Brad Evans' MLB bet of the day (April 25)

Always itching for action, Brad Evans scours the ‘books for a seducing wager whether NFL, NBA, MLB, Chinese ping pong, whatever. Come back daily to see where he’s blowing his bankroll. Fade or follow? That, of course, is entirely up to you.

MLB Prop Bet of the Day

Joe Musgrove OVER 6.5 strikeouts at the L.A. Dodgers (-137, William Hill)

Maybe the gambling gods were recommending the Seattle Mariners. Then again, it’s possible they were stumping for San Diego’s mound moose. Whatever the encouragement, walking the dog this morning and encountering the largest and heaviest member of the deer family in the wild was all the nudging this degenerate needed to fire a ticket on Musgrove. Arguably the Padres’ ace in the early going, the righty has buried batters largely due to a gnarly three-pitch combo — cutter, slider and change. In 26.0 innings pitched, including a brilliant no-no against Texas, he posted a 12.81 K/9, tallying a spectacular 38.1 called plus swinging strike percentage. The reigning World Series champs are a tough customer, ranking No. 3 in total OPS. Discouraging to the wager above, the Dodgers rank No. 28 in swinging strike rate and No. 21 in strikeout percentage. Still, in what should be a pitchers’ duel, Musgrove, who has topped the number in three of four turns, is a Bullwinkle worth backing.

Units risked: 1.00
Column record: 6-6 (-0.17 units)