Our free MLB Picks are out for Monday, August 23rd, 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!
Texas Rangers @ Boston Red Sox – 1.10PM ET
The Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox are making up for their game they missed on Friday night, with the Red Sox looking to bounce back after yesterday’s showing. The Rangers managed to win 10-1, leveling the series and looking to pick up their second series win from their last three played.
Tim Newton
This was an unbelievable outcome and a night that Eduardo Rodriguez will want to forget. He gave up five runs off eight hits in just 3.2 innings of work and meant that the Red Sox never had a chance. The positive is, he won’t be pitching in this one and Boston has elected to start with Nathan Eovaldi, who is 10-8 with an ERA of 3.91. Those numbers aren’t anything flashy but that are still much better than those of Texas starter, Kolby Allard. The 3-10 record is no surprise, given the Rangers’ poor record, but his 4.88 ERA isn’t great either, giving up too many opportunities to opposing batters. Given Boston is currently tied for the last wild card slot, with Oakland who has tough matchups against the Mariners and Yankees this week, I am assuming they will come out with more purpose in this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Boston Red Sox -1.5 (-167)
Some good news?
#TexasRangers Adolis García leads all #MLB rookies with 26 HR and 70 RBI. 👏
#StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/7f0L7qfdTD— Rangers Nation (@RangerNationDAL) August 20, 2021
Katherine Mouradian
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was watching the second game of this series, with the Rangers dominating from the get go, and ended up winning 10-1! The Rangers are 29.5 games behind the AL West leaders, the Astros, but they certainly weren’t playing like their position suggests. Looking at some of the key stats now, the Red Sox have won 23 of their previous 31 when they are the favorite and playing at home and when they are just playing at home, they have won 19 of their previous 26 games. When it comes to the Rangers, they have won just nine of their previous 52 games on the road and, before yesterday, hadn’t won any of their previous six games when playing a team in the AL East. The Red Sox made a lot of mistakes in the second game of this series, and I don’t think they will do that again, so I like the Red Sox to fire back in a big way in this game.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Boston Red Sox -1.5 (-167)
Mike Su
The 70-win Red Sox got obliterated in their last game against the Rangers and are looking for redemption. In the 10-1 loss, Eduardo Rodrigez was outplayed by Ranger Jordan Lyles. I don’t expect the same result. The Rangers have only won 48 games for a reason, they are ranked in the bottom 5 in the league for every meaningful team statistic and I think the Rangers regress to the mean. The Red Sox have a slight edge at pitcher with Nathan Eovaldi starting. Eovaldi is particularly good against losing teams like the Rangers, posting 8 wins from his last 10 games against teams with losing records. This game is a must win for the Red Sox as they are tied with Oakland for the second Wild Card spot. A win here would help ensure they don’t slip further, especially after losing a considerable lead in the Wild Card race to the Yankees. I think the Red Sox also revert to the mean and play this game to the level they are capable of and take care of the Rangers.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Boston Red Sox -1.5 (-167)
Chicago White Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays – 7.07PM ET
Both the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are coming off disappointing 1-2 series losses last time out and will be wanting to right the ship in the first of four games tonight. Toronto will relish being at home but the White Sox are a better team overall – so who comes out on top?
Tim Newton
While I know that the Blue Jays love being able to play back in Toronto, in front of their fans, I can’t go against Lance Lynn in this matchup. The Blue Jays have failed to win each of their last four series and are just 3-7 from their last 10. That is dangerous heading into a matchup with Lynn, given he has figures of 10-3 from 22 starts, a 2.26 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, which have him as one of the best in the majors. While the Blue Jays have the best OPS and have scored the fifth most runs this season, those numbers slip to 13th and 16th, respectively, when looking at the last 15 days of action. Looking at Lynn’s figures on the road, he is 4-1 from eight starts with a 2.47 ERA and his last four road games have seen him pitch six innings and allow just one run in each game. Those are some incredible figures and he is definitely a difference maker for this AL Central-leading Chicago outfit.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Chicago White Sox (-116)
Katherine Mouradian
This is the first game of a four game series and the White Sox are looking to bounce back after a difficult series with the Rays, going down 1-2. The Blue Jays are also looking to make up some ground, after losing their series with the Tigers 1-2. The Blue Jays have a great home record at the moment and in their previous 14 games at home, they have won 10 of them, but looking at their games played on a Monday, they haven’t won any of their previous seven. On the other side, the White Sox have won their last seven clashes when it comes to the first game of a series and have won 84 of their previous 123 when they are the favorite. Despite the Blue Jays great record at home, I think the White Sox are too good of a team.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Chicago White Sox (-116)
Mike Su
Although neither team is in particularly good form, the Blue Jays have been sliding in the tail end of this season. Although they hold a 11.1% chance of making playoffs, in their current form this is very unlikely to occur. The Blue Jays have lost 7 of their last 10 games, with another loss looking likely. The White Sox are starting Lance Lynn, who is one of the best pitchers this season posting a 2.26 ERA, and he has maintained this pace in his most recent games. However, Lynn’s inclusion is no guarantee of a low scoring game as the Blue Jays’ batting unit is led by Valdimir Guerrero Jr, who is second in the MLB for home runs behind Shohei Ohtani. The Blue Jays are also solid on the defensive side starting Alex Manoah, who has a 3.34 ERA and 73 strikeouts in just 62 innings. Manoah and the Blue Jays top 5 defense should hold the White Sox to a low score. This game is a toss up with both sides providing a formidable defensive lineup, therefore, I’m going with the unders here.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Under 8.5 (-108)
New York Yankees @ Atlanta Braves – 7.20PM ET
Two nine game winning streaks are put on the line when the Atlanta Braves host the New York Yankees tonight. These two sides are the most in-form teams in the comp and have played their way into the playoffs during their respective winning streaks, but who can keep it going in this one?
Tim Newton
I’m taking the Yankees in this one. While both sides are enjoying nine game winning streaks, New York’s has been much more impressive. Their wins have come against the White Sox (0.576), Red Sox (0.560) and Twins (0.435) while the Braves wins have come against the Nationals (0.431), Marlins (0.408) and Orioles (0.309). While Atlanta’s run differential has been five more than the Yankees, over this stretch, the Braves haven’t won by more than three runs over their last five games, while the Yankees have won by eight and six in their last two games respectively. That sort of momentum will carry them in good stead for this clash and the Braves may be in for a rude awakening after facing some lesser teams.
Tim’s MLB Pick: New York Yankees (+106)
Yankees and Braves’ 9 game winning streaks: pic.twitter.com/0026HGR4cK
— Yanks Yak (@YanksYak) August 22, 2021
Katherine Mouradian
The Yankees are enjoying a very nice string of wins at the moment, they have won nine games in a row, and this includes wins against some very competitive teams, like the White Sox and the Red Sox. Not to be outdone, the Braves have a nice run of wins going as well, they have also won nine games in a row. One team’s string of consecutive wins is about to come to an end tonight! The Yankees have won 21 of their previous 26 games overall and when it comes to the first game of a series they have won five of their previous six. Looking at the Braves now, they have won 20 of their previous 27 games overall and have won all six of their previous matchups when it comes to the first game of a series. This is a difficult one to pick who will come out on top. With both teams playing so well, they will have to step up their game against each other, and I think this will result in a low scoring affair.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Under 9 (-115)
Mike Su
The red-hot Yankees have nine wins in a row and look to make it 10 against the NL East leading Atlanta Braves. However, the Braves are also on a 9 win streak and have been playing very well. This will be a matchup of 2 red-hot playoff contenders who are looking to build momentum going into the playoffs. Pitching-wise the Braves hold a definitive edge with Huascar Ynoa who has a 2.70 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 50 innings. The Yankees don’t look in bad shape either with Jordan Montgomery starting. Montgomery has a solid 3.77 ERA but has a 4-5 record. The Braves have a statistical edge on the Yankees throughout the season, ranking in the top 10 for most important team statistics. The Yankees are better than the statistics show, as evident by their record, but is this enough to put them above the Braves? The defining factor here is who the teams have played during their current win streaks. The Braves have beaten relatively bad teams during this streak while the Yankees have beaten a number of contenders. Thus, I think the Braves will be beaten by a wide margin as they get their first taste of a strong contender in a few weeks.
Mike’s MLB Pick: New York Yankees (+106)
Kansas City Royals @ Houston Astros – 8.10PM ET
This matchup may seem like a mismatch on paper but the Kansas City Royals are 6-1 from their last seven games while the Houston Astros are just 3-4. Adding to the intrigue of this matchup is the fact that in those seven games, these sides faced each other four games with the 0.447 Royals beating the 0.589 Astros 3-1 in those games. Can Houston get revenge at home or does Kansas City have their number?
Tim Newton
While the Royals seemed to get the better of Houston during their four game series in Kansas City last week, this one is being played in Houston and I like the way the Astros have gone about their business. Houston have won three of their last four, including beating the Royals 6-3 in their series finale. When looking at the starting pitchers for this clash, Houston definitely has the advantage, giving Zack Greinke the ball first while Kansas City is giving it to Daniel Lynch. Greinke is 11-3 with a 3.43 ERA from his 25 starts this season and has given up just four runs from 19 innings in his three games so far in August. Meanwhile, Lynch is just 3-3 with an ERA of 5.12 from just eight starts this season and has given up eight runs from 13.2 innings in his three games on the road. All the numbers lead towards the Astros winning this one and while they have burnt a lot of bets over the last few weeks, you have to back them in this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros -1.5 (-125)
Katherine Mouradian
The Royals are coming off a nice 3-0 series victory against the Cubs and will look to continue their form against one of the league’s heavyweights. The Astros are also coming off a series win against the Mariners, winning 2-1. The two teams actually played each other earlier this month, and the Royals were victorious in that series 3-1! The Royals have won only two of their previous seven when it comes to the first game of a series, and just 17 of their previous 55 games played on a Monday. When it comes to the Astros they have won 38 of their previous 56 games played at home and have won four of their previous five clashes with the Royals in Houston. The Royals have the confidence of knowing they have beaten the Astros three times already this month, but I think all this will do is put the fire in the bellies of the Astros to make sure they don’t slip up again. I’ll be on the Astros for a convincing victory tonight.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros -1.5 (-125)
Mike Su
The Astros seem like an easy pick to win this game but they might not be a guarantee. The Royals are high on a three game winning streak after sweeping the Cubs. All 3 of these wins have been by 2 runs or more. The Royals have also won 3 of the 4 matchups this season against the Astros in tight games. Could the Royals make it 4 wins against the Astros this season? The Astros have been playing mediocre baseball and are in cruise control heading down the stretch. The Astros have been playing well below their capabilities and this is reflected in losses to the lowly Mariners, Royals, Twins and Angels in the past few weeks. I’m taking the value bet for the Royals to beat the Astros once again. The Royals at +200 look mighty juicy considering the current form of the Astros and the Royals record against the Astros. I’m taking the value bet here.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Kansas City Royals (+200)
Seattle Mariners @ Oakland Athletics – 9.40PM ET
This AL West showdown between the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners is the highlight of the night and has massive postseason ramifications. Just three games separate the sides in the standings and with just five weeks remaining, every win is more important than ever.
Tim Newton
Oakland is just 2-5 from their last seven, going 1-3 against Chicago and 1-2 against San Francisco. They do return home though, where they are 35-27 for the season. When looking at their opponents for tonight, Seattle is a modest 30-33 on the road but has just been spanked by the Astros. While they salvaged a 6-3 win in the series finale, the first two games saw them get outscored 4-27. Those are disastrous numbers, but did they turn a corner last night? Looking at the starting pitchers, neither are inspiring choices. Oakland is playing Paul Blackburn, who has played just one game this series and gave up three runs from five hits on 5.1 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Seattle is starting Marco Gonzales, who is 5-5 with a 4.10 ERA from his 17 starts but that ERA actually improves to 3.83 from his eight games on the road. This is a bit of a boring pick but I can’t trust either side at the moment and given the pitching choices, I’ll take Seattle in the spread as underdogs.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners +1.5 (-188)
PAUL SEWALD. CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/Vdhcqjawxd
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 22, 2021
Katherine Mouradian
Just a two game series between the Athletics and the Mariners, but with both teams within striking distance of the AL West leaders, the Astros, there are huge implications. Looking at some important stats leading up to this game now! The Mariners have won seven of their previous nine clashes when playing a right handed starter and they have won five of their previous seven games against a team in the AL West. Looking at the Athletics now, they have won their previous 35 out of 51 games at home when playing a left handed starter, and they have won all five of their previous games on a Monday. With Blackburn starting for just the second time this season for the Athletics, I think the power of the Mariners will prove too much, even though the Athletics have the better team on paper. The likes of Haniger and Seager should have a field day for the Mariners and I’m liking the underdog odds for the Mariners!
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners (+118)
Mike Su
The A’s take on their division rivals in a crucial game for their playoff hopes. The Athletics have not been playing well and have lost 7 of their last 10 games and have seen their playoff chances drop to 30.8%. In this poor run of games, the Athletics have played quality opponents in the MLB-best Giants and the White Sox but also lost to the Rangers 1-2, in Texas. However, to keep their playoff hopes alive, Oakland is leaning on Paul Blackburn who has played just one game and pitched 5 innings this year for a bad 5.06 ERA . Blackburn is up against Marco Gonzales who isn’t much better with a 4.10 ERA and 5-5 record. The Mariners have won 6 while the A’s have won four of the 10 meetings between the division rivals this season so neither team has a large edge. Therefore, I am once again looking at overall team statistics to decide this relatively close matchup. The Athletics lead the Mariners in essentially every key team statistic and have played better against tougher opponents. Thus, I’m going with the Oakland Athletics by a wide margin.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Oakland Athletics -1.5 (+140)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
