Aces Take the Mound Across MLB and Day 1 at the U.S. Open

In today’s newsletter…

- Leading Off: US Open Day 1 
- MLB: Pitchers’ duel in Boston 
- Column: NFL vs. college football
- News: X Games going year round

Golf’s 124th U.S. Open began this morning at Pinehurst, with Scottie Scheffler coming in as the clear favorite. But things have gotten less predictable with Scheffler off to a slow start. Ludvig Aberg is currently at +500 to win the tournament, followed by Rory McIlroy and Scheffler at +550, Patrick Cantlay at +700 and Bryson DeChambeau at +1400. FanDuel has options for anyone who doesn’t want to bet against Scheffler:

• McIlroy is +120 to have the lowest score for a past champion, followed by Brooks Koepka at +360, DeChambeau at +400, and Jordan Speith at +1100

• For a 72 hold matchbet, McIlroy is at -160 against Hovland (+130), and Spieth is -115 against Tyrrell Hatton (-110)

• DeChambeau is at +200 to be the top LIV player, followed by Koepka at +210, Cameron Smith at +500 and Hatton at +600.

• Will there be a hole in one is at +240 yes, -340 no

In today’s newsletter, Craig likes Twins ace Joe Ryan’s chances against a struggling A’s offense, is covering one of the only good things going for the White Sox right now in pitcher Garrett Crochet, and is tracking Michael Busch’s solid June at the plate for the Cubs. In her weekly column, Abby talks to TV industry professionals to get their takes on the NFL and College Football Playoff’s scheduling issues.

Mets vs. Marlins under 8.5 runs (-104 at FanDuel)
The Mets are playing better baseball of late, though the bar to clear was not high. Luis Severino takes the hill and has delivered two gems across his last three starts. The Marlins knocked him around a bit in Miami on May 18th, but Severino’s home splits are favorable. Meanwhile, the Marlins average 3.27 runs on the road while the Mets average 3.64 at Citi Field.

Phillies moneyline (-112 at DraftKings)
The Phillies are playing at a high level with seven wins over their last 10, and they’re eyeing the series victory tonight. They’ll send Aaron Nola to the hill against Tanner Houck in what promises to be a pitcher’s duel. While the latter continues to be stellar, Nola is pitching like a Cy Young favorite in his own right with a 1.53 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, and .194 wOBA since May 14th.

Phillies vs. Red Sox under 8.5 runs (-110 at Caesars)
We touched on the presumptive pitcher’s duel between Nola and Houck, a matchup that suggests runs will come at a premium. The Phillies have played to the under in 10 of their last 12, and Red Sox opponents have averaged two runs per game across Houck’s last five turns. Both of these pitchers are going deep into starts of late, so they’ll be able to shorten the game, so to speak, if the trend continues.

Twins -1.5 (-120 at FanDuel)
Twins ace Joe Ryan takes the hill to open their series against the offensively challenged Athletics, who are averaging two runs per game across their last 10. They’ve been especially hapless across their recent five-game skid, in which they’re striking out at a 33% clip and sporting a .093 ISO. Luis Medina takes the hill for Oakland saddled with a 5.40 ERA for his career. He is coming off of a 4.2-inning, six earned run effort.

White Sox moneyline (+130 at FanDuel)
Garrett Crochet takes the hill in the “stopper” role. The White Sox have won five of Crochet’s last seven starts, and he only allowed three earned runs across 12 innings in losses to the Orioles and Brewers. Runs won’t come easily for the Sox against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, but they’re are particularly light with the bats at home, which could leave the door cracked for the White Sox to steal one.

White Sox vs. Mariners under 4.5 first 7 innings (-115 at DraftKings)
We’re staying in the Pacific Northwest for what has the makings of a low-scoring affair. We touched on Garrett Crochet, but Seattle’s Luis Castillo is enjoying quite a run himself. He was roughed up in his most recent start, but across 10 games prior to that, he compiled a 2.01 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and .193 BAA. He should get back on track tonight, but the Mariners also have the league’s worst batting average against lefties this season.

Michael Busch over 0.5 combined hits + runs + RBI (-125 at DraftKings)
Busch is enjoying a solid month of June with a .333/.440/.429 line, and he carries a platoon advantage in the OPS department with a .795 mark against right-handed pitchers. He’ll face off against young and inconsistent Rays righty Taj Bradley. We like that Busch occupied the No. 2 hole in the Cubs lineup on Wednesday against Aaron Civale (right-hander), and that he finished with a pair of hits.

With College Football and NFL Schedule Changes, is There Such a Thing as Too Much Football Around the Holidays?

Scheduling conflicts were always top of conversation when discussing the new college football playoff format. Students dealing with class schedules and exams, eliminating late-season injuries and exhaustion, as well as coaches navigating the recruiting trail are all valid reasons to have to closely strategize on the best way to execute this new format. Then there is the NFL.

When the 12-team college football playoff schedule was released, there was a strong reaction in how the NFL responded, trumping the rest of the issues. 

Click here to continue reading Abby’s column on our website

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