Best MLB Bets Today: Can the Mariners Solve Drew Thorpe?

Today, we have a pair of bets featuring two teams fighting for the AL West title. The first is a matchup between big offenses as the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Houston Astros. The other features a matchup between two of the league’s worst offensive teams as the Seattle Mariners visit the Chicago White Sox. 

We will share our favorite bet for the above games and odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel using our custom link for a welcome bonus of $200 in Bonus Bets.

Best MLB Bets Today: Dodgers vs. Astros (8:10 PM EST)

Astros ML (-116) at FanDuel Sportsbook

This matchup features one of the best pitching matchups of the day. On one side is Dodgers’ starter Gaving Stone (9-3, 3.19 ERA), who has been fantastic in 2024. The 25-year-old overcame a tough start to become one of the team’s top pitchers, but things have begun to come apart in July.

Stone has an ERA of 6.39 across three starts this month. He was shelled by both the Phillies and Diamondbacks, giving up a combined eight runs over 7 ⅔ innings. The righty bounced back to deliver a better outing against Boston, but he only lasted five innings and allowed six hits. 

The Astros have one of the best lineups in baseball, ranking second in batting average and tenth in runs scored. Even with Kyle Tucker on the IL, this lineup remains one of the best in baseball. As impressive as Stone is, we see the young pitchers struggle to carry over on the road tonight, leading to another bumpy July start.

The Astros will have ace Framber Valdez (8-5, 3.63 ERA) on the mound tonight. The veteran’s numbers are inflated due to a brutal May campaign, but he has turned things around since. The lefty owns a 3.05 ERA since June 1, allowing more than three runs just once.

The Dodgers’ lineup is arguably the best in baseball, but they have not seen Valdez since 2020. Unlike Stone, he is a veteran with a well-established reputation for performing well against great lineups. Experience is a significant factor when facing elite lineups, which is why we are rolling with Valdez and the Astros to get the win tonight.

Bet on Astros ML (-116) at FanDuel

Best MLB Bets Today: Mariners vs. White Sox (8:10 PM EST)

Under 7.5 (-114) at FanDuel Sportsbook

This game features another fantastic pitching matchup, though tonight’s starters are not yet household names. The first half of that matchup is Mariners’ starter George Kirby (7-7, 3.20 ERA, 0.98 WHIP). The 26-year-old is quickly becoming one of the top pitchers in the NL and owns the seventh-best WHIP in all of baseball.

Kirby had a rough first two months of the season but has been lights out since June, posting a ridiculous 2.12 ERA. He has held opponents to two or fewer runs in all but one start since June 1, including starts against the Astros and Orioles.

We can talk about how great Kirby has been, but it's important to factor in just how bad the White Sox lineup has been. They rank dead last in runs scored and are twenty-ninth in batting average. That makes them the worst offensive team in the league, and that won’t change with Kirby on the mound tonight.

The other half of tonight’s pitchers' duel is Chicago starter Drew Thorpe (3-1, 3.03 ERA, 1.01 WHIP). The 23-year-old rookie has been fantastic for the White Sox, and he has allowed just three runs across three starts in July (18 ⅓ innings). While the righty isn’t going past six innings, he has done a fantastic job limiting baserunners. 

As bad as the White Sox have been at the plate, the Mariners might be even worse. Seattle ranks last in batting average and twenty-eight in runs scored. Their ability to score runs has dwindled after injuries hit their lineup, which was already short of depth coming into the season.

Look for Thorpe to deliver a solid six innings, leading to a low-scoring slugfest between these AL rivals.

Bet on Under 7.5 (-114) at FanDuel

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