In today’s MLB betting guide, the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates battle it out at the bottom of the standings, while the Philadelphia Phillies look to run through the Washington Nationals.
Cincinnati Reds (-110) vs Pittsburgh Pirates (-110) Game 1
This lines up to be a very even matchup of two of the worst teams in the MLB. Neither has been horrible lately, though, as both teams are 4-6 in the last 10. What gives the Reds the advantage is their better batting. Defense/pitching has been their downfall and may hurt them today with Mike Minor on the mound.
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Minor is coming off one of his best starts of the season, so that inspires a little confidence. But overall, he has been lit up. Starting for the Pirates is Roansy Contreras who has had the opposite outcome. His season also hasn’t been ideal, but he had two consecutive outings where he pitched well before allowing seven earned runs in 1.2 innings in his previous starts. He’ll have a little less confidence as Nick Senzel has been playing very well and finally possibly breaking out. Take the Reds in the first game of the double-header today and the over (O9, -110).
Philadelphia Phillies (-190) vs Washington Nationals (+155)
We are looking at the opposite ends of the spectrum with these teams. To start, the Nationals have been the worst in the league at taking advantage of baserunners as they are 27th in the MLB in runs per game but 10th in hits per game. They also have possibly the worst pitching/defense in the league as well. The Phillies’ third-ranked offense will feast on the Nationals as Kyle Schwarber has led the Phillies to a ton of runs.
The starter on the mound for the Nationals may be the unluckiest in the league combined with very poor stats. Joan Adon is 1-11 on the season and even though his ERA (earned run average) is 6.97, his FIP (fielding independent pitching) is 5.25. Neither is good enough to keep your team in games and he has given up 12 runs in eight innings including three home runs. The Phillies don’t have their best option on the mound and fielding has definitely helped Bailey Falter along this season, but he should be able to hold Philadelphia in the game. The Nationals’ batting is also cold, so take the Phillies without s doubt and the over (O10, -105).
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.
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