Rain prevented us from another 2-0 article on Monday night, but no matter. We’re still 22-11 (+10.5u) for the season as a whole, and specifically 11-4 in May. Talk about flowers.
Let’s try and close out the month with a couple more winners.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25263747/IMG_9722.jpeg)
Bet at a top rated Sportsbook!
View the latest odds and bet online legally at a top rated Sportsbook! Place a bet now at DraftKings Sportsbook!*
*Odds and lines are for illustrative purposes only.
Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins
Royals ML (+114)
While the Royals have been a far superior club when playing at home, this still feels like a good opportunity to bet a 34-22 team at plus-money. Those don’t come around too often. It’s also an opportunity to bet on Kansas City with its ace taking the mound. No, not Cole Ragans. I’m talking about Seth Lugo. It might’ve been nothing more than a cute story when the RHP was well outperforming his underlying metrics back in April, but suddenly it’s the end of May and Lugo has the lowest qualified ERA in baseball (1.74). That number is starting to get more legitimate, too. In Lugo’s last six starts, he’s pitching to a 1.52 ERA and a 2.77 FIP. It’s a span of 41.1 innings where the RHP is striking out 29.7% of the batters he’s faced while holding opponents to a .223 wOBA. He’s just plain good.
The Royals have recently been swinging hot bats, as well. Across the past two weeks, Kansas City owns the highest batting average in MLB at .288. That’s translated into a 125 wRC+ that is the second-best mark in the American League. On the other side, the Twins have been cold to close out May, hitting .211 with an 86 wRC+ over the last 14 days. Add in that Bailey Ober has struggled in his past two outings and the Royals’ moneyline only gets more and more tempting.
Refine your research with the DraftKings Sportsbook’s Stats Hub!
From Consistency Sheets and Matchup Tools to System Tools and Player Splits, the DraftKings Sportsbook Stats hub features tools to help with your betting research!
Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox
Blue Jays Over 4.5 (-120)
The Blue Jays’ bats have been underwhelming all season long, but it does seem like there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. Since moving Davis Schneider to the leadoff spot on a full-time basis back on May 18, Toronto owns the league’s best wRC+ at 134. It’s a span where the team has combined MLB’s lowest strikeout rate (17.2%) with its second-highest wOBA (.357). I’m not a hitting coach, but that seems like a successful strategy.
This run has also coincided with the Jays’ two most important players starting to look a little more like themselves. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is slashing .382/.466/.506 with a 181 wRC+ in May and he’s consistently producing triple-digit batted ball events. Meanwhile, Bo Bichette is hitting .286 with three of his four home runs in the month. When that duo is good — so is Toronto’s offense. It’s a simple formula.
Finally, let’s talk about Chris Flexen. I think it’s fair to say that Flexen would not be in the rotation for any of the other 29 teams in baseball. However, the White Sox just need to fill innings. In fact, that’s especially true on Wednesday. Five of Chicago’s relievers have thrown 20-plus pitches in an outing over the last two days, while Mike Soroka threw 68 pitches in Sunday’s loss to Baltimore. This bullpen is taxed. I’d expect Flexen to be tasked with working deep into tonight’s contest — regardless of results. That’s not an ideal script for the White Sox considering the RHP sports a 6.33 ERA as a starter in 2024. Woof.
Place your MLB bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
