X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

MLB Betting Picks (7/29/2020) - Moneylines, Totals, and Runlines

Steve Janik recommends betting picks for the MLB slate on 7/29/2020. He breaks down each team's situation and suggests the top picks on moneylines, totals, runlines, and more!

The Cubs got us off to a good start Tuesday by taking care of business against the Reds, mainly thanks to Javier Baez's two homers. Meanwhile, The Twins gave us a nice scare after plating five in the second, but only four more runs were scored the rest of the way. In Los Angeles, things looked a little slow in the early going but the Angels took off and handled things on their own, winning 10-2. The first sweep of the 2020 MLB season!

With such odd circumstances entering this season, it's imperative to be smart with these plays off the get-go. Some players just started practicing a week ago after returning from a COVID diagnosis, while others just flat out might not be themselves following such a long layoff. I completely understand the excitement to be betting on baseball again, but be sure to not mismanage your bankroll early. As the season progresses, I'll likely have more plays, but for now I'm going to limit my plays to a couple a night.

Myself along with Tommy Bell will be supplying you with analysis, recommendations, picks, and other fun information all season long, and hopefully some money to be made as well! I'll be writing up my picks on Tuesday-Friday, and Tom will take care of the rest of the week. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter @RotoStevieJ to talk shop or just chat in general about baseball. Good luck and play smart!

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

Tampa Bay Rays at Atlanta Braves (-129)

O/U: 8.5

TB: Charlie Morton, ATL: Mike Soroka

Morton has been one of the steadiest horses in the game over the past few years. He had a rough first outing but that's almost to be expected. It's preferable to get Ground Chuck at home, but he wasn't bad on the road last year, holding hitters to a .238/.308/.382 slash line with just a .297 wOBA. The lineup might be a bit worrisome at times, but Brandon Lowe and Hunter Renfroe have been the early catalysts.

Soroka is still so young but is being asked to shoulder leading the Braves rotation and has done quite well with that role. He held the Mets scoreless over six frames on the road on opening day. In terms of ERA, he was significantly better on the road versus at home in 2o19; a 1.55 ERA on the road and a 4.14 ERA at home. Offensively, give these Braves have some frightening young bats. However, Ronald Acuna Jr. is still trying to find his footing at the dish and oddly enough Dansby Swanson has been the team's best bat.

Morton doesn't miss in consecutive games often. Sure, the Braves lineup is as tough as they come but they're a bit down right now. I'll always target good pitching over good hitting but as bullpens are still trying to get acclimated around the league, I'm looking at the first five innings here.

Pick: Tampa Bay First 5 ML (+110, Draftkings) 1 Unit

 

Chicago White Sox (-115) at Cleveland Indians

O/U: 9.5

CHW: Lucas Giolito, CLE: Zach Plesac

The White Sox got down early Tuesday and couldn't climb back but they did out-hit Cleveland eight-to-six. Jose Abreu left the yard while Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert both registered knocks. This offense has a ton of potential, especially when Yasmani Grandal is in the lineup. Lucas Giolito will look to make up for his total dud against the Twins to start the year. He'll be on the road where his earned run average was over a point lower than at home in 2019. The righty generates a ton of strikeouts when he's on his game, and we know he's better than what he showed on opening day.

Cleveland is another offense that is just loaded with bats that make pitchers work. Following Monday's rainout, they dropped three in the first inning Tuesday and didn't look back. Carlos Santana doesn't seem to age (homered Tuesday), while Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor team up to form arguably the best two-three-four spot in any lineup. However, they hit just .243had an 87 wRC+ against RHP and at home a year ago. Zach Plesac provides Cleveland with a solid five starter but he was a touch worse in Progressive Field last year. He also had success his first time through the order before faltering the second and third time through, so the 25-year-old might have his hands full with Chicago.

Both offenses are more than capable here, with Cleveland having a slight advantage. Therefore, I look at this as Giolito against Plesac and the choice is obvious, especially with Plesac's struggles seeing the order multiple times. Since Chicago's bullpen had to throw 4.1 innings Tuesday, we'll stay away from any late-game theatrics.

Pick: White Sox First 5 ML -121 (Draftkings) 1 Unit

 

Washington Nationals (-167) at Toronto Blue Jays

O/U: 8.5

WAS: Max Scherzer, TOR: Nate Pearson

The Nationals get the rare road game in their home park on Wednesday and Max Scherzer is the arm the Nationals want to revenge their 5-1 loss to Toronto on Tuesday. The righty gave up four to the Yankees on opening night, but still struck out 11 in 5.1 innings. On his own mound in 2019, he held hitters to a .224/..272/.378 slash line with a 28 K-BB%. Offensively, the Nats have struggled a bit, sans their 9-run outburst July 25. However, six guys are batting at least .286 so it's only a matter of time before the reigning champs catch back up.

Pearson, the Blue Jays top prospect, makes his MLB debut Wednesday and the kid is legit. A power arm (once hit 104 mph) with a great changeup and pair of breaking balls, this 23-year-old is supposed to complete the youth movement in Toronto. He'll certainly need some help from the lineup, but the Jays hit just .234 and had a BABIP of .276 against RHP in 2019, both league lows. Thye've averaged 4.2 runs per game so far, but it doesn't get much harder than Scherzer.

Regardless of the pedigree Pearson carries as a prospect, it's tough to bet against Mad Max in this situation. The Blue Jays are one of the league's worst against RHP and Washington will be out to show that their lineup can put runs on the board to backup their ace.

Pick: Washington -1.5 (-104, Fanduel) 1 Unit

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

A.J. Puk13 mins ago

Earns First Save Of Season Tuesday
Michael King20 mins ago

Fans 11 In Five Shutout Innings Tuesday
Christian Yelich29 mins ago

Hits First Homer Of Season, Steals Base Tuesday
Evan Engram33 mins ago

Sean Payton Excited About Evan Engram In Joker Role
Anthony Bender35 mins ago

Earns First Save Of Season Tuesday
Robert Hassell III38 mins ago

Has Three-Hit Day At Triple-A
Thomas Harrington45 mins ago

Hit Hard In MLB Debut Tuesday
Gunnar Henderson56 mins ago

Hits Solo Homer In Triple-A Rehab Game Tuesday
Marcelo Mayer1 hour ago

Hits First Home Run At Triple-A
Caleb Williams1 hour ago

To Spend More Time Working Under Center
Tom Hoge1 hour ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Zebby Matthews1 hour ago

Twirls Five Shutout Innings At Triple-A
Daniel Jones2 hours ago

Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones To Split First-Team Reps This Offseason
Terry McLaurin2 hours ago

Commanders Interested In Extending Terry McLaurin
Rashee Rice2 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Hurston Waldrep2 hours ago

Fans Seven In Win At Triple-A
Garrett Wilson2 hours ago

Jets Plan To Get Garrett Wilson The Ball "As Much As Possible"
Keaton Mitchell2 hours ago

Ravens Have High Hopes For Keaton Mitchell
Angel Genao2 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Injury
Derrick Henry2 hours ago

John Harbaugh Wants Ravens To Extend Derrick Henry
Christian McCaffrey2 hours ago

Is Healthy
Clarke Schmidt3 hours ago

To Return April 15 Or 16
Shane Baz3 hours ago

Strikes Out 10
Mike Tauchman3 hours ago

Begins Rehab Assignment
Wyatt Langford3 hours ago

Launches Another Homer
Nathan Eovaldi4 hours ago

Throws Complete Game Shutout
Michael Petersen4 hours ago

Traded To Atlanta
Matt Fitzpatrick4 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners4 hours ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay4 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Reynaldo López5 hours ago

Reynaldo Lopez To Undergo Right-Shoulder Surgery
Gary Woodland5 hours ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia5 hours ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti5 hours ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
NFL5 hours ago

Tush Push Unlikely To Be Banned For 2025 Season
Xavier Legette5 hours ago

Dave Canales Compares Xavier Legette To DK Metcalf
Brett de Geus5 hours ago

Phillies Claim Brett de Geus Off Waivers From Marlins
New York Giants5 hours ago

Ty Summers Re-Signs With New York
Nick Mears5 hours ago

Beginning Rehab Assignment At Triple-A
Aaron Civale5 hours ago

Plays Catch On Tuesday
Sam Ehlinger6 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Denver
Guerschon Yabusele6 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns6 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Arizona Cardinals6 hours ago

Calais Campbell Returns To Arizona
Jevon Carter6 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry6 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips6 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jalen Smith6 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Lonzo Ball6 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Kevin Huerter6 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Josh Giddey7 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton7 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale7 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant7 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal7 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Ron Holland II7 hours ago

Tagged With A One-Game Suspension Tuesday
Anfernee Simons7 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Hawks
Trae Young7 hours ago

Officially Available Tuesday
Marcus Sasser7 hours ago

Suspended For One Game On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo7 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud7 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Isaiah Stewart7 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games On Tuesday
Jacob Trouba7 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga7 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Troy Terry7 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jaylen Brown8 hours ago

Questionable Versus Miami
Jonathan Marchessault8 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere8 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn8 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro8 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Detroit Lions10 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Tennessee Titans10 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders11 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Raheem Blackshear11 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins11 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL11 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä11 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway11 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys11 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal11 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy11 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Josh Norris12 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk12 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth13 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp14 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim14 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood14 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau14 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole14 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith18 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment18 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka18 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov18 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov18 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes18 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens1 day ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA1 day ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy1 day ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman1 day ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov1 day ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl1 day ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg1 day ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober1 day ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall1 day ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara1 day ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez1 day ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira1 day ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez1 day ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas1 day ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez1 day ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry3 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira5 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]


Bhaysul Tuten - NFL Draft Prospects, Rookie Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Single QB

The 2025 NFL Combine has now been completed, so it's worth doing another mock draft to see where everyone stands after the league's pre-draft testing event. Overall, there were a few surprises, but the order of many players will remain the same. The mental domain of the original rankings, which have been fairly set in […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later-Career Breakout Candidates

Typically, most NFL players break out in the early parts of their careers. Between the ages of 20 and 25 is when you expect to see the majority of players have their first big season. Some waste no time and put together excellent years while they're rookies, while some need more time to develop. These […]