This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Picks: Expert MLB Best and Player Props for Saturday, August 20
RotoWire.com‘s Juan Carlos Blanco has dug into the best sports betting sites across the country to identify his MLB bets and MLB player props to target today.
Last article: 3-1 (1.77 RW Bucks)
Season Record: 64-68-4 (-13.14 RW Bucks)
I’m picking on a pair of vulnerable southpaws a bit for today’s wagers, while also banking on a hot pitcher continuing his recent strong form.
Kansas City Royals 
at Tampa Bay Rays 
Kris Bubic’s 2-7 record, 5.11 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 4.5 BB/9 are just some of the metrics that encapsulate his season, and his .281 xBA, .360 xwOBA and 5.55 xERA all suggest that he hasn’t exactly been a victim of tough luck. The southpaw won’t be in friendly territory Saturday, as the Rays own a .262 average, .760 OPS and 127 wRC+ against lefties at home over the last two months. Bubic has been a bit better in ERA and WHIP on the road, but he’s also had more trouble keeping the ball in the park when traveling (1.5 HR/9) than at home (0.9 HR/9).
Drew Rasmussen pitched a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Orioles in his last start, and although he came up short, it was yet another impressive outing in what has been a breakout season. The right-hander now owns a 2.80 ERA and 1.08 WHIP overall, and he’s been at his best at home, posting a 4-1 record, 1.87 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 0.5 HR/9 across 53 innings. The Royals have also been abysmal performers against righties on the road in the month-long stretch since the All-Star break, struggling to an MLB-high 29.1 percent strikeout rate along with a .201 average, .578 OPS and AL-low. 257 wOBA in that split.
MLB Best Bets for Royals at Rays
- Rays -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (-128 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1.28 RW Bucks
- Drew Rasmussen Over 17.5 Outs Recorded (-125 on BetMGM Sportsbook) for 1.25 RW Bucks
St. Louis Cardinals 
at Arizona Diamondbacks 
Dakota Hudson is still trying to get back to his impressive 2019 form when he won a career-high 16 games, but he comes into Saturday night’s matchup in strong form. The right-hander owns a solid 3.81 ERA and 0.7 HR/9 in 26 innings across his last five starts, giving up three runs or fewer in four of those outings. He also stymied the Diamondbacks in impressive fashion in his one prior outing against them this season, allowing just one hit over six shutout innings back on April 28 in St. Louis.
In contrast, Madison Bumgarner has been struggling considerably of late, conceding at least five runs in five of his last six starts while pitching to a 1-4 record, 6.19 ERA and 1.60 WHIP over that span. The veteran left-hander has just a 6.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in that sample as well, and he’s even struggled against the shaky offenses of the Rockies and Pirates in his last two home starts. He actually pitched very well against the Cardinals in his one prior start April 29 at Busch Stadium (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB), but that was in the midst of a strong start to the season that’s a distant memory at this point.
The Cardinals have been nothing but trouble for left-handers when paying them a visit most of the season as well, producing a .293 average and .867 OPS in that split over the last two months, including an MLB-best .366 average and 1.090 OPS since the All-Star break. What’s more, current Cardinals bats own a collective .292 average and .914 OPS against Bumgarner in 226 career encounters.
MLB Best Bets for Cardinals at Diamondbacks
- Cardinals -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (+108 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
- Madison Bumgarner Over 6.5 Hits Allowed (-110 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1.10 RW Bucks
MLB Best Bets Today Recap
- Rays -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (-128 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1.28 RW Bucks
- Drew Rasmussen Over 17.5 Outs Recorded (-125 on BetMGM Sportsbook) for 1.25 RW Bucks
- Cardinals -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (+108 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
- Madison Bumgarner Over 6.5 Hits Allowed (-110 on DraftKings Sportsbook ) for 1.10 RW Bucks
Visit RotoWire all season long for exclusive sports betting picks from our group of handicappers with their expert MLB picks each day of the campaign. Remember that betting apps vary in terms of odds and available player props, so we have an easy-to-use odds page that allows you to shop for the best lines at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and PointsBet.