Top 3 MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (9/2)
The end of Labor Day Weekend is here, and among the 11-game Major League Baseball slate are two matchups between first and second-place teams within the same division (Guardians-Royals and Dodgers-Diamondbacks). I preview those high-profile matchups among my trio of MLB Best Bets for Labor Day.
Read on for our top MLB picks for Monday, September 2.
Monday's Best MLB Picks
(MLB odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Chicago White Sox (+320) at Baltimore Orioles (-405) | O/U 8 (+100/-122)
Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes has pitched nothing like an ace of late. He began August with 22 runs allowed through his first four starts, the most run he allowed in any four-game span in his career. He followed that up with six runs allowed against the Dodgers in his last start, and while one of those were earned, he still took the loss for a third straight start.
Burnes has faced four top-13 offenses this month, while a meeting with the MLB-worst White Sox should in theory be the perfect remedy for his struggles. However, I cannot overlook his poor form of late, as that allows the White Sox a path to doing their part in cashing the Over, though Chicago had cashed its team total Over in the first five innings in seven of its last 11 games.
MLB Pick: Over 8 (+100)
Cleveland Guardians (+100) at Kansas City Royals (-118) | O/U 8.5 (+100/-122)
Michael Wacha has gone 11 consecutive starts without a loss, and has seven wins in that span. The Royals are 9-2 in that span, and despite one of those losses coming in his last outing against the Cleveland Guardians, I expect Wacha to get the best of the AL Central leaders in this rematch and to help Kansas City further close the gap in the division race.
Wacha had gone five consecutive starts with 18-plus outs and two earned runs or fewer prior to allowing five runs at Cleveland. But in his lone home start against the Guardians, he held them to one run in 5 1/3 innings while using his changeup as a weapon (he induced seven whiffs on 19 swings with his changeup). And even in the 7-5 loss in his last to the Guardians last time out, Kansas City held a 5-2 lead after six innings, and just made the mistake of leaving Wacha in too long.
Meanwhile, Cleveland starter Gavin Williams is coming off a 6.56 ERA in August, and he ranks in the bottom-third of the league in xBA, walk rate, and hard-hit percentage allowed.
Kansas City is 7-3 against Cleveland this year, and I am backing the Royals to end their five-game losing streak this afternoon.
MLB Pick: Royals Moneyline (-118)
Los Angeles Dodgers (-144) at Arizona Diamondbacks (+122) | O/U 8.5 (-118/-104)
Arizona has scored 47 more runs than any other team in the majors, and its offense has been especially hot of late, with 94 runs scored over its last 21 games. Leadoff hitter Corbin Carroll entered Sunday as the igniter for that recent stretch of success, especially over the last week, when he tied for the team-lead in runs scored (six) and had a .348/.346/1.043 slash line.
Carroll has three hits, all extra-base hits, in 10 at-bats against Jack Flaherty, and Flaherty has allowed a combined .318 on-base percentage and .870 OPS in 121 at-bats against current Diamondbacks hitters. Carroll is one of three Diamondbacks hitters with a .942 OPS or better (min. 10 at-bats) against Flaherty, so not only should they have plenty of traffic on the basepaths, but they should do plenty of damage in those spots as well.
Arizona entered Sunday having cashed its team total Over in 14 of its last 21 home games (+6.05 units/24% ROI), and I am expecting the Diamondbacks to cash it once again.
MLB Pick: Diamondbacks Team Total Over 3.5 (-130)
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.