Best MLB Bets Today: Making Money in the Midwest

Our bets for today come from games where Midwest rivals will face off. The first is a rivalry matchup between the Cardinals and the Pirates. The second covers the Cubs vs. Pirates game, where we’ll finally get to see the highly anticipated debut of Paul Skenes. 

Below, we will share our favorite bet for these Midwest battles. The odds we use will be taken from FanDuel Sportsbook, which offers new players a bonus of $150 in Bonus Bets if their initial wager of $5+ wins.

Best MLB Bets Today: Cardinals vs. Brewers (7:15 PM EST)

Brewers ML (-162 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

The NL Central-leading Brewers are beginning to recapture some of their early-season magic. Christian Yelich (.333 BA, 5 HR, 12 RBI) is back in the lineup and looks like his old self. Milwaukee had missed the former NL MVP while he was out, struggling to find a replacement for his bat. While his ability to stay healthy is always a question, we like his chances at a big night as he faces Kyle Gibson (2-2, 3.68 ERA), who Yelich owns a .364 batting average against.

The Brewers will start Freddy Peralta (3-1, 3.49 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) on the mound tonight. The Milwaukee ace is one of the betting favorites to win the 2024 NL Cy Young, but he has fallen off lately. Walks have been an issue in two of his last three starts, allowing a combined 11 over 9 ⅔ innings. However, he did not allow any walks in the third start, meaning his control was not truly lost.

We like Freddy to bounce back in a big way tonight. He is coming back from a suspension that was not deserved and will face a familiar foe in the Cardinals. The righty has had a lot of success against the Cards, including a start earlier this season where he held them to one run on four hits and no walks over six innings. 

Best MLB Bets Today: Cubs vs. Pirates (4:05 PM EST)

Pirates ML (+100 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Pirates rookie Paul Skenes is one of the most hyped US prospects since Bryce Harper. His incredible college career made him the top pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, and he has already earned his way into the big leagues. 

While we haven’t seen Skenes in an MLB game, we know he has some incredible stuff. His ability to paint the corners means he can rack up strikeouts without having to throw them out of the zone. Skenes will have a tough challenge against a very good Cubs lineup, but his unique talent will make him a nightmare to figure out, especially in his MLB debut.

The Cubs will have their recently returned ace on the mound opposite of Skenes. Justin Steele (0-0, 0.96 ERA) has only made two starts after picking up a hamstring injury at the beginning of the season. He was great in his first start back last week, but he was on a tight pitch count, lasting just 68 pitchers over 4 ⅔ innings. He only threw 67 pitches in his first start, meaning a tight pitch count is likely tonight.

The Cubs are an excellent team, but their Achilles heel is the bullpen. Their rotation has been fantastic, but their relievers are costing them a lot of games. We expect this game to remain close, but the Pirates will have a significant edge once Steele is pulled. 

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