MLB Picks Today: MLB Best Bets and Player Props for Thursday, July 27

This article is part of our MLB Picks series.

Baseball only brings five games to the table Thursday, two of which have an early start times. Let's turn our attention to the three evening matchups and highlight some wagers to consider.

Mike Barner's season record: 16-21 (-8.49 units)

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St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs

This could be an interesting series with both teams possibly being sellers at the trade deadline. The Cardinals are 11 games under .500, so they will most definitely be looking to trade away some veterans. The Cubs initially looked to be sellers, but have won five straight to move their record within one game of .500. The pitching matchup for the first game of this series will be Justin Steele against Miles Mikolas, giving an advantage to the Cubs.

Steele has been excellent, posting a 2.95 ERA and that is supported by a 2.97 FIP. He has a 1.11 WHIP, while allowing just 0.5 HR/9. That could make taking an under for a hitter on the Cardinals appealing. Let's look at Jordan Walker, who has had his ups and downs during his rookie campaign. He's currently in a rough patch, hitting 9-for-41 (.220) with a .289 OBP over his last 12 games. Another stat working in favor of Walker having a quiet night at the plate is that he only has a .678 OPS against left-handed pitchers, compared to a .803 OPS versus righties.

Mikolas just faced the Cubs in his last start, allowing 11 hits and five runs over five innings. He also had trouble with the Cubs during a May matchup, needing 96 pitches to get through 4.1 innings. Although he only allowed one run, he gave up four hits and three walks. The Cubs have scored at least seven runs in six of their last eight games, so Mikolas could be looking at another short outing.

• Jordan Walker under 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-120 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit
• Miles Mikolas under 18.5 outs recorded (-175 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit

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Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians

This is a good pitching matchup between Dylan Cease and Tanner Bibee. With the Guardians being hammered by injuries to their starting rotation, Bibee has stepped in to provide a reliable option. Over his 15 starts, he has a 3.04 ERA that is supported by a 3.53 FIP. This has the makings of another strong performance from him, given that the White Sox have the fourth-worst OPS in baseball.

This matchup against Bibee could be particularly troublesome for Jake Burger. He has been ice-cold at the plate, hitting 8-for-50 (.160) with a .192 OBP over his last 13 games. Most of his success this season has been while facing left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a .381 wOBA. However, righties have limited him to a .303 wOBA.

• Jake Burger under 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-160 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit

• Jordan Walker under 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-120 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit
• Miles Mikolas under 18.5 outs recorded (-175 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit
• Jake Burger under 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-160 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit

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