Three For Thursday – STLCards’ MLB Picks & Predictions (5/19/22)
Greetings, SAO readers! Each Thursday, I am going to bring you three of my favorite MLB bets for the day in a quick, easy to read article that we’ll call “Three For Thursday.”
We have a fun day of games on tap, so let’s see what today has in store for us!
Free MLB Betting Picks For Today
Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals Under 9.5 Runs
- Current Odds: -105 on BetMGM
We obviously have two underwhelming pitchers projected to start in this game, with Vince Velasquez going for the White Sox, and Carlos Hernandez for the Royals. Offense should be expected with those two pitchers on the mound. However, both of these offenses have been extremely disappointing so far in 2022. The White Sox rank 28th in team wOBA, while the Royals sit 27th. This is the fifth game of this series, and the first four have featured 8, 3, 3, and 8 total runs. Give me the under on a total that appears to be a run too high.
George Kirby Over 3.5 Strikeouts
I don’t dabble in the player prop game as much as some other bettors, but I have to get this one in today. Kirby is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, and everyone is still trying to get a feel for how he will perform at the MLB level. He looked dominant in his first start against the Rays, before struggling a bit against the Mets in his second outing. The strikeout stuff is there, though, as he struck out over ten batters per nine innings last year in the minors, and had struck out 32 batters in 24 ⅔ innings this year prior to his call up. The fact that this line is still at 3.5 is a steal, so grab it while you can. If you don’t like paying the juice, you can get over 4.5 on FanDuel at +138 right now.
Arizona Diamondbacks Moneyline
- Current Odds: -110 on DraftKings
It shocks me that this is basically an even line. Neither the Diamondbacks nor the Cubs have a good offense, so it’s going to come down to pitching. That is where Arizona has the edge. Ace Zac Gallen is finally healthy again and owns a sparkling 1.05 ERA through his first six starts. He struck out nine Cubs over six solid innings last weekend, allowing just one run in the process. Meanwhile, the Cubs have Marcus Stroman coming off the COVID list to pitch today, and we can expect some rust there. Give me the Diamondbacks to pick up a road win after a tough series against the loaded Dodgers.