Happy Opening Day! Following the two-game Seoul Series between the Dodgers and Padres, the MLB returns stateside. Unfortunately, two games (Brewers vs Mets, and Braves vs Phillies) have already been postponed due to rain, but we still have 13 games for this Thursday, March 28th. Here are three of the best PrizePicks plays worth considering for today.
Thursday’s Best MLB PrizePicks Player Predictions
PrizePicks Record: 3-3
The Cubs lefty likely won’t have a deep pitch count on Opening Day. He maxed out at 64 pitches, and four innings this spring. On top of that, taking on this Rangers lineup will not be an easy feat for Steele. They mashed left-handed pitching last season, ranking fifth in wRC+ (115), while ranking just 20th in K% (21.9%). Steele also faced Texas early last season and finished with just three strikeouts across six innings. He isn’t really known as a strikeout starter either and ranked in the 58th percentile in K% and 38th in CSW% among all starters last season. His out prop is currently listed at 14.5, so it’s fair to assume he won’t go much longer than five innings.
Happy Opening Day! Following the two-game Seoul Series between the Dodgers and Padres, the MLB returns stateside. Unfortunately, two games (Brewers vs Mets, and Braves vs Phillies) have already been postponed due to rain, but we still have 13 games for this Thursday, March 28th. Here are three of the best PrizePicks plays worth considering for today.
Thursday’s Best MLB PrizePicks Player Predictions
PrizePicks Record: 3-3
The Cubs lefty likely won’t have a deep pitch count on Opening Day. He maxed out at 64 pitches, and four innings this spring. On top of that, taking on this Rangers lineup will not be an easy feat for Steele. They mashed left-handed pitching last season, ranking fifth in wRC+ (115), while ranking just 20th in K% (21.9%). Steele also faced Texas early last season and finished with just three strikeouts across six innings. He isn’t really known as a strikeout starter either and ranked in the 58th percentile in K% and 38th in CSW% among all starters last season. His out prop is currently listed at 14.5, so it’s fair to assume he won’t go much longer than five innings.
He posted some solid strikeout numbers in Spring Training, but I’m not buying it until we see it in a game that matters. Last season he was under this mark in 19-of-30 starts (63%) and ranked in the 44th percentile in K%, 6% in BB%, 18% in xFIP, and 32% in CSW% amongst all starters. Pitching at Great American Ballpark, won’t do him any favors here either. The Reds’ home park rates as the third-best hitting park over the last three seasons. Of the projected lineup for Cincinnati, Elly De La Cruz, Will Benson, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Tyler Stephenson are the ones to worry about, with projected strikeout rates of 24% or higher for this season. Because it is Opening Day, Gray probably won’t go deeper than 85 pitches here though, so take the Under.
The 2023 National League Champions rightfully send their ace to the mound this Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies. Just like every other year, the Rox project to be one of the bottom-feeding teams this season, and Gallen has made them look silly in just about every appearance against them. Colorado’s roster owns a .299 xwOBA and 30.3% K% across 132 plate appearances against him. He has gone over this mark in nine of 13 career starts against them since 2019. Last season he found six strikeouts in 21-of-34 (62%) starts while ranking in the 92nd percentile in xFIP, 83% in K%, and 77% in CSW% among all starters.
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:
Tyler Gentile is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Tyler, follow him @808Paperboi
