Best MLB Parlay Picks Today (Braves, Pirates, Marlins Among Top Plays)

I went against my better judgement yesterday and added the Cardinals (+155) to the parlay. Yeah, they probably won't win, but look at how much the odds jump if they do!

Lo and behold, St. Louis lost and kept us from a gnarly parlay cash. My greed got in the way, and I'll do my best to not let it interfere with our dollars again. After all, greed gets you nowhere except the LIV Tour.

There's 15 MLB games on today's slate and I'm ready to roll. Using the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook, here are my favorite MLB parlay picks of the day:

Best MLB Parlay Picks Today

Dodgers vs Reds Under 9.5 (-120)

Unless the clubs plan to have imposters pretending to be Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Mahle starting, I don't understand why this total is so high. Gonsolin has MLB's lowest ERA (1.42) and has given up just one run in three June starts. The under has hit in five straight games he's pitched and his advanced numbers support the eye test. Simply put, Gonsolin is one of the league's best pitchers.

He'll take on one of the league's most unlucky pitchers in Mahle. The 27-year-old's 3.23 expected ERA is much lower than his actual ERA (4.46) and we've seen him start to positively regress in recent weeks. Mahle has a 1.71 ERA in June and just threw a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts against Arizona.

The under is 7-1-1 in the Dodgers' last nine games as road favorites and hit in three of the Reds' last four as home underdogs. With these pitchers on the mound, the total should be closer to eight, so we're getting tremendous value to kick off today's parlay.

Marlins (-127) vs Rockies

The Marlins have won six straight as home favorites and they've got advantages across the board against Colorado today. We're catching a good number on Miami as it just lost three of four to the Mets while the Rockies swept San Diego, but that just means we'll pounce on the value.

Daniel Castano makes his second start of the year after shutting out the Phillies over six innings last week. He pitched well in the minors this year and has an advantage over Ryan Feltner, who has a 7.00 ERA in June as the Rockies are 1-4 in his five starts.

Miami has the better defense, bullpen, and lineup. Look for the home squad to push Colorado to 6-17 over their last 23 as road underdogs.

Braves First Five Innings (-165) vs Giants

It's Spencer Strider day! After I fell in love with the 23-year-old Atlanta rookie last week I've been counting down the days until his next start. The guy is unbelievable. He's got a 1.76 ERA in three June starts and struck out 11 Nationals batters while only allowing one hit in his last start. His 38.6% strikeout rate is obscene and he should make quick work of a Giants lineup that ranks 21st in OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last two weeks.

Look at that strut! His slider and changeup both have whiff rates over 50%, so half of the time hitters swing they're missing, and he can paint corners with his 100 MPH fastball like some sort of mustachioed wizard.

Anthony DeSclafani has a 6.08 ERA in three starts since his return to the Giants rotation and the Braves lead MLB in OPS over the last two weeks. Roll with the Braves to dominate the first five innings behind another sparkling performance from my new favorite human, Mr. Spencer Strider.

Pirates (-148) vs Cubs

The Cubs have lost five straight as road underdogs by a combined score of 45-10. No, seriously. Forty-five to ten! Pirates rookie starter Roansy Contreras hasn't allowed a run at home yet this season and has showcased tremendous strikeout ability, ranking in the 92nd percentile in chase rate among all MLB pitchers.

The guy's slider is nasty, and the Cubs strikeout at one of the highest rates in MLB. Chicago is 2-12 over their last 14 and I don't have confidence in their pitcher today, Matt Swarmer. The 28-year-old righty surrendered 10 runs over his last two outings and issued five walks last week.

He's in the first percentile in expected slugging percentage and barrel percentage, so not only does Swarmer walk too many batters, but he gives up tons of hard contact too. Look for the Pirates to win their third straight behind their flame-throwing youngster.

Cardinals vs Brewers Over 9.0 (-115)

These teams combined for only two runs yesterday, but I expect the bats to get going with Jack Flaherty taking on Chi Chi Gonzalez. Flaherty looked rusty in his first start back from injury and only lasted three innings, putting pressure on a mediocre Cardinals bullpen. He wasn't all that impressive in 2021 before his injury either, and the over is 7-2 in his last nine starts as a result.

Meanwhile, seeing Chi Chi Gonzalez start is like seeing a giant green light saying "BET THE OVER!" He had a 7.71 ERA in two starts with Minnesota before being released and makes his first start with the Brewers today. Shield your eyes and don't look if there's kids around, but here's Gonzalez's MLB Statcast Pitching Profile from last season:

That's baaad. Dating back to last year, the over is 14-5 in his last 19 starts. Heaving winds are blowing out to centerfield today and both lineups rank in the top dozen in MLB in OPS over the last two weeks.

The over is 8-2 in the Cardinals' last 10 games and 7-2 in the Brewers' last nine as home underdogs. Trust the trends, trust the weather, and trust the woeful performances set to come from each starting pitcher.

Royals (+149) vs Angels

Okay, I lied. This one is greedy. So better beware, but regardless I love the value on the Royals tonight. The Angels have lost five straight behind Reid Detmers as their lineup is downright pathetic. They're 1-7 in their last eight as home favorites and I just can't get to this number against a Kansas City squad that's won four of five and three straight as road underdogs.

Jonathan Heasley has a 2.65 ERA in June and looks to have solved his command problem. He's been the Royals best pitcher over the last month, while Detmers just gave up four runs and issued three walks in 3.2 innings in his most recent start.

At +149, the Royals bring this parlay over the top. If you don't want to include them, that's understandable. But I'm letting greed win the day and swinging for the fences.

MLB Parlay for June 21, 2022

The "Greed Wins" Parlay (+3926)

• Dodgers vs Reds Under 9.5 (-120)

• Marlins (-127) vs Rockies

• Braves First Five Innings (-165) vs Giants

• Pirates (-148) vs Cubs

• Cardinals vs Brewers Over 9.0 (-115)

• Royals (+149) vs Angels

Bang, baaang! We've got a beautiful parlay indeed ready to win the day. At +3926 odds, a $25 bet profits $981.45!

It's obviously difficult to nail six picks in a parlay, so I encourage you to pick your favorites and utilize the BetSided team's previews to find the best wagers.

My three favorite plays on this are the Dodgers vs Reds Under 9.5, Braves First Five Innings (-165), and Pirates (-148). Putting those three together gives you +426 odds, or $106.57 on a $25 bet. Still a lovely cash!

Whatever you choose on your bet slip at WynnBET, best of luck. Let's get after it baby!

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.