Top 3 MLB Picks & Predictions: Thursday (7/9)
Can the Yankees find a way to break out of their offensive slump? Below, I explain why they don't have much of a chance against Drew Rasmussen and the Rays. Then, I highlight why I like the Rangers in their game against the Angels, and why we should expect plenty of runs when the Padres meet the Diamondbacks.
Here are the best bets for the Thursday, July 9 MLB slate.
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Thursday’s Best MLB Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Yankees Under 3.5 Runs (-130)
The Yankees' offensive struggles continued last night, as they failed to score against the Rays. The Yankees have now scored four or fewer runs in 16 of their last 18 games. And unfortunately for the former Bronx Bombers, tonight's pitching matchup doesn't give much hope for success.
Drew Rasmussen has been great for the Rays this year, with a WHIP of 0.90, 96 strikeouts in 97.0 innings, and an ERA of 2.78. Additionally, Rasmussen has owned the Yankees throughout his career. In 105 plate appearances, the Yankees have just a .163 batting average against Rasmussen. He's allowed just six earned runs in that time, striking out 34 of the batters he's faced.
Rasmussen has faced the Yankees twice this season, and he's dominated both starts. Through 13.0 innings, he's allowed just six hits, has struck out 13 batters, and he's yet to allow an earned run. It's going to be another long day for the Yankees.
Rangers -1.5 (+158)
Last night, the Angels ended a seven-game losing streak with a decisive 13-1 win over the Rangers. Yet, I love the Rangers in this matchup tonight.
Nathan Eovaldi takes the mound for the Rangers, and though he has an ERA of 4.02, he's also struck out 110 batters in 105.1 innings this season. This is horrible news for the Angels, who are the most strikeout-prone team in the league.
That said, when Eovaldi faced the Angels earlier this season, he allowed three earned runs in 7.0 innings, as the Rangers fell 5-2. Yet, despite the Rangers ranking sixth-worst in the league in total runs, they're facing a pitcher in Reid Detmers that has allowed five earned runs in two of his last three starts.
While Detmers pitched 8.0 innings against the Rangers earlier this season, striking out 14 and allowing just one run, that performance was a complete outlier in an otherwise average season. For this price, I'll take a chance on the Rangers, as I truly believe they have the pitching advantage in this game.
Diamondbacks vs. Padres Over 9 Runs (+101)
The Diamondbacks and Padres have faced each other five times this season. In three of those five games, at least 10 runs were scored, while the other two contests saw runs as well, with the Diamondbacks winning one game 8-0 and the Padres winning another 4-1.
However, the main reason I like this Over is because of the starting pitchers. Merrill Kelly has an ERA of 5.71, while Griffin Canning has been even worse, with an ERA of 6.71. While Canning has pitched alright lately, he's also only three starts removed from a 0.2-inning outing in which he allowed four earned runs. Meanwhile, Kelly has allowed at least five earned runs in three of his last six appearances.
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.