Top MLB Picks and Predictions Today (Back Rays, Giants, One Underdog on Memorial Day)
There's plenty of Major League Baseball action on Memorial Day, and the BetSided team is breaking down every game for you on May 30.
Here are some of the top predictions for today's action, with all odds via WynnBET:
Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics Prediction and Pick
It's a very special holiday today, indeed. That's right, it's Paul Blackburn day! Everyone's new favorite pitcher has been a revelation for Oakland and provided bettors with one of the best weekly values in the sport.
After Blackburn limited Seattle to just one hit over five scoreless innings last week, the Athletics are now 8-1 in his nine starts. Their only loss came in extra innings after a blown save, so Blackburn has put Oakland in a position to win in every single outing he's had.
If you bet $100 on the Athletics moneyline in all of Blackburn's starts, you'd be up $995.
I'm not fixing something that ain't broke, so I'll keep betting Oakland as long as they're big underdogs with Blackburn on the mound. Valdez is a difficult matchup, but the A's rank in the top-10 in OPS against left-handed pitchers this month and have been much better offensively than Houston lately.
There's something seriously wrong with the Astros lineup and I have no faith in them against Blackburn. And while there's tremendous value on the A's, there's also value on the under.
The under is 36-12 in Astros' games this season and 10-1 over their last 11. With two elite pitchers squaring off and questionable-at-best lineups, I expect that trend to continue. Give me Oakland in a low-scoring affair as two of the best MLB bets of the season keep rolling.
Pick: Athletics (+160) and Under 7 (+100) -- Joe Summers
Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers Prediction and Pick
The time to bet on the Rangers is when they face left-handed pitchers. Their offensive numbers across the board are much better against lefties this season. Unfortunately, they face a right-handed started today is Rasmussen.
The Rangers rank 26th in batting average (.226) and 27th in OPS (.637) against right-handed pitchers this season, while the Rays rank 21st and 20th in those two categories.
Rasmussen has allowed more than one run just once in his last six starts. I see no reason why his success won't continue tonight in Texas.
It's Rays or nothing for me.
Lean: Rays -135 -- Iain MacMillan
You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.
San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies Prediction and Pick
It's a bit of an unusual scenario in a fairly evenly matched game. The Giants are slight moneyline favorites on the road, yet they're underdogs on the run line at +1.5.
Ultimately, I side with the Giants in this toss-up matchup; as I trust Logan Webb to keep the ball down vs. a dangerous Phillies lineup oozing with power.
Webb's home run per nine innings (HR/9) rate is at the lowest of his career this year at 0.34. His ground ball rate remains one of the highest in the league at 59.1%, and has been excellent limiting damage. Furthermore, while his ERA of 3.54 is solid; his Fielder Independent Pitching (FIP) indicates he's actually been a tad bit unlucky, coming in at 3.02.
The same can be said of Gibson. His ERA is just under 4, but his FIP suggests it should be closer to 3.22.
With the pitching matchup being fairly even, the Giants are simply the better team with a better defense behind Webb. I think they're set up nicely for a series win, and I'll take them at a reasonable price on the moneyline.
LEAN: Giants ML (-108) -- Ben Heisler
Follow all of Ben Heisler's betting plays in real-time HERE.