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

As we turn the calendar into July, we see that several of the division races in Major League Baseball are still running neck-and-neck. The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox are still tied atop the American League East, both 17 games over .500. Houston leads Seattle by just a half-game in the AL West. In the AL Central, Cleveland seems to finally have found a winning clip, pulling nine games ahead of Minnesota. In the National League East, Philadelphia has pulled back ahead of Washington and trail Atlanta by just three games. Milwaukee leads the Chicago Cubs by just a half-game in the NL Central, and Arizona leads the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants by 2 ½ games, as the Giants have gone on a tear, winning eight of ten. Take a look at our three top games for you to consider in your MLB betting for this week.

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

MLB Power Rankings: Midseason team awards, featuring the most surprising team and the biggest juggernauthttps://t.co/fcdvNPmI0U pic.twitter.com/9kFtdmfWHx

— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) July 2, 2018

Monday, July 2

Cleveland at Kansas City (8:15pm ET)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Corey Kluber (11-4, 2.54 ERA) (CLE) vs Jakob Junis (5-9, 4.67 ERA) (KC) Corey Kluber is coming off a dreadful start in St. Louis on June 26, which he permitted a pair of home runs and six runs on six hits overall, lasting just 1 ⅔ innings. In his defense, there was a rain delay of almost two hours before the first inning got underway, and his start before that was a gem, as he limited the White Sox to a single hit in seven innings of scoreless ball, as the Tribe rolled to a 12-0 win. He faces a Kansas City team that is already 33 games below .500, and his counterpart, Jakob Junis, has taken the loss in six straight starts. He faced Cleveland on May 12 and took the loss, permitting four earned runs on six hits over 5 ⅔ innings. He has permitted 20 earned runs over his last four starts, in 21 ⅔ combined innings — giving up 10 home runs in the process. I see the Tribe getting Kluber back on a winning track here. MLB Betting Preview: Cleveland 7, Kansas City 2

Tuesday, July 3

Pittsburgh at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10pm ET)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Ivan Nova (4-5, 4.02 ERA) (PIT) vs Clayton Kershaw (1-4, 2.84 ERA) (LA) Ivan Nova has pitched well for the Pirates lately — his last start was decent, as he permitted three earned runs over six innings against the Mets, in a no-decision that the Pirates would win. In his three starts before that, he threw 19 ⅔ combined innings, permitting just two earned runs in wins over the Cubs, Reds and Diamondbacks. The Pirates are hovering on the edge of the wild-card race as they visit a Dodgers team looking to catch Arizona in the NL West. Clayton Kershaw gets the start for the Dodgers, and he has to be ready for his offense and his bullpen to help him out. He has taken four straight no-decisions despite permitting just six earned runs in 19 combined innings. In his last start, an 11-5 loss to the Cubs, he left the game with the lead only to see the bullpen permit 10 runs in the next four innings. He has a 10-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio since he came back from his latest stint on the DL. An outing against an iffy Pirate offense should go well for him — but will the Dodgers solve Nova, and will the bullpen hold his lead? MLB Betting Preview: Los Angeles 5, Pittsburgh 4

Friday, July 6

Miami at Washington (7:05pm ET)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Dan Straily (3-4, 4.70 ERA) (MIA) vs Gio Gonzalez (6-5, 3.77 ERA) (WAS) Miami and Washington square off in a weekend series opener on Friday, with the Nationals looking to find the consistency to keep up with young teams in Atlanta and Philadelphia — and with the Marlins in the basement of the NL East. Dan Straily has not helped his team a lot, permitting 13 earned runs over just 19 ⅔ combined innings in his last four starts, with the team losing three of those starts as he has permitted six home runs. Washington sends Gio Gonzalez to the hill, and he has struggled, not earning a victory since May 28. Washington hasn’t won a game he started since June 9. Since then, he has permitted 16 earned runs in 16 combined innings in four starts, including four home runs. His June ERA was an unsightly 8.44, and he has seen his control suffer, with nine walks issued in his last six innings pitched. Washington has the offense to pound Straily around — but can Gonzalez keep them in the game? MLB Betting Preview: Washington 7, Miami 6