Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, August 30

Washington Nationals vs Toronto Blue Jays

• Time: 3:07 EST
• Starting Pitchers: Patrick Corbin (WAS) vs Chris Bassitt (TOR)
• Moneyline: Nationals (+195) | Blue Jays (-238)
• Run Line: Nationals +1.5 (-110) | Blue Jays -1.5 (-110)
• Total:Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

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

My Pick: Nationals +1.5

For an upset pick on Wednesday, look no further than the Nats and Blue Jays, who have a rubber match after Washington took Tuesday’s game 5-4. Oddsmakers are giving even odds on the Jays failing to cover the spread, making this a smart pick. Keep in mind that Toronto is just 21-35 against the spread as a home favorite this season. The Blue Jays aren’t in great form at the moment and neither is Chris Bassitt, so this is far from an easy win against Patrick Corbin and the Nats despite what the odds may indicate.

The Blue Jays head into Wednesday’s game losing five of their last seven games. They have fallen on some hard times during the end of August, making them an unreliable favorite. Surprisingly, that’s true with Chris Bassitt on the mound, as the Jays are just 2-4 in Bassitt’s last six starts. While he hasn’t pitched particularly poorly, Bassitt has allowed at least four runs in three of his last five starts. In other words, he’s not pitched well enough lately for Toronto to be such a heavy favorite in this game.

On the other side, Corbin has pitched surprisingly well lately. The lefty has a 2.70 ERA during the month of August with the Nats going 4-1 in his last five starts. Corbin even got the win in his last two starts, so his confidence is up. The Nationals are also 12-5 over their last 17 games with two of those five losses coming by one run. Washington is also 45-23 against the spread as a road underdog this season. The Nationals have excelled in that role this year, at least keeping games close, if not winning them. They’ve also been playing better than the Blue Jays at the moment, making them a good bet to pull off an upset or at least lose a close game on Wednesday.

Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners

• Time: 4:10 EST
• Starting Pitchers: Zach Neal (OAK) vs Bryce Miller (SEA)
• Moneyline: Athletics (+235) | Mariners (-290)
• Run Line: Athletics +1.5 (+114) | Mariners -1.5 (-135)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Mariners -1.5

The Mariners were no doubt disappointed to have lost on Tuesday, setting up a rubber match with the A’s on Wednesday. However, Seattle remains the hottest team in baseball, going 12-2 during the second half of August, catapulting the Mariners into first place in the AL West. Given Seattle’s winning streak, the Mariners should have no problem bouncing back with a lopsided win over the A’s.

The Mariners will send Bryce Miller to the mound on Wednesday, as he looks to continue his outstanding season. Miller is 8-4 with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP, becoming a key part of the Seattle rotation. The Mariners are also 6-2 in Miller’s starts since the all-star break. While there are a couple of sub-par starts during that stretch, Miller has allowed one run or less over five-plus innings five times during that eight-game stretch. He’ll also be facing an Oakland lineup that’s scored six total runs in the team’s last four games. Miller should be good enough to silence the A’s and make it easy for the Mariners.

Meanwhile, the A’s will turn to Zach Neal to get the start on Wednesday. The veteran has pitched mostly out of the bullpen this year, posting a 6.88 ERA. However, he did last five innings and got the win last Friday against the White Sox, so he should be able to give Oakland some length. However, he’ll be facing a red-hot Seattle lineup that’s averaging 7.4 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games. Most of the Seattle lineup has been in a groove lately, especially Julio Rodriguez, who is batting .558 with a 1.519 OPS over his last 11 games. With a lineup like that and Miller on the mound, the Mariners should respond positively to Tuesday’s loss and get an easy win on Wednesday.

Arizona Diamondback Los Angeles Dodgers

• Time: 10:10 EST
• Starting Pitchers: Brandon Pfaadt (AZ) vs Ryan Pepiot (LAD) 
• Moneyline: Diamondbacks (+130) | Dodgers (-155)
• Run Line: Diamondbacks +1.5 (-148) | Dodgers -1.5 (+124)
• Total: Over 10 (-108) | Under 10 (-112)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Dodgers ML

Wednesday will be the final game of the season between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers. Los Angeles has won seven of 12 against Arizona this year, including the last four. The Dodgers have been tough to stop during the second half of the season and are also 45-19 (.703) as home favorites this year. More recently, they have won 19 of their last 22 games. The kicker is that because Ryan Pepiot is making the start, the Dodgers aren’t favored as heavily as usual, making this a great time to bet on Los Angeles with decent value.

Unfortunately for Pepiot, an oblique strain suffered during spring training has sidelined him for most of the season. But he impressed in the big league last year and has posted a 2.00 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP over his first nine innings in the majors this season. That should make the Dodgers comfortable with him on the mound as they go for the sweep. 

It should help Pepiot that the Dodgers have scored at least five runs in seven consecutive games. Los Angeles has outscored Arizona 16-5 over the first two games of this series, so things are clicking for the Dodgers offensively right now. 

There should be little doubt that will continue against rookie Brandon Pfaadt, who enters Wednesday’s start with a 5.91 ERA. To be fair, Pfaadt is coming off the first win of his career and has posted a 3.03 ERA in August. But he also failed to get out of the fifth inning and took the loss when he faced Los Angeles earlier this month. At this point, Pepiot is a better bet than Pfaadt to deliver a quality start. Plus, with the way the Los Angeles lineup has been scoring runs lately, the Dodgers should be well-positioned to complete the sweep of the D’Backs.