MLB Over/Under best bet: Taijuan Walker starring in D-backs debut

The Arizona Diamondbacks are not supposed to be a threat in the NL West, but that could change if some of the young pitching takes wing.

Okay, nice to boost my record to 2-0 after last night’s solid pitching matchup between Jake Arrieta and Adam Wainwright from Busch Stadium. Of course, the season is only a few days old, so now is certainly not the time to get content.

Zylbert’s 2017 MLB Over/Under Record: 2-0, +200

Yesterday’s Result: Arrieta vs Wainwright Under 7.5 (WIN)

Let’s try to stay perfect with this under I have for tonight.

San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks

Matt Moore vs. Taijuan Walker

UNDER 9.5 (+100) (via OddsShark)

In the first two contests of this season-opening four-game set between NL West rivals, there have been 23 runs put on the board, but I don’t expect that offensive surge to continue in game three, given this fine pitching matchup.

On one side, we have Taijuan Walker making his Diamondbacks debut after spending his first four seasons in the bigs with the Mariners. Along the way, Walker has shown numerous considerable glimpses of being the dominant pitcher that many pegged him to be at the major league level, but he just hasn’t quite put it all together up to this point. Perhaps a shift to the National League could reignite him to fulfill his extraordinary potential, though it won’t be as helpful making his home starts at Chase Field compared to the much more pitcher-friendly Safeco Field.

Nonetheless, Walker actually has some good numbers against National League opponents, having recorded a 3.31 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in six career Interleague assignments. Furthermore, the 24-year-old has racked up 32 strikeouts in those starts, spanning 35 1/3 innings. He’s in a nice spot to break out in 2017.

Speaking of high potential, that’s exactly what Matt Moore exhibited in his first few years in the big leagues, before injuries got to the left-hander and limited him to just 14 starts over 2014 and 2015. Last year, however, Moore seemingly received a jolt when he was dealt from the Rays to the Giants around the trade deadline, and the results were desirable.

He’ll be looking to pick up where he left off — that being from two dominant starts he churned out in October, including a brilliant eight-inning, 10-strikeout gem versus the Cubs in the NLDS — in his first start of the new campaign.

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With the line being as high as it is, we’ll even have room for error as well, but overall, one standout outing is all we might need for an under victory.