DraftKings’ “King of the Diamond” promotion continues Friday, June 20th. 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.
**Our promo team identified an issue that made players from the Red Sox vs. Giants game ineligible for today’s KOTD promo. We’ve resolved the issue, and anyone opting into the promo now can select players from this game. If you opted in earlier and wanted to use a player from this game, please contact our support team for assistance, DraftKings Assist on X**
**The Mariners-Cubs game at 2:20 p.m. ET is NOT part of this promotion**
Follow me on Twitter (X) for daily MLB info and picks @SBuchanan24
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 8:30 a.m. Friday morning.
Highest MLB team totals for Friday, June 20th
- Arizona Diamondbacks 6.5 runs at Colorado Rockies (over -125 under -105)
- New York Yankees 5.5 runs vs. Baltimore Orioles (over +105, under -135)
- Toronto Blue Jays 5.5 runs vs. Chicago White Sox (over +114, under -145)
- Philadelphia Phillies 4.5 runs vs. New York Mets (over -140, under +110)
- Cleveland Guardians 4.5 runs at Athletics (over -140, 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.
- Zac Gallen (ARI) at Colorado Rockies: 15 home runs allowed; 1.5 HR/9 (9 vs. RHB, 6 vs. LHB)
- Jack Flaherty (DET) at Tampa Bay Rays: 14 home runs allowed; 1.6 HR/9 (6 vs. RHB, 8 vs. LHB)
- Michael Lorenzen (KCR) at San Diego Padres: 14 home runs allowed; 1.6 HR/9 (8 vs. RHB, 6 vs. LHB)
- Tanner Bibee (CLE) at Athletics: 14 home runs allowed; 1.5 HR/9 (6 vs. RHB, 8 vs. LHB)
MLB Weather Notes for tonight:
-Cleveland Guardians at Athletics (winds blowing out up to 14 mph)
-Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees (winds blowing out up to 12 mph)
-Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies (winds blowing out up to 14 mph)
DraftKings King of the Diamond Home Run Picks for Friday, June 20
Eugenio Suarez to hit a home run +220 vs. Colorado Rockies
The Diamondbacks are likely to be one of the most popular picks tonight. Playing at Coors Field with the winds blowing out will attract plenty of attention. Eugenio Suárez is currently on pace to match his career-high of 49 home runs, set in 2019 with the Reds. Tonight, he faces Rockies starter Austin Gomber, who pitched five shutout innings against the Braves in his only start this season. However, Gomber had a 1.6 HR/9 through 30 starts last season, with 21 of the 30 home runs he allowed hit by right-handed batters. Since 2018, Gomber has a career 1.4 HR/9 and an xERA of at least 4.04 each year. This is an excellent opportunity for Suárez and the Diamondbacks, but expect many bettors to share this view.
Trent Grisham to hit a home run +320 vs. Baltimore Orioles
Trent Grisham is having a career year in home runs, just four shy of a new personal best. He has an excellent opportunity to add to his season total against the Orioles and starter Tomoyuki Sugano. Sugano’s 3.38 ERA is misleading, as his xERA is 4.85. He has struggled with home runs, allowing 13 this season for a 1.4 HR/9. Left-handed batters have hit eight of those. As noted in the weather section, winds at Yankee Stadium will be blowing out at up to 14 mph.
Kerry Carpenter to hit a home run +400 vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Pitching in a minor league ballpark has not been kind to Shane Baz. At home, he sports a 5.36 ERA with a .336 wOBA and seven of the 13 home runs he’s allowed. Baz has allowed at least one home run in each home start he’s pitched, except one against the Pirates. He’s only allowed one home run in three starts this month, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that two of the starts have come on the road. His one start at home? Yup, he allowed a home run. Carpenter has hit the majority of his 13 home runs off righties, with eight of them on the road. It’ll be hot and humid in Tampa tonight, perfect for hitting.
Nick Castellanos to hit a home run +500 vs. New York Mets
With many teams in prime home run spots, the Phillies may be overlooked. They face Blade Tidwell, who is making only his second major league start. Tidwell struggled in his debut, allowing six runs on nine hits, including a home run, against the Cardinals. The Phillies, arguably a tougher matchup, boast significant home run power. Nick Castellanos has hit five of his seven home runs at home. Tidwell primarily throws a four-seam fastball and a sinker, and four of Castellanos’ seven home runs have come off these pitches.
**Our promo team identified an issue that made players from the Red Sox vs. Giants game ineligible for today’s KOTD promo. We’ve resolved the issue, and anyone opting into the promo now can select players from this game. If you opted in earlier and wanted to use a player from this game, please contact our support team for assistance DraftKings Assist on X**
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.
