Counting on Quality: Best MLB Quality Start Picks for August 30 (Back Gallen, Snell)
The dog days of summer have set in and we are on the cusp of September baseball as we look forward to the last month of the regular season.
One thing we can all agree on is backing the Seattle Mariners should be forbidden, at least for me and if you see the Mariners picked in this space you know something is not right.
While we aren't falling for the Mariners again, we are headed to that side of the country for two late-night games for today's Counting on Quality picks.
All odds listed via DraftKings Sportsbook
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction and Pick
There was a time when you looked at the probable pitchers and saw Clayton Kershaw's name for the Dodgers you could pencil in a win. That time is not now as the 2024 version of Kershaw is not what we've grown accustomed to.
Kershaw is 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.41 WHIP on the season and at 36 years old, looks to be winding down his Hall of Fame career and dealing with injuries.
After a couple of promising starts, he was knocked around by the Rays and now he faces one of the hottest and most talented offenses in the game.
Kershaw, with one quality start in six outings, faces Zac Gallen, who has 10 quality starts in 22 outings on the season.
It's been an uneven season for Gallen and the Dodgers did get to him for 3 runs in mid-July over just four innings.
While I do think Arizona has the advantage in the starting pitching, this is also about the extended run the Diamondbacks are on (MLB best 27-10 since All-Star Game), location of the game (Diamondbacks are 38-28 at home), and offense (Arizona leads MLB with 714 runs scored).
All that and I get Arizona at a plus number in the opener of a huge series for both teams.
PICK: Diamondbacks Money Line +114
Miami Marlins vs San Francisco Giants
The Giants are also 38-28 at home, where this game is being played, but San Francisco has a huge advantage on the mound where Blake Snell is taking on Adam Oller.
Snell walked six in his last outing against the Mariners, but prior to that had seven consecutive quality starts, including a no-hitter on August 2.
Oller is a journeyman-type pitcher making his third start for the Marlins and neither of his first two resulted in a quality start.
The Marlins are coming off a series win against the Rockies, but are just 4-10 in their last 14 and are 24-41 on the road.
The pitching matchup is large that we have to go to the run line on this one.
PICK: Giants Run Line -1.5 -115
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.