Wednesday's MLB Tips July 19 | SBK Betting Zone

All 30 MLB teams are in action on Wednesday night and there are numerous early starts, with the Guardians and Pirates getting the ball rolling at 5.35pm.

With several series coming to an end, baseball expert Sam Cox has provided his three best bets.

Orioles v Dodgers

First pitch: 6.05pm Wednesday

Games involving the Dodgers and Orioles regularly hit the over in the total runs market, in fact, these two sides currently rank first and third in that regard. Both lineups are deep and stacked with solid hitters. Los Angeles has a 119 wRC+ over the last month, while Baltimore sits at 110 wRC+. They are both top nine in team xwOBA this season.

Julio Urias has improved since coming back from injury, yet he has still been a way off his usual high standards overall. He’s pitched more than six innings on just two occasions this season, which leaves the Dodgers’ bullpen a bit exposed.

Baltimore hands the ball to Dean Kremer, who has a 5.37 xERA. Six of Kremer’s last seven starts have seen a total of nine or more runs.

Both games in this series have gone over this total, and I expect this one will follow suit.

Prediction: Over nine total runs @ 1.77

Reds v Giants

First pitch: 12.10am Thursday

The San Francisco Giants have won seven in a row after finishing off the suspended game and winning a thriller on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Cincinnati has fallen to six losses on the bounce.

Ross Stripling’s season-long numbers are poor, but he has been a much better pitcher since returning from the injured list and owns a 3.48 ERA in July. On the other side of this matchup, Graham Ashcraft has also improved since coming back from injury, but he’s still hovering around league average by his xwOBA and has ridden some luck.

San Francisco has a highly disciplined offence, with a 9% walk rate across the last month. Ashcraft’s inability to generate whiffs will make for a difficult evening – look for the Giants to work deep counts and get plenty of runners on base. Ashcraft has conceded a massive .885 OPS at home in 2023.

Benefiting from the hitter-friendly ballpark, look for the Giants to get to Ashcraft early on. Stripling should be able to give them enough outs to hand over to a deep bullpen.

Prediction: San Francisco Giants to win @ 1.89

Braves v Diamondbacks

First pitch: 12.20am Thursday

After a barnstorming 16-13 Diamondbacks win on Tuesday, the Braves are comfortably favoured for Wednesday’s matchup as Charlie Morton matches up with Ryne Nelson. Morton boasts a 0.47 ERA this month, and has seen his underlying metrics take a massive step in the right direction after an up-and-down start to the year.

Nelson has a 4.98 xERA on the year, plus he gave up three earned runs in just 4.2 innings against the Braves in June. While the Diamondbacks exploded offensively yesterday, their line-up has dropped off a bit of late, posting just an 89 wRC+ over the last month. Atlanta leads the league in that category.

Beyond a starting matchup which leans heavily towards the Braves, Atlanta also has the edge when it comes to their respective bullpens. However, both managers could be restricted after using so many relievers on Tuesday.

Atlanta is in a bit of a slump by their standards, but their high-powered offence should put a few runs up against Nelson. Their available relievers can then convert a lead into a comfortable win.

Prediction: Atlanta Braves -1.5 @ 1.91