Posted at 1:30 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle  +111   BET365 +100 Sportsinteraction +100  888Sport  +100

Chicago +111 over Seattle

9:40 PM EST. Bryce Miller (RHP - SEA) is coming off a seven-inning shutout in which he picked up his first win of the season over the Brewers last Saturday. We’re not going to take anything away from what was a fine effort, but we’ll note that in his first start of the year against Boston, Miller gave up four earned runs on six hits over six innings pitched. It’s not that Miller isn’t capable of a quality start; it’s just that as a favorite, he’s a risky proposition, especially when considering the weak-hitting lineup behind him.

The Mariners finally put up some runs in their 6-1 win over Toronto on Wednesday, but five of those runs came in extra innings, in which the base runner rule was in effect to help get the ball rolling. Prior to that six-run “outburst,” the M’s had only mustered more than five runs three times and posted just 36 runs across their first dozen games. That is not going to cut it for a team that had high expectations to take the next step this season but is already behind the 8-ball at 5-8. When the runs and the wins don’t come early, it can be a tough swim back, and the grip on the bat gets tighter and tighter.

Enter Jordan Wicks (LHP - CHC) and the Cubs, who are out to a 7-5 start, which is pretty impressive considering they’ve played both the Dodgers and the defending World Series champion Rangers, as well as the Padres. Wicks, specifically, has faced both L.A. and Texas, so the fact he’s posted 13 strikeouts in eight innings is even more impressive than it is on the surface. Furthermore, Wicks has posted an elite swing-and-miss rate of 15.1% while also having some tough luck behind him with a bloated Batting Average of Balls in Play (BABIP) of .423.

Wicks is a command artist who relies on design and angles to keep hitters off-balance. He brings a heavy fastball/change-up-centric arsenal that relies on the 4-seamer up, the cutter in versus righties, and the change-up and sinker staying away. Dude is 0-1, but he’s looked the part, and we have always liked these off-speed guys with a wide arsenal because MLB hitters are used to a fastball-heavy approach. As a pooch against wet noodles carrying M’s, we’re delighted to have Wicks on our side.

Sherwood

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