MLB Best Bets (August 7): Dodgers at Diamondbacks, A's at Red Sox Odds & Predictions

The race for playoff spots are tightening up in Major League Baseball. Six teams are within a game-and-a-half of the third wild card in the American League. All six of those teams have a losing record.

But winning or losing record, it doesn't matter: teams are in the Dog Days of Summer positioning for a coveted postseason berth. Some teams that sold at the trade deadline find themselves in the hunt for the playoffs, like the Diamondbacks, who will face the stumbling defending champs.

{Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

One team virtually assured of a playoff spot is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers added to their star-studded roster at the deadline, but haven't won a game since, stretching a losing skid to six games entering Friday's series opener in Arizona against the Diamondbacks.

MLB Best Bets for August 7

Odds for my MLB best bets picks tonight are from FanDuel sports betting app. Consult our MLB Live Betting page to find the best apps and odds for micro-betting baseball.

MLB Best Bets Pick: Ohtani Total Bases

Don't look now, but Shohei Ohtani is on a tear at the plate. The LA leadoff man has 15 hits and four home runs in his last eight games, good for a .484/.556/.968 slash line. That rampage has elevated Ohtani's case for a record-tying fourth straight MVP award. He may not be tossing his fastball right now due to a nagging knee and bicep strain, but it isn't stopping him from raking.

Ohtani has punished Arizona pitching in 2026, hitting like Ty Cobb: .419 with nine runs and a pair of HR against the Diamondbacks in nine games.

• Shohei Ohtani To Record 3+ Total Bases: +125 from FanDuel

Since becoming a Dodger in 2024, Ohtani has played 16 games at Chase Field in Arizona. His stats are impressive: .357/.425/.700 with 5 HR, 14 RBI, and 17 runs. He has 12 extra-base hits in the 16 games he's played at the D-Backs' home ballpark. He's averaging 3 total bases per game in the last three years at Arizona (49 TB in 16 games).

Kalshi: Pros and Cons

• CFTC-regulated
• Transparent pricing
• Low fees, no house edge
• Diverse event markets available

• Possible loss from volatility or market uncertainty

Visit Kalshi

Red Sox Team Props vs A's

Baseball history was made Thursday at Fenway Park. The Red Sox became the first team to win a game in which it trailed in three different extra-innings when they stunned the White Sox, 12-11, to capture an eighth straight victory.

The Red Sox aren't red-hot. They're white-hot (check your physics for the difference). The Sox are 31-6 since June 25, storming into a commanding playoff position. Boston has won 11 of its last 13 at home to create a 6.5-game gap between it and chasers for an AL Wild Card.

In nine of its last 13 games at Fenway Park, Boston has scored at least six runs. Overall, home or away, Boston is averaging six runs over its last 13 games. Any way we look at it, Boston's offense is turning into the new Big Red Machine.

• Race To 6 Runs: Boston +150 from FanDuel

These odds almost seem like a mistake. The A's have a team ERA of 5.41, the worst (by far) in the American League. It's the worst for a team that plays at a reasonable distance above sea level (only the Rockies have an ERA higher).

A winning $100 wager will pay out $150 if the Red Sox are the first team to get to 6 runs in this game. Be advised that if neither team scores 6, or if the Red Sox fail to, your wager loses.

MLB Player Prop Pick: Robbie Ray Strikeouts

To butcher an old saying: "If you can't beat em', acquire them." In this case, on July 30, Robbie Ray defeated the Padres while pitching for the Giants. A few days later, the Friars traded for the former Cy Young Award winner. Tonight the lefty will make his Padres debut as he faces the Houston Astros in San Diego.

Ray is now wearing his sixth MLB uniform. He's always been a SOL (South-After Lefty). But there are some puzzling numbers next his name in 2026. Ray's strikeout rate (per nine innings) is only 7.9 this season, down from 9.2 in 2025, and 11.5 from his prime (2016-2022).

It comes down to Ray's fastball. In 2025 it had a Run Value in the 84th percentile, according to Statcast from MLB. But in 2026, it sits in the 64th percentile. He's surrendered nine HR on his four-seamer in only 155 at-bats. Opposing batters are squaring up his heater in 2026.

The southpaw is also using the four-seamer less: down to 34% from 51% in 2025. When Ray was a Cy Young winner and top lefty in baseball, he typically used his four-seam fastball pitched 45% or more.

With his strikeout rate plummeting, Ray is not a great pick for your Best Bets on K's. Unless you want to bet the under, which is where we're going tonight.

• Robbie Ray Under 5.5 Strikeouts: -160 from FanDuel

I'm going with $160 on this pitcher prop bet. If Ray strikes out fewer than 6 batters, that wager will win $100, plus my stake.