Oakland Athletics vs Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop: Will Paul Blackburn Shutdown the Rays' Lineup?

Oakland Athletics vs Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop: Will Paul Blackburn Shutdown the Rays' Lineup?

It's May. That means it's time to buckle down on pitcher strikeout props. These are the guys that are going to be here for us for the entire summer. When the NBA guys quit balling and the NFL guys are in training camp, it will be the MLB guys that will be filling the void. We owe it to them to pay attention now. It's the right thing to do. On top of that, people forget that one of the best ways to watch an NBA game is to have a little side-piece MLB game going. Everyone knows that. What I think we should do, is go through the NBA lines a million times like we were going to do anyway. Then find an MLB pitcher prop to bet like the kings (and queens) we are. Lucky for us I found the perfect move and it's at 9:40pm ET which is primetime for tonight's board. We're just living the dream.

Athletics vs. Rays Start Time and Where to Watch

• Date: May 3, 2022
• Game Time: 9:40 pm ET
• Where to Watch: MLB Extra Innings, NBC Sports California

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Oakland Athletics vs Tamps Bay Rays Player Prop Pick

Paul Blackburn 4+ Strikeouts (+104) (Bet $100 to win $104)

*Odds available at FanDuel at time of publishing*

Oakland Athletics vs Tamps Bay Rays Prediction

FanDuel is the spot for this one because nobody else wants to release a line on this guy. It's so sad that day in and day out FanDuel does God's work by getting us lines we can bet while the other guys just sit on their hands. Unreal. Hopefully, the others join in but by the time they do, it will be too late. I'm already in. Not for nothing but fellow YOLO psychopaths will be happy to know FanDuel is offering 5+ for +230.

Paul Blackburn. Beard guy. I'm not a big beard guy but it's not because I can't grow one. I can grow a fantastic beard. It's gray now and it doesn't go with my Johnny Sins hairstyle but I could technically grow one. But this isn't about me, it's about Paul Blackburn and his beard which is fantastic. He looks like a middle reliever from the 1970s but looks can be deceiving.

I view Blackburn and his beard as a modern-day starter. He's gone five innings in every game he's thrown so far this season but there is reason to believe he can give us a little more. The guy threw 84 pitches last time out. That's big because his high before that was 73 pitches. Our bearded guy is stretched out people.

Now the haters may try to throw us off of Blackburn by saying that four is his ceiling since he's only fanned more than four guys once this season. When they do that, you'd better be ready. You need to say "with all due respect, shut up hater". "I'll have you know that Blackburn whiffed seven of these same Rays less than a month ago!" Man, you really told that hater.

You didn't even lie either because in his first start of the season Blackburn fanned seven Tampa Bay Rays' hitters. The man caused 12 swing and misses that day. What a beast! By my count, there are seven guys that could be in Tampa's lineup with at least a 25% strikeout rate over the last two weeks. This guy should see at least four guys walk back to the dugout in shame tonight.

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