MLB Picks Today: Free Expert MLB Bets for Saturday, July 16

MLB Picks Today: Free Expert MLB Bets for Saturday, July 16

This article is part of our MLB Picks series.

MLB Picks Today: MLB Best Bets for Saturday, July 16

RotoWire.com's Juan Carlos Blanco has dug into the best online sportsbooks across the country to identify his MLB bets and MLB player props to target today.

Last article: 1-3 (-5.26 RW Bucks) 

Season Record: 43-52-4 (-15.43 RW Bucks)

We have a typically busy Saturday as the All-Star break inches closer, but I'm focusing in on a pair of night matchups, including another installment of the always entertaining Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees  

Nick Pivetta has had some trouble with free passes and the long ball against this current set of Yankees bats, having allowed 10 homers and a .348 OBP in 124 career batters faced against them. One doesn't have to look far to find the last time he was hit hard by the Bronx Bombers, as they just got to him for six runs on eight hits and two walks over 3.1 innings at Fenway on Sunday. Pivetta has pitched better on the road, but he's been partly helped by a .264 BABIP and is still averaging more than one home run allowed per nine innings away from home.

Jameson Taillon is aiming for his 10th victory Saturday, which would put him on pace to eventually eclipse the career-best 14 he recorded with the in 2018 Pirates. His 3.97 xERA, 3.76 xFIP, 6.7 percent barrel rate allowed and 3.82 SIERA are all very solid marks, and although he's yielded a .279 average across 50.2 innings at Yankee Stadium, he's also generated a 0.9 HR/9 and 3.21 FIP there while being partly victimized by an elevated .335 BABIP. Taillon has done reasonably well against current Sox bats as well, holding them to a .243 average and .297 OBP across 91 career batters faced.

MLB Best Bets for Red Sox at Yankees

  • Yankees -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (-115 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1.15 RW Bucks
  • Under 5 runs – 1st 5 innings (-125 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1.25 RW Bucks
  • Yankees moneyline (-160 on BetMGM) for 1.60 RW Bucks 

Los Angeles Dodgers at Los Angeles Angels

Julio Urias encountered a rare bump in the road his last time out against the Cubs, but his highly favorable matchup on paper Saturday suggests he'll bounce back strong. The southpaw has followed up his other two poor outings this season with five-inning blankings of his next opponent, and he's also facing an Angels team that sports a 25.1 percent strikeout rate, .220 average, .290 wOBA and -3.3 wRAA against left-handers at home since June 1. The Angels also rank in the bottom half of baseball with 2.3 runs over the first five innings per home game, and current Angels bats own a collective .148 average and .543 OPS in 34 career plate appearances against Urias.

Jose Suarez has struggled to a 1-3 record, 4.79 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over his first 10 appearances (eight starts), with a 4.1 BB/9 and 1.3 HR/9 certainly playing a part in his struggles. Suarez also tends to pitch to a good bit of contact and is yielding a career-high 9.6 percent barrel rate and 43.2 percent sweet-spot rate per Statcast. That could spell trouble against a Dodgers team that has the third-highest walk rate (10.2 percent) in baseball against southpaws on the road, along with a .261/.339/.412 slash line, .329 wOBA and 7.3 wRAA in that split. What's more, the Blue Crew comes in averaging an MLB-high 2.9 runs per first five innings per road game. 

MLB Best Bets for Dodgers at Angels

  • Dodgers -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (-125 at DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1.25 RW Bucks
  • Dodgers Over 2.5 runs – 1st 5 innings (+115 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck       

MLB Best Bets Today Recap

  • Yankees -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (-115 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1.15 RW Bucks
  • Yankees-Red Sox Under 5 runs – 1st 5 innings (-125 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1.25 RW Bucks
  • Yankees moneyline (-160 on BetMGM) for 1.60 RW Bucks
  • Dodgers -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (-125 at DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1.25 RW Bucks
  • Dodgers Over 2.5 runs – 1st 5 innings (+115 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck                                                                                           

Visit RotoWire all season long for exclusive sports betting picks from our group of handicappers with their expert MLB picks each day of the campaign. Remember that betting apps vary in terms of odds and available player props, so we have an easy-to-use odds page that allows you to shop for the best lines at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and PointsBet.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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