Expert MLB best bets, picks and predictions today, 8/19 | Pickswise

If you like baseball, then today is the day for you. Instead of the normal 15-game slate on a Saturday, we are gifted with 18 games today. There are three doubleheaders along with an early start today in the Bronx between the Red Sox and Yankees, so let’s get into my MLB best bets for Saturday, and be sure to also visit our MLB predictions for all of today’s games!

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Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees F3 Innings Under 2.5 (-110)

Available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing

Baseball’s biggest rivalry continues today with Kutter Crawford on the mound for the Red Sox and Gerrit Cole opposing him for the Yankees. Let’s start with the obvious – the Yankees are wasting a Cy Young season from Cole. New York’s ace has a 2.76 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP in 25 starts and has been single-handedly holding the Yankees’ starting rotation together. Since the all-star break, Cole has limited hitters to a .181 batting average, .210 xBA and a phenomenal 29% strikeout rate. His biggest problem is going to be Raffy Devers, who has 10 hits against Cole, and 7 of them are home runs. But if he can avoid allowing Devers to do damage, he should be able to get through the first 3 innings without a score. New York’s ace has a 2.76 ERA and has held hitters to a .194 average and a 28.7% strikeout rate in innings 1-3.

Kutter Crawford has been a pleasant surprise for the Red Sox this season. Following a rocky start to the season in which he bounced around the bullpen and starting rotation, Crawford has found a permanent home in the rotation. The right-hander comes into this matchup with a 3.80 ERA and a 3.60 xERA in 90 innings, and this will be his first outing against the Yankees this season. Fortunately for Crawford, today’s game is in the Bronx and not Fenway. Boston’s young arm has struggled in front of the home fans this season with a 5.95 ERA and a .266 batting average allowed, but on the road, Crawford has a 2.13 ERA and has limited hitters to a .209 average. He’s also lucky in the fact that the Yankees have really struggled against right-handed pitching in August as they hold just an 83 wRC+ and a 25.5% strikeout rate. This game should feature much less scoring than in the series opener, so I’m focusing on the starting pitchers and taking the first 3 innings under.

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Tampa Bay Rays vs Los Angeles Angels: NRFI (-120)

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Tyler Glasnow is back, and so is his first inning dominance. Tampa Bay’s ace has made 13 starts this season and has accumulated a 3.01 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP and has limited hitters to a .223 xBA. Along with a slightly elevated hard-hit rate, Glasnow has posted a 34.2% strikeout rate while holding a walk rate below the MLB average. However, the area he has had the most success is the first inning. He has not allowed a first-inning run in 12 of his 13 starts and has held hitters to a .136 batting average, a .225 on-base percentage and a 43.2% strikeout rate. He’s been absolutely dominant in the first frame, and this afternoon he will take on an Angels lineup that is headlined by Shohei Ohtani. I’m obviously worried that Ohtani can ruin this bet with one swing of the bat, but if Glasnow can work around him, I like his chances of not allowing a run in the bottom half of the inning.

The Angels have a habit of calling up their prospects far earlier than any other team. Last night, the Angels called up Nolan Schanuel, who was their 1st-round pick from the 2023 Draft (yes, just over a month ago!). And before Schanuel, it was Chase Silseth. The right-hander was an 11th-round pick in the 2021 Draft and appeared in only 27 Minor League Games before being called up to the show. He struggled last season in his limited time in the Majors, but he’s been a completely different pitcher this season. In 41.1 innings, Silseth has a 3.27 ERA paired with a .221 xBA and a 26.7% strikeout rate. And more importantly for this bet, Silseth has allowed only 1 run in the first inning in 5 starts this season. The 23-year-old has held hitters to a .200 average with a 45% strikeout rate in the opening frame this season. Between Los Angeles’ young prospect and Tampa Bay’s ace, I’m expecting a scoreless first inning.

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