What an absolutely loaded Thursday in the majors. There are only seven games, but a number of them are quite marquee. If you want to make some cash that day, keep reading cause we’re dishing out the best betting plays of April 20 in MLB. The best part? These picks are free of cost and very likely winners!
Over/Under 8.5 runs: Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees
This LA-New York series has largely gotten the most amount of volume at MLB's best betting sites. You have arguably the game's three biggest players — Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Mike Trout — going at it. This will be the final game of the series, which is split after two games. But rather than chase the moneyline, our focus is squarely on the Angels-Yankees over/under. Here’s where it stands:
Ohtani wasn’t in the rotation in any of the series games so unfortunately for fans and bettors alike, there was no Ohtani vs. Judge showdown this week. Heck, there might not be one anytime soon. Ohtani is a free agent this offseason and one that might be able to fetch a $400 contract due to his rare two-way ability and global appeal. Ohtani crushed a two-run homer in the series opener, which only deepened the dream of signing him for the Yankees fanbase.
That Ohtani home run was a rare explosion from the Angels' offense though. This lineup has gone cold over the last week and a half. In the team’s prior eight games, Los Angeles has been bottled up to three runs or fewer in five games.
That’s not a positive streak to be on, especially when New York is putting out Nestor Cortes to start as pitcher. This year, Cortes is 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 15 strikeouts this season. Similarly, Cortes is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA and 14 strikeouts in his career against the Angels. For this reason, we’re taking the under. We expect Los Angeles’ offensive woes to largely continue.
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs
Oh, boy, here’s another must-see series. Thursday marks Game 1 of a four-game series between two of baseball’s most beloved franchises of all. The Cubs-Dodgers moneyline is almost at pick’em, however, the home-field team is favored by just a smidge. Have a look for yourself:
It’s been an abnormally slow start for the Boys In Blue. Only months removed from winning the most regular-season games in history, LA is actually a game below .500 right now at 9-10. There’s been no consistency up and down the team. We mean, the only winning streak the team has had is one of three games, and that’s it. This is why the Dodgers are being pegged as betting underdogs quite regularly, including this one.
Chicago is on the opposite end of the spectrum right now. The team has won four in a row so confidence isn’t short for this homestand. The offseason pick-up of shortstop Dansby Swanson has revitalized the franchise. So far, Swanson is leading the Cubs with a .344 average.
We’re going to ride Chicago’s momentum and pick them to win. It’s just tough to trust LA right now. Plus, in a series earlier this year, the Cubs took two of three games. This is the Cubbies game (and series) to lose.
Over/Under 9.5 runs: San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks
Here’s the start of another series between NL West rivals. Oddsmakers have given the Arizona-San Diego over/under the highest total of the day at 9.5 runs. Here’s where the odds sit in each direction:
We’ll be honest, we’re a bit surprised at just how high the run total is. Look, we get it, San Diego has a loaded offense on paper. But reality has been far from that this far. The Padres rank in the bottom half of several offensive categories — 25th in runs per game (3.65), 28th in hits (.223), and 22nd in OPS (.691). The club has tallied a whopping four runs in as many games so it’s not like things are trending upward for the lineup either.
So yes, we’re hammering the under here. Not only because of the Padres' offensive issues, but the D-Backs starting pitcher is Ryne Nelson, who started once already against San Diego this season. He went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and three walks. Not great, but not bad either. We expect Nelson to keep his opponent in check and help keep this game under 9.5 runs.
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