Top MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (7/8)
You know a team is not all that successful when a 4-2 record is its best in a homestand of six or more games in the last two years. Alas, even after their 6-3 loss on Sunday to the Baltimore Orioles, the Oakland Athletics won four out of six games against the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles this past week.
More than half of Major League Baseball’s teams have the day off on a light seven-game slate to kick off the week, as 14 teams gear up to make their last moves this week before the All-Star Break.
Read on for our top MLB picks for Monday, July 8.
Monday's Best MLB Picks
(MLB odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
New York Mets (-106) at Pittsburgh Pirates (-110) | O/U 8.5 (-112/-108)
The New York Mets are looking to build off the momentum of a victory in a game in which they were down to their last out in what is a rare Monday series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. New York once again pulled its record even at .500 (44-44) and we expect it to win today and move one game over .500 for just the second time since it was 16-15 on May 2.
The Mets send Christian Scott to the mound for just the second time since May 30, and the rookie has shown promise, with half of his six starts being quality starts. Scott has been susceptible to the long ball with a home run allowed in four of his previous five starts, but the Pirates are not built to take advantage of that, ranking 18th in home runs and 27th in slugging percentage. Meanwhile, while the Mets have gone 22-11 in their last 33 games, their offense has led the hot streak, ranking first in wRC+, second in wOBA, and second in home runs (52) in that span. They should have enough offense to beat Mitch Keller, who is on pace for his highest hard-hit rate allowed since 2021, and who ranks in the 27th percentile in whiffs.
New York is 3-1 in its last four semi-coin flip games (when its odds are between +115 and -115) and we are excited to back such a hot team at relatively low odds, especially when coming off a win as uplifting as yesterday’s.
MLB Pick: Mets ML (-106)
Texas Rangers (-142) at Los Angeles Angels (+120) | O/U 8.5 (-124/+102)
The Angels have been shut out in three of six games in July, and reached another low point yesterday, with Chicago Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski retiring 18 of their batters in a row at one point. However, despite L.A.’s offensive inefficiencies, they do not have the worst moneyline odds in this matchup, which has us thinking that this is a “fishy” line of sorts, and that it has a good chance to run its record to 3-1 against its AL West rivals.
Los Angeles sends promising rookie Davis Daniel to the mound for his third MLB start, and he already outdueled Detroit Tigers righty Jack Flaherty in his first career start, inducing 13 whiffs on 49 swings and a 35% CSW%. Daniel threw his fastball 47% of the time in that start, and he has allowed just a .217 OBA and .261 slugging against that pitch, which is something he will hope to keep the Texas Rangers hitters off-balance with. We expect him to outduel another veteran, Jon Gray, whose 1.33 WHIP is the worst among all Rangers starters. Texas is 2-5 in Gray’s last seven starts, and the Rangers are 18-27 on the road this season, with its 18 road wins being tied for the third-fewest in the American League.
MLB Pick: Angels ML (+120)
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.