Xam’s Daily Gems:
Yankees -1 -264 DraftKings
The Yankees just finished off a series wins against another premiere team in the American League, and now they get to face one of the WORST teams in baseball! To say the Rockies are a terrible baseball team would be putting it lightly. They are a WOEFUL 47-81 and own the second WORST road record in baseball at 18-48. They are scoring just 3.59 runs per game on the road this season! That’s bad news for Rockies starter Kyle Freeland. The southpaw has an UGLY 5.97 ERA on the year. However, he’s been SO MUCH WORSE on the road! He has an 8.23 road ERA, .364 batting average against, and 1.86 WHIP! That’s BAD NEWS facing a Yankees lineup that can mash the baseball. The Yankees send their own southpaw to the mound in Carlos Rodon. Rodon has been A LOT better pitching at Yankee Stadium than he has been pitching on the road. Simply put, it doesn’t get much better than facing the Rockies at home. If Rodon and the bullpen can keep Colorado in check, the Yankees SHOULD keep the good times rolling!
Blue Jays -1 -153 DraftKings
The Blue Jays are going for their 2nd straight win against the Angels. They have been playing better recently, winning 6 of their last 10 games. It helps that their lineup has FINALLY started producing. That SHOULD continue against Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz tonight. Kochanowicz has been AWFUL this season, pitching to a 6.53 ERA in 4 starts. He’s still learning as a rookie, and the growing pains are expected. Veteran Chris Bassitt goes for the Blue Jays tonight. He’s had an up and down season to say the least, and has been particularly bad over his last 7 starts. However, this is a GREAT bounce back opportunity for him. He’s a veteran pitcher who is capable of being better and the Angels just don’t have a lot of offensive firepower right now. If he can bounce back, the Blue Jays SHOULD be able to produce enough offensively to beat the Angels once again!
Braves -1 -212 DraftKings
Perhaps no other playoff hopeful team has had to deal with more significant injuries than the Atlanta Braves. So many All-Stars have gone down, yet they continue to roll with it! Now, they send the frontrunner for the Cy Young award to the mound against one of the WORST teams in baseball! Chris Sale has been nothing short of FANTASTIC for the Braves this season. He has a SPARKLING 2.62 ERA and 1.00 WHIP on the year! He’s given up just 4 earned runs over his last 3 starts and has a WHIP under 1 pitching at Truist Park this year. MacKenzie Gore takes the ball for the Nationals tonight, and he’s been AWFUL recently. He has an UGLY 7.11 ERA and unsightly 2.02 WHIP in his last 7 starts! That’s just GROSS. The Nationals ALSO have one of the WORST bullpens in baseball right now. This is just a bad matchup for the Nationals. The Braves have the playoffs in their sights while the Nationals are just ready for the offseason. Don’t be surprised to see the Braves LOCKED in against ANOTHER divisional opponent!
Tigers/White Sox Over 8.5 Runs -118 DraftKings
Both the Tigers and White Sox are rolling with starting pitchers who are KNOWN to give up runs! Keider Montero comes into tonight’s start with a 5.28 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. He also has a .271 batting average against and 1.28 road WHIP, so he’s definitely prone to giving up runs and giving the other team opportunities to score. He’s not to be outdone by Chris Flexen, however. This guy has been AWFUL all year long, and EVEN WORSE recently! He has a 6.97 ERA and 1.90 WHIP over his last 7 starts! Teams have hit him all season long. The White Sox have also had one of the WORST bullpens all year long! They enter play with a 4.92 bullpen ERA and 1.52 WHIP. That’s good for 3rd worst and 2nd worst in the entire league, respectfully. It’s also risky betting on the White Sox to score some runs, but they SHOULD be able to produce a little bit tonight. Don’t be surprised to see a SLUGFEST between two AL Central rivals in the Southside tonight!
Cardinals/Twins Over 8.5 Runs -110 BetMGM
Both the Cardinals and Twins have the offensive firepower to LIGHT UP the scoreboard. The Twins have scored the 4th most runs in the American League this season and are averaging 5.13 runs per game in their last 30 games! They’re a confident bunch that KNOWS they have the firepower to do damage every single night, regardless of who the opposing pitcher is. Tonight, that guy is Andre Pallante. His ERA over 4 and WHIP of 1.32 on the year is BAD NEWS when facing a team that’s RAGING HOT offensively! However, the Cardinals should have their own offensive success tonight. David Festa just hasn’t been very effective this year. In just 32.2 innings pitched, he has an UGLY 4.96 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He has been even WORSE at home! This is a matchup where the offensive stars on BOTH sides should have opportunities to do damage. If the Cardinals can bring their bats tonight, we just might see a scoring BONANZA in Minnesota tonight!
Royals Money Line -135 BetMGM
The Phillies have been REALLY struggling recently, going 12-18 over their last 30 games. They’re not playing with a lot of confidence right now and tonight they turn to a starting pitcher who’s REALLY struggled this year. Taijuan Walker has battled injury and poor performance this season. Walker has an UGLY 5.69 ERA and 1.51 WHIP on the year and he’s been even WORSE since coming back from a blister injury on his right hand. He has 6.17 ERA over his last 7 starts. That’s BAD NEWS when going to pitch in Kauffman Stadium. They’re averaging 5.23 runs per game at home and have been one of the best teams at home ALL SEASON LONG! They are 40-26 at home this season. Royals starter Michael Wacha will have his hands full with a tough Phillies lineup, but he’s been BRILLIANT recently, posting a 2.53 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over his last 7 starts. The Royals ALSO had the day off yesterday, giving them a big rest advantage. It’s all shaping up to be a good spot for the Royals. If Wacha can continue his impressive run, don’t be surprised to see the Royals pounce and take the first game of this series!
Brewers Money Line -124 FanDuel
The Brewers come into play a whopping 10 games up on their nearest division rival, so the NL Central is all wrapped up. Their entire focus is trying to catch the two top teams in the National League to try and get a bye in the 1st round of the playoffs. They are facing one of the WORST teams in baseball as they make that push. Aaron Civale has had an inconsistent season, but he’s pitched well in EACH of his last 2 starts, both of them against quality lineups. Civale has been DREADFUL on the road this year, but there’s fewer matchups that are more favorable than facing the Athletics. They’re averaging under 4 runs per game on the year and are BARELY averaging over 3 runs per game over their last 20 games! Lefty JP Sears has been a solid pitcher this year, but the Brewers have shown they can hit ANYBODY! The Brewers have lost two straight games and NEED to get back on track! Look for Milwaukee to right the ship against a team that’s CLEARLY inferior!
Mariners Money Line -142 DraftKings
The Mariners have sunk like a ROCK recently, and they desperately need to get themselves back on track. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games, have lost 3 straight games, and just fired their manager Scott Servais. Luis Castillo is tasked with righting the ship and getting the team back on track. Fortunately for Seattle, he’s put together a really solid season and has only been BETTER recently! He has a 3.51 ERA and 1.17 WHIP on the year. Over his last 7 starts, that drops to 2.98 and 1.16, respectively. He’s also been FANTASTIC pitching at home this season. In 14 starts at T-Mobile Park this year, he has a 2.85 ERA, .232 batting average against, and 1.07 WHIP. Considering he’s facing a Giants team that’s averaging JUST 3.85 runs per game in their last 20 games, he should be WELL POSITIONED to put together another solid outing! This is a TOUGH matchup for rookie Hayden Birdsong. He has a 5.01 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 9 starts this year, tallying just 41.1 innings pitched. He’s been even WORSE on the road and pitching at night. Seattle has struggled to score ALL SEASON LONG, but this is a GREAT matchup to finally get their offense on track. If they can put some runs on the board, Castillo and Seattle’s bullpen SHOULD care for the rest!
Dodgers Money Line -198 FanDuel
Despite being 76-52 on the year, the Dodgers are a long way off from locking up the NL West. They’re only 4 games up on the Diamondbacks and NEED to get back to putting distance between themselves and their hot division rivals. They had the day off yesterday while the Rays finished up their series in Oakland. To say Dodgers starter Bobby Miller has struggled this year would be a WILD understatement. He has an ATROCIOUS 8.02 ERA and 1.84 WHIP. Somehow, he’s been even WORSE in his last 7 starts. The Dodgers DESPERATELY need him to get back to his 2023 form. Fortunately, he has a GREAT matchup on his hands. The Rays are averaging a WOEFUL 2.95 runs per game over their last 20 games. It’s been a real struggle for them since they sold off major pieces of their lineup and pitching staff at the Trade Deadline. Southpaw Tyler Alexander has REALLY struggled this season. His 5.16 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over his last 7 appearances leaves A LOT to be desired. The Dodgers have the lineup that can ABSOLUTELY do damage tonight. If Miller can pitch with any level of competence, it should be an easy win for the Dodgers tonight!