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April 30th MLB Odds and Picks – Familiarity May Not Help Tigers Against Cole

John Perrotto

by John Perrotto in MLB Baseball

Updated Apr 30, 2021 · 6:12 AM PDT

Gerrit Cole warmup
New York Yankees' starting pitcher Gerrit Cole exercises before a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland, Sunday, April 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
  • There are 15 games on the MLB schedule for Friday, April 30th
  • Season record 34-45: -$1,675 (based on $100 wagered per unit)
  • Wagering advice for Friday’s games can be found below

Madison Bumgarner will get another chance to throw a no-hitter – one that counts under Major League Baseball’s arcane rules – Friday, as part of the MLB’s 15-game schedule.

Bumgarner (2-2, 6.31 ERA) starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks when they host the Colorado Rockies at 9:40 p.m. ET from Chase Field in Phoenix. Jon Gray (3-1, 2.54) pitches for the Rockies.

In his last game Sunday against the Braves in Atlanta, Bumgarner pitched a seven-inning no-hitter. However, MLB does not consider that a no-hitter. The league’s definition of a no-no is a game of nine or more innings that ended with no hits.

Two Cy Young winners square off at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago when Cleveland’s Shane Bieber (2-2, 2.48) faces White Sox lefty Dallas Keuchel (1-0, 4.32) at 8:10 p.m. Bieber won the American League award last season and Keuchel took AL honors in 2015.

The Athletics’ Mike Fiers comes off the injured list to make his first start of the season against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and left-hander John Means (2-0, 1.50) at 9:40 p.m. at the Oakland Coliseum. Fiers has been sidelined by a lumbar strain.

The New York Yankees and ace Gerrit Cole (3-1, 1.71) are the day’s biggest favorites at -360 over the Detroit Tigers and rookie Tarik Skubal (0-3, 5.21) at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

April 30 MLB Picks

Matchup Pick and Odds at DraftKings Units Risked
Yankees vs Tigers Yankees -1.5 (-159) 1 unit
Royals vs Twins Royals (+123) 1 unit
Red Sox vs Rangers Under 8.5 (-114) 1 unit

Odds as of April 30th

Pick 1: Yankees -1.5 (-159)

Cole is coming off a dominant performance in a pitchers’ duel with Bieber last Saturday in Cleveland.

The big right-hander gave up only one run and three hits in seven innings while striking out 11. He also did not walk a batter for the third time in five starts this season.

Cole has dominated the Tigers throughout his career, compiling a 5-1 record with a 2.23 ERA in six starts.

The Tigers faced Cole twice in spring training this year, which normally could be an advantage. However, Detroit’s offense is feeble.

The Tigers managed only one run in 14 innings Thursday night in getting swept by White Sox in a doubleheader in Chicago. Detroit has also scored two runs or fewer in 11 of its last 13 games.

Skubal continues to struggle at the major league level. He is 1-7 with a 5.47 ERA in 13 career games and his road ERA is 7.14.

The Tigers are high on the talented right-hander and his arrival in the big leagues last season was a big deal.

However, at this point in his career, Skubal could be the cure for some of the Yankees’ well-documented hitting woes.

This is enough of a mismatch to bet the Yankees on the run line.

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Pick 2: Royals (+123)

Guess who has the best record in MLB? The Kansas City Royals, of all teams, at 15-8.

The Royals have won six of their last seven games going into the opener of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at 8:10 p.m. at Target Field in Minneapolis. Brady Singer (1-2, 2.95) takes the hill for Kansas City against Michael Pineda (1-1, 2.42).

Singer is coming off his best start of the season last Saturday against the Tigers. He allowed only one run – on a solo homer – in seven innings to get the win while striking out eight and walking none.

Singer has a 3.78 career ERA through 16 starts and just 24. He is part of the reason why the Royals, who haven’t been to the postseason since winning the World Series in 2015, believe they are at the beginning of a franchise renaissance.

Pineda has been good this season as he is allowing opponents to bat just .193. However, he lasted just 4.1 innings and gave up four runs in a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates last Sunday.

The Twins belted six home runs – including two by Mitch Garver — Wednesday and Byron Buxton was 5 for 5 in a 10-2 win at Cleveland.

However, Minnesota has scored four runs or fewer in 12 of their last 14 games. That makes the Royals and Singer a live dog in this one.

Pick 3: Red Sox-Rangers Under 8.5 (-114)

The Boston Red Sox visit the Texas Rangers at 8:05 p.m. at Globe Life Field in Arlington. Nathan Eovaldi (3-2, 3.77) will start for the Red Sox against Kohei Arihara (2-2, 4.03).

Both pitchers are coming off rough outings. Eovaldi gave up five runs in five innings to the Seattle Mariners and the White Sox jumped Arihara for five runs in two innings.

However, both had pitched well this season until those last starts.

Thursday night’s series opener went under the total as the Rangers won 4-1. Texas’ Jose Trevino broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run home run in the sixth inning.

The Red Sox have scored three or fewer runs in nine of their last 14 games. The Rangers’ offense has been better but far from a powerhouse as it has scored four runs or less in five of the last six games.

The under is the play for the second straight night.

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