969 ATHLETICS (Graveman) @ 970 RAYS (Karns)
Take: 969 ATHLETICS +125
Kendall Graveman was the buzz of spring training. The Oakland righty was impressive in the games that didn’t count, and was a somewhat hot commodity once the real stuff began. Unfortunately for Graveman, things didn’t work out at all well and he suddenly found himself heading back to the bushes to try and get straightened out.
Perhaps it was the pressure of higher than they should have realistically been expectations. Maybe the pitch to contact Graveman was trying to be too fine. Whatever the cause, he really struggled and one of the big issues was poor control, which is supposed to be a strength for Graveman.
I’m expecting some better results as Graveman now gets another chance. His first start after being sent down was not so hot, but the last three have been much better, and Graveman was razor sharp in his most recent start for Nashville. Unlike the atmosphere coming out of the spring games, Graveman won’t be as much in the spotlight this time around, and that might be just what the doctor ordered.
Nate Karns will throw for Tampa Bay today. Karns has been what I would term as a pleasant surprise for the Rays. He’s been very competitive in all but two of his starts, he’s racking up plenty of K’s, and while his control can still be shaky at times, it’s safe to say I’m not expecting Karns to be a pushover here.
But I do wonder whether Karns will be as sharp as he’s been coming off a lengthy layoff. Karns was in a nice rhythm but his turn was skipped last time through the rotation when the Rays had a day off. I don’t have any argument against the Rays having done this, as preserving innings for a young starter is not the worst idea in the world. But after starting every fifth day, Karns could be a candidate to lose a bit of his edge with nine days off.
The tough part of this play is backing the A’s, who are a terrible team right now. Whatever was ailing Oakland down the stretch last season appears to have carried over, and they now own the worst record in the majors. Nevertheless, I see this number being a little too rich and the name of the game here is value. I priced this more toward -120, so being able to get what looks like a generous price makes the A’s the choice here.
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BIG 3* MAX MLB BEST BET loaded for Saturday afternoon game