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How to watch, what to watch for on April 22nd of the 2021 MLB regular season

We take a look at the games on slate for Thursday, April 22nd in the 2021 MLB season.

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Aaron Civale throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. All players on both teams are wearing number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.  David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday’s MLB slate will be a lot easier to track than usual. Wednesday’s 15-game lineup will be followed up by a manageable eight-game slate that will start just after noon and end with a late-night matchup between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, which will start at 10:10 p.m. ET. Let’s go over the best games, fantasy options, and rookies to watch.

Best Games To Watch

The New York Yankees are still playing like one of the worst teams in MLB and will attempt to gain some momentum against the Cleveland Indians in an American League matchup. The Yankees have been suspect at the plate, but their lineup is as talented as any. Aaron Civale is on a tear and boasts a 3-0 record and 0.73 WHIP in 2021, so he’ll make things tough for the visitors.

Another good matchup to watch is the budding, West Coast Rivalry between the Padres and Dodgers. Los Angeles is 2-1 against San Diego this year, but the Padres have a chance to even things up on Thursday to kick off the four-game series on a high note. We’ll get to see two young pitchers — Walker Buehler and Ryan Weathers — duke it out. Buehler is the more established player of the two, but Weathers has impressed in his age-21 season. He’s given up three hits and one earned run in 9 23 innings.

Fantasy Spotlight

The Boston Red Sox are an offensive juggernaut and lead MLB in hits (183), batting average (.285), and runs (103). They’ll face off against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. Seattle’s pitching has been decent this year, but they’re among the league leaders in errors with 13. Boston puts the ball in play a ton. If they make enough contact, Seattle could fold and give up plenty of runs.

Rookies to Watch

Jazz Chisholm has continued to impress. The Miami Marlins rookie started off the season under the radar and has been one of the more consistent young players in MLB. He’s tallied three multi-hit games in his last five outings. He leads Miami in batting average (.326) and OBP (.439) ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

MLB Betting Splits, April 26

Teams Run Line % Handle % Bets Total Runs % Handle % Bets Moneyline % Handle % Bets
Teams Run Line % Handle % Bets Total Runs % Handle % Bets Moneyline % Handle % Bets
KC Royals -1.5 90% 77% Over 8.0 62% 45% -110 70% 68%
DET Tigers +1.5 10% 23% Under 8.0 38% 55% -105 30% 32%
MIN Twins -1.5 61% 46% Over 7.5 89% 78% -129 81% 51%
CLE Indians +1.5 39% 54% Under 7.5 11% 22% +110 19% 49%
NY Yankees -1.5 92% 80% Over 9.0 18% 47% -167 43% 69%
BAL Orioles +1.5 8% 20% Under 9.0 82% 53% +145 57% 31%
CHI Cubs +1.5 43% 36% Over 8.5 23% 51% +155 22% 35%
ATL Braves -1.5 57% 64% Under 8.5 77% 49% -180 78% 65%
OAK Athletics -1.5 5% 42% Over 8.5 91% 54% -125 64% 61%
TB Rays +1.5 95% 58% Under 8.5 9% 46% +108 36% 39%
MIA Marlins +1.5 5% 13% Over 6.5 11% 53% +155 28% 26%
MIL Brewers -1.5 95% 87% Under 6.5 89% 47% -182 72% 74%
PHI Phillies -1.5 6% 24% Over 8.0 48% 39% -115 55% 49%
STL Cardinals +1.5 94% 76% Under 8.0 52% 61% +100 45% 51%
COL Rockies +1.5 15% 41% Over 8.0 82% 53% +143 27% 25%
SF Giants -1.5 85% 59% Under 8.0 18% 47% -167 73% 75%
CIN Reds +1.5 2% 8% Over 7.5 9% 80% +155 19% 12%
LA Dodgers -1.5 98% 92% Under 7.5 91% 20% -186 81% 88%

MLB regular season schedule for Thursday, April 22nd

If no streaming option is listed, game is available on MLB.tv pending blackout restrictions.

Diamondbacks vs. Reds, 12:35 p.m. ET
Pirates vs. Tigers, 1:10 p.m. ET
Yankees vs. Indians, 6:10 p.m. ET
Mariners vs. Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. ET
Mets vs. Cubs, 7:40 p.m. ET
Angels vs. Astros, 8:10 p.m. ET
Marlins vs. Giants, 9:45 p.m. ET
Padres vs. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. ET

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