Here is our best MLB Betting Pick Of The Day, including the Best Baseball Pick Today, 8/31/21. All odds for August 31 MLB bet picks were obtained from PointsBet.
Yesterday I mentioned the possibility of pushing on our wager, and sure enough that’s exactly what happened. While it’s not the most exciting outcome in the world, at least we got our money back, which gives us a chance to try again with one of my best MLB bets today.
MLB Pick Today
For in-depth analysis of this MLB pick of the day, continue reading.
Season Betting Record
- Overall: 34-21 (+9.16 units)
- Team Totals: 12-7 (+2.62 units)
- First 5 IP Bets: 18-8-3 (+8.39 units)
- Moneylines: 3-3 (-0.5 units)
- Totals: 1-2 (-1.35 units)
Sportsbook Play of the Day
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MLB Bet Of The Day 8/31/21
St. Louis Cardinals @ Cincinnati Reds (6:40 p.m. ET)
- Probable Pitchers: STL RHP Miles Mikolas @ CIN RHP Sonny Gray
The Cincinnati Reds’ offense has cooled off a bit lately but is still having an excellent second half, averaging 5.1 runs per game and leading all teams with 69 home runs. The Reds have also feasted on right-handed pitchers all season long, leading MLB with 515 runs and a .337 wOBA against righties this year.
That bodes well for their matchup tonight against Miles Mikolas, who is still trying to regain his footing after missing all of 2020 and most of 2021 with arm injuries. He’s only made three starts this season and has yet to complete more than five innings in any of them, so he doesn’t appear to be back at full strength yet.
Mikolas is coming off a rough road outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates — one of the worst teams in baseball this year. He allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk over 4 1/3 innings while striking out just three of the 22 batters he faced. If the Pirates can have that kind of success against Mikolas, then this Reds matchup could be a struggle for him.
The 33-year-old’s batted-ball distribution is also concerning, as he’s yielded 19 fly balls and 10 line drives while inducing just 11 ground balls over his last two starts. While only one of those hits left the yard, there’s a good chance he’ll surrender at least one home run to Cincinnati, who lead MLB with a 16.3% HR/FB rate.
As good as the Reds’ offense has been this season, they’ve been even better at home with an .800 OPS and 5.5 runs per game at Great American Ball Park. They also have a deep, power-laden lineup with good balance between righties and lefties, making them tough to navigate for any pitcher. Look for them to get back on track against Mikolas at home, making this one of the best MLB betting picks of the day.
Baseball Bet Of The Day: Cincinnati Reds Over 2.5 Runs In 1st 5 Innings (-110)
Wager: 1.05 Units
Thanks for reading our August 31 Best MLB Bet Pick! For more MLB bet tips today, check out our August 31 NRFI Bet and August 31 HR Bet.
