11.07.2023

2023 MLB All-Star Game Betting Preview

Following an exciting night of home runs and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hoisting the Home Rund Derby champion trophy just like his dad, the final event of All-Star weekend is here. Per usual, the All-Star game rosters have seen a bit of an overhaul due to injury or workload management, but some of the brightest stars in the game will still be centerstage tonight at T-Mobile Park.

Fans can wager on the game across a wide range of betting markets, and we’ll break down some of my best bets across those markets, along with which side I’ll be backing to win.

Prop Bets, Inning Bets, and More

Luis Arreaz To Hit a Single (+118 on FanDuel): One of the biggest storylines in the first half of the season is whether or not Arreaz will be able to finish the season with a .400 average. The Marlins infielder has been wildly impressive with getting on base, and while his odds to record a hit are not worth taking, getting him at plus money to record a single is worth a look. Of his 126 hits this season, 104 have been singles, and he should be familiar with most AL pitchers since he spent his first four seasons in Minnesota.

National League Team Total Runs Under 3.5 (-110 on DraftKings): It’s rare to see a Midsummer Classic be a high-scoring affair, and recently a big reason for that is the National League. Since 2013, the American League has won every single All-Star game, and in that nine-game stretch, the NL has only scored more than three runs in one of those games.

The AL features some strong starters like Gerrit Cole, but their bullpen arms, like Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano, will make it difficult for the NL to scratch runs across.

Team with Highest Scoring Inning (AL +130 on FanDuel): During the American League’s nine-game win streak, they have cashed in this bet in eight of those games. The only year they didn’t have the biggest inning in that span was 2019, but even then, they were not outscored; the NL was just able to match their biggest inning total of two. This is a minimal unit bet, but with the power bats all over the AL lineup, I could see a three-run home run being the deciding factor for this market.

Moneyline Play

Bookmakers see this game as close to even as you can get, as both sides are listed at (-110) on the moneyline. For my play, I’ll be backing the American League as my winner, as not only do I think they possess a slightly better bullpen, but they also have the likely MVP on their roster in Shohei Ohtani. With the way he’s played this season, I’d be shocked if Ohtani didn’t make his impact felt at some point before being removed from the game.

The rosters almost make it seem like a Rangers vs. Braves game, with the number of players each team has representing. As impressive as Atlanta has been this season, I still think the AL has enough power bats in their lineup and on the bench to alter the game with one swing. As we saw last year with Giancarlo Stanton and his home run, sometimes that’s all it takes to win a game like this.

This event is for fan enjoyment and to see the biggest stars in the game, so as I’ve mentioned already, all of my plays for this game are on the smaller side in terms of units.