DraftKings’ “King of the Diamond” promotion continues Friday night, June 6th. 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 Marlins-Rays game at 1:10 p.m. ET is NOT part of this promotion**
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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 9:30 a.m. Friday morning.
Highest MLB team totals for Friday, June 6th
- New York Mets 6.5 runs at Colorado Rockies (over -125 under -105)
- Baltimore Orioles 5.5 runs at Athletics (over -125, under -105)
- New York Yankees 4.5 runs vs. Boston Red Sox (over -140, under +110)
- Seattle Mariners 4.5 runs at Los Angeles Angels (over -135, under +105)
- Athletics 4.5 runs vs. Baltimore Orioles (over -135, under +105)
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.
- Antonio Senzatela (COL) vs. New York Mets: 11 home runs allowed; 1.7 HR/9 (8 vs. RHB, 3 vs. LHB)
- Kyle Hendricks (LAA) vs. Seattle Mariners: 11 home runs allowed; 1.6 HR/9 (7 vs. RHB, 4 vs. LHB)
- Seth Lugo (KCR) at Chicago White Sox: 11 home runs allowed; 1.6 HR/9 (3 vs. RHB, 8 vs. LHB)
- Dean Kremer (BAL) at Athletics: 10 home runs allowed; 1.3 HR/9 (3 vs. RHB, 7 vs. LHB)
MLB Weather Notes for tonight:
-Arizona Diamondbacks at Cincinnati Reds (rain between 7-9 p.m. ET. Delay, PPD possible)
-Boston Red Sox at New Yok Yankees (on and off rain, delay possible)
-Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsbugh Pirates (on and off rain, delay possible
-New York Mets at Colorado Rockies (light rain at game time, delay possible)
-Baltimore Orioles at Athletics (wind blowing out to left-center field 10 mph)
DraftKings King of the Diamond Home Run Picks for Friday, June 6
Brent Rooker to hit a home run +330 vs. Baltimore Orioles
This Orioles-Athletics game is drawing significant betting interest. The game total of 11 is the highest on the slate, surpassing the Mets at Colorado, with winds blowing out to left-center field. Dean Kremer is taking the mound for the Orioles and has allowed 10 home runs this season, among the highest totals for tonight’s starters. The majority of Kremer’s allowed home runs have been hit by left-handed batters, but the winds blowing out to left make me favor Rooker. He continues to be a consistent home run hitter, with 13 on the season, six of which have come at home. Kremer has a diverse pitch arsenal, but his primary four pitches include variations of a fastball. Rooker has hit seven of his 13 home runs off fastballs, making him a top pick tonight despite his popularity.
Juan Soto to hit a home run +350 vs. Colorado Rockies
The other game with a double-digit total features the Mets visiting Coors Field against the Rockies. Antonio Senzatela, who has allowed 11 home runs with a 1.7 HR/9 rate, is making his 13th start this season. Batters from both sides of the plate have hit him hard, though right-handed batters have accounted for most of the home runs against him. I favor Soto, however, due to his performance against the four-seam fastball, which Senzatela throws 53% of the time. Soto has a 70% hard-hit rate against that pitch this season, with five of his 11 home runs coming off it. With the Mets’ team total at 6.5, they have a strong chance of being the highest-scoring team on the slate.
Anthony Volpe to hit a home run +550 vs. Boston Red Sox
Walker Buehler doesn’t rank among the starting pitchers allowing the most home runs this season, but that’s largely because he’s made only nine starts. In those starts, he’s allowed eight home runs with a 1.5 HR/9 rate. Volpe stands out because he’s hit six of his seven home runs at home, four against right-handed pitchers. Six of Volpe’s seven home runs have come off fastballs, which, along with their variations, account for 59% of Buehler’s pitches. Volpe is less popular than Aaron Judge, who has +170 odds to hit a home run tonight. Given Buehler’s struggles and the Red Sox bullpen’s weaknesses, the Yankees have the possibility to be the highest-scoring team tonight.
Maikel Garcia to hit a home run +800 vs. Chicago White Sox
Garcia is a compelling longshot to hit a home run tonight at +800 odds. Any team facing the White Sox has a strong chance of being the highest-scoring team on the slate, as the White Sox allow an average of 4.4 runs per game. Garcia has hit four of his six home runs this season off right-handed pitchers, three of them on the road. In the first few games of June, Garcia has hit effectively, with a 59% hard-hit rate and a 58% fly ball rate. White Sox pitcher Martin’s surface numbers appear decent with a 3.67 ERA, but his 5.76 xERA suggests underlying vulnerabilities.
Follow me on Twitter (X) for daily MLB info and picks @SBuchanan24
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.
