Wondering what teams to bet on this week? Look no further than the MLB’s NL East. Along with two baseball games, an NBA Playoff game slid in my favorite picks for today.
After doing a deep-dive, here’s what I like for this Wednesday, with all odds referenced from BetMGM:
CHICAGO BULLS VS MILWAUKEE BUCKS
A resurgence from Milwaukee after a disappointing loss in Game 2 has the Bucks up 3-1 on the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bucks won both games in Chicago and could close the series at home tonight.
Milwaukee’s defensive effort is the chief reason for their domination of the Bulls. After finishing in the lower half of the league in points allowed during the regular season, the Bucks took a step up. Milwaukee leads all teams in postseason points allowed, surrendering 94.0 points a game, a big improvement from the 112.1 allowed in their first 82 games.
The Bucks excel at limiting the Bulls’ offensive output. Milwaukee kept Chicago under 100 points in three of their four playoff games. If you include the regular season, the Bulls failed to reach the century mark in five of their eight games against the Bucks.
The UNDER is 4-0 in Milwaukee playoff games and 7-1 in Bucks-Bulls games for the entire season. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bulls fail to score in triple digits yet again as the Bucks look to close them out at home.
PICK: UNDER 217.5 (-115)
MIAMI MARLINS VS WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Miami Marlins entered their second straight NL East series hot and got back to .500 last night after a 5-2 win against the Washington Nationals.
Winners of three in a row, the Marlins rank in the top ten in Batting Average, OBP and ERA across the entire MLB. Not to mention, they’ve excelled within the division this season, going 3-1 against Philadelphia and 2-1 in Atlanta.
Washington’s start couldn’t be more different. The Nationals are in the bottom ten in the league in Runs per Game, Batting Average, OBP and ERA. They are on a six game losing streak, and have a 5-14 record against the spread.
Miami have done well against the spread this season, specifically when Pablo Lopez starts. Lopez started the season excellently. The right-hander sports a 0.52 ERA, 17 strikeouts and only 10 hits across three starts (all wins). The Marlins, who are 10-6 ATS this season, covered in each of his games.
The streaks should continue for both division rivals this game. Another stellar outing from Lopez will put the Marlins in position to take another series within the NL East.
PICK: MIAMI MARLINS -1.5 (+115)
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS COLORADO ROCKIES
The Philadelphia Phillies’ bats reignited after a quiet series against Milwaukee. The Brewers limited Philadelphia to only seven runs in three games, two of them for losses. The Phillies’ hitters responded in a big way against the Rockies, driving in 18 runs over their last two games.
Heavy hitting tends to be a common trend between Colorado and Philadelphia. Both teams land among the top ten in offensive metrics. Coincidentally, they also fall to the bottom ten in team ERA, with the Rockies allowing 4.53 Earned Runs on Average and the Phillies letting up 4.36.
The scores reflect their strengths. In their past five matchups, 10 or more runs scored in four games. Not to mention Ryan Feltner draws his first start of the season after a call-up by the Rockies. Feltner played in two Big League games last season, one of which was against the Phillies. The run total from that game? Nine.
Expect the remainder of the series to stay explosive. With the OVER/UNDER 8.5 tonight, the Rockies and Phillies should deliver.
Wolveridge Langan 
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