Wunderdog
Washington @ Toronto
Pick: Washington -145
Washington looks to bounce back from two crushing overtime losses, including blowing a two-goal second period lead on Monday. Braden Holtby made 24 saves for the Capitals before Tyler Bozak scored the game-winner 1:37 into overtime for the Maple Leafs. Washington has won five of its last six road games against winning teams, plus 8-of-11 versus Toronto, and can regain home ice advantage with a win. Holtby is 42-13-6 with a stellar 2.07 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. Toronto has not been a strong defensive team all year, ranked #22 in goals allowed. Washington also has plenty of offensive firepower, scoring three goals in each of the three games. Washington is third in the NHL in goals scored and on the power play. Toronto is just 11-29 against teams with winning percentages of .600 or higher and the Capitals have won 50 of their last 65 games against Atlantic Division teams.
Greg Smith
Thunder at Rockets
Play: Thunder +8
I believe after getting crushed by 20 plus points to the Rockets, the Thunder come out and play extremely well, especially Westbrook who will have something to prove from game one’s disappointing display. I like the thunder to keep this game within the number and flirt with a much needed win.
Executive Sports
Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics
Play: Oakland Athletics -107
A's get to revenge loss to Perez at Texas 10 days ago. Hahn's last outing was fairly good as he struck out 7 in 6 innings This will be his first home start of the season. He is 5-1 in his last 6 home starts.
JINKS Picks
Have no fear gang, we are back in action this week! To be honest, just took a week off after the Masters. I put a lot of effort into this thing weekly with zero monetary benefit. The writeup really isn’t an issue, but digging through all the stats, course records, key metrics, etc take a lot of time. The results generally speak to justify the amount of work but at the end of the day, it’s still golf and a few untimely mistakes can make all the difference. All that said, our betting matchup record on the season now stands at 30-17 for those keeping tabs.
On to the Valero Texas Open this week! The field resembles a glorified web.com tour event as it is honestly pretty week. Played at the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, the Greg Norman design spans roughly 7400 yards and is a par 72. I checked the wind and it looks like it is going to be relatively subdued for Texas this time of the year. While the course is definitely long, I would caution those who say it’s a “bombers” course. You must gain strokes off the tee against the field which doesn’t always mean distance. There are plenty of trouble spots and hazards where distance can get you in a predicament. The greens are tricky and must smaller than a few weeks ago in Houston, so scrambling will also be a key metric. Finally, as always, we look for a hot putter. The field is lacking top tier talent, so this very well could be a week for someone to get their first PGA Tour win. Here are this week's picks:
Hoffman over Koepka +105 – The defending champ rides his horse into San Antonio in great form. A recent 2nd place finish bodes well combined with how he somehow tore up Augusta in the brutal winds. Charley can make birdies in bunches. I was quite surprised to see he was a dog in this matchup. Besides winning the event last year, he went 11th, 11th, 3rd, 13th, and 2nd the previous 5 years. He knows the course and more importantly knows how to score well around the layout.
Hadwin over Chappell -155 – The price is really steep but this is a numbers play based on the metrics that I couldn’t pass on. He’s tops on my list by a good margin this week in strokes gained T2G, putting, and scrambling. I actually like Chapp’s course history here and he’s a good player on these type of tracks, but Hadwin has been dialed in for a while now. He’s finished inside the top 40 in 8 of 9 events this season. Chappell has finished inside the top 40 in 1 of 9 events.
Cam Smith over Piercy EV – Those who follow golf closely know all about Cam Smith. If you haven’t heard of the young Aussie, he is one hell of a good putter. His time is coming soon, and he will win a PGA Tour event. He ranks inside my top 5 in key metrics. Piercy hasn’t had his A-game all season and I think this may be one of the last spots to catch Smith as a dog in this type of matchup.
Poston over Kokrak +105 – Another matchup underdog makes the card this week. Here is another example of a great young talent whose odds haven’t quite caught up with his game. Great putter, solid scrambler, and efficient enough off the tee. Kokrak hasn’t made a cut in over a month, and Poston finished 55th and 10th his last two times out. He has had two weeks to prepare for this event, and when he saw the final field announced, he must have circled this event as a spot to fetch some cheese.
BONUS PLAY : (half you normal size bet) Dechambeau over Cauley +130 – Bryson is back in Texas but more importantly, he is back in good shape mentally I believe. He blew up too quick; too many commercials, autographs, appearances, etc but you can’t really blame him. He was also dealing with a number of personal issues with his dad being very ill. After a turn for the better with family, he has gotten back to basics. He still has an advantage in raw talent and is a phenomenal player tee to green, but the putter has been his nemesis. I think this is worth a flyer as a hefty dog in this circumstance. Get back on track kid!
Outright Winner Picks:
Steele 26-1, Palmer 35-1, Spaun 55-1
Palmer and Steele have great course history and their game sets up perfect for this course. A relatively weak field gives them a real opportunity to get the job done. Spaun has no course history, but his game has been great on both coasts thus far. He is going to win at some point, and I will be on him when he does.
Longshot Picks:
JT Poston 90-1, Cam Smith 90-1, Piercy 100-1
SPORTS WAGERS
The Valero Texas Open
The Greg Norman design, TPC San Antonio only opened its doors in 2010 and it has hosted this event at the AT&T Oaks course ever since. This track measures 7,435 yards for its Par 72 and is typically one of the hardest courses on tour; in 2015, it returned the highest scoring average of any tour-level course outside of the majors. Three of the Par 5s rank among the 20 hardest holes on the PGA TOUR, measuring a minimum of 591 yards! TPC San Antonio is considered hugely unique for is layout, which determines that the downhill holes play into the wind while those on an up gradient have the downwind at the players’ backs. Fairways are narrow and bunkers as deep as 12 feet.
This is also a ‘split surface’ course, with Bermudagrass lining the fairways and a Bentgrass/Poa Annua mix providing the foundations for the greens, which run at around 11 on the stimp. Hit the ball miles off the tee and putt well….if only it was that easy to win the Valero Texas Open!
It was a formula that paid dividends for Charley Hoffman 12 months ago. He ranked T4 for Driving Distance and second for Putting Average, which is a handy recipe for success. In truth, he played well in all areas of his game, ranking T17 for Greens in Regulation and T34 for Driving Accuracy. All in all, eight of the first 10 home gained at least one shot on the field from tee-to-green, so unfortunately there is no obvious metric to call upon this week.
Current form could be of interest too. Hoffman had made the cut in eight of his previous stroke-play tournaments, with a very nice T14 at the RBC Heritage the week before offering notice of what was to come. In 2015, Jimmy Walker was also in good form, delivering a trio of top-10s and winning the Sony Open just prior to his Texas Open triumph.
What else do we need to know this week? Playing in windy conditions is key, so any form shown at Augusta and the RBC last week is of interest. We also have an interesting correlating course to consider: El Camaleon, the home of the OHL Classic. This is another wind affected track designed by Greg Norman. Anybody with a Texan connection is also worthy of consideration but what we like most is that the field is wide open and that means some bombs will be at or near the top come Sunday. Hopefully, one or more of our choices will be in the mix.
Unless otherwise stated, the following bets to win outright will be placed at Bet365 because of their cash-out option during the event. Unless otherwise stated, the head-to-head match-ups will be bet at
To win outright plus head-to-head matchups:
Ollie Schniederjans 40-1
Time for another Texan now, and one who recorded his best finish of the season last time out: T3 at the RBC Heritage. Why? That’s simple:
“I had a week off during the Masters and just took some time out to work on my putting,” Schniederjans told the PGA TOUR website. Now, he only finished T40 for SG: Putting at Harbour Town, but clearly that improvement made a huge difference. The 23-year-old is yet to sample San Antonio competitively, but presumably he has played here before as a Texan born and bred. He will have watched on as Wes Bryan, another fine young talent, land his maiden PGA TOUR title on home soil last week, and Schniederjans might just fancy his chances of repeating the dose here. Ollie ranks 30th on TOUR in Par 5 Scoring Average, 37th on Shots Gained -Tee to Green and 38th in Driving distance. This kid is determined and he’s damn good too (risking 0.2 units to win 8 ).
Head-to-head Matchup:
O. Schniederjans -121 over L. Donald (Risking 1.21 units to win 1).
Jamie Lovemark 90-1
One player who is greatly underpriced this week is Jamie Lovemark—a guy who loves these long and windy tests: T20 at the Safeway Open, T35 at Mayakoba, T6 at the RSM Classic, and T4 at the Sony Open. His last visit to San Antonio yielded a T36 in 2014, and since then his game has improved, so we expect that finish to improve exponentially. Huge off the tee and comfortable in the wind, Lovemark is a fantastic value play at big odds this week. Some of his key stats are 11th on TOUR in Par 4 Scoring Average, 25th in Driving Distance and 49th in Total Putting. He’s snuck up on people before and he can do it again (risking 0.2 units to win 18).
Head-to-head Matchup:
J. Lovemark -112 over D. Lee (Risking 1.12 units to win 1).
Nick Taylor 110-1
Talk about a sleeper. Cast your mind back 12 months and you may or may not remember Nick Taylor’s fantastic showing at San Antonio. He may only have finished T21, but on the Friday-Saturday he played unrivalled golf: his round of 68 on the Friday was only bettered by Sung Kang, while on the Saturday his 66 was the best of the day. The Canadian has made seven cuts from his last nine starts, with a pair of those being top-25s including a T22 at the RBC Heritage last time out. More than half of his last 25 rounds have ended under par. Taylor ranks 18th on Tour in Par 5 Scoring Average and 32nd on Tour in Total Birdies. Man, is this guy undervalued (risking 0.2 units to win 22).
Head-to-head Matchup:
There are no head-to-head matchups available on Taylor, which further reveals how under the radar he is. However, at BET365, we can get 4-1 on him as the “Top Canadian” and that’s a bet we’re going to make. There are five Canadians in the field and we see this as being a two-horse race between Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor. At odds of 4-1 with only one real threatening challenger, we’re going to make that bet.
Top Canadian: Taylor 4-1 (Risking 0.5 units to win 2 units).
Sung Kang 70-1
The Korean is one of these guys on the brink of something good. Kang often has three great rounds and one poor one so he’s a tweak away from stringing together four decent rounds. He finished T42 here 12 months ago but nobody could match his round of 76 on the Friday, and recently he has been up to his old tricks. You may remember his round of 63 at the Houston Open (an event which he really should have won) and which he backed with a very respectable T11 at the RBC Heritage. He also ranks 14th on tour for Total Birdies, which suggests he is ready to go low once again. If you’re playing DFS, don’t leave him out. (risking 0.2 units to win 14).
Head-to-head Matchup:
Kang is available heads up against Harold Varner III but is -126 to beat him. We like that bet so proceed at your own discretion. However, like Taylor, he is available at 4-1 odds as the Top Asian this week and that’s our bet. Although there are nine golfers in this field for Top Asian, it really is only a three-horse race between Kang, Byeong Hun-An and Anirban Lahiri.
Top Asian: Sung Kang +4-1 (risking 0.5 units to win 2).
SPORTS WAGERS
Miami +129 over SEATTLE
Edinson Volquez had quite a rough season in Kansas City in 2016, posting a 5.37 ERA over 34 starts. He still managed to earn the Opening Day nod for the Marlins and responded with five shutout innings. While Volquez brings plenty of risk because of his shaky control, he’s still throwing hard and gets plenty of grounders. He has a 6/18 BB/K split through 16 innings this year and as long as he’s throwing strikes, he can be very effective. Volquez’s control can abandon him at any time so be aware of the risks (he walked four batters in five innings in his last start) but the risk is worth the reward when he’s not favored. In three starts this year, Volquez is 0-1 with a 3.45/3.69 ERA/XERA split.
Then there’s Felix Hernandez. After three starts covering 18 innings, King Felix has not walked a batter while striking out 15 of them. His ERA is 2.95 and thus, he’s getting lots of praise for returning to his long standing ace status. So, let’s have a look. What we have here is three years of sinking velocity. His fastball now tops off at 91 MPH. A boatload of strikeouts (lots of pitches) and innings pitched have paired with rising control, HR’s allowed, ERA, and WHIP to severely curb hopes of his return to glory. Felix’s modest three mph split between his fastball and change-up has hurt the former more. Again, Hernandez owns a 90-mph fastball now so he relies more on deception than raw stuff. There's a decent chance that we'll see his first 4+ ERA since 2006 this season and we’re going to act accordingly. His “name value” creates inflated prices.
TAMPA BAY -1½ +132 over Detroit
Everything you see on paper is legit regarding Tampa’s ace, Chris Archer. His 2.21 ERA is fully supported by his sub-indicators (12% swing and miss rate, 6/18 BB/K, 47%/29% groundball/fly-ball split). Last season, Archer sabotaged many bankrolls in the 1st half. However, that blowup was fueled by hit % and hr/f misfortune, Archer's late skill rejuvenation last season is the best we've ever seen from him so there's plenty of profit left in that golden arm of his.
Regular readers of this space have seen us fading Jordan Zimmermann for two years now and we’re not going to let up now. We’re already on record suggesting that Zimmermann has few skills and now they’re worse than ever. Jordan Zimmermann has but a few starts left in his career so cash in while you can.
Keep an eye on Zimmermann's declining skills. Zimmermann made us look foolish in April of 2016, when he went 5-0 with a 0.55 ERA over five starts. After 200 emails later suggesting we’re crazy, the Tigers watched in horror as his season fell apart, including a second half marred by lat and neck injuries. The real story was not Zimmermann's 0.55 ERA, it was the miraculous 97% strand rate and minuscule hr/f that helped him post it. His 4.18 xERA in April suggested he was far from dominant, skill-wise. If you compare his April skills to his 2012-15 skills, you see that his K-rate, command, first-pitch strike rate and swinging strike rate were down from previous levels. Zimmermann's luck with strand % and hr/f hid the fact that his skills were continuing to decline from 2014, which looks like his peak. His stats and skills after April were negatively affected by his injuries, but even in May and June, when he made 10 starts and appeared to be healthy, he only posted 5.3 K’s/9 and a 4.69 xERA. Zimmermann posted a 9.62 ERA in six starts this past spring. In two starts this year covering 11 innings, Zimmermann has a BB/K split of 6/6. His groundball/fly-ball rate is a horrendous 22%/53% and his swing and miss rate is 6%. Zimmermann comes into this start with a 5.06/8.45 ERA/xERA split. Zimmermann is throwing 91 MPH fastballs right down Broadway and the Rays, or any team for that matter, will continue to feast of him.
SPORTS WAGERS
Ottawa +145 over BOSTON
The price on the Bruins in this one, like every other game, continues to defy logic. While the B's might want to point to one "bad" call in Game 3, it doesn’t change that they have been outplayed for a large portion of this series. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy called it demoralizing and disappointing. There’s not a lot of fight in those words.
Last time out, the Bruins were outshot 32-20 at home in a 4-3 overtime loss that had no business going to the extra frame. Coach Cassidy has been critical of his teams starts, especially after falling down 3-0 at home in Game 3. Without saying so, Cassidy has a legit excuse as to why Boston is the second best team here. You see, he’s rolling with a makeshift crew on the backend that is led by a 40-year-old who plays 30 minutes a night. Zdeno Chara was great in his time but asking him to carry this load is unreasonable. The Bruins are progressively fading away and their overworked and under-skilled defense is a big reason for it. The longer this series goes, the worse it's going get and Cassidy isn’t making it any easier. The coach ran a tough, full practice on their off day when he could have used it for a day’s rest instead. Time will tell if that strategy works or not but the decision reeks of desperation after an embarrassing home effort that the score made more flattering than the performance. This ain't the minors. A bag skate isn't going to flip the switch. The Bruins are old, tired and beat up and a little rest would have served them well. Instead, the focus has been on the penalty call that went against the Bruins in overtime of Game 3 that lead to Ottawa's power play winner.
With a 2-1 series lead, the Senators spent Monday resting and reflecting on the series. Ottawa has owned Boston in recent memory by going 6-1 against the Bruins this season including four straight victories at TD Garden dating back to last season. Sens captain Erik Karlsson has lit the Bruins up all year with six points in seven games. Coach Cassidy said he wanted to keep “closer tabs” on Karlsson for the remainder of the series. Good luck with that, Coach. The Sens were a +165 dog before the series started and they were a pooch in their own barn for Games 1 and 2. For whatever reason, this market has written an incorrect script for this entire series including this one. Until the market corrects itself we will continue to bring the hammer down and we’re not about to stop now. Once again the better team is taking back a crazy number.
CALGARY -108 over Anaheim
The greatest thing about this series thus far is that it’s played on the West Coast so most of this market has only been able to catch glimpses of it. What the market sees is Anaheim up three games to zilch and that’s what it reacts to. Results are the only thing that matters in the marketplace, which is another one of those market inefficiencies that we’re often discussing. Performances mean very little to the general public which is something we’re going to try and take advantage of. This one also has a similar feel to last night’s Game 4 between Pittsburgh and Columbus.
The Jackets took quite a bit of money in Game 3 and subsequently blew a 3-1 lead and eventually lost in OT. Last night, the market mostly wanted no part of the Jackets, which created a zig-zag effect. Zig-zagging refers to betting on one team, losing the bet and then fading the team you just bet the very next time out based on what you just saw. That comes into effect for this game too. The Flames took heavy action in Game 3 and went up 4-1 in the second period, only to see the Ducks rally furiously in the third to tie it up and send it into OT. Those that bet the Flames in Game 3 are now likely to make the same mistake and fade the Flames here based on the results.
Now the price on the Flames is overly deflated, which is our prompt to step in. What the results do not reveal is that Calgary has clearly been the better team this entire series. The Ducks have certainly had their moments and they’re a quality team to be sure but they have not been the better team for three games now and that’s not likely to change here. The difference in this series has been nothing but puck luck working against the Flames. Had Calgary got the same bounces that Anaheim has had, this series would still be 3-0 but it would be in favour of Calgary.
The Flames are not going out without a fight. Like the Jackets last night, they’ll leave nothing on the table here. This is a disciplined, talented and quality outfit that is not dead yet and the Ducks are going to have to be at their absolute best to put them away. Even Anaheim’s best effort, which is not likely here, may not be able to put away the strong-willed Flames.
Calgary’s Glen Gulutzan is the next “superstar” coach in this league. His techniques are advanced and his players love him. The Calgary Flames may not win here but we’re going to get a tremendous effort for our money and if all things break equal, they’ll win tonight and may even make a series out of this yet. There is no question where the value lies in this one.
Mike Rose
Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves
Play: Atlanta Braves +112
Anytime a club makes a late comeback but falls short, I immediately look to back that team the following day. While I like for that scenario to lead into the final game of a series, I’ll settle for it here tonight with Teheran on the bump in Game 2. Joe Ross is making his 2017 debut, so it’s safe to figure he will be on some sort of leash. That means the Nats shaky pen will play a role in this one. Teheran has been stellar to start the season allowing just 11 hits and 2 ER with a 0.95 ERA and .231 BAA. While he had some issues with the Nats lineup last season, he conceded 3 or less ERs in his pair of home starts against them. The Braves saw their 5 game win streak come to a close last night, and I fully expect them to go all out tonight to get back to their winning ways and even this series up.
Dave Essler
White Sox +200 1st Half
New York hasn't seen Covey. He's primarily (or at least has been in the Minors) a ground ball pitcher. The weather in kinda sh*tty. The Yankees may take a turn through the order before they figure him out. Chicago has won five of seven. At this price it's worth a marble, or perhaps splitting it with +1.5 for the game. Do with it what you will. I'll watch Melky Cabrera bang one into the upper deck with one on it the top of the 5th. For those that didn't get the earlier memo, Tanaka has the third worst WHIP in MLB of those who have started three or more games.
Rockies +1.5 +105
I told you we would fade the Dodgers against ANY LHP yesterday and I DNFC who is pitching for Los Doyas. The Rockies have seen more of him than almost anyone. And, last season (and doing this from memory because I wrote an article on it recently) the Dodgers were 20-5 in games Kershaw started - and if you'd have bet the Dodgers -1.5 in every one of those games you'd have gone 10-15 and I THINK it was a lower % at home where it's even more of a pitchers' park. If I had bigger balls I'd make this a bigger play.
Andrew Lange
Baltimore at Cincinnati
Play: Over 9
Baltimore's Ubaldo Jimenez in theory gets a reprieve tonight by facing a National League team on the road. Unfortunately, that team, the Cincinnati Reds, having one of the hottest offenses in MLB. The Reds have pounded out six runs or more in half of their games including nine in last night's series opening win. The home run has played a big part with at least one in all but two contests. Jimenez continues to trend in the wrong direction with 10 earned runs allowed in two starts. He also flashes an alarming 23-11 GB-to-FB ratio. Not a good sign pitching in Great American Ball Park. Cincinnati counters with rookie Amir Garrett who has looked unhittable thus far with two earned runs allowed in two starts. Garrett's two opponents were favorable as Pittsburgh and St. Louis rank near the bottom of the NL in nearly every offensive category. His stuff is solid but not overpowering and he's also been fortunate with a .182 BABIP and 93% LOB rate. Tonight likely serves as a step up in class at Baltimore's lineup features a handful of capable right-handed bats. Don't forget that Baltimore's ace reliever Zach Britton in currently on the DL. Temps expected to be very mild tonight with two squads that have hit a combined 38 home runs in 16 games.
Jack Brayman
My free winner for Tuesday night is on the Washington Capitals over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Capitals are struggling in the postseason once again, but they're better than what we've seen, and they need a breakout game. Trailing the young Maple Leafs 2-1, I have to believe Game 4 of this Eastern Conference first-round playoff series has become a must-win for the Caps.
Look for Washington to be more aggressive, especially down the stretch, putting as much pressure on goal as possible. After going more than 13 minutes without a shot on goal to start the third period in Game 3, that has to change in this one.
I also expect Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby to be at his best tonight, and wouldn't be surprised to see him score a shutout.
Take the road team here.
3* CAPITALS
Chris Jordan
At home, on the brink of a sweep in the opening round, and I can invest in a home underdog tonight? Yeah, my free winner is on the St. Louis Blues, as I think they'll take care of the Minnesota Wild in Game 4.
Up 3-0, the Blues have only four goals from their forwards in the series, but haven't gotten a one from their leading scorer, right winger Vladimir Tarasenko.
St. Louis is in the kill zone now, and after scoring 39 goals in the regular season, he is due for a big game. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see him score a couple, maybe even a hat trick.
Meanwhile, scoring goals has been a struggle for the Minnesota Wild, who finished second in the NHL in the regular season with 266 goals. But in this series, they've scored just one goal in each of the first three games.
Take St. Louis tonight, as this series is over.
1* BLUES
Brad Wilton
Game One played true to form between Portland and Golden State, as the Warriors won a high-scoring 121-109 affair in Oakland, and the teams once again played Over the total.
The series numbers show a 6-2 Over surge the last 8 series meetings, and if you want to go back a little further, the Over is 7-2 the last 9 meetings between the teams at Oracle Arena, and 19-7 overall the last 26 times the teams have jumped ball.
Portland is now 2-0-1 Over their past 3 games played, and 5-4-1 Over the total in their last 10 games contested.
Golden State is now 6-3 Over their last 9 games going back to the regular season.
When you have the guys on the floor that know how to put the ball through the hoop (and that is even without Kevin Durant!), and most of them from long range, well you surely have a recipe for plenty of points being scored.
Blazers and Warriors land Over the total one more time.
2* PORTLAND-GOLDEN STATE OVER
Eric Schroeder
My free play for Wednesday night is on the Cincinnati Reds over the Baltimore Orioles, and I want you listing one pitcher in this one, as I like rookie Amir Garrett to handle the O's.
I told you about this kid Garrett in his MLB debut against the St. Louis Cardinals, on April 7. Now I'm playing him as my comp winner, and will remind you a little bit about him for tonight's complimentary winner.
Garrett, who was born in Victorville, Calif., played basketball for prep powerhouse Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., before playing hoops at St. John's. He was destined for a basketball career, but held a training session for MLB scouts, during which he threw a fastball around 95 miles per hour. The Reds scooped him up in the 2011 Draft, in the 22nd round, and signed with the Reds, receiving a $1 million signing bonus and permission to continue his basketball career.
That's quite an allowance for a 22nd rounder, yet understandable since he was considered a basketball prospect. As we've seen early on this season, he is one helluva ball player, and something tells me this kid is going to bring some heat in his first home start for the Reds.
His heater is still consistently in the low- to mid-90s, his slider has improved over the years, he's located both of his hard pitches and commands them to both sides of the plate, and his change-up remains in the works and can be an out pitch.
I'm taking this kid, simply because he's constantly defied odds and done what people said he couldn't do. Take the home team here and list Garrett ONLY.
2* REDS
ALEX SMART
Nationals vs. Braves
Play: Nationals -116
Tehran despite of pitching well, to start this campaign had issues dealing with the Nationals last season, as is evident by going 0-1 in three starts with a 5.50 ERA in three starts against Washington. Meanwhile, Ross, the Nationals pitcher, is a young hurler with good stuff and must not be underestimated. Last season, Ross gave up one run on six hits in three innings in losing his only appearance against the Braves in 2016, but proved his abilities in that tilt. With said, look for the overall better bullpen and batting order, which is owned by Washington to have an edge here today. Washington took 15 of 19 games last season vs the Braves and have the edge again.
Atlanta is just 1-6 in Teherans last 7 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.Braves are also 0-7 in Teherans last 7 starts vs. Nationals.