Sunday, April 23 MLB Best Bets

We swept the board with last Sunday’s MLB Best Bets to add to the bottom line over at PointsBet Sportsbook. The day started off with an easy ticket cash on the Tampa Bay Rays who jumped on Alek Manoah right from the word go and sent him to the showers without getting through the fifth inning. The next investment was just as easy with Zac Gallen and Sandy Alcantara serving up zeroes through five to allow us to easily cash our F5 under wager in style. The day closed out with both a single game and series win on the Baltimore Orioles who got the best of Dylan Cease to leave the Southside with bragging rights. Let’s see if we can close this week out with another broom job – SLAM YOUR MAN!!

YTD: 24-23-2 ($217)

LW: 12-12-2 (-$55)

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Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Zach Wheeler has been nothing short of atrocious to kick off his 2023 campaign for a Phillies team sorely in need of some excellent pitching as tough it’s been for the offense to plate runs through the first 20 games. The veteran right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.79 ERA and .277 BAA in allowing 23 hits (1 HR) and 11 ER through 20.2 overall innings. Though he didn’t issue a single walk last time out, he was still battered around for eight hits and gave up 4 ER. Thankfully Kyle Schwarber and Co. rose to the occasion and bailed him out with seven runs to earn him his first dub.

Even if he fails to bring his “A” game to the bump in the finale with the Rockies, I fully expect the Phillies’ offense to have a grand ‘ol time of it running up against Jose Urena. The righty has been ripped for 24 hits (6 HR) and 16 ER throughout his 12.1 innings pitched over four starts. Citizens Bank Park has been a house of horrors for him as well in allowing 32 hits through 32.2 innings with 11 of them leaving the yard. The only other venue that he’s served up more long balls in has been Coors! I get that it’s been tough for the Phillies injury ravaged offense to hang crooked numbers on the board this season, but I expect them to do exactly just that in this series finale!

BET OVER THE PHILLIES TEAM TOTAL

Miami Marlins vs. Cleveland Guardians

I know jack squat about Cleveland starter Peyton Battlefield save for the fact that the Guardians failed to win either of his two starts. What I do know however is that he’s got a tremendous cutter that had the Yankees baffled in his season debut back on April 12, and he followed that up with another solid showing with the pitch at Detroit by tossing six innings of 1 ER ball with 5 K while averaging 14.5 pitches per inning. Save for hitting for a mid-range batting average, Miami ranks near the bottom of the pack in most pertinent offensive stat categories. It also only possesses three hitters with positive run values against the cutter; and it isn’t by much!

That however isn’t the main reason why I’ll look to fade the Marlins in the finale of this interleague set. While still a huge fan of Jesus Luzardo and believe he’ll right the ship and go on a major run, I haven’t liked the way he’s looked in his last two turns regardless of cashing tickets with the Fish. After allowing just 1 ER through his first two turns, the southpaw has conceded 3 ER in each of his last two outings and the velocity of his fastball was noticeably short earlier this week against San Francisco. The Giants got him for six hits and they’ve been one of the worst teams against LHP to this point of the season. While I don’t think he’s injured, his arm seems to be fatigued and that’s not something you want to test against Jose Ramirez and Co.

BET THE GUARDIANS

San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Since getting eight runs of support in his season debut that saw him get tagged with a no-decision, Yu Darvish has received a grand total of 1 run in each of his last two starts. He took the loss in each, but it wasn’t because of the way the Japanese native handled his stuff on the bump. Darvish has actually been locked in allowing just 12 hits (0 HR) and 7 ER while racking up 20 K and holding the opposition to a .210 batting average against. Allowing just 6.4 hits per nine and dominating this Arizona squad last season in going 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA and 0.84 WHIP while not giving up a single run through 12.0 innings at Chase Field, I think he pops his cherry on Sunday.

Drey Jameson is nothing but a placeholder right now whose sinker/slider combo won’t holdup against Xander Bogaerts and Co. I’ll be hitting the moneyline and run-line to turn this puppy into a -1 run wager and will expect each to cash with confidence!

BET THE PADRES

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