At 41-58, the Miami Marlins are going to be selling off every piece of the puzzle they can before the July 31 trading deadline.
They've already cost bettors 16.45 units this year, but they’re going to have a fighting chance against the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Nats are going to be heavily favored in this game with Max Scherzer on the bump, but one glance at the records of these two teams will show you where there is a big fallacy to that.
The Marlins are 24-23 at home to date, while Washington is only 24-26 on the road. Yes, Scherzer has been excellent everywhere that he’s pitched, but when he loses, he's contributed heavily to the -1.76 units this team is at for the year for bettors.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Scherzer has all of the peripheral stats to be the Cy Young Award winner this year. His 2.33 ERA and 166/16 K/BB ratio are amongst the best in baseball, and he already has a no-hitter and a one-hitter to his credit this year.
However, we do have to remember that this is a man who has allowed five runs in two of his last four starts, and is only 10-8 overall.
There's a good chance that Dan Haren won't be around much longer in Miami, but at least for now, he's slated to be Thursday's starter. The righty has been the picture of consistency, throwing exactly six innings in four straight starts and between 5.2 and 6.1 innings in eight straight. In that stretch, Haren has allowed between one and three earned runs six times.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"It's nice to hit. I kind of went through a tough streak. Hopefully, I can build off the last couple and have a couple of more good days." – Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor, who had hit .154 in his previous 13 games before going 5-of-9 over the weekend against Pittsburgh
SITUATIONAL BETTING
A.J. Ramos continues to struggle at times as Miami's closer. He hasn't pitched since July 22, but in his last three outings, he’s allowed seven base runners over just two innings, and is fortunate to only have one blown save in the three shots at closing off games.
PROP TALK
Bryce Harper has had three 0-fer games against the Marlins this year, but when he's been on, he's been really on. The young outfielder has a 2-for-2 game with two RBIs and a 3-for-4 game with three dingers and five RBIs against the Fish already this season.
However, with Haren, a ground ball pitcher by nature, on the mound, Harper might struggle just a bit. We hate to recommend fading arguably one of the best players in the game, but it's not a bad idea in this spot.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Marlins are going to have a fighting chance in this game, if for no other reason, the fact that Haren should keep them in the thick of it against Scherzer. It would be irresponsible to say that Washington has less than a 50/50 chance of winning this game, but we know if Miami wins this one even 45 percent of the time, this is a huge money-making opportunity from our standpoint.
Miami 4, Washington 3
The MLB lines for this Thursday contest will be first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Washington Nationals versus the Miami Marlins will commence at 12:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 30, 2015 at Marlins Park in Miami, FL. The matchup will be televised live on the MLB Network.
