I’m rolling with 3 MLB plays to kick off the new week. To receive a text when I release/add any plays, join my Telegram group!
*MLB(1u): Athletics/Tigers UNDER 7(-110)–6:10 PM CT
These are two of the worst offenses in baseball matching up with each other in one of the toughest hitting parks in the league. Not only that, but the wind will be blowing 15 mph straight in from CF tonight in Detroit. Considering these are the bottom 2 teams in slugging %, this should be another snooze fest. Tigers SP Michael Pineda has been a reliable arm over the entirety of his career(1.19 career WHIP), and that has carried over into this campaign. Athletics SP Paul Blackburn has a sub-1.00 WHIP on the season and will match up with a Tigers lineup that has scored less than 2 runs/game over their last 11 games. The Tigers bullpen surprisingly ranks 7th in WHIP this year, and while the A’s bullpen has somewhat underperformed, I think they’re more than equipped to step up in this matchup. These offenses deserve nobody’s trust at the moment.
*MLB(1u): Guardians TT OVER 3.5(+115) @ White Sox–7:10 PM CT
White Sox SP Michael Kopech became famous as a prospect for consistently hitting triple-digits on the radar gun, but he has lost some velocity after arm issues. An average fastball at 95 mph is nothing to sneeze at, but I still think there is this perception of Kopech that does not match reality. The young righty spent almost all of last season in the bullpen before joining the Sox rotation this year; while he’s looked good through 5 starts, he has walked 4.3 batters/9 and has drawn some favorable matchups. The Guardians rank 1st in the league in OPS vs righties this season and are coming off a really good showing against Toronto over the weekend. I was especially impressed at how well they battled against Alek Manoah yesterday. As Kopech still adjusts towards being a starter, he can’t be expected to go deep into games. The White Sox picked up 1-2 run wins in each of their games in Boston this weekend, but what that also means is the back end of that ‘pen received a ton of usage. When you add on to the fact that Aaron Bummer recently was put on the IL, the White Sox bullpen is not in peak form entering tonight’s matchup. Kopech is a guy I think needs more time as a SP to be trusted, and with the bullpen angle included, I’m inclined to trust the Guardians offense in this one.
*MLB(1u): Rays ML(+115) @ Angels–8:38 PM CT
The Rays are 6-1 on their current West Coast road trip and are scoring 5.7 runs/game during that span. They’ll face Noah Syndergaard tonight, another guy who is viewed through the lens of his old self from his time with the Mets. However, through 24 innings, Syndergaard has recorded just 14 strikeouts and was hit around by the Red Sox in his last outing. While I think he was a good pickup by the Angels, he’s simply not the dominant force at this level that he used to be. Tampa Bay was the best road offense in the league last year, and that seems to be carrying over into this campaign. Rays SP Jeffrey Springs has looked masterful to start off his ‘22 campaign, but he now embarks on a new journey entering the Rays rotation. The Angels are a tough lineup that can hit around lefties, but the bulk of tonight’s workload will be placed on the Rays bullpen. Considering their ‘pen ranks 2nd in virtually every category, that should bode well for the road team. The Angels deserve credit for their fast start, but I don’t price them as highly as the oddsmakers in these caliber of matchups yet. The Angels lost by 4 to the Nats at home on Saturday and needed a 3-run 9th inning to pull off the win yesterday. I’ll trust a reliable Rays bunch at the +115 price.
