MLB Best Sports Betting Picks and Predictions for Wednesday August 14, 2024

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New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is still on the cusp of history.

Judge is one home run away from the 300th of his career after clubbing No. 299 on Sunday against the Texas Rangers. Since then, the 32-year-old has failed to go yard in back-to-back games.

Wednesday could be the day Judge reaches the milestone, and while it is something to monitor, you shouldn’t let it distract you from the other 14 games going on across the majors.

If you’re looking for action that doesn’t hinge on Judge, look no further.

New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox

With all the buzz surrounding Judge, it’s fair to say that very few people are paying close attention to New York starter Will Warren’s betting lines.

But they should be.

At 29-92 on the season, Chicago hasn’t seen the ball well against anyone, but it has been particularly bad against right-handers like Warren. White Sox hitters have the fifth-most strikeouts against righties in the big leagues with 828.

We realize Warren isn’t a workhorse—going 5 1/3 innings on July 30 and 4 1/3 last Wednesday—but he has fanned six in each of his two starts this year.

The pick: Will Warren over 5.5 strikeouts, -110 (DraftKings)

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Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies

Due to Miami’s status as a cellar dweller, Marlins shortstop Xavier Edwards has frequently been overlooked.

And it’s somewhat easy to understand why. After all, why pay attention to a team 18.5 games behind first-place Philadelphia in the National League East?

Well, because of Edwards. That’s why.

Edwards, who just turned 25 on Friday, has hit .359 across 39 games this season. He doesn’t have a lot of pop, smacking only one homer, but he’s constantly putting the ball in play and has an on-base percentage of .432.

Over his past 11 games, Edwards has recorded six multi-hit performances, and he draws a good matchup in Phillies right-hander Tyler Phillips on Wednesday. Edwards is hitting .367 against righties, also posting a show-stopping. 410 average away from home.

The pick: Xavier Edwards to record 2+ hits, +190 (DraftKings)

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Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks

We’re starting to see why Arizona made the World Series last year.

The Diamondbacks have been on a tear, winning 19 of their past 24 games while averaging 6.3 runs per contest during that stretch. They most recently beat Colorado 4-3 on Tuesday, and that was without All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte (ankle).

We couldn’t care less if Arizona wins or loses on Wednesday, though.

A pair of pitchers who have essentially been throwing batting practice are supposed to take the hill, as Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-3, 6.15 ERA) will go up against Diamondbacks southpaw Jordan Montgomery (7-6, 6.37).

So, we’re looking for some runs in this one.

Before combining for seven runs on Tuesday, Colorado and Arizona went for nine on Monday. In nine meetings between the teams in 2024, the Diamondbacks have scored at least five runs six times, so it really just depends if the Rockies want to hold up their end of the bargain on Wednesday.

The pick: Over 9 total runs, -122 (DraftKings)