For the third consecutive time and ninth in 11 contests, at least 30 players will be making their first appearance in the MLB All-Star Game. Thanks to an astounding total of 16 players who were selected as All-Stars but will not be participating for various reasons, a record 40 first-timers will be in uniform for the 2021 Midsummer Classic. Twenty players on each team make their debuts in the star-studded exhibition when the National League hosts the American League in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver on Tuesday. The NL will have five newcomers in its starting lineup, while six will begin the contest for the AL.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The National League is listed as the -115 favorite (risk $115 to win $100) on the money line at William Hill Sportsbook, while the American League is the +105 underdog. The over-under for total runs scored is 11 in the latest 2021 MLB All-Star Game odds. Before making any 2021 MLB All-Star Game picks or Midsummer Classic predictions, you have to see what MLB expert Matt Severance has to say.
Severance is a well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. He is SportsLine's top MLB expert and is a whopping 100-46-4 in his last 150 MLB picks, returning over $4,100 for the $100 bettor. Anybody following him has seen some huge returns.
Now, Severance has taken an in-depth look at the MLB All-Star Game 2021. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the 2021 MLB All-Star Game betting lines and trends:
- National League vs. American League spread: NL -1.5 (+150)
- National League vs. American League over-under: 11 runs
- National League vs. American League money line: NL -115, AL +105
- NL: The National League has lost five straight All-Star Games held in NL ballparks
- AL: The American League has outscored the National League 373-370 in All-Star Games
Why you should back the National League
The NL's roster possesses plenty of power as nine players have belted at least 17 home runs during the first half of the season, including six in the starting lineup. One of those sluggers is St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado, who is making a homecoming of sorts as he starts an All-Star Game for the fourth straight year. The 30-year-old spent the first eight years of his major-league career in Colorado before being traded to the Cardinals this past February, hitting 37 or more homers for five straight years from 2015-19.
Arenado, who leads St. Louis with 17 blasts and 56 RBIs, won three NL home run crowns while with the Rockies -- all in a four-year span. The most potent bat on the squad's roster belongs to San Diego shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who is first in the NL with 28 homers and tied for fourth with 60 RBIs. The 22-year-old Dominican also is dangerous on the base paths, as he leads the senior circuit with 20 stolen bases and ranks second with 67 runs scored.
Why you should back the American League
While only three home runs were hit when Coors Field hosted the All-Star Game in 1998, that total could be shattered on Tuesday, considering the amount of sluggers on the AL's roster. The club has 10 players who have belted at least 21 homers in the first half of the 2021 MLB season, with Los Angeles Angels double threat Shohei Ohtani leading the charge with a major league-leading 33. The 27-year-old from Japan will become the first player in history to start an All-Star Game in a dual role, as he led the voting for designated hitter and was named the starting pitcher for the contest by AL manager Kevin Cash.
Ohtani, who is batting leadoff, is third in the major leagues with 70 RBIs and will have the top two run producers hitting behind him in Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (73) and Boston's Rafael Devers (72). The 22-year-old Guerrero also leads the majors with a .331 batting average and is tied for second with 28 home runs. Devers, who is just the fourth Red Sox third baseman to start an All-Star Game and first since Shea Hillenbrand in 2002, is just 43 RBIs shy of matching the career high of 115 he set two years ago.
How to make 2021 MLB All-Star Game picks
Severance has taken a close look at the AL vs. NL matchup from all angles and is leaning under on the run total. He also has revealed his in-depth 2021 MLB All-Star Game analysis and a strong money-line best bet for the Midsummer Classic. He's only sharing those picks at SportsLine.
So who wins the MLB All-Star Game 2021? Visit SportsLine to see Matt Severance's top 2021 MLB All-Star Game picks, all from the expert who has crushed his MLB picks and is up over $4,100 for the $100 bettor, and find out.
