Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – April 8th, 2024

The New York Mets were hoping to see the season debut of newly signed DH JD Martinez this week, but that won’t happen. Martinez, who signed late in Spring Training, has experienced enough “overall body soreness” during his ramp-up that he is not ready to play quite yet, according to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. The Mets need all the help they can get offensively. Here’s a look at two intriguing early-week matchups around the majors.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week (April 8th, 2024)

MLB Power Rankings: Braves, Dodgers or Yankees No. 1? https://t.co/ALIGyYs4y4

— Ron Bohning (@RonBohning) April 8, 2024

Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants

• When: Monday, April 8, 2024, 9:45 PM ET
• Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
• TV: MASN, NBCSBA, MLBN
• Radio: WJFK-FM 106.7 (Nationals) // KNBR 104.5 FM (Giants)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: Nationals (+194) // Giants (-244)

The Nationals might be without promising young shortstop CJ Abrams again. The 23-year-old was scratched from Saturday’s lineup due to a bone bruise of his left pinky finger, and he sat again Sunday. Abrams got off to a hot start this year, as he has recorded at least one hit in each of his last six appearances. The 23-year-old leadoff hitter is batting .312 with two home runs, five RBI and three stolen bases. Outfielder Senzel was placed on the 10-day injured list after he fractured his thumb fielding grounders ahead of the Nationals’ season opener but will start a rehab assignment on Monday.

Journeyman Trevor Williams (1-0, 3.38 ERA) is on the hill for Washington on Monday. Williams (1-0) picked up the win last Wednesday against Pittsburgh, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out five. Williams was pretty good aside from a rough second inning, retiring 13 of the 14 batters he faced outside the frame. Both of the runs against Williams came in the second, with a leadoff double and back-to-back walks filling the bases for an eventual two-RBI single by Michael Taylor.

After tying for the fifth-most homers allowed and posting a 5.55 ERA in his first season as a National, Williams looked more like his 2022 self (3.21 ERA in 89.2 innings).

It’s the Giants debut of 2023 Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, formerly of the NL West-rival San Diego Padres. For whatever reason, Snell did not find a robust market in free agency and on March 19, the Giants signed Snell to a two-year, $62 million deal with an opt-out after the first year.

Last year, Snell led the Majors with a 2.25 ERA and the NL with 6.0 bWAR in 180 innings. From a run prevention standpoint, Snell was the best inning-per-inning starting pitcher in 2023. What was interesting was the way he got to his production, mostly based on his elite swing-and-miss stuff, an MLB-leading 99 walks and historically great numbers with runners in scoring position.

The 31-year-old Snell completed his ramp-up by throwing approximately 75 pitches over five innings in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium last Wednesday afternoon. Snell faced Giants teammates Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater and Tyler Fitzgerald, giving him a taste of big league competition for the first time this year. Snell played under Manager Giant’s Bob Melvin for two seasons in San Diego, which he said made it easier to communicate and devise a pitching progression that he was comfortable with.

“You get here, and you’re like, ‘I’m not where I thought I was,’” Snell said. “And you can’t lie to yourself. It really helped that I’ve known Bob for a while and we trust each other. That helped me a lot.”

MLB Betting Pick: Giants

Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox

• When: Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 10:10 PM ET
• Where: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
• TV: MASN, NESN, MLBN
• Radio: 98 Rock FM (Orioles) // 98.5 The Sports Hub FM (Bruins)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: TBA

The Red Sox will be the last time to play their home opener, which is a matinée Tuesday. They have been on the West Coast since Opening Day. This 10-game trip ties the 2nd longest to begin a season in club history. The Sox opened 2019 with an 11-game trip and went on a 10-game trip to begin the 1901 season. The good news is that 16 of the team’s next 22 will be at Fenway Park.

Pregame ceremonies prior to Tuesday will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the 2004 Red Sox World Series Championship. In addition, the ceremony will include a special tribute honoring the life, legacy, and community impact of late Red Sox Hall of Famer Tim Wakefield and his wife, Stacy. A patch with Tim Wakefield’s number 49 will be worn by players on their jersey sleeve throughout the season.

Boston relievers rank 2nd in MLB in ERA (1.05), 3rd in SO (42) and SO/BB ratio (3.50), and 4th in SO/9.0 IP (11.01) and opponent AVG (.167). That bullpen could be busy behind righty Brayan Bello (1-0, 5.40 ERA) on Tuesday, as he has been a bit shaky in the early going. Bello did not factor into the decision last Tuesday, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk over five innings against Oakland. He struck out six. All four of the runs charged to Bello came on a pair of two-run homers, one in the second inning off the bat of Shea Langeliers followed by a JJ Bleday blast in the third. The 24-year-old Bello’s now allowed six earned runs through his first 10 innings this season after going 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 132:45 K:BB last year.

The Sox are 19-11 (.633) in Bello’s starts since the beginning of 2023. Last year, he made two starts vs. the Orioles: 9/9/22 in Baltimore (L, 5.1 IP, 3 R) and 9/10/23 in Boston (W, 5.0 IP, 3 R).

Former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes originally was set to start Wednesday’s game, but because of days off — including Monday — the Orioles will have their ace throw a day earlier on Tuesday. Cole Irvin will start Wednesday with Grayson Rodriguez scheduled for Thursday in the three-game series against the Red Sox.

Burnes (1-0, 2.31) came away with a no-decision in last Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Royals, allowing two runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out three without walking a batter. The right-hander fell just short of his second straight quality start to begin the season, getting pulled after exactly 100 pitches (67 strikes), but Burnes got out dueled by Cole Ragans and was in line for the loss until Baltimore rallied late. Burnes has a 14:0 K:BB through his first 11.2 innings with the O’s. He didn’t factor into the decision in his only career appearance against Boston after he allowed three runs (2 ER) on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts on April 23, 2023, in Milwaukee.

The Orioles have gone 94 consecutive regular-season series of at least two decisions (no ties) without being swept. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the fourth-longest regular-season streak in MLB history.

MLB Betting Pick: Orioles

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