MLB Friday best bets & top parlay picks – August 19, 2022

The stars will be out in Major League Baseball (MLB) on Friday, with all 30 teams in action. Playing starring roles will be Blake Snell and the Padres hosting the Nationals, Triston McKenzie and the Guardians battling Lance Lynn and the White Sox in Cleveland, and Aaron Judge and the Yankees taking on Kevin Gausman and the Blue Jays. Here are the best bets on MLB games scheduled for August 19th starting at 2:20 p.m.

Washington Nationals @ San Diego Padres

Blake Snell struck out 10 Nationals in Washington on Sunday, pitching six shutout innings in a 6-0 Padres win. It was just his fifth win of the season, but Snell seems to be getting better as the season progresses. He posted a 2.81 ERA over 25.2 innings in July, and his 1.02 ERA thus far in August is a good sign for Padres fans. Another good sign is Snell’s career numbers against the Nationals. Washington batters are just nine-of-46 with two homers against Snell, posting a .196 batting average and .601 OPS. Nelson Cruz has had the most success with four hits in 12 at-bats, including one of the team’s two homers. Consider betting on him to have multiple total bases on Friday.

Paolo Espino is expected to start for Washington. He’s 0-5 with a 4.20 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He started against Snell and San Diego on Sunday. It did not go well. He allowed four earned runs over 5.2 innings pitched. The Padres are nine-for-35 against him with four extra-base hits. That’s a .257 batting average and .754 OPS against. The Nationals also have the eighth-worst bullpen WHIP and seventh-worst bullpen ERA.

Bet on the Padres to win the first five innings, the game, and to cover the run line. Consider parlaying those bets with…

Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees

The month of August has not been kind to Jameson Taillon. He’s allowed 11 earned runs over 18.2 innings pitched, but his 5.30 August ERA isn’t much higher than his 5.04 July ERA. Luckily he’s got the second-best scoring offense in baseball supporting him (605 runs scored). Taillon has also been relatively successful against the Blue Jays. Toronto batters have 34 hits in 143 at-bats with nine doubles and four homers. That’s just a .238 batting average and .668 OPS against, which is surprising given Toronto’s fourth-best team OPS (.757). Bo Bichette is eight-for-19 with three doubles, so bet on him to have multiple total bases on Friday.

Kevin Gausman is scheduled to start for Toronto, and his numbers rank in the top-50 amongst starting pitchers. It’s a different story versus New York, however. The Bronx Bombers are 33-for-115 with nine doubles and four dingers against him. That’s a .287 batting average and .811 OPS against. Aaron Judge is eight-for-20 with two doubles and three dingers. Bet on him to have multiple total bases, multiple hits, and maybe even a home run in this one.

Take the Yankees in the first five innings, on the moneyline, and to cover the run line. Parlaying New York with San Diego on the moneyline pays +128, so consider adding…

Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland has quite a stud in 25-year-old Triston McKenzie, who is having a breakout season. He might only be 8-9, but his 0.97 WHIP is seventh-best in all of baseball. The White Sox have struggled against McKenzie just like the rest of MLB. In 74 plate appearances, Chicago batters have just 14 hits and four extra-base hits for a .311 on-base percentage and .649 OPS. Seby Zavala has both of Chicago’s homers in just four at-bats, so consider placing a player prop bet on him to have multiple total bases or even a homer on Friday.

Lance Lynn is expected to counter for Chicago, and he has been absolutely awful away from home. Lynn has a 7.46 ERA over 25.1 innings pitched in road games. That’s three runs worse than his ERA at home. Cleveland has also enjoyed hitting against him, going 27-for-102 with eight doubles and five dingers. That’s a .265 batting average and .815 OPS against. Jose Ramirez is eight-for-23 with two doubles and three dingers, and Andres Gimemez has three extra-base hits in nine at-bats against Lynn. Bet on either or both to have multiple total bases in this one.

Take the Guardians in the first five innings and on the moneyline. Parlaying the Guardians with the Padres and Yankees in a moneyline trifecta pays +297.

There are the best MLB bets for Friday, August 19th. Get your bets in before first pitch at 2:20 p.m. Eastern and please gamble responsibly.

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