Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – May 28th Edition

Don’t look now, but the Milwaukee Brewers, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Seattle Mariners are the hottest teams in Major League Baseball right now, having each won eight of their last ten. The Brewers have opened up a four-game lead in the National League Central over St. Louis and a 4 ½-game lead over the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers are creeping out of the basement of the NL West despite having so many key players on the shelf with injuries, now just 3 ½ games behind Colorado in the division. The Mariners, despite losing star second baseman Robinson Cano to a banned-substance suspension, are 12 games over .500 and sit just a game behind Houston in the American League West. We’ve picked three games that represent MLB betting bonanzas for you in pro baseball for the week ahead, so take a look at our game previews.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – May 28th Edition

ESPN ranks #Rockies No. 18, behind both #Dodgers and #Dbacks: https://t.co/wwKlV4qqQ9

— Patrick Saunders (@psaundersdp) May 28, 2018

Tuesday, May 29

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland (6:10pm ET)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Lucas Giolito (3-5, 7.53 ERA) (CHI) vs Mike Clevinger (3-2, 3.32 ERA) (CLE) The Cleveland Indians lead the AL Central despite being just a game over .500, but they’re way ahead of the 16-34 Palehose, who send Lucas Giolito to the mound for Tuesday night’s game. Giolito did beat Texas two starts ago, throwing six innings and permitting just a pair of earned runs, but beating the Rangers isn’t really much of an accomplishment this year. On May 24, he faced Baltimore but didn’t make it out of the second inning, getting pounded for a pair of home runs among six hits and seven earned runs, while permitting three walks along the way. That was his second start of the season in which he did not make it to the third inning. In 49 innings this year, he has walked 37 batters — and he is not getting a downward angle toward the strike zone, which means that the strikes he is throwing are flat and easy to hit. The Tribe will counter with Mike Clevinger, who is also looking for some redemption after taking losses in his last two starts, both against Houston. He has combined for 11 ⅔ innings in those starts, permitting 15 hits and eight earned runs, walking seven and striking out 10. Houston has a frightening offense — much more potent than the one the White Sox will bring. In his start against Kansas City on May 12, he cruised for 7 ⅔ innings, permitting just a pair of earned runs and fanning 10. I see a return to those types of numbers against the White Sox. MLB Betting Prediction: Cleveland 6, Chicago 2

Wednesday, May 30

Washington at Baltimore (7:05pm ET)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Max Scherzer (8-1, 2.13 ERA) (WAS) vs David Hess (2-1, 4.15 ERA) (BAL) The Washington Nationals have won 29 games this season, and eight of those victories belong to Max Scherzer. His last start, against Miami, was not particularly dominant, though, as he permitted seven hits and four earned runs over six innings. Washington got a 9-5 win but it was the first time in almost a month that a starting pitcher for the Nationals has permitted more than three runs. He has permitted a home run in each of his last three starts, but he had not permitted more than two earned runs in any start prior to that. Given the lack of punch in the Orioles’ lineup and the fact that Baltimore doesn’t get to see him often in the American League, I see him having another strong outing on Wednesday. The Orioles send David Hess to the mound for Wednesday’s matchup. He came up from Triple-A Norfolk on May 20 to start against the Boston Red Sox but got roughed up for three home runs, permitting eight hits and five earned runs over 4 ⅔ innings in a 5-2 loss. However, he went out in his next start to throw 6 ⅔ innings of shutout ball at Tampa Bay, scattering four hits and striking out three. It looks like he might have the stuff to stay up, but he will face another dominant offensive lineup from the Nats. MLB Betting Prediction: Washington 4, Baltimore 1

Texas at Seattle (10:10pm ET)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Matt Moore (1-5, 7.99 ERA) (TEX) vs James Paxton (4-1, 3.10 ERA) (SEA) Matt Moore returns from a stint on the 10-day disabled list, as his right knee issue has apparently resolved itself. Rangers fans are hoping that this solves the legion of problems that have ensued with just about every Moore start this year. The team won his last start, a 12-5 win over the White Sox, but it took a comeback, as Moore permitted five runs (four earned) in 3 ⅔ innings. In his three previous starts before that, he permitted a combined 18 earned runs on 26 hits, striking out 11 and permitting five home runs. This could be his last start of the season, thanks to the arrival of Austin Bibens-Dirkx from the minor leagues. The Mariners will start James Paxton on Wednesday night. His last two starts have been gems, as he threw a complete-game victory against Detroit on May 19, permitting two earned runs on three hits, while striking out eight and walking just one. Then on May 25, he threw seven innings of one-run ball against Minnesota, striking out 11. The Rangers are among the league leaders in strikeouts this season, so this sounds like another opportunity for a dominant night for Paxton. Final Score Prediction: Seattle 6, Texas 1