With around 30 games left in the Major League Baseball season, the playoff race is red hot. Every game is crucial for teams in the playoff hunt. There are a couple of series in which one team has a clear-cut advantage in this weekend. In looking at those games, we’ve found some that we think are good picks for straight up wins. Let’s take a look at those games and we’ll give you a brief preview as well so you can bet against their MLB Odds. 

Winning Straight-Up Picks for the Top 2022 MLB Weekend Matches | Toronto v Pittsburgh – Nationals v Mets

Toronto Blue Jays @ Pittsburgh Pirates

With the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays meeting and beating up on each other this weekend, the Toronto Blue Jays head to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates. Heading into Thursday’s action, the Pirates have lost eight of their last 10 games. They have one of the worst records in baseball, and they’re now playing for nothing more than a better draft pick.

The Pirates will be sending Tyler Beede, Mitch Keller, and Roansy Contreras to the hill against the Pirates. Contreras is a promising youngster, but the others have had less than stellar seasons thus far. 

As for the Blue Jays, they’ll be sending Alek Manoah, Ross Stripling, and Jose Berrios to the hill. Stripling will be opposed by Contreras, and that’s the only game we can see the Pirates having a chance of winning. While the Rays and Yankees are playing, Toronto sees this as an opportunity to make up ground on one or both of them. The Jays could possibly end the weekend in second place in the AL East.

With Toronto knowing that this is their chance to gain ground in the East, they’re not going to waste the opportunity. It wouldn’t surprise us if the Jays swept the Pirates this weekend. With Manoah and Berrios going to the mound, we see Toronto winning no less than two out of the three games.

Washington Nationals @ New York Mets

Much like the Toronto-Pittsburgh series, the Nationals have nothing to play for, while the Mets are in a fight for a division title. New York currently leads the Braves by just three games, and every game is crucial. A weekend matchup with the Washington Nationals could help the Mets extend their league.

The Mets will be sending David Peterson, Max Scherzer, and Taijuan Walker to the mound in this series. Washington will counter with Josiah Gray, Paolo Espino, and Patrick Corbin. Corbin has been one of, if not the worst starting pitcher in baseball this season.

We don’t see the Nationals scoring a lot of runs this weekend. Scherzer will be hard to beat, and Walker has pitched very well this season. We think that the Mets win these two easily. Gray is a good young pitcher, and could give Peterson a run for his money.

Washington has packed it in for the season, and the Mets know that every game is very important. They know they can’t squander this opportunity. The Mets win at least two, if not all three games of this series.

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