2 MLB Best Bets for Tuesday, August 1

July was a solid month for us, so we hate to see it go. Yesterday's plays ended up at 2-2. The Phillies and Rays were nice winners for us, but the Blue Jays and Braves just didn't hit the ball enough to give us a profitable night.

Now it's time to start crushing August with 2 MLB best bets for Tuesday, August 1st. If you've never bet on baseball before, it's a great way to build your bankroll for football season. Let's ride!

Best Bet: Pirates (-110)

I may need my head examined for betting on the P'Rats, but they've been playing some good ball of late. They took 2 of 3 from the Padres before doing the same thing to the Phillies over the weekend. Detroit, on the other hand, has been going in the opposite direction by losing 5 out of their last 6.

Both of these starting pitchers are about equal, but the Pittsburgh bullpen has been lights out of late. Pirates relivers have only allowed 2.68 runs per 9 innings over their last 10 games. Tigers' relievers have allowed 6.60 runs per 9 during that same timespan.

The Pirates have also been much hotter at the plate, as they're averaging 4.4 runs per game against righties over their last 5 games while the Tigers are averaging just 3.2. Look for Jack Suwinski, who leads the team in homers and RBI, to be the difference for the Pirates here.

Best Bet: Mariners (-109)

For the second time in 3 years, Seattle has traded away its closer in the middle of a playoff race. The Mariners traded Paul Sewald to Arizona last night in exchange for some prospects. I'm expecting that trade to light a fire under this Seattle squad, as they're probably more than a bit mad at the front office.

Cal Raleigh proved this to be true last night by belting 2 homers in Seattle's victory. He also sounded off after the game about proving management wrong by making a push for the AL Wild Card. Aside from the motivational edge, I prefer Bryce Miller over Brayan Bello.

Miller has had a nice rookie season, and he has a better K-rate and walk rate than Bello. The Mariners are also in much better current form, as they've won 5 of 6 while the BoSox have dropped 3 in a row. Look for Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and Eugenio Suarez to all stay hot at the plate.