Baseball Picks: DraftKings Sportsbook MLB Pick’em Pool Predictions for August 14

Zach Thompson breaks down the MLB Pick ‘em Pool on DraftKings Sportsbook, which locks at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, August 14.

By Zach Thompson@ZT_Sports Aug 14, 2020, 6:52am PDT

Major League Baseball has a fun and busy Friday night cued up with 14 matchups scheduled. The only teams absent from the slate are the Cardinals (again) and the White Sox, whose game was postponed and made into a double-header on Saturday.

The 14 games on tap make up the 3-entry max $10 MLB Pick’em Pool on DraftKings Sportsbook that enables DraftKings users to compete for prizes. To participate in the pool, simply choose winners on the matchups offered by the contest. The paid pool is only open to users in New Jersey and New Hampshire. For more DraftKings Sportsbook pool action, check out DraftKings Sportsbook Pools and download the DK Sportsbook app.

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Tampa Bay Rays vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The Rays and Jays come into this AL East series in Buffalo both scoring a ton of runs. Toronto hit seven home runs and still lost in their most recent game Wednesday while the Rays just stomped the Red Sox in a four-game sweep at Fenway. When you add in that there have been 11 home runs in just two MLB games at Sahlen Field, we should definitely expect some fireworks in this one. Blue Jays starter Tanner Roark has had a pretty major velocity drop this season, so I don’t think he’ll be able to stop Tampa Bay from getting their eighth straight win.

Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees

The Yankees have Gerrit Cole on the mound who has dominated in this 3-0 start to the season with 26 strikeouts in 22 ¹⁄₃ innings. Boston is coming off that four-game sweep by the Rays and will start the series in the Bronx with a bullpen game. The Red Sox’ so-called rotation is a disaster and the team has sunk to the bottom of the AL East as a result. Cole should roll, and if he does, he could become just the sixth pitcher in MLB history to win 20 straight decisions.

Pick: New York Yankees

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New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies

The NL East also has some divisional matchups on tap including the Mets and Phillies meeting for the first time this season. The Phillies were just swept by the Orioles and will now have to take on Mets ace Jacob deGrom, who is 7-1 with a 2.23 ERA in his 15 career starts against Philadelphia. The Mets likely won’t have Jeff McNeil, who was injured crashing into the fence on Thursday, but they should still have enough to beat Spencer Howard, who will be making just his second MLB start and comes in 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA.

Pick: New York Mets

Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins

Believe it or not, this is actually the home opener for the Marlins, who have played two home games but both were at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Miami finally gets a home game after their COVID-19 adjusted schedule has seen them go an impressive 8-4, which is good enough for first place in the NL East. They have a one-game lead over the Braves, who are 11-9 in their 20 games this season. Atlanta will try to tie the Marlins atop the division but will give the ball to Kyle Wright (0-2, 6.75 ERA), who has done little to inspire confidence. He’ll be opposed by Pablo López (1-1, 1.80 ERA), who has done very well this season. He has also held his own against the Braves in the past, posting a 3.54 ERA in five starts against them but getting little run support, leading to a 0-3 record. In what has been a weird season, the weirdest oddity may be that the Marlins are in first place, and I think they’ll stay there with a win on Friday night in their long-awaited home opener.

Pick: Miami Marlins

Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers were off to a strong start to the season and were getting nice production from some of their free agent pickups before suffering a major loss on Monday when C.J. Cron (knee) was injured trying to field the ball and could miss the rest of the season. They’ll have to patch together a lineup until his return and dropped their two games after the injury. They’ll hope to get back on track by giving the ball to veteran righty Ivan Nova (1-0, 5.74 ERA) to start their home series against Cleveland. Cleveland will counter with Aaron Civale (1-2, 2.84 ERA), who has been very good but gotten little run support. That should change Friday, though, since Nova has been very hittable. With a better lineup and the better starter, I’ll go with Cleveland in this one.

Pick: Cleveland

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds

The Pirates had the first part of the week off and came out swinging in their first game back against the Reds, putting up nine runs in the first two innings and holding on for a 9-6 win. They’ll take on Reds ace Sonny Gray as they go for their first wins in consecutive games this season. However, the Reds will look to Gray to help turn things around as they take on Chad Kuhl, who looked solid in his first start of the year, although he may not be fully stretched out since he started the year as a reliever. This one is one of the closer matchups on the board, but I’ll go with Gray and the home team.

Pick: Cincinnati Reds

Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles

These two teams will actually finish a suspended game on Friday afternoon before this contest, which could impact the pitching matchups and bullpen availability for both teams. Stephen Strasburg (0-0, 10.38 ERA) is expected to start for Washington while the Orioles could go with Tommy Milone (1-1, 3.21 ERA). Strasburg’s ugly ERA is a result of his one start this season, when he allowed five runs on seven hints in 4 ¹⁄₃ innings against the Orioles last Sunday. It’s actually that game that will be finished at the start of the day, so he could take two losses in one day if things don’t go his way. Baltimore has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises so far this season and come in 10-7 on a five-game winning streak. They took the first three games against the Nats last weekend until the suspended contest, and I think they’ll get the win in this one as well. Strasburg hasn’t looked right yet, and I can’t trust him against this O’s lineup until I see a little more from him.

Pick: Baltimore Orioles

Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins

The Twins are 12-7 atop the AL Central as they welcome in the last place Royals, who are 8-11. Jakob Junis (0-0, 4.00 ERA) will have the daunting task of shutting down the Bomba Squad and has gone 0-1 with a 4.23 ERA in four career starts against the Twins. Minnesota will turn to Jake Odorizzi (0.0, 6.00 ERA), who will be making his second start of the season after starting the year on the injured list with an intercostal strain. He faced the Royals in his first outing as well, allowing two runs in three innings in a no-decision. The Royals won that game and actually swept the Twins in last weekend’s three-game set in Kansas City. As a result of that sweep, the Royals have won five of their past six games, and I think they could be a sneaky pick to pull this upset as well especially since Odorizzi isn’t fully in mid-season form.

Pick: Kansas City Royals

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have posted the best record in the Majors at 13-3 under new manager David Ross, and they look to be establishing themselves as one of the teams to beat in the National League. They will look to continue their winning ways against the struggling Brewers, who are 7-10. They’ll hope that Brandon Woodruff (1-1, 2.53 ERA) can slow down the Cubs after losing to them on Opening Day by allowing two runs on four hits in five innings. He won’t be taking on the Cubs’ ace, though; instead, it will be Tyler Chatwood (2-1, 5.40 ERA), who will look to rediscover his early-season form. He was great in his first two starts but got crushed by the Royals in his most recent outing. He is 5-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 13 career starts against the Brewers while Woodruff is 0-1 with a 5.95 ERA in six games against the Cubs.

Pick: Chicago Cubs

Texas Rangers vs. Colorado Rockies

The Rangers roll into Coors Field to take on first place Colorado. With a win, Texas can get to .500 but they face a Mile High task against the 12-6 Rockies. They’ll have Lance Lynn (2-0, 1.16 ERA) on the mound, who started on Opening Day against the Rockies and held them scoreless for six innings in a game the Rangers won 1-0. That probably won’t be the game script in this one at Coors Field, though, where the ball has been flying as usual. Colorado will counter Lynn with rookie righty Ryan Castellani (0-0, 0.00 ERA), who went four scoreless innings in his MLB debut last Saturday against the Mariners. While I definitely think the pitching matchup favors Texas, I think the Rockies will bounce back after a tough series loss to Arizona and get a win on Friday night in Denver.

Pick: Colorado Rockies

Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros

It’s true—the Astros have struggled badly so far this season, and they have scuffled to an 8-10 start to the year. However, they’ve still been better than the Mariners, who are 7-13 and in last place in the AL West. The Mariners are coming off their first off-day of the condensed season and will give the ball to Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 5.28 ERA), who is 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA in five career starts against Houston. In contrast, Astros starter Framber Valdez (0-2, 2.04 ERA) is 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA in four career games against the Mariners. Seattle can be a fun young team to cheer for, but I don’t see them pulling this upset win at Minute Maid Park.

Pick: Houston Astros

San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Padres and Diamondbacks are dueling in the middle of the NL West, trailing the division leading Rockies. While San Diego is 11-9 compared to Arizona’s 8-11, the Diamondbacks have been better lately, winning five of their past eight. The Padres, though, haven’t lost more than two games in a row all season, but that will change if they can’t solve Merrill Kelly (2-1, 2.29 ERA), who beat them back on August 8. The Padres will counter with a hot starting pitcher of their own, though, in Dinelson Lamet (2-0, 1.61 ERA), who dominated the Diamondbacks in his most recent outing. With Lamet on the mound, I expect San Diego to bounce back and win a low-scoring game in this matchup in the desert.

Pick: San Diego Padres

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels

The two Los Angeles teams go head-to-head this weekend, and the series starts with a matchup of southpaws as Clayton Kershaw (1-1, 3.60 ERA) takes on Patrick Sandoval (0-1, 2.70 ERA). Kershaw struggled in his most recent outing and still may be dealing with some issues from his bad back that caused him to miss the start of the season. Sandoval has pitched well and has been especially effective against lefties, holding them to just 1-for-15, although that one hit was a home run. The Dodgers are 13-7 and the Angels just 7-12, but I actually like the Halos chances at stealing this first game in the series. I’ll take the upset here and go with the younger of the two lefties.

Pick: Los Angeles Angels

Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants

The Bay Bridge rivalry is back this weekend for the first time this season in another regional matchup from the Golden State. The rivalry is dead even at 25-25 in their past 50 meetings, but there is definitely an advantage for the A’s in the starting pitching department as they send Frankie Montas (2-1, 1.57 ERA) against Johnny Cueto (1-0, 5.40 ERA). Montas has been very impressive early on and the Athletics have jumped out to a 13-6 start to lead the AL West. The Giants have not been that successful and enter play 8-12, last in the NL West. With the better lineup and better arm, I’m rolling with the visitors in this one.

Pick: Oakland Athletics

EDITOR’S NOTE: Frankie Montas (back) has been scratched from the lineup for tonight’s game vs. the Giants.

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