Almost two months of Major League Baseball are in the books. It’s time to attack the sportsbooks. Let’s take a look at some of the best bets for the Saturday, May 25 MLB betting card.
Here are my favorite DraftKings Sportsbook picks for Saturday’s slate of MLB games.
Follow along on Twitter (@Race4thePrize) for updates.
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.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Miami Marlins
The Pick: Diamondbacks -1.5 (+110)
Jordan Montgomery has been disappointing this season. The Diamondbacks expect more out of their $25 million hired gun. He expects more, too. If he wants a longer deal, then he better start dealing. So what’s the deal with Jordan Montgomery? It’s no big deal. He struggled against the Dodgers and gave up a few runs in his final innings against the Tigers in his last start. Other than that, he’s been fine. But is fine safe for betting? Against the Marlins, fine is fine wine.
The Marlins are the second-worst team in MLB against left-handed pitching. They have a 70 wRC+, .266 wOBA and .100 ISO. Montgomery’s over 4.5 strikeouts prop is tempting. The Marlins do not strike out often (19.6%), but Montgomery could get there because he pitches deep into the game. The safe pick is the Run Line. The Marlins won’t score and Diamondbacks will. Sixto Sanchez and his 6.02 ERA will take the mound for Miami on Saturday night.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Pick: Jonathan India Over 0.5 Home Runs (+650)
The Reds offense is dead. This isn’t a bet on the Reds. It’s a bet that one pitch scrapes over the wall in the tiny Great American Ball Park. It’s summer in Cincinnati. The ball flies during the hot and humid nights. Here’s a science lesson. Water vapor in the atmosphere is lighter than oxygen and nitrogen. Baseballs travel through the air more easily.
Walker Buehler shut down the Reds at home in L.A. in his last start. He likely won’t struggle much against this offense in the rematch. The Reds are struggling, but this isn’t a bet on the Reds. It’s a bet on one player facing a pitcher recovering from Tommy John’s Surgery in an ideal hitting environment. Montgomery allowed three homers in his first two starts. Post-surgery pitchers tend to allow more contact. More contact is dangerous in Great American Small Park.
Jonathan India has a .096 ISO. He got dropped to eighth in the order. That’s rock bottom and a buy-low spot. The Reds came to life — India came to life — on Friday with a 9-6 win over the Dodgers. The win was powered by India’s homer, double and single. Did he figure it out? At these odds and in this situation, this is an appealing long-shot to hit a long shot.
Cleveland Guardians at Los Angeles Angels
The Pick: Guardians Money Line (-125)
The Guardians have won seven in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. They have the third-best record in baseball. This team is for real, but no one believes in them. The public doesn’t even believe they’re real because they don’t know if they are actually real. The Guardians are a blue-collar team with few big names. Tanner Bibee is real and for real. He doesn’t just exist, he can pitch. He’s just young and hasn’t received a lot of attention just like most of the Guardians.
The Angels are below-average in matchups with right-handed pitching — 96 wRC+, 306 wOBA, .156 ISO and a 23.6% strikeout rate. Bibee has experienced a few bumps in the road this season. One was against the Angels. In that start, he uncharacteristically allowed two home runs (1.2 HR/9). For the rest of his starts, he’s been an above-average pitcher (3.82 xFIP). In his last start, Bibee allowed one run in seven innings and struck out eight Twins.
Follow me on Twitter for daily MLB picks and info @Race4thePrize.
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.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and I may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (AZ/CO/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NJ/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY), (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-522-4700 (NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV). Void where prohibited. 21+ (18+ KY/NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/KY/LA(select parishes)/MA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY only. Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).
