RADIO
Happy Thursday RotoBallers! John, aka 'LucidMedia," back with you with our free picks for Thursday, August 12th, which happens to be my birthday! We have a nice slate of games to find some plays in today, with some early action as well as the long-awaited "Field of Dreams" game. I have a few games I have my eyes on today, so let's get right to it.
I will be doing these picks for you every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday going forward this baseball season. Just to let you know, I mainly bet on FanDuel Sportsbook, and that's where the odds below will be coming from. I know not everyone is able to bet on Fanduel, so if you are betting elsewhere just make sure to shop around and find the best odds.
We have been really increasing our sports betting content at RotoBaller, and this year will be no different. Tommy Bell (@BellRoto) will be handling things over in our premium offering. Steve Janik (@stevejanik6) will be carrying the free picks on during the week throughout the season with some help from yours truly. And Kipp Heisterman (@kipppsta) brings you the Monkey Knife Fight picks. Let's make some money and have fun. but remember, please gamble responsibly! The RotoBaller team has had a great month of July on the books so far, so let's finish it out strong and make some money!
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Oakland Athletics @ Cleveland Indians
O/U: 9.5 | Moneyline: CLE +148
OAK: Chris Bassitt | CLE: Eli Morgan
These two teams take the diamond today in the final game of a three-game set, with Oakland taking the first two. The A's will send their ace, Chris Bassitt to the mound today. Bassitt has been stellar this season, and has really come along over the last 30 days as he's got a 3.19 xFIP over the last month. The soon-to-be Guardians have been hitting the ball well of late, but I expect Bassitt to take care of his business today.
On the flip side, the Indians will send Eli Morgan to the bump. Morgan has been not so stellar this season, coming into this one with a 5.04 xFIP on the year. To his credit, his xFIP has gotten better over the last month (4.73). I don't think this is enough to slow down the swinging A's though, who have won six straight and 8 out of their last 10. They're also 5-1 in their last six road games with the total set between 9 and 10.5 runs. I'm backing the A's.
Pick: Athletics Moneyline (-176) FanDuel Sportsbook
New York Yankees @ Chicago White Sox (Field of Dreams)
O/U: 9.5 | Moneyline: CHW -174
NYY: Andrew Heaney | CHW: Lance Lynn
In what is supposedly going to be one of the most wagered games of the regular season this year, the Yankees and White Sox meet up in Iowa for the inaugural "Field of Dreams" game. One of my favorite baseball movies, I'm really looking forward to this one, and will (admittedly) be flipping the channel back and forth between this game and the Eagles preseason game (Go Birds!).
The Yankees will send newly acquired southpaw Andrew Heaney to the mound. To say Heaney hasn't exactly lived up to the expectation Yankees fans expected when he was traded there may be an understatement, allowing eight earned runs in ten innings across his first two starts. This isn't ideal form for the lefty to be in, especially coming into a start against the ChiSox who bring in a .752 OPS against left-handed pitching. They also have gotten healthier of late with Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert back in the lineup.
On the flip side, Chicago had pushed back Lance Lynn's start from yesterday to this evening. Lynn has been a dominant force in Chicago's rotation this year, coming into this one with an xFIP of just 3.56. Antithetical to the Sox, the Yankees have been banged up all over the place with injuries and COVID issues. They'll be missing bits and pieces in their lineup as well as closer Aroldis Chapman. They've struggled to manage leads, and it's hard to think that Lance Lynn will give them much opportunity to have a lead in the first place. This price should be higher, and I think it would be if this game weren't on national television and the Yankees weren't involved. Back the Pale Hose in the Field of Dreams Game.
Picks: White Sox Moneyline (-172), FanDuel Sportsbook
Let's get after it today! Be sure to follow me on Twitter @LucidMediaDFS for updates and more plays!
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