This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Bets Today: MLB Picks and Props for Wednesday, August 21
Take advantage of sportsbook promos to give your bankroll a boost when using the best sports betting apps. The BetMGM bonus code offers users a first-bet bonus worth up to $1,500.
2024 Regular Season Betting Record: 6-10 (-4.91 RW Bucks)
2024 Regular Season Props Betting Record: 26-28 (-1.84 RW Bucks)
I'm focused on an American League matchup tonight that appears lopsided from both a game and starting pitching matchup perspective, highlighting a pair of game and player prop bets apiece.
Los Angeles Angels vs Kansas City Royals Best Bets
The hapless Angels are playing out the string on a highly disappointing season, their first since Shohei Ohtani's intrastate free-agent departure and one that's seen their next biggest remaining star, Mike Trout, play an extremely truncated amount of games due to injury.
Ron Washington's crew enters Wednesday's matchup with a dismal 54-72 record and faces a Royals squad that's far exceeded expectations while jumping out to a 70-56 mark over the first four-plus months of the campaign. Kansas City boasts an MVP candidate in Bobby Witt, a 39-26 mark at home and a 37-28 record against the run line at home.
The Royals took a 9-5 loss Tuesday night to Los Angeles but still lead the season series by a 4-2 margin. They're thought to have a solid chance of taking the rubber match of the current series by oddsmakers. Kansas City checks in as up to a -185 Moneyline favorite as they face the returning Johnny Cueto, who's been toiling for Triple-A Salt Lake.
Between his performances with the Marlins in 2023 (1-4, 6.02 ERA) and Triple-A Round Rock with the Rangers organization earlier this season (5.92 ERA), Cueto looked close to finished. However, the veteran right-hander has been much steadier with Salt Lake, furnishing a 3.09 ERA across 23.1 innings in four starts.
Nevertheless, one constant for Cueto in recent seasons is his trouble with the long ball. Even against Triple-A bats this season, he's surrendered nine home runs across 61.1 innings. He now facing a Royals squad that's in the top 10 in MLB in team batting average (.257) and in the top 12 in team OPS (.734). Moreover, they've been teeing off against righties at home in the second half of the season, recording a .295 average, .815 OPS, .352 wOBA and +14.8 wRAA in that split.
Current Kansas City bats have historically had success against Cueto as well, as Wednesday's projected Royals lineup includes seven hitters with multiple hits against him in their careers. Given Cueto's issues with keeping the ball in the park at times, I particularly like the prop bet on DraftKings that pays out plus-money if either Witt (25 homers overall, .405 average at home) or MJ Melendez (14 homers, all against righties) leave the yard.
Don't place a bet on the best sports betting sites without first doing your research and checking what the latest MLB odds are. Make sure to also boost your bankroll with promo codes like this DraftKings promo code worth $200 in bonus bets.
Additionally, given the Royals' status as fairly heavy favorites and starter Michael Lorenzen's solid track record (6-6 record, 3.68 ERA), I like a couple of game bets that involve the Royals taking an early lead and eventually winning by at least two runs, especially given they're projected for a robust 5.2 runs and have scored an American League-high 5.3 runs per home game.
For their part, the Angels are averaging the fourth-fewest runs per road game in the American League (4.1), have a .224 average, .286 wOBA and -7.2 wRAA against righties on the road since the All-Star break and collectively own a .200 average and .273 slugging percentage against Lorenzen in 67 career plate appearances.
MLB Best Bets for Angels vs. Royals
- Royals -0.5 - F5 (-120 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
- Royals -1.5 (+106 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
- Michael Lorenzen to Record a Win (+200 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
- Bobby Witt and MJ Melendez – Either Player to Hit a Home Run (+195 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
