MLB weekend best bets: Darvish to bounce back vs. Diamondbacks

We slogged through a 1-2 start to the week with our MLB picks thanks to inconsequential runs late for the Nationals and Twins. Can't win 'em all.

Here are our best bets heading into the weekend:

Giants-Brewers under 8 (-120)
Aug. 6, 8:10 p.m. ET

It's not often you find a pitching matchup as enticing as this with a total over 7.5, especially not with one side featuring one of baseball's worst lineups.

The Brewers have picked up their run production as of late but rank among MLB's worst in average (.228) and wOBA (.308). They could struggle to get something going against Giants surprise standout Logan Webb, who allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last eight starts.

Corbin Burnes has been even better, allowing a combined four runs across 33 1/3 innings ahead of a rough start at the Braves a week ago. Expect him to bounce back against a productive but beatable San Francisco lineup Friday.

Diamondbacks under (TBD) at Padres
Aug. 7, 8:40 p.m.

Can Yu Darvish get back to his Cy Young-level start to the season? The Padres ace allowed two or fewer runs in 13 of his 16 starts heading into July but posted a worrying 7.36 ERA in his five starts since.

Expect that number to drop significantly against the Diamondbacks, who have plated three or fewer runs in four of their last six games and have struggled to generate consistent offense all season. Darvish held the D-Backs to one run through six frames in his previous start against them on June 27 and is due for an encore performance Saturday.

Pirates under (TBD) at Reds
Aug. 8, 1:10 p.m.

We're all about the unders this weekend, and it's only fitting to cap it all off by fading the worst offense in the bigs against one of baseball's up-and-coming young arms.

Tyler Mahle won't wow you with his surface-level stats, but the Reds' 26-year-old righty has lasted at least five innings in 19 of his 22 starts and allowed two or fewer runs in 13 of those 19 starts. He's survived not with pure stuff but by limiting dangerous contact, which should continue Sunday against a Pirates lineup ranked dead last in hard-hit rate (33.4%) and wOBAcon (.335).

C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at [email protected].