Sports
Best bets for Dodgers-Cubs, Pirates-Brewers, more on Tuesday, Aug. 4
The first two times the Los Angeles Dodgers lost four consecutive games this season, they were able to avoid a fifth straight defeat. On this occasion, they’re hoping the newest member of their starting rotation can help prevent their longest skid of 2026.
Tarik Skubal makes his Dodgers debut when Los Angeles (69-44) visits the Chicago Cubs (64-49) at 8:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game series at Wrigley Field. The two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner takes the mound for the first time since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Skubal, who is set to become a free agent at season’s end, won four of his last five decisions with Detroit and allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past six starts. Los Angeles is looking for another strong performance from the left-hander after suffering its fourth loss in a row, a 10-5 setback in Monday’s series opener.
Despite their current slide, the two-time reigning world champions Dodgers own a nine-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West. Chicago, which has alternated wins and losses over its last seven contests, trails the first-place Milwaukee Brewers by 5.5 games in the NL Central but has a four-game lead for the top wild card berth.
The Cubs trailed 3-0 before their first at-bat on Monday but scored twice in each of the first three innings to take a lead they would not surrender. Michael Bush and Carson Kelly both homered and drove in three runs while Kevin Alcantara and Seiya Suzuki also went deep for Chicago, which bolstered its pitching staff before the trade deadline earlier in the day with the additions of Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Braxton Garrett and reliever Ryan Zeferjahn.
Tuesday’s MLB schedule features 14 other games, including a matchup between the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates (57-57) and major league-best Brewers (69-43) at 7:40 p.m. ET at American Family Field. The Pirates, who are 3.5 games back in the NL wild card race, built a four-run lead and held on for a 4-3 triumph in the opener of the four-game set.
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Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Angels (43-69) and Baltimore Orioles (54-58) begin their three-game series at 6:35 p.m. ET at Camden Yards. The major league-worst Angels ended their five-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory over Milwaukee on Sunday, while the Orioles were outscored 13-0 in back-to-back setbacks against the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend but are just 2.5 games out of the third and final wild card spot in the AL.
A pair of hot NL East clubs square off Tuesday as the division-leading Atlanta Braves (67-45) host the Miami Marlins (58-55) at 7:15 p.m. ET for the opener of their three-game series at Truist Park. Atlanta has recorded five consecutive victories and Miami has won three straight and six of seven after enduring a franchise-record 12-game losing streak.
The Dodgers are massive -214 favorites against the Cubs in the latest consensus MLB betting odds, while the Brewers are -142 favorites against the Pirates. The Orioles are -151 favorites over the Angels at sports betting apps and the Braves are -144 favorites against the Marlins.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Tuesday, Aug. 4. All times Eastern
MLB best bets, where to watch
Angels at Orioles
Time: 6:35 p.m. | Location: Baltimore | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Angels +1.5 (-162) | Expert: Grayson Rodriguez Under 16.5 outs recorded (-115, PropBetGuy)
Scoring has been an issue for the Orioles lately, as they were shut out in each of their last two games. They collected a total of seven hits in those contests, albeit one was a rain-shortened loss in which they only had five innings of at-bats. In addition, two of their last four victories were one-run decisions. The Angels are coming off a shutout win against the Brewers, and the SportsLine Projection Model believes they’ll at least keep the score close Tuesday as they cover the run line in 65% of its simulations. Los Angeles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has worked more than 5 1/3 innings in just one of his 10 starts this season. SportsLine props expert PropBetGuy (66-41, +1512 on his last 107 MLB player prop picks) doesn’t feel he’ll accomplish the feat in his first turn against his former team.
Marlins at Braves
Time: 7:15 p.m. | Location: Atlanta | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Marlins +1.5 (-169) | Expert: Braves ML (-149, Matt Severance)
The Braves have won six straight and eight of nine at home but four of the last seven victories were by just one run. The Marlins have scored at least five runs in four of their last seven contests and given up fewer than three in each of their past three. The SportsLine Projection Model doesn’t see a blowout win by Atlanta as its simulations have Miami covering the run line 63% of the time. SportsLine expert Matt Severance (152-86-2, +1685 on his last 240 MLB picks) is backing the Braves to extend their winning streak to six games as Marlins starter Ryan Gusto has posted a 6.23 ERA on the road this season.
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Pirates at Brewers
Time: 7:40 p.m. | Location: Milwaukee | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 7.5 (-107) | Expert: Logan Henderson Over 6.5 strikeouts (+110, PropBetGuy)
The Pirates and Brewers have combined for eight or more runs in only three of their first seven encounters this season. The NL Central rivals produced a total of seven runs in the opener of this four-game series, but the SportsLine Projection Model thinks they’ll rack up at least eight on Tuesday as the Over hits in 73% of its simulations. Milwaukee’s Logan Henderson has recorded seven or more strikeouts in five of his last eight starts and eight of his 14 career turns in the majors. PropBetGuy likes him to do so against the Pirates, who have the fifth-highest strikeout rate against right-handers this year.
Dodgers at Cubs
Time: 8:05 p.m. | Location: Chicago | TV: TBS | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Cubs ML (+183)
After hitting just one home run in their three-game series against the New York Yankees this past weekend, the Cubs belted four over the first five innings of Monday’s series opener. Skubal, who is making his first career start at Wrigley Field in his Dodgers debut, has served up 10 blasts in his first 16 turns this year after allowing 18 in 31 outings last season. He permitted four runs in two of his three career starts against the Cubs. The Dodgers have allowed at least eight runs three times during their current four-game slide, and the SportsLine Projection Model thinks the Cubs will hand them their season-high fifth consecutive defeat as its simulations have them winning 53% of the time.
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