MLB Picks, Best Bets, Props, Predictions Today – August 20

The bulk of the league is in action today as there are 14 games on the Wednesday, August 20 schedule, including 4 games that start before 4:00 p.m. ET.

Our MLB betting experts have looked over today’s MLB odds and offered up their MLB picks and predictions for today’s slate. There are picks from 2 of the day games in this file, so let’s dive right in!

Today’s MLB best bets are below.

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MLB Best Bets Today

The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today’s slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.

Game	Time (ET)	Pick
[teammatchup link=”#1″ firstfullname=”Seattle Mariners” firstlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-seattle-mariners.png” secondfullname=”Philadelphia Phillies” secondlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-philadelphia-phillies.png”][/teammatchup]	1:05 p.m.	Tony Sartori’s Moneyline Prediction
[teammatchup link=”#2″ firstfullname=”Houston Astros” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/hou.png” secondfullname=”Detroit Tigers” secondlogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/461059_det_n.png”][/teammatchup]	1:10 p.m.	Kyle Murray’s Player Prop Pick
[teammatchup link=”#3″ firstfullname=”Atlanta Braves” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/atl.png” secondfullname=”Chicago White Sox” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/cws.png”][/teammatchup]	7:15 p.m.	Sean Zerillo’s Biggest Wednesday Edge
[teammatchup link=”#4″ firstfullname=”San Francisco Giants” firstlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-san-francisco-giants.png” secondfullname=”San Diego Padres” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/sd.png”][/teammatchup]	9:40 p.m.	Tonight’s Featured Bet Labs System
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game.

[anchor name=”1″][/anchor]

[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Tony Sartori’s Mariners vs Phillies Best Bet: Phillies Should be Bigger Favorite”][/subheader]

[gameheader haspick=”true” picktext=”Phillies Moneyline (-140)” league=”mlb” awaylogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-seattle-mariners.png” awayname=”Seattle Mariners” awayslug=”seattle-mariners” homelogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-philadelphia-phillies.png” homename=”Philadelphia Phillies” homeslug=”philadelphia-phillies” date=”Wednesday, August 20″ time=”1:05 p.m. ET” network=”MLB.TV” bookname=”BetMGM” bookprimarylogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/779359_BetMGM800x200@1x.png” bookreviewslug=”betmgm”][/gameheader]

By Tony Sartori

The only reason the Phillies aren’t longer than -136 is that the Mariners possess the bullpen advantage. However, that does not offset the fact that Philadelphia boasts a stronger starting pitcher and lineup.

Citizens Bank Park is also one of the more difficult environments to play in for opposing teams. The Phillies are above .500 at home, while the opposite is true for Seattle on the road.

Pick: Phillies Moneyline (-140)

[gameforecast league=”mlb” gameid=”259206″ date=”2025-08-20″][/gameforecast]

[teammatchup link=”#1″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Seattle Mariners” firstlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-seattle-mariners.png” secondfullname=”Philadelphia Phillies” secondlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-philadelphia-phillies.png”][/teammatchup]

[teammatchup link=”#2″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Houston Astros” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/hou.png” secondfullname=”Detroit Tigers” secondlogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/461059_det_n.png”][/teammatchup]

[teammatchup link=”#3″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Atlanta Braves” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/atl.png” secondfullname=”Chicago White Sox” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/cws.png”][/teammatchup]

[teammatchup link=”#4″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”San Francisco Giants” firstlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-san-francisco-giants.png” secondfullname=”San Diego Padres” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/sd.png”][/teammatchup]

[anchor name=”2″][/anchor]

[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Kyle Murray’s Astros vs Tigers Best Bet: Fade Morton”][/subheader]

[gameheader haspick=”true” picktext=”Charlie Morton Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-140)” league=”mlb” awaylogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/hou.png” awayname=”Houston Astros” awayslug=”houston-astros” homelogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/461059_det_n.png” homename=”Detroit Tigers” homeslug=”detroit-tigers” date=”Wednesday, August 20″ time=”1:10 p.m. ET” network=”MLB.TV” bookname=”bet365″ bookprimarylogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/859377_Bet365@1x.png” bookreviewslug=”bet365″][/gameheader]

By Kyle Murray

Charlie Morton has shown some solid strikeout upside this season and has even had some nice strikeout games as a member of the Tigers, but this number is likely a bit inflated after he has cleared it in two of his past three starts.

This is a tough matchup, as the Astros’ projected lineup has six hitters with a strikeout rate of 19% or lower against right-handed pitchers this season. Additionally, the Astros could easily roll out a lineup with seven or more righties, which would only hurt Morton more, as he has just a 21.1% strikeout rate against righties this season.

Pick: Charlie Morton Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-140)

[anchor name=”3″][/anchor]

[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Sean Zerillo’s Braves vs White Sox Best Bet: Back Braves in Atlanta”][/subheader]

[gameheader haspick=”true” picktext=”Braves Moneyline (-185)” league=”mlb” awaylogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/atl.png” awayname=”Atlanta Braves” awayslug=”atlanta-braves” homelogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/cws.png” homename=”Chicago White Sox” homeslug=”chicago-white-sox” date=”Wednesday, August 20″ time=”7:15 p.m. ET” network=”MLB.TV” bookname=”ESPN BET” bookprimarylogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/11/ESPNBET-rect-2colorway-e1700601975338.png” bookreviewslug=”espn-bet”][/gameheader]

By Sean Zerillo

I’m backing Hurston Waldrep, the No. 24 overall pick from the 2023 Draft. He has a vast, six-pitch arsenal with a double-plus splitter (142 Stuff+) — which he throws more frequently than anything else (28%) — and a plus slider (106 Stuff+; 14% usage). Command was an issue in the Minors (11.7% walk rate), but he has been much more refined in 2025 (Location+ up from 64 to 104).

Meanwhile, Martin Perez (6.47 xERA, 4.8 xFIP, 76 Pitching+, 5.95 botERA) — with a projected FIP range of 4.67-4.99 — is essentially a replacement-level arm (5.38 xERA in 2024).

I project Atlanta as a -218 favorite, which equates to a 4.2% edge over the market. I’d bet the Braves to -200.

Pick: Braves Moneyline (-185)

[quickslipbasic bookname=”Fanatics” booklogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/573837_FanaticsSportsbook20ALT.png” image=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-20-at-6.45.28%E2%80%AFAM.png” buttontext=”Parlay These Picks Instantly!” buttonlink=”https://www.scoresandodds.com/all/parlay?quickslip=1&onelink=/5kut/58r3ajwd?sharedBy=QS_0105&ref=10001″][/quickslipbasic]

[relatedarticle articleimageurl=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2025/08/OP820.jpg” linktext=”MLB Predictions Wednesday, Expert Picks, Projections for August 20″ link=”https://www.actionnetwork.com/mlb/mlb-predictions-wednesday-expert-picks-projections-august-20-qs”][/relatedarticle]

[anchor name=”4″][/anchor]

[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Bet Labs’ Giants vs Padres Best Bet: Under Shows Betting Value”][/subheader]

[gameheader haspick=”true” picktext=”Under 8 (-105)” league=”mlb” awaylogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-san-francisco-giants.png” awayname=”San Francisco Giants” awayslug=”san-francisco-giants” homelogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/sd.png” homename=”San Diego Padres” homeslug=”san-diego-padres” date=”Wednesday, August 20″ time=”9:40 p.m. ET” network=”MLB.TV” bookname=”FanDuel” bookprimarylogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/122955_FanDuelSportsBook@1x.jpg” bookreviewslug=”fanduel”][/gameheader]

By Bet Labs

This MLB betting system — “Steam Unders with Low OU Support” — is built on the premise that sharp money moving totals downward, paired with weak public support on the under, creates an exploitable edge in the betting market.

The strategy focuses on regular-season games from 2019 to 2025 in which the closing total lands between 8 and 10 — sweet spots for scoring volatility. It isolates games where the over/under line has dropped significantly from open to close, signaling smart money on the under, yet public sentiment heavily favors the over, with only a small share of bets backing the under. This mismatch between money and ticket count indicates potential value, especially when the difference between those two figures is meaningful, but not extreme. To reduce noise, the system excludes games played in extreme heat or cold, only including those where temperatures range from mild to warm. It also requires both teams to have a recent record of games that hover around the total, suggesting no extreme streaks skewing expectations. These filters ensure that neither team is riding unsustainable over or under trends.

Ultimately, this system looks for low-confidence unders that have been steamed down by sharp bettors, where public interest is light and the number still sits within a realistic scoring range. The result is a consistent edge, backed by a large sample size and strong return on investment.

Overall, this system has produced a 14% ROI as it has cashed 59 % of its picks (550-380-47). This season, the ROI sits at 12% as the system is 132-92-9 (59%).

[betlabsembed systemid=”1486199″ systemname=”Evan Abrams / Bet Labs – Steam Unders with Low OU Support” leaguename=”mlb” filters=”%7B%22list%22%3A%5B%22the%20game%20was%20played%20during%20the%202025%20or%202024%20or%202023%20or%202022%20or%202021%20or%202020%20or%202019%20season%22%2C%22the%20visitor%20team’s%203%20Games%20OU%20Margin%20is%20between%20-2.3%20and%205.25%22%2C%22the%20home%20team’s%203%20Games%20OU%20Margin%20is%20between%20-3.33%20and%203.19%22%2C%22the%20temperature%20is%20between%201%20and%2087%20degrees%22%2C%22the%20o%2Fu%20change%20from%20open%20to%20close%20is%20between%20-1.5%20and%200%22%2C%22the%20closing%20total%20is%20between%208%20and%2010%22%2C%22the%20difference%20between%20money%20%25%20and%20ticket%20%25%20is%20between%201%20and%2087%22%2C%22the%20over%2Funder%20%25%20is%20between%201%25%20and%2029%25%22%2C%22betting%20on%20the%20Under%22%2C%22the%20game%20is%20played%20during%20the%20Regular%20season%22%5D%7D” amountwon=”$13,655″ record=”550-380-47″ winpct=”59%”][/betlabsembed]

Pick: Under 8 (-105)

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