Best Bets on Today’s 12-Game MLB Schedule
We’re entering the final stretch of the 2023 MLB season and VSiN continues to have you covered with every way you can possibly bet on a baseball game. Normally, Adam Burke will have daily best bets to give you some ideas of what to back when it comes to moneylines, run lines and totals, while I focus on feeding you all player props. However, Adam is off on Sundays, so I’m tackling everything before we get back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. Keep reading to find out how I’m betting three of the games on the MLB schedule for Sunday, August 20th.
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MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on August 20
Here are our favorite MLB best bets and prop bets for Sunday, August 20th:
Pittsburgh Pirates at Minnesota Twins (-142, 9.5)
After giving up only one run in 5.0 innings in his first start for the Twins, Dallas Keuchel got shelled for six earned runs in 1.2 innings on August 11th. Today, the lefty will go out there and face a Pirates team that had it going offensively on Saturday. The Pirates scored seven runs in that meeting with Sonny Gray, and I think they’ll have no problem getting to Keuchel in this one.
The question is whether Osvaldo Bido can keep Minnesota in check — once he comes in for opener Ryan Borucki. The righty hasn’t looked very good in his most recent outings, but one thing working in his favor is that he is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six road appearances this year. That’s a whole lot better than his 0-3 record and 7.65 ERA at home. So, he might be a little more comfortable pitching in enemy territory today. And overall, I just think he’s a far better option than Keuchel at this point. With that in mind, I see the Pirates as a good moneyline value in this game. And Pittsburgh is a team that gets used to be on the road. The Pirates are 17-11 on the moneyline this year after playing four or more consecutive road games.
Bet: Pirates ML (+120)
Kansas City Royals at Chicago Cubs (-218, 9)
I can see why people might want to jump on the Over in this game. Jordan Lyles has been rather weak all season for Kansas City, as he carries a 3-13 record and a 6.30 ERA into this start. Meanwhile, Kyle Hendricks is on the mound for Chicago, and he’s a guy that can occasionally be very easy to hit. But it does look like the wind is blowing in at Wrigley Field today, which is always beneficial to pitchers. And these aren’t exactly the best offenses in the world.
The Royals have scored four runs in each of their last three games, and they have the fifth-lowest wRC+ in the league this season. So, they can’t exactly be relied on to score runs. And while Chicago’s offense can definitely get very hot, the team has been rather tame over the past few weeks. It’s also hard to expect them to cash this Over themselves. On top of that, the Under is 12-2 when Lyles is on the mound as a road underdog of +150 to +200 since the start of last season. The average total runs scored in those 14 games is 7.4 runs per game. That said, these games don’t get as out of hand as people expect.
Bet: Under 9 (+100)
Chicago White Sox (-142, 11.5) at Colorado Rockies
Andrew Benintendi has gone Over 1.5 total bases in two of his last four games, and I like the 29-year-old to do it again today. Benintendi will be going to work against Chris Flexen in this game, and the White Sox outfielder is 3 for 6 against the righty in his career. Benintendi is also batting .272 with 21 doubles against righties this season, in general. So, this is a matchup that I can see him taking advantage of, and it only helps that this one will be played at Coors Field. This game has the highest total on the board today, so a few guys should have big days at the plate. Don’t be surprised if Benintendi is one of them, either coming away with multiple hits or just one big one. Flexen has been miserable this season, as he has a 7.74 ERA on the year.
Bet: Benintendi Over 1.5 Total Bases (-140)
Did you know that you can parlay these three picks together at +654 odds? Try out our VSiN Parlay Calculator HERE!
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