MLB Best Bets Today September 23:
We’ve got a rare, quiet day in Major League Baseball with only four games on the betting board. They are all night games, with contests in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Toronto, and Houston. Every game technically has some sort of playoff impact, though the Red Sox are four games out of a Wild Card spot with six games to play and have a lot of opponents to leapfrog.
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Here are the MLB best bets today for September 23:
Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies (-180, 8)
6:40 p.m. ET
The Cubs and Phillies get together for a three-game set in the City of Brotherly Love to start the week. Philadelphia comes in with a little bit of desperation, as they’ve had two cracks to lock up the NL East and have failed both times. Now they’re back at home with Aaron Nola on the bump and a Johnny Wholestaff game from the visitors.
Nate Pearson will start it and Hayden Wesneski will enter in relief. The Cubs will be looking for four or five innings from those guys, as Pearson has maxed out at 33 pitches with Chicago and Wesneski has not thrown more than two innings since July 13. Pearson has a 4.71 ERA with a 4.48 FIP and has allowed 12 homers in his 63 innings with a 16.4% HR/FB%. Wesneski is also prone to giving up the long ball.
So, with today’s limited card, I’m looking at laying the Phillies run line price for the 1st 5 at -125. I think they want to lock up the division tonight and not drag this thing out. Nola has been a little hit or miss, but he went seven strong innings last time out to get back on track and he doesn’t hurt himself with walks, so I feel like he can keep the eliminated Cubs at bay.
Pick: Phillies 1st 5 Run Line -0.5 (-125)
