Stuart Durst's Premium Picks for Nationals vs. Diamondbacks
Oddschecker handicapper Stuart Durst is here to provide his best MLB picks for today's Nationals and Diamondbacks game. Tail these premium MLB picks for Thursday.
Stuart Durst - June 8, 2023, 10:57 AM EDT
5 minStuart Durst's Premium Picks for Nationals vs. Diamondbacks
Emmanuel Rivera is someone I’m looking to target against my Washington Nationals today. This Arizona Diamondbacks offense has been one of the more surprising stories this season, and the young role players are stepping up and being a huge part of it.
Emmanuel Rivera o1.5 hits + runs + RBIs (-130) Bet $100 to collect $176 DraftKings has the best odds
Emmanuel Rivera 2+ Hits (+200) Bet $100 to collect $300 DraftKings has the best odds
If you're looking for a compelling lesser-known player to place your bet on tonight, consider Emmanuel Rivera as a top choice. Rivera has proven to be a formidable force on the field with an impressive (and honestly surprising) batting average of .362. While he started out mostly playing against left-handed pitchers, he’s now proving he can start against righties. The Diamondbacks are playing some very good baseball right now; Rivera has plenty of protection around him in that lineup. He wasn't playing when the Diamondbacks faced off against the Nationals earlier in the season, but I expect four ABs today.
He is coming in with a good recent form, recording at least one hit in nine out of his last ten games, demonstrating his consistency in the starting lineup. Additionally, in his previous starts against Washington, he has showcased his power by registering 2+ total bases in both games. While Josiah Gray is having a good season, he’s been worse against righties allowing a .277 OBA versus a .211 to left-handed hitters. Gray also got off to a very fast start but has been slowly regressing in both xBA and xSLG over his last couple of starts.
Additionally, Rivera has really good pitch splits against Josiah Gray’s top three pitches this season. Gray is primarily throwing the slider and 4-seam fastball to righties, which Rivera hits .333/.348 against. If you’re going to hit Josiah Gray, you have to be comfortable with the slider, and it happens to be one of Rivera’s best pitches. Gray's third most popular pitch to right-handed hitters is the curveball, which he’s hitting .385 against. I expect another multi-hit game for Rivera, and I don't think we'll get this price for much longer.
