Happy Saturday, baseball betting compadres! I hope your Friday treated you with lots of winning tickets. Welcome to Memorial Day Weekend in Major League Baseball. We'll be treated to some ferocious matchups like the Dodgers vs. Mets and the Padres vs. Braves.
I love betting on the opening lines for the next day's games as soon as they are posted, which is at about 2 PM Eastern Time the day prior. Other intriguing series that are going down this weekend include the Mariners vs. Astros and Cubs vs. Reds.
Check out our 2 MLB early picks for Saturday, May 24. Let's cash these, my friends. As always, make sure to select listed pitchers at whichever sportsbook you're playing these at (if that option is available). Best of luck!
SD at ATL - 4:10 PM EDT (King vs. Holmes)
The Padres aren't hitting the ball worth a dime right now, but I believe this is a great opportunity to buy them at a relatively low price. San Diego swept Atlanta to kick off the season, and that could give a bit of a confidence boost. I like Braves starter Grant Holmes, but he's still getting used to being a starter instead of coming out of the bullpen.
Holmes has a walk rate of almost 12%, and that could come back to bite him if this Pads lineup comes back from their deep sleep. He also tends to give up lots of hard contact, which could be an issue against Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Jackson Merrill and Gavin Sheets could also be a thorn in Holmes's side.
I've been really impressed so far with Michael King this season. The big righty has an expected batting average allowed of just .208, which puts him in the 85th percentile in MLB. The former Boston College standout is 4-2 with an incredibly low ERA of just 2.59. Let's play the Pads in what should be a fantastic afternoon baseball game.
LAD at NYM - 7:15 PM EDT (Gonsolin vs. Peterson)
The Mets have been a dominant ball club at home this season, but the Dodgers are still the best team in baseball for my money. LA leads MLB in WRC+ over the last couple of weeks, while New York ranks just 20th.
I'll take the lineup that's in better form at an underdog price almost every time. Also, this Dodgers squad has a very good history against Mets starter David Peterson. LA's roster has an expected batting average of .343 against the Mets' lefty, so they should put up plenty of runs.
For the Dodgers, Tony Gonsolin has looked pretty good so far through 4 starts after missing all of last season with an injury. The 31-year-old righty is 2-0 with an ERA of 4.05. While that number isn't earth-shattering, his K-rate of 28.6% is splendid.
In the end, I'll take the better overall team at the plus money price. There's no reason to overthink this matchup. Give me the Dodgers!