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We head into the weekend in Major League Baseball with 15 games on the schedule. It’s a loaded slate with plenty of big-time pitching matchups, fantasy baseball spot to take advantage of, and rookies to keep an eye on. Let’s get into some of that for Friday, April 16.
Best Games To Watch
Update: The game between the Red Sox and White Sox has been postponed due to weather at Fenway Park.
The matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox is intriguing. Nobody thought the Red Sox would compete this season and they’re in first place in the AL East at 9-4 early on. Boston’s offense has been clicking and it’ll be exciting to see so many big bats in one ballpark. JD Martinez is an early candidate for AL MVP despite his odds still at 33/1 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Martinez has cooled off but is still batting .378 with 5 HRs and 16 RBI through 11 games. The White Sox have Yermin Mercedes, who has come out of nowhere to take control of AL ROTY. He’s batting around .500 with a 1.307 OPS and 33 total bases so far for the ChiSox.
Fantasy Spotlight
Justin Turner ($5,200) is on one of those hot streaks we’ve seen happen throughout the years. Turner has started the season with 7 multi-hit games in 11 contests and is averaging 14.1 fantasy points per game. He’s reached at least his average in 4 of the past 5 games for the Dodgers, who take on the San Diego Padres on Friday night. Ryan Weathers is on the hill for the Pads and may not last long if Turner can stay hot.
Rookies to Watch
The White Sox seem to have a stable of rookies in Mercedes, Andrew Vaughn and Nick Madrigal, who is the guy we’ll focus on here. Madrigal is up to a .282 batting average this season and has hits in 7 of 12 games in 2021. He isn’t exactly hitting for power but is getting on base and crossing the plate often. If the rest of the White Sox bats, Madrigal could end up moving up in the order, though the 9-hole isn’t a bad spot with the top of the order on the swing around if he gets on.
MLB Betting Splits, April 16
| Teams | Run Line | % Handle | % Bets | Total Runs | % Handle | % Bets | Moneyline | % Handle | % Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | Run Line | % Handle | % Bets | Total Runs | % Handle | % Bets | Moneyline | % Handle | % Bets |
| ARI Diamondbacks | +1.5 | 20% | 19% | Over 8.5 | 21% | 52% | +165 | 24% | 28% |
| WAS Nationals | -1.5 | 80% | 81% | Under 8.5 | 79% | 48% | -200 | 76% | 72% |
| STL Cardinals | +1.5 | 12% | 33% | Over 8.5 | 20% | 64% | +125 | 42% | 48% |
| PHI Phillies | -1.5 | 88% | 67% | Under 8.5 | 80% | 36% | -148 | 58% | 52% |
| CHI White Sox | +1.5 | 40% | 30% | Over 9.0 | 75% | 70% | +100 | 35% | 57% |
| BOS Red Sox | -1.5 | 60% | 70% | Under 9.0 | 25% | 30% | -115 | 65% | 43% |
| CLE Indians | +1.5 | 49% | 33% | Over 9.0 | 22% | 49% | +107 | 35% | 34% |
| CIN Reds | -1.5 | 51% | 67% | Under 9.0 | 78% | 51% | -124 | 65% | 66% |
| SF Giants | -1.5 | 71% | 56% | Over 8.5 | 27% | 39% | -136 | 55% | 45% |
| MIA Marlins | +1.5 | 29% | 44% | Under 8.5 | 73% | 61% | +116 | 45% | 55% |
| BAL Orioles | +1.5 | 46% | 38% | Over 8.5 | 64% | 74% | 0 | 0% | 0% |
| TEX Rangers | -1.5 | 54% | 62% | Under 8.5 | 36% | 26% | 0 | 0% | 0% |
| PIT Pirates | +1.5 | 19% | 16% | Over 8.5 | 18% | 53% | +130 | 40% | 34% |
| MIL Brewers | -1.5 | 81% | 84% | Under 8.5 | 82% | 47% | -152 | 60% | 66% |
| TOR Blue Jays | -1.5 | 60% | 68% | Over 8.0 | 48% | 68% | -118 | 50% | 50% |
| KC Royals | +1.5 | 40% | 32% | Under 8.0 | 52% | 32% | +100 | 50% | 50% |
| NY Mets | -1.5 | 96% | 71% | Over 9.5 | 16% | 40% | -315 | 51% | 73% |
| COL Rockies | +1.5 | 4% | 29% | Under 9.5 | 84% | 60% | +260 | 49% | 27% |
| MIN Twins | +1.5 | 85% | 46% | Over 8.5 | 33% | 71% | +118 | 93% | 63% |
| LA Angels | -1.5 | 15% | 54% | Under 8.5 | 67% | 29% | -137 | 7% | 37% |
| DET Tigers | +1.5 | 6% | 19% | Over 8.5 | 43% | 78% | +160 | 48% | 43% |
| OAK Athletics | -1.5 | 94% | 81% | Under 8.5 | 57% | 22% | -195 | 52% | 57% |
| HOU Astros | -1.5 | 68% | 62% | Over 8.0 | 73% | 66% | -117 | 49% | 50% |
| SEA Mariners | +1.5 | 32% | 38% | Under 8.0 | 27% | 34% | -103 | 51% | 50% |
| LA Dodgers | -1.5 | 90% | 81% | Over 8.0 | 61% | 72% | -150 | 78% | 69% |
| SD Padres | +1.5 | 10% | 19% | Under 8.0 | 39% | 28% | +125 | 22% | 31% |
MLB regular season schedule for Friday, April 16th
If no streaming option is listed, game is available on MLB.tv pending blackout restrictions.
Update: The game between the Mets and Rockies in Colorado has been postponed due to weather. Red Sox-White Sox has also been postponed. The Blue Jays-Royals game has been postponed.
Braves vs. Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET
Diamondbacks vs. Nationals, 7:05 p.m. ET
Cardinals vs. Phillies, 7:05 p.m. ET
Rays vs. Yankees, 7:05 p.m. ETWhite Sox vs. Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. ET
Indians vs. Reds, 7:10 p.m. ET
Giants vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m. ET
Orioles vs. Rangers, 8:05 p.m. ET
Pirates vs. Brewers, 8:10 p.m. ETBlue Jays vs. Royals, 8:10 p.m. ETMets vs. Rockies, 8:40 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Twins vs. Angels, 9:38 p.m. ET
Tigers vs. Athletics, 9:40 p.m. ET
Astros vs. Mariners, 10:10 p.m. ET
Dodgers vs. Padres, 10:10 p.m. ET
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