Welcome back to another round of MLB Best Bets Today as the 2025 baseball season rolls on. 

With the MLB Trade Deadline in the rearview mirror, let’s find some winning MLB picks for Saturday’s slate. We have 15 games on the schedule, and every team in action today. That means plenty of ways to go for MLB picks and predictions. Let’s focus on two games for our MLB best bets today before dishing out a few baseball player props and other picks to consider. 

The MLB picks below are accurate as of this writing, but some odds or lines could move before first pitch. All bets below are for one unit unless otherwise noted. Without further ado, let’s dive into our MLB Best Bets Today.

 

 

 

MLB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 8/2

Our MLB Best Bets today start with a must-see matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers. Let’s see how to bet on Zack Wheeler vs. Tarik Skubal as the pair of Cy Young contenders go head-to-head. Plus, we dive into an AL West matchup as the Seattle Mariners host the Texas Rangers. Check out these MLB predictions to make as you enjoy Saturday’s baseball action. 
 

 

 

Detroit Tigers vs. Philadelphia Phillies Predictions: Saturday, August 2nd

Saturday afternoon brings us arguably the best starting pitching matchup of the season. We have Tarik Skubal vs. Zack Wheeler as the Detroit Tigers visit the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s the current AL Cy Young favorite against a top NL Cy Young contender. Naturally, let’s root for a pitching duel between these aces. 

Wheeler is due to bounce back at home after allowing four runs to the Yankees on the road last outing. The Phillies’ right-hander has actually looked mortal lately, with 10 runs allowed over his past three starts combined. Before these recent hiccups, though, he posted a 0.68 ERA over his previous 6 starts. 

Bank on Wheeler returning to his familiar ace form today. He boasts a 2.00 ERA, 2.21 FIP, and a minimal .226 wOBA allowed at home this year. Over his last 6 home outings, he owns a 1.13 ERA. Plus, despite some recent shaky starts, Wheeler’s 2.34 xERA and 2.68 FIP this season are still at elite levels. 

Wheeler will take on an offense that’s woken up lately, but Detroit has still struggled overall since the All-Star break. The Tigers have scored fewer than four runs in seven of 13 games in this second half. They also have a league-low .275 wOBA and 73 wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching over the past two weeks. 

On the other side, Skubal brings in his 2.09 ERA and 0.84 WHIP to this matchup. The southpaw owns a 1.46 ERA and 1.70 FIP over his last 11 starts, including one or zero runs allowed in eight of those 11 games. The guy is simply dominant on the mound this year and looks refreshed after the break. 

If you’re wondering how Skubal will fare on the road, check out these stats. He boasts a 1.89 ERA and .182 batting average allowed in his road starts so far. He also has a 0.97 ERA and an elite 59:3 K:BB ratio over his past seven road starts. 

Yes, Skubal will face a dangerous Philadelphia lineup. Still, the Phils are batting just .209 with a 27.6% strikeout rate against left-handed pitching since the All-Star break. Plus, the Tigers just rebuilt their bullpen at the trade deadline, adding Kyle Finnegan and Rafael Montero to the back end. On that note, the Phillies’ pen now features Jhoan Duran as the closer. 

The under has hit in five of Wheeler’s last six starts and in nine of his last 13 outings. Of course, that’s usually because he’s limiting scoring on one particular side. Today, Skubal should hold serve and keep the run-scoring at a minimum. Grab the under for the full game and first five innings. 

 

 

 

Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners Predictions: Saturday, August 2nd

The Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners continue to jockey for positioning in the AL Wild Card standings. The AL West rivals have a marquee matchup on deck for Saturday afternoon. The starting pitchers in this one should lead us to a lower-scoring game. 

Castillo has a solid 3.19 ERA for the Mariners this season, but he’s been much better lately. The right-hander owns a 1.96 ERA and 1.86 FIP over his past six starts, including a 36:6 K:BB ratio in this stretch. He also has some encouraging numbers for today’s specific matchup. 

Castillo has a career 2.75 ERA when pitching in Seattle. This year, he boasts a 2.29 ERA and .200 batting average allowed at home compared to a 4.31 ERA and .292 BAA on the road. The righty also owns an impressive 2.25 ERA over his past four starts against the Rangers, including two runs allowed over 12 combined innings this year in the matchup. 

Let’s bank on another good outing today from Castillo. The Texas lineup has struggled against right-handed pitching lately. Since the All-Star break, the Rangers have just a .228 batting average, .301 wOBA, and 92 wRC+ vs. righties (25th, 23rd, and 24th in MLB, respectively). 

Meanwhile, Merrill Kelly will make his Rangers debut today. The veteran right-hander had a solid 3.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with the Arizona Diamondbacks before getting dealt to Texas. He comes in pitching well, with a 2.56 ERA over his past 10 outings. Kelly also owns a 1.82 ERA over his last four starts. 

Kelly has been good on the road this year. Overall, he has a 3.05 ERA and a .258 wOBA allowed in his road outings. Recently, the righty owns a dominant 1.42 ERA over his past 5 road starts. 

Seattle’s offense is also struggling to hit right-handed pitching right now. Over the past two weeks vs. righties, the Mariners have a .276 wOBA (29th in MLB), .206 BA (30th), 80 wRC+ (28th), and 24.8% K rate (25th) in the split. It’s a good spot for Kelly, who tossed six shutout innings against the M’s in June. 

Both Kelly and Castillo should keep the run scoring at a minimum today. Let’s take the under for the full game and first five innings. 

 

 

 

Best MLB Player Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 8/2

 

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