Free MLB Picks Today for Friday, September 17th, 2021

Free MLB Picks Today for Friday, September 17th, 2021
Fri 17th September 2021

Our free MLB Picks are out for Friday, September 17th, 2021! Make sure you check our MLB Picks before the action kicks off.

Look below to find our free MLB Picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Cincinnati Reds – 7.10PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers continue their quest to steal back the top spot of the NL West and come up against the Cincinnati Reds in the first of a three-game series over the weekend. The Reds have some chasing to do themselves, sitting one game back from the last Wild Card slot in the National League. 

Tim Newton

A pretty straightforward one here. The Reds have gone just 3-7 over their last 10 while LA have gone 8-2 and should comfortably win this. Walker Buehler is a much better pitcher than Luis Castillo, meaning LA has the edge in starting pitchers. While both sides are relatively even in both OPS and hits, the Dodgers have had 32 more runs so far this season and have a much more explosive offense. Adding to that, LA has the best run differential in the league, +244, while Cincinnati’s run differential is barely in the positives, +28. The Reds have allowed 184 more runs this season and we should see the Dodgers take advantage of this tonight.

Tim’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-102)

Katherine Mouradian

The Dodgers are stringing together the wins when they really need them, they have won six games in a row leading up to this three game series with the Reds, and now the Dodgers are just one game behind the Giants in the NL West. The Reds won last time out against the Pirates, which helped snap a four game losing streak, but it wasn’t a convincing win, the score was 1-0 in the end. The Reds have won just one of their previous seven when playing a team in the NL West, and they have won none of their previous four when Castillo is the starter. Looking at the Dodgers now, they have won 10 of their previous 14 games on the road when playing against a right handed pitcher, and they have won 21 of their previous 27 games when playing a team that has a winning record. The recent record of the Reds doesn’t really give me much confidence, they only got one win against the Pirates, and that scoreline was just 1-0. Now the Reds are coming up against a much better opposition, I’m just not sure they can really compete. With Buehler on the mound, give me the Dodgers.

Katherine’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (-188)

Mike Su

The Dodgers sit just one game behind the Giants for the lead in the NL West Division and in the NL Conference. Getting that number one seed is key for a playoff run, and the Dodgers are playing with the urgency you’d expect with the stakes, with 6 wins in a row. The Dodgers now face the Reds after sweeping the Padres and Diamondbacks. The Reds are a team that is still in the playoff hunt but their chances look dire especially when considering their form. The Reds have lost 7 of their last 10 games despite playing against average and below average teams. During their recent poor run, they have lost multiple games to the Cardinals, Pirates, Tigers and Cubs. Now they face a Dodgers team that will be starting arguably the best pitcher in the league. Walker Buehler is the Dodgers’ starting pitcher and has a 2.32 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 14-3 record in 186 innings pitched. Buehler has been on a tear and should continue that form against the Reds. The only worry for the Dodgers is that the Reds offense is relatively good with the 8th best batting unit in the league. However the Reds have a bottom half defense and will be facing a top 5 batting unit. Therefore, I’m going with the Dodgers to win big.

Mike’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-102)

Baltimore Orioles @ Boston Red Sox – 7.10PM ET

After a tough three-game series against AL East rivals the Yankees, the Baltimore Orioles now get on the road to face another AL East foe, the Boston Red Sox. Baltimore managed to steal the series finale from the Yankees last night while Boston had a day off yesterday to prepare after beating the Mariners 2-1. 

Tim Newton

While the Orioles managed to shock the Yankees last night, I don’t think they will make it two upsets in as many nights. Boston returns home, where they are 44-29 for the season, and have everything on the line in this clash. The Red Sox are yet to name their starter for this clash but Baltimore have named theirs and it doesn’t look good for the road side. Keegan Akin has a 2-9 record and even worse 6.83 ERA. That should allow the Boston offense, which can score with the best of them, to take control of this game early. I like Boston to win comfortably and in a high-scoring affair. 

Tim’s MLB Pick: Boston Red Sox -1.5 / Over TBA (TBA)

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Katherine Mouradian

The last time the Orioles and the Red Sox faced off against each other was in mid-August and the Red Sox were unstoppable, winning all three games, which shouldn’t really come as a surprise. A series against the Orioles couldn’t come at a better time for the Red Sox, who are in the thick of it when it comes to claiming one of the AL Wild Card spots. The Orioles have won 41 of their previous 151 when it comes to the first game of a series, and they have won only 24 of their previous 76 games played on a Friday. Over to the Red Sox now, they have won 17 of their previous 21 games played on a Friday, and they have won 25 of their previous 37 games at home. There is so much more incentive for the Red Sox compared to the Orioles, who are completely out of it. I think the Red Sox will rise up to the challenge and get the win they need.

Katherine’s MLB Pick: Boston Red Sox (TBA) 

Mike Su

After winning their last 2 against the Mariners, the Red Sox now face the worst team in the league as they fight for the 2nd spot in the AL East. The Red Sox are neck and neck with the Blue Jays and just half a game ahead of the Yankees. This is an extremely important matchup for the Red Sox to win down the stretch. The Orioles on the other hand sit at the bottom of the AL East and have been manhandled recently with back to back series against the Blue Jay and then the Yankees. The Orioles have only won 2 of their last 7 games. The Orioles will have a tough matchup with the Red Sox who have the edge in every team statistic and have the 4th best offense in the league. This looks especially worrying since the Orioles will be starting Keegan Akin, who has been one of the league’s worst pitchers this season with a 6.83 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and a 2-9 record.The Red Sox should blow the Orioles out of the water with a strong batting performance.

Mike’s MLB Pick: Boston Red Sox -1.5 (TBA)

San Diego Padres @ St Louis Cardinals – 8.15PM ET

The matchup with the biggest playoff ramifications sees the St Louis Cardinals host the San Diego Padres. St Louis currently holds the final Wild Card slot in the National League while San Diego is currently just half a game back from them in the standings. This three-game series could very well decide who sneaks into the postseason with tonight’s game being the tone-setter. 

Tim Newton

While the Padres have taken two straight off the Giants, in San Francisco, I think they are due for a down game. That should allow the Cardinals, who are at home and have won five straight games, to get on top of this mini Wild Card playoff series. Neither starting pitcher has me inspired but given this one is being played in Busch Stadium, St Louis is the play. They have a positive record at home, are in extremely good form and seem hungry for this win. 

Tim’s MLB Pick: St Louis Cardinals (-142)

Katherine Mouradian

The Cardinals are another team that is coming home hot, winning their last five games in a row (two against the Reds, and three against the Mets). They are now well in the fight for the last NL Wild Card spot. The Padres are just half a game behind the Cardinals for that Wild Card spot, which makes getting a win in this series even more important. Over to the all important stats for this matchup now! The Padres have won none of their previous four when it comes to the first game of a series, but they have won six of their previous seven when it comes to playing a team in the NL Central. Looking at the Cardinals now, they have won five of their previous seven games played on a Friday, and they have won four of their previous five when playing against a team that has a winning record. The Cardinals have got that winning feeling and don’t want to let it go. I think if Mikolas can get off to a good start, this game will be in the Cardinals backpocket.

Katherine’s MLB Pick: St Louis Cardinals (-142)

Mike Su

The Padres come off back to back wins against the league best Giants, and have a lot of momentum as they fight for their playoff chances. In a decisive 7-4 win where Fernando Tatis hit his 39th home run,the Padres looked like contenders. The Padres now look to increase their playoff chances by beating the 76-win Cardinals. The Cardinals are currently enjoying a 5 game winning streak and have looked very good lately. In fact they recently beat the 94-win Dodgers in back to back games. The Cardinals are a worthy opponent and will be fighting for the same Wild Card Spot as the Padres, so look for this matchup to be filled with fireworks. With both teams very much in form, this game is a little bit of a toss up. Therefore, I will be looking at the overall season statistics to make my pick. Both teams are in the top half of the league defensively and with such important stakes, they will both be playing tough baseball leading to a low scoring affair.

Mike’s MLB Pick: Under 8.5 runs (+100)

Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels – 9.38PM ET

The Los Angeles Angels host the Oakland Athletics tonight in what is the first of a three-game series over the weekend. While the Angels’ season is done and Shohei Ohtani has been put on ice, at least from a pitching perspective, the A’s are just three games back from a Wild Card slot meaning there is plenty to play for. 

Tim Newton

Both sides have won two straight heading into this one but given that Oakland still has something to play for, they should come out on top. Their offense has performed slightly better throughout the season and have a starting pitcher that is coming off a performance where he allowed just two runs in seven innings of work. While Cole Irvin’s numbers don’t set the world on fire, he has recorded more strikeouts on the road than at home in the same number of games and could give the Angels trouble. While LA are yet to name their starting pitcher, we know it won’t be Shohei Ohtani and his absence from the bullpen is a soul-crushing blow for this LA side.

Tim’s MLB Pick: Oakland Athletics (TBA)

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Katherine Mouradian

The Angels are flying high after winning the series against the White Sox, 2-1, and they are on a two game winning streak. The Athletics also won their last two games, against the Royals, and ended up winning that series, 2-1. Looking into the key stats for this game now! The Athletics have won 36 of their previous 53 games played on a Friday, and have won five of their previous 10 games in total. When it comes to the Angels, they have won one of their previous five games against a team in the AL West, and they have won 15 of their previous 53 games on a Friday. It seems like the Athletics offense comes to life when they are on the road, and they have won almost as many games on the road as they have at home this season. This coupled with an inconsistent defence from the Angels, I’ll be on the Athletics for this Friday night clash.

Katherine’s MLB Pick: Oakland Athletics (TBA)

Mike Su

The Oakland Athletics are fighting for their tiny chance of making the Playoffs as a Wild Card. They sit on 79 wins and have a 4.5% chance of making the playoffs. With a loss here, their playoff chances are gone. In order to keep their hopes alive they will be playing their inter division rival the LA Angels. The Athletics have dominated the Angels so far this season, with 12 wins in 16 games including numerous shutout wins. However, both teams are in the top half of the league when it comes to runs per game. The Athletics led by Matt Olson have averaged an 11th best 4.63 runs per game while the Angels led by the potential MVP Shohei Ohtani have averaged a 15th best 4.48 runs per game. Although the Athletics have been the better pitching team this year, in this game they are starting Cole Irvin who doesn’t inspire much confidence. Irvin has a decent 4.04 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 158 innings but has just a 9-13 record. I think this will be a high scoring matchup and Ohtani plays for the home run lead and the Athletics play for their playoff chances.

Mike’s MLB Pick: Over 9 (TBA)

Atlanta Braves @ San Francisco Giants – 9.45PM ET

Two National League division leaders go head to head in this series, as the San Francisco Giants host the Atlanta Braves. The last time these sides met, in Atlanta, the Braves managed to win the series 2-1 and capped it off with a 9-0 thumping in the finale.

Tim Newton

This is the one I am most excited for but it may be one of the more boring games on the slate. Both sides are starting incredible pitchers and it should make this a defensive showdown. Ian Anderson has been rock solid for Atlanta this season with a 7-5 record and 3.61 ERA but he doesn’t quite compare to Logan Webb. From 23 appearances, 22 of which were starts, Webb has a 10-3 record and incredible 2.80 ERA. Looking at his last seven games he has gone 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA and should give the Giants the edge in this clash.

Tim’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants / Under 7.5 (+210)

Katherine Mouradian

The Braves have a tough series with the Giants on their hands, and considering they are only three and a half games ahead of the Phillies in the NL East, this could get very interesting! The Giants have problems of their own, with the Dodgers going on a nice run of wins and are now only one game behind them in the NL West. With so much on the line, let’s take a look at some of the key stats for this matchup. The Braves have won none of their previous four games when they are the underdog, and they have won 15 of their previous 20 games on the road. Looking at the Giants now, they have won 36 of their previous 52 games in total, and they have won 49 of their previous 66 when they started as the favorite. The Braves have a good record against the Giants as of late, but the Giants are certainly the more consistent of the two teams and the Giants have managed to win seven games in a row that Webb has pitched. I’ll be on the Giants. 

Katherine’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants (-178)

Mike Su

The Giants have lost back to back games against the Padres and now sit just 1 game ahead of the Dodgers for the NL West and NL Conference division lead. The Giants will be facing the 76-win Braves, who sit at the top of the NL East division. The Braves have been very average recently with just 5 wins in their last 10 games despite playing average competition. They have not played well in recent games against the Rockies, Marlins and Nationals. The Braves will face significantly more difficult competition against the Giants. The Giants will be starting Logan Webb to take out the Braves. Webb has been great this season with a 2.8 ERA and 1.11 WHIP leading to a 10-3 record. In Webb’s last game against the Braves, he had 6 strikeouts and allowed 0 runs in 7 innings. We should see much of the same in this game. I think the Giants win this by a minimum of 2 runs.

Mike’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+126)

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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.

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