Major League Baseball Parlay Of The Day 4-18-21

Is there any better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon than watching Major League Baseball? MLB has a full slate of action on tap for today with 16 games on the slate. Highlights include Tampa Bay at New York, St. Louis at Philadelphia, the Dodgers playing in San Diego against the Padres, a doubleheader between the White Sox and Red Sox, and the finale of the evening where the Atlanta Braves play the Chicago Cubs in the Sunday Night Baseball Game of the Week. With all of these games set to be played today, we have action all over the board, with everyone’s favorite way to play, the parlay! Let’s get started!

Money Line Parlay

Not all parlays are the same. In this first section, we are going to focus on money line parlays. The money line is your most basic way to bet on a baseball game. Because baseball has so few runs scored, we don’t see a point spread on a game like we do with the NFL and the NBA; rather, MLB betting offers a money line bet. With a money line bet, if you want to bet the favorite, you have to lay odds, and if you want to bet the underdog, the book will lay you odds. One example would be the New York Yankees as -200 betting favorites. That means you win $100 for every $200 that you bet on New York if the Yankees win. If you want to take an underdog, an example would be The Seattle Mariners +200. That means for every $100 you bet, you would win $200 if Seattle comes in.

San Francisco Giants at Miami Marlins (-134)

Last season, the Miami Marlins were able to catch lightning in a bottle when they unexpectedly made the postseason and they even managed to win a postseason series after coming into the year expected to finish in last place. This year, the Marlins had similarly low expectations, and after a slow start, it looked like another disappointing season in South Florida. But Miami has found a way to get things turned around recently, as they have won 6 of their last 7 games, and they are looking for a sweep today at home, against the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins will start Pablo Lopez, who looked great in his first 2 outings of the season, before getting roughed up by the Atlanta Braves his last time out.

Sleep tight, besties. Might do some cleaning tomorrow. #JuntosMiami // https://t.co/NnRx16Lhr7 pic.twitter.com/Vca32qfgos

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) April 18, 2021

The Giants are looking to salvage at least 1 win in this series, and they will go with Alex Wood on the mound. Wood was a solid pitcher for many years in his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but injuries have derailed his career, as he has pitched just 48.1 innings in the last 2 years combined. After being a guy that LA could count on for solid results, Wood has devolved into an end of the rotation inning eater with an ERA north of 6 runs in his last 2 seasons combined. The Marlins have caught fire, and I see them staying hot in this one and picking up the series sweep over the G-Men. Pablo Lopez is better than his stats might lead you to believe right now, and Alex Wood just can’t be trusted after so little work in the last couple of years.

Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox (-108) Game 1

Yesterday we backed the Boston Red Sox at even money, and the bet came in, as Boston won the game 7-4, and we cashed our ticket. Today, the Red Sox are again even money in game 1 of a double dip with the White Sox, and while we have yet to see if this hot start will be sustainable for the Bo Sox, right now, they are the best team in the American League, at least in terms of wins and losses. They say you are what your record is, and Boston has the most wins in the AL, and I think they are going to touch up White Sox start Dallas Keuchel in Game 1 and win this game.

Game 1 of 2. pic.twitter.com/mpmfw60kOV

— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 18, 2021

Keuchel has been awful this year for Chicago with a 6.43 ERA in 3 starts, and it is hard to expect him to turn things around today against a Red Sox team that leads the AL in runs scored and has the highest team batting average in the majors. I know it’s hard to understand how a roster so packed with talent can play so poorly, but entering play today, the White Sox have a losing record on the season, and they are 2-4 in their last 6 games. I’m sticking with the hot hand Red Sox as a straight fade of Chicago and their struggling starter Dallas Keuchel.

New York Mets (-180) at Colorado Rockies

Jacob deGrom has been stealing all of the headlines in New York, and rightfully so, as the guy has been basically unhittable so far this season for the Mets. And while deGrom has been excellent, what Marcus Stroman has done has been awfully impressive as well. Stroman is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in 2 starts this season for the Metropolitans. He has worked 12 innings and allowed just a single earned run. He gets this start today at Coors Field, and he is likely going to give up at least a couple of runs up in the thin air of the Rocky Mountains, but when you look at what Colorado is bringing to the park to match Stroman, you know he is the side to be on.

🔥 @STR0 🔥 pic.twitter.com/b3vtN1wh4F

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 18, 2021

Antonio Senzatela gets the nod for the Rockies, and while he did have one nice outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, in his other 2 starts, he has gotten hammered. All told, Senzatela has a 7.07 ERA in 3 starts. He is constantly working in and out of jams as he has allowed a whopping 18 hits and 5 walks in just 14 innings pitched. The Mets have been struggling to score runs this season, but they are actually hitting for a nice average, at .251, 3rd best in the NL, and I see them jumping all over Antonio Senzatela today. Coors Field isn’t the place to play around with a lot of baserunners, and that is going to come back and haunt Colorado in this game, as I see the Rockies losing for the 8th time in their last 9 games.

Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs (-132)

The Chicago Cubs finally broke out of their season-long slump last night at the plate, exploding for 13 runs against the Atlanta Braves. Kris Bryant and Wilson Contreras both hit 2 homers apiece, Javy Baez went yard, and Anthony Rizzo picked up 3 hits. Chicago fans are hoping that the Cubs can build on that momentum tonight in the Sunday Night Baseball Game of the Week, against Braves starter Bryse Wilson. Wilson has been knocking around the Big Leagues since 2018 for Atlanta, and he has never quite figured things out on the Major League level yet. He has a career ERA of nearly 6 runs and walks way too many hitters. The Cubs will start their ace, Kyle Hendricks, who is coming off of 6 shutout innings in his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and I like the Cubbies in this matchup. Was yesterday’s game finally the inevitable awakening of this Cubs lineup? For our bets sake, I sure hope so.

$100 Bet Wins $820

Game Total Parlay

The game total bet, commonly known as an over/under bet, is when you bet on how many total runs will be scored in a game. These totals tend to range from 7 or 8 runs on the low end, up to 12 to 13 runs on the high end, and you have to pay juice on both sides of the action. A typical totals bet would be, for example, 8 total runs with -110 juice on the over or the under. If the teams combine to score 9 runs or more, the book pays out the over bets, if the game comes in at 7 runs or less the books pay the under bets, and if the total lands right at 8 runs, all bets push.

Cleveland Indians at Cincinnati Reds Under 7 Runs (-110)

If all you have done is bet the under every time the Cleveland Indians play this year, you aren’t doing too bad for yourself. The Indians have a combination of the worst batting average in the American League and the 2nd best team ERA in the AL, which has led to a lot of low-scoring games for Cleveland. The Tribe will start reigning Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber today, who is coming off of a masterclass performance in his last outing, throwing 9 shutout innings, giving up only 3 hits, and striking out 11 against the Chicago White Sox. The Reds are swinging a hot bat, but that is sure to end today with Bieber on the mound. I like the under in this one with Bieber proving why he is the best starter in the AL, and Wade Miley, who hasn’t allowed even a single run this year in 11 innings, should have a lot of success against these weak-hitting Indians.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Over 7.5 Runs (-110)

Blake Snell hasn’t been great this year for the San Diego Padres. That’s not to say he has been awful, his 4.35 ERA is respectable, but I am not sure this is the guy that the Padres thought they were getting when they brought the recent Cy Young Award winner to town in the offseason. Snell hasn’t made it past the 5th inning yet in any start, and in 2 of his 3 outings, he didn’t make it out of the 4th inning. In his last start, he was gone in the 1st, as he got smashed by the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates for 3 runs while getting only 2 outs. The Dodgers are just too good at the plate not to expect them to jump all over Blake Snell. Trevor Bauer isn’t going to give up many runs, but he won’t have to, as the Boys in Blue will do plenty of scoring on their own to send this one to the over.

Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals Over 8.5 Runs (-110)

Robbie Ray looked great in his 1st start of the year a week ago, as he took a shutout into the 5th inning against the hard-hitting New York Yankees and finished his day with a solid stat line of 5 innings pitched, allowing 2 runs, on only 3 hits. The Jays lost that game, but it was a great sign of things to come for Toronto, as they need Ray to get back to his former All-Star level form from earlier in his career if they want to realistically contend in the loaded AL East Division. I am not quite ready to completely trust Ray, though, and he should give up at least a couple of runs in this one. Throw in Brady Singer, the starter for KC, who has gotten hammered for 10 runs in just 8.1 innings this season, and this game has over written all over it. I’ll call this one at an 8-3 final with Toronto taking the win in a high scoring contest.

$100 Bet Wins $600

The Daily Dog

Do you want a chance at jumbo payouts? The best way to stack the cash fast is by parlaying underdogs! You can find high-value underdogs on the board basically every day betting Major League Baseball, and there is no way to win faster than by parlaying a couple of dogs together and getting paid.

Toronto Blue Jays (-105) at Kansas City Royals

We are going to stay right here in Kansas City for our next bet, as I see ample value on the Jays. Toronto has underachieved a bit out of the gates, and the Royals have played better than their expectations, but the Blue Jays are the better overall team in this matchup, despite what their records are telling us at the moment. I am not going to say that Robbie Ray is back just yet, but I will confidently say that he is a heck of a lot better than Brady Singer. The fact that I can get what I see as the far superior team, with the better starter on the mound, as underdogs, shows some outrageous value. Give me the Jays to sneak out of KC with the win.

Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 Runs (+135) at San Diego Padres

Will this absurd run ever stop for the Los Angeles Dodgers? Not only are they winning basically every game, they are winning them by multiple runs on a consistent basis. No team has been better on the run line this season than LA, and of their MLB leading 13 wins on the year, 11 of them have come by at least 2 runs. I hate to pick on the Padres, as they are probably the 2nd best team in the National League, but it doesn’t matter, as the Dodgers are just a WAY better team than they are right now. Blake Snell is going to get hammered, and Trevor Bauer should be able to shut down this Padres team that has been surprisingly mediocre at the dish this season. This one has blowout written all over it, and I will dip into what has been my favorite honey hole of the season once again and take the Dodgers on the run line, this time getting gobs of dog money along the way.

Houston Astros at Seattle Mariners (+102)

The Houston Astros will once again be forced to play without the heart of their lineup as Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and Yordan Alverez are all expected to miss this game as they are stuck in COVID-19 protocol. Houston has struggled in this series at the plate without their best hitters suiting up, and while they did manage to steal the game last night 1-0, behind a dominating performance from Zack Greinke, they can’t love their chances today on the road against a Seattle Mariners team that is playing great baseball right now.

We’ve got a Sunday afternoon rubber match. pic.twitter.com/zmpqVJpkdU

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 18, 2021

The M’s have the 2nd most wins in the AL on the year, trailing only the Boston Red Sox, and they will look to Justus Sheffield to lead them to victory tonight in the rubber match of this 3-game set. Sheffield looked great in his last start, throwing 6 very efficient innings of work against the Baltimore Orioles, giving up 2 runs, on 3 hits, while throwing only 77 pitches. The Mariners are expected to welcome last year’s Rookie of the Year Award winner, Kyle Lewis, back to the team for their next series, and if Seattle can find a way to get all of these young guys playing well at the same time, the Mariners just might be the surprise team in the AL this season. Home dogs are always a favorite play of mine, and I will take Seattle in a minor upset.

$100 Bet Wins $841

Get Rich Or Die Trying

In this final section, we are going to go for the jumbo payouts! These are your lottery ticket types of plays that aren’t going to come in all that often but pay off big time when they do. A wise man once said, if you don’t swing hard, you never hit any home runs. Well, in this section, we swing for the fences!

Arizona Diamondbacks at Washington Nationals -1.5 Runs (+140)

I keep telling everyone to be leery of home team run line bets, yet here I am taking another one today. But as risky as these home team run line plays can be, they have been paying off big time for us this year. We have had just 1 game this season where we took a home team run line, and they had the dreaded 1-run victory. That came earlier this week when we backed the Washington Nationals, and they won the game 1-0. I won’t let that bad outcome scare me away from this play, though, as I just can’t resist fading Madison Bumgarner. It is sad to see what Bumgarner has turned into after such a great career in San Francisco, but this guy gets hammered every time he pitches and has an ERA of over 11 runs on the season. The DBacks have lost 4 of 5 and have the 2nd most losses in the NL, and with Maddy Bums on the mound, they are a blind bet fade.

Cleveland Indians (-159) at Cincinnati Reds

Wade Miley has looked great this season for Cincinnati, but he is outmatched in this game against Shane Bieber. The Reds have ridden their hard-hitting bats to a nice start, but with Bieber having the best swing and miss stuff in all of baseball, they aren’t going to make enough solid contact in this game to stand a chance. It will be a low scoring affair, but the Indians have figured out a way to win a lot of low scoring games over the course of the last several seasons, and that is what I see happening today. The Reds would love nothing more than to pick up the sweep today at home, but Shane Bieber is going to ruin those plans for Cincinnati fans.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers -1.5 Runs (+107)

I didn’t let the Pirate’s short spurt of success distract me from the fact that this is one of the worst rosters in baseball yesterday, when I backed the Milwaukee Brewers at home. The Brewers didn’t even make us sweat it out at all yesterday, as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the 2nd inning and coasted to an easy win. I expect a similar game today, as Chad Kuhl has been atrocious in his last couple of starts, getting rocked for 9 runs in just 7.2 innings. Kuhl has already walked 15 batters in 10.2 innings across 3 starts, and that is going to hurt him against a Milwaukee team that is 7-3 in their last 10.

Now THAT’S how you start a ball game.

The Brewers scored 5 runs with two outs to take a big early lead.#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/whbgnD4SDR

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 17, 2021

If fading the worst team in baseball, with Chad Kuhl on the mound, wasn’t enough, the Brew Crew will start Freddy Peralta, who has been downright filthy this year for Milwaukee. Peralta is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA and has 24 Ks in just 13 innings pitched. Peralta is going to have a field day against Pittsburgh, who has the 5th most Ks in the National League, with an average of over 9 strikeouts per game. Pencil Peralta in for double digit Ks and the Brewers in for a blowout victory at home.

Baltimore Orioles (-109) at Texas Rangers

This is a fairly evenly matched game between a couple of lower-end American League squads. Neither of these teams are going to be still hanging around come playoff time, but it’s early in the season, so fans can still be optimistic about the future while knowing deep down that winning won’t be a major part of the equation for either of these teams. In this series, the Orioles have dominated much of the action as they are looking for the sweep today after winning the first 2 games with a combined score of 11-3. John Means is pitching well at the moment, with a 2.16 ERA, and on the road this year, he is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA in 2 starts. And those starts came against the Red Sox and the Yankees, not this Rangers team that leads the Major Leagues in strikeouts per game. I don’t trust this decent start from Baltimore, but the Rangers are a mess right now, and I smell sweep.

Detroit Tigers at Oakland Athletics (-141)

What is going on in Oakland right now? The A’s have quietly won 7 straight games, and they are looking to make that 8 straight tonight while picking up a 4-game sweep over the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers were playing their best baseball of the season heading into this series as they were fresh off of a 3-game sweep of the Houston Astros, but they have run right into this buzz saw that is the A’s right now, scoring just 4 total runs in 3 games, including getting shutout in back-to-back games.

😌#RiseAndGrind pic.twitter.com/IOg82VpoDf

— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) April 17, 2021

Oakland will start Chris Bassitt today, and while he hasn’t been great this season, 2 of his 3 starts have come against the Dodgers and the Astros, so it’s hard to knock him too much for mediocre outings against what might be the best hitting teams in their respective leagues. Matthew Boyd has been really good this season for Detroit, but I have fallen for this song and dance from Boyd in the past, and I am still not a believer. So much of betting on baseball is catching the hot hand and riding out these winning streaks, and that is that is the play I will make in Oakland, as the A’s are playing too well right now to want to be on the other side.

$100 Bet Wins $2,553

Wrap Up

Parlays are a great way to make quick cash, and here you have four different ways to get in on the parlay bet action! Betting on Major League baseball can be both fun and exciting, as well as being very profitable! Make sure you swing by TheSportsGeek’s Major League Baseball betting page, where our team of pro handicappers bring you sharp betting advice and free MLB picks each and every day!