In today’s MLB betting guide, the Houston Astros and New York Mets for the second game of a back-to-back after the Astros crushed New York by a score of 9-1. Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres aim to avoid a fourth loss in a row as they visit the Arizona Diamondbacks for a second game in two days.
Houston Astros (-130) vs New York Mets (+110)
Since their series loss against the Miami Marlins two weeks ago, the Astros have found a way to avoid losing two consecutive games. They got off on the right foot with a masterclass display of offense by defeating the Mets by eight runs, proving the AL West’s best was the better team against the top team of the NL East. Justin Verlander takes to the mound this afternoon and is 9-3 on the season, with an ERA (earned run average) of 2.22. His last win came against the New York Yankees, where he allowed four hits and one run in seven innings.
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Despite the tough loss, the Mets remain at the top of their division with a four-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, and they’ll want to end the month on a strong note. Taijuan Walker gets the start and could not have been a better selection for this contest. He’s 5-2 in his last seven starts, winning three consecutive games and striking out 37 batters in 42.1 innings. Walker has been phenomenal in the first half of the season, and he’ll be a big reason why the Mets pull off a win today and avoid three losses in a row.
San Diego Padres (-140) vs Arizona Diamondbacks (+120)
The Padres are 11 games ahead of the Diamondbacks, but their strong season took a hit with a close 7-6 loss yesterday. Scoring six in the fifth inning and shutting down Arizona through six innings, the Diamondbacks raged back, scoring seven runs in the final three innings. Hoping to avoid that is Mike Clevinger, who gets his sixth start of the year and seventh appearance. He holds a 1-0 record and four no-decision results, sporting a 3.52 ERA and 25 strikeouts. The 31-year-old starter has had a rough start to his year after returning from Tommy John surgery. A knee injury and strained triceps have limited him to just six games, preventing him from catching any momentum.
After losing five consecutive games, the Diamondbacks strung together two wins for the first time in two weeks. They remain with their heads above water, just scraping ahead of the Colorado Rockies for fourth in the NL West. Madison Bumgarner will need to be better in his 16th start of the year, as he’s 1-5 in his last seven games and holds a 5.08 ERA in that span. Bumgarner became the 86th pitcher in MLB history to reach 2,000 strikeouts last week but has allowed 24 hits in his previous three starts. For this reason, expect the Padres to draw even in this back-to-back and crush the Diamondbacks.
Odds via Bet365.
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