Top MLB Betting Trends & Insights | Monday, August 12

Hello everyone! Welcome to our ‘Free Preview’ day. For those new to the site, this is a daily article we provide to our premium Baller Access subscribers. Our team went 2-0 yesterday with the featured trends! Orioles F5 RL and the Mariners/Mets NRFI were a hit.

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I’ve mentioned before that trends don’t always equate to a bet, but here are a few that are most compelling to me:


Featured Trends:

  • Cubs: 17-4 ML when Shota Imanaga starts | Baller Matchup Rating of ‘6’.
    • Several factors point to value on the Cubs moneyline (-120, ESPN Bet) tonight. Shota Imanaga has been solid this season with a 3.06 ERA. In contrast, Ben Lively has a 3.59 ERA but a concerning 4.75 FIP, suggesting he could be due for some negative regression. The Cubs are also backed by a strong Baller Matchup Rating of 6, and supported by an active Baller System that favors teams in the first game of a road, non-divisional series when on at least a two-game winning streak.


  • Astros: 0-6-1 O/U as road favorites when Framber Valdez starts
  • Rays: 4-12 O/U (1-8 O/U at home) when Taj Bradley starts.
    • The trends heavily favor the under in this matchup, with two solid pitchers on the mound. The table below highlights both pitchers’ stats over the last 30 days. Under 7.5 (-120, ESPN Bet) is the most favorable price we see out there.


  • Diamondbacks: 17-7 ML as home favorites vs. RHP | 15-3 ML since July 23, 2024
  • Diamondbacks: Baller Matchup Rating of ‘8’ (assuming Cal Quantrill and Brandon Pfaadt are starting)
    • Keep an eye on this game, as some books have been slow to release lines, suggesting there could be a pitching change. If that happens, the Baller Matchup Rating could change. If not, the surging Diamondbacks make a great parlay piece or run-line candidate.


  • Braves: 16-4-1 F5 ML when Chris Sale starts | 20-10-3 F5 ML vs. LHP.
    • The Braves have been underwhelming lately, but with Chris Sale on the mound and their strong record against left-handed pitchers, we think they have a good chance to overcome the red-hot Blake Snell and the Giants. Braves F5 ML (-105, BetRivers) is a value play for today.



Here are the rest of today’s trends:


Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Guardians

  • Cubs: 17-4 ML when Shota Imanaga starts.
  • Cubs: Baller Matchup Rating of ‘6’.
  • Guardians: 25-9 ML vs. LHP.


St. Louis Cardinals @ Cincinnati Reds

  • Cardinals: 6-1 ML as road favorites vs. LHP.
  • Cardinals: 6-1 ML and O/U as road favorites when Sonny Gray starts.
  • Reds: 6-16-1 O/U when Andrew Abbott starts.
  • Reds: 2-8 O/U as home underdogs vs. RHP.


Houston Astros @ Tampa Bay Rays

  • Astros: 0-6-1 O/U as road favorites when Framber Valdez starts.
  • In L30 days, Astros: 2-13-2 F5 O/U vs. RHP.
  • Rays: 4-12 O/U when Taj Bradley starts.


Texas Rangers @ Boston Red Sox

  • Red Sox: 15-5-1 F5 O/U when Brayan Bello starts.
  • Red Sox: 17-6-4 F5 ML as home favorites vs. RHP.


Kansas City Royals @ Minnesota Twins

  • Royals: 9-20 ML as road underdogs vs. RHP.
  • Royals: 24-10 NRFI as a road underdog.


Los Angeles Dodgers @ Milwaukee Brewers

  • In L30 days, Brewers: 1-6-1 F5 ML vs. LHP.


New York Yankees @ Chicago White Sox

  • Yankees, despite being a top team, struggle against lefties. They are 10-14-6 F5 ML vs. LHP.
  • White Sox are 1-23 ML since July 12, 2024.


Toronto Blue Jays @ Los Angeles Angels

  • Blue Jays: 5-0 O/U when Bowden Francis starts.


Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks

  • Diamondbacks: 17-7 ML and 14-5-5 F5 ML as home favorites vs. RHP.
  • Diamondbacks: Baller Matchup Rating of ‘8’ (assuming Cal Quantrill and Brandon Pfaadt are starting)
  • Diamondbacks: 15-3 ML since July 23, 2024.


Pittsburgh Pirates @ San Diego Padres

  • Pirates: 31-13 NRFI as road underdogs.
  • Pirates: 29-15 RL (+1.5) as road underdogs.
  • Padres: 15-33 RL (-1.5) as home favorites.


Atlanta Braves @ San Francisco Giants

  • Braves: 16-4-1 F5 ML when Chris Sale starts.
  • Braves: 15-3 NRFI as road underdogs.
  • Braves: 20-10-3 F5 ML and 21-12 ML vs. LHP.


Abbreviations:
– YRFI: Yes Runs First Inning
– NRFI: No Runs First Inning
– RHP: right-handed starting pitchers
– LHP: left-handed starting pitchers
– L30 days: in last 30 days
– L14 days: in last 14 days
– F5: first 5 innings (if F5 not indicated, the assumption is a full-game statistic)

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