Xam’s Gem(s):
Phillies Money Line -132
The Phillies are up 2-1 in their best-of-7 Championship Series against the Diamondbacks. They outscored the Diamondbacks 15-3 in the first 2 games of this series, and now, the Diamondbacks are going with a bullpen game in what is nearly a must-win in Game 4. Joe Mantiply is getting the start for Arizona, but there will be a ton of relievers coming in for the Diamondbacks throughout the game. Simply put, this is not the team you want to be utilizing a bullpen game against. The Phillies have shown all year and all postseason that they can hammer opposing pitchers. It’s going to be a lot to ask for from the Arizona bullpen. Cristopher Sanchez has proven himself to be a capable starter for the Phillies. He pitched to a 3.44 ERA this year, and the Diamondbacks haven’t shown a consistent ability to hit in this series.
Xam’s Prop(s):
Justin Verlander Over 16.5 Outs Recorded -128
Justin Verlander is, simply put, a workhorse. This postseason, he’s gone 12.2 innings in 2 postseason starts. The Astros bullpen was also used a lot in yesterday’s game, as starter Jose Urquidy only went 2.1 innings. So the Astros need some length from Verlander tonight. In Verlander’s last 7 starts of the season, he pitched an average of 6.2 innings per start. He only needs to go 5.2 innings for this bet to hit, and Verlander has shown he still has some gas left in the tank. The key will be him keeping his pitch count down, and keeping the Rangers in check so he can stay in the game. Dusty Baker has shown plenty of confidence in his future Hall of Fame pitcher, and the Astros will need him to step up in this pivotal Game 5.