Top MLB Picks and Predictions Today (Mariners Upset, Believe in Yankees, Cubs, Angels on Tuesday)
Doubleheaders and day baseball on a Tuesday calls for celebration, and it also calls for plenty of wagers to be placed on the day's action.
Over at BetSided, we have you covered with odds, picks and predictions for every game on May 17, and here are some of our team's favorites, with all odds via WynnBET:
Los Angeles Angels vs. Texas Rangers Prediction and Pick
Taylor Hearn's ERA looks concerning, but there is some cause for optimism long term for the southpaw. He has a 5.26 ERA, but his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) is more than a run lower at 4.11. He is a power pitcher that is striking out more than 10 batters per 9 innings, but he when he can't find a punch out he is allowing a ton of hard contact.
He is yielding more than 10 hits per 9 innings, and is posting a WHIP (walks, hits per inning pitched) of 1.636.
This can be problematic against an Angels team that rakes against lefties. The team is top five against in on-base percentage against left handed pitching this season. Trout is destroying lefties this season, hitting .370 this season. With so much talent in the lineup I want to get in on the Angels offense in a hitter friendly park of Globe Life Park, but avoid betting a tax on Detmers off a no hitter.
LEAN: Angels Team Total 4.5 (+100) -- Reed Wallach
You can find all of Reed's bets HERE!
Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays Prediction and Pick
There's no doubt that the Blue Jays are the more talented team, but their bats have largely run cold lately, and now they face a major disadvantage at pitcher when they take on the Mariners today.
In the month of May, the Jays rank 26th in batting average (.214) and 27th in OPS (.611). That bodes well for Logan Gilbert, who has been on fire to start the 2022 campaign. Things get worse when you look at Jose Berrios' numbers. He's given up a combined 11 earned runs in his last two starts, and he has a season-long WHIP of 1.559.
Given the pitching matchup, and the Jays cold offense, I'll back the Mariners as underdogs in this spot.
Pick: Mariners +133 -- Iain MacMillan
You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction and Pick
The Pirates' offense is a sinking ship. They have six runs in their last five games...total. Chicago scored nine yesterday, so the Cubs quite literally outproduced Pittsburgh's entire week of work with room to spare in just a couple of hours.
Things won't get easier against Keegan Thompson today. He ranks in the 85th percentile in average exit velocity and 86th percentile in expected ERA and is backed up by the National League's second-best bullpen. Last month, Thompson stifled the Pirates' lineup in four scoreless innings while striking out four.
I expect a similar performance from him today, but I also expect JT Brubaker to have success against Chicago's offense. He has a 2.77 ERA in six appearances against the Cubs and is in the 72nd percentile in expected ERA.
Chicago is 28th in OPS in May and should take a step back after yesterday's explosion. As a result, I love the under in this matchup. It's 1-5-1 when the Cubs are favored this year and 9-15-3 when the Pirates are underdogs. With this pitching matchup and struggling lineups, we should see those trends continue.
But I can't ignore the value on the Cubs either. They've covered the run line in seven straight and should scratch enough runs on the board to make it eight straight. Give me Chicago in a narrow victory somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-1.
Pick: Cubs -1.5 (+160) and Under 7.5 (-115) -- Joe Summers
Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles Prediction and Pick
I’ve been saying this on just about every show for BetSided, including yesterday’s Daily Betslip, that you have to back this Yankees team while it is still hot.
Jameson Taillon is 3-1 on the season with a 2.93 ERA, and I don’t think he will have much trouble with an Orioles team that ranks 23rd in OPS and 29th in runs scored this season.
The Yankees’ bats have been on fire, and they were able to give Aaron Judge a day off on Monday and still win by scoring six runs.
The Yankees have covered in 20 of their 35 games this season, and they’ve been even better over the past week, going 5-2 on the run line.
I don’t see Baltimore mustering the offense to stay in this game, especially with Spenser Watkins on the mound.
Lean: Yankees -1.5 (-125) -- Peter Dewey
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.