MLB Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (5/20)
We're in for another jam-packed day of sports today featuring more playoff action in the NBA and NHL as well at the Preakness Stakes in Maryland. However, I'm keeping my attention on the diamond, where I've narrowed in on these three MLB best bets for Saturday's 15-game slate. Let's dive into my favorite bets of the day!
MLB YTD: 31-49 (+11.12 Units)
Today's Best MLB Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Kansas City Royals (+146) vs. Chicago White Sox (-174) | O/U 9.0 (-105/-115)
The White Sox didn't need much offense in last night's 2-0 win over the Royals thanks to a dominant 8.0-inning outing from Michael Kopech. The divisional foes are back at it this afternoon at 2:10 p.m. ET from Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, IL.
Today's pitching matchup pits journeyman Jordan Lyles against Chicago's Lucas Giolito. Lyles, who's on his eighth career team, hasn't had a memorable debut season with Kansas City. The right-hander is 0-7 with a 7.14 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over nine starts. The team is 0-9 in his outings this year, losing on the run line in eight of them. I'll take the slight plus-money payout that comes with the Sox to cover the 1.5 runs in this one.
In addition to his poor statistics, Lyles does not have quality numbers against the White Sox. The current roster is slashing .283/.339/.528 with six homers and eight doubles over 106 at-bats against him. We saw this exact pitching matchup on May 9th, and the Sox won 4-2. Interestingly, Lyles threw a complete game (9.0 IP) but gave up all four earned runs on six hits.
Luckily, this game will be back in Chicago, where Giolito owns a 2.45 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over 25.2 IP. All things considered, I think Chicago will stretch out their lead to at least two runs in this spot.
Bet: Chicago White Sox -1.5 (+108)
Los Angeles Dodgers (-108) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (-108) | O/U 9.0 (-115/-105)
The Dodgers and Cardinals split the first two games of their four-game weekend series in St. Louis. Los Angeles won last night's game 5-0, thanks to a great performance from Tony Gonsolin. First pitch for game three is slated for 7:15 p.m. ET from Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO.
Noah Syndergaard takes the ball for Los Angeles while St. Louis counters with Miles Mikolas. Well, I'm taking the over 9.0 runs with these two starters who haven't found much success this season. Syndergaard has been exceptionally bad on the road, where he's 0-1 with a 13.00 ERA and 2.11 WHIP over 9.0 innings of work (three starts). The right-hander is running into a Cardinals team that's seventh in both team batting average (.261) and OPS (.771). Furthermore, they've owned Syndergaard in the past, slashing .385/.420/.508 against him over 65 at-bats.
Mikolas, on the other hand, sees an uptick in his ERA at Busch Stadium, where he owns a 6.53 ERA and 1.79 WHIP over 20.2 innings pitched. The Dodgers have modest head-to-head numbers against him, slashing .233/.291/.370 in 73 at-bats. It's worth noting that Freddie Freeman is 4-12 (.333) against Mikolas with two long balls. Considering these are two excellent offenses against underperforming arms, the over is the play here.
Bet: Over 9.0 Runs (-115)
Minnesota Twins (+108) vs. Los Angeles Angels (-126) | O/U 9.0 (-102/-120)
The Angels snuck past the Twins 5-4 last night, winning their second game in a row. Minnesota will send Louie Varland to the bump in game two, while Los Angeles opts for Patrick Sandoval. First pitch is scheduled for 10:07 p.m. ET from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA.
I'm backing the Halos to pick up their third consecutive win tonight. For starters, Sandoval has owned Minnesota over 39 at-bats in his career, limiting them to just five hits (.128). That equates to a .128/.209/.282 slash line. It's also worth mentioning that the Twins have been horrible when facing left-handed pitching this year, and Sandoval is a southpaw. They're ranked 28th against LHP in both team batting average (.218) and OPS (.657).
On the flip side, Varland has been worse on the road than when starting in Minneapolis, posting a 5.91 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Finally, Los Angeles also has the edge in the bullpen. The Angels are eighth in bullpen ERA (3.56) and second in WHIP (1.19), while the Twins are 12th (3.85) and 17th (1.30) in those respective categories. Let's lock in the Angels at home in this American League showdown!
Bet: Los Angeles Angels Moneyline (-126)
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