Best MLB Bets This Weekend | MLB Picks, July 1-2

Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago Cubs

• Time: Saturday, July 1 at 7:15 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Tanner Bibee vs Marcus Stroman
• Moneyline: Guardians (+115) | Cubs (-135)
• Runline: Guardians +1.5 (-165) | Cubs -1.5 (+140)
• Total: Over 7.5 (-115) | Under 7.5 (-105)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Cubs Moneyline (-135)

The first bet on our list of MLB best bets for this weekend comes from Chicago, where the Chicago Cubs will host the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. In that game, Marcus Stroman takes the hill for the Cubs, who is putting together a season that is starting to earn him NL Cy Young consideration. Expect Stroman to lead his team to a win over a Guardians team that has not been impressive at all offensively.

This season, Stroman has a 9-5 record and a 2.47 ERA, and he has been one of the emotional leaders of the Cubs this season. In 102 innings of work entering this weekend, he has allowed just five home runs, despite being someone who pitches to contact more than he racks up strikeouts. As long as the Guardians do not take him out of Wrigley Field in this game, the Cubs should have a significant pitching edge.

So far this season, only three teams have scored fewer runs than the Cleveland Guardians this season. Those teams are the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Detroit Tigers, all of whom are in the conversation for being one of the worst teams in baseball. Cleveland needs to step things up offensively in this game, even if they have the promising Tanner Bibee on the mound.

San Francisco Giants vs New York Mets

• Time: Saturday, July 1 at 4:10 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Anthony DeSclafani vs Justin Verlander
• Moneyline: Giants (+126) | Mets (-148)
• Run Line: Giants +1.5 (-162) | Mets -1.5 (+134)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

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

My Pick: Giants Moneyline (+126)

Also on the Saturday MLB slate, expect the San Francisco Giants to pick up a win on the road against the New York Mets. The Mets have really struggled of late, and the fact that Justin Verlander is on the mound is not going to help them in this game. With the Giants at a plus price in this contest, they are a good value to get a victory for the second straight day over New York’s National League team.

The Mets have lost 10 of their last 13 games, including five of their last six outings, and three straight home games. They have blown big leads during that stretch, they have struggled to keep their composure in tight games, and have lost in just about every other way imaginable. Here, there is no reason to expect that they will maintain their composure against the Giants either.

On the flip side, the Giants have shown incredible grit over the last couple of weeks, fighting back from late-inning deficits and not imploding like the Mets have. The differences in how these teams handle themselves late in games could end up being the difference in this contest, and we will take the Giants to do the better job of that here.

Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves

• Time: Sunday, July 2 at 1:35 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Sandy Alcantara vs Spencer Strider
• Moneyline: Marlins (+160) | Braves (-190)
• Runline: Marlins +1.5 (-135) | Braves -1.5 (+115)
• Total: Over 8 (-110) | Under 8 (-110)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Braves -1.5 (+115)

The final MLB best bet on our card for this weekend comes on Sunday afternoon, when the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves square off. This is a battle of aces on paper, as Sandy Alcantara takes the mound for the Marlins, while Spencer Strider does the honors for the Braves. But the Braves have a huge advantage on the mound in this game that will help them to cover the runline at home.

So far this season, Alcantara has struggled mightily for Miami, posting a record of 3-6 and an ERA of 4.82. Meanwhile, Strider is still in the mix for the NL Cy Young award, as he comes into this contest with a 9-2 record and a 3.73 ERA. Look for Strider to showcase that he is a better pitcher than last year’s unanimous NL Cy Young recipient and for that to get the Braves off to a great start in this contest down in Atlanta.