I always have a lot of ideas on how to make sports better. I’ve always said that sports betting is a great way to make games more interesting, and it should be legal everywhere. Clearly, people seem to share that view, since it’s become more accessible across America. One other thing I think baseball should do is eliminate the division system. I’ve also said that if you have a losing team for 10+ years, you should be forced to sell it. Looking at the slate today, there are a lot of good games, but some lines are getting out of hand because of the matchups. There are three that have a line of -225 or longer, and we are going to pick one to bet on that might give us a juicy payday.
This game features one of the worst teams in baseball against the best team in the American League. The Athletics are currently 28 games under .500, and seem like most of the players of substance on their team have been shut down for the year. Nick Kurtz is out, Shea Langeliers was hurt and is now just playing DH. Their pitching staff has been hurt as well, with J.T. Ginn, Luis Severino, and Gage Jump all injured. The Rays are gearing up for the postseason and are still one of the better teams in baseball. They also have the American League East to play for as they haven’t quite kept the Yankees from having a shot at the division.
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The Rays are currently a -239 favorite for tonight’s game against the Athletics. Jack Perkins, the A’s starter, has a 6.53 ERA for the year. Griffin Jax, who goes for the Rays, has a 3.99 ERA. I don’t think this is the right game to play in terms of taking a shot on the A’s. I just don’t see it happening.
History classes used to talk about the “haves” and the “have-nots.” That’s kind of how you should view this game. The Los Angeles Dodgers have everything you would want out of a team. They are 91-59 for the season and still have an outside shot at winning 100 games. They may not look quite as dominant given the struggles of some players on their offense, but this team isn’t worried about the regular season; they want the World Series. The Reds are 70-80 and a bit disappointing after making the postseason last year.
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The pitching matchup here has Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking on Rhett Lowder. Yamamoto has been incredible this season with a 2.62 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. Lowder owns a 5.81 ERA, and a 1.53 WHIP. The Dodgers are -246 on the moneyline, and probably are the correct side even at that price.
The Brewers are the best team in baseball and continue to try to secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Milwaukee has the pieces and has put together a great campaign. However, if we think the Dodgers are built for the postseason, the Brewers are definitely built for the regular season. The Pirates are .500, which is a step in the right direction, but they need to continue to advance forward in the offseason if they want to make a real threat at the playoffs next year.
Jacob Misiorowski, the NL Cy Young winner (soon enough), will take the mound tonight. However, one team he didn’t look great against this season is the Pirates. He allowed three earned runs on six hits in his lone start against Pittsburgh. He also has a worse ERA on the road than at home this season. Lake Bachar, pitching for the Pirates, has a 3.52 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. He has been strong in his four home starts with a 2.02 ERA. He has faced the Brewers three times this season as a reliever, allowing one earned run over five innings of work. I think this is the best bet for any of the big favorites to fall to a dog. I’m going to take a shot at the Pirates winning at +188 tonight.
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