2022 MLB All-Star Game Betting Predictions: Can Shane McClanahan and Clayton Kershaw Shine?
2022 MLB All-Star Game Betting Predictions: Can Shane McClanahan and Clayton Kershaw Shine?
The MLB All-Star game is back once again and the NL are surprisingly the favorites once again. The AL has been utterly dominant over the last quarter-century, with the AL holding a 20-3-1 head-to-read record over the NL the last 24 years. Despite this, it’s still the AL who are underdogs tonight, with the line sitting around -105 on most books. So what should you take in this game?
2022 MLB All-Star Game Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
- Date: July 19, 2022
- Start Time: 8:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: FOX
Click here for MLB All-Star Game odds
2022 MLB All-Star Game Prediction
For starters, there’s never any perfect way to analyze the all-star game. Starting pitchers only go 1-2 innings and even the lineup changes mid-game. Most batters get around two at-bats, rotating with the other all-star selections. Due to this, the only real known fact in this game is who will be pitching and hitting in the first inning.
We know it will be Shane McClanahan against Clayton Kershaw. We also know it will be Ohtani, Judge, and Devers leading off for the AL, and Acuña Jr., Betts, and Machado leading off for the NL. Will this small piece of guaranteed info, I think the safest bet is a first-inning bet.
The first inning bet I like the most is YRFI. It sounds very scary to bet this with two of the lowest ERAs in the league on the mound, but there are also three of the best hitters in each league at the top of each order, with the only lefty bat in the first five batters for either team is Shohei Ohtani. There’s also a plethora of righty bats at the top of each order, and both McClanahan and Kershaw are left-handed pitchers.
Right-handed hitters typically hit better off lefty pitchers, and this is definitely the case for the NL side especially. Betts, Goldschmidt, and Turner have all been crushing lefty pitchers this season, with Goldschmidt leading the MLB in average against left-handed pitchers with a .446 batting average. The AL shouldn’t be looked over for scoring in the first inning either. Aaron Judge is hitting a home run almost every three hits, and he is 1-3 with a home run against Kershaw. Same with Giancarlo Stanton.
With all that power at the top of the order, and the wind blowing out at Dodger Stadium, I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone go yard, even with two studs on the mound. Plus, with the total being so low, the odds are boosted on the NRFI, so I will go against the grain and back the plus-odds YRFI. This is the all-star game, though, so I wouldn’t advise any heavy play on anything tonight. Bet it. It's just for fun and for us to have something to root for.
2022 MLB All-Star Game Pick
Play: All-Star Game YRFI @ +115 (Bet $100 to win $115)
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Article Author
Ben Rajavuori is a handicapper out of Minneapolis, MN. He has been creating sports content for almost four years now and is an expert in all things NFL, MLB, NBA, UFC, and NCAAB. Ben thrives on diving deep into statistics to find the best angle on every bet. You can follow him on Twitter @WeBeatTheSpread.