3 Underdog Bets for Sunday's MLB Slate
Sundays in the summer are meant for baseball.
With a full slate of afternoon MLB games set to get underway, it’s time to sit on the couch, place a few bets, and enjoy the final day of the weekend.
If you’re wondering who to bet on, and you want to get the best value possible, here is a breakdown of my three favorite underdogs that I’ll be backing today.
All odds listed are via WynnBET.
Los Angeles Angels +130 vs Tampa Bay Rays
Tyler Glasnow got hurt, the Rays started losing games, and things were looking bleak in Tampa Bay through the first few weeks of June. The Rays have recently bounced back, having won four straight games heading into their series finale against the Angels today.
Despite the mini win streak, don’t assume the Rays are going to go on a run and widen their lead on the AL East. The Angels are a great bet today to avoid the series sweep.
It’s a lefty vs lefty matchup this afternoon, as Patrick Sandoval of the Angels is set to get the start against Ryan Yarbrough of the Rays. Los Angeles has been much more effective against left-handed pitching this season than Tampa Bay has been.
The Angels are 8th in the Majors in OPS vs lefties, while the Rays are 25th. This should bode well for Sandoval, who pitched two scoreless innings in relief against the Rays back on May 3rd. Los Angeles will also be facing a struggling Yarbrough, as the 29-year old has allowed 12 earned runs in his last 8.1 innings pitched for the Rays.
Finally, believe it or not but the Angels offense has been among the hottest in baseball this month. They’re second in runs scored in June at 127, while also ranking third in both batting average (.268) and OPS (.806).
Colorado Rockies +165 vs Milwaukee Brewers
This one is a little bit more aggressive, but no team should be a -200 favorite with Eric Lauer starting on the mound. The left-handed pitcher has allowed 16 earned runs in 16 innings in the month of June, including giving up three earned runs in five innings against this very same Rockies team in his last night out.
While Rockies starter Chi Chi Gonzalez has had his fair share of bad play this season. He’ll be facing a Brewers team that ranks 28th in the Majors in OPS this season and 21st in runs per game at 4.08.
It’s hard to make a strong case to bet on the Rockies this season, no matter who they’re facing, but +165 odds make it worth a shot against a struggling Eric Lauer.
Pittsburgh Pirates +120 vs St. Louis Cardinals
Betting on the Pirates this season has been a death sentence for bettors, but if there’s any game that betting on Pittsburgh makes sense, it’s this one.
Max Kranick, who is one of the organization's top prospects, will be making his major league debut today against the Cardinals, who have had the worst offense in baseball in June.
Kranick was an 11th-round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, but he’s put together some solid starts for the Pirates AAA and AA affiliates this season. In what should help Kranic today, the Cardinals are dead last in the Majors this month in runs scored (67), and OPS (.632).
Johan Oviedo gets the start for St. Louis today, and he comes into the game with a 4.62 ERA, but a 5.46 FIP, which indicates a drop in ERA could be expected in his coming starts.
Why not take a shot on a guy getting his first Major League start against the current worst offense in baseball? It’s worth it at +120.