MLB Parlay Picks for the Weekend (Aug. 5-7)

Posted by Joe Solari on Friday,August 5, 2016 3:07, EDT in

With all the noise from Monday’s MLB Trade Deadline quieted and the reality of the player moves sinking in across the nation, let’s take a look at some MLB Parlay Picks worthy of your consideration in the weekend’s MLB odds and lines.

Let’s Take a Look at the MLB Parlay Picks for the Weekend (Aug. 5-7)

Cubs at Athletics, Friday, Aug. 5

My Pick: Cubs

Chicago’s Jon Lester has been a bit iffy in his play in recent times, but he is coming off one of his best performances of the season in the victory against the Mariners, where he posted a stellar stat line of 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB and 7 K. With Chicago’s newboy Aroldis Chapman at the bullpen, Lester taking advantage of the pitcher-friendly Oakland stadium, and the Cubs riding on their four-game winning momentum (and a solid 7-1 mark in their last 8 overall games); the wobbly A’s won’t stand a chance against the in-form visitors.

Braves at Cardinals, Saturday, Aug. 6

My Pick: Cardinals

With four losses in their last five games (including a 2-1 series loss in their mid-week series against the Reds), the Cardinals look like stay-away- from team in the money lines, especially now that they will be hosting a brave Atlanta team that is coming off a 2-1 series win over the Pirates and carries with it a two-game winning streak into Friday’s series opener against St. Louis. I do, however, feel that with Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.99 ERA) as St. Louis starter on Saturday, the Cardinals will have a good winning chance against Mike Foltynewicz (4-5, 4.60 ERA) and the Braves. Martinez struggled in his last start, but he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts, showing a lot of control with ground balls. With just a bit of some support from St. Louis’s hot sticks, Martinez and the Cards should be able to get back on track with the win, possibly doing well enough to also earn the run line victory.

Twins at Rays, Saturday, Aug. 6

My Pick: Minnesota, OVER 10

Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer (5-15, 4.38 ERA) has been downright awful this season, with the Rays recording just one money line win in his last 10 starts (which came against Colorado, one of the weakest teams in the MLB this year). So if you are looking for a winning pick on Saturday, please keep away from Archer and the Rays. I mean, Minnesota’s Jose Berrios (2-1) is not the steadiest of starters, but he’s shown well-enough to trust him over Archer. Not to forget, the Twins have been cracking it up lately in the offense, producing the second-most runs of any team in July. This has largely been down to the rise of Minny’s star outfielder Max Kepler, who had hit a whopping 13 home runs since July 1 (entering Thursday), which is more than any player in the entire MLB over that span. And that offensive outburst has seemingly carried onto August, as is affirmed by the 37 runs the Twins scored in the just-ended four-game series against the Indians (averaging at 9.2 runs per game), with Minnesota winning the series 3-1. So, put simply, expect Archer and Berrios (8.57 ERA) to combine for 10-plus runs as the Twins most likely use their new-found offensive explosion to get the victory on Saturday.

Rangers at Astros, Sunday, Aug. 7

My Pick: Astros

The Rangers have lost their last five straight games when Yu Darvish has started on the mound and are hoping to right the ship when their once-highly- respected ace gets his next start on Sunday against the slumping Astros. That, however, is easier said than done, as Houston will be countering with talented youngster Joe Musgrove. In his MLB debut last Tuesday against the Blue Jays, the 23-year- old pitcher had a stellar performance, racking up eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings of work, making a player worthy of keeping an eye on. Of course, Houston’s offense has been misfiring big-time in recent games, so trusting Musgrove and the Astros is a bit of a risk. But last I checked, the Rangers haven’t exactly been hot in offense (they scored 1, 2 and 5 runs in their last series vs. Baltimore, losing the series 2-1). Add to the fact that the Astros often play their best at home and will probably be extra-motivated to use this AL West series to cut down on Texas’ 6-game lead atop the division, I like Houston as the best play here.