Xam’s Daily Gems:
Phillies Money Line -120 FanDuel 3 Units
The Phillies got absolutely WAXED last night, and all of a sudden have last 3 of their last 4 and 7 of their last 10 games. They NEED Aaron Nola to step up in a MAJOR way. Nola has been solid all season long, but he’s really turned it on recently. He has pitched well enough to earn a quality start in 6 of his last 7 outings and has given up just 1 earned run in 3 of those starts, which includes 2 of his last 3 outings. THAT is the dude the Phillies NEED to show up tonight at Citizens Bank Park. Gerrit Cole makes his 8th start of the year, and it’s really been a struggle for him. He has an ugly 5.40 ERA and 1.46 WHIP through 7 starts. He’s just not pitching with a lot of confidence and has been susceptible to the home run this season, surrendering 9 long balls already. The Phillies need to get themselves back on track and losing back-to-back games at home with their 2 best pitchers on the mound would be a REALLY bad look. The Phillies SHOULD have a sense of urgency to come out playing hard and fast, and their premium bullpen arms should ALL be ready to go as well!
Rangers/Cardinals Over 8 Runs -118 DraftKings 3 Units
Both the Rangers and Cardinals are sending pitchers to the mound that have struggled recently. Max Scherzer has given up 3 runs or more in 3 of his last 5 starts, and gone 4 innings or less in 2 of his last 3 starts. Lance Lynn has pitched well in his last 2 starts but still has a 5.75 ERA over his last 7 starts because he gave up a whopping TEN RUNS to the Nationals and another start where he gave up 5 runs to the lowly Marlins. The Rangers are starting to pick it up offensively, scoring 43 runs over their last 10 games and 89 times in their last 20. The Cardinals are doing even better, scoring 94 times in their last 20 games. Both teams have sluggers that can do major damage. Scherzer has just looked GASSED recently and Lance Lynn has given up 15 runs in just 2 starts recently, so he’s obviously hittable. Don’t be surprised to see a SLUGFEST in St. Lous tonight!
Angels Money Line -126 FanDuel 3 Units
Angels starter Griffin Canning has struggled mightily at times this year, coming into play with a 5.04 ERA. However, that is down to 4.19 over his last 15 starts AND his ERA is a run and a half lower at home, pitching to a 4.35 ERA at Angel Stadium this year. That’s good news facing a Rockies team that’s BARELY averaging over 4 runs per game this year and drops down to a WOEFUL 3.63 runs per game on the road! The Angels have been pretty bad in their own right, but they’re playing hard right now. They’re 5-5 in their last 10 games and recently swept a series from the division rival Mariners on the road! Rockies starter Cal Quantrill has had a ROUGH time of it lately, posting a 5.86 ERA over his last 7 starts. He’s also been worse on the road this year. The Rockies have lost 4 straight games and are a PATHETIC 14-40 in the road. That would be the worst road record in the game if not for the HISTORICALLY inept White Sox!
Diamondbacks Money Line -178 FanDuel 3 Units
After their big comeback win last night, the Diamondbacks send Ryne Nelson to the mound to go for the series win. Nelson has struggled for most of the year but has turned it on recently. He has a 3.95 ERA over his last 7 games. Surprisingly, his ERA is doubled at home compared to on the road! He has an ugly 6.21 home ERA but a respectable 3.83 road ERA, suggesting some positive regression is in store for him at Chase Field. The Nationals are sending southpaw Patrick Corbin to the mound. Corbin’s struggles have been WELL DOCUMENTED! His 5.26 ERA on the year leaves a lot to be desired, and even though he’s been SLIGHTLY better recently, he still hasn’t been very good. It’s hard to imagine the Nationals getting back up to play after their disgusting loss last night. They were up 8-2 going into the bottom of the 7th and 8-4 going into the bottom of the 9th. They also traded away outfielder Lane Thomas, depriving them of a quality bat. The Diamondbacks have ALL of the momentum and still have their best relievers to use since they didn’t use them last night!
Dodgers Money Line -130 BetMGM 3 Units
The Dodgers are sending their ace to the mound against their division rivals. Tyler Glasnow has been their BEST pitcher this year and has been equally at home and on the road. The Dodgers still have some work to do to capture the NL West division title, but they’re ALSO locked in a battle for the top spot in the National League with the Phillies, so every game is important! Glasnow has faced the Padres twice this season and pitched well both times, giving up a total of 3 earned runs over 2 starts and 12 innings pitched, with both starts coming on the road. For whatever reason, Padres starter Matt Waldron has been worse at Petco Park than he has on the road, pitching to a full run higher in what is normally considered a pitcher’s ballpark. Both teams have been hitting recently, but the Dodgers have the better starting pitcher and simply put have the better lineup. If Glasnow is on tonight, the Dodgers SHOULD be able to score some runs and secure the win against their division rivals.
Giants Money Line -174 FanDuel 3 Units
The Giants have officially begun selling pieces, as they traded outfielder Jorge Soler back to the Braves. However, they STILL have enough talent to get the win tonight. It’s a pair of southpaws going at it tonight, with JP Sears facing off against Robbie Ray. Ray is making just his 2nd start of the season, as he finally made his TRIUMPHANT return from Tommy John surgery back in May of 2023. It’s been a different story for JP Sears, who has an ugly 4,81 ERA on the year and a WOEFUL 6.62 ERA over his last 7 games. The Giants average 4.56 runs per game at home this year and are an impressive 32-22 in front of the home crowd. They’ve won 4 straight games and are playing with confidence. They’re only 4 games back of the last wild card, and with their pitching, they can DEFINITELY make a run! It couldn’t be any more different for the Athletics. They’re a pathetic 18-37 on the road and are scoring just 3.75 runs per game away from Oakland Coliseum. The Giants are playing with pride and are simply the FAR better team. With their bullpen FULLY rested, they should be ready to go!