Happy Thursday, fellow sports investors! Hump Day was awful for us on the MLB side of things. We went 0-4 to run our record to 86-85 on the young season. There's nothing like going 3-0 on Tuesday and 0-4 the very next day to keep you humble. Such is the life of an MLB bettor!
We're sitting at 3-4 this week, so let's cash all three of these wagers today to get into the green. Best of luck, my friends!
ATL at PHI - 1:05 PM EDT and WSH at SEA- 9:40 PM EDT
How about an early strikeout props parlay to get our juices flowing on this fine Thursday morning? Cristopher Sanchez has been wheeling and dealing all year long, and I don't see him slowing down against this very inconsistent Braves lineup. Atlanta ranks a putrid 22nd in WRC+ against lefties, so Sanchez should see at least 6 solid innings of usage today at home.
The crafty lefty's K-rate of 28.3% puts him in the 82nd percentile in all of baseball. Sanchez's median strikeout number is 6.5 in 2025, so I feel pretty good about him getting to at least 5 Ks this afternoon. The Braves have the 10th-highest K-rate against lefties this season, and Sanchez racked up 16 Ks in just 2 starts against this team last year.
MacKenzie Gore would be a legitimate Cy Young candidate if he played on a contender. His stuff is flat-out nasty, and he should have lots of success on the road tonight against Seattle.
The Mariners are hitting much better than they did last year, but they still have the 8th-highest strikeout rate in MLB against lefties. Look for Gore to get us to 7+ pretty quickly in this Thursday nightcap.
A's at TOR - 7:07 PM EDT
This one's juicy, but I'll drink it because I made the line around 4 or so. Berrios has five solid pitches, and he usually gets at least six innings of work per start. However, his K-rate has been declining ever since the start of 2024.
Berrios is only striking out 20.6% of hitters, which ranks in just the 41st percentile in baseball. Pair that with the fact that the A's have been putting the ball in play at a high rate against righties all year, and we have ourselves a nice spot for an Under.
The A's have the 6th-lowest strikeout rate in MLB against righties, and four of their everyday players fan less than 17.5% of the time. Berrios will probably make us sweat, but this one should cash.
ATL at PHI- 6:45 PM EDT Game 2
Since sides and first 5s have let me down this season, I'm going to take a stab at some totals from time to time. We have a dream matchup for an Under in Game 2 of the doubleheader between the Braves and Phillies.
Reigning Cy Young winner Chris Sale gets the ball for Atlanta, and he's been lights out lately after a shaky start to the season. The veteran lefty has allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven straight starts. He's also been striking out a ton of guys with his famous slider.
Zack Wheeler will start Game 2 for Philadelphia, and he's been his usual dominant self all year long. The big righty has one of the best K-rates in baseball at 32.7%. I don't see Atlanta doing much against Big Zack and his 95-mph sinker. Give me the Under to close out the Thursday card.