Ricky Dimon
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For the first time since 2019 (and for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic), Major League Baseball has headed back to London. On the heels of a 2-game set between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox 4 years ago, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals are playing a pair this weekend. London Stadium is hosting the festivities on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday saw the Cubs dominate 9-1, and most importantly it resulted in my +692 Same Game Parlay being successful. Now let’s go back-to-back in London! Here is my next SGP for this London Series showdown between National League Central rivals, and also be sure to check out all of our MLB picks.
Cubs -1.5 (-108)
Under 11.5 (-120)
Marcus Stroman over 4.5 strikeouts (+104)
Parlay odds: +575
Part of the value in Same Game Parlays, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is the entire plan today, as Marcus Stroman racking up his fair share of strikeouts would obviously work well with both a Cubs victory and the under. Let’s break down each of the 3 legs.
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Cubs -1.5 (-108)
Chicago rolled from start to finish on Saturday and I expect that to be the case again today, especially due to the pitching situation. Jack Flaherty was supposed to toe the rubber for St. Louis, but he was scratched due to a hip problem. Scrambling to cover a game across the pond will be tough for the Cardinals. Instead of Flaherty, the Cards will turn to Matthew Liberatore, who last pitched a week ago and gave up 5 runs in 4.0 innings to the Mets. That bumped his ERA to 6.12 on the season.
This will probably turn into a bullpen game for the Cardinals, whereas the Cubs have Stroman – their ace – on the mound. His 2.28 ERA and 1.02 WHIP demonstrate why he has been successful as he has avoided hard contact and limited baserunners. Stroman is one of the heavier ground-ball pitchers in baseball, and that should give him an advantage in a smaller ballpark like the London Stadium. I’m rolling with the Cubbies once again.
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Under 11.5 (-120)
This series was expected to be all about the London Stadium. The Cubs certainly held up their end of the bargain on Saturday, but the Cardinals managed a mere 1 run. I had Chicago -1.5 and the under as part of my winning Same Game Parlay yesterday and I’m going right back to the well – even with the total 1.5 runs lower than it was in the series opener. After all, Stroman is going for Chicago, so it makes sense.
As Justin Steele proved for the victors less than 24 hours ago, if you keep the ball on the ground it doesn’t matter what kind of park you are playing in. Meanwhile, both bullpens are as fresh as it gets at this point in the season. Neither team threw their good arms in relief on Saturday and both clubs had plenty of rest on the whole prior to that contest.
Marcus Stroman over 4.5 strikeouts (+104)
There is no need to overthink this one, especially at plus-money. Stroman has gone over this 4.5 number in 5 consecutive contests. The right-hander has also exceeded it in his 1 start against the Cardinals this year, mowing down 6 batters in 6.0 innings while allowing only 2 runs in 6.0 innings of work on May 8.
Stroman has been especially unbelievable of late, with a 1.40 ERA in June preceded by 3 total runs surrendered in his last 23.0 innings in May. Look for him to pitch well into the game on Saturday and rack up more than a few Ks along the way.
You can also check out our Sunday MLB mega parlay and YRFI/NRFI Best Bets
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