MLB Picks Today: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for Sunday, August 30, inc. Mariners vs Blue Jays

The final Sunday of August is here, and we have a loaded slate of MLB action on tap for baseball fans to enjoy. This is the penultimate Sunday without the NFL to compete with, so let's take advantage of some great baseball games and try to find some winning bets! As always, make sure you check out our MLB predictions for our tips and analysis for every remaining game this season, all the way through the World Series.

MLB Best Bet: Seattle Mariners ML over Toronto Blue Jays (-132)

Odds available at FanDuel sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -140 odds.

Logan Gilbert is the scheduled starter for the Mariners in this game, marking his 27th start of the season. He enters play with a 3.36 ERA and 3.69 xERA across 155.1 innings pitched, and his recent form is solid with a 3.03 ERA so far in the month of August. Gilbert has been better on the road this season, lowering his ERA to 2.49 in 65 road innings pitched. Toronto has a 104 wRC+ against righties in the last 30 days, but Seattle has a 106 wRC+ in that same sample and draws the weaker starter for this game.

Max Scherzer has name value still, but the performance from the veteran right-hander has been far below standard this season. The 42-year-old right-hander enters Sunday with a 7.02 ERA through 12 starts. Command of the zone, inability to generate whiffs and the home run ball have been his three main issues. Scherzer ranks just fifth-percentile in whiff rate, 19th percentile in walk rate and has allowed 12 home runs in 50 innings pitched. His last start resulted in just two earned runs allowed across five innings to the Royals, but he got away with five walks issued in that matchup. Look for Seattle to grab a win Sunday.

Get our full Mariners vs. Blue Jays prediction

MLB Best Bet: Tyler Glasnow (LAD) Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+104)

Odds available at FanDuel sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -110 odds.

Tyler Glasnow is set to make his ninth start of the season and his second since returning from the IL. We backed Glasnow in the strikeout department in his return, taking the over on a juiced line of 5.5. Oddsmakers bumped that up to 6.5 for Sunday’s matchup with the Tigers, but I still find the price cheap enough to show value. Glasnow has accrued 56 strikeouts in 44.2 innings so far this season, covering this number in six of eight starts made. The only two times he stayed under the total were his season debut and the game in which he was injured. 

Glasnow is generating a 30.4% whiff rate so far this season while earning strikeouts with all five of his pitches. He keeps batters off balance and finds success against either handedness of hitter. The Tigers are not an overly strikeout prone offense, but Glasnow is capable of achieving this line in any matchup. Los Angeles will look to get his arm into postseason form during the final month of the regular season.

MLB Best Bet: Matthew Liberatore (STL) Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-115)

Odds available at FanDuel sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -130 odds.

Matthew Liberatore is set to face the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday, as the southpaw hurler makes his 27th start of the season. Liberatore enters play with a 5.44 ERA and 4.94 xERA this season through 129 innings pitched. He has registered 132 strikeouts in that span, however, and I am looking to back him in the strikeout department Sunday. 

Liberatore has achieved the over on this number in 11 of his starts this year, including six of his last eight starts. His first matchup with the Pirates this season resulted in four earned runs allowed, but he did rack up nine Ks in that start. Pittsburgh is a heavily strikeout prone lineup that is currently in awful form against left-handed pitching. During the last 30 days, the Pirates rank 25th in wOBA with a 69 wRC+ and a 29.0% strikeout clip.

Here's our full Pirates vs. Cardinals prediction