MLB 3-Game Parlay: Top Picks, Odds & Predictions for Monday, August 18

There is no stopping us now. The MLB season is heading toward the stretch run, meaning there are betting opportunities every day between now and October. We’ve got you covered for today’s action, highlighting our top three picks in our Monday parlay!

Where to Watch Toronto Blue Jays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

• Ballpark: PNC Park
• Location: Pittsburgh, PA
• Where to Watch: SNET, SportsNet PT
• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Spread: PIT -1.5 | Total: 
• Moneyline: PIT -112 | TOR -104

Note: All odds are subject to change after article publication. Get the most up-to-date odds here.

Bettors are fading Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of their interleague clash versus the Toronto Blue Jays. After opening as -120 chalk, the line is down to a near pick’em. I guess that puts us on the wrong side of the line movement, as we load up on the Pirates. 

Skenes’ record doesn’t reflect his virtually unhittable nature. Despite being 7-9, the phenom leads all MLB pitchers with a tidy 2.13 ERA. Furthermore, he has one of the most promising analytics profiles in the big leagues. He is among the leaders in strikeout percentage, barrel rate, fastball velocity, and expected slugging percentage, which is encapsulated in his 2.62 expected ERA.

Granted, the Jays have been on a heater lately. Still, they could struggle to get to Skenes. Toronto’s bats are significantly worse away from home. Their OPS drops almost 50 points, resulting in a significant decrease in run production. The Blue Jays average 5.3 runs per game in their friendly confines, compared to just 4.5 as the visitors. 

Toronto’s disadvantage has been erased from the betting price. Naturally, that points us toward the home side, with Pittsburgh being the recommended play. 

Best Bet: Pirates -112

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Where to Watch Seattle Mariners vs. Philadelphia Phillies

• Ballpark: Citizens Bank Park
• Location: Philadelphia, PA
• Where to Watch: Root Sports NW, NBCS-PH, MLB Network
• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Spread: SEA -1.5 | Total: 8
• Moneyline: SEA -108 | PHI -108

Count the Philadelphia Phillies as another home side that is heading into Monday night’s action suspiciously undervalued. The Phillies host the Seattle Mariners for the first of three contests, and they should have no problem staking themselves to an early series lead. 

Philadelphia remains one of the premier hitting teams in the majors, and that’s been even more evident over its recent sample. The NL East leaders have seen an increase in production after the All-Star break. Their OPS has increased by nearly 20 points, accompanied by a corresponding rise in runs per game, from 4.6 to 4.9.

Seattle went on a mammoth 8-0 run, a couple of weeks ago, and regression has been unkind more recently. The M’s have dropped four of their past five, recording three or fewer runs in each one of those defeats. 

These teams are heading in opposite directions. The Mariners can’t get anything going at the plate right now, while the Phillies put up 17 runs across their weekend set. We have faith in Philadelphia getting it done at home. 

Best Bet: Phillies -108

Where to Watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies

• Ballpark: Coors Field
• Location: Denver, CO
• Where to Watch: SportsNet LA, COLR
• Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
• Spread: LAD -1.5 | Total: 10.5
• Moneyline: LAD -270 | COL +220

It doesn’t take a baseball savant to recognize the imbalance between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies — a fact that’s clearly reflected in the betting price. However, sharp bettors will want to get a piece of the home side in this NL West showdown. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the ball for the Dodgers and wanders into Coors Field for the second time this season. While his first foray was 5.0 innings of shutout ball, he will have a much harder time replicating that success on Monday. The Cy Young candidate is coming off his worst start of the season, giving up six earned runs across 4.2 innings pitched last time out. More concerningly, he’s been victimized by hard-hit balls all season long, putting up a below-average 40.9% hard-hit rate. 

You wouldn’t know it from their dismal record, but the Rockies have been one of the top-hitting clubs over the past month. Since the All-Star break, Colorado ranks sixth in the MLB with a .759 OPS. Predictably, that correlates with an increase in run production, with the NL West basement dwellers averaging 4.7 runs per game. 

The Dodgers are the presumptive favorites, but the gap isn’t as wide as the betting line implies. On that basis, we’re taking a shot with the underdog Rockies in this intra-divisional affair.

Best Bet: Rockies +220

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MLB Best Bets Monday’s Top Parlay Picks: +1066 Odds

• Pirates -112
• Phillies -108
• Rockies +220

We’ve loaded up on home teams in our Monday parlay, backing the Pirates, Phillies, and Rockies. If all three picks hit, bettors could be walking away with a healthy return of +1066.