The 93rd Major League Baseball All-Star is set for Tuesday night at Seattle's T-Mobile Park. Here's how you can watch the game. Here are the rosters for each team and here are the starting lineups.
If you came here, though, odds are you saw there was a gambling angle, so we're going to jump right into that. And, yes, I used "odds" in that previous sentence on purpose.
All odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
AL vs. NL
- National League: -110
- American League: -110
The American League has won nine straight in this series. Given how much the players change leagues these days and that it's a one-game sample, I wouldn't read too much into that. We're also smart enough to beware the mindset that the NL is "due" win in such a coin flip game, because we know that no matter how many times you flip a coin and it ends up heads in a row, the odds remain 50-50 that heads comes up again the next time.
That long-winded paragraph is a short way of saying do not let "momentum" (AL) or "they are due!" (NL) come into your mindset on this play.
My gut feeling is the NL on this one. I was waiting for a feeling to enter my mind and sway me and it came once the starting lineups were released. With Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman and Mookie Bettts likely to get two times through the order together -- maybe even three, though I doubt it -- the NL lineup is totally loaded. The AL is missing Aaron Judge and Yordan Alvarez and, due to the trickling down, has a weaker back third of the lineup. We know the starting pitchers and that's about it for the pitching plan. We can't be sure how the managers will use their benches with the lineup, either, so much more of an earnest breakdown would be a waste of time. Just use your gut and ask who it likes.
THE PICK: National League -110
The National League is also -220 on the run line (+1.5) I would rather enjoy giving the NL an extra run of cushion, but not at that price.
Total
- Over 7.5 runs (+110)
- Under 7.5 runs (-130)
For anyone interested, the last time the All-Star Game was in this ballpark was 2001 and the AL beat the NL, 4-1. I don't really care about that as I don't believe it has any bearing on this one, but there are those who want the information, so do with it what you please.
That's a low total, but the three most recent All-Star Games have come in under that and, in fact, five of the last six have. The only one that didn't in that span was 2018, when a late home run barrage in D.C. sent it over.
I feel like we're going over again. There's a slight uptick in offense this season and there's also the possibility that MLB is going to slip in those extra-juicy balls to pave the way for a laser show in front of the national audience. As noted earlier, I like the NL lineup as a whole a bit better, but that doesn't mean I think the AL will be held down. We'll see a few rallies by both sides with some big home runs.
I'll say the score ends up 6-4, which means ...
THE PICK: Over 7.5 runs (+110)
First-inning run?
Yeah, let's get nuts and say one of the two teams scores in the first. I'll guess Ronald Acuña Jr. is involved somehow.
THE PICK: Any run in first inning? Yes, +115
