The Daily Sweat: Blake Snell could take big step toward another Cy Young vs. Dodgers
The San Diego Padres are having a miserable season, but don't blame Blake Snell.
The Padres might be the most disappointing team in baseball, given all the investments they made in the roster, and they've wasted a tremendous season from Snell. Snell's 2.52 ERA ranks second in the NL. He is the clear favorite to win the NL Cy Young, at -225 odds. Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs is second in those odds, at +180.
If Steele has any chance to win the award, he might need Snell to struggle Wednesday. Snell and the Padres face the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are -130 favorites at BetMGM.
If Snell leads the race now — and the odds seem a bit off there because Steele's numbers are as good or better across the board aside from strikeouts — a big outing against the Dodgers could push him even further along in the race. Snell won the 2018 AL Cy Young when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays.
It would be a bright spot in a bad season. The Padres are 67-77, which is hard to believe given the stars they have. They've been awful for bettors. But every fifth day, Snell has been very good. We'll see if Snell can shut down the Dodgers and become an even bigger favorite in the Cy Young race.
Here's a first look at the sports betting slate for Wednesday:
MLB has a big day
There are 15 games in the majors as playoff races tighten up. There are three teams (Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays) with almost no separation for the final two AL wild-card spots. Six teams are still in the mix for the three NL wild-card spots. The best division race left is in the AL West, where the Houston Astros are up one game on the Rangers and lead the Mariners by 1.5.
Among the afternoon games are the Mariners, who need to get a win over the Los Angeles Angels with Luis Castillo on the mound. Seattle is a massive -350 favorite and can't afford to drop games like that.
The biggest game comes in Toronto. The Rangers are +105 underdogs Wednesday at the Blue Jays. Toronto is in the second wild-card spot, a half-game ahead of the Rangers and a full game over the Mariners. Texas has taken the first two games of the four-game series.
What's the best bet?
Let's go a little bit off the beaten path here. I like grabbing Justin Steele now for NL Cy Young. He has a better record, ERA and WHIP than Snell, the favorite. Chicago is in pretty good shape to make the playoffs, and San Diego is nowhere close. I'm not sure about the argument for Snell over Steele, yet you can get +180 odds on Steele. If Snell struggles vs. the Dodgers on Wednesday, those odds on Steele won't be as good Thursday.
