Monkey Knife Fight Home Run Derby:
Baltimore Orioles at Los Angeles Angels
The Baltimore Orioles are a long way from home tonight against the Los Angeles Angels, and this game should have plenty of fireworks. Jimmy Yacabonis is scheduled to take the mound for the Orioles, and he is allowing 2.1 HR/9. In the last 15 days, he has an average batted ball distance of 231 feet, an average exit velocity on those batted balls of 92 MPH, a fly ball rate just under 40%, and a hard hit rate over 50%. The Angels have a lot of power scattered throughout their lineup, and Vegas has this game set at 10 total runs. Jose Saurez is the -225 betting favorite, giving the Angels an implied run total of 6.1. Mike Trout barely even needs to be mentioned here. He is hitting 1 home run every 10 at-bats right now, and it would be ridiculous to leave him off this recommendation list. Shohei Ohtani is another obvious option. He is hitting 0.069 HR/AB, and has great splits against right-handed pitching. Ohtani will enter tonight’s game with 0.137 ISO and 0.067 wOBA differentials. In his last 10 games, he is hitting over .300, but he has 0 home runs. His advanced metrics are solid, however, and his 95 MPH average exit velocity should start to produce more home runs. Finally, round out the lineup with Justin Upton. He also has 0 home runs in his last 10 games, but his advanced metrics are great. In the last 15 days, he has an average exit velocity on batted balls of 91 MPH, a fly ball rate over 40%, and a hard hit rate over 50%. The Angels, aside from Trout, have not been hitting all that well, but tonight should be a walk in the park with Yacabonis on the mound.
Recommended Batters: Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Justin Upton
Home Run Prop Bet:
Mike Trout (TBA) – Los Angeles Angels – OF
Both Shohei Ohtani and Justin Upton, despite solid advanced metrics, have been struggling at the plate, as far as power is concerned. Mike Trout has been absolutely on fire. He has 7 home runs in his last 10 games, and he deserves this recommendation.
PrizePicks Over/Under:
N/A
Currently, PrizePicks does not offer a chance to wager on any of these three recommendations. Check back later, as their website is consistently updated throughout the day.
*Odds are from MyBookie. They continually update available prop bets on their prop builder, so odds should be released closer to the start of the contests. If you do not see the recommended player available, he will likely become available later in the day, and odds will be updated in the article when that happens.*
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