We've got an all-day Major League Baseball slate on tap, starting with Tigers vs Pirates at 12:35 PM ET (PNC Park) and including Cardinals vs Reds at 6:40 PM ET (Great American Ballpark).
Read on for our MLB Best Bets Today for Wednesday, August 19.
MLB Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 12:35 PM | |
  | 2:20 PM | |
  | 6:40 PM | |
  | 8:05 PM | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Sean Zerillo's Tigers vs Pirates Best Bet
By Sean Zerillo
My projections show solid value on the Pirates moneyline today against the Tigers.
If you want to dive deeper into this matchup, it'd be wise to check out BARTOLO, my new PRO baseball tool that gives you access to all the input data I use to project games every day.
BARTOLO projects the Pirates for 4.77 runs today, more than a full run higher than the Tigers (3.64).
Paul Skenes starts for Pittsburgh, coming off a bounce-back outing against the Marlins, in which he allowed five hits and just one earned run over five innings.
Meanwhile, Detroit is sending Jackson Jobe to the mound, and the right-hander was pounded by the White Sox last Friday, allowing nine hits — two homers — and six runs.
The Pirates rank seventh in wRC+ in the majors this season with a 104 rating and are the fifth-best at home with 113.
Pick: Pirates ML (-160 or Better)
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Tanner McGrath's White Sox vs Cubs Best Bet
We're in for another classic Wrigley Wind day on the North Side for this inter-town matchup.
The weather report is calling for 5 MPH winds blowing directly in from center field, alongside relatively cool 75-degree temperatures. At MLB's most wind-receptive park, this could lower the run-scoring environment by 17%, per BallParkPal.
Pick: Under 8 (-120 or Better)
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Ryan Minion's Cardinals vs Reds Best Bet
By Ryan Minion
The Reds host the Cardinals on Wednesday. Chase Burns will start for Cincinnati, while Matthew Liberatore will start for St. Louis.
Suffice it to say, the Reds have a big starting pitching advantage in this game.
Across 23 starts this season, Burns is 14-2 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.06 WHIP — he’s also recorded a whopping 151 strikeouts. The former No. 2 overall pick is starting to live up to the hype.
Meanwhile, Liberatore has struggled, pitching to a 5.07 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 24 starts this year.
I think the Reds easily jump out to an early lead.
Pick: Reds F5 ML (-200 or Better)
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Evan Abrams's Nationals vs Rangers Best Bet
By Evan Abrams
This game triggered one of our Action PRO betting systems:
In Major League Baseball, road underdogs playing interleague games have historically been undervalued by oddsmakers.
Since 2016, despite winning only 43.1% of these games, these teams have generated a consistently positive ROI.
This trend has proven reliable across several consecutive seasons, indicating market inefficiencies in how these specific matchups are priced, likely due to a lack of familiarity between leagues and public overconfidence in home and favorite teams.
Pick: Nationals ML (+100 or Better)
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