3 Underdog MLB Props for Wednesday, August 16

As much as I like to celebrate personal successes, I always like to recognize when it’s an off day. My picks went just 1 for 3 yesterday, which simply isn’t good enough. Despite yesterday’s performance being less than ideal, we’re back and ready to attack today’s slate with confidence!

There are 15 games on the slate today, with plenty of value to be found across the board. Let’s take a look at our favorite player props, which can all be found on Underdog.

Aaron Civale UNDER 4.5 Strikeouts

When the Cleveland Guardians moved on from Aaron Civale, it was a sign that they were moving all of their good pieces, indicating that their season was over. Now, Civale is a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the best pitching staffs in the league.

He and the Rays face off against the San Francisco Giants today, who are coming off a seven-run shutout of the Rays. Their bats are hot, something we expect to continue into today’s contest. This, paired with Civale’s less-than-ideal past, indicates that he’s not going to have a lot of strikeouts today.

Civale hasn’t pitched for more than six innings in his last three outings, and the Rays have a propensity to pull their starters at the first sign of struggle. With this in mind, we recommend the under on Civale’s K prop today.

Paul Blackburn OVER 4 Strikeouts

Paul Blackburn has been one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise disappointing Oakland Athletics team. He has struck out at least seven batters in two of his past three appearances, going at least five innings in each game.

Tonight, the Athletics face off against the St. Louis Cardinals, who are on one of the most surprising skids in baseball. When I was looking at tonight’s lines, I was certain Blackburn’s line would be closer to 5.5, even 6 strikeouts. Take this line with confidence, especially given the Cardinals’ recent struggles.

Plus, the Athletics don’t have much to play for at this point, and even if Blackburn is getting peppered, they will likely keep him out there for five-plus innings. This should give him ample opportunity to attain if not greatly achieve the four strikeout mark.

Randy Vasquez UNDER 3.5 Strikeouts

Vasquez and the New York Yankees are facing off against the Atlanta Braves tonight. I actually feel somewhat bad for Vasquez, given my projections for the Braves lineup.

He hasn’t struck out four or more batters since May 26th and has struggled in his other outings. The Braves are red-hot, and we’re projecting that to continue into tonight’s game. Don’t hesitate to take the under on Vasquez’s K total tonight.