SU MLB Betting Picks for the Coming Weekend

There’s some great soccer action this weekend in the United States with the Copa America Centenario — look for a preview of Sunday’s match here at Mybookie.ag — as well as the Round of 16 of Euro 2016 in France. But perhaps you are a baseball fan first and foremost. Here are three games I highly recommend on straight-up MLB betting lines this weekend.

SU MLB Betting Picks for the Coming Weekend

    LA Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday: The Dodgers are playing their best baseball of the season and they are scheduled to go with the best pitcher on the planet in Clayton Kershaw for this game — thus Los Angeles will be a road favorite. Kershaw (11-1, 1.57) dominated the Nationals on Monday, allowing one run and six hits over seven innings with no walks (as usual) and eight strikeouts. The Dodgers are 14-1 when Kershaw starts, and he now has 141 strikeouts and seven walks this season. Nolan Ryan walked seven or more batters in a game 71 times in his career. Kershaw has not faced the Pirates this season, but struggled last year in two starts against them, posting a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings. Pittsburgh hitters hit .314 against him in those two starts. That’s a fluke. Pittsburgh goes with lefty Jeff Locke (6-5, 5.44). Locke allowed just five hits in 6.2 shutout innings while striking out three without a walk to beat the Giants on Monday. It was a rebound effort for Locke, who had been struggling mightily with 18 earned runs allowed in just 8.2 innings over his last two starts. Locke is 4-1 with a 3.26 ERA in six starts at home this season. Dodgers are the pick here. Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants, Saturday: While Kershaw is the best lefty in baseball, the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner might be No. 2 and he gets the call here in what should be a big mismatch. Bumgarner (8-3, 1.85) took the tough-luck loss despite allowing just one run on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in eight innings Monday in Pittsburgh. But Bumgarner lengthened his streak of games with two earned runs allowed or fewer to 12, matching Fred Anderson’s third-best franchise streak. Bumgarner was 2-0 vs. the Phillies last year. It’s Jeremy Hellickson for the Phils. Hellickson (4-6, 4.41) gave up three runs in seven strong innings, but still suffered the loss to the Diamondbacks on Monday. Hellickson had success getting ahead of hitters, throwing 22 first-pitch strikes to the 26 Arizona hitters he faced. Hellickson hasn’t faced the Giants this year. Go San Francisco here. Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers, Saturday: The most surprising pitcher in all of baseball has to be Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright, and the AL ERA leader gets the call here. Wright (8-4, 2.01) comes off a complete game against the White Sox, allowing one unearned run and five hits — but he took a no-decision in a game the Red Sox lost in extra innings. Wright lost his only previous career start in Texas, allowing three hits, three runs and two homers over 5 2/3 innings. For Texas, it’s A.J. Griffin. He has been on the 15-day disabled list since May 8 with right shoulder stiffness. Before the injury, he was 3-0 with a 2.94 ERA in six starts. Griffin made four starts against the Red Sox while with the A’s from 2012-13. You can’t bet against Wright so go Boston on betting lines.