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Rounding the Bases: MLB Straight Up Picks for Every Game Today (Bet Dodgers as Road Underdogs)

Saturday's MLB slate is headlined by the battle between the two favorites to win the World Series, the Dodgers against the Yankees in the Bronx.

The World Series preview in June takes center stage as all of Major League Baseball is in action on Saturday. Lucky for you, we have commentary on how to bet every game!

Keep reading to find out how we view each game on the Saturday slate.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Pick: Mets (+150)

There’s some variance baked into this game with it being played in London as part of MLB’s London Series.

With a short center field fence and the wind projected to be blowing out at London Stadium, this can be a short outing for the likes of Ranger Suarez, who is driving most of the opening odds in this game.

Pick: Twins (-120)

Simeon Woods Richardson continues to thrive for the Twins in his first full season with the club, posting a 3.04 ERA while showcasing excellent control, posting a walk rate of only six percent. The Minnesota starter will match up against Pirates opener Carmen Mlodzinski, who will put a ton of pressure on the Pittsburgh below average bullpen.

With the pitching edge, including a better pen, I’ll take the Twins as short road favorites.

Pick: Nationals (+120)

MacKenzie Gore has been outstanding this season, striking out a career best 27.3% of batters with a career low 3.57 ERA.

The former Padres prized prospect is starting to see perform like it and now draws a Braves team that is struggling without Ronald Acuna Jr, who tore his ACL and is out for the year. Atlanta is hitting only .211 in June.

Pick: Athletics (+135)

The Blue Jays remain a non starter for me as a road favorite, even against the lowly A’s.

Kevin Gausman has been overvalued all season, and Toronto is only 6-6 in his 12 starts. The right hander has an ERA of 4.60 while his xERA is far worse at 5.26, per MLBStatcast. He is striking out only 22% of batters, the lowest rate since 2018, and remains a worthy fade.

Pick: Brewers (-165)

Freddy Peralta has been outstanding this season, striking out nearly a third of the batters he has faced while keeping his walk rate below eight percent, about the big league average.

It’ll be tough sledding for the Tigers lineup that is bottom third in Major League Baseball in OPS while the Brewers are far better at generating run support for its pitching staff, fourth in the same metric.

Pick: Royals (+115)

The Royals rallied to win 10-9 on Friday, and the team remains a great bet at home, 23-10 at Kauffman Stadium this season.

Kansas City will have a stiff test against Luis Castillo, but the Royals ability to generate power is notable considering Castillo has allowed a barrel percentage in the 28th percentile this season, per MLBStatcast, and allows a high fly ball rate of over 60%.

Pick: Rays (+115)

Both starters have missed time this season, with different results, but I’m betting on it going in a different direction on Saturday.

Kyle Bradish of the Orioles has made six starts and has been pitching the best baseball of his career. He is striking out 32% of batters, way above his career average, while allowing a hard-hit percentage of only 25%, 99th percentile in the big leagues.

While it’s a fantastic start for a league average pitcher, regression will come for him soon.

I’ll try here, on the road against a Rays team that has pop in the lineup and a pitcher who has a high ceiling in Taj Bradley. The hard throwing right hander hasn’t had good results this season, his xERA is hovering around 7.00, but i believe he can outperform expectations given the Orioles have the third fewest walks on the year.

Pick: Reds (-120)

The Cubs’ skid has continued while the Reds have won six straight, so I’ll side with the hot home team.

It also helps that Chicago is bottom 10 in OPS against left handers this season as the team faces Reds’ starter Andrew Abbott.

Pick:Red Sox (-205)

Chicago snapped a 13 game skid on Friday, but I’m not counting on two wins in a row.

Pick: Rockies (+160)

Can Kyle Gibson justify this price tag? The veteran pitcher has a 3.69 ERA that is supported by a 4.99 xERA with a walk rate hovering around 10%.

For what it’s worth, Ryan Feltner pitches better on the road than at the hitter friendly Coors Field, so I can get behind him outperforming expectations.

Pick: Dodgers (+105)

The two best teams in baseball continue its weekend series, and I’ll side with the road underdog given the Yankees’ overall fitness with Juan Soto’s status in doubt for the foreseeable future.

If New York’s lineup isn’t at its best, it’ll be tough to keep up with the Dodgers, who have the highest OPS against left handed pitching this season.

Pick: Guardians (-160)

Cleveland is the far more talented side here and should have little issue snagging a road win.

Ben Lively’s strikeout rate is at a career high of 23% and the Guardians have the clear offensive edge, 11th in OPS against the Marlins, who check in 29th.

Pick: Diamondbacks (+125)

I’ll take Arizona to stay hot in June, winners of five of six, at an underdog price.

Ryne Nelson isn’t a strikeout-focused pitcher, only 14.9%, but he has limited his walks to only six percent, which is impactful against a Padres team that is reliant on drawing walks to get runners on base. Nelson’s ERA is also due to come down from his mark of 5.44, with an xERA of 4.77.

Pick: Astros (-165)

Angels starter Tyler Anderson has been among the best pitchers in baseball, but I expect a tough summer for the veteran left hander.

He has an ERA of 2.37, which is staggering to see given some of his other numbers, including a 16% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate. Meanwhile, his xERA is 4.49, making him ripe for a few blow ups as the season continues.

I’ll count on Saturday against a Houston lineup that is top five in OPS against southpaws.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Daily Dinger: Best MLB Home Run Picks Today (Royce Lewis’ Stellar Return Continues)

There are 15 Major League Baseball games on Saturday, plenty of action for us to comb through and cash in.

In the home run market, I've targeted three sluggers that are in strong position to go yard and cash in at long odds, including Royce Lewis, who has returned from an early season injury to hit two home runs in his first three games back.

Lewis, along with J.D. Martinez and Jeremy Pena headlines Saturday's Daily Dinger card.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

J.D. Martinez

Major League Baseball heads to London, where hitters should feast with the wind blowing out at about 10 miles per hour. This sets up favorably for Martinez, who has elite metrics against left pitching, posting .342/.419/.553 splits this season.

The Mets will face Ranger Suarez on Saturday, the lefty pitcher who has been posting Cy Young like metrics this season for Philadelphia, driving up the typical price Martinez would have against lefties.

Given the hitting conditions at London Stadium, I'll bite despite Suarez having a strong year.

Royce Lewis

Lewis has three home runs in 11 at bats this season despite missing a chunk of the year. The former top prospect has proven amidst the injury bug that he can hit at a high level, and I'll go back to the well against a below average Pirates bullpen.

This will be an opener game of sorts for the Pirates, who will turn Carmen Mlodzinski first and there should be plenty of different arms facing Lewis. It also helps that the wind is blowing out at PNC Park at over 10 miles per hour to left field, all the direction that he has hit homers this year.

Jeremy Pena

Pena tears up lefty pitching, hitting .333 on the year with a .545 slugging percentage. Despite limited at bats against lefties, Pena has hit two of his five homers against southpaws and draws a regression bound Tyler Anderson on Saturday.

Anderson doesn't strike many batters out, sitting at 16% and he allows fly ball contact at nearly 63%. Without a ton of fastball velocity, Pena should have little issue getting a barrel on the ball, Anderson is in the 21st percentile in that metric, per MLBStatcast.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Kiké Hernández Error During Mic’d Up Dodgers-Yankees Interview Led to Awkward Silence

Mic'd up interviews with MLB players in the field are a creative way to get fans closer to the game. Unfortunately, they can also go horribly wrong.

That's what happened to Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Enrique Kiké Hernández on a mic'd up interview live on the AppleTV+ broadcast during his club's 2-1 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night.

Hernández, wearing an earpiece and a microphone, was asked a question about the Dodgers' strong team chemistry by AppleTV+ color commentator and former MLB pitcher Dontrelle Willis during the bottom of the second inning with one out and the count 1-and-2 on Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres.

"After this play," Hernández said, as he ranged towards his right to field a grounder from Torres. The Dodgers veteran then failed to cleanly field the ball, resulting in the Yankees second baseman reaching first safely—and an incredibly awkward silence from the AppleTV+ broadcast.

I’m dying dude😭 pic.twitter.com/aEjr7Onicq https://t.co/LQv7NMksQL
— Addison (@YankeeWRLD) June 7, 2024

Moments later, after Hernández asked Willis to repeat his question, the former MLB hurler replied by saying, “I don’t want to ask it again. Because I don’t want you to boot the ball again, to be honest with you. I’ll take that E for you, big dog.”

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Hernández' error was not a costly one, as starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto sandwiched a couple of strikeouts around another base hit to work himself out of the jam.

Hernández, per MLB's collective bargaining agreement, pocketed $10,000 for the in-game interview.

That's why the Dodgers star, even after enduring this awkward experience, doesn't plan on rejecting such opportunities in the future.

"No, because we're getting paid," Hernández said, according to the Associated Press. "I like money."

The Dodgers (40-25) and Yankees (45-20) will play two more games at Yankee Stadium this weekend, starting with Saturday's 7:35 p.m. ET game.

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Belmont Stakes Ticket Prices 2024: How Much Does It Cost to Attend?

The final leg of the Triple Crown is here—although it looks a little different than in years past.

This year's Belmont Stakes, the last of the three meaningful horse races of the year behind the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, is not being held at its classic location of Belmont Park. Instead, the race will be held at Saratoga, a track quite used to large crowds and big races. Belmont Park is undergoing renovations this year so the race shifted to Saratoga.

There are no horses competing to complete the Triple Crown this year after Mystik Dan won the Derby and Seize the Grey took the top spot at Preakness. But it's still set to be a great day of horse racing.

How much would it cost to meander on up to Saratoga and buy tickets to see the Belmont Stakes play out? Here's the breakdown of the ticket prices.

You can find the various pricing options available through the Belmont Stakes website, which then redirects to Ticketmaster. There, general admission tickets are currently going for $64.35, or $55 before fees. The GA ticket gets you onto the grounds where you can enjoy all the basic amenities the course has to offer, and offers standing room access for the Clubhouse, Grandstand, and Backyard areas.

However, there are alternative options if you were interested in a more elevated experience.

For a prime view at the final turn, you'll want a ticket for the Cutwater Stretch Grandstand. It's an exclusive private hospitality area with a buffet, cash bar, and private betting areas. Prices vary for the Cutwater Stretch; the cheapest available is $556 after fees and the priciest, which secures you a front-row seat in the Grandstand right at the turn itself, is going for $2,574.

Should you really want to ball out, you can rent out a Spa Veranda on top of the Grandstand at the final turn. Each veranda can host up to 50 guests apiece and comes with "an all-inclusive platter and premium open bar package." They are available starting at $5,500.

If proximity to the finish line is all that matters, you better have bought your tickets a while ago. The only luxury seating area located directly next to the finish line is The Porch, which sold out well in advance. However, there are tickets still available for the 1863 Club, which is just past the finish line. A ticket to get in the door there is going for $2,020.

All in all, as was the case with the Derby and Preakness, it is not altogether unreasonable to simply get through the gates to see the race. The bill runs high when you start branching out into additional amenities. But if you wanted to just see the horses, $65 is all that it'll cost.

Enjoy the race!

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Tekken 8 Patch 1.05 To Arrive In June/July

Tekken 8, one of the top fighting games on the planet, dropped a hint as to when fight fans can expect the next patch and it's right around the corner in July and will more than likey come with the release of Lidia. Also, the official Tekken twitter account let us know that there will be some adjustments to characters, specifically Paul and Kazuya. The last patch the 1.04 patch for Tekken 8 released back in May.

[🧵 5/5]
While significant balance adjustments were made in patch 1.04 and will be made in patch 1.05, similar large-scale adjustments will not happen during the remainder of Season 1.
Patches from July onward will focus on fixing unintended move behaviours and bug fixing.
— TEKKEN (@TEKKEN) June 7, 2024

One of big changes that's coming in the 1.05 is a huge nerf to the effectiveness of Heat Dash and Heat Burst. Both of these mechanics made it significantly easier to get big damage combos in Tekken 8 as they had tons of hitstun. Also, Wall Stagger (or wall splat) is going to be removed if you pushed your opponent to the wall from a Heat Dash. This will greatly reduce an attackers ability to push to the wall quickly and gain big damage. These two changes seem to be aimed at an over reliance on the Heat system to unlock combo routes, something that Tekken players have been critical of in the past.

Also, King players should pour one out for their masked feline friend, because throws are getting hit with the nerf gun as well. In the first few months of the game, King, was regarded as one of the strongest characters in Tekken 8. His effectiveness directly stemmed from the power of throws, and the ability to grab out of Heat moves. With throws being kneecapped in 1.05, expect King to drop out of the upper echelon of characters.

Mishima heads, rejoice! Kazuya is finally getting buffed. Also confirmed in the same series of tweets, Jin's dad is getting some much deserved buffs. Even if we don't know what they are quite yet, it's a good sign for one of the most popular characters in the game. Kazuya is a fan-favorite and having him flounder in mid-tier has been something players have been unhappy with.

Back in April, Kazuya was the 6th most popular character in Tekken 8. / Image: Bandai Namco

Alongside Kazuya, the Tekken team acknowledged that Paul and Raven would also be getting buffs. While at the same time, they also stated that a number of characters would be seeing some nerfs and specific combos. They said that it is also possible that a number of changes from 1.04 may be scaled back in order to balance out the changes from 1.05.

While there hasn't been a date set for the patch, it will surely come within the next few weeks as the team said that future updates "beyond July" will focus on bug fixing.

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Escape From Tarkov: Arena Cup Series Brings Back EFT Esports

Escape From Tarkov: Arena is getting another esports circuit.

The gritty survival game, Escape From Tarkov, introduced a mode quite similar to Counter-Strike called Arena, taking the realistic gunplay to a more competitive mode. The first-ever Escape From Tarkov: Arena esport event was at DreamHack Hannover last year and it looks like the mode is continuing to prove its competitive prowess.

The EFT: Arena Cup Series will feature 16 teams from the CIS and Europe regions, with the top squads fighting for a piece of the €25,000 prize pool.

The EFT: Arena Cup Series will have two stages. The first is a Swiss Group Stage and then a single elimination Playoff.

Group Stage:

June 14 – 6PM BST/1PM EDT. Broadcast starts at 5:30PM BST/ 12:30 PM EDT

June 15 – 4PM BST/11AM EDT. Broadcast starts at 3:30PM BST/10:30AM EDT

June 16 – 4PM BST/11AM EDT. Broadcast starts at 3:30PM BST/10:30AM EDT

June 21 – 6PM BST/1PM ED. Broadcast starts at 5:30PM BST/ 12:30 PM EDT

Playoff Stage:

June 22 – 4PM BST/11AM EDT. Broadcast starts at 3:30PM BST/10:30AM EDT

June 23 – 4PM BST/11AM EDT. Broadcast starts at 3:30PM BST/10:30AM EDT

If you want to check out the intense survival action, you can head to the Battlestate Games channel or the Chikibrikigames channel on Twitch. Both channels will have Twitch Drops for fans that are tuning in. More information on rewards will be coming soon.

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Memorial Tournament Round 3 Matchup Bets (Bet Rory McIlroy vs. Tony Finau)

The first two rounds of the Memorial Tournament are in the books. It's time to look ahead to the weekend.

If you want to find out the live odds to win ahead of Round 3, as well as a couple of golfers I'm aiming at, you can find those here.

In this article, we're talking about a few Round 3 matchup bets, otherwise known as 2-ball bets. These are one-round wagers on a golfer to finish Saturday's round with a lower score than their playing partner. Let's dive into it.

All odds listed in this article are via BetMGM Sportsbook

Nick Dunlap vs. Matt Fitzpatrick Prediction

If you're looking for an underdog to bet on Saturday, there's none I love more than Nick Dunlap against Matt Fitzpatrick. Dunlap has been sharp with his irons through the first two rounds, gaining an average of +2.59 strokes per round with his approach play through the first two rounds, the fourth-best in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick's irons continue to be a low point of his game. He's losing -0.24 strokes per round with them in this event. His short game has dragged him into the weekend but Dunlap's irons are a lot more sustainable.

At +150, Dunlap is absolutely worth a bet to get the job done.

Rory McIlroy -185 vs. Tony Finau Prediction

If you want to bet on Rory McIlroy but if you think Scottie Scheffler has this event in the bag, you can take McIlroy to finish with a lower score than his playing partner on Saturday, Tony Finau.

Both golfers enter the weekend at T7, but Finau hasn't been playing as well as his current standing may suggest. His success has come from strong play around the greens, gaining an average of +1.52 strokes per round around the greens, which is almost unheard of. Meanwhile, he's gaining just +0.78 per round with his approach and +0.21 per round with his putting.

McIlroy is playing a much more sustainable style of golf and his irons seem to be dialed in. -185 is a hefty price to pay, but he still holds plenty of great value against Finau on Saturday.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

White Sox’s Disastrous Season Perfectly Summed Up by One Embarrassing Error

The Chicago White Sox are in the midst of a historic slump. And it doesn't appear to be getting better anytime soon.

The White Sox, who have lost a franchise-worst 14 straight games, were tied 1-1 with the Boston Red Sox in the third inning when left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet made one of the oddest errors of the 2024 MLB season.

After fielding a soft ground ball hit by Jarren Duran that landed short of the mound, Crochet fired an errant throw past first baseman Andrew Vaughn. Vaughn raced after the ball, and Duran wheeled around first and second base and ended up at third.

The White Sox held a long meeting on the mound after the play. Once it concluded, Crotchet stepped off the mound to appeal that Duran didn't touch first base while rounding it on his way to second. But Crochet misfired—again—on his throw to first base, and Duran trotted home for the Red Sox's second run.

What just happened?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/nSZPsjw68k
— MLB (@MLB) June 8, 2024

"That's what bad teams do," an analyst on the NESN broadcast said.

The White Sox have separated themselves as the worst team in baseball this season. Entering Friday, they had just 15 wins—seven fewer that the lowly Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies—and rank last in batting average (.216) OPS (.618) and total runs scored (192).

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Memorial Tournament Live Odds Ahead of Round 3 (Can Anyone Catch Scottie Scheffler?)

We are halfway through the 2024 edition of the Memorial Tournament and low and behold, the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, has a commanding lead heading into Saturday's Round 3.

He has a three-stroke lead at nine-under par after the second round. Viktor Hovland and Adam Hadwin are tied in second place at six-under par. Keegan Bradley and Christiaan Beuidenhout round out the top five, each at five under par.

If you haven't placed a bet on the event yet or if you want some more action heading into the weekend, you've come to the right place. Let's take a look at the live odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and then I'll break down two golfers you should consider betting on before the leaders tee off on Saturday.

Scottie Scheffler enters the weekend as the -190 favorite, which means he has an implied probability of 65.52% of capturing his fifth win of the 2024 calendar year.

Ludvig Aberg +2000

Ludvig Aberg is a driving and ball-striking machine, but that's been his weakness through the first two rounds. It's his short game that has helped him sit at four-under-par, good for solo sixth place ahead of Saturday's round. He has gained over a stroke per round both around the greens and on the greens so far in this event.

There are questions surrounding the health of his knee, which could be the cause of his ball-striking not being as sharp as we normally see it. If his knee holds up and he starts striking the ball on Saturday and Sunday as well as he can, he's one of the few people in the top 10 who have the firepower to catch Scheffler.

He's five strokes off the lead ahead of Round 3.

Adam Hadwin +2500

Adam Hadwin is T2 ahead of Round 3 but is still available at 25-1. The Canadian is an interesting golfer to handicap because he doesn't have any kind of consistent form, but when he randomly finds his game in a tournament, he contends. To illustrate that point, just consider the fact he has only finished inside the top 30 five times in 2024, but those five finishes were T14, T6, T4, T5, and solo 10th. When his game is on, it's on.

We could be seeing another example of that at the Memorial. He is second to only Scheffler in strokes gained: approach in this tournament, averaging +3.22 strokes per round with his irons heading into the weekend.

Don't underestimate the Canadian. He's worth a sprinkle at his current live odds.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

There’s No Slowing Down Scottie Scheffler

DUBLIN, Ohio — The last time Scottie Scheffler walked off a golf course feeling bad about the way he played was . . . well, he couldn’t quite remember on Friday.

When pressed, the world’s No. 1 player cited the third round of the PGA Championship, the day after his much-discussed arrest due to a traffic issue that continues to garner headlines, though the charges have been dropped.

Scheffler shot 73 that day at Valhalla Golf Club, the first time in 2024 that he failed to shoot par or better. Must be rough.

The second round of the Memorial Tournament was more of the same for Scheffler, who has been on an impressive roll that sees him near the top of leaderboards nearly every time he plays.

Scheffler birdied the 18th hole at Muirfield Village Golf Club to shoot 68, which followed a first-round 67, giving him a three-shot advantage through 36 holes at Jack Nicklaus’s tournament.

“I try to forget those days, and so I'm pretty fortunate right now that I can't really remember,’’ Scheffler said when asked about those rare tough days. “The only one I can really remember was Saturday at the PGA, but that was another caddie, so we'll blame him for that.’’

Scheffler was joking about his regular caddie, Ted Scott, being absent that day due to his daughter’s high school graduation.

But the bottom line is there have been few poor outings for Scheffler all year. He’s won four times, including the Masters and the Players Championship. He finished second at two recent starts, including the Charles Schwab Challenge two weeks ago. His “worst’’ event in the last three months was the tie for eighth at the PGA Championship.

And now he’s leading a $20 million Signature Event.

“I think at this point you're almost expecting him to do those things, so it's almost like I can only do myself and can control what I can control,’’ said Ludvig Aberg, who played with Scheffler the first two rounds and is in sixth place, five shots back. “Obviously he's playing very, very good golf and it doesn't look very difficult when he's playing, but all I can do is try to keep up and make sure I'm not too far behind, I guess.’’

Scheffler is making it look easy, even if he disagrees.

“No, easy is definitely not the right word,’’ Scheffler said laughing. “I feel like what I love about this game is how difficult it is. I love coming out here and competing against the best players in the world on the best golf courses, and this is obviously a pretty challenging track. I really just love competing out here, and I don't really think about whether or not it's easy or hard, and some days I play good and some days I don't, and outside of that, I'm just out here trying to compete.

“Sometimes it feels really good and then sometimes it doesn't feel as good. I don't really know how to describe it other than that. I'm going to try not to really think about it much, to be honest with you.’’

Scheffler is three shots ahead of first-round leader Adam Hadwin, defending Memorial champion Viktor Hovland and four ahead of Keegan Bradley and Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Rory McIlroy is six shots back in a tie for seventh.

The tournament is one of three Signature Events—along with the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational—that has a 36-hole cut, which came at 148, 4-over par, with 51 players in the 73-player field advancing.

Among those who missed the cut were Jordan Spieth, defending U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler, who shot 82 on Friday.

Scheffler has his fifth 36-hole lead of the year and is atop the field in strokes gained approach to the green and strokes gained tee to green. He’s trying to become the first player since Justin Thomas in 2017 to win five times in a season.