After a busy night slate on Friday, the MLB action is a bit more spaced out on Saturday. Three contests are scheduled to start at 2:15 p.m. ET or earlier, followed by an eight-game afternoon slate at 4:05 p.m. ET. Five night games wrap up the slate in the evening.

Let’s dive into some of my favorite bets for Saturday’s slate.

MLB BETS TODAY – PICKS FOR SATURDAY, JULY 13

New York Yankees ML at Baltimore Orioles (+120; BetMGM)

The Yankees managed to pick up a much-needed win on Friday, but they’re still trailing the Orioles in the standings. That said, they’re in a good spot to pick up another win on Saturday.

They’ll send Luis Gil to the mound, who has been their best pitcher this season. He was right in the thick of the AL Cy Young race before a poor June knocked him out of contention. Still, Gil has a 3.33 xERA and elite strikeout numbers for the year, so he remains an ace-caliber pitcher.

Gil bounced back in a big way in his last outing, racking up nine strikeouts over 6.1 innings of one-run ball vs. the Red Sox. More importantly, he didn’t allow a single walk. Gil is one of the toughest pitchers in baseball to hit – his .196 expected batting average ranks in the 96th percentile – so if he limits the number of free passes, he’s extremely tough to beat.

Grayson Rodriguez will get the ball for the Orioles, and while he was expected to become a frontline starter, he’s yet to reach those heights. The Yankees offense ranks first in wRC+ against right-handers, so I like their chances of getting to him.

The Orioles offense has been in a deep freeze of late, so this feels like the perfect time to buy low on the Bronx Bombers.

Minnesota Twins ML at San Francisco Giants (-120; Caesars)

The Twins have been on a roll of late. They’ve racked up 12 wins in their past 17 games (with Friday’s contest pending), moving them into a Wild Card spot in the American League. They’re just 4.0 games behind the Guardians, so the division is still very much in play as well.

Simeon Woods-Richardson will be their starter, and he’s a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm. His 3.92 xERA puts him in the 50th percentile, and while that’s nothing to write home about, it gives the Twins a solid advantage vs. Hunter Birdsong. Birdsong has struggled through his first three MLB outings, racking up a 4.91 xERA with dreadful Statcast metrics.

The Twins are also the superior squad offensively. They’re sixth in wRC+ against right-handers, while the Giants are 15th. They’ve been even better recently, ranking as the best team in baseball against right-handers over the past 30 days.

Ultimately, -120 feels like too cheap of a price tag for the Twins in this spot.

MORE MLB BETS FOR SATURDAY, JULY 13

Mariners-Angels Under 8.0 runs (-105)

The Mariners have been a prime under target all season. They’re 50-40-5 to the under this season, making them the sixth most profitable under squad in baseball. They combine an elite pitching staff with a subpar offense, so their games tend to be lower-scoring. George Kirby (3.39 ERA; 3.31 xERA) will be on the mound on Saturday, and the Angels will have one of their best starters on the bump in Jose Soriano. The Angels’ offense has also struggled to score runs this season, so it’s a game where runs should be at a premium.

Rangers ML at Astros (-118)

The Astros have been red hot recently, but they’ll be at a major pitching disadvantage on Saturday. They’ll send Spencer Arrighetti to the bump, who has struggled to an appalling 5.96 ERA this season. The Rangers will counter with Nate Eovaldi, who remains an above-average starter. He’s been particularly sharp of late, allowing just two earned runs over his past 14.0 innings. I’ll take a shot at anything better than -125.

2024 MLB BETS RECORD

  • Yesterday: 1-1 w/ two pending (-0.11 units)
  • Season: 173-178-9 (-11.73 units)

All bets are based on half units unless stated otherwise.