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SportsPulse: Are the Cubs going to compete or clear house? Will Nolan Arenado lift Cards to new heights? Steve Gardner poses the biggest question facing every NL Central team in 2021.
SportsPulse: Are the Cubs going to compete or clear house? Will Nolan Arenado lift Cards to new heights? Steve Gardner poses the biggest question facing every NL Central team in 2021.
Previewing Friday’s Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals matchup, with MLB betting predictions, picks and best bets.
The Pittsburgh Pirates travel to take on the division rival St. Louis Cardinals Friday at Busch Stadium for an 8:15 p.m. ET first pitch. We analyze the Pirates-Cardinals MLB betting odds and lines, with betting advice and tips around the matchup.
RHP Joe Musgrove vs. RHP Jack Flaherty
Musgrove ended up 11-12 with a 4.44 ERA and 157 strikeouts with a 1.22 WHIP across 31 starts and one relief appearance in 2019.
Flaherty was good for an 11-8 record, a 2.75 ERA, a fantastic 0.98 WHIP and 231 strikeouts in 33 starts in 2019.
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(List of injuries around the league)
Pirates
Cardinals
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Wednesday at 7:55 a.m. ET.
Cardinals 7, Pirates 2
The Pirates (+170) lost their last six road games in 2019, and things do not appear any brighter to kick off the new season. The Cardinals (-189) are heavy favorites at home, but laying this kind of chalk early is dangerous. AVOID.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Cardinals (-189) to win straight up nets a return of just $5.29 if they prevail.
The CARDINALS (-1.5, +110) are a much better value in their home park on the run line, especially against Musgrove, who couldn’t do anything right against the Redbirds in 2019. Overall the Bucs are 7-20 in their past 27 tries against the Cards, and a dismal 20-45 in their past 65 at Busch.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 8 (-110) is a risky play based on Flaherty’s numbers from a year ago, and how tough he was on the Buccos. However, Musgrove was awful against the Cardinals, and the St. Louis batters could be doing an early conga line on the base paths against the shaky righty. It won’t be a beer-league softball score, but the Cards should scratch out enough offensively to make up for the lack of runs by the Pirates batters.
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Analyzing the Cincinnati Reds’ projected win total for the 2020 MLB season, along with their odds to win the NL Central and World Series.
The Cincinnati Reds come into the 2020 season looking to end a six-year playoff drought. Hopes are high for the Reds despite finishing fourth in the National League Central in 2019 and last the previous four seasons. Today, we focus on the Cincinnati Reds’ 2020 regular-season win totals and World Series odds. Do the Cincinnati Reds have what it takes? Let’s analyze:
The Reds are looking to improve on a 2019 campaign that was their winningest (75-87) since 2014. After winning on Opening Day, the Reds lost eight straight and were never above .500 again in 2019. The Reds had only one winning month — May when they went 15-13 — but were never in contention for the NL Central crown.
There was a lot of moving and shaking for the Reds this offseason. They added three new bats to the lineup: five-time Japanese All-Star OF Shogo Akiyama, 2017 American League Comeback Player of the Year 2B Mike Moustakas and former DetroiNick CCt Tigers/Chicago Cubs OF Nick Castellanos. The Reds also signed free-agent and former Houston Astros LHP Wade Miley, and they should receive a full season from former All-Star RHP Trevor Bauer.
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Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Lines last updated on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET.
I LIKE REDS +380 as a value play to steal the NL Central. First, the defending champ St. Louis Cardinals had the least wins (91) of any MLB division winner last year. Second, the Reds have four quality starting pitchers in their rotation and their fifth — Anthony DeSclafani — is coming off a respectable 2019 where he was 9-9 with a 3.89 ERA.
Baby steps should be the expectation for a Reds team that hasn’t appeared in a World Series since 1990 when they swept the Oakland A’s. There would be some value if it was +6000, but their line to win the World Series is +3000, so I’ll PASS.
If the Reds can avoid injuries and have 1B Joey Votto return to his MVP-caliber form in 2020, watch out for the Reds to make a surprise run at the NL Central title. Since I like their chances of winning the division, I LOVE OVER REDS 83.5 (-115) WINS. BetMGM is trying to scare you by setting the Reds’ regular-season win total at 83.5 and pricing the Over a little higher. But we aren’t falling for it. The Reds pitching staff was top 10 in ERA, runs allowed per game and strikeouts, so when you factor in a revamped lineup, Over 83.5 wins is a relative lock.
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Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Analyzing the Milwaukee Brewers’ projected win total for the 2020 MLB season, along with their odds to win the NL Central and World Series.
The Milwaukee Brewers will take aim at a third straight trip to the postseason in 2020. A return to health for OF Christian Yelich will be the biggest key after he missed the final part of the 2019 campaign, including the National League Wild Card Game against the Washington Nationals. Today, we focus on the Brewers’ 2020 regular-season win total and World Series odds. Do the Brewers have what it takes? Let’s analyze:
The Brewers finished 2019 at 89-73 and second in the NL Central behind the St. Louis Cardinals. They lost 4-3 to the eventual World Series champion Nationals in the single-game wild-card matchup in Washington.
Milwaukee finished the regular season with a plus-3 run differential, a home record of 49-32 and a 40-41 mark on the road.
The Brewers’ main offseason move was the trade acquisition of 2B Luis Urias from the San Diego Padres in exchange for OF Trent Grisham. They signed free agents Eric Sogard, Justin Smoak and Avisail Garcia. The starting rotation was largely untouched and will be the biggest question heading into the season.
Baseball season is right around the corner! Get some action on this season with an MLB futures bet at BetMGM. Bet now!
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 1 p.m. ET.
The Brewers head into the season with the third-best odds to win the NL Central at +260. The St. Louis Cardinals (+210) remain the favorites, while the Chicago Cubs (+250) are expected to be back in the mix after a disappointing 2019 campaign. The upstart Cincinnati Reds are in the running at +380, but the Pittsburgh Pirates are heavy longshots at +6500.
The Brewers last won the division in 2018 and are a good bet in 2020 at nearly a 3-1 return on the investment after finishing just two games back of the Cards last season.
The Brewers have the second-longest odds to win the 2020 World Series among last season’s playoff teams at +2200. Only the Oakland Athletics, +2500, are viewed as bigger longshots to win it all.
It makes the Brewers a reasonable value, as teams like the Philadelphia Phillies (+1800) and New York Mets (+2000) have better odds after failing to qualify for the National League playoffs last year.
Take the OVER 83.5 (+110) at plus-money. The 2020 projection is 5.5 wins below the Brewers’ 2019 total, and they’re just two years removed from a 96-win 2018 campaign, which saw them capture the NL Central title.
Manager Craig Counsell proved to be one of the best in the game at handling pitching usage last year. Look for it to be another strength of the Brewers in 2020.
Want some action on the MLB season or other sports? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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