We’re coming off a great weekend of baseball. Today’s slate will have ten games, with a few of them featuring incredible pitching matchups. Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara will be on the mound against the newly improved Padres. Rookie of the year candidate Spencer Strider will get the start against the Mets. Our final night cap game will feature Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo’s third start with the team. He will go up against two-way player Shohei Ohtani, who will be getting the start on the opposite mound.
The spreads of these games have been heavily impacted by starting pitching. The game in Anaheim is a 50/50 matchup due to the heavyweights on the mound. In Miami, Vegas decided to give the Padres the edge, even with Alcantara on the mound. The Padres will be going with the talented pitcher, Joe Musgrove. Now, let’s get you your Wicked Wagers so you can get those bets in for today.
6:40PM EST San Diego Padres (-135) @ Miami Marlins (+115)
Starting Pitchers: Joe Musgrove (SD) vs Sandy Alcantara (MIA)
These two teams are in very different positions as we head into the final stretch of the season. The Padres are battling for a playoff spot, while the Marlins are playing for pride. Yet, everything changes for this Marlins team when they have Sandy Alcantara on the mound. The righty is having a sensational season and could end up winning the Cy Young despite his team’s bad record. What doesn’t make this a sure-fire Marlins bet is that they will have to go up against Joe Musgrove. Musgrove made his first all-star team this year and is coming off a phenomenal start against the Giants.
The Padres can hit, especially after the acquisition of Juan Soto. However, this hasn’t exactly translated to wins yet. Since Soto entered the lineup, this team is 5-6. Sure, three of those losses came against the high-flying Dodgers, but this Padres team remains rather beatable. The Marlins, on the other hand, will be coming off a four-game sweep at home to the Braves. The sweep was capped off by a blown ninth inning lead.
We’re going to go with the Marlins in this one. The reason has less to do with recent precedent, then it does with the odds we were given. +115 is quite intriguing when you’ve got a Cy Young hopeful on the mound. The Padres may have the more talented lineup, but we know Alcantara is going to be able to keep them at bay.
Wicked Wagers- Marlins ML (+115)
7:20PM EST New York Mets (+125) @ Atlanta Braves (-145)
Starting Pitchers: Carlos Carrasco (NYM) vs Spencer Strider (ATL)
The matchup with the most playoff implications on the line is in Atlanta. The Mets now stand 5.5 games up on the Braves for first place in the NL East. If the Braves are going to shrink this margin, this four-game set vs the Mets is huge. The Braves will have the talented rookie, Spencer Strider on the mound. Strider has been one of the top arms in the Braves rotation this year, going 6-4, with a 3.11 ERA. He will be tasked with facing a Mets lineup that ranks fourth in the league in batting average and second in on-base percentage.
Strider struggled in his most recent start, which was against the Mets. The guy he will be going up against is Carlos Carrasco. Carrasco has been stellar since the all-star break. He is 4-0 in five starts since the break and has only given up five runs.
Each of these teams will be coming into Monday’s action red hot. Each of them will also have a quality pitcher on the mound. It feels right taking the Mets to win though. The Mets have an experienced pitcher on the mound that has been through one or two pennant races in his career. It’s harder to be sure about how the rookie will perform in such pressure. A Mets moneyline pick also gives you more bang for your buck, a rare circumstance when betting on a team that’s 35 games over .500.
Wicked Wagers- Mets ML (+125) / Total Runs o8.0 (-115)
9:38PM EST Seattle Mariners (-110) @ Los Angeles Angels (-110)
Starting Pitchers: Luis Castillo (SEA) vs Shohei Ohtani (LAA)
It’d be far-fetched to think we could get a better pitching matchup then the one in Miami, but Anaheim may be delivering in this one. Luis Castillo vs Shoehi Ohtani is a battle of Cy Young caliber pitchers. Castillo is finally getting his shot at a late season playoff push this year. Ohtani, unfortunately, is not. Yet, every time he takes the mound it seems like the Angels have the upperhand in the game.
The Angels have won five of their last six games and are playing much better ball as of late. This is a game where it feels like Ohtani will be able to ride the momentum of the team. Seattle has been playing solid ball in the month of August, but just dropped two in a row to Texas.
Vegas doesn’t see a favorite in this one, but we’re going to go with the home team. Ohtani has been pitching well lately. Expect that to continue into Monday’s night cap against the Mariners.
Wicked Wagers- Angels ML (-110)