Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds MLB betting preview
Time: 7:10 PM
Venue: Great American Ball Park
MLB betting odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Phillies -1½ (+155) 9 (+105) -103
Reds +1½ (-175) 9 (-125) -107
Philadelphia
On the mound. Jerad Eickhoff (R) built himself quite a reputation last season as the hardest working pitcher in Philly, throwing 197 1/3 innings and going 11-14 with a 3.65 ERA in 33 starts. Eickhoff hopes carry the momentum forward in his first full season in the league and second overall.
Who’s on first? The Phillies’ roster averages a little more than 28 years of age. Manager Pete Mackanin has stated his intentions of using fewer lineups this season; will he keep the same order that he used on Monday against Reds righty Scott Feldman?
Cincinnati
On the mound. Brandon Finnegan (L) had one complete game in 2016 but threw a total of 172 innings. He used his changeup – which he may or may not call Finnegan’s Wake – only about 12% of the time but finished at least 50 at-bats with that selfsame pitch, and his .133 slugging percentage ranked him second behind Marlins closer A.J. Ramos.
Who’s on first? The Reds are actually quite green; they have the younger roster in the league, averaging 26 years and 355 days according to some Elias guy. Oh, that’s the Elias Sports Bureau.
Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets MLB betting preview
Time: 7:10 PM
Venue: Citi Field
Odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Braves +1½ (-125) 7 (-105) +185
Mets -1½ (+105) 7 (-115) -200
Atlanta
On the mound. Bartolo Colon (R) will start against his team of the past three seasons, with which he had a 3.92 ERA. The 43 year old, 20-season veteran is 11 wins shy of becoming the most winning Dominican pitcher in the MLB.
Who’s on first? Freddie Freeman has seven triples since the start of the previous season and entered 2016 with eight career triples.
New York
On the mound. Jacob deGrom (R) will be back in action for the first time in September when he underwent surgery on his ulnar nerve.
Who’s on first? Asdrubal Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, Jose Reyes, and Neil Walker are the only Mets who have had at least 10 plate appearances against Colon.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox MLB betting preview
Time: 7:10 PM
Venue: Fenway Park
Odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Pirates +1½ (-125) 8 (EV) +172
Red Sox -1½ (+105) 8 (-120) -182
Pittsburgh
On the mound. Jameson Taillon (R) was 5-4 and had a 3.38 ERA in 18 starts in his debut season in 2016.
Who’s on first? Jordy Mercer is the batting leadoff against lefties of choice for the Pirates. Mercer is a .311/.375/.480 hitter against sinistrals, but he has never faced the BoSox’s starter.
Boston
On the mound. Chris Sale (L) will make his long-awaited start with the Red Sox, though he is familiar with Fenway Park, where he is 1-1 with a 4.12 ERA as a starter.
Who’s on first? The Red Sox had come to respect and fear Sale; now they expect to instill the fear of Sale into the souls of other teams.