We were close last week, but a couple of player predictions just missed. Ouch. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The summer is starting to heat up, and we hope to heat up, too, building a nice bankroll heading into the summer.
We cast an eye toward the late-afternoon and evening games on Saturday, giving you a little extra time to take in the information and get situated for the slate with several MLB PrizePicks player predictions.
Our PrizePicks Cheat Sheet helps bettors by comparing lines from PrizePicks vs. our daily MLB projections >>
We were close last week, but a couple of player predictions just missed. Ouch. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The summer is starting to heat up, and we hope to heat up, too, building a nice bankroll heading into the summer.
We cast an eye toward the late-afternoon and evening games on Saturday, giving you a little extra time to take in the information and get situated for the slate with several MLB PrizePicks player predictions.
Our PrizePicks Cheat Sheet helps bettors by comparing lines from PrizePicks vs. our daily MLB projections >>
Saturday’s Best MLB PrizePicks Predictions
At 4:05 p.m. ET, the Angels and Orioles are scheduled to meet at Camden Yards. For the first time in weeks, the Colorado Rockies do not lead the league in strikeouts. The Los Angeles Angels (664) and Boston Red Sox (659) have passed the Rockies (656) for the MLB lead, although Colorado still tops the charts among National League teams.
Tomoyuki Sugano will face the new whiff kings. The 35-year-old rookie managed to record just two strikeouts across 4.1 innings against the Athletics last time out in Sacramento. Getting to four strikeouts will be difficult for the import, as he has hit four strikeouts just once in the past five outings. However, the last time Sugano faced the Angels in Anaheim on May 9th, he struck out five batters in 7.1 innings.
The Angels are averaging 9.77 strikeouts per game through 68 contests, while Sugano has a 5.0 K/9 ratio, so it will take some doing.
At 7:15 p.m. ET, the Padres and Diamondbacks meet on FOX. The right-handed Zac Gallen has managed a 4-8 record, 5.15 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 80.1 innings. He has pitched 13.2 innings in the past two starts, which is his most total innings in back-to-back starts this season. However, Gallen also allowed four earned runs with three homers in Cincinnati last Sunday, and he has served up eight homers in the past five starts since May 17th.
The San Diego offense is hitting .246 in 68 games, while posting 57 homers with 257 RBI and just 479 strikeouts, which is the third-lowest mark in the Majors. While Gallen and the Diamondbacks are home, he has a 6.38 ERA with 30 earned runs allowed in just 42.1 innings across eight starts.
The Rockies and Braves meet at 4:10 p.m. in Atlanta, and we should see the Braves jump all over Chase Dollander and the Rockies. Colorado’s starting pitcher allowed five earned runs, eight hits and two homers in just three innings against the New York Mets last time out in a loss. He has managed a 6.85 ERA in 44.2 innings with 12 homers allowed this season.
On the road, Dollander has been a little bit better, as has been the case historically for Colorado pitchers. However, he is still 0-4 with a 4.50 ERA with 12 walks allowed in 24 innings across five starts. The Braves should be able to tag him for at least one run in the first inning.
Spencer Strider hasn’t exactly lit the world afire, either, allowing eight runs in 11 innings in two June starts, good for a 6.55 ERA. There is plenty of offense for both sides to get off to a good start. All we need is one run.
I have verified that since we played Gallen above, you can play Ryan Bergert + Gallen, too. Sometimes, you cannot pick the same player multiple times on a single lineup for PrizePicks. However, this is not the case here, as you can play Bergert and Gallen together, and it is not treated the same.
Bergert has been legit since moving into the starting lineup, allowing just two earned runs in 10.1 innings in two outings in June after transitioning from a relief role. We’ll need the Padres to jump all over Gallen, and that’s what we’re hoping for in Phoenix on Saturday. With Arizona, Gallen hasn’t allowed a run in the first inning in each of his past four starts, so this is a cross-your-fingers kind of play.
The Royals right-hander takes on the scuffling Athletics lineup at 4:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium. While Michael Lorenzen hasn’t worked more than five innings in three of his past four starts, he has been throwing quite a few pitches.
Lorenzen has tossed 92+ pitches in three of his past four starts, including a season-high 102 last time out against the Cincinnati Reds in his most recent start at home. Play Lorenzen to get to at least 92 pitches, especially against the offensively-challenged A’s.
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe.
