It's a full slate of Saturday baseball, and that can only mean one thing — MLB Best Bets time. Our MLB staff came through with two best bets for your betting pleasure including picks from the Diamondbacks vs. Rays and the Giants vs. Athletics.
Read below for our staff's picks and predictions for Saturday, August 17.
MLB Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 4:10 p.m. | |
  | 7:07 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
D.J. James's Diamondbacks vs Rays Best Bet: Arizona Not Slowing Down
By D.J. James
Zac Gallen has been solid as a starter for years now. His xERA might be a touch above 4.00 with an ERA of 3.69, but the veteran righty keeps the ball on the ground, despite hard contact. His Barrel Rate ranks in the 76th percentile, even with below average ranks in Average Exit Velocity and Hard-Hit Rate, while his strikeout and walk rates are about league-average.
His opponent will be the Tampa Bay Rays and Jeffrey Springs. Springs is fine and has only thrown a few starts this season. He has a 4.61 ERA and 4.38 xERA in those starts and is permitting even more hard contact than Gallen, despite not keeping the ball on the ground at all. His strikeout rate is just over 22% with a walk rate under 7%.
The major difference in this matchup is how poorly the Rays are hitting righties. They own an 87 wRC+, 9.3% walk rate, and 25.6% strikeout rate in the last month against them. They also sold at the deadline, so they lost some key offensive contributors.
The D-Backs have been red-hot, with a 128 wRC+, 7% walk rate, and 17.5% strikeout rate. They have been crushing the ball, and seeing how Springs has mostly been pitching to contact lately, he might struggle here.
Tampa Bay has the better relief staff, but Arizona’s is still serviceable, so there is not much of a discrepancy between the two with Gallen facing this Rays’ lineup at this time.
Pick: Diamondbacks ML (-112 | Play to -135)
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Alex Kolodziej's Giants vs Athletics Best Bet: Expect a Pitchers Duel
Hayden Birdsong and Osvaldo Bido have quietly been great in the strikeout department. According to the "High-Strikeout" PRO System theory, bettors should take the under when two starting pitchers with impressive strikeout records meet and the betting total is 8 or higher.
These matchups often end up under the total, with the system applying only from mid-season onward to accentuate strikeout efficiency.
Giants-A's matches the bill, and it's a great look in a low run-producing environment.
Pick: Under 8.5 (-115)
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