April 2 MLB Trends and Betting Previews (Listen)
Honing in on a few good series trends, Gambling911.com managed to pick the right one Monday night as a few of the others did not quite go as expected. We are now 2-0 with Major League Baseball picks after selecting the UNDER on Monday night's Giants-Dodgers game.
Even that one didn't go as expected as far as the books are concerned. They had LA as a big -220 favorite and losing to San Francisco.
Giants vs. Dodgers
Trend: UNDER
This marks the last seven games between these two teams playing in LA staying UNDER last night's total of 7.5.
Drew Pomeranz pitched well up until the 5th inning when he allowed two consecutive home runs. But ultimately San Francisco was able to take the lead and win 4-2.
For Tuesday night's PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 2.57 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0, 1.50)
Bumgarner was a hard-luck loser on Opening Day after allowing two runs with one walk and nine strikeouts over seven innings against San Diego.
The last three games Bumgarner has started against LA, no more than 7 runs were scored (two of the games featured total runs of 4 each).
Ryu cruised through his Opening Day assignment against Arizona, allowing one run and four hits with eight strikeouts over six innings.
Around 60% of the total action Tuesday night is on the OVER. This number is not moving off the 7.
Tigers vs. Yankees
Trend Edge: OVER
The OVER was 8-2 in the last ten meetings between these two teams prior to Monday night before going 3-1 Monday night.
Three of the last four had gone OVER 12. Those games were played in New York. Five of the other six featured double digit runs scored with the other game featuring a total of 8.
The OVER is now 11-4 in the Yankees last 15 overall.
The total on Tuesday's game is swinging between 8 and 8.5 but with a general trend from 8.5 to 7.5.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (1-0, 1.59)
Zimmermann took a perfect game into the seventh inning and settled for seven scoreless innings with one hit allowed in a 2-0 win at Toronto on Opening Day, striking out four.
Tanaka picked up the win on Opening Day with 5 2/3 solid innings in which he allowed one earned run while striking out five.
The Tigers are 2-5 in Zimmermann's last 7 road starts.
The OVER is 5-2-1 in Zimmermann’s last 8 starts overall.
The OVER is 10-3 in Tanaka’s last 13 Tuesday starts.
More importantly perhaps, the OVER is 9-3 in Tanaka's last 12 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
Orioles vs. Blue Jays
Trend Edge: Blue Jays
The home team prior to Monday night had gone 8-2 in this series and those two away games were won by Toronto.
Monday night, Baltimore starter David Hess was impressive.
Hess was pulled after 6 1/3 hitless innings. The 25-year-old right-hander struck out eight and walked one, but Hyde pulled him after 82 pitches. Hess also threw 42 pitches in relief Thursday on opening day.
Toronto almost came back with five runs after he was pulled. This one ended Baltimore 6-5.
It's safe to say after that Orioles bull pen peformance, Toronto still has an edge here.
Toronto was around a -187 favorite Tuesday night.
Mets vs. Marlins
Trend Edge: Mets
The Marlins made it a game but ultimately the Mets did pull ahead Monday night.
The Tuesday line is New York -128, Miami +118.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Jason Vargas (2018: 7-9, 5.77 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jose Urena (0-1, 9.64)
Vargas struggled with multiple injuries throughout the first half of last season before flashing the form that made him an 18-game winner for Kansas City in 2017, finishing 5-1 with a 2.62 ERA over his last eight turns. Despite his chaotic year, the 36-year-old Long Beach State product was able to hold his own at Citi Field, going 4-4 with a 3.92 ERA across eight outings. Curtis Granderson is 7-for-14 versus Vargas, who permitted a total of two runs while winning both of his starts against Miami last season.
Urena's second Opening Day start was a forgettable one, taking a line drive off his left knee in the second inning before making his exit after surrendering six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 frames of a loss to Colorado. The defeat snapped the six-game winning streak he forged at the end of last season in which he allowed fewer than two runs in six of his last seven outings. Michael Conforto is 7-for-19 with a home run against Urena, who went 2-2 with a 3.57 ERA in four starts versus the Mets in 2018.
Cubs vs. Braves
Trend Edge: Cubs
Cubs were 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Atlanta prior to getting a beatdown there Monday night.
Come Wednesday this trend may be dead with another Chicago loss as Atlanta has won three of the last five overall versus the Cubs.
There is no game between these two teams Tuesday night.
2019 MLB Record: 2-0 (100%)
2018-19 College Basketball Record: 12-9 (57.1%)
2018-19 NBA Record: 6-3 (66.6%)
2018 MLB Record: 45-35 (56.2%)
2018 NBA Record: 12-4-1 (75%)
- Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com