Best Bets: Picks, Predictions, Odds for Aug. 17
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Tuesday features a massive 16-game MLB slate. That includes a 15-game main slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET, which is what this piece will focus on.
Let’s break down some of my favorite wagers to target on DraftKings Sportsbook.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
This is a matchup between two of the best teams in the American League, and it will also feature two of the hottest pitchers in baseball.
The A’s will turn to Chris Bassitt, who has allowed just one earned run over his past three starts. He’s also racked up 21 strikeouts over 20 innings, so he’s in the midst of one of the best stretches of his career.
That said, those outings have all come against sub-par competition. He’s faced the Indians, Rangers, and Angels in his past three starts, and none of those teams will strike fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers. The Rangers rank dead last in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitchers over the past 14 days, while the Angels rank 28th and the Indians 19th. That means the White Sox will be a serious step up in competition, especially after getting Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert back in the lineup.
Reynaldo Lopez will start for the White Sox, and he has reinvented himself as an opener of late. He’s pitched between two and three innings in four of his past five appearances, and he hasn’t allowed a run in any of them. His advanced metrics in those appearances also suggest his performances haven’t been fluky. Lopez was once considered a big-time pitching prospect, so it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he’s finally started to put things together in his age-27 season. I’m happy to back the White Sox as small home underdogs in this matchup.
The Rockies are having a tough season. I’m still not sure why they decided to hold onto Trevor Story before the trade deadline, and they’re clearly just trying to make it through the end of the season.
However, they will have a pretty sizable pitching advantage in today’s contest. The Padres are so desperate for starting pitching that they took a chance on Jake Arrieta, who was released by the Cubs last week. Arrieta will get the start on Wednesday, but the team still hasn’t announced their plans for Tuesday’s contest. With Yu Darvish, Dinelson Lamet, and Chris Paddack all on the IL, they really don’t have a lot of options to turn to in the toughest pitcher’s park in the league.
Meanwhile, the Rockies will have German Marquez on the mound. Marquez has been excellent in Coors Field this season, pitching to a 3.05 ERA and a 3.08 FIP. The Padres’ lineup did recently get back the likely NL MVP in Fernando Tatis Jr., but they’ve been merely a league-average team against right-handed pitchers this season. I’m going to side with the Rockies in this spot.
The Mets are falling out of the race for the NL East crown quickly. They’re now 3.5 games behind the division-leading Braves after dropping four straight games. Things aren’t going to get any easier for the Mets either: their next nine games are against the Giants and Dodgers.
Luckily, they will have their “ace” on the mound in Marcus Stroman. Stroman is not like the typical 2021 pitcher – he’s averaged just 7.73 strikeouts per nine innings this season – but he has been effective. He’s pitched to a 2.78 ERA and a 3.45 FIP, so the Mets should have a chance to limit the Giants’ offense in this contest.
The Mets’ offense is still a huge question mark, but they did manage to score five runs in yesterday’s contest. If they can do that vs. Kevin Gausman, there’s no reason they can’t do it again against Logan Webb. Ultimately, this feels like the right time to buy low on a struggling squad.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mlamarca) and 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.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
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