MLB Picks: Parlays, Expert Predictions, Best Bets and Player Props.

Baseball Picks: Cardinals at Pirates Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/31/2013

The Pittsburgh Pirates are clearly going all-in, and kudos to them for making a trade with the Mets earlier this week for outfielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck. Byrd will vastly upgrade Pittsburgh's right-field production. Before Byrd arrived, the Pirates' nine different right fielders used combined to produce a .232 average this season (last in NL) with 12 homers (13th in NL) and 44 RBI. Byrd promptly hit a three-run homer in his debut against Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Baseball Picks: Orioles at Red Sox Odds and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 8/29/2013

The Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox will battle it out one more time on Thursday night at Fenway Park in Game 3 of this AL East clash. This contest is set to get underway at 7:10 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on the MLB Network.

Baseball Picks: Orioles at Red Sox Odds and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 8/27/2013

The Baltimore Orioles will look to make up some ground in the AL East title race this week when they square off against the first-place Boston Red Sox in a crucial three-game series at Fenway Park. Tuesday night’s series opener is slated to get underway at 7:10 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on MLB Extra Innings.

Baseball Picks: Yankees at Rays Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/24/2013

I really wish that Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster hadn't plunked the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez on Sunday night. I guarantee you that many in baseball were happy that Dempster plunked the cheating A-Rod, but teammate David Ortiz had this to say: "That pitch woke up a monster in the Yankees' team at that moment. You saw how the game ended up. CC (Sabathia) was throwing 91 (mph) and started throwing 96. Alex later hit one way out there. You're talking about a good team that you can't wake up."

Baseball Picks: Athletics at Orioles MLB Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/23/2013

It's now late August, so I think it's fair to call a series "huge" if it deserves that moniker, and Oakland's visit to Baltimore this weekend for three games definitely is huge in the wild-card race. I have given up on the A's winning the AL West over the Rangers. They currently hold down the second wild-card spot behind Tampa Bay. The Orioles are three games behind the A's, so we could have a deadlock by Sunday afternoon should Baltimore sweep.

MLB Picks: Braves at Cardinals Odds and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 8/22/2013

For the next four days starting with Thursday’s nights clash, the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals will battle it out at Busch Stadium in a showdown between two of the best teams in the National League. Game 1 is set to get underway at 8:15 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on the MLB Network.

MLB Picks: Indians at Angels Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/21/2013

Major League Baseball's addition of a second wild-card spot in each league has definitely kept more teams in the playoff hunt deeper into the season -- the Washington Nationals, for example, just traded for Cubs outfielder David DeJesus despite the fact they are nine games out of a wild-card spot. Unfortunately, the addition of that second wild-card spot has also taken much of the suspense out of the trade deadline because teams are now hanging onto players because they think they can earn that second spot.

MLB Picks: White Sox at Royals Odds and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 8/20/2013

The Chicago White Sox will try and play the role of spoiler when they face the AL Central rival Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night in the first of a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium. This Game 1 clash slated to get underway at 8:10 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on MLB Extra Innings.

MLB Picks: Dodgers at Marlins Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/19/2013

Monday's series opener between the Dodgers and Marlins is a total mismatch, at least on paper. Los Angeles Is unbelievably hot right now. The Dodgers entered Sunday's series finale in Philadelphia having won 19 of their past 20 road games and winners of 42 of their past 50 games overall. It's the best 50-game stretch in the majors since the 1942 Cardinals had the same record (and won the World Series).

MLB Picks: Reds at Brewers Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/17/2013

I am starting to have second thoughts about mostly dismissing the Cincinnati Reds of winning the NL Central. They have won five straight entering Friday night's Game 2 of a four-game series in Milwaukee to climb with 2.5 games of division-leading Pittsburgh and just a half-game behind St. Louis. Cincy is +200 on Sportsbook.ag to win the division.

MLB Picks: Indians at Athletics Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/16/2013

I wouldn't call it likely -- but certainly possible -- that Friday's series opener in Oakland between the Indians and A's could be a preview of the American League's one-game wild-card playoff. The A's entered their series finale Thursday against Houston holding down the final wild-card spot and with a 2.5-game lead over the next closest team, Baltimore. The Tribe, who were off Thursday, are three games behind Oakland.

MLB Picks: Royals at Tigers Odds and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 8/15/2013

The upstart Kansas City Royals will look to close the gap in the AL Central race against the division-leading Detroit Tigers this Thursday night in the first of an extended five-game weekend showdown at Kauffman Stadium that includes a Friday doubleheader. This Game 1 clash is slated to get underway at 7:08 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on MLB Extra Innings.

MLB Picks: Mariners at Rays Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/14/2013

Why does Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik still have a job? He was hired away from the Milwaukee Brewers in October 2008, a season after the Mariners were 61-101. Seattle showed some improvement the next year, going 85-77, but it was back to 101 losses in 2010 and the team is on track for a fourth straight losing season.

MLB Picks: Mariners at Rays Odds and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 8/13/2013

The Seattle Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays clash this week at Tropicana Field in a three-game series starting this Tuesday night. Game 1 is set to get underway at 7:10 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on MLB Extra Innings.

MLB Picks: Reds at Cubs Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/12/2013

Want to know why the Cincinnati Reds didn't make a move for a bat before the July 31 trade deadline? Because of outfielder Ryan Ludwick. He was lost on Opening Day to a shoulder injury but appears set to return Monday when the Reds open a series in Wrigley Field against the Cubs. It's a potentially huge addition -- certainly no hitter that was traded, including Chicago's Alex Rios to Texas over the weekend, is better than Ludwick.

MLB Picks: Red Sox at Royals Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/10/2013

The Kansas City Royals entered the All-Star break having lost five straight to drop to 43-49. I think Manager Ned Yost was in some trouble. The team was eight games out of the AL Central lead. However, entering Friday's Game 2 of their series against the visiting Boston Red Sox, the Royals had won 16 of 20 to climb to 59-53. So of course Kansas City must have gained a bunch of games on the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers, right? Uh, no. The Royals are 8.5 games back of the Tigers, who are even hotter than Kansas City is.

MLB Picks: Tigers at Yankees Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/9/2013

Let's stop this nonsense of the New York Yankees having any chance at the playoffs. It's a fact they will miss out for just the second time since the Jeter-Rivera-Posada dynasty started in 1995. We should be focusing more on whether the Yankees can finish above .500. Their last losing season was in 1992, which was their fourth straight losing year at the time.

MLB Picks: Red Sox at Royals Odds and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 8/8/2013

The Boston Red Sox continue their current 10-game road trip with a four-day visit to Kauffman Stadium to square off against the Kansas City Royals. Thursday night’s Game 1 is slated to get underway at 8:10 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on MLB Extra Innings.

MLB Picks: Braves at Nationals Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/7/2013

It is early August and yet I'm already going to use this term for a Major League Baseball team: magic number. We don't usually worry about those until mid-to-late September, but the Atlanta Braves are so ridiculously far ahead in the NL East that there are no longer even odds to win the division available at the books.

Athletics at Reds Picks and MLB Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 8/6/2013

The Oakland Athletics will pay a quick visit to the Great American Ballpark starting this Tuesday night for the first of a two-game interleague set against the Cincinnati Reds. Game 1 is scheduled to get underway at 7:10 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on MLB Extra Innings.