If you followed my MLB expert picks yesterday, you'll also be celebrating our +200 upset pick of the White Sox. Break out the Dom Perignon!
But, lucky for you, the grind never stops. I'm back with a total and another upset pick tonight, with MLB expert picks for May 9th:
MLB Expert Picks: May 9th, 2024
Pick 1: Brewers vs Cardinals Over 8.0 (-110)
Matchup Preview - Game Time: 7:41 pm ET
The Brewers bats are on a bit of a roll. Milwaukee has scored at least six runs (alone) in four of their last eight games, pushing run totals over eight in five of those contests.
With the pitching matchup we have tonight, I think we're looking at another OVER. For Milwaukee, we have Tobias Myers, a 25-year-old rookie with a 6.23 ERA so far this season. While Sonny Gray may seem like a better option for the Cardinals, he's allowed a .893 OPS in 60 career at-bats to current Milwaukee hitters. This is a Brewers lineup that can bang, so if Gray struggles against them once again it'll be a problem. (Not for us though, we're on the OVER!).
The one thing that gives me concern here is the fact that the Brewers have gone over eight runs in just six of 13 games against NL Central opponents this year.
Pick 2: Angels (-102) vs Royals
Matchup Preview - Game Time: 9:39 pm ET
The Kansas City Royals stink against left-handed pitching. The Royals may be MLB's up-start team of 2024, but they've got a .230 average and .635 OPS against southpaws so far (fifth-worst in baseball).
Against a dynamic lefty like Los Angeles' Reid Detmers, that's a problem. Detmers has been shaky lately, allowing 12 runs across his last two starts, but he's also earned the Angels a win in four of seven starts this year.
Last year, Detmers faced this Royals team once and pitched 5.2 innings with 2 runs and six strikeouts. The Angels won that game 4-3.
I'd also consider Detmers' over 5.5 strikeouts in this one, which sportsbooks have around -105. He's gone over that 5.5 Ks mark in four of seven starts this year.
