There aren't many pitchers who have been more unlucky this year than has Corey Kluber. He'll look to improve upon his 4-10 record for the Cleveland Indians (42-46 SU, -14.04 Units) on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds (39-47 SU, -9.78 Units).
PITCHING MATCHUP
Live bettors should have a mild concern over the man Kluber will be going up against, Anthony DeSclafani. The righty was pulled out of his last scheduled start thanks to a buttocks injury. Granted, that's the type of injury which most of us just laugh at, but if DeSclafani is struggling getting torque on his pitches thanks to rotation in his hip and backside area, he could end up losing velocity, something that could be deadly for live bettors going up against such a potent lineup.
As it is, DeSclafani's numbers aren't nearly indicative of how good he really is. The righty does only have a 3.65 ERA, but we know that a lot of that is because of how well he pitched back in April, not how well he has pitched recently.
There's no denying the fact that Kluber is one of the best pitchers in the bigs right now. Yes, he is just 4-10, but the rest of his stats are right there on par with where he was at last year when he won the Cy Young Award.
Kluber is on a pace to throw 238 innings this year, and though his ERA is almost a run higher than it was last season, there is no shame in that 3.38 figure. His strikeouts are up (154), and his walks are down (28). Generally speaking, that should lead to more wins.
What Kluber hasn't had though, is run support. He has gotten more than five runs of support just once all season long, and the Indians have been shut out three times in games which he has pitched.
Still, live bettors should have all the confidence in the world that Kluber is going to throw a lot of zeroes on the board. His won/loss record might not quite be there, but Kluber can still pitch with the best of them.
ADVANCED STATS
The Indians are going to lose their DH playing in the National League park, which will likely take David Murphy out of the lineup. Murphy is more or less the fourth outfielder on this team, but his presence not being in the lineup is really going to hurt. He is batting .319, and though he doesn't have that pop you'd look for off of your bench, knowing that he is very likely going to end up being Terry Francona's first option to pinch hit.
Live bettors should have slightly more confidence in Murphy than most pinch hitters, but do remember that Francona has a tendency of letting Kluber pitch a little longer than his other starters, which could cause him to take a couple extra at bats as well. Don't just assume if Kluber has thrown six and is due up in the next inning that Murphy is going to bat in his place.
TALKING BULLPENS
The Reds have been seriously shoddy at the back of their bullpen of late. Over the course of the last 30 days, they have a K/9 of just 6.63, which is incredibly damning when you consider the fact that Aroldis Chapman feels like has a K/9 of 20 every time you turn around.
Cincinnati is stranding just 68.3 percent of its base runners at this point for the last month, numbers which just don't cut it. Yes, maybe the team has been a little unlucky, but a FIP of 3.90 isn't good by just about any standards, and that's part of the reason why this team has been incredibly tough on live bettors this year.
The MLB lines for this Saturday contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here, and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame pitting the Cleveland Indians versus the Cincinnati Reds will commence Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 7:10 p.m. ET at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH. You can watch the contest live on FOX Sports 1.
