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Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, April 27, 2016, Opening Line Report

by - 4/26/2016

Kris Bryant Chicago Cubs

When the season opened, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was considered the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball -- behind the Dodgers' Corey Seager -- and he was also the +250 favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year honors. That's not happening. The massively struggling Buxton was sent to Triple-A by the Twins on Monday, and they had to do it. He hit just.156 in 17 games with 24 strikeouts in 45 at-bats. In 63 major league games, Buxton is batting .195 with two home runs, eight RBIs and 68 strikeouts. Plenty of future superstars were sent back to Triple-A for some seasoning and they turned out fine. I'm sure Buxton will eventually as well as he's a five-tool guy.

Brewers at Cubs (-330, TBA)

All eyes will be on Chicago's Jake Arrieta (4-0, 0.87) here as he tries to throw consecutive no-hitters, and the way he's going it might actually happen. Arrieta was named the NL Player of the Week on Monday for his no-no in Cincinnati on Thursday in Chicago's 16-0 win. It was the largest margin of victory in a no-hitter since 1884, and it came just 10 regular-season outings since his first career no-hitter (at Dodgers). Since last Aug. 30, Arrieta has almost as many no-hitters (two) as regular-season starts in which he gave up a run (three). Since Aug. 20, Arrieta has made 13 starts and allowed a total of five earned runs. Former Cy Young winner and 2015 AL runner-up David Price just gave up eight in his last start. Arrieta has 24 straight quality starts and is 20-1 with a 0.86 ERA in those. He has allowed only 17 earned runs in those starts. It's simply the greatest 24-start stretch of dominance in MLB history. Arrieta was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA vs. Milwaukee last year. Ryan Braun is 4-for-10 off him with a homer and four RBIs. Milwaukee's Taylor Jungmann (0-3, 8.47) has allowed 15 runs over 12 innings in his past three starts. The Cubs' Addison Russell is 3-for-4 off him. Jorge Soler is 3-for-5.

Key trends: The Brewers are 0-9 in Jungmann's past nine road starts. The Cubs are 7-0 in Arrieta's past seven at home. The "over/under" has gone under in five of Arrieta's past six at home vs. Milwaukee.

Early lean: Can't remember the last time I saw a team at -330. Don't you almost have to take Milwaukee at +290 in case Arrieta tweaks something early and has to leave or something?

A's at Tigers (+105, 8)

I'm assuming that Tigers outfielder Tyler Collins will be suspended by the time this game takes place if not sooner. I'm sure you have seen by now how he flipped off his home fans after botching a fly ball in Monday's game. For comparison, Jonathan Papelbon was suspended seven games in 2014 for grabbing his crotch after getting booed by fans in Philadelphia. Not a huge loss as Collins is hitting all of .100 on the season. The A's start ace Sonny Gray (3-1, 2.73). All four of his starts have been quality this season, each lasting at least six innings. Gray shut out Detroit on two hits over eight innings in his lone start against the Tigers in 2015. Miguel Cabrera is 3-for-6 off him with a homer and two RBIs. Detroit's Justin Verlander (1-2, 5.79) comes off his best start of the year, allowing two runs and four hits over seven innings vs. Cleveland, whiffing 10. But he took the loss. Verlander has a career 2.51 ERA vs. Oakland in the regular season. Billy Butler is a .405 hitter off him in 84 at-bats with two homers and 15 RBIs.

Key trends: The A's are 1-4 in Gray's past five on the road. The Tigers are 3-10 in Verlander's past 13 at home. The over is 8-3 in Gray's past 11. It is 6-2-1 in Verlander's past nine.

Early lean: Tigers and over.

Yankees at Rangers (+100, 9)

ESPN game and should have live betting available. Not clear if Alex Rodriguez will be ready to go here for New York after he injured his oblique on Sunday and then sat out Monday. He's hitting just .145 this season. Speaking of vastly overpaid guys who should retire, CC Sabathia (1-1, 5.28) pitches the series finale for the Bombers. He has been consistent thus far, allowing three earned runs in all three starts. But the big lefty hasn't gotten through five innings in his past two. Sabathia was 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in two starts last year vs. Texas. Elvis Andrus is 10-for-22 career off him. Prince Fielder hits .263 against him with a homer and four RBIs. It's lefty Martin Perez (0-2, 4.50) for Texas. He allowed five runs in 5.2 innings last time out at the White Sox. Perez lost his only career start vs. the Yankees last year, allowing eight runs in one-plus inning in Arlington. Jacoby Ellsbury is 2-for-4 off him.

Key trends: The Yankees are 3-7 in their past 10 vs. lefties. Texas is 0-7 in Perez's past seven. The over is 7-3 in Sabathia's past 10 road starts.

Early lean: Rangers and over.

Reds at Mets (-215, 7.5)

New York could be without catcher Travis d'Arnaud for a while after he left Monday's game with shoulder soreness. It's likely he lands on the disabled list. Kevin Plawecki would serve as the primary catcher during any d'Arnaud absence. Also monitor if New York's Yoenis Cespedes plays. He hurt his leg on Friday and hasn't played since. He had fluid drained Monday but the team says Cespedes should avoid the DL. What is behind the struggles of the Mets' Matt Harvey (1-3, 5.24)? He was OK last time out, allowing two runs and seven hits in Atlanta but still was far from dominant. Harvey was 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two starts vs. the Reds in 2015. Zack Cosart is 4-for-8 with two doubles off him. Jon Moscot (0-1, 5.06) makes his first career start vs. the Mets for Cincinnati. Moscot has allowed three earned runs in both his starts this year.

Key trends: The Reds are 1-4 in Moscot's past five. The Mets are 7-2 in Harvey's past nine vs. teams with a losing record. The over is 3-0-1 in Harvey's past four at home.

Early lean: Mets and over.

Cardinals at Diamondbacks (+101, 8.5)

St. Louis has to be mildly concerned about Adam Wainwright (0-3, 7.25). He is off to perhaps the worst start of his career. The former Cy Young winner has allowed at least three runs in all four of his starts this season and has failed to record an out beyond the sixth inning. Since his return from Tommy John surgery in 2012, Wainwright is one of five pitchers to strike out 20 percent and walk fewer than 5.5 percent of batters faced over 700 innings pitched. But Wainwright has only nine strikeouts in 22.1 innings compared to 10 walks. He didn't face Arizona in 2015. Jean Segura is a career .421 hitter off him in 19 at-bats with a homer. Snakes lefty Patrick Corbin (1-2, 3.51) had his worst start of the season Friday against Pittsburgh, allowing five runs and seven hits in six innings. He allowed three homers for the second game already. Corbin allowed a run in six innings. vs. St. Louis last year.

Key trends: The Cardinals are 17-8 in their past 25 vs. a lefty. The D-backs are 4-9 in Corbin's past 13 at home. The under is 7-2 in Corbin's past nine at home. The under is 6-0 in Wainwright's past six vs. Arizona.

Early lean: Diamondbacks and under.

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