Expert Baseball Picks and Previews

Chicago heads into West Sacramento on Saturday in one of those games where the line says more than the teams do. The White Sox are sitting at +135, the Athletics at -162, and that creates a pretty clear betting question right away. Is Oakland really strong enough in this matchup to justify that kind of favorite price, or is the

Tampa Bay heads into PNC Park on Saturday night trying to clean up a flat opener after dropping Friday’s game 5-1. The Rays come in as a fairly live underdog at +141, while Pittsburgh is priced at -168 at home in a matchup with a total of 7.0. That total matters right away. It tells you the market expects a

San Francisco heads into Nationals Park on Saturday night after taking Friday’s opener 10-5, and the market is still keeping this one relatively tight. The Giants are a small road favorite at -117, the Nationals sit at -103, and the total is up at 9.5, which tells you the expectation is pretty clear. This is not being priced like a

New York heads into Wrigley Field on Saturday looking for a better response after getting hit 12-4 in Friday’s opener. The market still sees this game as tight, though, with the Mets at -102 and the Cubs at -118. That tells you the opener did not completely reshape the handicap, but it definitely adds pressure to the way bettors read

Cincinnati heads into Target Field on Saturday after stealing Friday’s opener 2-1, and that result matters because it immediately puts pressure on Minnesota to respond at home. The Reds come in as a +116 underdog, while the Twins are sitting at -139, which tells you the market still sees Minnesota as the steadier full-game side despite dropping the first game

Kansas City goes back into Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon after dropping Friday’s opener 4-2, and the market still has New York priced as the clear side to beat. The Royals are sitting at +139, the Yankees at -166, with a total of 8.0 that suggests a fairly controlled scoring script unless the game gets loose late. First pitch comes

Now, positivity surrounds Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson as Guardians await Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson hit the foul ball that caused manager Craig Albernaz to suffer a broken jaw and seven facial fractures on Monday. Jackson gave fans something more pleasant to talk about Friday night when he hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning off reliever Connor

Chris Sale, Braves eager to add to Phillies’ woes A pair of talented left-handers will take the mound on Saturday night when Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves visit Cristopher Sanchez and the scuffling Philadelphia Phillies. Both pitchers are off to solid starts this season. Sale (3-1, 3.27 ERA), the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner, remains a force

‘Patient’ Mariners chase elusive win vs. Rangers Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson is preaching patience. Which is exactly what long-suffering fans of the Seattle Mariners — a franchise celebrating its 50th anniversary season while still seeking its first World Series appearance — don’t want to hear. The host Mariners were shut out this season for the fourth time in 21