The MLB season continues on Wednesday with all 30 teams in action. With games starting just after noon eastern time and continuing past midnight, there are betting opportunities all day long.
Here are our MLB best bets from the Wednesday, September 20 slate.
MLB Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 1:05 p.m. ET | |
  | 6:40 p.m. ET | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Nationals vs. White Sox
By D.J. James
The White Sox have been relying on Jesse Scholtens to get through the end of the season because they desperately need innings and are looking to somehow hit the jackpot on an ailing 29-year-old.
Scholtens looked reliable through his first several appearances, but he has since slumped in September. He ranks in the 23rd percentile in Pitching Run Value. His Average Exit Velocity is 89.2 MPH with a Hard-hit Rate of 37.7%.
However, his Strikeout Rate is a putrid 15.7% against a 7.7% Walk Rate. In three September starts, he has six walks against 10 strikeouts. He has allowed 24 hits over 12 2/3 innings pitched, which has led to a 2.37 WHIP and 9.24 ERA.
There's also a strong possibility that Michael Kopech starts instead for the White Sox, but he has been equally unreliable.
On the other hand, Josiah Gray at least has some potential for the Washington Nationals. He has a 4.35 ERA over two September starts in 10 1/3 innings pitched. He also recorded 10 Ks against the Pirates in his last outing.
On the season, Gray has a 4.07 ERA against a 5.04 xERA. His Average Exit Velocity is 87.7 MPH, and his Hard-hit Rate is 37.2%. He does walk a lot of hitters at 11.2%, but given how Scholtens has allowed a plethora of baserunners, this should not be much of a concern.
The White Sox have a 78 wRC+ and .660 OPS in September off of righties with a 4.8% Walk Rate and 21.7% Strikeout Rate.
The Nats have an 85 wRC+ and .690 OPS with a 7.9% Walk Rate and 21.3% Strikeout Rate off of righties this month.
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Angels vs. Rays
Reid Detmers has had an enigmatic sophomore campaign. The W-L record (while irrelevant) is abysmal, and the 4.77 ERA isn't what he nor the Angels were hoping for, but he's shown an elite ability to miss bats and throw together spectacular starts mixed with common bouts of wildness.
His last two starts were on the better side, with a combined 13 2/3 innings against the Orioles and Mariners where he allowed four earned, struck out 12 and, most importantly, issued just a single walk. When Detmers is commanding the strike zone, he's at his best.
The Rays are above-average offensively across the board, but they are in their lesser split against the left-hander. What's more, they rank just 18th in Walk Rate against southpaws, so Detmers' fits of wildness shouldn't hurt him too badly.
On the other side, Aaron Civale has looked impressive since moving from Cleveland to Tampa at the trade deadline. His 4.43 ERA has come with a decent amount of bad luck, as he's walked just nine batters and struck out 48 in 40 2/3 innings.
Most importantly for this handicap, the Angels since the trade deadline have been the worst offense in baseball against right-handed pitching, posting a 76 wRC+ since August 1 (24% worse than league average), a full four points worse than the Colorado Rockies.
Both bullpens can be shaky, but neither used key arms in Tuesday night's game, so I like the value on the under here at 8 runs. I would lower my risk if the total drops to 7.5.
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
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