DraftKings’ “King of the Diamond” promotion continues Friday night, May 30th. You may be asking, what is the “King of the Diamond”? For an in-depth breakdown of this promotion, you can read our How to Play King of the Diamond article on DraftKings Network. Below is a quick summary:’
- Opt into the promotion on DraftKings Sportsbook
- Choose between 2-5 players to place in any type of parlay (Same Game Parlay, SGPx) with a “To Hit a Home Run” bet. (Examples: Aaron Judge 1+ Home Run, Shohei Ohtani 2+ home runs, etc.)
- King of the Diamond is awarded to all MLB players who hit 1 or more home runs as part of the highest-scoring MLB team (from eligible games) of the day.
**The Reds-Cubs game at 2:20 p.m. ET is NOT part of this promotion – the White Sox-Orioles game, which was originally scheduled for 7:05 p.m., has moved up to 4:30 p.m. ET. This game WILL be part of the KOTD promotion tonight**
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DraftKings King of the Diamond Strategy
Essentially, two conditions must be met to be eligible to win part of the King of the Diamond jackpot: one or more players must hit a home run and play for the team with the highest score that night. One way to determine which players to pick is to identify the teams with the highest projected totals for that night. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, these are currently the highest projected team totals as of 10 a.m. Friday morning.
Highest MLB team totals for Friday, May 30th
- Baltimore Orioles 5.5 runs vs. Chicago White Sox (over +105 under -135)
- Arizona Diamondbacks 5.5 runs vs. Washington Nationals (over +110, under -140)
- New York Mets 4.5 runs vs. Colorado Rockies (over -140, under +110)
- Atlanta Braves 4.5 runs vs. Boston Red Sox (over -140, under +110)
- Philadelphia Phillies 4.5 runs vs. Milwaukee Brewers (over -130, under +110)
MLB Starting Pitchers: Most home runs allowed
Of tonight’s starting pitchers, here is a list of those who have allowed the most home runs this season. In parentheses, the breakdown shows home runs allowed to right-handed and left-handed batters.
- Grant Holmes (ATL) vs. Boston Red Sox: 10 home runs allowed; 1.5 HR/9 (6 vs. RHB, 4 vs. LHB)
- Ryan Pepiot (TB) at Houston Astros: 10 home runs allowed; 1.4 HR/9 (5 vs. RHB, 5 vs. LHB)
- Jack Irvin (WAS) at Arizona Diamondbacks: 10 home runs allowed; 1.3 HR/9 (3 vs. RHB, 7 vs. LHB)
- Seth Lugo (KCR) vs. Tigers: 9 home runs allowed; 1.4 HR/9 (2 vs. RHB, 7 vs. LHB)
MLB Weather Notes for tonight:
-Los Angeles Angels at Cleveland Guardians (light rain)
-Chicago White Sox at Baltimore Orioles (potential rain late in game)
-Boston Red Sox at Atlanta Braves (wind out to left-center field 10-12mph)
DraftKings King of the Diamond Home Run Picks for Friday, May 30
Corbin Carroll to hit a home run +285 vs. Washington Nationals
This is a fantastic matchup for Carroll against the Nationals’ starter, Jake Irvin. As noted above, not only has Irvin allowed the most home runs on this slate (tied with two others), but seven of the 10 home runs have come from left-handed bats. After a subpar 2024, Carroll is on pace to surpass his career-high of 25 home runs. He has 16 home runs through 56 games, with 13 of them off right-handed pitchers. The Diamondbacks, who have one of the highest team totals tonight, will also have a crack at the Nationals’ bullpen. Their bullpen is among the worst in the league, with a 6.08 ERA and a 4.44 FIP.
Austin Riley to hit a home run +310 vs. Boston Red Sox
This game could see several home runs, as both pitchers are prone to allowing them. Lucas Giolito didn’t make the earlier list because he’s only made five starts, but he’s still allowed five home runs. This gives him a 1.6 HR/9, one of the highest home run rates per nine innings among tonight’s starters. Riley, who has hit seven of his nine home runs against right-handed pitchers, is one of my top picks for this game. Winds blowing out toward left-center field further increase the likelihood of home runs. With Giolito relying heavily on four-seam fastballs (48% of his pitches), Riley is well-positioned to capitalize.
Wilyer Abreu to hit a home run +370 vs. Atlanta Braves
I’m hesitant to include the Red Sox here, as their offense has been underwhelming recently. After scoring 19 runs exactly a week ago, they’ve averaged just 2.6 runs over their last six games. However, they face Grant Holmes, a pitcher with a 1.5 HR/9 this season, who frequently allows home runs. As noted earlier, winds blowing out in Atlanta increase the likelihood of home runs. Most of Holmes’ home runs allowed—eight of the 10—have come off his four-seam fastball. Abreu has six of his 13 home runs off fastballs.
Julio Rodriguez to hit a home run +500 vs. Minnesota Twins
I believe the Mariners will fly under the radar tonight. The game total is set at seven runs—not ideal for targeting a high-scoring team. The Mariners’ team total of 3.5 may also deter bettors. However, I think the matchup favors Seattle more than the odds suggest. Twins starter Zebby Matthews has struggled in the majors, posting a 6.85 ERA, 4.94 FIP, and 2.22 HR/9 (home runs per nine innings) over 44.2 innings. Last season, he allowed 11 home runs in 37⅔ innings. Julio Rodriguez, at +500 to hit a home run, is a sneaky pick.
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Good luck with your King of the Diamond picks for tonight! Whenever this promotion is happening, I’ll be doing these strategy articles exclusively on DraftKings Network.
For a more in-depth breakdown of how the King of the Diamond promo works, check out our How to Play King of the Diamond article on DraftKings Network.
