We’re almost three weeks into the Major League season, and while there are still concerns about the coronavirus, especially in St. Louis, the games continue to go on. Our very own Matt DeSaro gives his top MLB picks of the Monday slate, for Aug 10.

MLB Picks & Parlays Aug 10, 2020

Giants (Logan Webb 1-0, 2.13 ERA) vs. Astros (Lance McCullers 1-1, 9.22 ERA)

I doubt anybody expected the lowly Giants to have a better record than the Astros this far into the season but hey, it’s 2020.  The year where nothing is happening as it should in the world.

One major thing not going as it should is the ‘comeback’ of Houston’s Lance McCullers.  The 26-year-old has picked up right where he left off and has looked rough in his three starts to date.

In his 13.2 innings this year, McCullers has allowed 14 earned runs while racking up a WHIP of 1.83.  Not a typo.

It’s really too bad for a guy who showed so much promise earlier in his career. This might be the game to get him back on track however as the Giants suck right?

Frankly, McCullers looks so lost, the Little Giants could probably plate a few runs on him.

He is allowing right-handers to slug .500 and lefties a cancerous .743.  This is music to Mike Yastremski’s ears, who is hitting over .300 and slugging close to .700.  Yaz is a great DFS play for the evening too for those who dabble in fantasy baseball.

On the other side of the diamond, San Francisco will be calling on Logan Webb to start.  His ERA of 2.13 is very nice but does hide a dirty little secret.  His FIP is over 4.00, suggesting that his run totals have been influenced by a fair bit of luck.  Another concerning number is his 81.6% strand rate.  This is unsustainable and when these two numbers normalize, Webb is going to see his success diminish.

Will Webb’s inevitable downfall begin tonight in Houston?

Well, for our betting purposes I sure hope so.

I fully expect McCullers to again see little to no success on the mound.  Making perhaps his last start for a while until he can sort his control issues out.  Webb is also in line for a rude awakening at some point and this Astros offense might be the powder keg.  Despite their very slow start, this lineup is full of big bats and can go off on any given night.

The full game total of nine is a bit high for my liking but the first five total of five is our focus with our first MLB pick for Aug 10 today.  Let’s hope for a hot start from these lineups against a pair of uninspiring starters.

Best Bet: First Five OVER 5 (-105)

Padres (Luis Perdomo 0-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. Dodgers (Dustin May 1-0, 2.63 ERA)

The San Diego Padres hit the road Monday, heading north to face their NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The two are currently neck and neck with just two games separating them in the division standings.

The Dodgers should be feeling pretty good about this series, having defeated the Padres on the road last week two of three games.  LA has also won five of their last seven and have their newest fan favorite, Dustin May on the mound.

It’s crazy to think that had Kershaw made his opening day start, we might not have seen May yet this year.  And now the youngster is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA in three starts after looking studly  on opening day.

Meanwhile, the Padres have lost five of their last seven and surrendered a questionable 34 runs over that span.  They are coming off a tough 3-2 loss to the Diamondbacks on Saturday and really need to get back on track if they have any hope of catching either the Rockies or Dodgers.

Fact is, if the Padres have any hope of usurping the Dodgers, they have to beat them. Something they’ve yet to accomplish with frequency.

I think we see more of the same tonight and therefore will be betting the Dodgers on the run line.

Best Bets: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-110)

So, that wraps my MLB picks for Aug 10, some solid MLB betting options to go with I think. Good luck!