Top MLB Picks and Predictions Today (Rays Upset Yankees, Back Blue Jays and Two Totals to Play Wednesday)
We've got a little afternoon baseball action on Wednesday, June 22, and the BetSided team is diving head first into each game to give you their best plays of the day.
Reed Wallach, Peter Dewey and Matt De Saro have previewed several games on the slate, and here are some of their best picks, with all odds via WynnBET:
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds Prediction and Pick
I know the Reds rank 29th in baseball in team ERA this season, but this seems like an ideal spot to take an UNDER.
Luis Castillo hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start all season long, and he’s starting to go deeper into games now in June after missing the start of the season due to injury. His opponent, Tyler Anderson, has been extremely solid as well in 2022.
The Dodgers youngster has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his 12 starts this season. In addition to that, the Dodgers have played to a total under 9.5 runs in eight of Anderson’s starts.
There’s always a chance the L.A. offense explodes, but over the last two weeks the Dodgers rank just 22nd in OPS and 27th in runs scored.
I’ll trust Castillo to keep the Reds afloat and bring this game UNDER on Wednesday.
Lean: UNDER 9.5 (-115) -- Peter Dewey
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago White Sox Prediction and Pick
Normally in a spot like this, Lucas Giolito’s name on the starting lineup would be a welcome sight. But Giolito has been progressively getting worse and worse as the season goes on. It’s to the point now where I almost expect him to land on the IL.
Giolito’s ERA in 2022 is 4.78, but his ERA in three starts this month is a massive 7.88. His season-long WHIP of 1.49 is also a big problem moving forward. Giolito surrendered eight earned runs on Friday in just five innings against the Astros. It was the fourth game in a row he gave up at least four runs. Now, in June, Giolito has 14 earned runs in 16 innings with five home runs and eight walks. Not good.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays’ starter Ross Stripling has been great this entire month. Over four appearances so far this month, Stripling’s ERA is 1.04 and he hasn't given up a single home run. One of those appearances was against the White Sox on June 1. Stripling held the white sox scoreless over 2 ⅔ innings with two strikeouts and zero walks.
After getting beat up by the Yankees over the weekend, the White Sox could be a good punching bag for the Jays to relieve some stress. Giolito has been playing the role of punching all month and I don’t see an end in sight.
Pick: Blue Jays -125 -- Matt De Saro
Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Prediction and Pick
Tampa Bay has struggled as it battles injuries to the likes of Wander Franco and now Manuel Margot, but it's hard not to be enamored with backing Baz as a home underdog. He is one of the most highly touted prospects in baseball despite a limited sample size in the big leagues. Baz showed his promise last time out, pitching six innings of shutout baseball against the Orioles.
Now, the Yankees are a significant step up in class, but I'm backing Baz against them. The Yankees offense is elite of course, but this month have been knocked off their perch of the best offense in baseball, placing fourth in wRC+ and 14th in batting average in June.
The Yanks will counter with Montgomery, who has put together a string of strong starts, allowing five runs over his last four starts that he has pitched into the sixth inning in all of them. However, the Rays have been decent against left handed pitching this year and I buy the upside of Baz as a home underdog.
It's never fun stepping in front of the Yankees, but I'll take a shot with a potential All-Star in the making in Baz.
LEAN: Rays ML +120 -- Reed Wallach
You can track all of Reed's plays on betstamp HERE!
Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics Prediction and Pick
Paul Blackburn had been one of the best pitchers to back in Major League Baseball through his first nine starts, as the A’s were 8-1 in those games.
He came back to earth with two straight games of allowing four earned runs in losses, but Blackburn was burned in a loss after pitching eight shutout innings against the Cleveland Guardians on June 10.
Oakland rebounded to win his last start against Boston, and Blackburn allowed just one run in 5.1 innings. He’s been one of the few bright spots for this team in 2022.
George Kirby is really starting to settle in for the Mariners, striking out 41 batters in 43 innings pitched and posting two or fewer earned runs in three of his last four starts.
Both of these offenses aren’t good, so I think the UNDER, even with this low total, is the play. If I had to back a side I’d take Oakland as an underdog since Blackburn is the superior starter, but I question if he will get enough run support anyway.
Lean(s): UNDER 7 (-105) | A’s ML (+121) -- Peter Dewey
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.