Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – July 2nd Edition

Now that July is here, expect the trade chatter to pick up around baseball. The Boston Red Sox didn’t wait until the July 31 non-waiver deadline to make a deal, picking up super-utility man Steve Pearce from the Toronto Blue Jays. Boston manager Alex Cora said the Red Sox are adding a strong batter they can use against left-handed pitching. Pearce, incidentally, thus becomes the sixth player in MLB history to play for every team in one division. He also played for the Yankees in 2012, Orioles in 2012-15 and 2016, and Rays in 2016. Here’s a look at two intriguing MLB Betting matchups this week, be sure to check back for Mybookie Sportsbook latest MLB Odds.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – July 2nd Edition

The #Padres agree to terms with LHP Ryan Weathers, the seventh overall selection in the 2018 #MLBDraft and 26 of 41 players selected.

Full list of Padres 2018 Draft signees: https://t.co/wfFP33nOoR pic.twitter.com/1AHVw2p3yl — San Diego Padres (@Padres) 1 de julio de 2018

San Diego Padres at Oakland A’s

• When: Tuesday, 9:05 PM ET
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Live Stream: MLB.tv

Team Records

• All: San Diego Padres 37-49 / Oakland A’s 46-39
• Home: San Diego Padres 19-25 / Oakland A’s 22-21
• Away: San Diego Padres 18-24 / Oakland A’s 24-18
• As Favorite: San Diego Padres 14-7 / Oakland A’s 27-18
• As Underdog: San Diego Padres 23-42 / Oakland A’s 19-21
• ATS: San Diego Padres 41-45 / Oakland A’s 40-45

The Padres will add the designated hitter for this interleague matchup. The A’s also will add a bat as they are expected to activate third baseman Matt Chapman off the DL for this one. That’s assuming no setbacks when he plays a game for Class A Stockton on Monday. Chapman has been sidelined with hand soreness. He had one cortisone shot June 18 that was not effective, but the one he got last Monday, between the base of his thumb and wrist, appears to have resolved the discomfort from the carpal boss (bony growth) that caused him problems during spring training and again in mid-June. Manager Bob Melvin said Jed Lowrie will return to second base. “He’s a big part of not only the offense but defense,” Melvin said of Chapman, who is batting .250 with 10 home runs and 26 RBIs this season. “It allows Jed (Lowrie) to go back to his natural position at second base and just makes us better. You know over the course of the season you’re gonna have some injuries and have to power through a little bit. Getting him back in the lineup will be a nice little kick for us.” The A’s are scheduled to start Chris Bassitt (1-3, 2.82). He comes off beating the Tigers in Detroit, throwing six shutout innings in only his fourth start of 2018. The win was his first since Aug. 4, 2015, and it snapped a nine-game losing streak. Bassitt has received two runs of support or fewer in 23 of his 27 career starts and his career RSA as a starter is 2.33. He has never faced San Diego in his career and is 0-2 with a 2.45 ERA in two career interleague starts, both in 2015. It’s lefty Clayton Richard (7-7, 4.29) for San Diego. He lost to Texas last time out, allowing four runs and 10 hits over seven innings. It was the first time the Padres dropped a game started by Richard since May 25. Richard is the majors’ leader in ground-ball rate. Padres starters have a run support average of 4.06, the lowest mark in the National League and fourth-lowest in the majors, behind KC’s 4.03, DET’s 3.98 and BAL’s 3.79 run support average.

St. Louis Cardinals at Arizona Diamondbacks

• When: Wednesday, 10 PM ET
• TV: ESPN
• Live Stream: Watch ESPN

Team Records

• All: St. Louis Cardinals 42-40 / Arizona Diamondbacks 47-37
• Home: St. Louis Cardinals 23-22 / Arizona Diamondbacks 23-19
• Away: St. Louis Cardinals 19-18 / Arizona Diamondbacks 24-18
• As Favorite: St. Louis Cardinals 31-26 / Arizona Diamondbacks 27-24
• As Underdog: St. Louis Cardinals 11-14 / Arizona Diamondbacks 20-13
• ATS: St. Louis Cardinals 38-44 / Arizona Diamondbacks 45-39

One of the biggest days of any baseball season is July 4, and Cardinals-Diamondbacks closes out the schedule on the holiday. Will St. Louis have center fielder Dexter Fowler for this game? Remains to be seen as Fowler was placed on the paternity list on Sunday and is allowed to miss a maximum of three games. Frankly, it’s not much of a loss. He used to be a good player but is hitting just .171 this year with five homers and 20 RBIs. The Cards also are without starting shortstop Paul DeJong but he’s getting close. DeJong (hand) will play full rehab games with Triple-A Memphis on Monday and Tuesday before being re-evaluated. So it’s possible he could play Wednesday but probably more likely this weekend. St. Louis starts Miles Mikolas, who might be the NL Comeback Player of the Year. He wasn’t a very good pitcher from 2012-13 with San Diego or in 2014 with Texas but then went to Japan for a couple of years before signing on with the Cardinals this past winter. He’s 8-3 with a 2.61 ERA and could be an All-Star. Mikolas allowed one run on seven hits and a walk with one strikeout through 6.1 innings but still took the loss last Friday against Atlanta. Mikolas shut the Atlanta lineup down with 11 groundballs, but he was outdueled by Julio Teheran. Mikolas has tossed quality starts in five of his last six starts and will finish June with a nice 21:6 and an even 1.00 WHIP in six starts. His pinpoint control and ability to keep the ball in the park have allowed Mikolas to pitch to contact with great success. The Snakes counter with lefty Patrick Corbin (6-3, 3.14). Just when it seemed like Corbin was hitting a rough patch, he’s pulled out of it by allowing one run over 13 innings in his last two starts. Corbin didn’t factor into the decision against the Giants last Friday, despite a strong outing that saw him yield just one earned run on four hits over six innings, while striking out five and walking one in a 2-1 defeat for the Diamondbacks. He’s now given up just one earned run and posted a 17:1 over his last 13 innings, bringing his ERA down to 3.14 and his WHIP to 0.99 through 106 innings on the season. Both of those would represent career bests by a wide margin.

Expert Predictions

Take Oakland over the Padres and Arizona to beat St. Louis.