MLB Wednesday betting picks & best odds – July 27, 2022

In Major League Baseball (MLB) on Wednesday, Cristian Javier and the Astros travel to Oakland, Kevin Gausman and the Blue Jays host Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals, and Milwaukee All-Star Corbin Burnes takes the mound in Minnesota. Here are the best bets on MLB games scheduled for July 27, starting at 12:35pm ET.

Houston Astros (-200) @ Oakland Athletics (+170)

Cristian Javier has the 14th-most strikeouts in MLB and sports a 1.06 WHIP. Oakland has the fewest hits in all of MLB, so expect the bases to be empty often when the Athletics are at-bat. The A’s have managed just 14 hits in 50 at-bats against Javier, but 11 of them have gone for extra bases, adding up to a .681 OPS against despite a .161 batting average against. Two players have done the bulk of the damage, though. Tony Kemp is five-for-nine with three doubles, and Elvis Andrus is four-of-eight with three doubles and a dinger. Place player prop bets on both to have multiple hits or multiple total bases.

Cole Irvin is expected to start for Oakland, and he’s 5-7 with a respectable 3.08 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. The A’s are just 6-11 in his starts, however, and Houston hitters are plenty familiar with him. In 125 at-bats, the Astros have amassed 32 hits, including nine doubles and five homers. That’s a .716 OPS and .247 batting average against Cole. Yordan Alvarez is six-of-12 with a double and a dinger, and Chas McCormick is four-of-eight with a double and a dinger. Consider placing bets on both to have multiple total bases or multiple hits on Wednesday.

Houston has the fourth-best bullpen in baseball based on WHIP (1.13). Oakland has the sixth-worst bullpen based on WHIP (1.38). Take Houston in the first five innings and on the moneyline. Also consider taking the Astros to win by two or more runs.

St. Louis Cardinals (+160) @ Toronto Blue Jays (-190)

Kevin Gausman has been quite good this season despite a 7-7 record. His 3.00 ERA is just outside the top-20, and his 116 strikeouts ranks 13th overall. But he’s been especially good against the Cardinals, who have managed just 10 hits in 64 at-bats, with none going for extra bases. That’s an .099 batting average and .211 OPS against.

Adam Wainwright will take the mound for the Cardinals, and the 40-year-old has been competitive this season, going 6-8 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. In a limited sample size, he’s limited the potent Blue Jays’ offense to just five hits in 20 at-bats, with one going over the fence. While many of the Blue Jays are unfamiliar with him, you best believe the third-best offense in baseball (.771 team OPS) will figure him out. Wainwright has struggled on the road (4.81 ERA vs. 2.01 ERA at home) and is coming off a terrible start in which he allowed seven earned runs to Cincinnati over 5.1 innings pitched. The Cardinals have lost his last four starts, and three of them by two or more runs.

Take Toronto in the first five innings, on the moneyline, and to win by two or more. Parlaying the Blue Jays with the Astros on the moneyline pays just +128 with Bovada, so you might want to fatten that combo with another leg or two.

Milwaukee Brewers (-165) @ Minnesota Twins (+140)

Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes has the sixth-best WHIP (0.93), fifth-best ERA (2.20), and third-most strikeouts (149) in all of baseball. He’s allowed just four earned runs over four starts in July, and the Brewers have won three of those games. Overall, the Brewers have won 12 of Burnes’ 19 starts, but have covered the 1.5-run spread just five times. Burnes has burned the Twins he’s seen, allowing just three hits in 25 at-bats, but all three went for extra bases. Luis Arraez, Byron Buxton, and Miguel Sano, who was just activated from a rehab assignment, all have one of those extra-base hits in five at-bats. Only two other Twins have seen Burnes, so the All-Star will have unfamiliarity on his side, too.

The Twins will counter with Chris Archer, who has enjoyed a renaissance in Minnesota, posting his best ERA (3.41) since 2015 and best WHIP (1.26) since 2017. He hasn’t been great against the Brewers in a small sample size, however. In 40 at-bats, Milwaukee batters have 12 hits, including four doubles and three dingers. That’s a .926 OPS and .285 batting average against. Kolten Wong is four-of-eight with a double and a dinger, and Andrew McCutchen is four-of-six with a double. Consider placing player prop bets on either or both to have multiple total bases or multiple hits.

Take the Brewers in the first five innings and on the moneyline. Parlaying Milwaukee, Toronto, and Houston on the moneyline pays +267.

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