TGIF! We have made it through the work week and have an excellent slate of games to celebrate with tonight. I’ve taken a look at 3 matchups happening tonight for my parlay that pays out at nearly 9/1 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Let’s get into it!
Chicago Cubs vs Red Sox Under 8 (-105)
The best pitching matchup of the night takes place in Boston, Massachusetts. Shota Imanaga will take the hill for the Cubs and he will be countered by Kutter Crawford of the Red Sox. Following his first 4 starts of the season, Imanaga owns a 0.84 ERA and 0.75 WHIP and has dominated some of the best lineups in baseball already. The Japanese sensation took on the star-studded Dodgers lineup a few weeks ago, and he threw 4.0 shutout innings while allowing just 2 hits. The lefty's fastball and splitter has taken the league by storm, and that combination should continue to be a problem against the Red Sox.
The Red Sox have had a disappointing — but not unexpected — start of the season. Countless injuries have plagued the Sox lineup and starting rotation in just the first month. However, there has been a silver lining: Kutter Crawford. The right-hander has had a breakout season so far, as he has posted a 0.66 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in his first 5 starts. He has allowed more than 3 hits in an outing just once, and at Fenway Park, he has surrendered just 4 hits in 10.2 innings. This game should feature only a few runs, so I’m taking the under with confidence.
Atlanta Braves -1.5 (+102) over Cleveland Guardians
Logan Allen was a key piece of Cleveland's youth movement last season. He posted a 3.81 ERA with a 22.2% strikeout rate in 24 starts. However, he hasn't been the same pitcher in 2024. Allen owns a 5.06 ERA with a 10.8% barrel rate and just a 18.6% strikeout rate so far this season. The lefty has already allowed 6 home runs in 26.2 innings, which is alarming since he allowed 16 in over 120 innings last year. That's even more worrisome since he's facing the Braves on Friday night.