Let's dive into our top MLB picks for Thursday, August 22. There is a good slate of games to choose from, with a few games during the day, so let's look at our top MLB picks to play.
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Thursday's Best MLB Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Cleveland Guardians (+140) at New York Yankees (-166) | O/U 8 (-115/-105)
The Yankees' bullpen is frustrating to watch. On Monday, Luis Gil exited in the fourth with an injury, and the bullpen held it down for most of the game, but you knew good fortune could not last. They gave up six runs in the 12th inning in route to a loss. Last night, Tim Mayza pitched two innings and allowed just one earned. Let's hope they can depend on their ace, Gerritt Cole, as he comes in, allowing two runs or fewer in his last three starts.
Like the Yankees, the Guardians are in a close race. They hold a 2.5 game lead against the Twins and Royals. They still have two series against Kansas City and one against Minnesota, so they can control their own destiny.
The offense continues to be the problem. They were an excellent contact-hitting team in recent years. While they still don't strike out much, they don't have the same impact, especially since their BABIP has dropped 20 points from last year (.292-to-.270), which they are last in this season.
Gavin Williams hasn't been great since returning from injury in July. He has a great fastball but tends to throw over the plate.
The Yankees were able to drive the ball last night, and Williams could make that happen again tonight.
Pick: Yankees Moneyline (-166)
Cincinnati Reds (+130) at Pittsburgh Pirates (-155) | O/U 7 (-122/+102)
The Pirates will likely not make the playoffs. The Brewers are running away with the division, and there are too many teams to jump over in the National League Wild Card. Their biggest problem is hitting; they are 23rd in batting average (.234) and 26th in slugging (.371).
The rumor is Paul Skenes could be shut down with the team out of contention. That has moved his odds, and he's no longer the favorite for NL Rookie of the Year. If he can put on a similar performance of six innings and one earned against Cincinnati in his previous start, that could push those odds back.
Recently, the Reds won four straight and then proceeded to lose three, that's been the trend all season. Consistency has not been their thing, and when most of the team stats are near the league average, neither side can carry the other when they are struggling.
There are a few pieces they can build around, specifically Elly De La Cruz, who has a league-leading 60 stolen bases and a team-leading 22 home runs; if he can keep those strikeouts down, he has future MVP potential. Nick Lodolo is another young player they would love to build around, but he hasn't been able to replicate his rookie year when he had a 3.66 ERA. Now, he is coming off his second start in the last four, where he has allowed eight earned.
Lodolo had a great last start against Pittsburgh, and Skenes can deliver a great performance, so this has the potential to be a low-scoring game.
Pick: Under 7 Total Runs (+102)
