Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, August 8

Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers

• Time: 6:40 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Sonny Gray vs Eduardo Rodriguez
• Moneyline: Twins (-118) | Tigers (-102)
• Runline: Twins -1.5 (+142) | Tigers +1.5 (-170)
• Total: Over 8 (-112) | Under 8 (-108)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out other MLB betting sites for more betting opportunities!   

My Pick: Twins Moneyline (-118)

The Minnesota Twins are playing some of the best baseball in the major leagues right now, as they have won five games in a row. On Tuesday, they look to extend their win streak to six games as they face the Detroit Tigers. In this AL Central matchup, the Twins will need to overcome one of the better starters in their division, but they should be able to do just that by winning the battle on the mound.

In this game, Detroit is sending Eduardo Rodriguez out to start things off, who enters with a 7-5 record and a 2.96 ERA. Despite those impressive numbers, though, Rodriguez may be outmanned on the mound in this game. That is because the Twins are sending Sonny Gray to the bump, which should give them a slight edge in the starting pitching department in this contest.

This season, Gray is 5-4 with a 3.18 ERA, and he will look to improve from his lone outing against the Tigers from earlier this season. In that game, Gray gave up two runs in four innings of work. Expect better from the Twins ace in this contest, as he should deliver his team to a sixth win in a row to help the Twins stay clear of the Cleveland Guardians in the standings.

Atlanta Braves vs Pittsburgh Pirates

• Time: 7:05 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Yonny Chirinos vs Mitch Keller
• Moneyline: Braves (-162) | Pirates (+138)
• Runline: Braves -1.5 (-102) | Pirates +2.5 (-118)
• Total: Over 9.5 (-110) | Under 9.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

My Pick: Pirates +1.5 (-118)

On Monday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates delivered a shock to the Atlanta Braves, with Pittsburgh winning their series opener at PNC Park. On Tuesday, the Braves will look to avenge that loss and even this series at a game apiece in Pittsburgh. But we like the Pirates to cover as runline underdogs in this matchup, in what should be a tight game either way in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates will be tasked with scoring on Yonny Chirinos to start this game, as the former Tampa Bay Ray gets the start for the Braves. Chirinos is 1-0 in two starts with Atlanta, but he has allowed seven earned runs in 8.2 innings as a Brave. After the Pirates touched up NL Cy Young's favorite Spencer Strider last night, there is certainly no reason to count out the Pirates from scoring in this game.

Also giving the Pirates an advantage going into this game is the fact that Mitch Keller is on the mound for them. Keller is 9-8 with a 4.35 ERA so far this season, and the Pirates ace was even in the NL Cy Young conversation for a good chunk of this year. While those days are long gone, Keller still has more than enough talent to put together a quality start against this Braves team to help his side stay within a run or win outright.

Texas Rangers vs Oakland Athletics

• Time: 9:40 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Max Scherzer vs JP Sears
• Moneyline: Rangers (-240) | Athletics (+190)
• Runline: Rangers -1.5 (-140) | Athletics +1.5 (+115)
• Total: Over 8 (-110) | Under 8 (-110)

Odds courtesy of PointsBet.

My Pick: Athletics Moneyline (+190)

In our final MLB best bet for Tuesday, we are going to get a little spicy and take the Oakland Athletics to win outright against the Texas Rangers. Yes, this is a battle between first and last place in the AL West. Yes, the Rangers have a star pitcher on the mound for this contest. But this bet has a much better chance of winning than its odds would suggest.

First of all, the pitching matchup for this game is much more evenly matched than one would think. Max Scherzer has a 10-4 record with a 4.04 ERA, while JP Sears has a 2-8 record with a 4.07 ERA. Their numbers have been incredibly similar, even if their results in the win column have not been, which will create a more interesting game than anticipated in a mostly empty Oakland Coliseum.

Of course, the Rangers do have a batting order that is vastly superior to that of the Athletics. But that did not stop the A’s from taking a lead into the final couple of innings against the Rangers on Monday night. Expect a similar situation to unfold in this game, and the A’s could end up closing this one out to get an upset win at home.