With another massive slate of Major League Baseball on Tuesday, our experts are again locked in on all 15 games across the nation.
Our best bets include a top moneyline pick from MLB betting guru Sean Zerillo, a top home run prop from MLB dinger guru Grant Neiffer, a top player prop from Alex Hinton, and a few picks from our featured Bet Labs PRO Betting System.
Check out all our MLB Best Bets for Tuesday, August 12, below.
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:07 p.m. | |
  | 6:35 p.m. | |
  | 7:10 p.m. | |
 | 7:05 p.m. | |
  | 7:40 p.m. | |
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 Best Bet for Tuesday
Cubs ML is my top projected edge for Tuesday’s slate of games.
These are two elite offensive teams, with both the Blue Jays and Cubs ranking among the top-three MLB lineups in wRC+. Both teams carry super-low strikeout rates, thus grinding down opposing starting pitchers.
Meanwhile, we have two shaky starting pitchers and two even shakier bullpens.
Cubs starter Ben Brown (6.04 ERA, 4.45 xERA, 18.8% K-BB, 97 Pitching+, 4.25 botERA) only has two pitches that he trusts, and thus becomes far less effective as he works deeper through the order.
Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios is on pace for some career-worst numbers (4.60 xERA, 4.34 xFIP, 12.5% K-BB, 93 Pitching+, 4.70 botERA).
All that said, I prefer the Cubs on defense, and they’ve been better in the bullpen over the past month (ranking eighth in xFIP and sixth in strikeout minus walk rate).
I project Chicago’s ML at -110.
Check out all of Zerillo's picks in Tuesday's edition of Opening Pitch:
Pick: Cubs ML (-101 or better)
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Alex Hinton's Top Player Prop for Tuesday
Josh Naylor hit .292 with the Diamondbacks this season, and he has hit .288 across 15 games with the Mariners.
However, his OPS has seen a noticeable increase and is up to .939 as a Mariner. That is partly because he has homered in three of his past five games.
The Mariners will head back East for this set with the Orioles, but that may not be a bad thing for Naylor, considering the matchup.
Naylor has six hits, a double and a home run in nine head-to-head at-bats against Dean Kremer.
While his average is virtually the same, regardless of the handiness, Naylor has 26 of his 38 extra-base hits against right-handers this season. That includes 11 of his 15 homers, and he is +430 on Fanatics to leave the yard on Tuesday.
Kremer is certainly inconsistent, as he has allowed four runs or more in five of his past 11 starts, but also allowed one run or fewer in five of those same starts.
However, Kremer can be roughed up against left-handed batters as they are hitting .270 with 17 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, and a .784 OPS.
That certainly lines up well for Naylor, who has cleared two total bases in four of his past five games.
Check out more of Alex's picks in our MLB Player Props column for Tuesday:
Pick: Josh Naylor Over 1.5 Total Bases (+120, BetMGM)
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Grant Neiffer's Top Home Run Prop for Tuesday
This home run prop is strictly a price play.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider isn't the same pitcher he used to be, and he’s closer to an average matchup for right-handed power hitters.
The weather in Queens should be good for hitting, with WeatherEdge estimating a 17.4% increase in home runs compared to a weather-neutral day.
Pete Alonso has been in great form recently, with four bombs across his past 10 games.
Ultimately, Alonso is far too good of a hitter to get these odds in an above-average spot. I make the fair odds on this home run prop closer to +300, making this an excellent +EV wager.
Check out all of Grant's dinger picks in our MLB Home Run Props column for Tuesday:
Pick: Pete Alonso Over 0.5 Home Runs (+375, BetMGM)
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Tuesday's Featured Bet Labs System
The Silent Sharp Unders system targets regular-season MLB games where both teams are performing well, yet the total has quietly dropped from open to close.
These are typically games featuring competent, winning teams with recent success. Despite both teams showing strength, the market subtly favors the Under, likely due to matchup specifics, pitching, or pace factors.
By following this soft signal — while the public eye is more focused on win streaks and not totals — this system finds value in betting against inflated scoring expectations.
Three of Tuesday's games fit into this PRO system: Yankees-Twins, Giants-Padres, and Blue Jays-Cubs.
Picks:
- Yankees vs Twins Under 9 (-105, bet365)
- Giants vs Padres Under 7.5 (-105, BetMGM)
- Blue Jays vs Cubs Under 9 (-110, FanDuel)
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More Expert Picks for Skenes Day
Superstar Paul Skenes toes the rubber for Tuesday's Pirates-Brewers matchup.
While Skenes is in the running for the Cy Young, Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta is no slouch either.
Check out some of our Action App's favorite expert picks on this game:
And make sure to download the app if you haven't already!
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