We had a tidy Thursday night on the diamond. Yandy Diaz cashed the over on his total bases prop, while the Giants picked up a relatively sweat-free four-run victory.
We'll aim for similar results with three bets for the weekend of baseball ahead.
Cardinals (+100) @ Red Sox (-120)
May 12, 7:10 p.m. ET
Adam Wainwright had a tough outing in his season debut against the Tigers. He allowed eight hits and four earned runs in just five innings of work versus a team that ranks 28th in runs per game and 29th in on-base percentage. Not ideal.
While some would argue Wainwright was just shaking off the rust in somewhat of a tune-up game, I have a hard time believing he's going to flip the switch against this Red Sox team.
For their faults, they can really hit - particularly against right-handed pitching. In fact, they rank second in wOBA and fifth in ISO versus righties over the past couple of weeks. They're getting on base, hitting for power, and not striking out (only two teams have posted lower K rates in that span).
I don't see Wainwright enjoying much success against Rafael Devers, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida, and some of the many potent bats in Boston's lineup.
The Cardinals can't survive without competent starting pitching, either. Their bullpen ranks 23rd in FIP and 24th in WHIP over the past couple of weeks and has posted below-average strikeout rates while walking a number of batters.
If Wainwright doesn't get the job done - and there's plenty of reason to believe he won't - the Cardinals can't rely on this bullpen saving the day.
It's a much different story for the Red Sox, who are in a good spot to make noise at the dish. Should James Paxton run into trouble relatively early on, the Red Sox can lean on an in-form bullpen that slots eighth in FIP during the same period of time.
Bet: Red Sox (-120)
Matthew Boyd over 4.5 strikeouts (-110)
May 12, 6:40 p.m. ET
Boyd is averaging 4.7 strikeouts per start this season. That doesn't sound great on the surface, but it's a pretty strong number considering he's already faced the Red Sox, Orioles, Guardians, and Astros. Those are a few of the league's best teams at avoiding strikeouts.
The same cannot be said of Boyd's opponent Friday night. The Seattle Mariners rank dead last with a strikeout rate of 26.2%. What's crazy is the numbers look even worse if you isolate their performance against left-handed pitching.
The Mariners have struck out at a remarkably high 27.9% clip versus lefties this season.
Boyd has done a good job of limiting hard contact. That should help him avoid blowup innings, which is all he'll need to reach five strikeouts against a team as undisciplined as the Mariners.
If he can complete even five innings - something he's done in four consecutive starts - I like his chances of getting the job done.
Rays (TBD) @ Yankees (TBD)
May 13, 1:05 p.m. ET
We have a fun matchup between the first- and last-placed teams in the AL East on Saturday.
Both teams will be sending notable lefties to the mound, with Shane McClanahan set to square off against Nestor Cortes.
The Rays certainly have a healthy advantage. McClanahan owns a sparking 1.76 ERA over 46 innings of work this season and has earned a win in seven of eight starts.
Cortes lags well behind with his 4.74 ERA and 3-2 record, although it's worth noting he hasn't fared much worse in terms of allowing baserunners. They've simply scored at a higher clip.
I don't see that changing this time around. The Rays own a .394 wOBA against left-handed arms this season, which ties them for first in the majors with the Braves. The Yankees have a .324 wOBA, putting them a couple stratospheres below the Rays.
With one of the league's best pitchers on the mound and an offense better equipped for success against lefties, look for the Rays to take care of business against the Yankees.
Bet: Rays ML (projected line: -135)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.