Despite the Mets being the most recent team with a positive case of COVID-19, baseball continues to roll along Friday. It will be a packed schedule otherwise, leaving us with a lot of options to sift through on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here are some wagers that stand out among the crowd.
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Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates: Brewers ML (-136)
There’s not a lot to be excited about regarding the Pirates. They have lost four straight, eight of their last 10, and 17 of their 21 games this season. They are clearly a rebuilding team with a lot of holes to fill, especially in their lineup. Their .595 OPS is by far the lowest mark in the majors and their lack of scoring has resulted in them posting a -44 run differential.
The Brewers haven’t exactly been great at 11-12, but they have won four of their last six games as Christian Yelich starts to show signs of life at the plate. Starting for them will be Adrian Houser, who held the Pirates to one run across five innings earlier this season. He’s also allowed three runs or fewer in three of his four total starts out of the gate. Look for the Brewers to emerge victorious here.
San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: Giants Over 4.5 Runs (+102)
Don’t sleep on the Giants’ lineup. They have some productive veterans in Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt and Wilmer Flores and emerging young players Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater. They even called up their top catching prospect Joey Bart for Thursday’s matchup against the Angels. They ended up torching them for 10 runs, marking the sixth time in their last seven games that they have scored at least six runs.
They’ll look to keep their scoring outburst rolling against Robbie Ray, who has been extremely wild with 20 walks across 22 innings. Add in the 22 hits that he’s allowed and he has a bloated 1.91 WHIP. To top it off, he’s already given up seven home runs. Given this reasonable line, this wager could be well worth the risk at plus odds.
Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves: Aaron Nola Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-157)
After a breakout 2018 campaign, Nola somewhat disappointed last season with a 3.87 ERA and a 4.03 FIP. On the bright side, his strikeout rate was once again excellent at 26.9 percent. He’s been even more difficult to hit this season, producing a whopping 39.8 percent strikeout rate through four outings. With regards to this line, it’s encouraging that he has produced at least seven strikeouts in each of his four starts.
This won’t be the first time that Nola has faced the Braves this season. He dominated them in their previous matchup, striking out 10 batters across eight innings. With the Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Nick Markakis all on the IL for the Braves right now, Nola could once again produce an excellent strikeout total against their depleted lineup.
Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals: Over 8.5 Total Runs (-124)
We have a couple of underwhelming pitchers set to face off here. Starting for the Reds will be Anthony DeSclafani, who was torched for nine runs across two innings in his last start against the lowly Pirates. He allowed three home runs in that game, which is nothing new considering he allowed 1.6 HR/9 last year and 1.9 HR/9 in 2018. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will start Dakota Hudson, who didn’t pitch nearly as well as his 3.35 ERA last year would lead you to believe given his 4.93 FIP. He only has a 17.8 percent strikeout rate for his career, so he’s not an overpowering option, by any means. It wouldn’t be surprising to see both teams score in bunches based on these starting pitchers.
Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves: Under 4.5 Total Runs Through 5 Innings (-124)
The Braves don’t have many quality starting pitchers left, but their best one will be taking the mound here in Max Fried. He didn’t allow a run in either of his last two starts, which included a matchup against these same Phillies. Going back further, he hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his five outings. With how well Nola has also been pitching, this could be a low-scoring affair out of the gate. The Phillies have a disastrous bullpen, so I’m avoiding the entire game total and just rolling with the under after five innings.
Moneyline Parlay: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies: Dodgers ML & Oakland Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels: Athletics ML (+176)
The Rockies have gone into a tailspin, losing four straight and eight of their last 10 games. They are only 7-8 on the road, which is where they will be in this contest against the Dodgers. The Dodgers are 8-5 in their home park and start one of their best pitchers in Walker Buehler. Not one to normally have problems with home runs, he’s allowed five of them across 19 innings, which has contributed to his 5.21 ERA. Still, his 1.16 WHIP shows that if he can get back on track in the home run department, he can quickly get back to his dominant self. Meanwhile, the Rockies will start Jon Gray, who can be an adventure whenever he takes the mound.
The Athletics have been one of the best teams in baseball, posting an 18-8 record out of the gate. That includes them going a sparkling 11-3 at home. Meanwhile, the Angels have lost seven of their last 10 games to drop their record to 8-18, which includes a 3-9 mark on the road. Neither of these teams has a special pitcher taking the mound with Andrew Heaney taking on Mike Fiers, but Fiers was better at home last year, posting a 4.68 FIP there compared to a 5.33 FIP on the road. With these two teams moving in opposite directions, look for the A’s to earn the win.
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