Happy Thursday and happy July RotoBallers! John, aka 'LucidMedia," back with your MLB betting picks for this Thursday, July 1st. I hope you all have had a great week so far, the weekend is almost here! We had a good day yesterday, going 2-0 with some matinee plays. We look to get back at it today during today's split slate of games, and I'm looking at two games I see some value in to get us going into the weekend.
I will be doing these picks for you every Monday and Wednesday going forward this baseball season. Just to let you know, I mainly bet on FanDuel Sportsbook, and that's where the odds below will be coming from. I know not everyone is able to bet on Fanduel, so if you are betting elsewhere just make sure to shop around and find the best odds.
We have been really increasing our sports betting content at RotoBaller, and this year will be no different. Tommy Bell (@BellRoto) will be handling things over in our premium offering. Steve Janik (@stevejanik6) will be carrying the free picks on during the week throughout the season with some help from yours truly. And Kipp Heisterman (@kipppsta) brings you the Monkey Knife Fight picks. Let's make some money and have fun. but remember, please gamble responsibly! The RotoBaller team has had a great month of June on the books so far, so let's finish it out strong and make some money!
Featured Promo: Get any full-season Props Premium Pass for 10% off using code BALLER. 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!
2021 MLB Betting Results
- L7: 8-1-0 +5.65 units
- L30: 19-6-0 +8.71 units
- YTD: 19-6-0 +8.71 units
All plays are 1 unit unless otherwise specified.
Texas Rangers @ Oakland Athletics
O/U: 9 | Moneyline: OAK -160
TEX: Dane Dunning | OAK: Sean Manaea
There will be some early baseball in Oakland, California today as the Rangers and Athletics look to close out their series. Oakland will run Sean Manaea out to the mound, who was great in June, with a 1.13 ERA and a 3.89 xFIP. Manaea also is much better on his home turf, going 4-1 with a 2.82 ERA this year in the Colosseum.
Dane Dunning will take the ball for Texas. Dunning is one of my favorite up-and-coming pitchers, but he has struggled on the road, as he stands currently 0-4 with a 7.45 ERA away from home. He didn't have nearly as good of a June as Manaea, going 1-2 with a 4.37 ERA.
The Athletics are 26-19 at home while the Rangers are 11-28 on the road. The A's are 6-1 in their last 7 against a right-handed starter at home, while the Rangers carry a 2-9 record in their last 11 games against a southpaw. Back Oakland at this decent price.
Pick: Athletics Moneyline (-160), FanDuel Sportsbook
Milwaukee Brewers @ Pittsburgh Pirates
O/U: 8 | Moneyline: PIT +220
MIL: Corbin Burnes | PIT: Wil Crowe
There has always been discussions regarding Coors and what many in the fantasy and sports betting world call "the Coors hangover effect". I'm typically not a fan of cliches and things of the sort, but cliches are cliches for a reason. The funny thing here, though, is that Pittsburgh doesn't have anything to be "hungover" from. They scored just two runs in three games in the most optimal hitting park in the league. (Again, sorry Tommy and ThunderDan).
The pitching matchup today does not look to favor the Pirates either. Corbin Burnes takes the mound today for Milwaukee, and while he's not the absolute monster he was in April, he's still been really good of late. Burnes actually looks to see some positive regression today, as he carried a 3.22 ERA through June that was partnered with a 2.23 xFIP. He also struck out a whopping 39.4% of hitters in June. The Pirates have done a decent job of putting the ball in play this season, but when facing Burnes still strike out 33% of the time.
I think the Brewers win this game handily, and the odds reflect that. The line is too wide for me to take Milwaukee straight up, but luckily on FanDuel they offer player performance doubles to help even those odds out a bit. If you are not betting on Fanduel, look to take an alternate prop + money line parlay and get that value.
Pick: Player Performance Double: Corbin Burnes 5+ Strikeouts and Milwaukee to win (-116), FanDuel Sportsbook
Be sure to give me a follow on Twitter @LucidMediaDFS for potentially more picks throughout the day. Let's keep it rolling!
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
More Fantasy Baseball Analysis