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MLB

MLB Total Over-Under Picks for Friday August 7

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
3 minute read
Tonight marks the start of some great weekend series across the baseball world, and hopefully a weekend that's profitable to the bankrolls out there.

If you are out there searching from some angles to add for support, here are a few that primarily totals bettors should keep in mind as they break down the cards this weekend. 

Five Trends to Watch

  • The New York Yankees are 5-1 SU and 3-1-1 O/U this year in starts from Tanaka, Cole and Paxton (three slated weekend starters)
  • The Pittsburgh Pirates are 3-1 O/U in series openers this season
  • The Houston Astros are 5-1-1 O/U in division games this season
  • The Toronto Blue Jays haven't scored more than a single run in Matt Shoemaker's two starts (Saturday)
  • The Chicago Cubs are 4-0 SU and 3-1 to the -1.5 RL in series openers this year 

Best Bet  - Over

Detroit/Pittsburgh Over 8.5

Not only have the Pirates been a good 'over' play in series openers, but the Tigers come into the start of this series tonight 2-1 O/U themselves in that same role. The lone Tigers 'under' in an opener fell short by a run, while Pittsburgh's only loss for 'over' bettors came by the hook.
 
Considering these two teams are on a 18-7-1 O/U in their last 26 meetings as it is, and we've got some questionable pitching and bullpen staffs at best, riding these two to score tonight isn't all that hard to do. 

Best Bet – Under

San Francisco/LA Dodgers Under 9

The Dodgers and Giants do not like one another and apparently something that's entailed in that is one team always makes the other do all the heavy lifting for 'over' tickets to sniff the cashier's window.
 
In a four-game set to begin the year, these two teams went 1-2-1 O/U, but in three of the four games the losing team managed just a single run. You know the Dodgers are going to be heavy chalk on the ML throughout this series, and there probably will be one LA win where their bats explode for 7+ runs. But without help from the Giants that's still no guarantee we see many 'overs' in this series to begin with, and going that route in the opener seems to make some sense. 

Best Bet – Team Total

Houston Astros Over 3.5 runs (-134)

The Astros have been hitting well against division foes already this year, and when you add in the fact that in four series openers this year they've put up 8, 2, 9, and 8 runs respectively, getting to four against Chris Bassitt and the A's is worth laying the price for. That game that saw just two Astros cross the plate was the always contentious opener with the Dodgers as well.
 
Facing this Astros lineup could be a huge wakeup call for a guy like Bassitt who has pitched well through two starts. The Astros lineup will be by far the best of the bunch though, and Oakland probably already figures they'll need at least four runs tonight to have a shot at winning to begin win. Let's hope the Astros at least make that to be the case, and push this to something like a 5-4 Astros defeat at worst.
 
And then maybe we consider an 'under' play on Toronto's team total on Saturday if indeed it is Matt Shoemaker gets the call. Sometimes guys have years where they get bit by a lack of run support. How long it last's is anyone's guess, but it's worth considering at least until it's not.
 
 

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