Happy Friday, sports betting family! Thursday was good for us on the MLB side of things. We went 3-1 to run our record to 112-106 on the season. Two of our three strikeout props got us to the cashout window, and our full game under on the Phillies vs. Marlins was a no-sweat winner.
We're sitting at 5-5 this week, so let's go 2-1 or better today to finish off things in the black. Check out our two strikeout props and top parlay for June 20th below. Best of luck with all your weekend MLB action.
TEX at PIT- 6:40 PM EDT and BAL at NYY - 7:05 PM EDT
It's pretty cool to see Jake deGrom back in action and looking like his old dominant self for the Rangers. The veteran righty has his K-rate back into the 70th percentile, and his chase rate is elite (89th percentile), mainly thanks to his filthy slider. He's also averaging over 97 mph with his fastball.
deGrom draws an easy matchup today on the road against the Pirates, who are coming off a grueling doubleheader yesterday against the Tigers. He's hit 6 Ks or more in 10 of his 14 starts this season. Six Pittsburgh players strike out at least 23% of the time, so look for deGrom to cruise.
Max Fried is the model of consistency, and as a Braves fan, I'm still salty that we didn't re-sign him. The new Yanks lefty always seems to pitch deep into games, and I love how he matches up against this free-swinging Baltimore lineup.
The Orioles are hitting better, but they're still striking out quite often. Balty has the 8th-highest K-rate against lefties this season, and Fried has a career strikeout rate of 25% against this squad. Getting 5 Ks here shouldn't be a problem.
SEA at CHC - 2:20 PM EDT
Boyd has struggled to generate swings and misses over his last couple of starts, but I think this is a great opportunity to buy the dip on him. The Cubs lefty has an okay K-rate, but what I really love about him is his chase rate, which ranks in the 72nd percentile. I could see Boyd terrorizing this Seattle lineup with his slider and sinker.
Speaking of the Mariners, they've struggled against left-handers for a good portion of the season. The squad has the 7th-highest K-rate in baseball against southpaws, so Boyd should have more opportunities to rack up Ks.
Even with his back-to-back subpar outings, Boyd has still gone over this total in 6 of his last 9 games. Give me an Over for some early action to kick off this weekend.
HOU at LAA - 9:38 PM EDT
This is my favorite play on the Friday board, and with good reason. Hunter Brown is one of the best right-handers in the game, and he draws an ideal matchup against the Angels. LAA hits a lot of homers, but they also swing and miss at a high level.
The Halos strike out more than any other MLB team, and they have the 2nd-highest K-rate in baseball over the last 14 days. Seven Angels hitters have strikeout rates of 24.8% or higher so far this year. Brown shouldn't have any trouble finding us 7 Ks.
Brown hits 97 mph with his 4-seamer, but he has six different pitches in his arsenal. I love his sinker and his curve, but hitters also have to be aware of his sneaky-good changeup. Give me a late-night Over to close out our fabulous Friday card.