Top MLB Betting Picks for August 12: MLB Same-Game Parlays and Props
- 2026 Regular-Season Betting Record: 8-9-1 (-4.01 units)
- 2026 Regular-Season Player Props Betting Record: 11-8 (+2.28 units)
Following a pair of one-run wins in the first two games of the series, the reigning champion Dodgers go for the home sweep against the Royals to cap off MLB's all-day Wednesday slate.
Los Angeles fortified itself at the deadline with the acquisition of Tarik Skubal, but tonight's game features journeyman left-hander Eric Lauer on the hill for the hosts, while fellow veteran southpaw Daniel Lynch takes a turn for the 49-72 Royals.
With the stage set, let's examine a same-game parlay and a player prop for Wednesday night's game:
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MLB Picks for Royals at Dodgers
- SGP: Dodgers +0.5 and Under 6 runs - F5 (+130 on BetMGM Sportsbook) for 1 Unit
- Andy Pages 2+ Total Bases (+110 on BetMGM Sportsbook) for 1 Unit
Kansas City Royals 
at Los Angeles Dodgers 
Best Bets
Both the Royals and Dodgers entered the season with postseason expectations, but only the defending champions are going to make good on those. Kansas City has seen last year's 82-80 record become a distant memory, as the Royals enter Wednesday's series-closing clash sporting an ugly 49-72 mark.
Lynch has been one of the bright spots, however, and after spending the entire season as a reliever, the veteran lefty made his first start of the campaign last time out against the Chicago Cubs. That outing actually didn't go smoothly, as Lynch, who almost certainly was going to be facing workload restrictions, was pulled after 1.2 innings and 35 pitches after giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks.
Lynch still carries a 2.45 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 0.4 HR/9 for the season, however. His secondary metrics also support his overall numbers, as he has a .231 xBA, .285 xwOBA and 3.37 xERA across 47.2 innings. The one potential red flag attached to Lynch on Wednesday is the matchup. The Dodgers have unsurprisingly been difficult on lefties at home, and since the All-Star break, they boast a .290 average, .329 wOBA and very modest 15.7 percent strikeout rate in that split.
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An X-factor is how long Lynch may actually remain in the game Wednesday if he's not encountering an inordinate amount of difficulty early. The 29-year-old operated exclusively as a starter over the first three seasons of his career from 2021-23, but he pitched to an ugly 5.18 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 252 innings in that sample. He's had his fair share of trouble in the first half of games in his career as well, pitching to respective 8.16, 5.04 and 5.67 ERAs in the first, fourth and fifth innings.
On the other side, Lauer opened the season with the Toronto Blue Jays before being designated for assignment May 11 and then being traded to the Dodgers six days later. Lauer then looked like a completely different pitcher over his first nine turns with Los Angeles, furnishing a 5-0 record, 2.96 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 51.2 innings. He then had his first blow-up outing as a member of the Dodgers last time out, albeit in a very tough matchup – he allowed six earned runs on 11 hits, including two homers, over four innings at Wrigley Field to the Cubs.
Nevertheless, Lauer has been excellent at Dodger Stadium so far, and the Royals have mustered an anemic .189 average, .270 wOBA and -7.3 wRAA against lefties on the road in the second half of the season. Kansas City has also struck out at a bloated 27.5 percent clip in that sample, and current Royals hitters have a collective .133 average and .428 OPS against Lauer in 31 career encounters.
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Los Angeles is also averaging a solid 2.6 runs per first five innings per home game, while KC has fielded the most anemic offense in the majors on the road in that split with just 1.8 runs per first five when traveling. Consequently, our same-game parlay will focus on Los Angeles being no worse than tied at the end of five and a relatively modest amount of runs being scored in that span.
Then, we'll turn to the slugging Pages for our player prop. The 25-year-old outfielder has laced 45 of his 124 hits for extra bases, leading to him accruing an impressive 209 total bases in 119 games. He's also been a terror against lefties, posting a .281 average, .879 OPS, .378 wOBA and .227 ISO in that split. Royals relievers have also pitched to a .260 BAA and .329 wOBA against right-handed hitters since the All-Star break, furthering Pages' total bases bet.
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Wednesday's MLB Picks Recap
- SGP: Dodgers +0.5 and Under 6 runs - F5 (+130 on BetMGM Sportsbook) for 1 Unit
- Andy Pages 2+ Total Bases (+110 on BetMGM Sportsbook) for 1 Unit
