MLB tidbits – Thursday, April 25
Some quick thoughts on today’s MLB card. A couple of sentences detailing some of the stuff we considered.
Lines per Pinnacle at time when notes posted.
Hopefully this helps your handicapping. We always post rationale with our picks with the goal of helping people graduate from being betting zombies. Read. Consider. Make a wagering decision. GL and enjoy the games!
Arizona at Pittsburgh (12:35 pm)
Pittsburgh -109 Arizona +100
The SNAKES are on SUPAH HOT FIRE right now (8-2 L10) and are doing a really nice impression of the early season Seattle Mariners (another 11 runs last night). Greinke is pitching well (two straight QS) but has allowed an eye-popping 8 DONGS…..Taillon is off to a good start for the Buccos and has been REALLY good at home so far in a pair of appearances…..Line is a bit light but have to stay away from the Pirates again as they are ice cold (L4 straight) and Arizona is a runaway train.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (2:20 pm)
Chicago -105 Los Angeles -103
Don’t look now but the Cubbies are playing some good baseball right now……Lester gets the call and while he has pitched well this year he is coming off a minor hamstring injury and will be limited to about 80 pitches according to our NL CENTRAL INSIDERS…..Stripling has struggled away from Dodger Stadium this year but there is some sweet BVP in this lineup and we expect some success against Lester before they hit the soft underbelly of the Cubs (bullpen). Wind does not appear to be a factor as we go to press. What is a factor is CODY FREAKING BELLINGER who is must-watch TV. These two squads are a combined 15-5L20 games and while we lean to LA one must recognize that they are below-.500 on the road whilst the Cubs are 7-3 at Wrigley. Slight leanage to LA and the F5 over but going to take a pass and maybe look at some player props.
Atlanta at Cincinnati (6:40 pm)
Cincinnati -137 Atlanta +126
Gonna roll with the Reds….Teheran has been a hot mess in a small sample so far on the road (14.2 IP 16 hits 4 DONGS 9 BB) and is supported by the #24 WHIP pen……Castillo has allowed just 5 total ER in 5 starts and is complemented by the #11 pen.
Miami at Philadelphia (7:05 pm)
Philadelphia -201 Miami +184
REGRESSION to the MEAN GUY will tell you that Aaron Nola will throw a 13-inning shutout because his advanced metrics are better than his “actual” metrics but we are not going to support Nola until he gets his acts together FOR REALZEES…..And Miami has their best SP (in our mind) on the mound in Caleb Smith who boasts a 2.35 ERA. Full pass on this game.
Detroit at Boston (7:10 pm)
Boston -197 Detroit +180
RUH ROH. Zimmerman appears to be morphing back into a gascan after a decent start to the season…..In his last three starts (13.2 IP) he has given up 18 hits and 14 ER with a 5-5 BB to K ratio….Porcello has been trash (no QS yet) but should be able to handle a weak Tigers lineup that features most of their talent batting RH…..The real reason to like Boston’s chances is an offense that is starting to heat up, particularly MOOOKIE. Detroit’s pen is also starting to show some dents. Have to believe we bag a win here over 9 innings of trading paint. <takes deep breath>
Cleveland at Houston (8:10 pm)
Houston -149 Cleveland +138
Yes guy. What a pitching match-up. G Cole was cruising along like a well-oiled machine before getting his teeth kicked in by the Rangers last start…..Bauer has been performing like a Cy Young contender (again) but we do worry that he has thrown 108+ (!) pitches in every start including 120 in his last outing…..This will be stern test facing the one of the best lineups (and best team in our view) in baseball……Cleveland bats coming around….Astros feature a great bullpen……We have this bad boy lined at -150 so will take a seat and enjoy.
New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels (9:07 pm)
Los Angeles -107 New York -101
Yup. It’s happening. The Yankees are playing better and better every time ANOTHER player goes down with injuries….It’s one of the many reasons we don’t get our PANTIES IN A KNOT when guys go out with injuries and/or a star sits out a game…..Having said that….the Yankees get FULL MARKS for not pouting and playing solid baseball while in the midst of a truly all-time injury plague……Tanaka has allowed just 1 ER in four (!) of his five starts…..Cahill is just a guy (JAG) who has given up 8 DONGS and the Angels have lost NINE of their last 10 games……Will side with the Bronx Bombers.
Texas at Seattle (10:10 pm)
Seattle -143 Texas +132
Texas up against it in this tilt with a dude making his first major league start……Taylor Hearn is a hard-throwing lefty but faces a tall task with the Mariners who can really MASH…..Texas has won just a pair of games on the road all season whilst Seattle is in a 3-7L10 funk…..Note that Seattle SP Gonzales has only yielded one DONG since the March game in Japan. Leanage to the Mariners but going to take a pass on this one…….Seattle’s current form just a bit too dicey to lay this number.
Enjoy the games!