MLB Picks: MLB Betting Picks for Saturday, August 1

MLB Betting Expert Daniel E. Dobish locks in on a pair of AL Central teams for his two-game parlay picks on Saturday night, as he looks to stay hot.

August 1, 2026

MLB Picks: MLB Betting Picks for Saturday, August 1

By:

Daniel Dobish

August 1, 2026

MLB Picks

Prep for your 2026 Fantasy Football draft with free, unlimited drafts, and real-time grades.

MLB Picks Today: Expert MLB Picks for
Saturday, August 1

It's Saturday, and there are just four daytime games, with 11 first pitches at 6:40 p.m. ET or later. We'll have the FOX national-regional coverage featuring the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians at 7:15 p.m. ET, or the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs in the other end of the national-regional coverage.

Last week we stayed hot with a 3-1 (75.0%, +203) record, moving to 18-5 (78.3%, +1,236) across the previous five weekend columns. We also cashed last week's 2-leg sides (+310) parlay, hitting either a side or totals parlay for the third straight weekend.

Let's continue to keep building our bankroll for the rest of the season!

Cash in on the best sportsbook promos available at the best MLB betting sites this baseball season. The BetMGM bonus code gets new players one of the best welcome bonuses in the industry.

Kansas City Royals at Colorado Rockies: Expert Betting Tips and Analysis

The Royals (46-65) and Rockies (43-67) meet at Coors Field for the middle contest of a three-game interleague series at 8:10 p.m. ET.

We should have a rather high-scoring affair, which isn't atypical for a game at Coors Field, of course. However, it's the pitching matchup driving this decision.

For the Royals, RHP Luinder Avila (5-3, 4.95 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) takes the ball, while the Rockies counter with RHP Ryan Feltner (3-5, 5.73 ERA, 1.46 WHIP).

Avila has actually won all four of his decisions in his previous seven starts, going 4-0 with a respectable 3.82 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He has managed to cut down the walks a little bit, and he is going slightly deeper into games, while also keeping the ball in the yard. Of course, that will be put to the test in the rarefied air.

Feltner has been tagged for 13 runs in 7.1 IP across his past two outings, including eight runs allowed while retiring just seven batters at home against the Cincinnati Reds on July 19.

The Royals lost the opener 3-1 in a rare pitcher's duel in Denver, and Kansas City has dropped three of the past four outings. Still, we're going to back Kansas City to get the job done behind Avila, who has been doing well, as opposed to Feltner, who has really scuffled.

However, based on the lack of bats Friday night, we'll hold our breath and take Under 12 runs. Feltner is very giving, but there is hope that Avila will stay hot and be able to quell the Colorado bats, keeping the ball inside the fences.

MLB Best Bets for Royals at Rockies:

Royals ML (-106 at FanDuel Sportsbooks)
Under 12 Runs (-115 at Bet365 and Caesars Sportsbooks)

Detroit Tigers at Athletics: Saturday Night Baseball Insights

The Tigers (52-58) and Athletics (45-65) square off at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, with a first pitch of 9:40 p.m. ET, technically the last game on the schedule.

Detroit turns to LHP Framber Valdez (5-7, 4.53 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) to keep the ball rolling. The Tigers won a 13-1 laugher in the series opener in a bullpen game. For the A's, they'll stick with RHP Jack Perkins (2-6, 6.45 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) to rebound.

The Tigers have scored at least nine runs in three consecutive games, winning two of those outings, including Friday's 13-1 opener. The A's have dropped three in a row, and six of the past seven games, while the UInder is 5-0 in the past five games. However, the Over is 4-2 in the past six starts by Perkins.

The A's aren't particularly strong against left-handed starting pitchers, going 14-27 this season. That's tremendous news for Tigers side bettors. We'll also be going with the Over based on the crooked numbers teams have been putting up while pancaking Perkins.