Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – April 2nd Edition

Some of the most misleading standings in all of professional sport come from the first few weeks of the Major League Baseball regular season. For example, in the American League East, the Baltimore Orioles, who only won 47 games in 2018, have already won two — and they won them in Yankee Stadium against one of the toughest lineups in the game. If they keep winning at this rate, they would finish with a record of 108-54. Of course, extrapolation almost never works out this way, which is why Boston fans shouldn’t be too alarmed at the team’s 1-3 start against a red-hot Seattle team. The AL Central favorite Cleveland Indians are also in last, as are the AL West favorite Houston Astros. In the National League, things are more normal to start, as the Dodgers lead the West, the Brewers lead the Central (both defending champions) and the Phillies, one of the early favorites, lead the East. If you’re looking to do some MLB betting in the young baseball season, look at our picks of the week.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – April 2nd Edition

MLB Power Rankings: Astros debut at No. 1; top 10 loaded with greatness | MLB – https://t.co/mTDsYvALEE pic.twitter.com/WsLT3ShR6p

— Turnt Sports News (@TurntSportsNews) 1 de abril de 2019

Tuesday, April 2

Houston at Texas (8:05pm ET)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Justin Verlander (1-0, 1.29 ERA) (HOU) vs Shelby Mmiller (0-0, 0.00 ERA, TEX)

The Houston Astros are just 1-3 out of the gate, but the one win they had came on Opening Day, when Justin Verlander threw seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays. He showed durability, throwing 102 pitches in his outing, striking out nine while walking just one. Since then, though, the Astros have lost three straight to the Rays, losing each game by two runs. Tampa Bay only scored 11 runs in the four-game series, but Houston only  managed nine, and the team batted .213 as a whole, far below their 2018 average. Pitchers generally have the advantage in the early going, and the Astros have some bats that are slow to wake up at this point. Now the Astros head up Interstate 45 to take on their in-state rivals. Let’s just say that the Rangers are not a pitching-heavy team, at least at this point. Texas did beat the Chicago Cubs two out of three times in their season-opening series, but the Rangers permitted 28 runs in the three games, scoring just 23. A 12-4 rout in the opener was followed by 8-6 and 11-10 wins, with the Sunday win coming thanks to a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth — in a game where Texas surrendered a 10-8 lead in the top of the eighth. If Texas can’t keep those bats rolling, it will be a long, long season in Arlington. Shelby Miller pitched with Arizona last year, but only worked one inning after July 11, so the hope is that he has worked through his physical problems. With a matchup with Verlander on deck, optimism is scarce. MLB Betting Prediction: Houston 7, Texas 2

Boston at Oakland (10:07pm ET, ESPN+)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Chris Sale (0-1. 21.00 ERA) (BOS) vs Mike Fiers () (OAK)

It may be a few more weeks until we can conclude whether the extension the Boston Red Sox gave to starting pitcher Chris Sale was worth the investment. It didn’t look that way when the Seattle Mariners treated Sale like a batting practice pitcher in his first start, as he got torched for seven runs on six hits, including three home runs in a 12-4 pounding on Opening Day (for Boston, as Seattle had won two games in Japan last week as part of an international series with Oakland). The pitching has been dreadful all the way around in Boston to start the season, as through four games, the Red Sox pitching staff has permitted 34 runs, and the staff has a 13.20 ERA. Boston pitchers have permitted 11 home runs in four games. Now the Red Sox continue their road trip down the coast in Oakland, and they will see Mike Fiers on the hill. Fiers got torched by Seattle in Japan, permitting five runs on four hits in just three innings of an eventual 9-7 loss. He looked much better on opening day, scattering three walks and a hit in six shutout innings of a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels. The A’s are 3-3 on the season, but they have won three of four since Thursday, taking the series against the Angels and winning on both Saturday and Sunday. Can Fiers shut down a big Boston lineup? And can Sale find his dominant form? MLB Betting Prediction: Boston 6, Oakland 3