MLB Plays and Predictions – 04/12/21

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April 12, 2021

Reds' ace Luis Castillo warming up before spring training.

Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets 5:10pm est PICK: (OVER 8.5)

The Phillies have cooled down as of lately, as they have only been able to secure two wins in their last five games. They are coming off a 7-6 win in Atlanta on Sunday. New York is still looking to find their grove as they are 2-3 to start the season. They were only able to secure one win against their opening series in Philly, and then one win against the Marlins. Chase Anderson and David Peterson are slated to face off on Monday in New York. Both Pitchers gave up some runs in their first outings, and some of those runs are coming off of home runs. Peterson gave up two home runs. These lineups both carry some big bats, and the pitchers on the mound today are not considered dominant. They have given up a combined 3 home runs in 9 innings pitched. Expect to see the Mets bats come alive against Anderson, and the Phillies to stay hot.

San Diego Padres @ Pittsburgh Pirates 6:35pm est PICK: (PADRES -210)

The 7-3 Padres are coming off their series in Texas as they swept the Rangers in three games. San Diego’s pitching staff has been the most dominant in the league. The team only allows an ERA of 1.78. The Pirates were able to steal their wins against a bad Cubs team. The team as a whole is bad though. An ace like Yu Darvish will be able to control the whole game. Yu Darvish should have a Cy Young type of game

Miami Marlins @ Atlanta Braves 7:20pm est PICK: (BRAVES -145)

The Braves have finally woke up for the 2021 season. They are winners of four of their last five, and the offensive struggles have faded away. Young arm Huascar Ynoa takes the mound again after a solid first outing, where he went 6 innings, struck out 5, and didn’t allow any runs. The Marlins are looking to build off of their last games, as they beat the Phillies. Most of the runs from Miami has been generated the old fashion way, get them on, get them over, and get them in. The Marlins struggle to put the ball over the fence as they only have three home runs in 8 games. The red hot Braves should be able to produce enough runs to support their young arm.

Detroit Tigers @ Houston Astros 8:10pm est PICK: (ASTROS -216)

Greinke is on the mound again, and this time it is against a Tigers team who has made a turn for the worst. The Tigers have now lost 4 in a row, and have really struggled to hit the ball as they are batting a .197 as a team. The Astros can hit, and there is no way Detroit will be able to keep up with a pitcher like Greinke on the mound.

Cincinnati Red @ San Fransisco Giants 9:45pm est PICK: (REDS +105)

I don’t know how it is, but the Giants are somehow 6-3. Their lineup is not strong, and the have mediocre pitching, but nonetheless they are 6-3. This series is going to expose this San Fransisco team. The Reds can score. They will light up the scoreboard, and this Giants team will not be able to keep any of these games close. I expect Cincinnati to blow this game open, and even this series.

MLB Sunday Funday Plays – Sports Betting

By

Kiev O'Neil

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April 11, 2021

Kansas City vs Chicago White Sox -130

Same reasoning as yesterday when the game got called for weather. The Royals are an improved team so far but it is early and I think that the fade train might have to show up here. KC has Mike Minor pitching to day who recorded a 4.64 FIP in 2020. He is a lefty who is a veteran in this league. The White Sox do not have a great pitcher themselves coming up in Dylan Cease who should have ceased at pitching last year recording a 6.36 FIP. The White Sox at least are a good hitting team ranking 5th in WRC+ (which is runs created adjusted for ball barks) to the Royals 9th so far this year and last year the White Sox ranked 6th in WRC+ while the Royals ranked 21st. This doesn’t seem like a massive difference to me to justify laying -132. So why do I like the White Sox here? 2 reasons actually. The White Sox haven’t had to use their bullpen since Wednesday and they are the BEST team hitting against lefties who was first last year against lefties in WRC+ at 142%. I think this trend continues and we should play the Sox today.

Chicago White Sox -132 – 2 stars

Cincinnati vs Arizona +106 O/U 9 (-123)

Looking at this game, we can’t ignore what Cincinnati has been doing so far this year. They are the number 1 hitting team being number 1 in OPS at .952 and WRC+ at 156. They average 8.25 runs per game right now. The Diamonbacks have quietly been scoring a few runs themselves at 4.22 per game and rank around 20th in most of the hitting stats. The thing that I see here is that the pitchers in this game are pretty bad with Jose De Leon having an ERA of 18 last year as a reliever and Luke Weaver for Arizona who had a 6.58 ERA and 4.57 FIP in 2020 tells me that some runs certainly can be scored in this game. Both teams were bottom 18 in bullpen last year and not much has changed. Taking the over and paying the juice.

Over 9 – 2 stars

NBA Picks and Predictions – April 11, 2021

By

Chris R. Farley

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April 11, 2021

MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 04: Bam Adebayo #13 and Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat celebrate against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter at American Airlines Arena on January 04, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

These totals are really kicking my ass– more to say on the Blazers’ output later in this article– but a lovely 3-1 Saturday in the association is nothing to bat an eye to. Let’s end this week strong with some more wins, shall we?

Nuggets -7 (-110), 1.5 units: We barely covered taking the Celtics side 2 nights ago in an OT game against Minnesota– that’s so like Boston to eke out that win– and as promised, I’m fading them here in this spot. Like I’ve said so many times in these posts, the Celtics have proved that they can’t contend with the elite this year. They love accruing wins against low and mid-tier teams: the Hornets, Pacers, Rockets, Raptors, etc., but the Nuggets are far from low or mid-tier and I expect it to show here today. Denver is the hottest team in the NBA right now. Since the acquisition of Aaron Gordon, who fits perfectly into their lineup as the role-player he was born to be, Denver has been on absolute fire. Winners of now 8 in a row, at times it seems the Nuggets don’t have to play all that hard to smash other teams. They just have too much talent. Improving nearly every day in their offensive ratings, Hollinger metrics now rates Denver as the 4th most efficient offense in the association. With so few egos and so many talented passers and shooters and rebounders, it’s no mystery why Denver can overwhelm their foes with ease. Jamal Murray is questionable, don’t love that, but so are Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. I also don’t love that the Nuggets have to turn around and travel to Golden State tomorrow, but I don’t think it matters. Off two days rest and at home, the Nuggets should flex here and show why the Celtics are no longer in this class of NBA teams. I’m on Denver to cover.

Heat win (-105), 2 units: The Blazers are kind of like the UCLA of professional basketball. Patient, lots of talent, consistent, but far too dependent on great shooting. Their game against the Pistons last night, for example– they played “well” but nothing really stood out about their performance. I guess we can give Portland a nod for playing slightly better defensive basketball as of late, but Lord knows they’ve never been consistent on that end of the floor either. Another solid performance by Damian Lillard and with a lot of success rebounding, the Blazers got past a team they should in Detroit. Slow clap, I guess? The Heat are a different animal. No strangers to adversity, the Heat travel to Portland Sunday and start a grueling road stretch. After tonight’s game they’ll travel to Phoenix on Tuesday and then a back-to-back Wednesday at Denver. Ouch. That doesn’t deter me Sunday though. Miami has steadily improved all year on defense. As of today, the Heat are 5th overall in Hollinger’s team defense ratings and they allow the 3rd least points per game. Like the Blazers, they’re patient. But unlike the Blazers and more like a Baylor or Gonzaga, Miami knows how to spread around the ball. The Heat are 3rd overall in assist ratio– guess who’s in last place? The Blazers. True to form, Portland relies way too much on their sharp-shooters to lift them out of bad spots. It’s not easy getting off good shots against Miami and nothing will come easy tonight. Jimmy Butler is also starting to play like he did in last year’s playoffs, too. Off 3 days rest, I love the Heat to win.

Grizzlies -3 (-115), 2 units: This is a sweet revenge spot for the Grizzlies. Two evenly matched teams face-off Sunday in what should be a good battle. Unfortunately for Memphis, the last time these squads battled the Pacers embarrassed the Grizzlies in Indianapolis back in early February. As usual, the Pacers are sputtering around right now, beating bad teams and falling victim to inconsistent performances. The Grizzlies just lost to a New York Knicks team that was all but ready to die to win that game (what an OT thriller at MSG), so that’s not a bad loss. Memphis has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA before Friday, winning 5 of their last 6, and I love them on their home court in this one. Give me a healthy Grizzlies team to cover and get a little redemption.

Knicks win (-140), 2 units: The Raptors are one of the most unpredictable and volatile teams in the NBA. I usually try to avoid betting their games for that reason, but this one is too juicy to pass up. The Knicks, for all their woes, are at least one of the more consistent teams in the association. You know what you’ll get from New York: conservative coaching, stingy defense, and volatile offense capable of great output mostly thanks to RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. I hate that recipe for Toronto today. The Raptors tend to get a little fat and sassy (and over-celebrate) after a big win. I love what I saw from Gary Trent Jr., he seems happy and that speaks to Portland’s shaky offensive schemes, but we can expect some extreme regression tonight against a healthy and poised Knicks unit. The Knicks have struggled but they’re not the Cavs, and Toronto is way too dependent on random big games from one of their talented shooters. New York’s win against Memphis 2 nights ago could be a season-altering victory. They refused to lose, forced OT and never gave up the lead once they had it. It was a full team-effort. I love the Knicks to carry that momentum into tonight and stump the perpetually confused Raptors. The opposite narrative would make little sense.

Parlay opportunity: Consider a 3 team parlay on Denver, Dallas, and Miami (+254 odds). I think it has a great chance to hit.

MLB Picks and Predictions – April 11, 2021

By

Chris R. Farley

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April 11, 2021

Cubs' new starting pitcher, Trevor Williams.

A nice 3-1 Saturday puts us in a great position to end the week. This will be a lighter card today — there are more pitchers and matchups I’d rather observe than put my hard-earned money on just yet– but as always we can find some value. Here are my picks:

Cubs/Pirates first 5 under 4.5 (-115), 2 units: When a pitcher goes up against his former team, I usually think that favors the guy on the mound. Though not always the case, I think Trevor Williams will thrive today against his old ballclub. Unsurprisingly, Pittsburgh is among the worst teams in MLB in batting average thus far at 0.212. Williams shouldn’t have any issue commanding the first half of this game. JT Brubaker gets the nod for the Pirates and he looked good in his first outing, too. Earning a 2.25 ERA and allowing only 1 run in four innings in his first callup against the Reds, Brubaker should look elite again against a Chicago Cubs squad that’s dead last in batting average and has only scored 8 runs in their last 4 games. They might be due some positive regression, but it won’t come in the first 5 innings. Take the early under.

Yankees -1.5 (EVEN), 1 unit: This is a good spot for the Yankees. I know New York fans are already panicking and I don’t blame them, but their bats won’t stay this cold and Jordan Montgomery has more than enough to put away a Rays team that’ll be experimenting on the mound today. Brent Honeywell Jr. gets the promotion and debut start today for Tampa, although they’ll be rotating in Michael Wacha and other relievers as the game progresses. Wacha got his ass handed to him in his debut last Tuesday, giving up 5 runs over five innings of play in a loss. Honeywell Jr. is a great comeback story. Battling through injuries since the onset of his minor league career, he was one of the hottest young prospects in the country before various arm injuries halted his potential. We don’t know what we’ll see from him today and I’ll be quietly cheering for the kid, but the Yankees should be plenty motivated to bring the heat today after yesterday’s embarrassing 5 hit, 0 points showing. Not a great situation for Honeywell Jr. Jordon Montgomery dominated the Orioles in his first start, commanding six scoreless innings. This is what the Yankees do– look extremely bad in spurts, only to flex and go on long winning streaks once they figure a few things out. With a rematch series around the corner against the struggling Blue Jays, this could be the start of that streak.

Rockies win (+105), 1 unit: I’m going to take another shot on the Rockies– God help me. I’m a little concerned about German Marquez’s BAPIB rate thus far, but I trust him to get the job done against DeSclafani and the Giants. The Giants’ two wins against Colorado are more about the Rockies’ failures. San Francisco is one of the worst hitting teams in baseball (under a 0.200 batting average so far in 2021) and they’re still winning games. Give the Giants credit for some great coaching and commanding pitching to this point, but I think the Rockies get back to blasting some balls today. DeSclafani is not as good as he performed in his first contest (1.80 ERA, allowed 1 run in four innings) and I think he gets a little exposed this afternoon. If the Rockies score 4+ runs today, they win this game. I’ll bet on that.

NBA Picks and Predictions: April 10, 2021

By

Chris R. Farley

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April 10, 2021

Apr 6, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Montrezl Harrell (15) gets ejected Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby (3) during the first quarter at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

You know what’s really fun? Like kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck just pure jubilation? When one of the better shooting players in the NBA (Steph Curry) can’t shoot and a good shooting team (the Warriors) can’t score against the worst defense in the NBA (the Wizards). So. Fun. I’m not mad, you’re mad. There’s not a ton of opportunity today, unfortunately, but we’ll find some value. Onto the PICKS!

Lakers +6.5 (1st half only, -110), 1 unit and Lakers +11 (full game), 1 unit: Where’s the value on betting the Nets here? There is none. At this point they’re a -700 favorite, absurd, and I’m not sure why they would be particularly motivated for this game. No Lebron, no Anthony Davis; what is there for the Nets to prove? Still, reports from LAL’s camp say that the Lakers are in good spirits and expect to win. Andre Drummond is getting worked into the lineup and no doubt he’ll only improve with more time. He should battle well with LeMarcus Aldridge. Caruso and Gasol are probable, that’s good news for LAL, and it’s not like Brooklyn is firing on all cylinders. This is only Durant’s second game back, Harden is out, and so is Dinwiddie, Johnson, and Shamet. Even without their stars, the Lakers have managed to maintain a number 1 defense according to Hollinger’s metrics. I like a proud and motivated underdog here, against a line that’s just way too inflated.

76ers -10 (-110), 1.5 units: That was beyond a let-down game for Philadelphia against the Pelicans last night, and the Thunder have been getting their ass kicked, even by bad teams. With or without Embiid, this should be a blowout. I can’t find any rhyme or reason to think otherwise. Watch the Thunder play the game of a lifetime (eye roll).

Pistons/Blazers over 226.5 (-110), 1.5 units: Unless they’re facing the Knicks, the Pistons have been scoring some points lately. Discounting the contest against New York, Detroit has averaged over 117 points in their last 6 games. After bad offensive performances against the Clippers and Jazz, the Blazers scorers are considerably overdue for some positive regression. Expect a show-out performance from Damian and the Blazers here. Another player prop on Lillard’s points (26.5) going over wouldn’t be a bad look either.

UFC on ABC 2 – Vettori vs Holland

By

Kiev O'Neil

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April 10, 2021

Kevin Holland vs Marvin Vettori -335

This fight should be a good one and it is certainly worth a main event in this venue. Marvin Vettori has been red hot in the UFC ripping off four wins in a row and finishing that feat with beating Jack Hermansson by decision. Vettori is a well rounded fighter at 16-4 with 2 KOs, 9 Submissions and 5 decisions. He has good ground game and it helps keep him in fights. His most impressive fight was probably his split decision loss vs Israel Adesanye. Kevin Holland on the other hand has 12 KOs, 4 submissions and 5 decisions. He was looked at as a top contender until he lost in decision to Derek Brunson on March 20th 2021 who has been fantastic as of late. Holland is one of the most accurate strikers in the game and he also knows how to escape a good ground game that Marvin will be tryin to capitalize on during this fight. Looking at how these fighters match up, Marvin has the better ground game but Kevin is the more accurate puncher. Kevin also has a massive 6 inch reach over Marvin which is another reason why this fight will end up on the floor. I think that there is a chance that Marvin could get caught with a knee or an uppercut trying to get Kevin down to the ground. Vettori is a deserving favorite but not nearly by this much. I think if Holland won his fight vs Brunson, this price would be more closer to even. Let’s take a shot here with the dog and see if it gets us anywhere.

Kevin Holland +290 1 star

Arnold Allen vs Sodiq Yusuff -140

This should be a very interesting fight leading up to the Main event. Both of these fighters have only 1 loss a piece in their careers and both will be sharing the same amount of ring rust being that neither of them has fought in about 15 months. I think there is an obvious play here and the distance is this fight is the tell. Both of these fighters are projected to go the distance at -175 to -200. This tells me that there should not be any knockouts which gives the advantage to the fighter with the best ground game. Arnold Allen has 5 KOs, 7 Submissions and 4 decisions while Sodiq has 6 KOs, 0 submissions and 5 decisions. Allen has 1.36 takedown average per 15 minuites while Sodiq has 0. Allen has never been knocked out and I think if this fight goes the distance, It is hard for me to see him not winning with points.

Arnold Allen +125 – 2 stars

MLB Picks and Predictions – April 10, 2021

By

Chris R. Farley

-

April 10, 2021

Marlins/Mets first 5 under 3.5 (-120), 1.5 units: The Mets bats haven’t exactly lived up to their hype just yet. Of course they’ve had less of a season than other teams, but currently they’re hitting at a .246 average. Pedestrian, at best. Miami’s bats have looked even worse– hitting at only a .210 average. They’ve also only scored 5 total runs in their last 4 games– it doesn’t get much worse than that. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Marlins, while the Mets roll out deGrom for his second start of the season. A play on deGrom to control a Marlins’ team in the first 5 is an obvious handicap and one that’s tough to dispute. It often seems deGrom solely holds up his team, only to be constantly let-down by inferior relief play and an inconsistent lineup. The Mets really need to figure that out so the former Cy Young winner can feel what it’s like to play for a team that’s a major playoff contender. He deserves it. Trevor Rogers didn’t have a great outing in his first start, but it was serviceable. He took a loss, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) and 4 walks over four innings. On the flip side, we saw some of the potential and power that Rogers can bring. The 23 year old showed off 95.6 mph four-seam fastball velocity and struck out 6 Cardinals hitters. He also maintained a respectable 3.16 FIP. Rogers certainly has upside and the Mets don’t scare me when the hold the wooden stick. They know deGrom will limit their offense–as if there’s any to speak of– and should roll out a cautious and intelligent arsenal behind Rogers to slow down New York. Give me the under in the first 5.

Brewers win first 5 innings (-110), 1.5 units: Adrian Houser (MIL) faces off against Carlos Martinez (STL) in this mid afternoon battle between the Brewers and Cards. I’m not deterred by Houser’s first outing. The Twins will get the best of a lot of good pitchers this year and it was no different for the 28 year old right-hander last Sunday. Houser gave up 2 runs on 4 hits over five innings, not bad, and it was a homerun that sent Houser off the mound. I’m actually pretty impressed by that performance, especially from what we’ve seen from the Minnesota offense as of late (the Twins own a .291 average in their last 3 games). This bet is more about the Milwaukee bats, though. The Brewers expect more out of their offense. Keston Hiura was expected to have a big season for the Brewers and so far he’s hitting at a dispicable .043 thru the first 5 games of the season. In a down 2020 year, the young power hitter still slammed 13 homers and 32 RBIs in 59 games. He’s part of an underperforming Brewers team averaging only 2.86 runs per game to this point. Positive regression is on the way. Luckily, St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez and his very hittable repertoire should be a great anecdote. The 29 year old had a pretty stellar career before 2020, where he displayed a startling 3 mph drop in four-seam velocity and posted a 9.90 ERA and 5.86 FIP over 5 games. His first game in 2021 didn’t show much improvement. Although his power somewhat returned (94.4 mph vFA), Martinez permitted 4 runs on 4 hits, including a homerun, and finished with a 7.20 ERA. The Reds lead MLB in batting average so far and they proved a worthy contender, but that’s still not a good sign for all the promise Martinez showed in the past. His command is shaky at best and this feels like a perfect opportunity for the Brewers’ bats to gain some steam. I’m on Milwaukee, at least in the first 5 innings, against a very hittable Martinez on the mound.

Rockies win (+155), 1 unit: This is a good opportunity for another struggling offense to get right. McMahon, Blackmon, Story, Dahl– the Rockies certainly have good hitters. Sending Nolan Arenado to St. Louis didn’t help any (and he’s already proving his worth there), but Colorado’s bats have more than enough firepower to get the job done. Unfortunately, those same names made the 35 year old Johnny Cueto look like an All-Star in their first outing against the Giants. Cueto dominated the Rockies, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits over 8.2 innings. He also struck out 7. San Francisco won’t enjoy the same command tonight. Logan Webb gets his second start for the Giants Saturday and if his first showing was any indication, Colorado can feel more confident about their chances in game 2. Webb made the Mariners, a team infamous for their lackluster offense, look like the 2020 Dodgers. Seattle hit 7 balls and scored 3 runs on Webb, including one homer and 2 deep whacks in just over five innings. In 2 games played, Colorado’s Chi Chi Gonzalez has looked really good. He’s allowed only 5 hits over 8 innings and owns a solid 3.36 FIP, but it was his outing against LAD that has onlookers intrigued. Chi Chi was already getting hype after an excellent spring training and he flexed in his first chance against an elite unit, permitting no runs over 3 innings against the reigning champs. The Giants’ current bats have historically hit only .274 against Chi Chi, while the Rockies have averaged .300 against Webb. This should be a good opening for Colorado’s power and if we get another good showing from Chi Chi, he should be able to hold off a questionable Rockies’ bullpen. I’m on the dog.

Red Sox/Orioles over 9.5 (-110), 2 units: Predictably, the Orioles bats have fallen off quite a bit. Scoring only 9 runs in their last 4 games and a batting average down to .219, Baltimore better find their groove quick if they want to keep pace. They certainly can’t count on their pitching. Last time these two throwers faced off, the Orioles clobbered Garrett Richards, scoring 6 runs in just two innings. Zimmerman did an okay job, permitting 3 runs over six innings and, at that point in the game, really just needed to hold off Boston’s cold bats. He earned a 0.83 WHIP for that performance. Boston’s bats aren’t all that frigid anymore. Since getting swept by the Orioles in their first 3 games, the Red Sox have secured 4 victories in a row and they’re averaging 8.25 runs per game in that span, boosting their batting average to 5th overall in MLB. The wind is down to 5 mph in Baltimore today and the humidity is high. The Orioles bats need a boost and they get a great pitching setup to get it done. The Red Sox bats are white hot. So, if my calculations are correct… 1+1+1=3… and that equals an over bet for this guy. High 5.

MLB 4/10/21 Saturday Super Plays – Sports Betting

By

Kiev O'Neil

-

April 10, 2021

We have a nice 11-4 start to baseball this year.

Oakland vs Houston -144 O/U 9

This game is pretty simple to me. Oakland has had a terrible start to this season and they really do not have any stars that can bring them out of this funk. Today they have Frankie Montas at the helm who last year had a pretty bad FIP of 4.74 with a horrible first start allowing 7 runs in 2 innings vs the Dodgers. Houston’s bullpen this year so far has been decent and they have Jose Urquidy pitching today who also had a bad FIP last year of 4.71 but had a great start this year already pitching at Oakland allowing only 2 earned runs. The hitting between these to teams isn’t even close with Houston ranking 3rd in OPS at .852 while Oakland is second to last at .558. This price is too short for what Oakland actually is this year.

Houston -144 – 2 stars

Kansas City vs Chicago White Sox -132

The Royals are an improved team so far but it is early and I think that the fade train might have to show up here. KC has Mike Minor pitching to day who recorded a 4.64 FIP in 2020. He is a lefty who is a veteran in this league. The White Sox do not have a great pitcher themselves coming up in Dylan Cease who should have ceased at pitching last year recording a 6.36 FIP. The White Sox at least are a good hitting team ranking 5th in WRC+ (which is runs created adjusted for ball barks) to the Royals 9th so far this year and last year the White Sox ranked 6th in WRC+ while the Royals ranked 21st. This doesn’t seem like a massive difference to me to justify laying -132. So why do I like the White Sox here? 2 reasons actually. The White Sox haven’t had to use their bullpen since Wednesday and they are the BEST team hitting against lefties who was first last year against lefties in WRC+ at 142%. I think this trend continues and we should play the Sox today.

Chicago White Sox -132 – 2 stars

MLB Plays and Predictions – 04/10/21

By

Dominik Souder

-

April 10, 2021

Miami Marlins @ New York Mets 1:10pm est PICK: (METS -270)

Miami is off to a slow start after only being able to win one game this year. The Marlins are sloping downhill, and are currently on a four game losing streak, and their most recent loss is coming off the controversial pitch in the bottom half of the 9th inning to cost them the game. Michael Conforto extended his elbow to get hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, that brought in the winning run. Don Mattingly did his best to combat this decision, but at the end of the day, the review was inconclusive, and the Mets won. With Jacob DeGrom on the mound at home, all signs are pointing towards another loss for Miami. He has been the Mets ace for years now, and a Marlins team that is averaging a .210 average at the plate will struggle to get runners on. DeGrom and the Mets should have a field day with Miami early Saturday morning.

Seattle Mariners @ Minnesota Twins 2:10pm est PICK: (TWINS -180)

The Minnesota Twins have shown the league early that they can put up runs this year. They have had an average of 4.6 runs a game, but have shown flashes of 8 plus runs, three times this year. With Andrelton Simmons and Byron Buxton starting the season on a tear, it is making it even harder for pitchers to work around Nelson Cruz. Opposing pitchers have to come at the Twins hitters and as right now, for the other teams, it is looking like a pick your poison on who you want to pitch to. The Mariners could have stole some wins in the opening week, but were derailed by their own bullpen. The Mariners hold an average team ERA of 5.71, and their bats are not producing enough runs to keep up with that, as their record shows. The hot hitting Twins should get to an old Kikuchi early.

Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh Pirates 6:35pm est PICK: (CUBS -157)

The Cubs cannot hit the ball right now. Besides their top tier 10 homers in 7 games, they are still batting a .157. It is hard to watch as the Cubs do posses the right players in that lineup to produce a ton of runs. The simplest answer is they are just struggling right now. The tides will be turning in Pittsburgh. What better way to wake up the bats, then beating up an a lowly division rival? The Pirates are on a 6 game losing streak, and they have failed to do anything right. Pittsburgh is made up of bad pitching and even worse hitting. The Cubs will begin the steps in the right direction on Saturday, and will even sweep this weekend series.

Boston Red Sox @ Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm est PICK: (RED SOX -130)

The Red Sox have flipped the script, after being swept in the 2021 home opener against Baltimore. They are winners of their last four games, and really have been swinging the hot bat. Manager Alex Cora was able to create some motivation in the clubhouse after getting beat up by the Orioles squad. Yes the downfall to this Saturday matchup is Garrett Richards is pitching. The Orioles absolutely lit him up in his 2021 season debut. But here is the caveat to that. Things are different now. Boston is playing with a chip on their shoulder, and Richards is going to be seeking that sweet sweet revenge. And the O’s have not been good. The lineup as a whole has struck out 13 times each in their last 4 games. Richards should get a quality start for his team on Saturday.

San Diego Padres @ Texas Rangers 7:05pm est PICK: (PADRES -172)

We have to stay with San Diego, and riding this momentum that they have built. No team has been able to go out and beat up this Padres team yet, and until a team does we need to stick with them. Joe Musgrove was able to throw the teams first no hitter in Padres history. Right now the San Diego Padres are playing with swagger and a lot of confidence, and we absolutely cannot hop of this train, especially against a team as bad as Texas. The Rangers are going to continue their struggles until they can figure out their pitching issues. They give up too many runs, and with San Diego starters and bullpen pitching lights out, the Rangers will be playing a lot of catchup. Young arm Chris Paddack still has a lot to prove for his team, and it should be another easy win for San Diego.

MLB Plays and Predictions – 04/09/21

By

Dominik Souder

-

April 9, 2021

Padres' new starting pitcher, Joe Musgrove.

Colorado Rockies @ San Francisco Giants 4:35pm est

Austin Gomber takes the mound today for the 3-4 Rockies. The Rockies have won two of their last three, and are coming off of a series win against Arizona. As a team right now, Colorado is batting .286 with 12 home runs in 7 games played. Their pitching has struggled in the beginning, but found their way recently in the last four games. San Fransisco is coming off a day off, after taking the series against the Padres in San Diego. Evan Longoria has been the go to bat in the begining of the season, as he is batting .318 and is leading the team in homers. Veteran Johnny Cueto is set to pitch for the Giants.

PREDICTION: Age is really coming around to Cueto. In his last outing his gave up 3 earned runs in 5.2 innings pitched. It took him 105 pitches to get there. This Rockies team has some hitters, and with Cueto losing control, and not being dominant, they should be able to produce runs at ease. (Colorado Rockies +140)

Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Indians 7:10pm est

The Tigers come into the ball game only scoring 2 runs against the Twins on April 7th. Detroit showed some flashes of offense to begin the season against the Indians, but overall are struggling. This is the same case for the Indians. In five games the Indians have only been able to score a total of 17 runs. Of the two wins the Indians got, the pitching was their dark knight. They hold a team ERA of 3.35, and have struck out 52 batters in 45 innings. Teheran and Plesac are the listed starters for tonight.

PREDICTION: This game is going to come down to who can score 3 runs first. The under 9.5 run could be a nice play here, but with Teheran’s ability to give up the long ball, we want to ride the Indians. (Cleveland Indians -190)

Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves 7:20pm est

Zack Wheeler is looking to build off his last outing against the Braves, where he went 7 innings, striking out 10, and not allowing any runs. The Phillies are off to a hot start, as they are 5-1, and have looked near perfect on both sides of the ball. The Braves on the other hand, are starting to wish the season did not start for another month. They are 2-4, and are failing miserably to score any runs. They are batting a combined .170, and are only getting runners on base 23% of the time. Charlie Morton is slated to pitch again against the Phillies.

PREDICTION: The Phillies have to cool down eventually, and the Braves offensive has to heat up right? That is right. This Atlanta team was projected to win 91.5 games this year. They are just out to a rough start, and will be seeking revenge after being shutout by Wheeler last time. (Atlanta Braves -128)

San Diego Padres @ Texas Rangers 8:05pm est

The 4-3 Padres are coming off a bye after slipping in the series against San Fransisco at home. They were competitive in every game this year, as all three losses were determined by two runs or less. The pitching has been outstanding, as they hold a team ERA of 1.97. Their offense is struggling to get those runners in, as the Padres are ranked 5th in total runners left on base. Texas is carried by their offense. Their pitching is at a whopping 6.06 team ERA. Kohei Arihara is on the mound again after going 5 innings, and giving up 3 runs, one of those runs coming off a solo shot from Michael Taylor against the Royals.

PREDICTION: Joe Musgrove has all the pieces to be an elite pitcher in the league. His last outing he went 6 innings, striking out 8, and not allowing any runs. The Padres just need to get the runners that they typically strand on the bases in. With Texas having their struggles at the mound, the Padres should be able to score at ease. (San Diego Padres -185)