The weekend is here which means we have a full slate of MLB action on Friday. With all 30 MLB teams in action on Friday, now is a good time to take a look at our in-depth reviews as to which sportsbooks are best for baseball betting in Michigan.
There are plenty of options in a 15-game slate, but we’ve narrowed our list down to three prop bets worth a look on Friday.
Detroit Tigers first 5 inning team total over 1.5 (-145, Caesars)
Framber Valdez takes the mound for the Houston Astros on Friday night against the Detroit Tigers. When he’s not making history, he’s been a pitcher worth attacking for the past few months despite the fact he’s amongst the favorites to win AL Cy Young.
Since mid-July, Valdez has a 6.25 ERA. What’s remarkable about that is that he threw a complete game no-hitter during that stretch. Valdez has given up 3+ runs in six of his last seven starts, with the only exception being the aforementioned no-hitter.
With a 7.29 ERA in July and a 4.71 ERA so far in August, Valdez’s ERA on the season has gone from 2.27 to 3.55 over the last two months. However, there’s reason to believe things will continue to regress for Framber. His ERA on the season is 4.30, which is still quite a bit higher than his actual ERA. Over 46% of batted balls against Valdez are hit hard, which ranks in the bottom five of the league amongst qualified pitchers.
Betting on the Detroit Tigers’ offense might not get the juices flowing, but they’re actually scoring runs of late. Detroit has scored 26 runs in their last five games, which is an average of 5.2 runs per game. Spencer Torkelson has shown flashes as to why he was a first-overall pick, Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter have been solid, and Andy Ibanez mashes left-handed pitching.
Make sure to check out Caesars Sportsbook. New users can get $250 in bonus bets after betting $50.
Ryan Mountcastle over 1.5 total bases (-140, FanDuel)
Since returning from a battle with vertigo that kept him out for over a month, Ryan Mountcastle has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters over the last two months. The Orioles’ slugger is batting a combined .368 in July and August. Thursday night was a rare 0-for for Mountcastle as he has a hit in 28 of his last 32 games.
On Friday, the Orioles play host to the Colorado Rockies who will be sending lefty Kyle Freeland and his 5.02 ERA to the mound. You might think that his ERA is inflated because he plays half his games at the most hitter-friendly park in baseball, but that’s actually not the case. Freeland’s road ERA (5.40) is actually worse than his home ERA (4.68). He also has a 5.99 ERA in 13 evening starts compared to a 3.96 ERA in 11 day starts. Unfortunately for Freeland, this one takes place under the lights.
Freeland’s presence on the mound is good news for Mountcastle, who absolutely mashes left-handed pitching. In 121 at-bats against lefties this season, Mountcastle is batting .347 with an OPS of 1.068. He has 11 home runs and 20 extra-base hits against southpaws.
Look for Mountcastle to stay hot and have a big game against Freeland and the Rockies. New users who sign up at FanDuel Sportsbooks get $200 in bonus bets and $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket after placing their first $5 bet.
Jake Burger over 1.5 runs, hits, and RBIs (-135, DraftKings)
On a list of impactful trade deadline acquisitions, Jake Burger needs to be towards the top. Since joining the Miami Marlins from the Chicago White Sox, Burger is hitting .347 with an OPS of .916. He just had a 13-game hitting streak snapped in Miami’s most recent game.
Since joining the Marlins, Burger has combined for 46 runs, hits, and RBIs in just 20 games. Prior to his most recent game, Burger went over 1.5 runs, hits, and RBIs in five of his last six games.
The Marlins’ offense has struggled as of late, but hopefully, a series with the Washington Nationals can change that. Joan Adon will take the mound for the Nationals in the series opener and that should be good news for Miami. Adon has allowed 14 runs in 18 innings this season, which has resulted in an ugly 7.00 ERA.
Adon doesn’t go very deep in games, which means the Nationals’ bullpen will be tasked with getting some extra outs. That’s more good news for Miami and Burger, as the Washington bullpen is the second-worst in baseball in terms of ERA.
New users who sign up with DraftKings Sportsbook and place a $5 bet will get $200 in bonus bets instantly.
Sidelines Group provides MLive with original sports betting, lottery and casino content including odds, analysis, predictions and reviews to educate bettors. Please bet responsibly.
If you have a gambling problem and are located in Michigan, call 1-800-GAMBLER or contact the 24-hour helpline chat at http://www.michapg.com/treatment/.