I am very excited to be back for year 2 of my Best Bets! We hovered around .500 during the shortened season and am looking to get over the hump in 2021. Check out a little action to (responsibly) enjoy this Wednesday slate!
Toronto Blue Jays O/U 4.5 Runs Scored
Do not let the name deceive you. Rather than Toronto, this game will be played in Dunedin, Florida, the temporary home of the Jays. Sunny and warm, the run environment will be strong today. More important than the weather, Corey Kluber will take the hill for the Yankees. A shell of his former self, Kluber has been ineffective since arriving in the Bronx. He is yet to pitch into the 5th inning in either of his starts while walking five in just 6.1 IP. One of those two starts came against this Jays team, too.
I am assuming this all means the Yankees will turn to their bullpen early. Jameson Taillon’s short start yesterday worked the bullpen hard, but it was more of the Yankees B-Team pen (Lucas Luetege, Luis Cessa) meaning we should see some Michael King and/or Jonathan Loáisiga should the Yankees need length. While both impressive early on, the Jays have already seen both in this young season and could tee-off on either.
Pick: Jays OVER 4.5 Runs (-114 DraftKings, -112 FanDuel)
Corbin Burnes O/U 8.5 Ks
This plays feels a little bit sketchy. Burnes has the highest strikeout total on the board today, it is going off for plus money, and the Cubs have been a disaster at the dish this season. A classic “hold your nose and bet the best player to be the best player” pick, let’s ride with Burnes. Already improving upon his breakout 2020, he has refocused his repertoire.
Replacing sinkers with cutters is a fantastic strategy for inducing whiffs and his 42.7 Whiff% is more than 7 points higher than league average thus far. Add in a date with the hapless Cubs offense and Burnes should be in for a strong afternoon.
Pick: OVER 8.5 Ks (+110 DK)
Kenta Maeda O/U 6.5 Ks
I generally like to stay away from bets in 7 inning games, but Ross Stripling was scratched moments ago and sunk my Blue Jays ML pick. So, here we are. Maeda has blossomed into a true ace before our eyes over the last year. His K% climbed above 30% in 2020 while his generally strong hard hit metrics remained. All very good, but I am fading him today at home against the scorching hot Red Sox. Owners of the 3rd lowest K% so far this season, their bats should stay just hot enough to knock Maeda out of the shortened game before he can reach this total.
Pick: UNDER 7.5 Ks (-103 DK)
Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)