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Six weeks remain in the MLB regular season, and playoff races have suddenly gotten quite tight.

Multiple teams are starting to feel the pressure. You can see it in anomalies like the New York Yankees getting trucked by the 90-loss Chicago White Sox on Monday night or the Atlanta Braves going from a sure postseason ticket to just barely hanging on in mid-August.

There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of value available, including our best bets for August 13.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds

Hunter Greene gives the Reds a chance to win every time he takes the mound. The Reds have now won four of his past five starts, and the one loss came because they didn’t get anything going against Tampa Bay. They also didn’t get anything going the last time Greene faced St. Louis, but they’re facing a reasonable matchup this time in Erick Fedde.

Fedde pitched well for a terrible White Sox team before getting traded to St. Louis, but he has yet to make himself comfortable in the National League. He pitched well in his most recent start against Tampa Bay, but that was against an American League opponent, and he was making his second start at home. This comes at Great American Ball Park, and he hasn’t pitched in Cincinnati since 2022. That start didn’t go very well, as he allowed four runs in 4.2 innings. A similar struggle will put the Cardinals behind the proverbial eight-ball against Greene.

Reds moneyline (-126 at FanDuel)

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Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants

The Braves got a badly needed win Monday behind Chris Sale’s 12-strikeout masterpiece. Charlie Morton is far less reliable. In four of his past six starts, he’s allowed at least four runs. Over his past three starts, the Mets and Brewers combined to tag him for 15 runs (13 earned). In short, Morton’s not someone you want to trust right now.

Kyle Harrison has pitched his best at home all season. In his past four starts at Oracle Park, he’s been even better, holding four consecutive opponents to one run or less. He hasn’t pitched well in either of his past two starts, but those starts came on the road in Cincinnati and Washington. Harrison hasn’t been a good pitcher on the road, but that works to bettors’ advantage here. His recent struggles away from home have driven down the price on the Giants, which creates value.

Giants moneyline (-104, FanDuel)

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Oakland Athletics vs. New York Mets

Think Paul Blackburn was happy to get out of Oakland? He’s made two starts with New York since the Athletics traded him to the Mets, and he’s pitched beautifully both times. In two starts with New York, he’s allowed just one earned run each time, and the Mets picked up some badly needed wins.

After getting swept in Seattle—a series where Blackburn didn’t pitch—the Mets need some positive momentum to catch up to the Braves and get into a playoff position. And their first opponent in August in Queens happens to be none other than Blackburn’s old team. The Athletics have played above their expectations this year, but this still isn’t a very good outfit.

Oakland’s 481 runs on the year rank 26th in the majors, and the Athletics have scored three runs or less in six of their past eight games. They’ve managed to win with three runs or less on two occasions, and the under is 6-1 in their past seven games. But with Oakland yet to announce a starter, it’s not worth risking the possibility of the Mets unloading against a spot starter. The smarter play is to trust Blackburn to keep up the good work and keep the Athletics’ hitters off balance.

Athletics Team Total Under 3.5 Runs (+100, Caesars)