Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
We have a full 15-game slate in Major League Baseball on Tuesday, headlined by a showdown between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs on ESPN. The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are playing an afternoon game against the Seattle Mariners, while everything else is in the evening or at night. There is plenty to choose from when it comes to forming a potentially lucrative MLB mega parlay. If single bets are more your thing, be sure to check out our picks on the money line/run line and the totals for each of those matchups.
Let’s take a look at the best four-team parlay option for today’s schedule on the baseball diamonds.
Cleveland Indians ML (+105)
Cincinnati Reds ML (-132)
Pittsburgh Pirates ML (+110)
Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+125)
Parlay odds: +1696
For this parlay we are going with one favorite on the run line, one favorite on the money line, and two underdog outright winners. Let’s break down each of the four legs one by one.
Cleveland Indians ML over Chicago White Sox (+105)
Chicago slumped at the end of its recent series in Boston, losing 11-4 on Monday. Worst of all, top starter Lucas Giolito got hit hard. He lasted just one inning, so the bullpen had to back him up with seven innings of work. That is the kind of thing that might linger for the White Sox until they can get some lengthy starts that give their relievers some rest. Chicago has struggled to look like the team we were expecting this season. Wednesday features a nice matchup on the mound. Carlos Rodon of the White Sox memorably fired a no-hitter in his last start, which is good for his confidence but it’s never easy to follow up that kind of performance. I have more confidence in Cleveland’s Zach Plesac, who has been a more consistent pitcher for a longer period of time.
Check out our full game preview.
Cincinnati Reds ML over Arizona Diamondbacks (-132)
Arizona has been alright this season—maybe better than expected when you factor in that they have had bad luck with injuries. At some point those are probably going to catch up with them, and that point could come on Tuesday. Outfielder Ketel Marte, their best hitter, is still out; so is first baseman Christian Walker, another source of power they were relying on. Even full strength this lineup is below average. Right now it is one of the worst in the league.
Conversely, Cincinnati is the top-scoring team in the majors by averaging more than six runs per game. Although Zac Gallen is the best arm the Diamondbacks have, he pitched only 4.0 innings in his first start and needs to build up his pitch count. Luis Castillo counters for the Reds; when he is on, he can still make batters look silly.
Check out our full game preview.
Pittsburgh Pirates ML over Detroit Tigers (+110)
Tyler Anderson gets the nod for Pittsburgh and the left-hander will be facing a Detroit lineup that has stunk so far this season. The Tigers have especially had trouble with left-handed pitching (.176 average) and they have a 1-3 record in such games.
Of the 20 home runs that the Tigers have hit this season, just one has come against a southpaw. This offense is not producing much of anything right now, and Anderson is coming off a start in which he allowed just four hits and one run in 5.1 innings against a very potent San Diego lineup. Detroit’s Michael Fulmer will be making his second start of 2021 and he looked good in his first outing last week against Houston (two runs allowed on three hits in 5.0 innings). If the Tigers’ relievers have to go 4+ innings, that definitely favors the Pirates because Detroit’s bullpen ERA of 6.99 is dead last in the league.
Check out our full game preview.
Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 over San Francisco Giants (+125)
Webb will take the mound for San Francisco four days after he was demoted to the bullpen following a poor performance. An injury to Johnny Cueto forced Webb back into the rotation, but Webb is only two days removed from being placed on the injured list due to lingering side effects of his second COVID-19 vaccine dose. Even if he is feeling fine at this point, it is highly probable that his normal routine between starts was disrupted. Webb, lacking normal preparation for this game, is a prime candidate to fade—especially considering that he is going against a very talented opponent in Zack Wheeler.
Since the beginning of 2018, Wheeler has been one of the better pitchers in the game. He has posted a strong 3.00 ERA, despite the fact that he has experienced terrible luck on balls in play, (indicated by a .354 BABIP). In this game the Phillies have the better offense, the better starting pitcher by far, and a bullpen that is comparable in talent but slightly less taxed than that of the Giants.
Check out our full game preview.
Pickswise is the home of free MLB picks and predictions. Make sure to also check out our ‘MLB parlays‘ and ‘MLB prop bets‘ tabs for more expert picks.
