MLB All-Star Game Betting Preview/Prop Picks
19 July 2022
The All-Star Game is always a lot of fun to watch as the American League faces the National League. Now that the lineups are set, we can take a look at each team and make our predictions.
Perhaps the best part about the event is that you get to see these elite players on the same side. A team-up between Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge is on the menu for the AL.
The National League also has a few players that are worth keeping an eye on. Ronald Acuna Jr. will lead off for the team tonight, but we’ll get into that below.
The National League has also announced their starting pitcher for this evening. Of the 33 All-Star games that have been played since 1988, the NL has won just six. Could they get their seventh win today?
American League: Big bats lead the AL in this one
With players such as Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the AL is bringing the big bats. Not only do they have solid home run hitters, but also guys like Byron Buxton and Tim Anderson.
They also have Rafael Devers in the lineup, who has a .324 batting average. Judge leads Major League Baseball with 33 home runs, and Giancarlo Stanton is at 24, ranking fifth.
With these bats, the American League is in a good spot to win this game. However, they’re also doubling down on the mound with Shane McClanahan.
McClanahan has the best ERA in all of baseball at the moment with a 1.71 ERA. He’s also third in strikeouts with 147 this season.
This season, McClanahan has a 10-3 record and has pitched 110.2 innings and allowed just 69 hits.
National League: Kershaw set to take the mound for the NL
Considering there are some heavy bats on the AL side, the NL needed a strong pitcher. For this All-Star Game, they’ll have Clayton Kershaw take the mound.
Kershaw has a 7-2 record this season with an ERA of 2.13. Over the span of 71.2 innings, Kershaw has thrown 75 strikeouts. He’s missed a bit of time this season, but overall, Kershaw is ready to take on the AL tonight.
The good news is Kershaw will have a few strong bats behind him. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Mookie Betts are the first and second batters coming to the plate.
Acuna has hit eight home runs this season and has a batting average of .265. Betts has the same batting average but has already hit 20 home runs. With these guys at the plate, today might be tough for McClanahan.
American League vs. National League Betting Pick
Kershaw being on the mound for the National League is good, but it’s not McClanahan good. It’s also a possibility that Shohei Ohtani could come out of the bullpen.
The bullpen is just as important as the starting pitcher in this scenario. The American League comes in at -105, and we think they’re the best pick for this game.
The AL has won 20 of the last 24 matches and hasn’t lost in eight straight games. Along with the AL, we’re going to take the over as well. With Judge, Anderson, Buxton, and Ohtani, there’s no way this game doesn’t go over.
DunkelIndex Free Pick: American League -105, OVER
Prop Picks
American League (-125) OVER 3.5 Runs
The American League has averaged 4.85 runs per 9 innings on offense over the last seven All-Star games. That average increased to 5.00 runs per 9 innings in the last five played in NL ballparks.
With Dunkel predicting an American League victory at Dodger Stadium by the score of 5-4, take the AL (-125) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 3.5 runs against the NL.
American League (-105) Most Hits
The AL has outhit the NL by a margin of 71-54 over the last eight All-Star games, all AL victories. The AL has outhit the NL in each of the last four contests by a margin of 40-27.
With Dunkel predicting another American League win tonight, take the AL (-105) to finish with more hits than the NL.
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