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Get ready for a wild Friday in baseball with 14 games on the schedule. With so many teams set to take the field, that means we have a bevy of wagers to comb through on the DraftKings Sportsbook. Here are some that stand out as potentially profitable opportunities.
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Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: Reds ML (-195)
Neither one of these teams are playing particularly well right now. The Reds have lost six of their last 10 games to drop their overall record to 8-11, which is already eight games behind the Cubs in the loss column in the NL Central. The Pirates are off to the worst start in all of baseball at 4-13 and look to be in the early stages of what could be a lengthy rebuilding process.
The Reds might have a losing record, but their roster is lightyears ahead of the Pirates. They also have a significant edge in the starting pitching department for this matchup with Sonny Gray facing Chad Kuhl. Gray is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP across his first four starts and is once again racking up strikeouts with 35 across 24 innings. Meanwhile, Kuhl has a career 1.41 WHIP and is coming off a 2019 season in which he allowed 1.5 HR/9. Look for the Reds to come away victorious in this contest.
Jesse Winker: Over 0.5 Hits (-180)
The Pirates starting Kuhl could lead to a productive day for several of the Reds’ hitters. He’s allowed a career .370 wOBA to left-handed hitters, so Winker is one of the first names that comes to mind as someone who could have success. He has registered four straight multi-hit games and he has at least one hit in eight of his last nine contests, overall. Winker did a good job of putting the ball in play last year, posting just a 15.6% strikeout rate. The odds here might not be mouth-watering, but this could still be a profitable wager.
San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks: Under 9 (-118)
This might seem like a low total for two teams who have some dangerous hitters in their lineups. The Padres are tied for the sixth-most runs scored in the league and are tied for the second-most home runs. On the other side, the Diamondbacks have been a disappointment in the power department, yet they are tied for the 12th-most runs scored, so they haven’t exactly been a complete disaster. They have also struck out the eighth-fewest times.
The reason that the under is appealing here is because of the starting pitching matchup. Taking the mound for the Padres will be Dinelson Lamet, who hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in any of his four starts this season. He’s actually already faced the Diamondbacks twice, allowing two runs and recording 19 strikeouts across 12.2 innings. The Diamondbacks will also be deploying a hot pitcher in Merrill Kelly, who held the Padres to one run across six innings in his last start. He has a stellar 0.97 WHIP across his first three outings, overall.
Brian Anderson: Over 0.5 Hits (-175)
We’ve already reached a point where the Braves are just trying to cobble together their starting rotation. Injuries have decimated their depth chart, leaving a host of question marks behind Max Fried. Starting this matchup against the Marlins will be Kyle Wright, who has a 1.91 WHIP across 37.2 career innings in the majors. Enter Anderson, who is one of the most dangerous hitters on the Marlins and has recorded at least one hit in 10 of 12 games this season.
Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins: Marlins Over 3.5 (-136)
Despite missing several players because of COVID-19, the Marlins still have some dangerous hitters in Anderson, Jonathan Villar, Jesus Aguilar and Corey Dickerson. They hung 14 runs on the Blue Jays on Wednesday and have scored at least four runs in five of their last six contests, overall. With Wright’s struggles already detailed, taking a chance on this low run total looks awfully appealing.
Parlay: Los Angeles Dodgers ML + New York Mets ML (+140)
Editor’s Note: Mets SP Jacob deGrom has been scratched from his start vs. the Phillies
The Angels will host the Dodgers on Friday and will be faced with the difficult task of trying to defeat Clayton Kershaw. The Angels have struggled out of the gate at 7-12, while the Dodgers are 13-7. Not only do the Dodgers have an excellent overall record, but they are 7-2 on the road. Patrick Sandoval will start for the Angels and despite his 2.70 ERA over his first two starts, his 4.68 FIP indicates he hasn’t pitched all that well. He recorded a 4.59 FIP last season after also struggling to the tune of a 4.96 FIP at Triple-A. The Dodgers have a massive edge in this pitching matchup, leaving them with a great opportunity to earn the win.
Speaking of pitching mismatches, the Mets will start Jacob deGrom against the Phillies. He has been his usual dominant self, allowing six runs and recording 28 strikeouts across 22.0 innings in his first four starts. Meanwhile, the Phillies plan to use Spencer Howard to pitch the bulk of the innings. Howard is a promising young right-hander, but it relatively unproven. The Phillies bullpen has also been a disaster, so the Mets have a significant edge in this contest.
Place your bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DK Sportsbook app.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mbarner51) 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.