👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Props Tool
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

Free MLB Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (8/21/23)

Luis Castillo - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

John Brubaker's top MLB betting picks and best bets for today's MLB games on 8/21/23. His free picks against the spread, game totals, NRFI, and other various baseball bets.

Happy Monday, RotoBallers! As a washed baseball player myself, it's simply not enough to get my fix in a men's league, so here I am betting on the pros from my couch. I'm stoked to be back to provide some MLB picks again this year. We had a rough regular season in the articles in 2022 but bounced back significantly, going 17-6-4 en route to +6.71 units in the postseason. That success has rolled into 2023.

Attention, fellow sports bettors! We have some exciting news to share as we are now officially partnered with various sportsbooks and have some sweet sports betting promo offers! Get your deposit bonus, as well as a year of free RotoBaller Premium access, when you sign up with a new account today! After you're signed up, use our picks in this article for spreads, totals, and props to win big.

If you're new or just a refresher to those who read my articles last season, I'm John Brubaker. I've been betting on MLB baseball games for five years now, and this is my third MLB season working with the great folks at RotoBaller. I've created my own betting model to help me create and identify value on run lines, totals, and moneylines, among many other things! In this article, I'll provide my favorite betting picks for the MLB games on Monday, August 21, 2023. I'm continuously working to improve my models to make them more accurate, and as the season progresses, I'll share the data I have on my personal Twitter @LucidMediaDFS. Feel free to give me a follow if you haven't already, and do not hesitate to ask any questions! My DMs are always open. With all of that said, let's break down some baseball games.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 6 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

LucidMedia's 2023 MLB Betting Picks

2023 Regular Season: 58-44-3 (+1.12 units)

 

Today's MLB Betting Picks - Mariners @ White Sox

O/U: 8.5 | Moneyline: SEA -172
SEA: Luis Castillo | CWS: Touki Touissant

Woof. We had ourselves a brutal Sunday, taking a loss on both of our F5 plays. We'll take a couple of full-game bets today, starting out in Chicago as the Mariners head up from Houston to start an early-week series.

It'll be Luis Castillo (9-7, 3.23 ERA) taking the ball for the Mariners. Castillo has been great, but is due for some regression, bringing in a 3.81 xERA and 3.71 xFIP. My model doesn't anticipate too much regression to come today, as he brings in a projected 3.63 SIERA. He'll take on a White Sox lineup that projects to just a .300 wOBA against him, on top of dealing with a potential "Coors hangover" after playing in Colorado over the weekend.

The White Sox will send Touki Touissant (1-5, 4.47 ERA) to the mound. Touissant is having a relatively solid season but does bring in a 4.95 xERA and 4.90 xFIP. After back-to-back scoreless starts, he has struggled over his last three; allowing 11 runs in just 14.1 innings. Touissant projects to a 5.14 SIERA, while the Mariners project to a .337 wOBA against the righty.

I'll back Seattle slugger Julio Rodriguez to stay hot and clean the clocks off of Touki Touissant and the White Sox tonight. We can get the M's moneyline at -172 on FanDuel, where I'll be putting 1.5 units on it.

Pick: Mariners Moneyline (-172), FanDuel Sportsbook, 1.5 units to win 0.83 units.

 

Sports Betting Promo Offers

Featured Promo: Get any Betting Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with exclusive betting picks from proven winners across 9 sports! Find optimal bets with our Betting Picks Tool and Bet Weighting Tool and follow along in our VIP chat rooms! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Today's MLB Betting Picks - Mets @ Braves

O/U: 10 | Moneyline: ATL -198
NYM: David Peterson | ATL: Allan Winans

I'll head down south to Atlanta, where the players play, as the disappointing New York Mets head into town for an early-week NL East showdown.

The Mets will send southpaw David Peterson to the mound tonight. Peterson (3-7, 5.45 ERA) has had a poor season relative to his impressive 2022, where he finished with a 3.83 ERA and 3.31 xFIP. Perhaps it is just bad luck this season for Peterson, as it seems to be with the Mets in general. He brings in a 5.05 xERA but just a 3.78 xFIP, indicating his defense has just not played well behind him. Nevertheless, he projects to a 5.06 SIERA against the best offense in the MLB this season, who come into this one with a projected .364 wOBA.

The Braves will hand the ball over to Allan Winans (1-0, 1.59 ERA) in this one. Winans has been excellent in his first two MLB starts, most recently tossing seven scoreless innings against these same Mets last Saturday. He projects to a 3.14 SIERA, but my model is projecting the Mets to see him quite a bit better today. They come in with a projected .372 wOBA against the righty. It's very rare to see the Braves have the lower wOBA of the two teams in any given matchup, albeit not by much.

I know, you know, anyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows that the Braves can score. This historic run, especially from a power standpoint, allows them to erupt at any given time. The Mets, though, have won six of eight, and have scored quite a bit in that span. They've averaged 6.63 runs per game in that span. I'm going to back the over 10 runs here, which we can get at -108 on DraftKings.

Pick: Over 10 (-108), DraftKings Sportsbook, 1 unit to win 0.93 units.

Good luck, RotoBallers, and follow my Twitter for more plays!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Props Tool
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Charlie McAvoy

Among Bruins Players Resting Sunday
Thomas Chabot

Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot Resting Against Devils
Brady Tkachuk

Tim Stutzle Won't Play Sunday
Radko Gudas

Could Return Sunday
Cutter Gauthier

Expected to Return Sunday
Noah Dobson

to Undergo Re-Evaluation in Two Weeks
Quentin Johnston

Presented with Opportunity for More Volume
Travis Kelce

Worth Trading Ahead of Potential Retirement Tour
Jalen Coker

Does Jalen Coker Have Weekly Fantasy Appeal Going Forward?
DJ Moore

Is DJ Moore the Top Fantasy Receiver in Buffalo?
Derrick Henry

Still an RB1 in Fantasy Football?
Edwin Díaz

Dodgers Monitoring Edwin Diaz's Velocity
Jarquez Hunter

Can Jarquez Hunter Rebound from a Forgettable Rookie Season?
Ladd McConkey

Can Ladd McConkey Recapture Rookie Season Magic?
Ryan Flournoy

Faces a Hard Path to Fantasy Relevance Despite Year Two Flashes
Bryce Young

Entering Prove-it Territory
Devaughn Vele

Will Devaughn Vele See a Larger Role in Second Season with Saints?
Kevin Durant

to Rest on Sunday
Zion Williamson

to Remain Out on Sunday
Anthony Edwards

is Resting During Regular-Season Finale
Devin Booker

Won't Suit up on Sunday
DeMar DeRozan

to Miss Third Straight Game
Carson Hocevar

Is Carson Hocevar A Worthy DFS Option for Bristol Lineups?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Resting on Sunday
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Be A Solid DFS Option for Bristol Lineups?
Sam Antonacci

Slated to Make MLB Debut on Tuesday
Josh Manson

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Noah Dobson

Injures Left Hand in Loss
Frank Nazar

Exits Loss Early After Taking Puck to Face
Andrew Mangiapane

Labeled Day-to-Day
Brady Tkachuk

Exits Early Saturday
Rasmus Sandin

Hurt in Saturday's Win
Pierre-Luc Dubois

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Jonathan Taylor

Back to High-End RB1 Tier with QB Returning?
Jahmyr Gibbs

a Real Threat to Bounce Back as the RB1?
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Is Jaxon Smith-Njigba the WR1 in Dynasty Fantasy Football?
Keon Coleman

Can Keon Coleman be Dropped in Dynasty Fantasy Football?
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Does Chris Rodriguez Jr. Fill a Need for Jacksonville?
Darnell Washington

Lacks Ties to New Coaching Staff
Mickey Moniak

has Multi-Homer Game in San Diego
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Leaves Early on Saturday With Knee Tightness
Jake Oettinger

Shuts Out the Rangers
Steven Stamkos

Scores his 40th Goal of the Year
Noah Schultz

White Sox to Promote Top Pitching Prospect Noah Schultz
Tyler Soderstrom

Slugs Two Home Runs in Win Over Mets
Adley Rutschman

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Ankle Inflammation
George Springer

Suffers Fractured Toe on Saturday
Gabriel Moreno

Likely Headed to Injured List
Kevin Lankinen

Will Play Saturday Night
Blake Coleman

Available Against Kraken
Niklas Kokko

Makes First Career Start Saturday
Anthony Stolarz

Unavailable for Final Three Games
Roope Hintz

Not Expected to Return During Regular Season
Jacob Markstrom

Done for the Season
Markquese Bell

Facing Felony, Misdemeanor Drug Charges
Juan Soto

Could Return for Next Homestand
Corbin Carroll

Officially Back in Saturday's Lineup
Max Muncy

Hits Three Homers, Including Walk-Off Blast
Adonai Mitchell

Can Adonai Mitchell Become the Jets' WR2?
Saquon Barkley

Is Saquon Barkley Still a Safe Bet to Perform Despite His Falling Dynasty Ranking?
Michael Wilson

Varied Opinions on Michael Wilson Could Create Unique Trade Opportunities
Jake Ferguson

Accurately Priced as a Low-End TE1
Gavin Sheets

Goes Yard Twice, Including Walk-Off Round-Tripper
Corbin Carroll

Expected to Start on Saturday
Wyatt Langford

Forced From Friday's Game With Quad Tightness
Kris Bubic

Dominates White Sox With 11 Strikeouts on Friday
Royce Lewis

Headed for Injured List
Clay Holmes

Removed With Hamstring Tightness
Cristian Javier

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Jaylon Tyson

Rejoins Cavaliers Lineup as Starter
Klay Thompson

Misses Friday's Game Due to Illness
Kevin Huerter

Back in Action Friday
Sam Hauser

Cleared to Play Friday
Neemias Queta

Ready to Take on Pelicans
Derrick White

Good to Go Friday
Jaylen Brown

Active on Friday
Josh Giddey

Still Out Friday
Miles McBride

Exits Knicks Lineup Friday
Mitchell Robinson

Sidelined on Friday
Norman Powell

Won't Play Against Wizards
Tyler Herro

Out on Friday
Saddiq Bey

Herbert Jones Resting Friday
Immanuel Quickley

Unavailable Friday
Julius Randle

Misses Second Straight Game
Jackson Chourio

Still Not Cleared to Hit
Brent Rooker

A's Place Brent Rooker on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain
Carlos Ulberg

A Slight Underdog
Jiří Procházka

Jiri Prochazka Can Become UFC Champion Again
Paulo Costa

Makes his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Azamat Murzakanov

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Josh Hokit

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Curtis Blaydes

A Favorite At UFC 327
Tyrrell Hatton

a Steady Option at The Masters
Justin Thomas

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Masters
PGA

Sungjae Im a Volatile Option at the Masters
Nicolai Hojgaard

Carrying Momentum Into The Masters
Si Woo Kim

in Strong Form Heading to The Masters
Chris Gotterup

Ready to Make His Masters Debut
Patrick Reed

Brings Momentum to The Masters
Jon Rahm

Looks Poised for His Second Green Jacket
Adam Scott

Form Points to Him Competing at Masters
Jordan Spieth

Finding Consistency Heading to Masters
Hideki Matsuyama

Trending In Right Direction For Masters
Tommy Fleetwood

a Contender if his Putter Cooperates at The Masters
Collin Morikawa

Vegas has Lost Confidence in Collin Morikawa Ahead of Masters Tournament
Ludvig Aberg

One of the Top Plays For This Week's Masters Tournament
Rory McIlroy

Set to Defend his Long-Awaited Masters Victory
Bryson DeChambeau

Looks to Finally Claim a Green Jacket
Patrick Cantlay

Needs Plenty to Go Right at Augusta
Harris English

Playing Solid Golf Heading to Masters
Sam Burns

Bouncing Back Nicely After Slow Start to 2026 Season
Corey Conners

Quietly Putting Together A Strong 2026 Season
Russell Henley

Looks to Bounce Back At Masters
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF