It has been a great weekend for sports bettors with NFL preseason games, college football, the WNBA and MLB. Let's finish a good weekend on a high note with an exciting 15-game slate of MLB action today. Here are my best MLB picks for today.
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Sunday’s Best MLB Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians
Kansas City has been hitting the ball well (.298 over the last week) and has been productive (40 runs across six games) lately. But the Royals face Parker Messick, who is tough to hit and has given up just three home runs at home. He is 10-8 this season, with a 2.50 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a .206 opponents’ batting average.
Seth Lugo (6-7 in 27 starts with a 4.61 ERA) has often been at his worst on the road, where he is 2-3 in 13 starts with a 5.35 ERA and a .299 opponents’ batting average. Lugo gave up just one earned run in his last road start versus Toronto on August 25th, but allowed five in his previous two.
Messick will do his part and quiet the Royals’ lineup. Cleveland's lineup has been hitting .265 over the last week with 26 runs scored. Cleveland will be more productive against Lugo, scoring enough for the Guardians to cover.
Pick: Guardians -1.5 (+110)
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Angels
Zack Wheeler (10-5, 3.40 ERA) is having a solid season and has looked good on the road (6-3 in 13 starts with a 3.53 ERA and .223 opponents’ batting average). The same cannot be said for Yusei Kikuchi (0-4 with a 6.25 ERA). He'll need more support from a lineup hitting .187 over the last week than it's been giving (19 runs scored).
The Phillies’ lineup hasn't been lighting it up, hitting .235 over the last week, but that should change today. Philadelphia won Friday and yesterday by two runs; they should do something similar today.
Pick: Phillies -1.5 (-113)
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs
Chase Burns has been solid all year, going 14-3 in 25 starts with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. However, his last two road starts did not go well, as he allowed five runs in each.
This will be Shota Imanaga's third start versus the Reds this season and second at home. He won the home game after pitching six solid innings - allowing six hits and one earned run, while recording 10 strikeouts. Imanaga took the loss in the road game, however, despite giving up just one earned run on the day.
I seriously doubt we are going to see an offensive onslaught as we saw in the previous two games of this series. Imanaga has had Cincinnati's number this season, and there is no reason to think the Cubbies can destroy Burns.
Pick: Under 9.0 Runs (-102)
