You never like to hear that a pitcher is being "given time" to work out problems.
However, that's the position that Matt Shoemaker has been in recently, making him a very big gamble in live betting for the Los Angeles Angels (39-37 SU, -1.53 Units) against the New York Yankees (41-35 SU, -1.09 Units).
PITCHING MATCHUP
It would have just been easy for Mike Scioscia to say that the reason Shoemaker had his last start pushed back from four days of rest to six days was because Jered Weaver went on the disabled list and Andrew Heaney was due to pitch on Wednesday.
Instead, Scioscia was a little more vague, stating that he has giving Shoemaker a couple days to get some arm problems worked out.
"Just the fastball command and trying to get his fastball in good spots," said Scioscia.
Needless to say, this isn't a good sign. Sure, Shoemaker was reasonable in that first start since that point against the Mariners, allowing two runs over six innings, but he also conceded seven hits and gave up a lot of contact.
Shoemaker's fastball topped out at just 92 MPH in that game against Seattle, and for a man who is used to flirting with 95 MPH, that's not a good sign in this one against a good fastball hitting team.
The other reason why you want to back the Yanks in live betting in this one is because their starter, Adam Warren has been the picture of consistency.
Yes, a 5-5 record and a 3.59 ERA won't overwhelm you, nor will his 54/26 K/BB ratio. The fact that his FIP is 4.14 and xFIP is 4.36 suggests that Warren probably should be doing a little worse than he is, and if you don't believe that, his .265 BABIP is at least 78 points lower than any other qualified Yankees pitcher.
It's really tough to argue with the results, though. Warren has yet to allow more than four runs in a game this year, and he has consistently kept the Yankees in virtually every game he has pitched.
Sure, Warren isn't going to go out and toss eight straight zeroes on the board, but we know that he won't be giving up those crooked innings either. That's exactly what you want in live betting.
ADVANCED STATS
The Yankees have been really blasting the ball of late. They're batting .286 as a team over the course of the last two weeks, but what's more impressive is their 24 home runs, the most in the bigs in that stretch. As a team, New York has a .201 ISO in these last 13 games.
With the power coming from up and down the line, you can never count out the prospects of the Bronx Bombers putting up a crooked inning which takes this game from being a pick 'em proposition to a -1200 game in favor of the visitors.
TALKING BULLPENS
We're a little concerned at this point about the Yankees' bullpen. It's not at the back that we see problems, because Dellin Betances has been virtually perfect save for one lousy outing which included two beaned batters ultimately coming around to score.
With Andrew Miller on the DL though, the middle of this bullpen could end up being suspect. Chasen Shreve has been fantastic this year, as has Justin Wilson. Still, everyone else in this bullpen has been nothing to write home about or is fresh out of AAA. Live bettors need to be really aware if Warren can't get to at least the seventh inning in this one, that New York might be in some trouble in the middle innings.
The baseball betting odds for this game will first be available at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers and adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in, and start gambling during the game now!
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels will start at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. The matchup will be televised nationally on ESPN.
