Ricky Dimon
The 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday night in Atlanta. Although this is probably the slowest sports week on the entire annual calendar, baseball’s best are at least on hand in Atlanta to provide some brief entertainment. I was on a heater throughout the proverbial first half of the season, going 4-for-9 on Same Game Parlays at +481, +632 and +439 odds, 11-7 on YRFI/NRFI picks and 50-34-2 on best bets. Let’s keep the momentum going!
With the Midsummer Classic set for 8:00 pm ET on FOX, it’s time to break down my SGP. Also don’t forget to check out all of our MLB picks for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.
National League ML (-112)
Under 7 (+101)
Ryan O’Hearn to record a hit (+120)
Parlay odds: +575
Part of the value in a Same Game Parlay, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. At the same time, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall payout of the parlay. That is the entire plan here, as Baltimore first baseman Ryan O’Hearn getting a hit obviously clashes with both NL ML and the under. However, there is no reason why the other 2 legs can’t cash even if O’Hearn reaches base. Let’s break down each of the SGP legs.
National League ML (-112)
The All-Star Game is generally a crapshoot. Both rosters are always loaded, but they are also missing various household names due to injury – either real or made-up. This year is no exception. The differences in lineups and pitching rotations are pretty much negligible, but it’s a slight lean to the National League for me in a National League venue. Paul Skenes can set the tone right away for the home side, while AL starter Tarik Skubal actually looked human in his most recent appearance. Garrett Crochet, Max Fried and Jacob deGrom are among the pitchers we won’t see for the AL. Moreover, the NL’s hitting depth is arguably superior. Fernando Tatis Jr., James Wood and Corbin Carroll manning the outfield spots later in the proceedings is not a bad thing, nor is having Kyle Schwarber and Elly de la Cruz as replacements in the lineup. I’ll go with the home team in ATL.
Under 7 (+101)
Although the number is small by the standards of a normally baseball game, there is no need to overthink this one. Good pitching generally gets the best of good hitting, and this matchup is the best pitchers in the world facing the best hitters in the world. As is usually the case in the All-Star Game, advantage: pitching. The Midsummer Classic has produced 7 runs or fewer in 4 of the last 5 years, with the only exception being an 8-run tally in 2024. Even in that contest, runs were scored in just 3 half innings of the 18 played – 3 in the top of the third, 3 in the bottom of the third and 2 in the bottom of the fifth. Other than that, it was goose–eggs across the board. A National League park has witnessed more than 7 runs just once dating back to 2016. Count another low-scoring affair this time around.
Ryan O’Hearn to record a hit (+120)
Going up against Skenes isn’t a whole lot of fun for anyone, but O’Hearn will be happy to see a right-hander on the bump. The lefty is batting .300 against righties this season compared to .220 against lefties. All 11 of his home runs have come at the expense of RHPs. It’s nothing new, either. In 2023 he hit .292 with 12 homers against RHPs and .192 with 2 dingers against LHPs. O’Hearn may not be entirely on fire at the moment, but he is seeing the ball well. The 31-year-old has reached base 13 times in Baltimore’s last 8 outings.
