It's the final Friday of the regular season, and one of your final chances to take advantage of a full slate of games. Here’s some over/unders to take a look at for Friday’s MLB action.
John Means: 4.5 strikeouts vs. Red Sox - Over (PrizePicks)
Means is not a strikeout artist, but he’s been an effective option since rejoining the Baltimore rotation with a 2.60 ERA over those three starts. He’ll also be facing a Boston lineup that offers plenty of chances for swing-and-miss, and Means is likely to work relatively deep as Baltimore is trying to keep his arm strength up. If this was a high total like seven or eight punchouts we’d probably pass, but needing only five strikeouts to hit the over makes this the play.
Ken Waldichuk: 17.5 outs vs. Angels - Under (Underdog)
You could make a compelling argument for both sides of this over/under, and generally that means this is an option that you should stay away from. I’m feeling a little risky on this final Friday of the regular season and will bet on Waldichuk regressing even against a poor Angels’ lineup. The southpaw has gone six innings in three of his last four starts and has a solid ERA of 3.22 in four September chances, but this is still more of a long-term play than one you should be trusting in daily fantasy games. Asking for six innings from Waldichuk in an over/under is too risky a proposition, even against a less-than-spectacular Los Angeles group.
Cody Bellinger: 7.0 fantasy points vs. Brewers - Higher (PrizePicks)
The Cubs were swept by Atlanta this week, but little -- if any -- of that had to do with the play of Bellinger, as he went 6-for-13 in that series in what can only be described as a remarkable turnaround from the struggles he had for the overwhelming majority of the 2022 season. He’ll go up against Colin Rea and the Milwaukee bullpen on Friday in games that mean absolutely nothing to the Brewers and are must-win games for the Cubs if they are to play past the final regular season weekend. Don’t be surprised if Bellinger has a few massive games to try and help Chicago play postseason baseball.
J.P. Crawford: 1.5 hits + runs + RBI vs. Rangers -- Over (Underdog)
Crawford has somewhat quietly put together an excellent season for the Mariners, and he came up huge for Seattle with a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to give the M’s a 3-2 victory. He’ll be leading off Friday against Nathan Eovaldi, and the shortstop will look to continue a good run while hitting in front of star outfielder Julio Rodriguez. It’s pretty easy to picture Crawford picking up a couple of knocks in another must-win game for Seattle, and the fact that he’ll hit at the top with Rodriguez and power-hitting backstop Cal Raleigh behind him eans run opportunities are readily apparent as well.
Bobby Witt Jr. + Aaron Judge: 5.0 hits + runs + RBI - Over (PrizePicks)
Let’s end the final Friday of the regular season with a fun one featuring a former MVP in Judge and a player that has a great chance to win one in the future in Witt Jr. (not that Judge can’t win another one, either, obviously). Judge will get a chance to square off against one of the worst starters in baseball in Jordan Lyles, while Witt Jr. will take on a lefty in Carlos Rodon. Against left-handers this year the shortstop is hitting .297 with an OPS of .858, so it’s safe to say that both hitters have an opportunity to do a lot of damage Friday in Kansas City. It’s a high total, but it’s always a good idea to bet on talents like Judge and Witt Jr.
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