Sports betting expert "Stitches" has picked the Miami Marlins to win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. The handicapper, who has covered baseball for The New York Post since 2019, cited the Marlins' advantage at home and the pitching statistics of starter Tyler Phillips.
The Marlins, who hold a 37-24 record at home, are expected to benefit from Phillips' effectiveness on their home turf. Phillips has a 1.68 earned run average at home, compared to his overall ERA of 3.48. In his past 14 innings pitched, Phillips has allowed five runs.
Conversely, the Pirates' starting pitcher, Braxton Ashcraft, has struggled in his recent outings. In his last start, Ashcraft surrendered four runs over five innings. Following Ashcraft, relief pitcher Cam Sanders allowed two additional runs in 1 1/3 innings, contributing to a 7-5 loss for the Twins (presumably a typo and referring to the Pirates' previous game). The notes also mention Shane Baz of the Tampa Bay Rays, who gave up five runs on nine hits in just three innings during a prior game.
"Stitches" has a track record in sports betting, having finished in the positive financially twice since 2019 and winning The Post's NFL Best Bet crown last year. The prediction for the Pirates-Marlins game involves a $50 bet on Phillips and the Marlins.