April 5th MLB Odds and Picks – Phillies Starter Matt Moore Intriguing in MLB Return

• There are 13 games on the MLB schedule on Monday, April 5th
• Season record: 4-5 with -$121 loss (based on $100 wagered per unit)
• See predictions and best bets for Monday’s games, below

Highlighting Monday’s 13-game MLB schedule is the Texas Rangers hosting the Toronto Blue Jays in their home opener at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

What makes the game special is it will be the first time fans will be able to watch a Rangers’ game at the ballpark that opened last year. Fans were unable to attend regular-season games in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though Globe Life Field hosted fans on a limited basis for the National League Championship Series and World Series.

Mike Foltynewicz will start for the Rangers after spending almost all last season at the Atlanta Braves’ alternate training site. After going 0-5 for the New York Mets in 2020, Steven Matz gets a fresh start as he makes his first appearance for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Mets, who finally open their season, are the day’s biggest favorites at -230 over the Phillies at Philadelphia with ace Jacob deGrom on the mound.

April 5 MLB Picks

Odds as of April 5th.

Pick 1: Phillies +195 (1 unit)

As the odds suggest, the Mets-Phillies game looks like the biggest mismatch on the board as Philadelphia throws journeyman left-hander Matt Moore against Jacob deGrom. Moore will be making his first major-league start since April 6th, 2019, and has a 54-56 career record with a 4.51 ERA across nine seasons.

However, it might be unwise to automatically dismiss Moore in this one. He joined a growing number of pitchers who have gone to Asia in recent years to try to get their careers back on track.

I have absolutely no idea if the White Sox are interested but if they really want a cheap, relatively young still option (31 years old), Matt Moore looked really good in Japan. 6-3, 2.65 ERA, 98 K, 26 BB and a 1.118 WHIP in 85 IP (15 Starts) pic.twitter.com/6VS5nslArX

— Danny Hacker (@theGREATdanny94) January 25, 2021

After being limited to two starts with the Detroit Tigers in 2019 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery, Moore pitched with Softbank in Japan last season. He had a 6-3 record and 2.65 ERA in 15 starts with 98 strikeouts in 85 innings.

Whether those numbers translate to the major leagues remains to be seen. Also remaining to be seen is how the Mets will be affected by having their season-opening three-game series at Washington postponed because of COVID-19 issues with the Nationals.

Throw in the Phillies getting off to a 3-0 start and Moore is an intriguing pick at a high number.

Pick 2: Yankees -1.5, -113 (1 unit)

Seemingly every player in the major leagues reports to spring training in the best shape of their lives. In fact, it has become one of the sport’s biggest cliches.

However, New York Yankees right-hander Jordan Montgomery really did show up in Tampa in great shape this year. He lost 15 pounds after going 2-3 with a 5.11 ERA in 11 starts last season.

Jordan Montgomery, Filthy Curveball…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/uEoyf2yClC

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 7, 2021

Montgomery provided reason during the Grapefruit League season to think the weight loss might correspond with a reduction in his ERA. He allowed only one run in 10 innings for a 0.90 mark.

The Baltimore Orioles are 3-0 after sweeping the Red Sox in Boston to start the season. However, reality is likely to hit the Orioles in their visit to Yankee Stadium with Jorge Lopez on the mound.

Lopez’s career ERA over five seasons is 6.03. That includes a 6.34 mark in nine 2020 games with the Orioles.

Pick 3: Mets-Phillies Under 7, +102 (1 unit)

It seems likely the timing of the Mets’ hitters will be off after not taking part in game action for nearly a week. Then throw in the fact that a total of 12 runs were scored in the Phillies’ season-opening three-game sweep of the visiting Atlanta Braves.

162-0 is still on the table. #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/Xv13GlBja9

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 4, 2021

And then throw in deGrom, who does not give up many runs in any circumstance.

It all points to another low-scoring game at Citizens Bank Park.

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