Our free MLB Picks are out for Saturday, September 25th, 2021! We have hand-picked today’s five best games, so make sure you check our MLB Picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free MLB Picks for today!
Houston Astros @ Oakland Athletics – 4.07PM EDT
This Saturday afternoon clash between the Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics will be the second of a three game series. The first game was played on Friday night and the Athletics proved too good at home, winning 14-2.
Tim Newton
Well the A’s certainly bounced back from their sweep at the hands of the Mariners. Houston came into town and got smacked by Oakland, making things even more interesting in the AL West standings and American League Wild Card race. Looking at this afternoon’s clash, I have followed Sean Manea through his starts for Oakland so far this season but I have to go against him here. He has given up nine runs in his last two games and comes up against a Houston batting lineup that is in the top three in the league.
They also have Framber Valdez starting, who has been impressive all season. Looking at his recent form, Valdez has gotten even better, posting a 4-2 record and 2.82 ERA in his last seven games. This means that Houston should get off to a much better start than last night and should be able to stay in front in this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros (-122)
Katherine Mouradian
The Athletics finally snapped their four game losing streak against the Astros, but it could very well not be enough for them to push forward and claim the final Wild Card spot. Not only do the Athletics need to win, but they need other results to go their way, so things aren’t just in their hands, but they need to do what they can to give themselves a chance. The Astros are at the top of the AL Central, but haven’t officially been confirmed as a playoff team, as the Mariners are seven games behind them. The Astros have won five of their previous seven games on the road and have won 40 of their previous 59 division games.
No. 30 for Jose Altuve. 💣#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/l3J86b2wMX
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 25, 2021
The Athletics have won two of their previous nine games when they are the underdog and they have won three of their previous 11 when it comes to the second game of a series. The result of this game has so much impact on both the teams, so both will be feeling the pressure going into this one. Manaea for the Athletics has been really struggling as of late, and for that reason I’m going to go with the Astros. The Astros also love a left handed pitcher and know just how to take advantage of it. Give me the Astros to bounce back and get another vital win under their belts.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros (-122)
Mike Su
After a blowout win by the Athletics, the Astros will be looking to bounce back. The As snapped a 4 game losing streak with a huge win over the Astros yesterday and look to repeat this effort as they try to claw their way back into playoff contention during these last bunch of games. The As will face tough competition in this matchup with Framber Valdez playing. Valdez has been great this season with a 3.07 ERA and 1.27 WHIP leading to a 11-5 record.
However, in his last game against the As, Valdez had a poor showing with 6 allowed runs and 10 hits in 5 innings. This doesn’t bode well for the Astros who are walking away from a confidence breaking win against a much lesser opponent. The Athletics’ starting pitcher in this matchup has been better comparatively to Valdez. In Manaea’s 4 games against the Astros, he has allowed just 13 runs in 23 innings, which is considerably better than Valdez’s pace. Thus, due to Manaea’s strong past performances and Valdez’s poor past performances, I thinking the Athletics win another game in this series
Mike’s MLB Pick: Oakland Athletics (+104)
New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox – 4.10PM EDT
This Saturday afternoon game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will be the second of a three game series. The first game was played on Friday, and the Yankees were victorious, 7-3.
Tim Newton
With the Yankees winning last night, the tide has certainly changed in this series. I thought Boston would come out and win the opener but New York has thrown a spanner in the works and I think they could go on and win again. The Red Sox are starting Nick Pivetta for this one and that isn’t a good sign for them. He has a 4.63 ERA for the season and that has increased to 4.83 when looking at his last seven games, where he has a 1-2 record. He has given up 17 runs on 31 hits over that stretch, and given New York showed that they can score runs in bunches last night, it could be a messy game.
On the other hand, New York is starting Nestor Cortes. While he has started just 12 of his 20 games this season, he has a very impressive 2.79 ERA and has given up just seven runs across 22.1 innings in his four games pitched in September so far. The Yankees certainly have the edge in this clash, it is just a matter of whether they can execute, which I think they will.
Tim’s MLB Pick: New York Yankees (-102)
Katherine Mouradian
Boston never really had a chance in this game with the Yankees, and they trailed from the very first innings. It was a much needed win by the Yankees as they continue to cling onto the final spot in the AL Wild Card, now two games ahead of the Blue Jays, who are in third. The Red Sox are still holding the first Wild Card spot, and it is looking likely that they will progress into the playoffs. The Yankees have won two of their previous nine games against a team in the AL East and they have won 71 of their previous 105 games on a Saturday.
The Red Sox have won all four of their previous games on a Saturday and they have also won all four of their previous game two of a series clash. I fully expected the Red Sox to win last time out against the Yankees, but the Yankees offense was way too strong. The Red Sox are putting up Pivetta as the starter, he did have a difficult patch in the past, but I think he is coming up good now. I’m going to stick with the Red Sox again, if they can get their offense working, this should be an interesting match to watch.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Boston Red Sox (-116)
Mike Su
After a dominating Yankees win, the Red Sox now only hold a 1 game lead for the first Wild Card Spot. The Yankees have shown the Red Sox that they mean business with a 8-3 win, which now brings their winning streak to 4 games. The Yankees have regained form after a shocking stretch recently and have now won 7 of their last 10 games. The Yankees will be going hard again with the starting of Nestor Cortes. Cortes has been incredible in limited playing time. Cortes has a 2.79 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 84 innings this year.
He will need to bring his A game against the Red Sox who are one of the best batting teams in the league. The Red Sox will be utilising Nick Pivetta as starting pitcher to try and beat this bottom half Yankees batting unit. Pivetta has been below average this season with a 4.63 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. In Pivetta’s lone game against the Yankees he had a shocking run with 4 allowed runs in just 1.2 innings. This does not give the Red Sox much confidence going into this matchup. Thus due to the uncertainty around the pitching for both sides I’m going with the overs.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Over 10.5 runs (-110)
Toronto Blue Jays @ Minnesota Twins – 7.10PM EDT
This Saturday evening clash between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins will be the third of a four game series. The Twins have taken out both games so far in this series, winning the first game 7-2, and the second game 3-1.
Tim Newton
While Minnesota has taken the first two games of this series, I’m all over the Blue Jays in this one. They are sending out Robbie Ray to start this game and he is Toronto’s best starting pitcher, and one of the best across all of baseball. From his 30 starts, Ray has a 12-6 record and 2.72 ERA, but looking at his recent form, he is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA over his last seven games.
Comparing that to Minnesota, who are starting John Gant, this game could be a blowout. Gant is 5-9 with a 3.76 ERA this season but that ERA has ballooned to 5.57 when looking at his last seven games. Toronto have a top level batting lineup and are primed to explode after two lacklustre performances.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (-128)
Katherine Mouradian
With nothing but pride to play for, the Twins are really showing us what they got, and they have now one four games in a row! The Yankees are cheering the Twins on really hard, as these two losses to the Blue Jays are preventing them (at the moment) from taking the final Wild Card spot off the Yankees. The Blue Jays are two games behind the Yankees for a Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays have won 20 of their previous 27 games played on a Saturday, and they have won eight of their previous nine when it comes to the third game of a series.
Save No. 16. 🤝#TwinsWin | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/l0ssJU3RlD
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 25, 2021
The Twins have won eight of their previous 27 games at home when playing a left handed starter, and they have won just two of their previous eight when it comes to the third game of a series. I’ve been impressed with the way the Twins have been playing as of late, but I’m weary of when this run will come to an end, and I think it will end in this match. There is just too much for the Blue Jays to play for, and they will do anything to get this win and keep their Wild Card spot hopes alive. The Blue Jays are starting with Ray, who has been very effective so far this season, and I’ll be expecting a good game from him with a win to the team on the road!
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays (-196)
Mike Su
The Blue Jays look to redeem themselves from an avoidable loss to the Twins. Despite sitting in the top 5 batting teams in the league and possessing the league’s home run leader, the Blue Jays could only muster 1 run. This likely won’t happen again as the Blue Jays have now slipped 2 games behind the Yankees for the final Wild Card spot in the playoffs. The Blue Jays will likely start hard and fast behind their best pitcher Robbie Ray. Ray has been a gun this year with a 2.72 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 238 strikeouts in 182 innings.
Ray should have a field day against the Twins. In 11 innings against the Rays recently, Ray allowed just 4 runs against one of the best batting teams in the league. Ray should absolutely dominate the Twins in this crucial game for the Blue Jays. Although the Blue Jays have been sliding recently with a 3 game losing streak and only 4 wins in their last 10 games, I think they will bounce back in a big way against the Twins.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (-128)
Atlanta Braves @ San Diego Padres – 7.15PM EDT
This Saturday evening clash between the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres will be the third of a four game series. The Padres were good enough to get the win in the first game of the series, 6-5, but in the second game, the Braves bounced back to win, 4-0.
Tim Newton
With Atlanta bringing in momentum from their 4-0 win last night, I think they will go on and win again in this one. They were unlucky not to win the first game and have been the much better team in this series. Adding to their good form, they are starting the superior starting pitcher in this clash. Huascar Ynoa hasn’t been great this season, with a 4-5 record and 3.43 ERA, but he has been good and is still much better than Vince Velasquez.
San Diego’s starter has a 3-8 record and 6.23 ERA from his 23 games, with 19 of those being starts. He started the season with the Phillies but was released by them and has only featured in two games for the Padres since getting picked up off waivers. In those two games he has given up seven runs across just five innings and may not be up to it here.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Atlanta Braves -1.5 (+146)
Katherine Mouradian
It was just what the doctor ordered for the Braves, who have the Phillies absolutely breathing down their necks for the top spot in the NL East. The way things are shaping out means that if the Braves want to play in the playoffs, they have to win the NL East, if they are second they won’t have a good enough record to claim one of the Wild Card spots. On the other side, the Padres are pretty much done for, mainly thanks to their very poor results in September, which saw them win just seven games all month so far.
The Braves have won none of their previous four games played on a Saturday and have won two of their previous seven games against a team that has a winning record. The Padres have won just one of their previous seven games in total and have won three of their previous 11 games played at home when going up against a team with a winning record. The lineup for the Braves going into this match just looks better than the Padres, and considering the way the Padres have been playing in September, I just can’t put my hard earned cash on them. Give me the Braves for the win on the road.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Atlanta Braves (-120)
Mike Su
The Braves shutdown the Padres in a dominant defensive effort in the last game to secure the win. This win by the Braves comes at an important time as they look to hold off the Phillies for the division lead and a spot in the playoffs. The Padres are out of the playoffs and present themselves as a difficult to predict opponent. Sitting in one of the best divisions in baseball, the Padres have had to face the 100-win Giants and 99-win Dodgers a large number of times, meaning they are used to playing tough baseball.
They now play the leader of one of the worst divisions in baseball. The Padres could very much be a chance in this game if they look for some sort of redemption. However, the front office may explore what they have in terms of younger pieces and that could gift the Braves yet another win. I think that the Braves, behind Huascar Ynoa, will play another dominant defensive game to keep themselves in the NL East division lead. The Padres won’t put up a fight here.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Atlanta Braves (-120)
San Francisco Giants @ Colorado Rockies – 8.10PM EDT
This Saturday night clash between the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies will be the second of a three game series. The first game was played on Friday and, unsurprisingly, the Giants were just too good for the Rockies, winning 7-2.
Tim Newton
San Francisco is clearly the best team in the league and they showed it in the series opener. Colorado usually scores easily at home but the Giants’ defense restricted them to just two runs, while the offense scored seven of their own. Looking at this clash now, the Giants look to be in the box seat again. Their starter has much better figures, and as mentioned, they are clearly the best team.
Anthony DeSclafani has a 12-7 record and 3.23 ERA for the season with that number improving to 3.06 over his last seven games. That is compared to Jon Gray, whose record is 8-11 and ERA is 4.17. That ERA has blown out recently as well, sitting at 6.00 over his last seven and he has given up 2+ runs in 11 of his last 13 games. San Francisco are the better team, have the better form and the better starting pitcher – this only could be ugly, again.
Tim’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+105)
Katherine Mouradian
The Giants are officially the first team to reach 100 wins this season, but they still haven’t solidified their position at the top of the NL West, thanks to the Dodgers also having a great season. The Dodgers sit one and a half games behind the Giants, but one thing is for sure, the Giants will be playing in the postseason. The Rockies are out of the playoffs, and they have had a tough draw as of late, playing the Dodgers and now playing the Giants! The Giants have won 41 of their previous 57 games on the road and they have won 13 of their previous 16 when it comes to the second game of the series.
Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!
(#SFGiants x @Xfinity) pic.twitter.com/HLhgSxgWDC
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 25, 2021
The Rockies have won six of their previous eight games on a Saturday and they have won five of their previous seven games when they are the underdog. Considering the Giants have won all five of their previous meetings with the Rockies, I’ll be sticking with the Giants for this one. The Giants offense will love hitting the Rockies starting pitcher, Gray, all around the ground, and on the defensive side of things, Giants starting pitcher, DeSclafani, should keep things tight.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+105)
Mike Su
The Giants are the first team to 100 wins in the league and got there in dominant fashion with a 7-2 win over the Rockies. The Giants will once again be playing their division rival Rockies to try to broaden the 1 game lead they have over the Dodgers. Any slip up by the Giants could be lethal and have them going from the number 1 seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs, to a Wild Card. This would be dangerous for a team that has been consistently good throughout the year.
The Giants won’t be taking any chances in this game by starting Anthony DeSclafani. DeSclafani has been good this year with a 3.23 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. DeSclafani has been particularly dominant against the Rockies this season. In 4 games against the Rockies, DeSclafani has had 26 strikeouts and allowed just 5 runs in 24 innings. DeSclafani will do the job nicely once again in this upcoming game and help keep the Giants 1 game lead over the Dodgers.
Mike’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+105)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
