MLB Best Bets and Betting Picks for June 16
Welcome in to the end of the work week MLB bettors out there! Whether it was a week you were treading water or one you crushed doesn't matter because its Friday now and the good times are here again. My last article did well with the exception of Rafael Devers deciding to ride the pine on a night where the Red Sox offense went wild but oh well these things happen I suppose. Tonight's bets are a mix of Money Lines, 1st 5 Innings bets and player props that will look to continue the hot streak I have been riding since last week, 10-5-1 to be precise. They have a lot to live up too but I love this slate of MLB today so let's dive right into the action I have for June 16th!
- Wednesday's Record: 2-1-1
- Season Record: 26-17-1
- Bankroll: +3.55 units
MLB Best Bets for June 16
Colorado Rockies at Atlanta Braves
Fading the Rockies has been a profitable endeavor this MLB season and tonight I am looking to pounce on them once again! They will be facing off against one of the league's best teams in the Braves and it seems like they could get pounded by their offense. The Braves score 5.26 runs per game this season which is the 4th highest rate in the major leagues but over their last 3 games they have scored 24 runs, yes you read that correctly. That makes me think their team total could be bumped to 6.5 for tonight but the sportsbooks are holding steady at 5.5 and we love that. It gets even better because Dinelson Lamet will start for Colorado tonight and he is extra stinky this season with a 10.38 ERA and 2.31 WHIP over 21.2 innings of work. The Braves should run all over the Rockies but let's not stop there because a potential offensive explosion is perfect for batter props. You could look at a few players for tonight but why not the best of the best in Ronald Acuna Jr. He is over his prop line of 2.5 hits, runs and RBIs in 6 of the last 9 games and has a perfect matchup tonight for a big outing so let's lock that in for tonight.
Pick: Atlanta Braves Over 5.5 Team Total Runs (-140 on DraftKings)
Pick: Ronald Acuna Jr. Over 2.5 Hits/Runs/RBIs (-110 on DraftKings)
Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins
I will give it to the Tigers they have been pesky of late with some big games scoring 21 runs over their last 3 games but tonight they fall into a matchup with the Twins and their ace Joe Ryan. The Minnesota starter is 7-3 this season with a 2.9 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 84 strikeouts over 77.2 innings pitched. This has given the Twins a big leg up in games and tonight should be much of the same as the Tigers overall are scoring over their heads and are due for some regression. On the season they average just 3.72 runs per game and Ryan should put them in their place. The Twins are also 20-15 at home where they have enjoyed much more success this season scoring 4.6 runs per game. Given the recent late game heroics though from Detroit I am going to nip that in the bud by just taking the spread on the 1st 5 Innings tonight for the Twins so we only have to rely on Joe Ryan to do his job.
Pick: Minnesota Twins 1st 5 Innings Run Line -0.5 (-120 on Bet365)
Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Let's just come out and say it, the Royals are a horrid team with no relief in sight. They are a dismal 18-50 on the season and just as bad at home with a record of 9-26 and they score just 4.2 runs per game. The offense isn't the only problem though as their starter tonight in Brady Singer is just bad at baseball. Singer has an ERA of 6.58 on top of a 1.59 WHIP and has walked 26 batters over 64.1 total innings. This puts him in a tough spot against an Angels team that ranks 7th best in the MLB when it comes to runs scored per game. Given all of this I was expecting the Angels to be huge favorites but on the books they are sitting around -145 on certain books. Maybe its the recent play of Patrick Sandoval, the starter for Los Angeles tonight who has allowed 11 earned runs in the last 2 starts but either way the Angels should put up tons of runs tonight to support him so give me Mike Trout and the boys tonight on the road.
Pick: Los Angeles Angels Money Line (-145 on BetRivers)
**all bets are one unit unless specifically mentioned.
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.