Xam’s Daily Gems:
Nationals Money Line -148 FanDuel 5 Units
A pair of southpaws take the mound in the nation’s Capital tonight. Austin Gomber has had a pretty tough time of it this year for the Rockies, but his biggest struggles have undoubtedly come on the road. He has a 5.16 ERA, .282 batting average against, and 1.37 WHIP on the road this season! His 5.60 ERA over his last 15 starts shows he has A LOT of room to improve! That’s bad news for a Rockies team that’s just DREADFUL on the road. They’re a WOEFUL 17-46 away from Coors Field and are scoring just 3.65 runs per game on the road. DJ Herz has put together a nice stretch over his last 7 games, posting a 3.48 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over that time. He’s ALSO been significantly better at home than he has been on the road this year. The Nationals have a FULLY rested bullpen with their day off yesterday, so they SHOULD be ready to go!
Yankees Money Line -162 FanDuel 5 Units
The Yankees come into this game 1/2 a game up on the Orioles for the AL East lead, but they have A LOT of work to do to win the division. They’re coming off a rough series loss to the Tigers and NEED to get themselves back on track. This is a matchup of two premium teams in the Guardians and Yankees. Luis Gil is putting together a really nice season for the Yankees. His 3.25 ERA and 1.15 WHIP is EXACTLY what the Yankees needed as they battled injuries and inconsistency elsewhere in the rotation. At home, he’s been EVEN BETTER. he has a 2.90 ERA, .167 batting average against, and 1.06 WHIP at home! Veteran Matthew Boyd makes his 2nd start of the season for the Guardians. He has made it all the way back from Tommy John surgery, but this is a brutal matchup. The Yankees have a HUGE homefield advantage at Yankee Stadium and have a lineup that can PULVERIZE teams. With a fully rested bullpen at home, expect the Yankees to come out FIRED UP to take the first game of this series!
Phillies Money Line -126 FanDuel 5 Units
The Phillies are sending their ace to the mound to kick off a HUGE series against their NL East rivals. Zack Wheeler has consistently been one of the BEST pitchers in baseball this year, and he’s going to garner some Cy Young award considerations in the National League because of it. Meanwhile, the Braves just keep getting hit with injuries. Star third baseman Austin Riley broke his hand over the weekend and will be out for a couple of months. The Braves have just been RAVAGED by injuries. Reynaldo Lopez has pitched really well for the Braves, but this is an EXTREMELY tough matchup. The Phillies have momentum and didn’t have to fly back across the country after a series on the west coast. Don’t be surprised to see the Braves looking TIRED in this game. If Wheeler and the bullpen can contain what’s left of Atlanta’s dominant lineup, the Phillies SHOULD win the first game of this series and continue their march towards the NL East title.
Cubs Money Line -158 FanDuel 5 Units
The Cubs enter play today hanging on by a thread in the Wild Card race in the National League. They need Javier Assad to continue building on his fine 2024 season. He’s facing a Tigers team that has long been pushed out of any playoff hopes this season. The Tigers are ALSO a team that struggles to score this year. The key to this Play will be what Cubs lineup we get today. They’ve been an inconsistent scoring team, but they have averaged just under 5 runs per game over their last 20 games! The Cubs are an above average team when playing at Wrigley Field, and they will NEED the home crowd to help them get the first game of this series.
Royals Money Line -196 FanDuel 5 Units
The Royals are sending one of the most UNDERRATED pitchers in the game to the mound to try and capture the series against the Angels. Cole Ragans has an impressive 3.18 ERA and 1.15 WHIP on the season. However, he’s REALLY stepped up over his last 7 games, posting a 2.82 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in that stretch. He’s given up just 2 earned runs over his last 2 starts, and teams don’t generally hit much against him, as his batting average against at home is just .236. It’s well documented how the Angels have struggled all year long without Mike Trout, and that they just don’t score on the road. That’s bad news for southpaw Tyler Anderson, who’s coming off a start where he gave up 7 earned runs! The Royals have the momentum, the better starting pitcher, the better lineup, and of course, something to play for! Look for the Royals to get the job done once again.
Orioles Team Total Over 3.5 Runs -135 DraftKings 5 Units
The Orioles have been an offensive JUGGERNAUT all season long. They are just 2 runs behind for most runs scored in the American League. Over their last 20 games, they’re averaging 5 runs per game. They’ve been a MACHINE on the road too, averaging 5.23 runs per game on the road. They face southpaw Jose Quintana, who has battled inconsistency this season. He’s surrendered 3 earned runs or more in EACH of his last 3 starts and issued multiple walks in each of those starts. Combine that with the Mets having a TERRIBLE bullpen, and it’s shaping up for the Orioles to have a good night offensively. They NEED an elite performance from their lineup, and tonight is shaping up to be that night!