The second half of the MLB regular season is fast approaching, but before the league opens its next chapter, we can revel in the All-Star Week and the action that awaits us. After the pandemic stopped the league in its tracks, the Midsummer Classic makes its return. Now that restrictions start to ease, we can catch up on some of the much-anticipated sporting events we missed out on.

The 91st game features some of the top players in the league taking part in the Workout Day, Home Run Derby, and of course, the MLB All-Star Game. This Tuesday night, 40 players make their first All-Star Game appearance in the Mile High City, including Shohei Ohtani. The 27-year-old pitcher from Japan is the first-ever player to be selected to the game as a position player and a pitcher. He leads the league with 33 home runs with a solid 3.49 ERA and bats leadoff and kicks things off on the mound for the AL. Meanwhile, Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. takes the lead-off spot for the NL side.

We look forward to more action in the MLB All-Star Game as the NitroBetting news team puts together a preview for the bettors. Get hold of the essential team and player information, the latest MLB odds, and expert betting predictions that will help you lock in on the best picks. Be sure to check out for our Baseball betting odds and daily sports betting odds and lines at our online Bitcoin sportsbook!

2021 MLB All-Star Game Information

• When: Thursday, July 8, 2021, 10:10 PM ET
• Where: Denver’s Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
• TV: FOX
• Radio: ESPN
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Odds: National -119

Why bet on the the National League?

The Nationals were on fire until they played the Dodgers. The defending champions swept all four games against the Nationals, putting an end to their streak with ease. The offense crumbled against stronger pitchers, and this put the team in a difficult position as they try to improve their NL East standings.

However, the Nationals picked up some pace and the offense erupted for five runs off Joe Musgrove through the first five innings. As of this writing, the Nationals scored 11 runs in the last two games and took seventh place in run-scoring over the past week.

They were able to extinguish a four-game losing streak in their 7-5 victory over the Padres, scoring five runs through the first two frames with Josh Bell’s homerun breaking a 5-5- tie in the seventh. But this time around, we look forward to the Scherzer vs. Darvish matchup that could potentially bring more thrill to the game.

Max Scherzer was a potential All-Star candidate but did not make it to the lineup. Nevertheless, his stats will remain a threat in this game, featuring a 16 GS, 94.1 UP, and a 2.10 ERA. There are rumors of a potential Scherzer trade before the deadline, so it’s worth keeping a close eye on his performance in the leadup to that.

Why bet on the American League?

The Padres will give the ball to Yu Darvish for the series finale against the Nats. In his last start, the Japanese hurler got tagged for four earned runs (including two homers) on six hits during a six-inning start in a 4-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on July 4.

Despite that loss, Darvish keeps solid numbers of a 7-3 win-loss record to go with a 2.65 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP so far this season. Darvish doesn’t have glowing career numbers against some of Washington’s active hitters, but he is 5-2 with a 2.12 ERA in 11 starts at Petco Park this year.

As for their offense, San Diego can rely on Eric Hosmer, who’s 11 of 43 with a homer and four RBIs in his career against Scherzer. Another former Kansas City Royal could trouble Mad Max, as Wil Myers is a career .263 hitter against Scherzer.

2021 MLB All-Star Game Betting Prediction

This is going to be an interesting end to the series as neither team has had a starter go longer than 5 ⅓ innings in the series. This tells us that both bullpens experience fatigue. On top of that, both sides have hot bats. It’s going to be tough to call, but the Nationals look like they are keen on closing the series. While the Nationals took the momentum back, we are well aware of what the Padres are capable of, and we might just see that in the fourth and final game of the series.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.