The 2020 MLB season continues this Thursday with a 14 game slate! An interesting clash between the Yankees and Braves headlines the days action and as usual, we have a full preview and betting tips for some of our favourite matchups of the day below!
MLB Thursday August 13th Betting Tips
Atlanta Braves at New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium, 9.05am (AEST)
The Yankees are the best team in baseball at the moment. They have an 11-6 record through their opening 17 games and look like locks to win the AL East division at the moment. They come up against a Braves team on Thursday that has been solid through the opening stretch as well, maintaining an 11-8 record to currently sit in second place in the NL East.
The Yankees will have Masahiro Tanaka on the mound on Thursday after pitching five innings in his season debut last week. Tanaka didn’t get a decision in the game, but was great with eight strikeouts and a 1.17 ERA in his first game back from injury.
He’ll be up against Huascar Ynoa for the Braves on Thursday, who will get his second start of the season after pitching just over 2 innings against the Phillies last week. The Braves are attempting to win this one through their bullpen before they get their ace Max Fried back on the mound in the next game. Can’t see them giving this Yankees batting line-up too much of an issue. Back New York at home.
San Francisco Giants at Houston Astros
Minute Maid Park, 9.10am (AEST)
With Justin Verlander on the sidelines, the Astros ace for the season, Zack Greinke, will be on the mound on Thursday against the Giants. Houston have started the season slowly by their lofty standards, racking up just a 7-10 record through their first 17 games. Despite that, Greinke has been pretty solid this season, throwing six scoreless innings in his last start against the A’s on Friday.
He’ll be up against Trevor Cahill on Thursday, who will be making his debut for the Giants, pitching in place of the injured Jeff Samardzija. Cahill missed the first part of the season with a fingernail injury that he sustained while repairing his bike. The right hander is a career 4.22 ERA with a 84-92 record.
2020 is no doubt a bit of a tank season for the Giants and while they currently have more wins than the Astros they just aren’t on the same level. With Greinke on the mound on Thursday, we think the Astros win this one pretty comfortably.
Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds
Great American Ball Park, 8.40am (AEST)
The Royals will start as underdogs on the road to the Reds on Thursday morning and we think there is great value about them with right hander Brad Keller on the mound. Keller was fantastic in his first start back from the injured list, pitching five shutout innings against the Cubs last week.
He’ll be up against Wade Miley of the Reds, who was also reactivated from the injury list last week, with contrasting results. Miley pitched just over 1 inning in his start, allowing six runs, five of them earned and will be up against it again on Thursday.
Not only do the Royals have the advantage in the pitching matchup, but they have been decent with the bat this season, maintaining a .258 team batting average, the second best in the league and plundering 74 runs through 17 games. Back them to win as underdogs here.
