ed welch
Every baseball season one or two teams get hot in the post-All-Star break schedule and ride that momentum to the postseason, bringing MLB bettors along for the ride. If you’re looking for that surprise club to finish the final leg of the schedule with a bang, these might be your best expert sports betting picks.
New York Mets
The Mets are the hottest team in the National League so far this month, entering Sunday’s slate with a 9-1 record in August and posting a return of +4.8 units during that span. New York made a splash at the trade deadline in two ways: not dealing starter Noah Syndergaard and adding Marcus Stroman to a rotation that also boasts ace Jacob deGrom.
The one thing with the Mets has been their lackluster offense, which ranks 15th in the majors at 4.83 runs per game on a team batting average of .253. However, the bats have picked up heat under the summer sun, with New York averaging 6.2 runs and hitting .274 BA in August. The Mets have been fantastic in Flushing Meadows, with a 34-20 record inside Citi Field. That’s picked up six units of profit for Big Apple backers on the season.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay is currently in line for a wild card spot in the American League but the Rays could threaten the New York Yankees for the American League East pennant if they continue their level of play this month. Tampa Bay is 6-2 since August 1 and enjoying a soft slate of games https://ativanshop.com that sees the club playing teams with a losing record in 21 straight outings. That shows in the Rays’ August team ERA, which is just north of 3.00.
Tampa Bay has been a road warrior all season, owning a 37-22 road record heading into Sunday. The Rays plate almost five runs per game in the role of visitor and have upped their production this month to 5.5 runs over their eight August outings. The club is also expecting some starters to return from the injured list at the end of the month, including reigning AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Even before starting August with a 5-3 mark, the Diamondbacks were showing signs of a surge. Arizona split a two-game set with the mighty Yankees in New York at the end of July, then went on to series wins over the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies before trading shots with the L.A. Dodgers this weekend.
The D-backs looked like a team packing it in after dealing ace Zack Greinke to Houston at the trade deadline but the staff has performed well without its anchor, showing a 3.70 ERA so far in August. Not to be outdone, the Diamondbacks bats are swinging it in August. The team averages 5.15 runs on the season – ninth most in the majors – and has upped that production to 5.6 runs through eight games this month. Arizona plays 26 of its final 45 games at Chase Field, giving them a home-field boost to close out the 2019 campaign.
–
