Our free MLB Picks are out for Friday, August 13th, 2021! Make sure you check our MLB Picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free MLB Picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
Cincinnati Reds @ Philadelphia Phillies – 7.05PM ET
The Philadelphia Phillies losing streak may have ended, but they got back in the winning books against the Dodgers last night and are ready to host the Cincinnati Reds in this three game series. Who will draw first blood in this clash between two National League teams with the postseason on their minds?
Tim Newton
With both sides losing the first two games of their last series, before bouncing back in the third, it is hard to gauge whether momentum will carry any weight in this National League showdown. Despite having a better record than the Phillies, Cincinnati finds themselves four games out of the postseason while Philadelphia is currently leading the hotly contested race for the top of the NL East. That means both teams have plenty to play for but I am siding with the home team to pack more of a punch in this one. While they got taught a lesson in their last series, being outscored 14-4 across the three games, they were playing the Dodgers who are a top two team. They are also starting Zack Wheeler, whose 2.42 ERA ranks seventh for the season, and he will get them off to the start they need in this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Philadelphia Phillies (-196)
Bryce Cold 🥶#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/Imc6gS7Sez
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 12, 2021
Katherine Mouradian
The Phillies are coming off a series loss to the Dodgers, but before that, they had won eight games in a row. The Reds are also coming off a series loss to the Braves and they have lost three out of their last four. When it comes to playing a team with a right handed starter, the Reds have won nine out of their previous 11, and have also won 20 of their previous 27 games on a Friday. Looking now at the Phillies, they have won eight of their previous 11 when playing at home and against a team with a winning record, they have also won nine out of their previous 13 at home when playing a right handed starter. Wheeler has been pitching well as of late, so I’ll be on the Phillies.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Philadelphia Phillies (-196)
Mike Su
The in form Phillies take on the 62-win Reds in a battle for playoff seeding. This game holds a lot of importance for both teams. In response to that the Phillies are starting Zack Wheeler who is 10-6 when starting and has the 6th best ERA in the league with a 2.42 ERA. Wheeler also has the most strikeouts in the league. Although the Reds are starting Tyler Mahle at pitcher who is an above average pitcher, the Phillies undoubtedly have the edge in pitching. The Reds do hold the edge with their batting unit but I’m not sure if that is enough to counteract the strength of Wheeler at pitcher. The Phillies are also currently in slightly better form winning 8 of their last 10. I’m tentatively taking the Phillies to win this one in a tight game, with a secondary bet on the Reds line.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Philadelphia Phillies (-196)
Milwaukee Brewers @ Pittsburgh Pirates – 7.05PM ET
We have an NL Central showdown between the first placed Milwaukee Brewers and the last placed Pittsburgh Pirates. After losing eight straight games, the Pirates now have to host the red-hot Brewers in a three game series, starting tonight! Will Milwaukee add a ninth or can the Pirates cause the upset?
Tim Newton
This one could get seriously ugly. The Brewers, known more so for their incredible bullpen, have managed to score 27 runs across their last two games, outscoring the Cubs 37-9 across a four game series. They now face the Pirates, who can’t seem to win a game even if it got handed to them on a platter. To make things worse for Pittsburgh, they are starting Mitch Keller, who is just 3-9 this season with a dismal ERA of 7.06. Given Milwaukee’s batting over the last few games and this pitching decision by Pittsburgh, the Brewers could be on for another massive night. Add in the fact they are starting Brett Anderson, who has a tidy 3.54 ERA and I am like everything the Brewers are laying out here.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Milwaukee Brewers -2.5 (+122)
Katherine Mouradian
The Brewers were completely dominant in their last two clashes against the Cubs, winning 10-0 and 17-4. On the other hand, the Pirates have lost eight games in a row. This could turn out to be ugly for the Pirates fans. All of the stats, unsurprisingly, support the Brewers. They have won their previous four games on a Friday, and 45 of their previous 66 games overall. Whereas, the Pirates have won just two of their previous nine games at home, and just their previous 18 out of 57 games overall. The Brewers have also won six out of their previous seven clashes in Pittsburgh. This game has got the Brewers written all over it.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Milwaukee Brewers -1.5 (-130)
Mike Su
The bottom of the NL Central division Pirates play the top of the division powerhouse Brewers. The Pirates are in poor form with an 8 game losing streak and losing 9 of their last 11 games. When looking further beneath the surface, the Pirates chances look even more dire. The Pirates are bottom of the league in Runs per Game, bottom in Home Runs per Game and 2nd last in Run differential. The Pirates are one of the worst teams statistically in the league. On top of all of the team stats the Pirates are starting Mitch Keller who is 3-9 when starting this year and he sports a horrid 7.06 ERA. The Brewers are also 65-50-0 against the spread so I’m taking the Brewers line here.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Milwaukee Brewers -1.5 (-130)
Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Mets – 7.10PM ET
After winning a three game series in Philadelphia, against the NL East leading Phillies, the Los Angeles Dodgers now travel to Citi Field for a clash with the second placed New York Mets. Will they leave their mark in the opener or can New York’s three game sweep of the Nationals give them the momentum they need to take it up to the World Series favourites?
Tim Newton
While the Mets have won three straight at home, they now face the Dodgers. As blunt as that is, it is all that needs to be said really. LA just beat the Phillies 2-1, in Philadelphia, who had just won eight straight games, including three over the Mets, prior to their series. THis should be a very tantalizing defensive matchup, given both starting pitchers have an ERA lower than 3.50, however Julio Urias, LA’s starter is 13-3, while Tylor Megill, New York’s starter, is just 1-2. That is an indication of the disparity in batting lineups, with the Dodgers being far superior in that area. I think that will show tonight, especially late in the game, and should help them pick up another road win.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (-156)
Katherine Mouradian
The Mets are coming off a series win against Nationals, and have won three games in a row now. The Dodgers have won four out of their last five games, and won their previous series with the Phillies. The Dodgers have won 18 of their previous 25 games when playing a team in the NL East, but they have won just one out of their previous seven when it comes to the first game of a series. The Mets are in a similar boat, only winning one of their previous five when it comes to the first game of a series, they have also won four of their previous five when playing a team in the NL West. While Megill has had some tricky games in August, his performance in July is enough to back the Dodgers for this clash.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (-156)
Sweep complete! 🧹 #MetsWin #LGM pic.twitter.com/VbSE2b70yu
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 12, 2021
Mike Su
The 69 win Dodgers face a worthy adversary in the New York Mets who are right in the hunt for the Wild Card spot. To lead this crucial game in their playoff hunt the Mets are starting rookie Tyler Megill in his 10th career start. The giant pitcher, who stands at 6 foot 7 sports a high end 3.2 ERA. However in his last two starts which have both been losses, Megill has posted a measly 7.45 ERA which in simple terms is horrible. The Dodgers are the league’s third best batting unit so this will be a tough challenge for the rookie for a bounce back game. I personally don’t think Megill will be able to bounce back against this strong batting unit. Especially when taking into account the Dodgers’ league best run differential and opponent runs allowed per game, I think the Dodgers blow out the Mets here.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (+112)
Tampa Bay Rays @ Minnesota Twins – 8.10PM ET
The Minnesota Twins have faced two of the American League division leaders, winning both series, and will now face the third, the Tampa Bay Rays. Can the Twins start off on the right foot, heading towards another upset or can the Rays assert their dominance in a big road win? We have our best MLB picks for this game below!
Tim Newton
The Twins have become the giant killers over the last week, and the Rays should be genuinely worried. Just two games ago they gave up 20 runs to the out-of-form Red Sox and Minnesota is 5-2 from their last seven, against the Astros and White Sox, who are on top of the AL West and AL Central respectively. However, in their last series opener, against the White Sox, Minnesota lost 11-1 and Tampa Bay have won six of their last seven overall. When looking at both starters, both ERAs are in the 3.50-4.00 range, however the Rays offensive firepower is far superior and should be able to overcome this. Combine that with the fact that Tampa are 33-13 against teams below 0.500 and I think they should be too good tonight.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Tampa Bay Rays (-162)
Katherine Mouradian
The Twins are flying high at the moment after their surprising series victory against the White Sox. The Rays have won six out of their previous seven games overall, and they are now five games ahead of the second placed Red Sox in the AL East. The Rays have won all five of their previous games on a Friday and 16 of their previous 21 when playing a team in the AL Central. The Twins have won five of their previous seven games on a Friday, but just three out of their previous 10 after a day off. While it was a great underdog story with the Twins beating the White Sox, I’m not sure if they can do it again with the Rays, I’ll be on the Rays for this opening clash.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Tampa Bay Rays (-162)
Mike Su
The world champion Rays take on the 50 win Twins in what seems like a predictable matchup. The Rays are in red hot form and have won 10 of their last 13 games. There is a reason the Rays won the championship last year, and this goes back to their strength in every facet of the game. Although they aren’t ranked first in any of the major statistical categories they are top 5 in most. On the other side the Twins are a sneaky threat to make any game a surprise close one. The Twins are starting the above average Michael Pineda who sports a 3.83 ERA. The Twins are also 3rd in the league in Home Runs per Game and 4th in At Bats per Home Run. So instead of betting on the winner in this volatile matchup, I’m going to go and bet on the overs as I expect the Twins to have a random hot batting game.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Over 9 Total Runs (-122)
Houston Astros @ Los Angeles Angels – 9.38PM ET
The Houston Astros have bounced back into form and now travel to LA to take on the Los Angeles Angels. Tonight marks the first of three games between the AL West rivals and while Houston has won six of the nine matchups so far, LA has claimed two of the three series openers!
Tim Newton
The Angels are coming off a very tough four game series against the Blue Jays, which they split 2-2, but now have to back it up against a Houston side that is rested and comes in with momentum. The Astros took two games off the Rockies, outscoring them 10-1 over that span, and had yesterday off to travel and prepare. They are also starting Zack Greinke in the opener tonight and he brings a 3.69 ERA and an even more impressive 10-3 record. He also hasn’t registered a loss on the road all season, but has been able to pick up five of his wins when travelling. That is a good sign for Houston in this one as he typically gives their league-leading batting lineup a good head start and enables them to win more games than they lose. It should be close, but the Astros are the better team and I’ll happily take the odds on offer for them to win this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros (-154)
Katherine Mouradian
The Astros have won three out of their previous four, and they won their previous series with the Rockies. When it comes to the Angels, they are coming off a series tie with the Blue Jays. The Astros have won 50 of their previous 68 games after they have had a day off and won 68 of their previous 100 games on a Friday. Looking now at the Angels, they have won one game out of their previous six at home, and just 17 of their previous 53 games on a Friday. The Astros have won 36 of their previous 17 meetings with Los Angeles.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros (-154)
It’s Sho-time, eh? #WeBelieve | #SoCalMcD pic.twitter.com/vI93PKc4or
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 13, 2021
Mike Su
Everyone who knows me knows that there are a few people in sports that I never bet against. LeBron James, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Kevin Durant and Shohei Ohtani. The league leader in home runs takes on the Astros who are first in the league in Runs per Game. The Astros are also 1st in Hits per Game and 1st in Batting average. Pitching wise neither team necessarily has an edge with both Zack Greinke and Patrick Sandoval sporting similar averages. Therefore, despite the 11 win differential between the Astros and the Angels, I’m not comfortable choosing a winner so I’m taking the overs here.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Over 9 Total Runs (-104)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
