Sometimes, fortune truly does smile on you with your bets, which is exactly how one of yesterday’s plays turned out. If you played all three of our plays on April 20, it was a good day for you.
In the Los Angeles Angels vs. Houston Astros game, the Halos took a 6-0 lead before the Astros ever picked up a bat. And when you’ve got the under 8.5 runs as your best bet and you’re already seeing six on the board in the top of the first, what are the odds that you’re going to get through the rest of the game without three total runs being scored?
And then Shohei Ohtani went to the hill and pitched a masterpiece, striking out 12 and holding the Astros to one hit through six innings. Amazingly, it only got better from there for the under, as the Houston bullpen held the Angels to four hits and no runs over the final 8.1 innings after Jake Odorizzi’s exit. Neither team managed a hit in the final three innings, and what started out as a dumpster fire of a bet turned into a comfortable win by the end of the night. Cherish moments like this as they don’t come around very often.
Here are the MLB odds, schedule, probables pitchers and predictions for April 21.
MLB Odds, Schedule and Probable Pitchers
Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians
Run Line: CHW: -1.5 (+115) | CLE: +1.5 (-140)
Moneyline: CHW: -145 | CLE: +120
Over/Under: 8 (-110)
White Sox vs. Guardians Starting Pitchers: Dylan Cease (CHW) vs. Zach Plesac (CLE)
White Sox vs. Guardians Game Time: 1:10 p.m. EST
White Sox vs. Guardians Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Run Line: NYY: -1.5 (-105) | DET: +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: NYY: -175 | DET: +145
Over/Under: 8.5 (-110)
Yankees vs. Tigers Starting Pitchers: Jordan Montgomery (NYY) vs. Michael Pineda (DET)
Yankees vs. Tigers Game Time: 1:10 p.m. EST
Yankees vs. Tigers Location: Comerica Park, Detroit
San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets
Run Line: SF: +1.5 (-165) | NYM: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: SF: +120 | NYM: -145
Over/Under: 7.5 (-110)
Giants vs. Mets Starting Pitchers: Anthony DeSclafani (SF) vs. Carlos Carrasco (NYM)
Giants vs. Mets Game Time: 1:10 p.m. EST
Giants vs. Mets Location: Citi Field, New York
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox
Run Line: TOR: -1.5 (+140) | BOS: +1.5 (-165)
Moneyline: TOR: -115 | BOS: -105
Over/Under: 8.5 (-110)
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox Starting Pitchers: Kevin Gausman (TOR) vs. Tanner Houck (BOS)
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox Game Time: 1:35 p.m. EST
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox Location: Fenway Park, Boston
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals
Run Line: MIN: -1.5 (+125) | KC: +1.5 (-155)
Moneyline: MIN: -135 | KC: +110
Over/Under: 7.5 (-110)
Twins vs. Royals Starting Pitchers: Joe Ryan (MIN) vs. Zack Greinke (KC)
Twins vs. Royals Game Time: 2:10 p.m. EST
Twins vs. Royals Location: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Baltimore Orioles vs. Oakland Athletics
Run Line: BAL: +1.5 (-200) | OAK: -1.5 (+170)
Moneyline: BAL: +105 |OAK: -125
Over/Under: 7 (-110)
Orioles vs. Athletics Starting Pitchers: Tyler Wells (BAL) vs. Paul Blackburn (OAK)
Orioles vs. Athletics Game Time: 3:37 p.m. EST
Orioles vs. Athletics Location: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Washington Nationals
Run Line: ARI: +1.5 (-175) | WSH: -1.5 (+145)
Moneyline: ARI: +110 | WSH: -135
Over/Under: 9 (-110)
Diamondbacks vs. Nationals Starting Pitchers: Zach Davies (ARI) vs. Josh Rogers (WSH)
Diamondbacks vs. Nationals Game Time: 4:05 p.m. EST
Diamondbacks vs. Nationals Location: Nationals Park, Washington
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins
Run Line: STL: +1.5 (-200) | MIA: -1.5 (+165)
Moneyline: STL: +105 | MIA: -125
Over/Under: 7.5 (-110)
Cardinals vs. Marlins Starting Pitchers: Jordan Hicks (STL) vs. Pablo Lopez (MIA)
Cardinals vs. Marlins Game Time: 6:40 p.m. EST
Cardinals vs. Marlins Location: LoanDepot Park, Miami
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs
Run Line: PIT: +1.5 (-145) |CHC: -1.5 (+120)
Moneyline: PIT: +135 | CHC: -165
Over/Under: 8.5 (-110)
Pirates vs. Cubs Starting Pitchers: Bryse Wilson (PIT) vs. Mark Leiter Jr. (CHC)
Pirates vs. Cubs Game Time: 7:40 p.m. EST
Pirates vs. Cubs Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago
Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners
Run Line: TEX: +1.5 (-185) | SEA: -1.5 (+150)
Moneyline: TEX: +110 | SEA: -135
Over/Under: 8 (-110)
Rangers vs. Mariners Starting Pitchers: Taylor Hearn (TEX) vs. Marco Gonzales (SEA)
Rangers vs. Mariners Game Time: 9:40 p.m. EST
Rangers vs. Mariners Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle
MLB Predictions Today and Best Bets
Like I said above, the Angels vs. Astros under play served as part of a clean sweep with our best bets. We’ll try to build off that today. Here are my predictions and best bets for April 21.
MLB Best Bet April 21: New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers Under 8.5 (-110), 1:10 p.m. EST, available at BetMGM
The Bronx Bombers haven’t really done much bombing, as they’ve seen 10 of 12 games finish with eight runs or fewer crossing the plate. One of those was their season opener versus the Red Sox, which saw three runs score in extra frames, so only one of the Yankees’ contests this year has actually gone over eight in nine innings.
Home runs are also down across the league this year with the Yankees’ 11 homers ranking 14th in the Majors. Their opponent, the Tigers, have hit just six on the season. The fences might be closer than thwy were in Detroit’s days of Comerica National Park, but there’s just not a lot of pop in the Tigers’ bats this season. Detroit is averaging just three runs per game, and Yankees’ pitchers have a 2.52 team ERA.
With Jordan Montgomery coming off two good starts for New York, this under is one of my best bets for April 21.
MLB Best Bet April 21: Baltimore Orioles Team Total Under 3.5 (-130) vs. Oakland Athletics, 3:37 p.m. EST, available at BetMGM
Until the Baltimore Orioles’ offense shows anything that resembles life, I’m going to ride this horse. The Orioles hit like a Double-A team and will likely continue to do so all season. Baltimore has scored just 24 runs and hit four homers on the year — both dead last in the Majors.
And that’s before you throw in that the O’s are facing Paul Blackburn, who has pitched well in his two 2022 starts facing the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. Blackburn held Toronto to two earned runs in five innings and didn’t give up any runs to the Rays. Now he’s pitching at home and facing the weakest lineup in the Majors.
This makes this my best bet for today as I really like Blackburn and the rest of the Athletics’ pitching staff to keep the Orioles from doing much at the dish.
MLB Best Bet April 21: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins Under 7.5 (-110), 6:40 p.m. EST, available at BetMGM
Marlins starter Pablo Lopez has picked up right where he left off in 2021. He’s allowed one earned run through his first two starts of the season. In his most recent outing against the Phillies, Lopez got through 5.1 innings without giving up a run. Having a hot starter on the mound is a big help when taking an under bet.
St. Louis has proven to be feast or famine at the plate as well, as the Cardinals rank sixth in the Majors in slugging percentage at .421 while tallying just 50 runs on the season. Still, the Cards are 7-3 on the year, and that’s in large part to their ace bullpen which has a mere 1.76 ERA, the best in baseball.
With the Cardinals planning to throw a bullpen game today, and Lopez putting up zeroes, the under is one of my best bets for April 21.
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