3% Take Oakland (#922) (action)

Yes, the Pirates have the starting pitching edge in this ballgame, with promising young hurler Quinn Priester coming off a gem facing off against tired retread veteran Ross Stripling and his 0-5 record.  That’s about the only edge Pittsburgh has in this ballgame, and even against weaker starters like Stripling, you’ve got to score to win, something the Pirates are having a very hard time doing these days.  And the Pirates are 0-2 in Priester’s first two starts this season; 1-7 in his last eight dating back to last year.

The A’s started 1-7 this season.  They’re 13-10 since, including a 5-1 run in their last six ballgames, despite being priced as underdogs in 21 of those 23 contests. The Pirates started 9-2, but they’re 5-14 since, 1-6 in their last seven; every bit the bottom feeder that they were expected to be.    No shock, then, that the A’s are currently Top 5 in full season MLB profitability, despite that awful start, while Pirates backers have lost money, despite that hot start.  Clearly, these are two teams headed in opposite directions right now.

The A’s bullpen has been pitching at a truly elite level; #2 in MLB in bullpen ERA, negating many of my concerns about Stripling.  Oakland’s lineup is in excellent current form: 5+ runs in each of their last three ballgames, while the Pirates bats are ice cold: four runs or fewer 14 times in their last 15 ballgames.  Ride the hot & fade the cold at an attractive underdog price!  Take the A’s.

Line Parameter: 3% at -110 or better, 2% at -111 or higher