We have nine Major League Baseball games for Thursday, June 20, and our MLB betting experts have two MLB Best Bets for Royals vs Athletics and Giants vs Cardinals (Rickwood Field Game).
Check out those picks and predictions below.
MLB Best Bets: Thursday Prop Picks & Predictions
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 on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific MLB best bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:15 p.m. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting 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. | ||
Royals vs. Athletics
By D.J. James
Mitchell Spence has been a nice find for the Oakland Athletics’ rotation. He has an above average ground-ball rate and rarely walks hitters. Sure, he is not too flashy, but he does boast an above average chase rate. All of these factors have helped lead him to a sub-4.00 xERA and sub-4.00 ERA.
His opponent will be Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals. Lugo has a 2.40 ERA and sub-4.00 xERA. Negative regression will eventually come for him, but the run value on both his fastball and off-speed pitches are elite. He also rarely walks anyone.
In the batter’s box, Oakland is starting to fall apart. It has a 76 wRC+ and strikeout rate above 27%, which does not bode well against Lugo, even though he hasn't struck out too many hitters.
The Royals haven't been strong at the dish either. Kansas City has a walk rate over 9%, but they own a team 92 wRC+.
The main issue in this ballgame is relief pitching, with both bullpens struggling mightily. Oakland has a 5.36 xFIP in June and walks a lot of hitters. Kansas City’s relief staff has made some strides but is still below average in June at a 4.11 xFIP. Both do, at least, have a few arms to hand the ball to, but these starters have shown they can throw deep into games.
With that being said, look for the bats to stay quiet, once again, in Oakland. Take the under from 8.5 to 7.5.
Pick: Under 8.5
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Giants vs. Cardinals
By Tony Sartori
Right-hander Andre Pallante takes the mound for St. Louis, and he should be a good fade candidate. Bouncing between the bullpen and rotation this season, Pallante possesses a fade-worthy 4.61 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.
His underlying metrics suggest that positive regression is unlikely as the right-hander ranks in the 38th percentile or lower in xERA, xBA and hard-hit rate. Specifically, we are going to fade Pallante in the prop market as he also ranks in the 15th percentile in whiff rate and 17th percentile in strikeout rate.
While 3.5 is a low number for a strikeout total, he is certainly not a punchout-heavy pitcher and is going against San Francisco that ranks 11th in the league in strikeout rate. Pallante is typically on a short leash, and given his poor stats and analytics, I wouldn't be shocked if he's chased early.
Pick: Andre Pallante Under 3.5 Strikeouts (-120 | Play to -125)
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