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There was no setback for the Atlanta Braves last night, as they followed up their successful weekend against the Philadelphia Phillies with a successful night against the Mets. A 15-1 win on Sunday turned into a 12-3 win on Monday. The Braves are rolling and are now looking at a 3-game lead in the NL East. Philadelphia had the day off, so it allowed the Braves to bump their lead up to a full three games.

With how the Braves are playing right now, the Phillies must have a response. It’s easy in the majors to allow a small deficit turn into a major hole. The Braves have the talent to be able to do that. Time for Bryce Harper and company to take things seriously now. The honeymoon period is long over for Harper.

The Braves are playing focused baseball at the moment and are emerging as a favorite in the division. With the signing of Harper, money was flowing in on the Phillies. However, the Braves are the defending winners of the NL East and they have what many consider to be the more well-rounded club. The combo of Mike Soroka and Julio Teheran has really given the Braves an extra push, though.

I don’t think anyone anticipated Soroka, who happens to be a rookie, and Teheran combining to give the Braves this much of a lift. It’s a welcome sign for the Braves and is the difference between the Braves and Phillies at the moment. Soroka was strong last night and Teheran will get the nod tonight.

Teheran is going to have a sizable challenge on his hands, as he’s going to be forced to try and keep up with ace Jacob deGrom. The defending NL Cy Young winner has been more humanlike this season, but still has a dangerous arm. The Braves have been on fire at the plate, but deGrom presents a barrier. Head below for our free Mets vs. Braves pick.

N.Y. Mets vs. Atlanta Braves Pick:

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He’s getting some more run support this season, but deGrom hasn’t been pitching on the same level he was in 2018. Still pretty solid, but he was pitching like a robot last season. There wasn’t much debate about who the best pitcher in the majors was. This season deGrom has come down to earth and has regressed closer to his career averages. He posted ERA’s of 3.04 and 3.53 before winning the Cy Young a season ago. deGrom is just about right in between those two numbers in 2019, which is still a quality season for him.

The Braves have done a fairly decent job against deGrom in his career. They’ve connected for 7 home runs with a .235 batting average in 238 at-bats. A lot of experience against deGrom over the years in the NL East. The same goes for Teheran, who has seen a lot of the Mets’ hitters over the years. Teheran has been better in the head-to-head comparison. The Mets are hitting .203 with 5 home runs against Teheran in 222 at-bats. Batters on both sides are going to be familiar with their opponent this evening.

Overall, Teheran has been doing his job against everyone on the bump in 2019. He is on pace to match his career-high of a 2.89 ERA from 2014 with the work he’s been doing this year. Teheran hasn’t allowed more than a run per start in eight outings. Quite the amazing stuff for a guy who was rather average the past couple of years. In his last three starts, Teheran owns an ERA of 0.53 and 0.94 WHIP. He’s been at his best in Atlanta at SunTrust Park, having posted an ERA of 1.85 in 34 innings. deGrom is still a dangerous pitcher despite regressing from last season. However, Teheran as an underdog at home is too enticing to ignore in this spot.

The Colorado Rockies hit the road after a wild series over the weekend against the San Diego Padres. The Rockies and Padres set a record for most runs in a four-game series. They combined for 92 runs at the friendly Coors Field. Friendly to hitters, not so much to pitchers who got absolutely drilled in Colorado. That wasn’t the best advertisement for the Rockies as they try and recruit quality pitchers to sign in Denver.

No one wants to pitch under those conditions. Nolan Arenado was a smart dude to reup with the Rockies. He is going to have eight years to take advantage of Coors Field with juiced balls. I shouldn’t say that as gospel, but Major League Baseball haven’t been quick or adamant in defending the juiced ball claim. The Rockies had a day to step back and recover from that series, a series in which they lost two of three games. It probably should have been two, but the bullpen blew a 5-run lead late and they ended the weekend with a hard 14-13 loss.

That’s some kind of beat when the offense scores 13 runs and still manage to lose the game. No lead is safe at Coors Field, though, and Rockies have to close things out. It’s going to be awfully difficult to put a charge in their season and go on a run to catch the Dodgers in the NL West.

Focus should be on eyeing the wildcard at this point. The Rockies and Diamondbacks are even with a 10.5-game deficit in the division. They both don’t stand much of a chance and it’s not even the All-Star break yet. With that in mind, the thought of trading Zack Greinke makes sense. He is becoming a hotter commodity by the day, but the Diamondbacks are not going to give him away for free. Arizona might have something special in rookie Merrill Kelly. Kelly is getting a full workload this season and will be making his 15th start on Tuesday. Head below for our free Rockies vs. Diamondbacks pick.

Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Pick:

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Fortunately for the Rockies, they had the day off yesterday to get that loss on Sunday out of their systems. Blowing a 5-run lead and then 3-run lead in the top of the 9th had to sting. I know it stung for me and my bet on the Rockies. They’ll make a short trip to the desert for a three-game series.

The Rockies get no rest after Arizona, as they head to Los Angeles for a weekend series against the Dodgers. With a tough week ahead of them, losing at home to the Padres before going on the road wasn’t a good momentum booster. Rookie Merrill Kelly get the starting honors for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Kelly has been quite good for a rookie, as he enters with an ERA of 3.73 and has been showing major signs of improvement of late.

That’s all you want to see from a young pitcher and Kelly is delivering to the best of his ability. Kelly has allowed just 2 runs in 22.1 innings of work. That equates to an ERA of 0.81 and 0.63 WHIP. And note that his best work has come at home in the desert this season. He has a 2.35 ERA and 1.07 WHIP as opposed to a 4.95 ERA and 1.44 WHIP on the road.

It’s understood that the Rockies’ bullpen is likely going to be feeling exhausted after getting an extended look on the weekend. The relievers as a team own an ERA of 4.43 going into tonight. Senzatela will have the starting duties this evening. He’s coming off a rough affair against the Cubs, as he got smacked for 8 hits and 6 runs in his most recent start.

Senzatela goes into this one with an ERA of 4.50 and 1.56 WHIP in his previous three contests. He will be tasked with out-pitching Kelly, who has been feeling it for the Diamondbacks. The Rockies are just 15-19 on the road compared to 22-15 at home in 2019. Colorado have won the last five meetings against the Diamondbacks, but I can see them suffering a small hangover in the desert following that wild weekend at Coors Field.

ENGLAND make their European Under-21 Championship bow on Tuesday night but face a tough opener against France.

Aidy Boothroyd's are pre-tournament favourites but strangely slight underdogs against the French.

Both sides are packed with talent with Lyon's ex-Celtic striker Moussa Dembele leading the line for his country while Aidy Boothroyd can call on the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tammy Abraham, Phil Foden and James Maddison. Tough to call a winner but should be action-packed with plenty of goals.

I'm taking both to score and adding Brazil -1 against Venezuela in Copa America for a double. Brazil, inspired by Philippe Coutinho, opened on home soil with a 3-0 defeat of Bolivia and should add a second success.

Venezuela were lucky to take a point from their opener against a Peru side who dominated for spells and were denied twice with VAR ruling two efforts offside.

In the women's World Cup it's Italy v Brazil and Jamaica v Australia with the Aussies worth backing on the handicaps against a side with a 0-8 goal difference.

On Monday my Super Single was beaten with Luca Jovic failing to net as Serbia were surprised by Austria but my treble will land if Chile beat Japan at Copa America in the early hours of the morning.

Well done to all the winners including Scott with his members bet from the Euro Under-21s.

I'm away down to North Berwick in the morning for four days golfing and maybe drinking with Desmond, Ace and a few others – and while I won't have many tips until the weekend the laptop's packed so will check in now and again.

Remember to check welovebetting for their video chat and tips.

*1.5pts Top Treble

• Norway Women (8pm)
• Germany U-21s (8pm)
• Chile (12am)
• (27-10, BetVictor)
• “Pending

DISCLAIMER: ODDS AND ARTICLE UPDATED 17/06/2019, 15:00.

Three selections from the opening day of Royal Ascot who have claims of hitting the frame in our each-way treble accumulator, which comes in at around 175/1!

14:30 Ascot

Mustashry to Win and Each Way @ 11/2 - BET NOW

Mustashry is a typical late improver from Sir Michael Stoute's yard and it's going to be hard to kick him out the frame in the first race of this year's Royal Ascot.

The son of Tamayuz put up a huge effort to bolt up in the Newbury Lockinge on his return to action after a promising reappearance at Newmarket. There's no obvious reason to doubt the form with the mightily consistent re-opposing Laurens filling the runner-up spot.

He brings the highest official rating into this race on the back of that run. Provided the ground doesn't turn too soft, he should be hard to beat.

15:40 Ascot

Mabs Cross to Win and Each Way @ 8/1 - BET NOW

It was in this race last year that Mabs Cross proved she was going to be a talented sprinter worth following after finishing just two lengths behind Blue Point. She went on to Abbaye success later in the season, a race thought by many to be Europe's top sprint contest.

She proved that was no fluke when beating several of these rivals on her return at Newmarket despite having to concede weight to the likes of Equilateral. She can be forgiven her run at Haydock subsequently, possibly finding the run coming too soon after her big effort on seasonal reappearance.

She will be well suited to a bit of cut in the ground and the quick gallop they usually go in this race, along with the stiff finish, ought to be right up her street here.

Imprimis is a talented sprinter from the US that shouldn't be dismissed but the conditions that suit Mabs Cross could hinder this speedster. However, he gets Frankie Dettori for company and is probably a bit overpriced, having won in impressive fashion on both his starts this season.

16:20 Ascot

Phoenix Of Spain to Win and Each Way @ 2/1 - BET NOW

The final leg of the each-way treble is the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix Of Spain.

He was impressive when recording his Classic success, beating several of these rivals by in excess of three lengths, and while he's currently favourite for Tuesday's race, he's bigger than what he should be on the evidence of his last run.

He has the scope to carry on improving as a three-year-old, having enjoyed a fine career as a two-year-old, and ought to be another that will be difficult to keep out of the frame.

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My last DraftKings MLB DFS Picks came on Friday and they were a rousing success.

After an ugly cold streak, Friday was just what we needed as the lineup was buoyed by both our elite starting pitching and a four-man Indians stack that beat up on the Tigers.

Both Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer were excellent as both struck out 10, each allowed just two earned runs and both landed in the win column.

The Indians stack crushed the Tigers, led by Jake Bauers who hit for the cycle. Leonys Martin also homered while Roberto Perez doubled as part of a three-hit night. Jose Ramirez had a pair of hits, a pair of runs and a pair of RBI with a walk to boot. The Indians wound up putting 13 runs on the board in this one which was a perfect complement to our high-priced pitching.

Jesus Aguilar gave us solid value with a single, a run and a walk while Hernan Perez had just a single on the evening.

Finally, Jose Rondon also gave us nice value with two singles and a walk while Ryan Cordell provided just a single on the night.

Let’s make it back-to-back profitable lineups on tonight’s 12-game slate, although we have some weather to be weary of. My weather concerns are: PHI @ WAS / TB @ NYY / HOU @ CIN, although it appears the latter two should certainly play.

P – Kenta Maeda (LAD) – $9,000 vs. SF

My top pitching option on the slate, Maeda certainly has a nice matchup at home against the lowly Giants this evening. What I like most about this matchup is how Maeda has pitched at home this season. Entering this one tonight, Maeda has crafted a stout 1.69 ERA on the season to go along with just a .147 batting average against at Dodger Stadium this season. Furthemore, his strikeout rate jumps from 8.62 K/9 on the road to a very nice 9.84 mark at home, so I will take the increased strikeout upside to boot. The Giants obviously sport better offensive numbers on the road given the extreme pitcher-friendly confines of their home park at Oracle Park, however they still rank 27th with a .290 wOBA on the season against right-handed pitching while their 23.4% strikeout rate is roughly middle of the pack. At the end of the day, we have a pitcher dealing at home where he sports an elevated strikeout rate combined with a favorable matchup and plenty of win upside at around -230 on the moneyline. I’ll take that all day at a reasonable price.

P – Miles Mikolas (STL) – $6,400 vs. MIA

I don’t really like to roster pitchers without much strikeout upside and Mikolas was just torched by this same Marlins team on the road last week, however I like Mikolas’ matchup for much of the same reason that I like Maeda’s. The right-handed Mikolas enters this one with a 4.83 ERA and 4.78 FIP on the season, however those numbers fall to a 2.87 ERA and 3.72 FIP at home this season. The matchup is obviously a real good one as well as the Marlins enter this one ranked 29th with a .284 wOBA on the road against right-handed pitching this season. Mikolas will enter this one sporting just a 6.70 K/9 at home this season, but he’s been very consistent at home and like with Maeda, the win upside is there. The Cardinals are currently listed as roughly -200 favorites to win this game on the moneyline tonight, so I will pay down for the low-strikeout Mikolas, a rare move for me, and pay up for some big bats and look for a win out of the right-hander in a wonderful matchup tonight.

C – Yadier Molina (STL) – $3,800 vs. MIA

I’m also going to utilize some Cardinals bats in support of Mikolas beginning here with Molina against Marlins right-hander Elieser Hernandez. Hernandez has pitched just 7.2 big league innings this season and owns a 5.87 ERA to boot. Despite pitching to a 1.13 ERA, 2.12 FIP and 4.06 xFIP in nine Triple-A starts this season, he also posted a 5.21 ERA and 5.29 FIP in six starts and 32 big league appearances last season, so there’s little doubt the Cardinals can get to him tonight. One of the most amazing stats I came across when it came to Yadier Molina is that he has not walked in 104 plate appearances at home this season. Zero walks. At the same time, however, he’s hit right-handed pitching for a .200 ISO and .878 OPS at home this season while three of his four home runs have come against a righty. Believe it or not, we have stolen base upside here as well as Molina has four steals on the season, three of which have come against a righty. He’s not hitting for a ton of overall home run power, but he does have 15 doubles, 12 against a righty, while we have him at home which is right where we want him this season.

1B – Matt Olson (OAK) – $4,800 vs. BAL

The main four-man stack in this lineup is going to come from these Oakland A’s as they take on right-hander Andrew Cashner of the Baltimore Orioles. Cashner is actually been much worse against right-handed batters this season, and three of our four A’s are going to hit from the right side, however Olson has had success against him in a small sample and fits right in the stack as we will go 1-4 with this stack tonight. Entering this one tonight, Olson has superior power numbers against left-handed pitching, however he has still posted a .225 ISO on the season against righties as he has 11 home runs overall. He’s been feeling it in the home run department of late as he’s swatted four long balls over his last nine games. It’s a very small sample, but Olson has gone 3 for 5 with a double and two home runs in his career against the right-handed Cashner. I think with those batter vs. pitcher numbers alone there is more than enough evidence to shove the reverse-splits aside and ride with the power-hitting first baseman tonight.

2B – Kolten Wong (STL) – $4,100 vs. MIA

Next man up in our three-man Cardinals stack is Wong who brings plenty of the valuable power/speed combination into this one tonight. Wong has hit seven home runs on the season and he’s also stolen a whopping 13 bases, so there’s already plenty to like about the second baseman. There’s also the fact that Hernandez has allowed a .900 OPS to left-handed hitters so far in his brief big league career, so there’s another checkmark in the Wong box as well. Like Olson, Wong is sporting some reverse splits this season as he’s hit for more power against lefties, however nine of his 10 doubles and four of his seven homers have come against righties, as well as 10 of his 13 steals, so I’m not too worried at all. He went 4 for 11 with a double, a homer and two steals over his three weekend games this past weekend, so we have a guy that should be riding plenty of confidence into this one against a targetable pitcher tonight.

3B – Matt Chapman (OAK) – $4,300 vs. BAL

Chapman sported reverse splits for much of his career until this season where he is absolutely obliterating left-handed pitching, but I have a strong feeling that he will see those splits start to narrow as the season moves along given he clearly knew how to clobber righties prior to this season. After all, the guy has 16 home runs on the season and a .250 ISO, so he’s an all-around capable hitter, to say the least. Despite superior power numbers against lefties, I’m not about to complain about a .214 ISO and .828 OPS against right-handed pitching this season along with a 123 wRC+. Furthermore, he loves to hit at home where he will be tonight at the usually pitcher-friendly O.Co Coliseum as he’s swatted right-handers for a .295 ISO and 1.002 OPS at home this season, good for a huge 167 wRC+. He’s also white-hot at the plate entering this one as he’s gone 5 for 11 (.455) with two doubles, a triple, three runs and an RBI over his last three games. I also like the batter vs. pitcher stats as he’s gone 5 for 10 with a double in his career against the right-handed Cashner, so there’s certainly more than enough factors moving in Chapman’s fabor on top of the fact he’s projected to hit out of the valuable two-hole tonight.

SS – Marcus Semien (OAK) – $4,400 vs. BAL

Leading off both the A’s lineup and our four-man stack tonight will be Semien who is another power/speed threat in this lineup. Semien has flexed plenty of muscle already this season with 10 home runs, but he’s also been using his legs on the basepaths with five steals as well. The lefty/righty splits are actually fairly even for Semien as he’s posted a .156 ISO and .827 OPS against lefties and a .161 ISO and .789 OPS against right-handers. His excellent 116 wRC+ against right-handers isn’t far below his 123 wRC+ against opposite-handed pitching. He’s also remarkably consistent at the plate as he’s riding a 13-game hitting streak into this one tonight and he’s gone 5 for 13 (.385) with a homer, three runs and two RBI over his last three games. All five of his stolen bases have also come against right-handed pitching this season, so sign me up all day long for the power/speed upside we have here out of the most valuable spot in the lineup tonight. Keep in mind the Orioles’ bullpen is allowing a ton of home runs and they are among the worst three bullpens in baseball, so there’s just even more to like about this A’s stack tonight.

OF – Khris Davis (OAK) – $4,000 vs. BAL

Let’s complete this four-man A’s stack here with Davis who comes at just a remarkably low price. I mean, despite sporting some decreased power numbers from last season, Davis is very much feeling it at the plate right now as he’s slugged three home runs and a double over his last seven games and has six RBI and five runs scored over that time. I would say that’s pretty nice production for the price we are getting tonight on the 2018 home run king. Now, the power numbers are very much in favor of left-handed pitching this season, but over the last couple of seasons Davis has hit for notably more power against right-handed pitching, so once again I would expect his splits to narrow as the season moves along. I’m also very much in favor of the fact that Davis has gone 6 for 20 (.300) with a double and a home run in his career against the veteran Cashner, good for a .200 ISO and .800 OPS. We’ve seen this guy go on some insane runs in the past, and he’s been swinging it well lately so let’s accept the value that’s being handed to us with the slugging outfielder tonight.

OF – Dexter Fowler (STL) – $4,000 vs. MIA

Completing our three-man Cardinals stack is Fowler who has had a much better 2019 season to this point than the disaster that struck in the 2018 campaign. His power has returned and the speed is very much still there. Fowler has slugged seven home runs this season after hitting just eight all of last year while he’s swiped four bases as well. The switch-hitting outfielder has hit left-handed pitching for more power this season, but his .154 ISO and .748 OPS against righties isn’t too far off the .175 ISO and .800 OPS he has against lefties. After all, his 103 wRC+ is above league average against right-handed pitching while all four of his steals and all six of his stolen base attempts have come against a right-hander. I would say he’s bringing plenty of confidence into this one tonight at the plate as he homered in back-to-back games over the weekend while he scored three runs and drove in six in three of the final four games against the Mets. Even if the Cardinals fail to get to Hernandez for much production, the Marlins bullpen is among the worst in baseball, so we have plenty of value sitting here in this Cardinals stack tonight.

OF – Shohei Ohtani (LAA) – $5,100 vs. TOR

This Angels team is going to see some ownership tonight against right-hander Edwin Jackson of the Blue Jays, but I simply had an outfield spot open and $5,200 to work with, and Ohtani is my pick of the litter as he’s been red-hot at the plate of late. Ohtani hit for the cycle against the Rays last week and has gone 9 for 20 (.450) with two homers, a double, a triple, five runs, five RBI and two steals over his last five games. If that’s not production, I’m not sure what is. Unlike last season he’s actually been able to hit left-handed pitching this season, but still owns a .213 ISO and .795 OPS against right-handed pitching this season. After hitting 22 homers and stealing 10 bases in an injury-shortened 114 games last season, Ohtani was as advertised and showed us he can hit for power and be a threat on the bases as well. I will look for just that as he faces perhaps the most targetable pitcher on this slate tonight.

PLAY THIS LINEUP

DISCLAIMER: ODDS AND ARTICLE UPDATED 17/06/2019, 15:00.

The Royal Ascot curtain-raiser and the first offering of Group 1 action in what promises to be a thrilling five days on the hallowed Berkshire turf, here we make a Queen Anne Stakes Prediction in assessing the contenders for Tuesday's opening race.

Mustashry to Win and Each Way @ 11/2 - BET NOW

The Lockinge winner needs plenty of respect here given the commanding nature of his Newbury success last month. He had Laurens back in second spot although her trainer Karl Burke is anticipating a sizeable chunk of improvement now.

Sir Michael Stoute's charge has recent history in his favour as he bids to become the fourth Lockinge winner in the last decade to come here and complete the double. 

There was no fluke about the Newbury win and Jim Crowley will be confident on board this previous C&D winner although genuinely soft ground might harm his claims of a follow-up.

Barney Roy to Win and Each Way @ 6/1 - BET NOW

The 2017 St James's Palace Stakes winner, Barney Roy returns to Royal Ascot after a failed career at stud and could have a leading say in this Group 1 event after joining the Charlie Appleby yard.

His win at this meeting as a three-year-old on the round course ranks as perhaps the best piece of form on offer in this line-up and, should he get back to that level now, he will go close and surely outrun his Queen Anne Stakes Betting Odds.

There was enough merit in his two runs at Listed level since the comeback to suggest he retain plenty ability. Just touched off on his comeback, he's since been over to France and got his head in front, defying plenty of problems in the run to get up late in an effort that's probably worth upgrading.

This straight mile should suit and he'll be able to get plenty of cover under James Doyle, a rider with the sort of ice-cool nerve required to lay down a challenge as late as possible. He may not have performed at stud but Barney Roy could still fire in the heat of battle.

Romanised to Win and Each Way @ 33/1 - BET NOW

For those seeking an outsider to take note of, look no further than Ken Condon's Irish raider Romanised to complete our Queen Anne Stakes Betting Tips.

It hasn't really happened for Romanised in two attempts over this this trip at Ascot. He now tackles the straight mile for the first tie and his Lockinge run suggests he's being overlooked at latest odds.

He's closely matched with the likes of Laurens and Accidental Agent - both likely to improve - and came home ahead of current market leader Le Brivido in that contest. 

Given that Billy Lee's mount didn't get a the clearest passage when it was needed, that ranked as a rock-solid showing and he's offered here at four and five times the price of some of those rivals.

He's a Group 1 winner over this trip last year and while he may want things drying out to be at his peak, a place effort at a big price isn't beyond the son of Holy Roman Emperor.

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I mentioned in yesterday’s pick, that at some point this Mariner’s offense is going to have to slow down. They traded slugger Jay Bruce away in May and followed that up by shipping off the leading home run hitter in the American League, Edwin Encarnacion, to the New York Yankees earlier this week. And while the Mariners have been near the top of the runs scored and home run leaderboards all season long, the fire sale is expected to continue, and at some point, it is going to catch up with Seattle.

The M’s didn’t seem to miss those bats last night though as they still put six runs on the board against the Oakland Athletics. If I had known that Seattle would score six runs, I would have told you my over nine and a half runs bet would have been a lock. The Mariners pitching staff has been rough, to say the least, and their bullpen in specific has been awful.

The Mariners started Mike Leake last night, who had given up the most home runs in all of baseball. And last night he got bit by the home run bug again as he allowed two more long balls. He has now given up twenty-two dingers on the season, that is three more than any other pitcher in the game. But somehow, the A’s managed just three runs against Leake and the dreadful M’s bullpen, and we came up a half of a run short.

The A’s gave us plenty of sweat to push the game over as they had a leadoff double in the eighth inning that they couldn’t drive in. And they followed that up by getting a leadoff single in the ninth that failed to score. What can you do, I think if they played this game a hundred times with all of the same inputs, it would go over well more often than under. So, we will just scratch this one up to a little bit of run bad and variance and move on. For today’s pick, we will head to the National League where the Nationals host the Phillies.

Bryce Harper and his Philadelphia Phillies are in Washington tonight for game one of a four-game series with the Nationals. Harper and the Phillies are hoping to shake off last night’s beating as they lost 15-1 to the Atlanta Braves. This will be Harper’s second trip back to Washington since signing with Philly in the offseason. In the first series, Harper crushed the ball against his old team, going 5-7 with a home run.

For the Nationals, they were on the opposite end of a blowout last night, as they beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 15-5. The Nats started out this month by winning seven out of their first nine games, but they had lost three out of their last four before winning last night, and many expect them to be sellers at the trade deadline this season.

Starting for the Nationals is Patrick Corbin (5-5 4.11 ERA), and for the Phillies, it is Jake Arrieta (6-5 4.31 ERA). The game total over-under is set at ten runs. The Nationals are -140 home favorites. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM PST from Nationals Park in Washington DC.

This is a bit of a strange matchup on the mound tonight. Both of these guys have spent the majority of their careers as elite pitchers. But neither one of them are enjoying much success this season. If I would have told you coming into this season that with these two guys on the mound, the game total would be double digits, you would have laughed at me, yet here we are. And to be honest, it seems like a fairly sharp number that I won’t touch.

Arrieta has been very mediocre most of this season, but he has done a decent enough job of getting deep into games and letting this Philly offense win games for him. Despite an inflated ERA of 4.31, the Phillies have won eight out of his fourteen starts this season, including four out of his last five. In his lone start this year against Washington, he pitched well as he threw six innings and allowed just two earned runs and struck out seven.

Patrick Corbin was brought in to be another ace in the trio of aces the Nats have with Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer. And while the strikeouts have been there, he has ninety-four Ks in eighty-five, and a third innings pitched, he just hasn’t been consistent enough to produce good results. He has been especially bad in his last three starts where he has gotten hammered for a whopping twenty runs in just twelve and two-thirds pitched. The Nationals have lost four out of his last five starts.

In a vacuum, this is a very even matchup on the mound. But with Arrieta trending up recently, and Corbin getting slaughtered in the last month, I am going to lean towards Arrieta as the better side of the matchup, just slightly. But when I look at the overall strengths of these teams, it is easy to see that Philly is the better squad.

The Phillies are six games better than Washington entering play today, and I have a feeling that Bryce Harper is going to make a lot of noise in this series. Harper has always been one that loves the spotlight, and he will get plenty of it tonight in his return to Washington. My gut tells me that this is a very evenly matched game, that will probably be a little lower scoring than the game total suggests.

Getting the opportunity to back what I see as the better team, with the better starter on the mound, and getting a bunch of dog money, is just too much value to pass up on. Corbin hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in four out of his last five starts, and this Washington bullpen is inarguably the worst in the major leagues. The Nat’s bullpen ERA is the worst in the majors, nearly a full run higher than every team not named the Baltimore Orioles.

If Corbin doesn’t go at least six innings, the Nats have no shot in this one. So, I will back yet another underdog tonight and take the Phillies on the road in game one. Give me the Philadelphia Phillies as fairly big road underdogs tonight, getting +130!

The Bet: Philadelphia Phillies +130

Posted: June 17, 2019

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Matt York)

The NBA season is over and we saw a new champion crowned in the Toronto Raptors. You would think that would be the end of NBA news for awhile, but this league never stops and the big story of the weekend was Anthony Davis being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for a large package of players that includes Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and the #4 overall pick in this year’s draft. Just a monster take for the Pelicans and one that should set them up nicely for the future with Zion Williamson expected to be drafted first overall.

Because this is the Lakers, the trade itself is not without drama. The Lakers could have $32.5 million in cap space if the trade is held off til July 30th to complete. That’s money they could use to add someone like Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker, but if they plan to do the trade on July 6th that number drops to $23.7 million. As of now, it is scheduled for the 6th and if they want to move it – they might need to add even more to this trade. Crazy.

We still have a little while until free agency and the NBA draft so today we shift our focus to the Copa America tournament and MLB. Let’s get into the tips.

MLB Betting Tips:

Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals: The Nationals send Patrick Corbin to the mound today and this year’s offseason acquisition has been fantastic at home. He has a 2.32 ERA/2.46 FIP in home starts this year and draws a nice match-up against the Phillies who have been below average of late.

Philly will send Jake Arrieta who has been really bad to awful over his past five starts with a 4.85 ERA/5.58 FIP. This feels like a great value on the Nationals here.

Bet Nationals -135

Cleveland Indians at Texas Rangers: The Indians’ Mike Clevinger is returning from injury to make his third start of the year. He’s yet to give up a run, but today against this powerful Rangers offense on the road seems like a good place for that streak to end. I like Clevinger, but I like the Rangers homer prowess at home better.

The Rangers send Lance Lynn who has been fantastic of late with a 3.45 ERA/1.46 FIP over his past five starts with some huge strikeout numbers. He’s really a hot hand right now and I want to continue to ride that in today’s game at a nice underdog price. The Indians offense has been weak all season and I expect them to have an especially tough time today.

Bet Rangers +110

Copa America Betting Tips:

Japan vs. Chile: Japan is a special guest in this year’s Copa America and they are only using the opportunity to get some young players experience. These players are young and hungry, playing a Chile team that some people think are over the hill. Although they did win this thing in 2016. Their experience should carry them today though. This Chile team has been there and done that, and this is a great match-up for them against some hungry competitors. I think they grab the win here and get themselves started on a nice foot in this tournament.

Bet Chile -1.0

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Italy have shocked women's football experts after two matches at this year's Women's World Cup. The Italians are a perfect six points from six and have advanced to the knockout stage of the competition.

Brazil are second in Group C having defeated Jamaica in their opener. An exciting 3-2 loss to Australia in their second group match was a setback, but the Brazilians are still on pace to qualify for the next round.

The two footballing nations will meet on Tuesday night in Valenciennes with top spot in Group C on the line.

Italy Women v Brazil Women Betting Odds

Manager Milena Bertolini's Italy squad has been impressive over the course of 180 minutes of football. Despite trailing the favoured Australians in their first match, 1-0, at halftime, the Italians battled back to get two goals from Barbara Bonansea in the second period.

Italy then put five goals past Jamaica without reply as Cristiana Girelli scored a hat-trick. Italy have conceded just one goal during the Women's World Cup and that came from a rebounded penalty against the Aussies.

Brazil also throttled Jamaica as Cristiane scored a hat-trick. Their defence let them down in their second group stage match as Australia scored three times in the final 46 minutes to overcome a two-goal deficit. 

The Brazilians must play a full 90 minutes if they want to defeat Italy.

Brazil go into the match as the favourite at 8/5. Italy can be backed at odds of 39/20.

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Italy Women v Brazil Women Team News

Italy have got scoring from different players during their Women's World Cup campaign. Bonansea was the hero in match one while Girelli and Aurora Galli did the damage against Jamaica. Girelli now has 31 career international goals.

Marta returned to Brazil's squad for their match two loss to Australia. Although she scored against Australia, making her the first player to score in five World Cup tournaments, she couldn't power the side to victory.

Marta should be fit to face the Italians on Tuesday as she has shown no ill-effects of a thigh injury that kept her out of match one. 

Italy Women v Brazil Women Betting Tips

Cristiane to score any time @ 7/5 - BET NOW

Marta gets all the headlines for Brazil, but it is Cristiane who they need most against the Italians. Cristiane scored a hat-trick against Jamaica and tallied Brazil's second versus the Aussies. She is second in the race for the golden boot.

Both teams to score @ 13/20 - BET NOW

Italy may have only allowed one goal at the Women's World Cup, but Brazil have two attacking players that can break them down. Brazil were unable to stop Australia's attack in the second half, so don't expect them to slow down Italy.

Italy Women v Brazil Women Prediction

Over 2.5 goals @ 20/23 - BET NOW

Both teams have seen all of their group stage matches end in over 2.5 goals scored. Group C has been an exciting group that will go down to the wire on Tuesday to see which teams go through. 

As it stands, Italy will top the group with Brazil and Australia following them up. The Aussies will make the knockout round thanks to being a top-ranked third-place team. 

Italy have been impressive and should continue their form. Holes showed in Brazil's team during their loss to the Aussies. The Italians will take advantage of their issues in defence.

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Women's World Cup host France are through to the knockout round of the tournament. They will clash with Group A rivals Nigeria in their third group stage match with the outcome dictating where exactly they finish in the group.

Nigeria are third in Group A on three points from a possible six. The Nigerians are currently set to advance as one of the best third-place sides at the tournament. A heavy defeat to France and wins by Chile and/or Cameroon would see them tumble out of contention for the knockout round.

Nigeria Women v France Women Betting Odds

France have been perfect at the Women's World Cup thus far and are on a collision course with the United States in the quarterfinals. If the two women's football powerhouses meet in the final eight, it will have a direct effect on the winner of the tournament.

The French have seen over 2.5 goals per match at the Women's World Cup. They had no difficulty getting past South Korea, 4-0, but did need a late penalty from Eugenie Le Sommer to defeat Norway 2-1. 

Nigeria were thoroughly beaten by Norway, 3-0. They did bounce back to beat the group's poorest side South Korea, 2-0. Monday night's fixture should more reflect Nigeria's first match against Norway. 

France go into the match as the favourite at 1/8. Nigeria can be backed at 25/1.

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Nigeria Women v France Women Team News

Le Sommer has been brilliant for France after two matches. She has two goals and looks every bit as good as advertised. France manager Corinne Diacre could change her side for game three.

If France did not top Group A, thus missing the US in the quarterfinals to play them at some other point, it wouldn't be the worst outcome.

Nigeria will be in for a difficult evening against France. Although they defeated South Korea 2-0, one goal came from an own goal while the other was scored in the 75th minute by Asisat Oshoala. Nigeria only kept 37% possession against the Koreans while registering two shots on goal.

Nigeria Women v France Women Betting Tips

Eugenie Le Sommer to score any time @ 8/11 - BET NOW

Le Sommer has scored 76 goals in her international career. The Lyon striker has tallied scores in back to back Women's World Cup matches and if she plays against Nigeria, could get a third for the French.

France to win and over 2.5 goals scored @ 1/2 - BET NOW

Nigeria should expect another night similar to their loss to Norway. France are strong, technically good, and physical. Their players play for the best teams in Europe and the talent is off the charts in comparison. France should have no difficulty breaking down Nigeria and putting in a professional victory.

Nigeria Women v France Women Prediction

France to win to nil @ 8/13 - BET NOW

France have looked strong throughout their group stage games. Although they have wrapped up a place in the knockout stage, France will want to finish strongly and show the Americans are not the best side at this year's tournament.

Nigeria can still make the knockout stage but the quality is lacking in their side. They will struggle to stop France even if Diacre changes her team. The French will top Group A and set up a possible meeting with the US in the quarterfinals.

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The Houston Astros were humiliated on Sunday afternoon in Houston, as the lowly Blue Jays pounded them into the ground by a score of 15-0. After making it look so easy on Friday and Saturday, the Jays stood up and returned the favor. In an event, the Astros still won two out of three games, so it wasn’t a completely lost weekend. Losing like that to a team like the Jays isn’t the best look, though. That’s going to happen every now and then against bad teams. They still maintain a 9.5-game lead in the NL West, so not much has changed in that regard.

The Astros will head on the road this week, where they will be for seven games. After Cincinnati, they head to the Bronx for an exciting series with the Yankees. That is likely going to make for the series of the weekend, as it could be a preview of a postseason meeting. Both teams have gone through their share of bumps and bruises, making out just fine with some key players on the injury report. The Reds are 8 games back in the NL Central and are going to have a decision to make on Yasiel Puig soon.

They’re stuck in between selling or buying at the deadline. At 31-38 and one hot run away from being a postseason team, the Reds don’t want to give up too easily. However, at the same time, they might be able to flip Puig and get something good in return.

He’s been on a massive tear recently, which is going to make it more difficult to give him up. Puig has hit safely in five straight games, along with 2 long balls and 4 RBI’s. The results haven’t exactly followed, though, as the Reds are just 2-3 in their previous five games. In any case, they did have a nice day on Sunday against the Rangers, having won a 11-3 contest with Sonny Gray on the bump. It’s Luis Castillo’s turn in the rotation, while the Astros will look to Wade Miley on Monday. Head below for our free Astros vs. Reds pick.

Houston Astros vs. Cincinnati Reds Pick:

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With the departures of Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel, not to mention injuries to Lance McCullers, the Astros have had to fill a few holes in their starting rotation. In large, it’s worked out quite well for the Astros. There aren’t too many teams around baseball who can lose three premium starting pitchers and still have a 9.5-game lead in their division. They’ve been hampered by injuries to their position players as well. It hasn’t mattered much, though, as the Astros continue to produce World Series contending results.

Wade Miley can be credited with lending a nice helping hand to the Astros’ rotation. Miley has been effective with an ERA of 3.14 and 1.16 WHIP in 80.1 innings of work. For a guy who hadn’t been solid since 2013 with the Diamondbacks until last season, the 32-year-old has reinvented himself to extend his career.

The only knack on Miley is his ability on the road in 2019. He has been lights out in Houston, where he’s posted an ERA of 1.91 and 1.02 WHIP. Conversely, Miley’s numbers drop hard to a 4.50 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. In his previous 14 innings on the road, Miley surrendered 10 runs. He must be better than that on Monday night against Castillo, who has developed into the ace of the ball club in Cincinnati.

Castillo and Gray have combined to be a nice 1-2 punch for the Reds, and are effectively responsible for keeping the Reds in the mix this season. Last in the NL Central and a record of 31-38 doesn’t seem like much, but it allows them to be within striking distance with still over three months left in the regular season.

Others are going to have to step it up, and Puig has been answering the call lately. Castillo has been on fire, posting a 1.56 ERA in his last three games. His effort at home has been strong with an ERA of 1.87 and 0.92 WHIP. In the Astros’ first game on the road since June 6th, look for Castillo and the Reds to come out on top on Monday night.

The Atlanta Braves showed how you wrap up a weekend yesterday. They put on a clinic, dispatching the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 15-1. A day after Luke Jackson blew a late lead for the Braves, the home team responded in a big way with a 15-1 blowout. Despite the loss on Saturday, the Braves were winners in two out of three games against their divisional rivals. It would have felt especially sweet to get the three-game sweep, but they will be happy with two out of three W’s.

Roles were reserved after the Phillies blew a late lead on Friday night, and then the Braves did the same the following night. There was none of that on Sunday, as Atlanta jumped out to a 3-run lead in the 1st inning and never looked back. There were six different hitters with 2 RBI’s in the win.

Following a successful weekend, the Braves go into Monday with a 2.5-game lead on the Phillies. It gives them a bit of breathing room in the NL East, but it’s only June 17th after all. Post All-Star Game will reveal a lot more, including whether Bryce Harper is going to step up and earn his paycheck or continue to play like the second coming of Dan Uggla. The trade deadline will elevate some teams as well. A lot left to be decided.

The Braves will turn their attention on the New York Mets to start the week, as they’ll be on town for a three-game series at SunTrust Park. Following this series, the Braves go on a lengthy road trip for ten games. The Mets are coming off a less than perfect series against the Cardinals at Citi Field. They lost three of four games, most recently a 4-3 loss on Sunday afternoon. Zack Wheeler will look to get the Mets back on track, while Mike Soroka is seeking a bounce back performance after the worst of his young career. Head below for our free Mets vs. Braves pick.

N.Y. Mets vs. Atlanta Braves Pick:

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Mike Soroka was bound to hit a snag at some point this season. He was pitching at an elite level as a rookie and already has his hand in Cy Young discussions in the National League. Soroka got hit for 5 runs in what was the first time of his career against the Pirates. He previously hadn’t allowed more than 3 runs in a start, which only happened once. Despite the blemish on his resume, Soroka’s overall body of work has been more than impressive.

The rookie will go into Monday with a solid ERA of 1.92 and 0.97 WHIP. While it’s going to be difficult to top the likes of Ryu in a Cy Young race, Soroka is in a good position. He currently leads the National League with only 0.256 home runs allowed per game. Not bad for a 21-year-old. Young pitchers tend to make more mistakes that get exploited than their experience counterparts, but Soroka is playing beyond his years. He ERA of 1.92 is 2nd in the NL, trailing only Ryu and ahead of Luis Castillo of the Cincinnati Reds.

Zack Wheeler has been attracting trade interest from opposing teams, so his trade value may improve or falter on what he does in his next scheduled starts. He’s been out of his rhythm recently and will look to improve on a shoddy performance against the Yankees. Wheeler was tagged for 10 hits and 5 earned runs in 4.2 innings.

In his last three outings, he holds an ERA of 5.79 in 18.2 innings. The Braves have gone well against Wheeler in previous meetings, as they’ve hit him for a .320 batting average and .429 OBP in 97 at-bats. Freddie Freeman has been a beast against Wheeler, having a .500 batting average in 20 at-bats with 2 home runs and 6 RBI’s. Wheeler has also been down on the road with a 5.48 ERA and 1.45 WHIP this season. The Braves should be able to keep their momentum against the Mets on Monday evening.