Yesterday Was A Good Gambling Day. Let's Keep The Train Rolling
RECORD
20-39-2 (-13 units)
I'll tell you what, man, yesterday was not a bad day. Mookie Betts failed to go deep against Blue Jays last night, but we nailed our other two bets. The Astros got us the win on the money line after winning one of the wildest games of the season. Kyle Tucker also got a hit, helping me cash in on my two-leg parlay. Then, in maybe the biggest roll of the dice I've had since I started putting out these picks, I cashed in on my Pittsburgh Pirates money line bet. They were massive underdogs, but my lack of trust in the San Diego Padres paid off. They got embarrassed, and Yu Darvish got rocked. So perhaps things are starting to look up. Outside of the home run props we went with on Sunday, the plays have been better lately. They haven't been good, but they've been better, which is worth celebrating. At the same time, none of this will matter if we don't keep the momentum going. Let's take a look at today's picks.
Orioles ML (+105) against the Phillies
I'm sticking with the hot hand here. I love these Orioles. They are just having a magical season. Last night was one of their more remarkable wins of the season. They won a close game against the Phillies in which Yeinner Cano and Felix Bautista were unavailable. Do I have my concerns that they may be peaking a little bit early? Perhaps, but for the time being, I have to strike while the iron is hot with this team. Also, a lot of people may be overrating the Philadelphia Phillies. They're a team with many names, but most of their stars are underachieving this year. Even Nick Castellanos, who has had a nice bounce-back season in his second year in Philadelphia, has struggled in the second half. I'm all aboard the Orioles train until someone proves they can stop it.
Mets -1.5 (+135) against the Yankees
I know the Mets have been a mess this year, but I love the value of +135 as a road underdog in this matchup. Justin Verlander is on the mound for the Mets. He may haven't put up the Cy Young caliber numbers that Mets fans expected, but he's still the man. He's struggled with some command issues, but since the calendar turned to June, he's been vintage Verlander, posting a 2.72 ERA over his last nine starts. He's also historically been against the Yankees, and he's facing a pitcher in Domingo German, who has been trending in the opposite direction over his last nine starts. He has a 5.26 ERA over his last nine outings, which is ironic because he has a perfect game sandwiched between those nine starts. I know they just swept the Royals, but until proven otherwise, I don't have any faith that this Yankees lineup can be consistent against good pitching without Aaron Judge in the lineup. The Mets offense is every bit as inconsistent, but I like their chances against German tonight.
Manny Machado to homer (+360) against the Pirates
The Padres are so whack. Sometimes they look like world-beaters, and sometimes they put together a pitiful performance like they did last night against the Pirates. They're a heavy favorite tonight, as they should be with Blake Snell on the mound. Rich Hill is going for the Pirates. The Padres have a rock-solid run differential on the season, and that's because their lineup is deep. They tend to play pissed after a few bad games when they feel like it. Tonight's game has all the makings of a blowout, and a big reason for that is that Manny Machado crushes Rich Hill. He's 5-12 with two home runs in his career against Hill. From a power standpoint, Machado has had one of his weakest years, but he's been crushing the ball lately, putting up a 1.112 OPS since the beginning of July. He stays hot tonight and helps the Padres get back on track.
All odds come from the Barstool Sportsbook. Follow Barstool Baseball on all platforms, including our YouTube page.