MLB Betting Trends Thursday August 18, 2022: Who's Hot, Who's Not and Where You Should Bet

Betting on baseball is all about knowing who's hot and who's not, so we're filling you in on everything you need to know before you make your Thursday, August 18, 2022 MLB plays. 

Dimers.com contributor Tony Bellissimo tours both camps in the Thursday August 18, 2022 edition of Who's Hot and Who's Not in the MLB right now.

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MLB Betting Insights 08/18/2022

Which MLB team is hot right now?

With 7 wins in their last 10 games, the Seattle Mariners find themselves in the top wild-card position in the American League. The Ms have gained ground on each of the other five legitimate wild-card contenders during the stretch and sit 11 games over .500 with three games against Oakland and two against Washington on deck.

Seattle scored 25 runs in a three-game sweep of the Angels and is getting contributions up and down its lineup. Improving its .232 batting average down the stretch is key to its playoff hopes.

Which MLB team is cold right now?

The Pittsburgh Pirates are no strangers to this distinction, and it probably won’t be the last time they’re listed as ice cold. The Bucs dropped their sixth in a row and fell to 1-7 in their last eight after falling at home to Boston last night, 8-3, after leading by two runs after their first two batters came to the plate.

Pittsburgh didn’t score thereafter, which came as no big surprise considering it ranks next-to-last in MLB in batting average at .220. JT Brubaker gets the nod in the series finale against the Red Sox. He’s had his moments despite a record of 2-10 with a 4.45 ERA.

MLB players: Who is in hot form?

Called up by Kansas City on June 27, rookie Vinnie Pasquantino is becoming more and more comfortable and confident at the plate. He got through a rough opening month adapting to big league pitching and is now the Royals’ clean-up hitter most games.

He was named AL Player of the Week last week and is locked in — 15 for his last 32 with 5 homers, 8 RBIs and only two strikeouts. On the year, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound first baseman is hitting a solid .275 with 8 homers. He has a tough assignment tonight against Tampa’s hard-throwing lefty Shane McClanahan

MLB Players: Who is out of form?

While Pasquantino is on the rise, Royals star young SS Bobby Witt is having a tough go of it lately. Though Witt is a five-tool player who can carry a daily fantasy lineup at any time, he’s managed only 7 hits in his last 37 at-bats with no homers and just a single RBI and two steals.

One of the best young talents in the game, the 22-year-old phenom shouldn’t be expected to struggle for long. While McClanhan is a tall order, you can never make a case for ignoring Witt.