The MLB is officially back, and there’s going to be games on almost everyday. I love the beginning of the season because you can find an edge on certain games based on prior knowledge. Below you will find three picks with a short write up – all for today’s early MLB slate.
Contents
Cleveland Guardians ML , -105 DK
Cleveland finally made a decision on a name change (formerly the Indians), but other than that, not a whole lot has changed. The Guardians are a solid team that will likely be top three in their division. Today, they finish their series against a division rival in the Royals. After dropping two of the first three games to the Royals, I’m looking for the Guardians to even the series here.
To start out, Cleveland will have Aaron Civale on the mound, which is the main reason I like them this afternoon. Civale did well last season, posting a 12-5 record with a 3.84 ERA and 7.17 K/9. He gives up less than one hit per inning pitched, and his home run rate is relatively low.
Last season, Aaron Civale had a 5-2 record against AL Central opponents, averaging ~5.88 innings per outing. In addition to this, he only allowed more than 4 earned runs one time against divisional opponents.
As of right now, the Guardians are losing their opening series to the Royals. Cleveland scored 17 runs and won big last night, so I expect them to carry that momentum over to today. I’ll be taking a chance on the good money line odds for Cleveland.
St. Louis Cardinals ML, -200 DK
There’s a general consensus that the Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the worst teams in baseball. Although we still have a full season ahead of us, I think Pittsburgh will likely remain in this category. This is another four game divisional series, and so far St. Louis has won two of the games. Pittsburgh won last night in near-blowout fashion, but I don’t foresee the Cardinals dropping another game at home.
Dakota Hudson is on the mound for the Cardinals, and we know what this guy is capable of based on his 2019 season. Zach Thompson will be pitching for the Pirates, which should be interesting since he’s not always a starting pitcher. In this situation, I’d rather look to the guy who has more experience as a starter, and that’s Dakota Hudson.
The Cardinals/Pirates rivalry is one that I’ll always reference the history for. Pittsburgh has a 21-45 record against the Cardinals over the last 66 games, and I don’t see this trend changing at all today.
Milwaukee Brewers ML, -160 DK
After dropping two of their first three games to the Cubs, the Brewers will look to get back on track against the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles were a dumpster fire of a team last season, and they look to be off to a similar start. This is another situation where I’m taking advantage of the good money line odds early in the season and hoping for the best.
Despite winning yesterday, the Brewers could use a win to get back to an even record and build some confidence. Bruce Zimmermann is on the mound for the Orioles, and I think the Brewers will easily handle their business against him. Last season, Zimmermann had a 5.04 ERA, giving up more than a hit per inning and 14 homeruns through 64 IP. If he’s not on his best game, the Brewers will likely make him pay for it.
The biggest thing that stands out to me about this game is the Orioles hitting – or I should say lack of hitting. Baltimore has not put up more than 3 runs in any of their first three games, and they’ve already been shut out once. This is very concerning because you’re not going to win many games if you can’t score (baseball 101). I’ll be taking Brewers ML for this game and never looking back.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this article on the best MLB picks for April 11th, 2022. We look forward to putting out more baseball content as the season continues. As always, remember to do your own research and bet responsibly.
Parlaying these three picks gives you +381 odds.
