July 24 Top MLB Sports Betting Picks & Predictions for 7/24/2024

Baseball takes center stage on Wednesday with a set of matinee games and several aces on the mound, including an afternoon start from Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola in Minnesota and the nightcap featuring Gerrit Cole trying to play stopper against the Mets.

Philadelphia Phillies at Minnesota Twins, 12:36 p.m. ET

Steven Okert is the opener for the Twins, and his WHIP (walks, hits per innings pitched) of nearly 1.5 implies the Phillies will get an opportunity to put up runs early in support of ace Aaron Nola.

Bryce Harper is 3 for 7, Nicholas Castellanos is 3 for 6, and Trea Turner is 1 for 4 against Okert, who has pitched entirely out of the bullpen this season. In 21 career games (one start) against the Phillies, Okert is 2-0 with a 2.79 ERA. He is particularly tough on lefties and might not last more than three hitters.

We’re locked in on All-Star shortstop Turner to deliver his ninth multi-hit game this month and spark the Phillies’ offense.

Nola (11-4, 3.54 ERA) is one win shy of matching his 2023 victory total.

Trea Turner 3+ total bases, 2+ hits (+257 at FanDuel)

Cincinnati Reds at Atlanta Braves (DH game 2), 6:05 p.m. ET

Provided weather cooperates after a washout of Tuesday’s game, the Braves and Reds are playing two on Wednesday.

The nightcap is our focus, with Braves ace Chris Sale (13-3, 2.70) and Cincinnati's Nick Martinez (3-5, 3.88) squaring off. Martinez gets his first start since May 22.

Sale hasn’t seen much of the Reds, with one career appearance in 2023 with the Red Sox.

He’s on the mound looking for his fourth straight victory in his first outing since July 14, when he tossed five innings and allowed one run on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts against the Padres. That was the 10th time in 18 starts allowing one or zero runs.

Run support has been the issue for Sale in his three losses, including 1-0 to the Chicago White Sox and 2-1 to the Washington Nationals.

Because of the Braves’ inability to put together big innings with an injury-ravaged lineup, we’re locking in on Sale over the game result.

Chris Sale over 7.5 strikeouts, Reds under 3.5 runs (+149 at FanDuel)

New York Mets at New York Yankees, 7:06 p.m. ET

Gerrit Cole has 23 strikeouts in his past three starts and 7+ in each of them as part of a correction from a slow start. His ERA is down from 9.00 to 4.60, and he’s won two consecutive starts.

While the sample size is admittedly miniscule, the bangers in the Mets’ lineup have had little success against Cole. Pete Alonso is 0-for-3 with one strikeout, Francisco Lindor is 4 for 23, and J.D. Martinez is 8 for 46 (.174) with 18 Ks.

Brandon Nimmo has three hits, one homer, against Cole with two strikeouts. Jeff McNeil (3 for 7 against Cole) hit the tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning to set up the Mets for Wednesday’s chance to sweep the season series for the second time (2013).

That’s what Cole is here for—to play the role of stopper.

Gerrit Cole 6+ strikeouts, Yankees money line (+103 at FanDuel)