Thursday's Major League Baseball schedule only features a handful of games, but we still have plenty of ways to go for MLB Underdog picks and top plays. Our top MLB picks today on Underdog Fantasy feature Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal in a matchup against the Cleveland Guardians and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in a favorable spot. Check out these MLB player picks on Underdog Fantasy for “Pick'Em” contests tonight. Don't forget to check out the latest MLB weather report and the confirmed MLB lineups when placing those MLB daily picks or setting daily fantasy baseball lineups. Plus, the MLB daily projections and MLB Batter vs Pitcher page will help you find the best matchups for MLB player props and MLB DFS lineups. Let's dive into the top MLB player picks on Underdog Fantasy for Thursday, August 17th.

 

MLB Underdog Fantasy Top Picks August 17

Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers – LOWER than 5.5 Hits Allowed

It’s been an up-and-down season for Tarik Skubal ever since he returned to the Detroit Tigers rotation in July. He’s bounced between scoreless appearances and shaky outings alike, but tonight we have plenty of reasons to expect one of those better performances. Why? Well, for one, the Cleveland Guardians are absolutely terrible against left-handed pitching. The Guardians offense ranks dead last in the majors against left-handers in wOBA (.284), OPS (.650), and ISO (.127) with a poor .231 BA in the split as well (2nd-worst). In the month of August, Cleveland has been even worse vs lefties with a .192 wOBA, .436 OPS, .057 ISO, and .165 BA. 

This is a matchup that Skubal can take advantage of and post a good outing. His 4.18 ERA isn’t too impressive right now, but the Tigers lefty boasts a strong 2.09 FIP and 2.70 xERA with positive regression likely coming. His high .349 BABIP and low 54.7% LOB rate suggest that he’s been unlucky too when it comes to allowing hits and giving up runs. The Guardians have also struggled against each of the past five left-handed starters to face them, including Andrew Abbott yesterday, and Skubal should keep the trend going.

Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals – HIGHER than 1.5 Total Bases

Sometimes we get an MLB Batter vs Pitcher matchup that’s way too juicy to ignore, no matter the players involved. Well, allow me to introduce to you to Paul Goldschmidt’s proven success against Jose Quintana. Across their respective careers, Goldy is 11-for-17 for a .647 batting average against Quintana with three home runs and three doubles. Those are some eye-opening numbers and the sample size is big enough to realize has the clear upper hand in this BvP matchup. 

Goldschmidt also comes in hitting well with a .321 BA over the past seven games and more than 1.5 total bases in seven of his last 11 contests. Quintana has been solid for the New York Mets since returning from injury in mid-July, with a 3.03 ERA over five starts. However, he has to face a St. Louis Cardinals offense that hits left-handed pitching well with a .352 wOBA and .281 BA in the split over the past two weeks. Goldschmidt has played a role in that with better numbers against lefties than righties this season. 

 

MLB Best Bets

If you are looking for some MLB Best Bets today, check out our MLB betting picks for today's slate of games.

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