Best MLB Bets Today: Going With Gilbert Over Skenes

Boy, do we have a great couple of bets for you today! The first comes from a pitcher’s duel between the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates. The other is from a matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels. 

We will share our favorite bet for these games below, sharing odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. If you are new and looking to try FanDuel, be sure to use our custom link to earn $150 in Bonus Bets!

Best MLB Bets Today: Mariners vs. Pirates (6:40 PM EST)

Mariners ML (+108) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Pirates enter as the favorite thanks to having rookie sensation Paul Skenes on the mound, meaning there is money to be made on the Mariners. As impressive as Skenes is, the team has lost ten straight games. We expect them to extend that stream to 11 tonight.

The top reason we like the Mariners to win tonight is starting pitcher Logan Gilbert (7-8, 2.91 ERA, 0.87 WHIP). The 27-year-old isn’t a household name, but he has become one of the best pitchers in baseball. The righty has been nearly perfect through two starts this month, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk over 13 innings.

The Pirates lineup has some dangerous bats, but they still rank twenty-fourth in batting average and twenty-third in runs scored. They are in the midst of an especially cold streak, averaging 1.8 runs over their previous five games. Considering how well Gilbert is pitching, we don’t see that changing tonight.

As we mentioned, Paul Skenes (6-2, 2.25 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) will start for Pittsburgh tonight. The rookie has been incredible since making his debut in May, but he has fallen back down to Earth in August. He has allowed six runs over 11 1/3 innings, with the Pirates losing both games.

The Mariners significantly upgraded their lineup, but it still has some holes. We trust them over the Pirates because Skenes is struggling, and the Pirates bullpen ranks twenty-fourth in ERA (4.31). Even if Skenes can deliver a great start, the bullpen will give the Mariners plenty of chances to take the lead.

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Best MLB Bets Today: Braves vs. Angels (9:38 PM EST)

Braves ML (-156) at FanDuel Sportsbook

If you haven’t seen rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (4-5, 3.95 ERA, 1.06 WHIP), you are in for a treat tonight. The 24-year-old has been fantastic since being called up at the end of May. It took him a month to settle in, but he has been one of the best pitchers in the AL since then. 

Schwellenbach has been especially great lately, delivering five quality starts across six games. That is terrible news for an Angels lineup that has scored the fifth fewest runs in the league. While they enjoyed some success after the All-Star break, we saw them return to form over the last week, averaging 2.8 runs over their previous seven games.

The Angels will also have a talented young pitcher on the mound in Jose Soriano (6-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.19 WHIP). The 25-year-old has a ton of talent but has delivered mixed results over the last couple of months. Unfortunately for LA, his best work has come on the road this season, going 2-4 with a 4.43 ERA at home.

The Atlanta lineup has been a major disappointment without Ronald Acuna Jr. They struggled to score runs against a great Logan Webb yesterday but were averaging 6.7 runs in the eight previous games. Given Soriano’s erratic play and the talent of Schwellenback and the Braves elite bullpen, Atlanta is an easy bet to make tonight.

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