullpens are well-rested and should play a big role in keeping this game low-scoring – especially when we get into the later innings. The managers on both sides know a win is crucial tonight and should be employing their relievers plenty to limit the damage.
Pick: Rays/Yankees 1st 5 Innings UNDER 4 Total Runs (-105 DraftKings)
Pick: Rays/Yankees UNDER 8.5 Total Runs (-115 BetMGM)
Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs – 8:05 pm ET
If you’ve been tuning into the “Bettor Sports Betting” show, you know I’ve been rolling with the Chicago Cubs team totals for a couple of weeks now. It’s been a profitable strategy with the offense powering the Cubs right into Wild Card contention and flipping the team’s narrative at the Trade Deadline. Let’s go back there tonight in a pivotal divisional matchup against the Cincinnati Reds. Against right-handed pitching since the All-Star break, the Cubs are tops in the league in wOBA (.394), batting average (.318), and wRC+ (150) with a strong .200 ISO as well. Over the past week, the offense’s numbers vs righties are still top-tier vs righties (.376 wOBA, .299 BA, 138 wRC+).
Tonight, the Cubbies will face Reds starter Ben Lively and they should put up runs in this matchup. Lively has been decent lately but he has some worrisome underlying metrics. The righty’s 4.80 FIP and 4.56 xERA are notably higher than his current 3.76 ERA due to an 84.9% strand rate while surviving by limiting hard contact. Dangerous offenses can exploit him, though, and Chicago has that chance at home tonight. The Cubs are averaging 6.4 runs per game since the All-Star break while going over this 4.5 team total in 12 of the past 16 games. The trade addition of Jeimer Candelario will boost this offense even more, assuming he’s in the lineup tonight. On that note, let’s also roll with a Cody Bellinger prop with Candelario likely slotting in behind him in the order. Bellinger is hitting .364 with a 1.079 OPS since the AS break and his hot bat (and a bunch of Cubs victories) is a big reason why he won’t be dealt at the deadline. He’s also hitting .296 vs righties this season and went over 1.5 hits+runs+RBI in 19 of 26 games in the month of July.
Pick: Chicago Cubs Team Total OVER 4.5 Runs (-110 DraftKings)
Pick: Cody Bellinger OVER 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI (-135 DraftKings)
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Dillon Dingler went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI on Friday night, helping to lead the Tigers to a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Twins in Minneapolis.
The Tigers were staring at a 4-1 deficit heading into the sixth inning but they made quick work of that with a pair of walks and three consecutive singles to start the frame, with Dingler’s RBI single tying the game at 4-4. He also led off the fifth inning with a single and scored his club’s first run on a throwing error by Matt Wallner. Dingler has been absolutely sizzling at the plate to open the season, slashing .387/.406/.677 with a pair of homers and eight RBI.
Colt Keith went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI on Friday night as the Tigers triumphed over the Twins.
Keith played a role in the Tigers’ four-run rally in the sixth inning, reaching on an infield single to load the bases with nobody out. He then scored the tying run on Dillon Dingler’s RBI single. The 23-year-old infielder also drove in a valuable insurance run with a two-out RBI single off of Justin Topa in the seventh inning. With the two-hit attack, he’s now hitting .200/.385/.250 with zero home runs, two RBI and no stolen bases.
Tommy Kahnle snagged his second save of the season on Friday night, escaping the ninth inning with a one-run lead intact against the Twins.
Kahnle made things interesting by allowing a one-out single to Trevor Larnach and a two-out infield single to Edouard Julien. He then surrendered an RBI ground ball single to Ty France that trimmed the lead to one run before ralling to get Mickey Gasper on a ground ball to first to end it. Kahnle has allowed just one run through his first five innings on the season while registering a 5/0 K/BB ratio. While many have speculated that the Tigers’ bullpen will be full of chaos in 2025, it has been Kahnle that has emerged in a traditional closer’s role to open the season. He’s worth a look in any fantasy leagues where he may still be hanging around on the waiver wire.
Reese Olson struggled with his command in a no-decision against the Twins on Friday evening, allowing four runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Olson also issued three walks on the night while striking out three. He threw just 48 of his 90 pitches for strikes in the ballgame, which contributed to his early exit. The Twins scratched out a run against him in the second inning on an RBI single off the bat of Ty France, then broke the game open with three more in the fifth while chasing him. Olson got 10 swings and misses on 90 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 23 percent. He’ll look to bounce back as he brings a 6.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and a 13/8 K/BB ratio (15 innings) into Wednesday’s battle against the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Byron Buxton had a terrific night at the plate in Friday’s loss to the Tigers, going 1-for-4 with a solo homer, walk, three runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base.
Buxton worked Reese Olson for a leadoff walk to start the second inning then stole second base and raced around to score the game’s first run on an RBI single by Ty France. He then plated a run with a fielder’s choice in the fifth inning and scored on Edouard Julien’s RBI double. Buxton also clobbered a 394-foot (108.1 mph EV) solo shot off of Beau Brieske in the seventh that pulled the Twins to within a run at 6-5. Even with the strong night though, he’s hitting just .178/.229/.356 with two homers, six RBI and three stolen bases on the season.
David Festa pitched well in a no-decision against the Tigers in his season debut on Friday night, allowing just one unearned run on three hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Festa struck out four batters on the evening while allowing only one free pass. The only run that the Tigers scratched out against him came on a two-out single by Gleyber Torres on which Matt Wallner overthrew the third baseman allowing Dillon Dingler to score. The 25-year-old right-hander got nine whiffs on 64 pitches in the ballgame, registering a CSW of 28 percent. He’ll look to build off of this strong first start when he takes on the Braves in Atlanta on Friday.