MLB Picks Today: Best Bets for Thursday, August 27th

With September around the corner, important matchups with playoff implications are starting to show up on the MLB schedule daily.

Thursday is no exception.

The Astros and Yankees play the rubber game of their three-game series in the Bronx. Houston remains atop the AL West at 66-67, while New York holds a 2.5-game edge over Boston for the top AL Wild Card spot.

In Atlanta, the Braves go for the sweep of the hot-and-cold Dodgers to move within two games of the top record in the National League. Los Angeles tries to avoid its fourth sweep since July and pick up its second win over Atlanta in six tries.

We’ll break down two plays for the Thursday action. Remember to monitor the odds throughout the day, as the props, sides, and totals market are constantly changing.

Here are the free MLB picks for Thursday, August 27. Odds Courtesy of DraftKings.

Best MLB plays today

• Royals (-105) at Blue Jays
• Braves (-119) vs. Dodgers

Royals (-105) at Blue Jays - 7:07 p.m. ET

The Royals (59-75) had their nine-game winning streak come to a halt in last night’s 3-0 shutout at Toronto. The Blue Jays (65-69) sit three games behind the Guardians for the final AL Wild Card spot prior to their ALCS rematch with the Mariners this weekend.

Toronto sends out Spencer Arrighetti to the mound in tonight’s rubber match, making his first start since July 24. After getting traded to the Blue Jays, the right-hander made one relief appearance, but Houston lost six of his final seven starts.

Noah Cameron has posted an excellent last month for Kansas City, pitching at least eight innings in three starts. He faces a Toronto lineup that ranks near the bottom of the league in wRC+, batting average, and on-base percentage against left-handed pitching.

The Jays have lost four of their last five series finales and it’s hard to pass up Cameron and the red-hot Royals at this price.

Braves (-119) vs. Dodgers - 7:15 p.m. ET

Los Angeles will win the National League West title once again, but the Dodgers have shown some cracks in the armor recently. The Dodgers have been swept by the Cubs and Red Sox over the last month and try to avoid another broom job against the Braves tonight.

Atlanta captured a pair of close victories in the first two meetings of the series as the Braves send out ace Chris Sale tonight. The southpaw is winless in his last three outings, despite allowing a total of six earned runs in 18 innings of work. Sale owns an incredible 1.65 ERA at home, as the Braves are 8-3 in his 11 starts at Truist Park.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been the most consistent pitcher in the Dodgers’ rotation this season, as L.A. has captured five of his last six starts. However, the defending champions have stumbled to a 2-5 mark in their past seven series finales.