Will the Blue Jays hammer Cardinals’ starter Miles Mikolas? Will Taj Bradley and Walker Buehler’s struggles continue versus the Guardians and Braves, respectively? Check out our Sunday MLB Team Total Predictions.
Saturday MLB Team Total Recap
Following a rough start to this column on Wednesday night, I’ve now had back-to-back winning performances. I went 2-1 on Thursday with my three team total plays, missed Friday and then 2-1 again on Saturday.
The wins, fortunately, were laughers. The Brewers scored 15 runs against the Diamondbacks, which easily cleared their 3.5-run total. It was a similar situation in San Francisco with the Padres, who hammered out 17 hits and eight runs versus the Giants. With the over 4.5 producing +108 odds, we cashed with plus odds on San Diego.
My lone loss was the Angels, who mustered only three total runs and fell short of their 3.5-run total by a single run. They didn’t hammer Justin Verlander as anticipated, but I’ll take another 2-1 performance.
On to Sunday!
Sunday MLB Team Total Prediction: Blue Jays over 4.5 Runs (+106)
St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas is horrendous. At his best, he keeps the ball on the ground and inside the park, limiting opposing hitters to a bunch of soft contact. At worst, he throws batting practice, which is what he’s done of late. Over his last five starts, he’s allowed 6.2 hits per game and 4.2 runs. He’s coughed up a home run per game over that span and owns a 6.94 ERA. Technically, the Cards are still vying for a wild card berth in the National League. It doesn’t help that they employ pitchers like Mikolas in their rotation. The Blue Jays have had a down year, but I like their offense today.
Sunday MLB Team Total Prediction: Guardians over 4.5 runs (+118)
If you’re looking for my favorite play, it’s Cleveland. Taj Bradley starts today for the Rays and he’s 1-4 with a 7.57 ERA over his last five starts. He’s averaging just 5 1/3 innings over that span, has surrendered 6.4 hits per game and 5.0 runs per contest. This, perhaps, is the most staggering aspect of Bradley’s recent form: He’s surrendered 1.6 home runs per game over his last five starts. He’s coughed up at least two home runs in three of his last four starts.
Sunday MLB Team Total Prediction: Braves over 4.5 Runs (+120)
Walker Buehler’s return from injury hasn’t gone smoothly. Over his last five starts, he’s got a winning record at 3-2, but also a 6.14 ERA. He’s averaging just 4 1/3 innings of work, has surrendered 6.0 hits and 3.6 runs allowed. Like Bradley above, he’s also struggled to keep the ball in the yard, surrendering 1.0 home runs per game over his last five starts. In his last two outings, Buehler has allowed multiple home runs and now faces the Braves’ offense. Not great.