MLB Best Bets from Eckel: A pair of HR picks, Royals vs White Sox, Indians vs Cardinals, and A's vs Astros

A better wager these days might be whether or not a baseball game is going to be played.

Between Covid-19, protests, and typical rainy days it’s about 50-50 every day in MLB.

Here’s our Friday picks, after only one of our three Thursday games were actually played.

Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m.

Pitchers: Danny Duffy vs. Reynaldo Lopez

Odds: Royals +130; White Sox -140

Cleveland Indians at St. Louis Cardinals, 8:15 p.m.

Pitchers: Triston McKenzie vs. Daniel Ponce de Leon

Odds: Indians -130; Cardinals +115

Oakland A’s at Houston Astros, 9:10 p.m.

Pitchers: Chris Bassitt vs. Lance McCullers

Odds: A’s +105; Astros -125

THE CYCLE

Single: The power-hitting White Sox (59 home runs in 31 games) have won nine of their last 10. The light-hitting Royals have lost seven of their last 10. Take the White Sox.

Double: McKenzie, the Indians bright young prospect, had a 10-strikeout MLB debut and now gets a Cardinals team struggling at the plate. Ponce DeLeon (0-2, 5.25) needs to discover a few new pitches. Take the Indians.

Triple: The game of the night takes place in the AL West. These two teams aren’t real and of each other. Chris Bassitt held the Astros to three hits and one run over seven innings last time he faced them. McCullers (2-2, 5.78) has struggled all season. Take the A’s.

Home Runs: You have to take a White Sox player, so let’s try rookie phenom Luis Robert ad we’ll add Oakland’s Stephen Piscotty as well.