MLB Afternoon Best Bets | Odds, Picks & Predictions for Pirates vs. Giants & More
Pictured: Alex Wood. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images)
- Wednesday, May 31, features a 14-game MLB slate.
- Our MLB betting experts have looked over the multitude of games and identified the best betting opportunities.
- Continue reading for our MLB best bets for today.
There are 14 games on MLB's slate for Wednesday, May 31. The loaded slate means there will be plenty of betting opportunities throughout the day. The first game gets started at 1:10 p.m. ET and the last game of the day starts at 9:40 p.m. ET.
With baseball on all day Wednesday, our experts dug into the matchups to seek the best betting value. They found a few favorable lines, including a pair of strikeout props, so let's dig in to the MLB best bets for Wednesday, May 31.
Wednesday's MLB Best Bets
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 the team logos for one the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
  | ||
  | ||
| ||
| Specific bet 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. | ||
Angels vs. White Sox
Wednesday, May 31 2:10 p.m. ET MLB.TV |
Lance Lynn Over 6.5 Strikeouts  |
By Nick Shlain
One of my favorite bets on Wednesday's slate is for Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn to go over 6.5 strikeouts. Lynn has been a solid strikeout pitcher this season and has a 25% strikeout rate.
He'll be pitching at home here and has gone over this number in three of his past four home starts. The matchup against the Los Angeles Angels is also good for Lynn.
The Angels' projected lineup has a combined 26% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Seven hitters in that projected lineup have at least a 20% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season.
Additionally, five hitters in the Angels' projected lineup are right-handed, which is significant because Lynn has a 28% strikeout rate against right-handed hitters, compared to a 22% mark against left-handed hitters this season.
The Angels struck out 13 times Tuesday night, and I think Lynn can have similar success and get over 6.5 strikeouts in this one.
Pick: Lance Lynn Over 6.5 Strikeouts |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Pirates vs. Giants
Wednesday, May 31 3:35 p.m. ET MLB.TV |
Under 8.5  |
By D.J. James
Mitch Keller has been more than impressive and is seemingly living up to his prospect rankings from a few years ago. The 27-year-old will start for the Pittsburgh Pirates against Alex Wood and the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
Keller owns a 3.02 ERA against a 3.03 xERA. He is averaging an 86.4 mph exit velocity, which is the best mark of his career. His Hard-Hit Rate is 28.7%, which ranks in the 92nd percentile of MLB. His walk rate is under 6% and his strikeout rate is above 30%, so he seemingly has everything working.
Wood has a 3.51 ERA against a 4.00 xERA. He isn't going to blow anyone away, but a Hard-Hit Rate in the 60th percentile is reasonable enough. He does have a tendency to walk hitters (11.2%), but that number is up significantly from prior seasons and should level off soon.
The Pirates have struggled hitting this month, especially off lefties. They have a 75 wRC+ and a 8% walk rate with a .666 OPS against southpaws.
The Giants haven't been much better off of righties with a 94 wRC+, a 9.3% walk rate and a .703 OPS.
Both bullpens have a sub-4.00 xFIP, which will be encouraging once each starter leaves the game.
Since both starters have been solid and reliable, the under is in play.
Take the under from 8.5 (-118), and play it to 7.5 (-120).
Pick: Pirates-Giants Under |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Pirates vs. Giants
Wednesday, May 31 3:35 p.m. ET MLB.TV |
Mitch Keller Over 6.5 Strikeouts |
By Tony Sartori
Right-hander Mitch Keller takes the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates and should be a tremendous candidate to back in this contest. The 27-year-old is putting together a breakout campaign and is 6-1 with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP through 11 starts.
Based on his underlying metrics, these are not fluky results. Keller ranks in the 80th percentile or higher in Average Exit Velocity, Hard-Hit%, xERA/xwOBA, K% and BB%.
The right-hander has really increased his ability to retire hitters via strikeout this season and boasts a dominant 30.5 K%. With a six-pitch arsenal, Keller does a tremendous job of mixing up his stuff to keep opposing hitters off balance. In fact, he doesn't throw a single one of those pitches more than 25% of the time.
The San Francisco Giants' near-.500 record is a perfect embodiment of this team. They're solid at everything but exceptional at nothing. They can win games and compete, but there are a lot of gaps in this roster, especially in the hitting department.
The Giants rank in the bottom half of the league in hits per game, BA and OBP. They also swing and miss at a high rate.
San Francisco ranks third-to-last in the league in K% when facing right-handed pitchers. Looking at Wednesday's projected starting lineup, the strikeout could continue to be an issue as seven of the nine hitters possess a strikeout rate north of 21% this season.
You can back Keller to record seven or more strikeouts at +122 via FanDuel, which is the avenue I'll take in this game. The right-hander has recorded at least eight strikeouts in each of his past six starts, a trend likely to continue against a strikeout-prone San Francisco lineup.
Pick: Mitch Keller Over 6.5 Strikeouts |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
How would you rate this article?
Follow Us On Social
