The grind of the MLB regular season takes a pause this week, as today’s crop of baseball stars gather in the nation’s capital for this year’ edition of the All-Star Game. Going into the hoopla, the American League is favored with -126 odds to win. With that said, let’s now take a look at a preview of this star-laden exhibition match which offers bettors another opportunity to make a buck on America’s favorite pastime.
The American League are on a roll, as it has won all of the last five editions of this midsummer classic. Last year, it edged the National League to the tune of a 2-1 score in a game that took 10 innings to finish. This year, the AL are the favorites to win the game again. It’s hard not to agree to the AL’s chalk label, considering its big bats. Batting for this side are the likes of Jose Altuve, Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and J.D. Martinez. Trout is slashing 310/.454/.606 so far this season. He also has 25 homers and. He’s also currently second all-time in the All-Star Game history in terms of on-base percentage. Trout will be surrounded by Altuve (leads the MLB in hits), Betts (tops the big leagues in batting average), and Martinez (paces the entire MLB in home runs). The rejuvenated Justin Verlander, strikeout machine Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, and Luis Severino, meanwhile, are just among the arms who are going to take care of business on the mound for the AL squad. Verlander boasts of a 2.29 ERA so far this year, while Sale has an even better mark with a 2.23 clip.
The National League unit does not seem to have the kind of imposing bats the AL wields, but Freddie Freeman, Brandon Crawford, Nick Markakis, and Matt Kemp can definitely do damage. Freeman and Markakis are fifth and 10th in the MLB in batting average. Kemp is enjoying a bounce-back year, as he enters the All-Star break with a .310/.352/.522 slash line to go with 15 home runs. The NL also has Bryce Harper, who may be batting .214 this season, but with the Nationals hosting the ASG, he’s a man to watch when he’s on the plate. In addition, the NL has the pair of defensive wizards in Javier Baez and Crawford, so the AL will have a tougher time finding gaps on the field and will be a bit less adventurous on the base paths. The NL are likely going to send Max Scherzer to the mound to start the game for the team. Scherzer, of course, is a National, so he’s very familiar hurling his stuff in Washington. Scherzer has a 12-5 record this season to go with a 2.41 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. He is 5-2 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts at home this season.
