MLB Tuesday betting picks & parlay plays – August 2, 2022

Jacob DeGrom returns to the mound for the Mets in Washington, the Phillies visit the Braves, Adam Wainwright and St. Louis host the Cubs, and All-Star Corbin Burnes starts for Milwaukee against the Pirates in Major League Baseball (MLB) on Tuesday. Here are the best bets on MLB games scheduled for August 2, starting at 4:10pm ET.

New York Mets (-275) @ Washington Nationals (+230)

Jacob DeGrom will make his first start this season after recovering from a shoulder injury. In 29 at-bats last season, Washington batters had just two hits off DeGrom and just one extra-base hit. Don’t expect him to go deep in the game. He made four rehab starts spanning 12.2 innings. The Mets do have a top-10 bullpen, however.

Cory Abbott is expected to start for the Nationals, and he has made just three appearances this season spanning four innings. He’s allowed just one run over those four appearances, but the Nationals’ bullpen will pitch seven or more innings in this game. That bullpen ranks 18th in WHIP (1.31) and 23rd in ERA (4.19). Take the Mets in the first five innings and on the moneyline.

Philadelphia Phillies (+200) @ Atlanta Braves (-240)

Spencer Strider has made 22 appearances this season but has started just 11 games. He has been outstanding over his 80.1 innings pitched, though, going 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Strider has struck out 120 batters, which is tied for 16th-most in MLB. He has puzzled all the Phillies except Alec Bohm, who is two-for-three. The rest of the team is one-for-26 with one homer. That’s an .079 batting average and .280 OPS against. Strider will go six innings at most, but Atlanta has the fifth-best reliever WHIP (1.15) and ERA (3.18) in baseball.

The Phillies will counter with Nick Nelson, who has made just one start out of his 27 appearances. He has a 3.94 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 48 innings. The Braves have battered him a bit, going four-of-11 with two doubles. He won’t pitch more than once through the lineup, so you will be betting against the Philles’ bullpen in this one. Their 1.33 WHIP is the eighth-worst in baseball.

Take Atlanta in the first five innings and on the moneyline. Parlaying the Braves and Mets on the moneyline pays just -108 with Bovada, so consider adding another leg or two to fatten up the odds.

Chicago Cubs (+135) @ St. Louis Cardinals (-155)

Adam Wainwright hasn’t looked 40 years old this season. He is 7-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He has held the Cubs to 30 hits in 106 at-bats, with just a dozen going for extra bases. That’s a .266 batting average and .706 OPS against. Doing most of the damage has been Ian Happ, who has nine of the 30 hits, including two doubles and four dingers. Definitely get a player prop bet in on him to have multiple total bases on Tuesday.

Countering for Chicago will be Keegan Thompson, who has been really good for the Cubs. He is 8-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, but Chicago has lost four of his last five starts. Thompson does have a win over Chicago this season, allowing three earned runs over 5.1 innings. The Cardinals have actually given him trouble over his career, going 12-of-41 with two doubles and three dingers. That’s an .888 OPS and .308 batting average against. Paul Goldschmidt is three-for-eight with a double and two dingers, so consider placing a player prop bet on him to have multiple total bases on Tuesday.

The Cubs have the 20th-ranked reliever WHIP (1.32) and ERA (4.08), while the Cardinals rank 11th in ERA (3.66) and 13th in WHIP (1.23). Take St. Louis in the first five innings and on the moneyline. Parlaying the Cardinals, Mets, and Braves on the moneyline pays +217.

Milwaukee Brewers (-240) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (+200)

The Brewers won Corbin Burnes’ last start over Pittsburgh 19-2. Burnes is 2-0 against the Pirates this season, allowing three earned runs over 13 innings pitched. The Pirates have just 11 hits in 61 at-bats, with just four going for extra bases. That’s a .622 OPS and .217 batting average against.

Pittsburgh’s Bryse Wilson is 1-6 with a 6.31 ERA and 1.60 WHIP. He has allowed 16 hits in 60 at-bats against the Brewers, including two doubles and four dingers. That’s a .743 OPS and .277 batting average against.

Take Milwaukee in the first five innings and on the moneyline. Parlaying the Brewers, Cardinals, Braves, and Mets on the moneyline pays +350.

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