Tracking MLB betting action for Saturday, July 17th

With San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Kevin Gausman being scratched from his start on Friday night, we only had one best bet to focus on. Toronto Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray was on the mound against the Texas Rangers. We opted to play Ray’s strikeouts prop, which was over 8.5 strikeouts (+100). But we got hit with a bad beat as Ray fell short, only recording 8 strikeouts in 6.2 IP.

However, that will not deter us from finding some more great plays on Saturday’s slate. Here we’re going to be tracking all the best MLB picks base on the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook for Saturday’s baseball action.

MLB picks for Saturday, July 17

Tylor Megill over 5.5 strikeouts (+120)

The Mets need a win on Saturday night after dropping 3 out of their last 4 games to the Pirates. New York will give the ball to 25-year-old pitcher Tylor Megill, who has been a shot in the arm for their starting rotation. Megill has a 3.50 ERA and 26 strikeouts in four starts this season.

Megill has gone over 5.5 strikeouts in 3 out of his last 4 outings, which includes his last start against Pittsburgh (7Ks in 3.2 IP). The 6-foot-7 starter will be making only his second start on the road in 2021. Megill’s first road start was on June 29 against the Braves, where he racked up 8 strikeouts in 5.0 IP. The Pirates’ offense does not strike out often at 8.11Ks per game this season, but it goes up to 8.31 strikeouts per game at PNC Park.

Yusei Kikuchi over 5.5 strikeouts (-105)

We have another strikeout prop for Saturday night’s slate that might be worth putting down a couple of dollars on. Starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi has pitched very well for the Mariners and is one of the reasons why they are six games over .500. The 30-year-old is 6-4 with an ERA of 3.48 through 16 starts. Kikuchi has gone over 5.5 strikeouts in 10 out of 16 starts this season, which includes his last 4 road starts. The Mariners’ starter is facing the Los Angeles Angels for the second time in a little over a month. In his first outing against the Angels, he had 8 strikeouts in 4.0 IP. At this price, back Kikuchi, who has been stellar on the road and is finding his groove on the mound.

Dodgers Team Total Runs over 6.5 (-135) vs. Rockies

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been on fire recently, winning three consecutive games and four out of their last five. In their last three games, the Dodgers are averaging an incredible 13 runs per game. I believe that the Dodgers’ offense should continue to roll against Rockies starter Kyle Freeland on Saturday night.

Freeland has struggled this season with a 1-3 record and 5.48 ERA in nine starts. In four starts at Coors Field, the 28-year-old’s ERA drops down to 4.58, but opponents are still slugging .321. Los Angeles is outscoring opponents by 33 runs in their last 10 games and have scored 6.5 runs or more in 4 out of 8 games against the Rockies.

It’s a different bet for us, but it is way more profitable than playing the run line or moneyline in this spot. Back the Dodgers to do their thing in Coors Field.

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