Saturday June 29 Best Sports Betting Picks For MLB, WNBA

Paul Skenes is on the mound, so this is that one day of the week where we all watch the Pittsburgh Pirates play. Is it too soon to wonder where the Pirates will trade him when it comes time for the huge payday?

Zac Gallen returns from his hamstring injury at a good time, as the Arizona Diamondbacks have allowed 50 runs and 72 hits over their past six games. Even the Oakland Athletics roughed up the Diamondbacks on Friday night.

We’ll also look at a WNBA game (spoiler—one not involving Caitlin Clark).

PITTSBURGH PIRATES VS. ATLANTA BRAVES

Skenes has been sensational through eight starts, going 4-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 61 strikeouts and just eight walks in 46 1/3 innings. He’s going to be crazy good once the Pirates take the leash off.

We might have gotten closer to that in Skenes’ last outing, as he worked seven innings for the first time. He gave up one run and six hits in the no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Skenes will oppose Braves left-hander Max Fried in a stellar pitching matchup. Fried (7-3, 3.00) hasn’t always found the terrain smooth against Pittsburgh; he has a 4.76 ERA in six career starts against the Pirates despite going 3-1.

Atlanta won the series opener 6-1, with National League RBI leader Marcell Ozuna driving in three to raise his count to 67. However, runs should be in short supply on Saturday.

Under 7.5 runs total, -108 (DraftKings)

OAKLAND ATHLETICS AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Arizona has been without its ace since Gallen was injured against the New York Mets on May 30. It has been a tough time for the Diamondbacks without Gallen, Merrill Kelly (shoulder), and free agent signee Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder MRI upcoming), while marquee free agent signee Jordan Montgomery has consistently been torched.

Arizona can win any game Gallen (5-4, 3.12) starts, even if he hasn’t displayed last season’s form that saw him finish third in NL Cy Young voting. The Athletics have a team full of young hitters who have never faced him, which is a big advantage for Gallen if he has his good stuff.

The Athletics ended an 11-game road losing streak by outplaying the Diamondbacks 9-4 in Friday’s series opener. Oakland slugged four homers over the final two innings in a definite feel-good performance.

Yet that was just the fourth time in the last 19 games that the Athletics have prevailed. The Diamondbacks have lost five of their past six, but it’s hard to see them dropping consecutive home games to Las Vegas, Sacramento, and, oh yeah, Oakland.

Diamondbacks -1.5 run line, -115 (DraftKings)

DALLAS WINGS at SEATTLE STORM

Seattle is apparently the favorite team of the WNBA schedule maker because this is the third contest of a nine-game homestand. The Storm will go almost four weeks without having to pack their luggage or walk through an airport.

They won the first two games of the homestand and now get the Wings for the next two games. Dallas hasn’t been a good team and lost 11 straight games before stunning the visiting Minnesota Lynx 94-88 on Thursday.

Seattle star Jewell Loyd recaptured her form with 34 points in Thursday’s 89-77 win over the Indiana Fever. Loyd had just one point and missed all nine of her field-goal attempts two games earlier in a stunningly bad performance for last season’s league-leading scorer.

Dallas always counts on Arike Ogunwobale (14 20-point efforts), and so will we. She will keep the Wings in the game, so look for them to cover the spread.

Wings +10 spread, -110 (DraftKings)