Miami Marlins at Baltimore Orioles Betting Preview
Two first-half teams that were pleasant surprises will square off in the first of a three-game series in Baltimore on Friday. The Miami Marlins, who are 53-39, and lead the National League Wildcard, will take on the Baltimore Orioles.
The Marlins are coming into the game on a two-game winning streak, as they beat the Phillies both Saturday and Sunday. The Orioles have won five straight and moved to 54-35 on the season. Baltimore has closed the gap between the Rays and them to just two games in the standings.
The Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles look to be pretty even in this matchup. The Orioles are slight favorites at home. Betting odds show the Orioles listed at -115 and the Marlins at -105. The total for this game is set at eight runs.
Alcantara Looking to Rebound in Second Half
Sandy Alcantara will throw for the Miami Marlins. To his standards, he has had a bad 2023 season. The 27-year-old will look to get back on track in the second half. Alcantara is 3-7 on the season, with a 4.72 earned run average. He is not getting the strikeouts he has had in the past, with just 94 in 114.1 innings.
The Marlins offense has been better than expected this season. Much of that is due in large part to the play of Luis Arraez. The National League’s leading hitter is at .383 on the season.
Arraez had two hits in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Jorge Soler is providing the power for the Marlins, as he has clubbed 23 bombs. Garrett Cooper has also had a solid season with 12 home runs and ten doubles.
The Marlins pitching has also been solid, despite a down year from Alcantara. The Marlins are allowing 4.3 runs per game and 8.2 hits per game, both in the Top half of Major League Baseball. The Marlins, in their back-to-back wins before the break, allowed just three runs per game.
Baltimore Hitting Turning to Elite
The Baltimore Orioles has been elite this season, with five runs per game. Baltimore is getting on base a bunch and hitting home runs. The Orioles have five guys that have hit double-digit home runs in the first half of the season. Anthony Santander leads with 16, along with Gunner Henderson’s 13 and Asley Rutschman with 12.
The Orioles, before the break, scored nearly nine runs per game, which led to the five-game winning streak.
For Baltimore, they will throw Dean Kremer. The 27-year-old has been solid this season, with a 9-4 record and a 4.78 earned run average. Kremer has struck out 92 batters while walking 25 on the season. Before the break, Kremer went seven strong innings, allowing just four hits and a solo home run in the win at the Yankees.
Marlins Slow down Baltimore
Both teams are hot. Both teams are in postseason contention. The one factor here we are going to go with – is Sandy Alcantara. Look for him to have a big second half of the season. A great start here sets the tone. Bet the Marlins -105 over the Orioles.
