- Six teams are within 6.5 games of each other for the two NL Wild Card spots, as the Washington Nationals hold the top position.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets are 2.5 and four games out of the playoffs, respectively, and face off today.
- The Chicago Cubs are in the playoffs as of now, but take on the struggling San Diego Padres on the road in California.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The MLB season is winding down and the NL Wild Card is sporting many opportunities for betting action.
Tonight, two of the contenders, the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets, face off in New York in attempts to work their way into the playoffs.
Meanwhile, on the west coast in California, the San Diego Padres will play host to the Chicago Cubs, who for now have the final playoff spot locked up.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ New York Mets
- Runline: ARI +1.5, -190 vs. NYM -1.5, +165
- Moneyline: ARI (+105) vs. NYM -125
- Over/Under: 8 runs
- Time: 7:10 pm EST
The Diamondbacks have been on a tear as of late, winning 11 of their last 14 games. In those games, they have scored 5.14 runs per game, helping support their NL Wild Card run which has them 2.5 games behind.
Meanwhile, the Mets have lost 10 of their last 16, dropping them to four games out of the final NL Wild Card spot. In their last 16 games, the Mets have averaged 4.75, in part to Pete Alonso’s recent homerun performance hitting six in the last 15 days.
With this Alonso now leads the MLB with the most home runs (47), but it may be Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar that see the success tonight in New York.
Zack Wheeler is getting the start for the Mets but has been on a downward spiral since his three impressive starts in July (and an additional fourth on the first day of August). In his last 5 starts, Wheeler has only struck out 14 batters, causing some concern for the ace.
On the other side of the mound, Zac Gallen is getting the start for the Diamondbacks. Since joining Arizona in August, Gallen has averaged 6.5 strikeouts per game (six starts) but has hit the 100-count pitch total in three of his last four games.
Advertising Disclosure
USAOnlineSportsbooks.com provides you with the most current information regarding sports betting and fantasy with the help of commissions we receive from links you may click on our site.
As Arizona has also only averaged 4.33 runs in their last three games, oddsmakers seem to be offering a lower line than expected on the over/under. Here, it could be beneficial to hit this over, and possibly parlay it with a Diamondbacks victory based off of the recent streaks.
Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres
- Runline: CHI -1.5, EVEN vs. SD +1.5, -120
- Moneyline: CHI (-165) vs. SD (+140)
- Over/Under: 9 runs
- Time: 10:10 pm EST
This game may be more difficult to predict that the aforementioned game due to a relatively unknown pitcher taking the mound for the Padres.
The 23-year old Cuban, Ronald Bolanos is getting his second-ever career start in the big leagues, after recording a 2-1 loss against the Diamondbacks a week ago.
Bolanos will have to on his A-game, as the Padres’ offense hasn’t helped the team much – only scoring seven runs in their last six games.
For the Cubbies, Jose Quintana is getting the start, who is 5-1 in seven appearances since the start of August. Quintana has only allowed 1.71 runs per game in that timespan, helping the Cubs control their playoff fate.
With the Cubs holding down the final NL Wild Card spot and the Padres having nothing to play for, parlaying the Cubs victory and the under seems like a smart decision. If anything, picking one of those would also be beneficial to bettors.
The Cubs has averaged 4.33 runs in their last nine games so the under offered at US sports betting sites seems like the safer choice.
Anthony has been focused on sports and writing about them since he was a child. A lover of tennis and golf, Anthony spends most of his time fixated on every major tournament and the rumors surrounding the players. Born in Czechia, Anthony is always looking for fun places to travel that involve hiking mountains as well as unique restaurants.
