Ricky Dimon
The week in Major League Baseball continues with a full 15-game slate on Saturday. It includes Padres vs Reds, Cardinals vs Guardians, Cubs vs Astros and Phillies vs Braves. There are more than enough betting opportunities with which to work, so let’s try to take advantage.
Below is my mega parlay, and also be sure to check out all of our MLB picks.
Pirates ML (+130)
Marlins ML (+125)
Giants -1.5 (+105)
MLB parlay odds: +961
Pittsburgh Pirates ML over New York Mets (+130)
It’s basically a bonus whenever the Pirates win a game without Paul Skenes on the mound. That’s exactly what they did in Friday’s series opener against the Mets, pummeling the visitors 9-1. It was obviously a good performance by Pittsburgh, but it’s also a testament to how bad New York is playing. The Mets are a horrendous 3-11 in their last 14 contests. Even though Skenes is once again not on the bump for this one, the Pirates have a great chance to tack on another victory. Bailey Falter gets the start and he is 6-3 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. New York is countering with Paul Blackburn, who is 0-2 with a 6.62 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and a 13-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 17.2 innings. Don’t be surprised if the Mets’ woes continue.
Miami Marlins ML over Arizona Diamondbacks (+125)
Break up the Marlins! They extended their winning streak to 5 games with Friday’s 9-8 victory over the Diamondbacks. More good news is that Sandy Alcantara is toeing the rubber for Miami on Saturday. Don’t be fooled by the right-hander’s 4-8 record and 6.69 ERA as he makes a comeback after missing the entire 2024 campaign on the heels of elbow surgery. In fact, don’t even pay attention to at all. Following a disastrous April and May, Alcantara has been back to his former self in June. Through 4 starts this month, the 29-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA and a 19-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 23.0 innings. For Arizona, Brandon Pfaadt is saddled with a 5.49 ERA – including a bloated 7.00 mark in June. Behind Alcantara, the Marlins have good value as underdogs.
San Francisco Giants -1.5 over Chicago White Sox (+105)
The Giants are facing the second-worst team in baseball and they are giving the ball to Robbie Ray. What’s not to like about their chances? The White Sox fell to 26-56 with Friday’s 3-1 loss and things don’t appear to be getting any better, as they are 3-12 in their last 15 outings. Ray is 8-2 with 2.83 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 104 strikeouts in 92.1 innings. There is no reason to think that Chicago will suddenly find any offense at his expense. Rafael Devers has 4 hits in the last 2 games with his new team and he has homered twice in the last 6, so Ray can expect to get more than enough run support. Look for the Giants, who are guaranteed a full 9 innings’ worth of at-bats as the visitors, to secure another multi-run victory.
