MLB All-Star Game preview and pick

Coors Field in Denver is the site for the 91st MLB All-Star Game, pitting Shohei Ohtani and the American League All-Stars against Fernando Tatis Jr. and the National League All-Stars this Tuesday night.

The NL squad is slightly favored – owing to their home-field advantage – but have lost seven straight times in the “Midsummer Classic,” five of which came as the home team. They’ve also lost 14 of the last 17 renditions of the All-Star Game overall.

Will the AL continue their run of dominance in the 2021 All-Star Game? Let’s find out below.

AL All-Stars at NL All-Stars, 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX

The AL has two of the best hitters in baseball at the top of their lineup in Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and seem to be the healthier of the two squads. They should add yet another victory in the Fall Classic to their ledger on Tuesday night.

The NL typically boasts the better pitching staff in the All-Star Game, but the playing field was leveled when Jacob deGrom, Yu Darvish, Kevin Gausman, and Brandon Woodruff all withdrew from the exhibition tilt. NL starter Max Scherzer is no slouch, nor are Zack Wheeler (staff-low 2.26 ERA) and Trevor Rogers, but the AL can go toe-to-toe with the combination of starter Ohtani, Lance Lynn (staff-low 1.99 ERA), and either Carlos Rodon or Gerrit Cole (or possibly both).

When it comes time to deploy the closers, AL manager Kevin Cash will likely refrain from using Aroldis Chapman. But he still has AL saves leader Liam Hendriks (23) in his arsenal. Dave Roberts and the NL would be happy to have any kind of lead late, with MLB saves leader Mark Melancon (27) and Josh Hader at the ready.

The junior circuit has the more powerful lineup, with the nine of the top 15 players by OPS all suiting up for the AL, including Guerrero and Ohtani (1.089 and 1.062, respectively). The senior circuit will have just five of the top 15 players by OPS in their lineup, though it would have been six prior to Ronald Acuna Jr’s season-ending ACL injury.

The AL seems to be the much better bet on the moneyline, but deciphering which side totals bettors should be on is not quite as simple. The first time the All-Star Game took place in Denver (1998), the AL won a 13-8 slugfest. However, the Under has cashed in 11 of the last 14 Midsummer Classics, with only one game exceeding 11 runs (2018). Under bettors seem more likely to score here.

Final score prediction: AL 5, NL 4

MLB pick: American League -103, Under 11 runs