This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
Previous article (7/24): 1-3, -1.95 RW Bucks
Season: 42-40-4, -0.07 RW Bucks
We have a typical split Wednesday slate on tap, and I'm focusing in on one matinee and one evening matchup, with both games poised to feature some strong pitching performances.
Houston Astros 
at Seattle Mariners 
3:40pm ET
Starting Pitchers: Jake Odorizzi vs. Yusei Kikuchi
The Pick
Mariners moneyline (+110 on UniBet Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
Secondary Picks
Yusei Kikuchi To Record A Win (+105 on BetMGM Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
Under 8.5 runs (-105 on BetMGM Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
Odorizzi hasn't pitched as poorly as his 3-5 record would suggest, as he's allowed just 45 hits in 55.1 innings and has a respectable 4.23 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and acceptable 1.1 HR/9. He did get banged around a bit by the Mariners in his one prior encounter with them this season, however, allowing four earned runs over 4.1 innings at T-Mobile Park back on April 18. Seattle has also shown more life at the plate of late, averaging 7.0 runs per game over the last three.
Kikuchi is coming off a brilliant 12-strikeout effort against the A's, and he owns an impressive 9.9 K/9 across 50.2 home frames this season. He's logged a pair of seven-inning starts against the Astros this season as well, and after giving up five earned runs in the first one, he bounced back to impressively hold Houston to one hit over seven frames April 29. Dusty Baker's squad has also struggled plenty against left-handed pitching on the road, posting a 28.1 percent strikeout rate, .187 average, -4.9 wRAA and .245 wOBA versus southpaws in the last month.
Atlanta Braves at New York Mets, 7:10 pm Eastern
Starting Pitchers: Max Fried vs. Tylor Megill
The Pick
Under 4.0 runs first 5 innings (-110 on DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
Secondary Picks
Max Fried Over 6.5 strikeouts (+116 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
Braves moneyline (+120 on William Hill Sportsbook) for 1 RWBuck
Fried has had a couple of uncharacteristic stumbles this season, but he's had success against the Mets. The left-hander has held New York to three earned runs over 11 innings, leading to a 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 12.3 K/9 and 0.8 HR/9 over that span. Current Mets bats have been struggling against Fried for longer than that as well, as they own a collective .213 average and .340 slugging percentage in 125 career plate appearances against him.
Megill has been highly impressive in his first six starts, but the only team to really get to him a bit so far has been the Braves. Atlanta touched up Megill for five earned runs over 9.1 combined innings in his first two big-league starts back on June 23 and 29. Megill has subsequently gone on to pitch to a minuscule 0.87 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over his subsequent four turns, however, so there's certainly reason to believe he could limit the damage overall.
