Two of the teams that are mashing left-handed pitching recently will square off against lefties on Friday who they’ve had recent success against. Naturally, that’s where my focus lies on the DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s slate of MLB action.
If you want to sweat out these picks with me, follow me on Twitter: @Nick_Friar.
Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins
Charlie Morton over 6.5 strikeouts +110
Morton’s string of quality starts snapped last time out when he faced the same Marlins lineup he’s going up against on Friday. As a matter of fact, Miami has caused fits for the Atlanta right-hander in the three times the two parties have squared off in 2021.
But we’re not worried about Morton putting his team in a position to win. He just has to strike out seven-plus — which he did vs. the Marlins for the second time this season in his 5 1/3-inning start on the Fourth of July. The Marlins’ excessive strikeout total against the Atlanta righty was far from an outlier, too. Miami is striking out the third-most frequently against right-handed pitching over the last two weeks.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $333K Swing for the Fences [$100K to 1st]
Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics
Rangers over 3.5 runs -145
Cole Irvin over 5.5 hits allowed -105
All-around, there isn’t a team hitting left-handed pitching better than Texas right now. Over the last two weeks, the Rangers have the best OPS and third-best ISO against lefties.
On Friday, they will go up against Irvin, who they saw back on June 22 and did well against. Although one of the runs he gave up was unearned in that start, Texas got to the Oakland lefty for four runs on seven hits and a walk.
Now, Irvin has been better in his last two outings since he started that 13-6 mess on June 22, which Texas won. But the left-hander went against a Giants lineup struggling against lefties of late and a Red Sox team in the midst of a West Coast trip where their offense hasn’t been clicking at its usual rate.
One last thing, specifically for the runs scored pick: Oakland’s bullpen has been rough over the last month. A’s relievers have been better when you condense things to the last two weeks, but they still haven’t been good, posting a 4.98 FIP and a 4.14 ERA during that span.
Refer a friend and get a free DraftKings Sportsbook bet up to $100! Head to the DraftKings Playbook Promo page for more details!
Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays
Blue Jays over 3.5 runs -135
While the Rangers have the best OPS against left-handed pitchers over the last two weeks, no lineup has posted a higher team ISO against lefties than Toronto. The Blue Jays are also eighth in OPS against lefties during that span, which is still good despite being a dip from their ISO ranking — it simply shows they’re reliant upon power above all else.
And facing a team hitting for power is not ideal for Rays relievers right now. That group is due to improve given their 4.71 FIP against their 5.52 ERA over the last two weeks, but it’s not as if the Tampa Bay bullpen’s ERA should regress to a good number. More importantly, Rays relievers have posted a 1.77 HR/9 over the last two weeks — not ideal for Tampa Bay with Toronto visiting.
Although, the Jays may not need much help from Tampa’s bullpen, if any at all, to score four-plus runs on Friday. Shane McClanahan is squaring off vs. Toronto for the second time in as many starts, and he gave up three runs to the Jays over 5 1/3 innings last time.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $333K Swing for the Fences [$100K to 1st]
Refer a friend and get a free DraftKings Sportsbook bet up to $100! Head to the DraftKings Playbook Promo page for more details!
Place your MLB bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.