Top MLB Betting Series Predictions for This Weekend

We have some big MLB betting series over the weekend in Major League Baseball. When you’re figuring out the MLB betting series picks for the upcoming weekend, we’ve picked out three series for you to consider, as the Texas Rangers, winners of nine of their last 13, visit a New York Yankees team that is in danger of sliding out of playoff position after a hot April and May. Baltimore visits Tampa Bay in a battle of mediocre American League East teams, and the New York Mets visit the San Francisco Giants, as two teams that have been contenders in recent years are struggling to score runs consistently this season.

Top MLB Betting Series Predictions for This Weekend

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Texas at N.Y. Yankees

Friday: 7:05pm ET, Yu Darvish (6-5) (TEX) vs Masahiro Tanaka (5-7) (NY) Saturday: 1:05pm ET, Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2-0) (TEX) vs Luis Cessa (0-1) (NY) Sunday: 2:05pm ET, Nick Martinez (2-3) (TEX) vs Michael Pineda (7-3) (NY) MLB Betting Odds:  Yankees-120 / Rangers +175 Yu Darvish has been an enigma for the Rangers this season. Two starts ago, he pitched masterfully against red-hot Houston, going seven innings and permitting just one hit and a single earned run. Against Seattle his last time out, though, he got drilled for eight hits and vie earned runs in just five innings. He faces fellow Japanese starter Masahiro Tanaka for the first time, and Tanaka has been just as maddening for the Yankees. His last time out, he got pounded by the Athletics, permitting eight hits (including three home runs) and five earned runs in four innings in Oakland.  The time before that, he gave up three runs (one earned) in 6 ⅔ innings against the Angels. I like the Rangers to win on Friday because Darvish has a slightly better track record and the Yankees’ offense has been struggling more lately.

What About the Weekend Games?

Saturday, I see Bibens-Dirkx outpitching Cessa. Bibens-Dirkx, a 32-year- old rookie, has impressed in his debut season, while Cessa is still finding his way as a replacement in the Yankees’ rotation. However, on Sunday, I see Nick Martinez making it maybe into the fifth or sixth for Texas before the Yankee hitters figure him out and send a ball or two into the bleachers, and I see Pineda picking up his eighth win.

Baltimore at Tampa Bay

Friday: 7:10pm ET, Ubaldo Jimenez (2-2) (BAL) vs Chris Archer (5-4) (TB) Saturday: 4:10pm ET, Dylan Bundy (7-6) (BAL) vs Jacob Faria (3-0) (TB) Sunday: 1:10pm ET, Chris Tillman (1-5) (BAL) vs Jake Odorizzi (4-3) (TB) MLB Betting Odds: Rays -195 / Orioles +165 The Baltimore Orioles head down to sunny Florida in a bit of an offensive funk. Last weekend, they put up 23 runs on St. Louis in a pair of wins, but since then, they’ve scored 10 runs in four games — and six of them came in their lone win in a four-game set at home against the Cleveland Indians. The Rays come in having taken two of three from Cincinnati this week, and they’ve scored 26 runs in their last four games, winning three of those contests. On Friday, I like Chris Archer to outpitch Ubaldo Jimenez. In his last outing, he threw six strong innings against Detroit, limiting them to a pair of runs in a 3-2 win. Jimenez did throw seven strong innings against the Cardinals his last time out, but before that he had gone a combined 6 ⅔ innings in his last two outings. I don’t see him lasting long against a Tampa Bay offense that has been raking.

What Could Happen on Saturday and Sunday?

On Saturday, Tampa Bay starts Jacob Faria, who dazzled his last time out with seven strong innings, scattering six hits and allowing just a single earned run, while the Orioles start Dylan Bundy, who does have seven wins but has relied on significant offensive support to get his victories. I see the Rays winning this one too. The Rays will take the sweep on Sunday, as the Orioles have not gotten much at all out of Chris Tillman this year.

N.Y. Mets at San Francisco

Friday: 10:15pm ET, Seth Lugo (1-1) (NY) vs Ty Blach (4-4) (SF) Saturday: 7:15pm ET, Jacob deGrom (6-3) (NY) vs Johnny Cueto (5-7) (SF) Sunday: 4:05pm ET, Robert Gsellman (5-5) (NY) vs Matt Moore (3-7) (SF) MLB Betting Odds: Giants -130 / Mets +110 The San Francisco Giants have gone into a free fall, dropping 11 of 13, including three of four in Atlanta against the Braves. The Giants’ offense, which had been anemic for much of April and May, has not been the problem; instead, it has been that San Francisco pitching staff. In Colorado, the Giants scored 23 runs in four games but won none of them. In Atlanta, they put up 11 runs on Thursday but still lost, 12-11. On Friday night, the Mets start Seth Lugo, who has pitched well in both of his starts, permitting four earned runs in a combined 13 ⅔ innings. The Washington Nationals did touch him for two home runs in his last start, but the Giants don’t have the same sort of power in their lineup, beyond Buster Posey. The Giants start Ty Blach, who has given up 15 earned runs in his last three starts. I see Lugo winning that duel.

Who is the MLB Betting Favorite for Saturday and Sunday?

On Saturday, Jacob deGrom starts for the Mets. He has found his form in his last two starts, going 17 combined innings against the Cubs and the Nationals, permitting just one earned run and eight total hits. I see him outpitching Johnny Cueto, who is definitely not earning his ace-level contract this season. On Sunday, it’s a duel of two inconsistent pitchers in Gsellman and Moore, so I have to go with the better offense, so I’m taking the Mets to complete the sweep on Sunday afternoon.