The MLB All-Star Game Offers Old-Time Tradition With a New Line-Up of Wagering Choices



Props and in-game wagering may be the only savior keeping people tuned-in and awake Tuesday night.

The four hour MLB spectacle is perfect for prop and live betting

The unofficial first half of the regular season is in the books with Major League Baseball taking a well-deserved break for the 2019 All-Star Game. This year’s Midsummer Classic is being played Tuesday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland, with FOX providing all the coverage at 7:30 PM ET.  The American League team is currently favored slightly at –121 at top online sportsbook Bovada with a total of 9.0 runs on the board.

Probably the biggest season surprise thus far has been the upstart Minnesota Twins, with a 5.5 game lead in the AL Central division. The Twins have been banging out home runs at a record pace and could give the New York Yankees or Houston Astros quite concern during the upcoming playoffs should their pitching holdout.

MLB All Star GameIn the National League, it’s subjective whether the Philadelphia Phillies have been a disappointment or not.  Signing Bryce Harper to a giant guaranteed contract was expected to provide instant results along with many other expensive free-agent acquisitions. It hasn’t. But, there's still a long way to go with a big fight against the Atlanta Braves predicted to capture the NL East.

It’s anybody’s guess in the NL Central where all five teams are only separated by 4.5 games. In the NL West, the LA Dodgers will guard against overconfidence, having already locked up the division with a 13.5 game lead. They’re currently huge +110 favorites to win the NL pennant at several top sportsbooks and World Series favorite at +270. 

Get more MLB odds at Bovada today.

Starting All-Star Lineups

Barring any last-second changes, here’s how the starting line-ups will look on Tuesday night:

National League

1.     Christian Yelich, LF, Brewers
2.     Javier Baez, SS, Cubs
3.     Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves
4.     Cody Bellinger, RF, Dodgers 
5.     Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies
6.     Josh Bell, DH, Pirates
7.     Wilson Contreras, C, Cubs
8.     Ketel Marte, 2B, Diamondbacks
9.     Ronald Acuna Jr., CF, Braves
SP:  Hyun-jin Ryu, Dodgers

American League

1.     George Springer, RF, Astros
2.     DJ LeMahieu, 2B, Yankees
3.     Mike Trout, CF, Angels
4.     Carlos Santana, 1B, Indians
5.     J.D. Martinez, DH, Red Sox
6.     Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros
7.     Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees
8.     Michael Brantley, LF, Astros
9.     Jorge Polanco, SS, Twins
SP: Justin Verlander, Astros

Bet on baseball at Bovada and get a free 50% bonus.

Josh Bell, the Pirates young slugger ends up getting the extra National League starting spot as a designated hitter after losing a close vote to Freddie Freeman at first base. The DH comes into play because of the host AL ballpark. He'll hit sixth in a National League lineup loaded with power. Maybe a consideration for those looking at a home run prop bet at Bovada.

Verlander, long on experience will be the first American League arm to face that lineup. We never know how long, but figure he gets at least three innings. AL manager Alex Cora selected the Astros' righty as his starter. 

In the lead-off position is Christian Yelich, who backed-out of the popular Home Run Derby a few days ago. The reigning NL MVP will play on Tuesday night despite taking himself out of the popular contest due to back issues. Carlos Santana will hit cleanup for the AL as the sole hometown starter for the Indians. Cleveland fans will also be cheering on shortstop Francisco Lindor, plus pitchers Brad Hand and Shane Bieber as back-ups.

All-Star Game Wagering

If any game deserved prop wagering and was designed for in-game wagering, it’s this one. I just cannot see any edge selecting a pure winner nor overall runs total within a contest that features numerous almost mandatory roster changes. And many for non-situational reasons! Therefore, I would study the Bovada board of props for selected value, including MVP, player to hit the first home run and more. There's also player matchups (AL vs NL) featuring Most Hits, Runs and RBI's.

Finally, the opportunity to carefully take advantage of in-game wagering, anticipating the best players in baseball to likely to enter the game and exit inning by inning. But in truth, live betting may be the best motivating reason to keep you awake for the approximate four hours (or more) playing time the baseball All-Star Game usually averages. 

On a positive note, keep in mind the NFL Hall of Fame game is only 23 days away. 

Glenn Greene covers the games from a betting angle every week exclusively at OSGA.com. For weekly betting insights, including previews and picks from Glenn, click here.


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