MLB Betting Previews- Thursday, May 31 Parlay
The 2012 MLB regular season is off to a somewhat unpredictable start with a few underdogs blazing a trail in their division while a few favorites continue lag behind the leaders. This has made handicapping the games more of a challenge, but we have been up to the task.
Even though there are only three games on Thursday’s slate to close-out the month of May, we have done our homework to uncover a two-team parlay that will let you make the most of this unusually light schedule.
Game 1- Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox
Money Line: Detroit +125 Boston -140
Total Line: 7.5
The Tigers have already lost the first two games of this four-game series so they will send Max Scherzer to the mound to try and salvage a win in Thursday’s finale. He is 4-3 on the year with a 5.67 ERA in 10 previous starts. He was already rocked around by the Red Sox in his season opener; giving-up seven earned runs on eight hits in just 2.2 innings.
Boston will go with Josh Beckett in this one. The right-hander has appeared to put his off-field issues behind with three quality starts in-a-row where he has given-up a total of three earned runs in his last 21 innings pitched. He is 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA lifetime against Detroit.
The Tigers are just 15-37 in their last 52 games in Boston and 23-48 in the last 71 meetings overall. Boston is 12-4 in Beckett’s last 16 starts at home. Stick with the Red Sox to keep things going at home with a win in the front-end of this parlay. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Game 2- Houston Astros vs. Colorado Rockies
Money Line: Houston +115 Colorado -125
Total: 8.5
Houston will end this four-game series against the Rockies with Bud Norris on the mound. The right-hander has given-up just four earned runs in his last five starts and is 5-1 overall with a 3.34 ERA. He has been able to come away with a victory in four of those five starts.
Jeremy Guthrie is slated to get the start for the Rockies. He has been a victim of the long ball this season; giving-up nine home runs in seven starts.
Overall, the right-hander is 2-3 with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.
He is 1-0 with an ERA of 2.40 in 15 previous innings against the Astros.
Houston is a perfect 7-0 in Norris’s last seven starts on a Thursday and 5-1 in his last six starts overall. Stick with his current form coming into this game to help the Astros secure the win to complete the back-end of this parlay.