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Welcome back RotoBallers! On Friday, May 24th, we see a huge 15 game MLB slate. The day starts with a 2:20 PM game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, and ends with a 10:15 PM game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants.
In this article, we will dive into the numbers and pick out my top recommended betting picks for today's slate. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter @Roto_Nate if you have any questions.
So without any further delay, below are my picks for Friday, May 24th. Good luck!
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San Diego Padres (-120) @ Toronto Blue Jays | O/U: 8.5
Both of these teams are 4-6 in their last ten, but the Padres seem to be breaking out, winning three in a row against the Diamondbacks. The Blue Jays lost three of four to the Red Sox and have been looking terrible despite a breakout offensive game on Tuesday. The Blue Jays haven't looked good at home, only managing an 8-16 record at home while the Padres have gone 12-10 on the road. I'm guessing the odds are lower due to the possible jet lag the Padres will be experiencing after the cross-continent travel, but I feel the talent should outweigh that problem today. If jetlag is a worry for you, by all means, stay away. However, I will be all over the Padres.
My Pick: Padres (-120)
Cincinnati Reds @ Chicago Cubs (-155) | O/U: 8.5
This is one of those picks that seems too easy, which is something that scares me, but I will be locking it in regardless. The Cubs are 17-8 at home while the Reds are 10-16 on the road. The Reds are sending Anthony DeSclafani to the mound, who has allowed 11 earned runs over his past three starts. Kyle Hendricks is the counter for the Cubs, allowing one or fewer runs in three of his last four starts, including a start against the Reds 10 days ago when he allowed one earned run over eight innings of work. I'm backing the Cubs to win big at Wrigley today.
My Pick: Cubs -1.5 (+135)
Boston Red Sox (-146) @ Houston Astros | O/U: 8.5
If last weeks series between these two teams is any indication, a Chris Sale game is the only time when the Astros will be underdogs over this weekend set. I think they are giving Sale too much credit in this matchup, as the Astros are the best team against left-handed pitching in the league with a .382 wOBA. The Astros are also 7-3 over their last ten games and 18-6 at home.
My Pick: Astros (+135)
Texas Rangers @ Los Angeles (-158) | O/U: 9
As much as I hate to back a team that has Drew Smyly taking the mound, I will hope that he can give us four or five good innings and then make way for the bullpen. This is a possibility as the Angels are one of the worst teams in the league against left-handed pitching with a .285 wOBA. On the other hand, the Rangers are the second-best team against right-handed pitching with a .355 wOBA so they should be able to get to Griffin Canning tonight. The Rangers are 7-3 in their last 10, while the Angels are 3-7. The odds are too good for me not to take a chance on the red-hot Rangers.
My Pick: Rangers (+148)
Chicago White Sox @ Minnesota Twins (-210) | O/U: 9
The Twins have racked up 67 runs over their past seven games, and they face Reynaldo Lopez and his 5.14 ERA today. I think they could cover the over by themselves today, but Jose Berrios has also allowed nine runs over his last two starts, so the White Sox should contribute some runs as well. I can't believe we can get this number at 9 with the way the Twins have been tearing the cover off of the ball and Berrios' recent form. One worry is that Lopez has been doing well recently, but he did that in starts against the Jays and Indians, who are two of the worst hitting teams in the league so far this season.
My Pick: Over 9
