MLB Best Bets – Free (Friday 9/13)

We have another action-packed Friday ahead of us, featuring a 15-game MLB slate. There are just 15 games remaining in the regular season for most teams, and playoff races in each division are coming down to the wire. Friday we’ll focus on the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and young right-hander Landon Knack.

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves

Knack has only made 11 starts this season, but he has been stable in all but two of them. He’s covered at least five strikeouts in seven of his 11 starts this season, including recording eight punchouts against a tough Clevland Guardians lineup in his last outing. Friday, Knack faces an Atlanta Braves lineup that is potent, but they’ve had their struggles with plate discipline as well.

The Braves come into Friday with the sixth-highest K% against RHP this season (24.3%). Atlanta has allowed six of the last seven righties they’ve seen to record at least five strikeouts and 10 of the last 11 pitchers overall have covered. Friday, the Braves have seven right-handed hitters in the lineup, and Knack has a 28% K% against RHB over the L60 days. Six of the nine hitters in the ATL have at least a 25% or worse strikeout rate against Knack’s top three pitches over the last 30 days. We’ll back the young right-hander to keep the whiffs rolling in Atlanta.