Best Bets Today for July 20: Day 197 of Betting $100 Every Day for a Year

My journey of betting $100 every day for a year marches on as we approach Day 200. I went all in on Spain to win yesterday's World Cup final, and the strategy paid off. Unfortunately, the World Cup is now over which means we have mostly just baseball and WNBA to bet on from now until the start of the football season.

I have four MLB plays locked in for today, so let's dive into them.

Betting $100 Every Day for a Year Record

Yesterday: 1-0 ($66.67)
Year-to-date: 335-359-11 (+$87.25)

July 20 Picks and Best Bets

$25: Braxton Ashcraft OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-115) via BetMGM
$25: Nationals -1.5 (+125) vs. Rockies via TheScore Bet
$25: Reds +124 vs. Mariners via FanDuel
$25: Athletics/Diamondbacks OVER 9 (-120) via Caesars

Pirates vs. Yankees Prop Bet

Pick: $25 on Braxton Ashcraft OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-115)

The New York Yankees' offense has been horrible lately, and one of their biggest issues is striking out. Over the past 30 days, they have a strikeout rate of 28.3%, which is the most in the Majors in that time frame by a whopping 1.3%. That should set up well for Braxton Ashcraft, who has averaged 6.7 strikeouts per start since the beginning of June.

Nationals vs. Rockies Prediction

Pick: $25 on Nationals -1.5 (+125)

A lot is going the Nationals way tonight. They have the second-best offense in baseball over the past 30 days with a wRC+ of 127, and they also have the best offense in baseball this season when facing left-handed pitchers with a wRC+ of 118. Now, they get to face the worst lefty starter in baseball in Kyle Freeland (7.36 ERA) at the most hitter-friendly ballpark possible. There's no limit to the amount of runs the Nationals can score tonight.

Reds vs. Mariners Prediction

Pick: $25 on Reds +124

The Mariners are in the opposite situation to the Nationals. They have struggled against lefties all season, ranking 28th in wRC+ (86) against left-handed pitchers, and their offense as a whole is 27th in that metric over the past 30 days. Despite that, they're favored against a left-handed pitcher in Andrew Abbott (4.11 ERA) of the Reds. This is going to be a tough spot for Seattle.

Athletics vs. Diamondbacks Prediction

Pick: OVER 9 (-120)

Tonight's Athletics vs. Diamondbacks game is a battle of lefties when Jeffrey Springs (6.08 ERA) takes on Mitch Bratt (6.00 ERA). Both offenses have been better when facing left-handed pitchers this season. The Athletics' wRC+ improves from 100 against righties to 102 against lefties, while the Diamondbacks improve from 84 to 108. That should be a recipe for a high-scoring affair in this interleague duel.

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