MLB picks, predictions, best bets for Saturday, July 5: Marlins vs. Brewers, Guardians vs. Tigers and more

MLB's Saturday slate boasts a mixture of day and night games. Some rivalries will be played out with the Subway Series continuing while the Dodgers and Astros lock horns again.

Here's a look at the best bets from the games on July 5th as per ESPN Sportsbook and Bet MGM.

MLB picks, predictions, best bets for Saturday, July 5

Marlins vs. Brewers

Best Bet: Chad Patrick u5.5 Strikeouts Thrown (-145)

Picks: Brewers ML (-145), Over 8.5 runs

Prediction: Brewers 5, Marlins 4

The Brewers took a close series opener on Friday with a 6-5 finish. Both starters on Saturday, Milwaukee's Chad Patrick (3-7, 3.51 ERA) and Miami's Cal Quantrill (3-7, 5.42 ERA) are expected to have a strong duel considering their identical figures. Otto Lopez for the Brewers has 17 RBIs in the last 10 games.

Guardians vs. Tigers

Best Bet: Kyle Manzardo o0.5 Total RBIs (+155)

Picks: Tigers ML (-141), Under 9 runs

Prediction: Tigers 5, Guardians 4

It is going from bad to worse for the Cleveland Guardians, who are now on an eight-game losing streak. They lost the series opener 2-1. Their offence will have a hard time facing Tigers starter Casey Mize (8-2, 2.86 ERA). Even Detroit's offence has a collective batting average of .285 in the last 10 games.

Nationals vs. Red Sox

Best Bet: Roman Anthony o1.5 Hits, Runs, and RBIs (-118)

Picks: Red Sox (-125), Under 9.5 runs

Prediction: Nationals 5, Red Sox 4

Despite the win in the series opener for Boston, it is an even matchup on paper on Saturday for bookmakers who are giving both sides an equal chance to win. The Nats are outpacing their opponents with a .287 to .279 batting average in the last 10 games, while the Red Sox have a better 4.60 ERA compared to 6.47 ERA.

Dodgers vs. Astros

Best Bet: Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 strikeouts thrown (-175)

Picks: Dodgers (-145), Under 8.5 runs

Prediction: Dodgers 4, Astros 3

The Dodgers suffered a humiliating 18-1 loss in the series opener, the likes of which the defending champions haven't seen in a long time. Shohei Ohtani is expected to get the start on the mound on Saturday and then be relieved by the bullpen after a few innings. His plate appearances will be crucial against Astros ace Framber Valdez (9-4, 2.72 ERA).

Padres vs. Rangers

Best Bet: Fernando Tatis Jr. o0.5 Total RBIs (+160)

Picks: Padres (-150), Under 8.5 runs

Prediction: Padres 4, Rangers 3

San Diego heads into the game with a three-game win streak at Petco Park. They will start as the favorite to extend that with Stephen Kolek (3-3, 3.73 ERA) on the mound against Rangers starter Jack Leiter (4-5, 4.29 ERA).

Both batting lineups are having a tough time out there, with the Padres at a .214 pace and the Rangers at .226 in the last ten games.

Here are the other predictions

Tampa Bay @ Minnesota: Rays 6, Twins 5

St. Louis @ Chicago: Cubs 7, Cardinals 6

Los Angeles (A) @ Toronto: Blue Jays 5, Angels 4

Cincinnati @ Philadelphia: Phillies 4, Reds 3

Baltimore @ Atlanta: Braves 5, Orioles 4

New York (Y) @ New York (M): Yankees 5, Mets 4

Kansas City @ Arizona: Diamondbacks 4, Royals 3

Chicago (WS) @ Colorado: Rockies 6, White Sox 5

San Francisco @ Athletics: Giants 5, Athletics 4

Pittsburgh @ Seattle: Mariners 4, Pirates 3

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

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Edited by Krutik Jain