Top MLB Parlay of the Weekend

If you want to jazz up your MLB betting returns, take a look at some of our top parlay picks for this weekend’s action. Put your money down on both games and get the boost in odds when both of those wins come back in your favor.

Top MLB Parlay of the Weekend

Saturday Matinee: Chicago Cubs over San Francisco

From Wrigley Field, we have a marquee matchup between the Cubs’ hurler Jake Arrieta and the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner. Arrieta is in a bit of an odd pattern right now, alternating terrific games with iffy ones. His last start was against the Pirates on Monday, and he gave up a pair of home runs and six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, although the Cubs were able to hold on for an 8-7 win. The start before that, he held the Padres scoreless for eight strong innings. The two previous starts were also iffy (5 ER in 5 2/3 IP against the Brewers) and strong (1 ER, 5 2/3 innings against the Cardinals). That pattern has him set to pitch well against the Giants — and he does come on strong for the big games. Bumgarner hasn’t been his dominant self lately. He hasn’t been awful, but he hasn’t been going that far into games (just 17 innings in his last three starts, with a combined 12 ER, 3 HR and 6 BB). When Arrieta is on his game, he is one of the dominant pitchers in the game, and pitching at Wrigley should give him the advantage here.  The Giants have only won 4 of their last 10, while the Cubs are on an 8-2 tear right now. I’m predicting a Cub win here.

Texas over Houston

If you just look at the most recent numbers, there’s no way you take the Rangers in this game. After all, the last time Dallas Keuchel faced them, he threw a complete-game shutout, permitting just three hits in a 5-0 win for the Astros. However, in his four starts before that one, he had an 8.75 ERA against Texas, permitting 23 ER in 23 2/3 innings along with 35 hits, taking a 1-3 record from those contests. His biggest mistake has been leaving the ball up in hitter’s counts. So since Texas knows what to look for, and since they’ve been mashing the ball as of late, Keuchel’s numbers from that last start might not be as important. On the other side we have Derek Holland pitching. Since returning from the disabled list, he has been magnificent in two starts, going a combined 12 innings and permitting just two earned runs, striking out 10 and not allowing any home runs. He’s been pounding the ball in on hitters and keeping the breaking stuff down. I like the Rangers to take the game to Keuchel and Holland to keep the Astro hitters quiet until he turns the ball over to a bullpen that has been strong during the Rangers’ campaign this year.