It’s a getaway day in the MLB, and with six matinee matchups on the betting board, it means the is day full of baseball prop bets from start to finish.
We open with one of our favorite MLB props of the season as our favorite innings-eater, Zack Wheeler, takes the mound for the Phillies this afternoon. And can a pair of National League Central starters provide us some baseball betting value?
We break down and pick these games and more with our best free MLB prop bets and predictions for Thursday, August 19.
Today’s MLB props and picks
Zack Wheeler Over 19.5 Outs Recorded (-115)
Our favorite innings-eater is back on the mound as Zack Wheeler takes the ball for the Philadelphia Phillies when they visit the Arizona Diamondbacks.
On top of an excellent 2.56 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP, Wheeler leads the MLB in innings pitched and averages 6.8 innings per start. While his outs recorded prop has steadily increased over the course of the season, there is still value in the Over here.
For starters, he’s facing the D-Backs. Arizona ranks 25th in batting average and 28th in OPS when it comes to facing right-handed pitching. That doesn’t bode well against Wheeler, who is limiting opponents to a .212 average.
Wheeler has also gone over this number 15 times in his 24 starts, including in four of his last five overall. The fact the Phillies also have a shaky bullpen means they like leaving him longer and limiting the reliever innings.
Luis Castillo Over 7.5 Strikeouts (+120)
It was a rough start to the season for Luis Castillo but the Cincinnati Reds’ ace has really turned things around. Since the start of June, Castillo has pitched to a 2.85 ERA, limited opponents to a .211 batting average, and is striking out 9.5 batters per nine innings. Castillo will look to keep that going when the Reds host the Miami Marlins.
Castillo’s strikeout numbers have been even better lately, increasing his Ks per nine innings to 10.8 over his last eight starts, racking up eight or more punchouts four times in that stretch. Now, he faces a Marlins team that ranks 28th in the MLB in strikeouts per game at 9.65 times per contest. That makes the Over of his strikeout total a good value in this one.
Brewers -0.5 Five-Inning Runline (-135)
The race for the National League Central isn’t tight, but the one for the NL Cy Young Award is, so a strong start here by the Milwaukee Brewers' Brandon Woodruff can get him back into the conversation.
Woodruff is pitching to a 2.18 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and is limiting opponents to a .182 batting average. The right-hander is coming off an uneven performance against the Cubs, but the Brewers were up by eight runs before he even threw his first pitch.
Today, he faces a St. Louis Cardinals team that ranks 17th in batting average and 21st in OPS when it comes to going up against right-handed pitching, and in his one start against the Cards, Woodruff limited them to one run on three hits over 7 2-3 innings back in May.
Jon Lester counters for the Cards. The veteran lefty is coming off his best start with St. Louis but still has a 6.75 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP in three starts since coming over from the Cubs. Bet on the Brewers to have the lead through five.
MLB betting card for August 19
- Luis Castillo Over 7.5 Strikeouts (+120)
- Zack Wheeler Over 19.5 Outs Recorded (-115)
- Brewers -0.5 Five-Inning Runline (-135)
Picks made on 8/19/2021 at 11:55 a.m. ET
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