MLB Weekend Picks

The baseball season is coming to a close, and our MLB Weekend picks are here to guide you through an incredibly important weekend of MLB sports betting action. BetRivers.com has a wide variety of MLB game lines, team futures, and player markets for you to choose from. Longtime Poker broadcaster and sports bettor David Tuchman is here to preview the notable games and make his MLB Weekend picks for the weekend of September 24 to September 26..

RELATED: VSIN Weekend Betting Guide

With only two weeks left in the regular season, we find ourselves at 70-42. Our futures are looking good with Shohei Ohtani essentially a lock to win the MVP (more on him below) and the Dodgers making a late surge to make one of our last outstanding bets interesting. 

OK. It’s time to get to our MLB Weekend Picks.

MLB WEEKEND PICKS: FRIDAY, SEPT. 24

CHICAGO CUBS (67-86) vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (84-69), 8:05 p.m.
PITCHERS: Jack Flaherty (STL) vs. Zach Davies (CHC)
MONEYLINE: Cardinals -190 ML, Cubs +160 M
SPREAD: Cardinals -1.5 (-125), Cubs +1.5 (-105)
OVER/UNDER: 8.5 runs

The Cardinals and Cubs face off Friday, in a double-header, and you can probably lay a ton of money on the Cardinals to win both. They have been on absolute fire lately, winning an astounding 11 straight games, and moving into the #2 wild card spot in the National League. This is not good news for us as we had UNDER 86.5 wins for the Cardinals. They needed to go 16-6 over their last 22 for us to lose this one. This win streak makes us sizable dogs going into the homestretch. 

Nolan Arenado (3B, StL) did leave Wednesday’s game with back stiffness, but he should play in at least one of these games. The game we’re going with for the best bet is Game 2, the evening game. In that one, the Cardinals will turn to their ace, Jack Flaherty, 9-2, 3.08, but be aware he’s likely to only pitch 2-3 innings as the Cardinals are trying to get him ready for the playoffs.  It won’t matter. The Cardinals are clicking on all cylinders right now and the Cubs are a rebuilding nightmare. 

The Pick: Cardinals ML (-190)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 24 & SUNDAY, SEPT. 26

SAN DIEGO PADRES (77-75) vs. ATLANTA BRAVES (80-71)
GAME TIME: 10 p.m. ET (Friday), 4:10 p.m. ET (Sunday)
FRIDAY PITCHERS: Max Fried (12-7, 3.31) v. Pierce Johnson (3-3, 3.13)
SUNDAY PITCHERS: Jesse Chavez (3-2, 2.54) v. Joe Musgrove (11-9, 3.15)

Here’s a double-dip for you. Take the Braves on Friday and Sunday to beat the Padres twice. The Braves have won 4 in a row to move up 3 games in the NL East, while the Padres have lost 5 straight, falling completely out of the playoff race. What a sad, sorry season for the promising Padres.

The Braves turn to their ace, Max Fried on Friday, and a stop-gap starter, Jesse Chavez, on Sunday, but it won’t matter. The Padres are in tatters and the Braves are gearing up to face the Brewers in round 1 of the NLDS.

The Braves are actually significantly better on the road than at home. The Padres usually play well at home, but lately they haven’t played well anywhere, getting out-pitched and outhit consistently while losing 8 of 10. They’ve lost 8-0, 9-1, 6-1, 8-2, 8-7, 6-5 and 8-6 during that stretch. They’re bullpen and rotation are gassed. 

Freddie Freeman (.304-31-82); Austin Riley (.302-31-95); Ozzie Albies (.256-30-100) and Dansby Swanson (.248-26-82) give the Braves the best hitting infield in baseball. Add trade deadline acquisition OFs, Eddie Rosario (.295-6 HR, 22 games) and Jorge Soler (.269-11 HR, 46 games) and the Braves are finally coming together.

The Pick: Braves win both Friday and Sunday  

SUNDAY, SEPT. 26

LOS ANGELES ANGELS (73-80) vs. SEATTLE MARINERS (84-69), 4:07 p.m. ET
PITCHERS:  Shohei Ohtani (LAA, 9-2, 3.38) vs. Marco Gonzalez (9-5, 4.01)

Forget records. Forget numbers. This is possibly Ohtani’s last start of the season. It is definitely his last start at home. (He could start October 3, the season finale on the road, but that seems doubtful right now.) Here are the only numbers you need.

  • Ohtani – hitting:  .256 BA; 45 HR; 95 RBI; 23 SB, 95 runs; 25 2B; 5 3B; .952 OPS
  • Ohtani – pitching:  9-2; 22 GS; 123 IP; 146 K; 1.11 WHIP; .208 BAA; 3.28 ERA
  • Ohtani – pitching at home: 6-0; 2.02 ERA, 83 K; 71 IP, 12 starts.

Ohtani is pitching his last home start of the season, going for his 10th win, and trying to put an exclamation point on his MVP season. Keep in mind, Vlad Guerrero is hitting .321, 46 HR, .411 OBP; .617 SLG; 177 OPS+ and a 6.8 WAR.  The thing that separates Ohtani from Guerrero is that Ohtani is 9-2, with 146 K in 123 IP and Guerrero….doesn’t pitch.

The Pick: Ohtani, errr, I mean Angels ML