MLB Weekend Picks

Playoff races are beginning to form as June reaches the finish line, and it’s time to break down the odds and preview the MLB weekend picks for Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20. BetRivers.com is proud to provide a wide variety of MLB game lines, props, teasers, as well as our MLB weekend picks. Online sports betting has never been easier thanks to BetRivers’s guide.

Longtime Poker broadcaster and sports bettor David Tuchman is here to preview the notable games and make his MLB Weekend picks for a stacked weekend of baseball. Sometimes you get the dragon and sometimes the dragon gets you. We were feeling it after a 9-1 week, so we rolled the dice on the Yankees and Orioles. Didn’t work out, but overall, we went 5-3 – not great, but it’ll put food on my table.

We’re 34-19 on the year with a few excellent matchups on the docket this weekend.

 It’s Father’s Day weekend! There’s a ton of great picks this week as well as some really fun games where the winner isn’t so obvious. What a great weekend to bet on some baseball! These picks are dedicated to all the gamblin’ mad Dads out there! Let’s get to our MLB weekend picks.

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MLB WEEKEND PICKS: FRIDAY, JUNE 18

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (33-34) at BALTIMORE ORIOLES (22-46), 7:05 p.m.
PITCHERS: Robbie Ray ( TOR. 4-2, 3.45) vs. Bruce Zimmerman (BAL. 4-4, 4.83)
MONEYLINE: Blue Jays -200 ML, Orioles +165 ML
RUN LINE: Blue Jays -2 (-103), Orioles +2 (-117)
OVER/UNDER: 10 (-103/-117)
Click here for the full list of Orioles-Blue Jays Friday odds.

The Blue Jays are loaded on offense but struggle on the mound. The Orioles also hit well and pitch poorly – they’re similar teams, except the O’s don’t hit as well and their pitching is worse. Some people might even say Baltimore is a poor man’s Toronto. Neither team is impressing anyone and both are on losing skids, with the Jays having lost three straight, while the O’s have lost seven.  Something has to give – there are no ties in baseball.

 The Jays have the current front-runner for the AL MVP (apologies to Shohei Ohtani), as Vlad Guerrero Jr. is making a mockery of pitchers everywhere. His stats are insane: .343-22-56, .447 OBP, .682 SLG, 1.129 OPS – in just 66 games. The Jays are also straight-up loaded with hitters: Bo Bichette .283-14-42-9 SB; Teoscar Hernandez .298-10-41; Marcus Semien .280-16-38-9 SB; and Randal Grichuk .260-13-44 all make it tough to pitch around Vladdy.  On the hill, Robbie Ray has at least been effective for the Jays, sporting a 4-2 record, 3.45 ERA, 1.11 WHIP with 92K in 76 IP.

 Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Bruce Zimmerman has been one of Baltimore’s better starting pitchers, with a 4-4 mark and a 4.83 ERA, 1.47 WHIP. Which should tell you all you need to know about the Oriole pitchers. He hasn’t got a prayer against this Blue Jay lineup. The Orioles offense is led by a 2-man wrecking crew, Cedric Mullins, .320-9-19-12 SB and Trey Mancini, .275-12-48, but it won’t be enough to outslug the Jays.

 The Pick: Toronto Blue Jays

MINNESOTA TWINS (27-41) at TEXAS RANGERS (25-43), 8:05 p.m. ET
PITCHERS: Jose Berrios (MIN. 7-2, 3.49) vs. Mike Foltynewicz (TEX. 1-7, 5.48)
MONEYLINE: Twins -165 ML, Rangers +143 ML
RUN LINE: Twins -1.5 (+100), Rangers +1.5 (-120)
OVER/UNDER: 8.5 (-118/+100)
Click here for the full list of Rangers-Twins Friday odds.

The Twins are likely the biggest bust in baseball this year, falling from a division winner to dead-last in the Central, at 27-41. For the record, we were betting against Minnesota before the season began. The Rangers meanwhile are dead-last in the West, at 25-43. So unless you’re a Rangers or Twins fan, why else would you care about this one, except to bet?!? Even, if you are a Twins or Rangers fan, you’re likely already looking at the NFL pre-season.

 This one is pretty easy to make some bucks on. No long-winded explanation of how the Twins have Byron Buxton back (their best hitter) or how the Rangers have terrible starting pitching. The bottom line is this: Jose Berrios, the Twins starter, is 7-2. The Twins have 27 wins. Berrios has 26% of them. He’s pitching Friday. (Mike Foltynewicz, by the way, the Rangers starter, at 1-7, has 16% of the Rangers’ 43 losses.)

 Go with the Twins to Berrios the Rangers…get it? Okay, that’s terrible. Sorry.

The Pick: Minnesota Twins

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (43-26) at HOUSTON ASTROS (40-28), 8:10 p.m. ET
PITCHERS: Carlos Rodon (CWS. 6-2 1.89) vs. Luis Garcia (HOU. 5-4, 2.98)
MONEYLINE: White Sox -113 ML, Astros -104 ML
RUN LINE: White Sox -1 (+110), Astros +1 (-130)
OVER/UNDER: 8 (-104/-114)
Click here for the full list of Astros-White Sox Friday odds.

Wow. This is a titanic matchup for Father’s Day weekend. The 1st place White Sox (43-25) take on the 2nd place (AL west) Astros at 39-28. These are the games of the week, in my opinion, and a potential playoff preview. I honestly don’t know who will win. But it’s too much fun to not have some betting interest.

 Both teams have been hot, the Sox winners of 8 of 10, the Astros winners of 7 of 10. Both teams can hit and pitch. The Astros are led by professional hitter Michael Brantley, who’s ripping the ball at .344 clip. (No power tho, as he has just 3 HR and 21 RBI.) However, Jose Altuve has bounced back from a terrible 2020, and he’s hitting .294-15-36, .363, .511 SLG, .874 OPS. Yordan Alveraz (DH) is slashing .301-9-35, .354/.512/.866; Carlos Correa is at .293-12-37, .384/.508/.892 and Alex Bregman is hitting .275-7-34, .359/.428/.787.  Even Kyle Tucker is in on the fun at .268-13-43, .506 SLG, .832 OPS.

Meanwhile Luis Garcia, the ‘Stros SP has been a nice find for Houston, as he has been solid with a 5-4, 2.98 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 72 K in 63 IP line so far.  Ryan Pressly, the closer is 10 of 11 in save chances with a 2.00 ERA.

Meanwhile, in Chicago…The White Sox are also hitting the ever-lovin’ cover off the baseball. Tim Anderson (SS) is hitting .313-6-25-13 SB, .351 OBP, .446 SLG, Nick Madrigal is hitting .305 with 30 runs scored; Yoan Moncada is slashing .280-5-42, .402 OBP, 408 SLG, .810 OPS; Yermin Mercedes is at .280-5-32, .336/.422/.758; and Jose Abreu is hitting .252-12-51.

 The White Sox SP is a back-from-the-dead Carlos Rodon; He is 6-2, 1.89 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 97K in 66 IP. Meanwhile the Sox closer, Liam Hendriks is 18/21 in save chances with a 2.15 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. This is gonna be a war. My pick on Friday is to roll with Rodon! Take the Sox to beat the ‘Stros even on the road. 

The Pick: Chicago White Sox 

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

MINNESOTA TWINS at TEXAS RANGERS, 4:05 p.m. ET
PITCHERS: Randy Dobnak (MIN. 1-6, 8.38) v. Kolby Allard (TEX. 2-2, 2.91)

 Deja-vu all over again. Didn’t we just do this on Friday? Yes, but now we’re flipping the script. Again, there’s nothing remotely exciting about Minnesota v. Texas on a Saturday in June, unless you can make some money off it! This time, I’m going with Texas to bounce back and beat the Twins Saturday, after losing to Berrios Friday night. Why? Well, they’re both terrible. But…

 Saturday’s SP for Texas, Kolby Allard, is 2-2, 2.91 ERA, 1.12 WHIP on the year, with 37K in 34 IP. But, he started the year in the bullpen. He just got moved into the starting rotation and his last start, against the Dodgers – yeah, those Dodgers – he blanked them over 5 IP, scattering 5 hits and striking out 4.

 The Twins, meanwhile, will send Randy Dobnak to the mound. Randy is 1-6 with an 8.38 ERA. The Twins could have called Uber and sent some random driver to the mound to get about an 8.38 ERA. Oh wait…they totally did.

 Go with Texas to beat Uber on Saturday.

The Pick: Texas Rangers

SUNDAY, JUNE 20

 Some Sunday Father’s Day quick picks for you:

If you got your dad an awful tie, go with a three-team parlay. If you received the tie, Happy Father’s Day and go with the four-team parlay. 

 Boston Red Sox (Eovaldi 7-3, 3.76) over Kansas City Royals (Keller 6-6, 6.14)

San Diego Padres (Darvish, 6-2, 2.57) over Cincinnati Reds (Castillo, 2-9, 5.83)

Toronto Blue Jays (Ryu, 5-4, 3.43) over Baltimore Orioles (Harvey, 3-8, 7.76)

Los Angeles Dodgers (Gonsolin 0-0, 3.38) over Arizona Diamondbacks (Young, 2-4 3.86)