MLB Betting Daily Preview (April 15): Marlins, Mets, and Red Sox Look to Break Out the Brooms, Pitching Set to Dominate in Chi-Town Again, and More

May 18, 2018; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom (48) delivers a pitch during the first inning of the game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

So what happened in the MLB betting world on Wednesday? Not much, right? Just another quiet, uneventful day on the diamond.

No, it was quite the opposite. There were several barking dogs, four shutouts, a few moonshots, and 8.1 IP of perfection by White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon that first lived by the foot (of Jose Abreu) and then died by the foot (of Roberto Perez).

Rodon didn’t get the perfect game, but he did get the second MLB no-hitter in a matter of days, following Joe Musgrove’s no-no last Friday for the San Diego Padres. Speaking of Musgrove, he made his first start since the no-hitter last night, taking the loss in the Padres’ second straight loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Fun fact: This is the first time since 1994 that there have been two no-hitters in April. In MLB history, three or more no-hitters have taken place in a month only six times. That’s right, six times since 1876. And it has never happened in April. With 16 days left in April, could it happen this year? FanDuel or another sportsbook would be smart to put out odds on it.

Brilliant Burnes Continues Rapid Rise in NL Cy Young Odds

With some of the pitching performances that are taking place, another April no-no would be unsurprising. Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes was finally rewarded for his early excellence yesterday, as he struck out 10 in six shutout innings, hit a two-run single, and got his first win as the Brewers shut out the Chicago Cubs 7-0.

It would do more justice to devote a separate piece to what he’s achieved already and what he is on the cusp of achieving, so look out for that soon. MLB betting odds are reflecting his rapid rise, as he is now +550 to win the NL Cy Young after yesterday’s gem. Can he keep this up?

Is it deGrom’s Turn to Win Now?

Burnes is now the second favorite to win the NL Cy Young behind two-time winner Jacob deGrom (+300), who takes the mound this afternoon in the New York Mets’ series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies. Now that Burnes has a win to his name, perhaps Lady Luck will move on to deGrom today. Can the Mets give him enough run support to help finish off a four-game sweep of the Phillies? Or is another unrewarded masterpiece on the horizon?

What else is there to look out for in the other 11 MLB matchups on today’s schedule?

  • The Miami Marlins look to score a four-game road sweep of the Atlanta Braves, who have done things in fours to start the season. Four losses, four wins, four losses.
  • Another four-game road sweep will be on the line in the finale between the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox have won nine straight and send Garrett Richards to the mound in their quest for a 10th straight W.
  • Is pitching going to dominate again in the finale of the Indians-White Sox series? The over hit last night thanks to the White Sox putting up a six-spot in the first against Zach Plesac.
  • Will the 10-2 Dodgers continue their blazing start as they prepare for a highly-anticipated series in San Diego? The reigning champs have won five in a row, and eight of their wins have hit on the -1.5 RL.

Thursday, April 15 MLB Betting Schedule

Doubleheaders

Seattle Mariners vs Baltimore Orioles (Game 1), 12:35 pm ET: Marco Gonzales (0-1, 10.45 ERA) vs Matt Harvey (0-1, 5.59 ERA)

Seattle Mariners vs Baltimore Orioles (Game 2), 4:05 pm ET: Justin Dunn (0-0, 5.79 ERA) vs Bruce Zimmerman (1-0, 4.50 ERA)

American League

Boston Red Sox vs Minnesota Twins, 1:10 pm ET: Garrett Richards (0-1, 10.29 ERA) vs Michael Pineda (1-0, 1.64 ERA)

Cleveland Indians vs Chicago White Sox, 2:10 pm ET: Aaron Civale (2-0, 2.45 ERA) vs Lance Lynn (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays, 7:10 pm ET: Jordan Lyles (1-0, 4.50 ERA) vs Rich Hill (1-0, 7.20 ERA)

Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals, 8:10 pm ET: TBD vs Jakob Junis (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Detroit Tigers vs Oakland A’s, 9:40 pm ET: Tarik Skubal (0-1, 7.71 ERA) vs Sean Manaea (0-1, 5.06 ERA)

National League

Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets, 12:10 pm ET: Zach Eflin (0-0, 3.46 ERA) vs Jacob deGrom (0-1, 0.64 ERA)

Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves, 12:20 pm ET: Trevor Rogers (1-1, 1.80 ERA) vs Ian Anderson (0-0, 4.35 ERA)

San Diego Padres vs Pittsburgh Pirates, 12:35 pm ET: Chris Paddack (0-1, 5.63 ERA) vs Mitch Keller (1-1, 4.50 ERA)

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Washington Nationals, 7:05 pm ET: Merrill Kelly (0-2, 8.10 ERA) vs Patrick Corbin (0-1, 12.46 ERA)

Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 pm ET: Austin Gomber (0-2, 2.89 ERA) vs Julio Urias (2-0, 2.84 ERA)

Thursday, April 15 Top MLB Betting Matchups

All MLB betting odds are via FanDuel Sportsbook. Updated MLB betting odds can be found on our MLB odds page.

You can also find our aggregated industry MLB betting picks for these matchups and all of the day’s other MLB matchups on our MLB picks page.

And to track the week in MLB betting action, check out our weekly MLB betting preview.

Philadelphia Phillies (6-6) vs New York Mets (5-3)

Pitching Matchup: Zach Eflin (0-0, 3.46 ERA) vs Jacob deGrom (0-1, 0.64 ERA)

Moneyline: Phillies +194, Mets -235

Total: OVER 7.5 (-102), UNDER 7.5 (-120)

Run Line: Phillies +1.5 (-114), Mets -1.5 (-105)

This would be the perfect time for deGrom to nab his first win of the season. The Mets should be high on confidence after winning the first three games of the series. Also, they have done a fine job of shutting down the Phillies in the series, allowing four runs in three games.

A little run support could go a long way for deGrom. In his career, he is 6-36 when the Mets score two or fewer runs. He is 64-16 when the Mets score three or more runs.

Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More

Miami Marlins (5-6) vs Atlanta Braves (4-8)

Pitching Matchup: Trevor Rogers (1-1, 1.80 ERA) vs Ian Anderson (0-0, 4.35 ERA)

Moneyline: Marlins +150, Braves -178

Total: OVER 8 (-114), UNDER 8 (-106)

Run Line: Marlins +1.5 (-138), Braves -1.5 (+115)

The Marlins have taken the first three of their series in Atlanta, with two extra-inning wins sandwiched around Tuesday’s 14-run outburst. The Braves need to get something out of this series before hitting the road to face the Cubs and Yankees. In his last start, Rogers (six shutout innings, 10 K) went toe-to-toe with deGrom (8 IP, one run, 14 K) and came out the victor.

Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More

Cleveland Indians (6-5) vs Chicago White Sox (6-6)

Pitching Matchup: Aaron Civale (2-0, 2.45 ERA) vs Lance Lynn (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Moneyline: Indians +126, White Sox -148

Total: OVER 7.5 (-120), UNDER 7.5 (-102)

Run Line: Indians +1.5 (-178), White Sox -1.5 (+146)

Pitching has dominated the headlines in this series, and that also stands to be the case for the series finale. Civale has produced two quality seven-inning starts to open the season, while Lynn (+1600 to win the AL Cy Young) tossed a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts last Thursday against the Kansas City Royals.

Cleveland Indians vs Chicago White Sox Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More

Detroit Tigers (6-6) vs Oakland A’s (5-7)

Pitching Matchup: Tarik Skubal (0-1, 7.71 ERA) vs Sean Manaea (0-1, 5.06 ERA)

Moneyline: Tigers +150, A’s -178

Total: OVER 8.5 (-118), UNDER 8.5 (-104)

Run Line: Tigers +1.5 (-137), A’s -1.5 (+114)

After combining to hand the Houston Astros five straight losses, the Tigers and A’s open their four-game series. The A’s have four straight wins since starting 1-7, while the Tigers are riding high after an impressive three-game sweep in Houston. Will breakout rookie Akil Baddoo (.370, 4 HR, 11 RBI in nine games) continue his storybook start?

Detroit Tigers vs Oakland A’s Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More

Thursday, April 15 Top MLB Betting Lines to Watch

MLB Betting Sides

  • Mets ML or RL vs Phillies: Given how deGrom has been let down in his first two starts, anyone jumping to add one of these as the last leg to their parlay should stop in their tracks. There really isn’t much value in either one as a single bet either, given the risk involved. Tread with caution, at minimum.
  • Nationals RL vs Diamondbacks: The Nationals return home after a solid road series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Diamondbacks (4-8) have six losses by multiple runs. Corbin, who is facing his former team, had a rough start last Saturday, but it was on the road against the Dodgers, who are the best team in baseball. This is a solid spot for a bounce-back performance.

MLB Betting Totals

  • Diamondbacks vs Nationals OVER: The Diamondbacks allow 5.7 runs per game and score 4.6 runs per game. They have allowed seven or more runs seven times in 12 games, and there have been nine or more runs scored in seven of their games as well.
  • Tigers vs A’s OVER: The A’s have scored 29 runs in picking up four straight wins, and 10 of their 12 games have featured eight or more runs. The Tigers scored 20 runs in their three-game sweep of the Houston Astros. Maybe these two teams just like scoring against the Astros, but there is a lot of value here.

Looking for the best places to do some MLB betting today? Check out our online sportsbooks guide, which gives you a rundown of FanDuel, BetMGM, PointsBet and other top legal online sportsbooks.

By Eddie Griffin

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