Our free MLB Picks are out for Thursday, August 19th, 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!
Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers – 2.05PM ET
Back to back 3-1 wins for the Seattle Mariners sees them heading into this clash with the Texas Rangers this afternoon looking for a clean sweep. A win would see them push closer to the last American League wild card slot, of which they sit just three games back.
Tim Newton
I’m expecting this lopsided matchup to conclude in the same manner that it has gone through the first two games. Seattle has been the far superior side through the first two games and should be good enough to get the sweep. Texas is starting Spencer Howard, who is 0-3 from 13 games, nine of which were starts. His 5.61 ERA leaves a lot to be desired and he has given up three and four runs in his last two home games. That isn’t a good sign considering that the Rangers’ batting lineup has only managed to score one run in each of the first two games and dating back to when they played the Mariners last week, they also only scored one run in two of the three matchups as well.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners -1.5 (+102)
Seags 🤝 hitting dingers in Texas pic.twitter.com/MRIzKFigZA
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 19, 2021
Katherine Mouradian
The Rangers have two the first two games of this series to the Mariners, both with the same scoreline 1-3. The Rangers have been glued to the bottom of the AL West pretty much all season, and considering they are 28 games behind the Astros, it’s safe to say that’s where they will stay. When it comes to games played on a Thursday, the Mariners have won 10 of their previous 14, but have won only one of their previous six when it comes to the third game of a series. On the flip side, the Rangers have won just one of their previous nine games played on a Thursday and have won only 20 of their previous 70 games in total. The Mariners are the better team here, and with Flexen on the mound, I think the Mariners will get the win again.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners (-166)
Mike Su
The Mariners cling to a 3.5% chance of making the playoffs and they need to win this AL West matchup against the bottom of division Rangers. In order to get the job done the Mariners are deploying Chris Flexen who has a solid 3.78 ERA and 10-5 record this year. On the other side, the Rangers have little to play for and this shows as they start Spencer Howard who has only pitched 33.2 innings this year. Howard provides an unknown element to this matchup. Although his poor 5.61 ERA and 0-3 record may paint a dire picture when going deeper into this story you see a mostly bad pitcher who has spurts of great pitching. In his last game against the Mariners, Howard had 3 strikeouts in 3 innings and allowed no runs and just 2 hits. Although I’m worried about Howard’s potential, I’ll take the Mariners in a tight win.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners (-166)
Houston Astros @ Kansas City Royals – 2.10PM ET
Don’t look now but the Kansas City Royals, who are bottom of the AL Central, have taken the first three games of this series against the Houston Astros, who are top of the AL West. Houston have now dropped four straight overall and are losing their hold on the top of the division as each day goes by.
Tim Newton
Surely the Astros couldn’t drop four straight to the Royals… Despite still leading the majors in runs this season, Houston has managed just three runs over the last two games against a Kansas City bullpen that is 27th in ERA and 25th for average. I’m expecting them to unleash against Mike Minor in the series finale, given he boasts an 8-11 record along with a 5.35 ERA. Those are terrible numbers, especially against a top line batting lineup and while they are out of form, they can quickly get back into form in a matchup like this. The last time Houston lost 3+ consecutive games, they came out and won 4-0, so I am expecting them to bring their A-game in this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros (-190)
Katherine Mouradian
Well, well, well, it looks like the Royals are really putting the Astros in their place. The Astros need to get their act together as the gap between them in first position in the AL West and the second placed Athletics is closing quickly, now the Athletics are only two and a half games behind. The Royals have won only one of their previous six when it comes to the fourth game of a series. The Astros have won 36 of their previous 53 games as the favorite. But where I’m looking is the under. The under has hit in five of the Astros previous seven games overall, and has hit in 20 of the Royals previous 27 overall. With the instability currently with the Astros, I’m steering clear of picking an outright winner for this one.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Under 9 (-102)
Mike Su
The top of the AL West Astros play the bottom of the AL Central Royals. The Astros desperately need a win as their playoff chances are threatened by the Oakland Athletics who are just 2.5 games behind them. The Astros sit in a 4 game losing streak and have lost 3 in a row to the Royals. Houston has looked out of sorts and I’m not sure if things change here. The Astros are starting Luis Garcia to try and get themselves out of this rut and Garcia seems like a decent candidate to do so. He sports a 3.30 ERA and a 9-6 record. He will be up against Mike Minor who has a bad 5.35 ERA and 8-11 record. Team statistics-wise the Astros have the edge, but they had that edge in their past 3 games against the Royals and still couldn’t prevail. This bet will truly be a bet on the Astros reverting to the mean here and demolishing the Royals in a comeback game to get their mojo back, which they need.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros -1.5 (-110)
Oakland Athletics @ Chicago White Sox – 2.10PM ET
The Oakland Athletics have thrown away a perfect opportunity to take over top spot of the AL West, given Houston’s struggles of late, by struggling just as badly themselves. The Chicago White Sox have taken the first three games off them in this series, making it four straight losses overall for the A’s.
Tim Newton
The White Sox have taken the first three and I think they’ll take the fourth. They have restricted the A’s to just four runs across the three games, while scoring 17 themselves. That is a massive difference, especially when Oakland is supposed to be one of the top teams in the American League. Looking at the pitchers, Oakland’s Cole Irvin has a better ERA and WHIP than Chicago’s Dylan Cease, however each pitchers’ record doesn’t reflect that, being 8-11 and 9-6 respectively. A big reason behind this is the fact that Cease performs that much better at home, seeing his ERA improve from 4.04 to 2.44 whilst owning a 5-2 record. Given this is being played in Guaranteed Rate Field, Cease should have a field day against a struggling offensive lineup and Chicago should finish this series with a sweep.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Chicago White Sox / Under 9.5 (+160)
Slam the door. pic.twitter.com/FXFQubjVBh
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 19, 2021
Katherine Mouradian
With the AL West top position up for grabs, thanks to some recent poor performances by the Astros, the second placed Athletics really need to be trying to capitalize on it. But that is certainly easier said than done, especially when playing a team like the White Sox. The Athletics have lost all three games in this series so far. The White Sox have won three of their previous 10 when it comes to the fourth game of a series, and have won 57 of their previous 83 games at home. Looking at the Athletics now, they have won 27 of their previous 39 when it comes to the fourth game of a series and they have won 72 of their previous 95 when playing a team in the AL Central. I’m rooting for the Athletics here, not sure if they have the confidence to win, but I think it will be a close one.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Oakland Athletics +1.5 (-134)
Mike Su
The Athletics are in the midst of a 4 game losing streak and need a win here to catch the sputtering Astros for the lead of the AL Central division. The A’s look to beat the formidable White Sox, who are chugging along down the stretch with a 3 game winning streak, all against Oakland, and winning 6 of their last 10 games. The Athletics have been manhandled thus far in the series against the White Sox, losing all 3, and getting outscored by 13 runs. Things look bad, especially since they are jeopardising their best chance of taking the division crown as the division leader Astros have also lost 4 in a row. Oakland are starting Cole Irvin who is a solid pitcher but isn’t good enough to make a huge difference, especially when the White Sox are starting Dylan Cease who has 165 strikeouts in just 124.2 innings. That being said,the Athletics do have an exceptional defense and paired with the White Sox’s defense, this should be a low scoring affair.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Under 9 Total Runs (-120)
Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees – 7.05PM ET
The Minnesota Twins are coming off an 11-innings win over the Indians last night but have to get on the plane and head to The Big Apple, with a date against the red-hot New York Yankees booked in. While Minnesota have won four straight series, against the likes of the Astros, White Sox and Rays, the Yankees have won six straight games and seven straight series, being one of the in-form teams in the majors.
Tim Newton
This is a tough one to pick as the Twins have been causing upsets left, right and centre. They have John Grant starting in the opener, against one of the hottest batting units in the league, and he has some impressive numbers so far this season. Through 32 games, 14 of which were starts, he has a very good 3.49 ERA however is just 4-6 overall. What is even more interesting is that on the road, his ERA improves to 2.82 and he has allowed just 18 runs from 51 innings pitched. Those are some incredible numbers and they are almost matched by Jameson Taillon, New York’s starter. He is 7-4 with a 3.89 ERA this season but when pitching at home, he is 4-1 with a 3.22 ERA while allowing just 24 runs from 64.1 innings pitched. Given both sides have been on top of their game of late and both starting pitchers thrive in the conditions they will be in tonight, I think this will be a tight, low scoring contest and am happy to take the under.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Under 10.5 (-102)
Katherine Mouradian
This will be the first of a four game series between the Yankees and the Twins. The Twins are coming off a series win against the Indians and the Yankees are also coming off a series win, this time against the Red Sox. The Yankees have won six games in a row, and against some pretty tough to beat teams as well, like the White Sox and the Red Sox. They have also won four of their previous five when it comes to the first game of a series and won 38 of their previous 56 when playing a team in the AL Central. Looking at the Twins now, they have won six of their previous eight games when playing a team with a winning record and on the road, they have also won seven of their previous 10 games. While the Twins seem to be playing better at the moment, they won’t be good enough for a team like the Yankees, especially considering they are playing at home.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: New York Yankees (-270)
Mike Su
The Twins travel to New York with no playoff chances and are looking to explore what pieces they have. The Yankees on the hand are tied with the Red Sox both on 69 wins and need wins to ensure they are in optimal playoff position. The Yankees are red-hot, winning 6 in a row as well as 8 of their last 10 games. Surprisingly the Twins have won 7 of their last 10 games and are in surprising form, despite their hopes for the playoffs being dashed a while ago. This could very well be a trap game for the Yankees who just demolished the Red Sox in a 3 game series, especially due to the fact the Twins have been playing so well. However, I think the Yankees will do enough to take a 2 game lead on the Red Sox by beating the Twins. The Yankees should easily dispose of the Twins behind a strong performance from Aaron Judge.
Mike’s MLB Pick: New York Yankees -1.5 (-146)
Milwaukee Brewers @ St Louis Cardinals – 7.45PM ET
We round out the night with the NL Central showdown between the Milwaukee Brewers and St Louis Cardinals. The Cards came into the series on a six-game winning streak but have lost the first two in this series by two runs in each game. Can Milwaukee complete the sweep or will St Louis show some life at home.
Tim Newton
Milwaukee have now won eight of their last nine games and have proven that they are a much classier outfit than the Cardinals, despite them coming in on that massive win streak. The two teams that St Louis beat over their streak weren’t anything flashy, so it isn’t much of a surprise to see Milwaukee dominate the first two games of the series. Swaying things in the Brewers’ favour even more is the starting pitching choices. While Brandon Woodruff’s record is just 7-6 from 23 starts, he has a 2.18 ERA which currently ranks third in the majors. Compare that to the starter for the Cards, Jon Lester, who is 4-6 with a 5.32 ERA from his 19 starts this season. In his last two home games, Lester has given up five and six runs and will cause St Louis to be too far behind in this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Milwaukee Brewers -1.5 (-120)
WHAT A TURN OF EVENTS!!@Brewers | #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/2DPCnowi4x
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) August 19, 2021
Katherine Mouradian
The first two games of this series have been pretty close, but both wins have gone to the Brewers, as they continue to build a buffer of games between them in first and the Reds in second in the NL Central. The Brewers have won their previous four games played on a Thursday and have won 19 of their previous 26 when it comes to the third game of a series. The Cardinals have won six of their previous eight when it comes to the third game of a series, but just two of their previous seven games played on a Thursday. The Brewers shouldn’t be able to get the job done tonight.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Milwaukee Brewers (-210)
Mike Su
The Brewers look to finish the Cardinals in this NL Central division series. The Brewers are at the top of the division for a reason and are enjoying a 4 game winning streak as well as winning 8 of their last 10 games. There is no reason for the Brewers to lose this easy game, as the Brewers top two run defense should easily beat the 24th ranked batting unit, in the Cardinals. Look for Milwaukee to shut out the Cardinals again. The Brewers have covered the spread in both games against the Cardinals and should be able to do so again. This is even more obvious when looking at Brandon Woodruff, the starting pitcher for the Brewers. Woodruff has a 2.18 ERA which is 3rd in the league and has a 0.9 WHIP which is 2nd in the league. Woodruff is elite and should have a field day against the Cardinals poor batting lineup.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Milwaukee Brewers -1.5 (-120)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
