This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Best Bets at FanDuel Sportsbook: Expert MLB Picks for Wednesday, August 17
RotoWire.com's Juan Carlos Blanco identifies his MLB bets and MLB player props to target today.
Last article: 2-2 (-2.60 RW Bucks)
Season Record: 61-67-4 (-14.91 RW Bucks)
I'm focused on one interleague and one NL matchup where I see the favorites thriving thanks to a pair of solid starting southpaws.
Boston Red Sox 
at Pittsburgh Pirates 
Starting Pitchers: Rich Hill vs. Roansy Contreras
Hill has been abysmal his last two times on the mound but the conditions could line up nicely for a bounce-back effort Wednesday. The veteran southpaw faces one of the most punchless teams in all of baseball in the Pirates, which own a 26.9 percent strikeout rate, .215 average, .267 OBP, .284 wOBA and -5.4 wRAA against lefties at home in the last two months of play. Hill has also been at his best outside of Fenway, producing a 3-2 record, 3.42 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 0.6 HR/9 across 47.1 innings on the road. Additionally, no team in the NL has been less potent offensively in the first five innings per home game than Pittsburgh, as the Bucs average just 1.78 runs per first 5 in that split.
Contreras is returning from Triple-A Indianapolis for this start and has been a bright spot for the most part when up at the big-league level this season. The promising righty did get tagged for seven runs two starts ago by the Brewers on July 1, but he's otherwise allowed three earned runs or less in his 11 other appearances. Contreras has been pitching fairly well in the minors since his last big-league stint, and the Red Sox have been an inconsistent offensive bunch all season that has just a .216 average, .281 OBP, .279 wOBA and -5.0 wRAA against righties on the road since the All-Star break.
MLB Best Bets for Red Sox at Pirates
- Under 4.5 runs – 1st 5 innings (-128) for 1.28 RW Bucks
- Red Sox moneyline – 1st 5 innings (-150) for 1.50 RW Bucks
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Colorado Rockies 
at St. Louis Cardinals 
Starting Pitchers: German Marquez vs. Jordan Montgomery
Marquez is having a forgettable season overall, but his 4.07 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 1.0 HR/9 on the road are much better than the respective 5.85, 1.53 and 1.9 figures he's generated in those categories at Coors. However, he's running into a red-hot Cardinals offense that has an .809 OPS, .352 wOBA and 6.6 wRAA against righties at home since the All-Star break. Additionally, St. Louis averages a robust 4.78 runs per home game, including 2.8 per first five innings per home contest. The Cards are an excellent 32-18-9 against the first 5 innings moneyline as well, while the Rockies have a 10-33-11 tally in that split on the road.
Montgomery has immediately taken to Busch Stadium since his trade from the Yankees, as he's fired 11 shutout innings over his old squad and the Brewers there in his first two starts with the Cardinals. The scoreless streak is naturally unsustainable over the long term, but there's no denying the appeal of a matchup against a Rockies team that averages an NL-low 3.25 runs per road game and that has a .235 average, .290 wOBA and -5.7 wRAA against southpaws on the road in the last two months. The Cards are also an impressive 34-25 against the run line at home, fueling the second pick.
If you're tracking the MLB divisional races, check out RotoWire's MLB division odds page where the Cardinals have suddenly moved into the driver's seat according to the latest NL Central odds.
MLB Best Bets for Rockies at Cardinals
- Cardinals -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (-122) for 1.22 RW Bucks
- Cardinals -1.5 (+105) for 1 RW Buck
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MLB Best Bets Today Recap
- Red Sox-Pirates Under 4.5 runs – 1st 5 innings (-128) for 1.28 RW Bucks
- Red Sox moneyline – 1st 5 innings (-150) for 1.50 RW Bucks
- Cardinals -0.5 – 1st 5 innings (-122) for 1.22 RW Bucks
- Cardinals -1.5 (+105) for 1 RW Buck
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. Check out what the FanDuel Sportsbook has to offer in terms of MLB player props and be sure to use our MLB odds page for the latest lines as well.
Before you place your bets, be sure to use all of RotoWire's MLB resources, like our MLB Lineups page, MLB Weather page, and the best batter vs. pitcher stats.
