Best MLB Parlay Picks Today
Los Angeles Angels vs. Detroit Tigers
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park in Detroit
Keep It Up, Shohei
Angel starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani has performed superbly on the mound really this entire season.
While season-long numbers can sometimes belie current form, this is not the case for Ohtani. He is pitching as well as ever right now.
Ohtani, in each of his last five games, has allowed two earned runs or fewer.
He is pitching strongly despite facing a lot of tough competition like Toronto and Boston lineups which rank top-six in runs per game.
Scary Skubal
Tiger starting pitcher Tarik Skubal is a lefty.
If you're not up to speed, you would want to load up on the Angels.
But the Angels have cooled off majorly against left-handed starting pitchers.
In their last five games against left-handed starters, they exceeded three runs twice.
One of those exceptions required extra-innings: L.A. scored two of its four runs in that game in the 10th inning.
As for Skubal, he shares Ohtani's currently strong form.
Skubal has allowed zero runs against both of his last two opponents -- zero against Boston then zero against Baltimore.
He also matches up well against Angel hitters.
Against the four pitches that he throws more than 10 percent of the time from lefty pitchers, L.A. ranks 22nd in slugging.
Houstron Astros vs. Kansas City Royals
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 8:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Zack Greinke's Poor Form
Astro starter Zack Greinke hasn't been a good performer for a while now.
He's yielded an FIP (like ERA, but factors out fielding) over 4.50 in eight of his last nine starts and 10 of his last 12.
Greinke vs. Royal Batters
Several Royal batters have produced very promising numbers against Greinke.
Three of them own a slugging rate of .500 or higher in at least five at-bats in their career against Greinke.
Look out for Salvador Perez, for example, who belted his 30th homer of the season a few days ago.
Perez is 2-for-6 (.500) with a double and a homer in his career facing Greinke.
Overall, in 47 at-bats, Kansas City players are hitting .340 and slugging .617 with Greinke on the mound.
Brady Singer's Bad Shape
Royal starter Brady Singer has been awful for a while.
To be fair, it's not so much his fault as it is his body's health.
He hit the IL with a shoulder injury. While he got to have some rehab starts, he did not look sharp in them.
Most recently, in his one start after the All-Star Break, he surrendered five runs, 10 hits, and three walks in 3.2 innings.
In this last start of his, he hardly missed any bats.
Maybe his shoulder is still bothering him. Whether it is or isn't, he's undeniably unsharp as he continues to show awful form.
Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 8:10 p.m. ET at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago
Cole Irvin
Oakland starter Cole Irvin finally gets to face again a team that isn't in his division.
When Irvin starts against another AL West team, Oakland is 4-9.
When he starts against all other teams, the A's are 7-3.
All of those losses came early in the season and were not so much Irvin's fault as the fault of his team's lineup for giving him minimal run support.
Variety Act
Irvin is known for ably employing a variety of secondary pitches.
His favorite pitch is his fastball. In a given game, his second-favorite pitch might be his sinker or maybe his change-up or maybe his slider.
He doesn't throw any of those pitches with more than 41 percent frequency and he throws all four of those pitches over 14 percent of the time.
Irvin matches up well against a White Sox lineup that ranks outside the top 10 against Irvin's four favorite pitches from lefties.
Chicago performs much worse against those pitches at home is performing worse against them most recently.
Lance Lynn vs. Athletic Batters
White Sox starter Lance Lynn is in a tough spot today.
Lynn faces an Athletic lineup that, collectively, hits .287 and slugs .493 in 150 career at-bats against him.
Five different Oakland batters slug over .500 in at least 10 lifetime at-bats against Lynn. .
Look out, for example, for Mark Canha. Canha is 7-for-15 (.467) with two doubles in his career facing Lynn.
One should expect these strong numbers from Oakland batters because they rank eighth in slugging against Lynn's two favorite pitches -- the fastball and cutter -- from righties combined.
The Verdict
Expect a low-scoring game between in-form Ohtani and Skubal in Detroit and a high-scoring game between lackluster Greinke and unsharp Singer in Kansas City. Lastly, the A's will have the White Sox on upset alert.
For the above reasons, play the first-half under between the Angels and Tigers, the first-half over between Houston and Kansas City, and the A's first-half run-line.
The Verdict: Parlay Angels/Tigers First-Half Under 4.5 at -120, Astros/Royals First-Half Over 5 at -120, Athletics First-Half RL at +110 at +606 odds with Bovada
Los Angeles Angels vs. Detroit Tigers
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park in Detroit
Keep It Up, Shohei
Angel starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani has performed superbly on the mound really this entire season.
While season-long numbers can sometimes belie current form, this is not the case for Ohtani. He is pitching as well as ever right now.
Ohtani, in each of his last five games, has allowed two earned runs or fewer.
He is pitching strongly despite facing a lot of tough competition like Toronto and Boston lineups which rank top-six in runs per game.
Scary Skubal
Tiger starting pitcher Tarik Skubal is a lefty.
If you're not up to speed, you would want to load up on the Angels.
But the Angels have cooled off majorly against left-handed starting pitchers.
In their last five games against left-handed starters, they exceeded three runs twice.
One of those exceptions required extra-innings: L.A. scored two of its four runs in that game in the 10th inning.
As for Skubal, he shares Ohtani's currently strong form.
Skubal has allowed zero runs against both of his last two opponents -- zero against Boston then zero against Baltimore.
He also matches up well against Angel hitters.
Against the four pitches that he throws more than 10 percent of the time from lefty pitchers, L.A. ranks 22nd in slugging.
Houstron Astros vs. Kansas City Royals
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 8:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Zack Greinke's Poor Form
Astro starter Zack Greinke hasn't been a good performer for a while now.
He's yielded an FIP (like ERA, but factors out fielding) over 4.50 in eight of his last nine starts and 10 of his last 12.
Greinke vs. Royal Batters
Several Royal batters have produced very promising numbers against Greinke.
Three of them own a slugging rate of .500 or higher in at least five at-bats in their career against Greinke.
Look out for Salvador Perez, for example, who belted his 30th homer of the season a few days ago.
Perez is 2-for-6 (.500) with a double and a homer in his career facing Greinke.
Overall, in 47 at-bats, Kansas City players are hitting .340 and slugging .617 with Greinke on the mound.
Brady Singer's Bad Shape
Royal starter Brady Singer has been awful for a while.
To be fair, it's not so much his fault as it is his body's health.
He hit the IL with a shoulder injury. While he got to have some rehab starts, he did not look sharp in them.
Most recently, in his one start after the All-Star Break, he surrendered five runs, 10 hits, and three walks in 3.2 innings.
In this last start of his, he hardly missed any bats.
Maybe his shoulder is still bothering him. Whether it is or isn't, he's undeniably unsharp as he continues to show awful form.
Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 8:10 p.m. ET at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago
Cole Irvin
Oakland starter Cole Irvin finally gets to face again a team that isn't in his division.
When Irvin starts against another AL West team, Oakland is 4-9.
When he starts against all other teams, the A's are 7-3.
All of those losses came early in the season and were not so much Irvin's fault as the fault of his team's lineup for giving him minimal run support.
Variety Act
Irvin is known for ably employing a variety of secondary pitches.
His favorite pitch is his fastball. In a given game, his second-favorite pitch might be his sinker or maybe his change-up or maybe his slider.
He doesn't throw any of those pitches with more than 41 percent frequency and he throws all four of those pitches over 14 percent of the time.
Irvin matches up well against a White Sox lineup that ranks outside the top 10 against Irvin's four favorite pitches from lefties.
Chicago performs much worse against those pitches at home is performing worse against them most recently.
Lance Lynn vs. Athletic Batters
White Sox starter Lance Lynn is in a tough spot today.
Lynn faces an Athletic lineup that, collectively, hits .287 and slugs .493 in 150 career at-bats against him.
Five different Oakland batters slug over .500 in at least 10 lifetime at-bats against Lynn. .
Look out, for example, for Mark Canha. Canha is 7-for-15 (.467) with two doubles in his career facing Lynn.
One should expect these strong numbers from Oakland batters because they rank eighth in slugging against Lynn's two favorite pitches -- the fastball and cutter -- from righties combined.
The Verdict
Expect a low-scoring game between in-form Ohtani and Skubal in Detroit and a high-scoring game between lackluster Greinke and unsharp Singer in Kansas City. Lastly, the A's will have the White Sox on upset alert.
For the above reasons, play the first-half under between the Angels and Tigers, the first-half over between Houston and Kansas City, and the A's first-half run-line.
The Verdict: Parlay Angels/Tigers First-Half Under 4.5 at -120, Astros/Royals First-Half Over 5 at -120, Athletics First-Half RL at +110 at +606 odds with Bovada
