Daily Picks: Looking To The Unders
Friday sees a packed evening slate full of baseball. All 30 teams take to the field and with the weather sitting a little more neutral today there should be plenty of opportunities to look at the under on this slate.
Here are Today’s MLB Picks:
This should be an interesting matchup as Chris Paddack and Vince Velasquez go head-to-head. Velasquez has had his struggles this season, but he has allowed just seven earned runs in his last four starts, spanning 22 2/3 innings. Paddack is having a pretty superb season, with a 3.26 ERA. He has had a couple of blow ups but has only allowed over three earned runs twice in his last 10 starts. With the weather supposed to just favor pitching the under is the way to lean on this one.
1u – Under 8.5 Total Runs @ -106
Friday sees a matchup of old versus new, experience versus youth, as Adam Wainwright goes up against Luis Castillo. Wainwright got dinged his last time out in Cincinnati, but has been reasonably solid since, allowing nine earned runs in 22 innings. Road games have been his Achilles heel as of late, but I am banking on him to at least keep the scoring down. Castillo is having an incredible season, with a 2.69 ERA, and just six earned runs allowed in his last three starts, spanning 20 2/3 innings with a whopping 28 strikeouts. Most importantly he has been keeper the walks down, allowing just five in his last five starts. Between Castillo’s brilliance and Wainwright just being solid this should be another game where the under is in play.
1u – Under 8.5 Total Runs @ -114
Taking the under in Texas always makes me feel a little bit nervous but this is all about the pitchers. Both Jake Odorizzi and Mike Minor are far outpitching their expectations entering the season. Minor has been taken for 12 earned runs in his last three home start, but these have come against teams in his division who are used to seeing him. His last two starts have seen him allow zero earned runs, so he comes into this one with some good form behind him. As for Odorizzi there has been some up and down about his season and a fly ball pitcher in Texas is always nerve racking. However, the wind is expected to be blowing in towards the plate which should help keep the ball in the park for Odorizzi.
1u – Under 10 Total Runs @ -115
This pick back fired on me big time last night, as both Fiers and Sanchez got hit hard as their starts wore on. However, this matchup sees Justin Verlander on the mound which should instantly bring calm to the Astros. Verlander has a season long 2.82 ERA and his last five starts have seen him allow seven earned runs while striking out an incredible 57 hitters in 30 innings. His last outing saw him give up four earned runs, but that was in hitter friendly Baltimore. I am expecting a big bounce back in the pitcher friendly confines of Oakland. He will face tanner Roark who moved to the Athletics on trade deadline day. Since arriving in Oakland he has allowed three earned runs in 11 2/3 innings and striking out 13. He should not e able to compete with Verlander, but he should be able to eep the scoring down enough for this under to hit.
1u – Under 9 Total Runs @ -110
By Ben Rolfe