Top MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (4/28)
Five of Monday’s eight games on the Major League Baseball slate are between divisional opponents, so there should be plenty of data with which to make the most informed wagers.
We start our two-pack of picks with the afternoon tile that is an extension of the weekend series between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals, and add another wager on a second divisional game.
Read on for our top MLB picks for Monday, April 28.
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Monday's Top MLB Picks
(MLB odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
New York Mets (-156) at Washington Nationals (+132) | O/U 9.5 (-104/-118)
The Mets blew a six-run lead in yesterday’s 8-7 loss to the Nationals, which included New York reliever Ryne Stanek allowing two runs with a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning.
It is anyone’s guess why closer Edwin Diaz was unavailable to lock down the win, but he and most of New York’s best bullpen arms should be well-rested for this series finale.
After the Mets lost 2-1 in Griffin Canning’s team debut in his first start, they have won four straight when he has toed the rubber, with a +7 run differential in the last two.
Canning’s elite ground ball rate (84th percentile) and barrel rate allowed (75th percentile) are big reasons for his success. Additionally, I have no confidence in Nationals righty Trevor Williams, who has allowed a .265/.387/.408 slash line in 83 at-bats to current Mets hitters.
New York is 9-0 in its last nine games against NL opponents following a loss, and has led after three innings in seven of its previous eight games. I expect the Mets to once again jump out to an early lead, but for the bullpen to hold onto that lead and cover the runline for the 14th time in 24 games when playing on no rest.
Pick: Mets -1.5 (+100)
Athletics (-102) at Texas Rangers (-116) | O/U 9.5 (-108/-112)
Texas’ Achilles heel to this point in the season has been left-handed starting pitching. The Rangers are 2-4 in games started by southpaws and are four games over .500 against righties.
Athletics southpaw JP Sears is second among the team’s pitchers in WAR, and just five days ago, he led the team to a 5-2 victory over the Rangers after he struck out five and allowed just five hits in five innings.
The Athletics only scratched two runs across in five innings in a loss in the game started by Patrick Corbin in that series, but Corbin has had xERAs of 5.53 or worse in each of the previous four seasons.
These are great moneyline odds on an Athletics team that is 8-5 SU on the road this season, and 4-3 overall in division games.
Pick: Athletics Moneyline (-102)
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.