MLB weekend best bets: Astros to snap streak in Seattle

The MLB resumed regular-season play on Thursday with just six games, including a pair of doubleheaders.

We have much more fruitful slates to look forward to this weekend, with every team scheduled to return to action.

Let's dive into a few games that stand out.

Rangers (-115) @ Athletics (+100)
Jul 22, 9:40 p.m. EST

The Texas Rangers are slight favorites against a putrid Oakland Athletics team that sits second to last in the majors, which seems egregious.

Athletics starter Cole Irvin has pitched pretty well of late, but there are definitely some concerns when you pop the hood.

Irvin's xFIP over the last month sits at 4.61, and he has allowed hard contact 42.6% of the time - the worst among the day's projected starters.

If he doesn't tighten the screws, Irvin might be in trouble against a Rangers team that excels against left-handed pitching.

Texas has been crushing it over the last six weeks, ranking third in wOBA, second in ISO, and first in hard-hit rate against lefties.

The same can't be said for the Athletics. They rank 29th in wOBA vs right-handed pitching in July and have struck out at a higher rate than all but the Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago Cubs.

While facing Spencer Howard is a big plus, he has posted high groundball rates and fairly low hard-hit rates over the last month. If Howard can hang in there and just pitch OK, the Rangers will be in good shape.

Bet: Rangers (-115)

Astros (-115) @ Mariners (+100)
Jul 22, 10:10 p.m. EST

The Seattle Mariners enter play riding a whopping 14-game winning streak. All good things must come to an end, though, and I expect tonight will be the night.

Marco Gonzales has been one of the luckiest pitchers in the majors this season. He is sporting a solid 3.50 ERA for the season despite owning a 5.00 FIP. Quite the contrast.

While Gonzales doesn't allow a ton of hard contact, he does struggle to strike out batters and walks more than his fair share.

Gonzales could be in trouble against a Houston Astros team with above-average power against lefties and a strong history against him. He has allowed a .343 wOBA through nearly 200 plate appearances against this Astros lineup.

Although Jose Urquidy has also really struggled against Friday night's counterpart, his current form suggests he may be able to slow the Mariners down.

Urquidy has posted a sparkling 22.2% hard-hit rate over the last month, which is among the very best on the slate. If he can keep the ball down, he could slow a Mariners offense that has recently performed noticeably worse against righties.

Bet: Astros (-115)

Giants (TBD) @ Dodgers (TBD)
Jul 23, 7:15 p.m. EST

The San Francisco Giants are enticing underdogs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

Both clubs hit left-handed pitching well, and both clubs are throwing quality starters on the bump. But I see a slight edge for the Giants across the board.

In terms of hitting, San Francisco is a more lethal side against lefties, owning a .359 wOBA (fourth) and .225 ISO (third) against LHP over the last six weeks.

By comparison, the Dodgers have posted a .345 wOBA (eighth) and .188 ISO (sixth) over the same period. Very strong numbers, but a little behind what the Giants have managed.

San Francisco's starter is also in slightly better form: Alex Wood owns a 2.64 FIP and has allowed hard contact just 23.1% of the time.

Julio Urias is close to Wood in FIP (3.00) but lags well behind in terms of his ability to suppress hard contact. He has allowed hard-hit balls 38.2% of the time over the last month.

With the Giants hitting lefties better and using a starter who has been much more effective at limiting hard contact, there is value on the road team.

Bet: Giants (Good to +110)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.