Chad Hartsock

Consultant

Chad is a teacher and minister by training, and a fantasy sports enthusiast and sports bettor by hobby. Chad lives in the Great Smoky Mountains, and he especially loves NCAAF, NFL, NCAAB, and MLB. Chad has been handicapping for Pickswise since 2022.

Live Picks 3

Live Parlays 0

Weekly News Articles 0

Location

Tennessee

Favorite Sports

Favorite Teams

Greatest Betting Win

I have two favorite betting memories. My favorite bet, and my biggest single win, was the 2022 Super Bowl exact result–Rams over Bengals. I placed the futures bet at the beginning of the playoffs when both teams were the #4 seed, and it carried something like +1500 odds. Those playoffs were fun.

Greatest Achievements

As a proud Baylor alum, it would have to be betting on Baylor basketball to win the 2021 national championship. I do not blindly back my team, but Baylor was an underdog to Gonzaga and I saw that win coming, so I emptied my account on it.

Education

Chad has a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman University, a masters of divinity from Baylor University, and an Ph.D. in biblical studies from Baylor University. He taught at the college level for 11 years (thus earning the nickname “the Professor” in some betting circles). Chad has published two books and numerous academic articles, but sports writing came along later, first as a hobby and now as a daily activity.

Experience

Chad has been playing fantasy sports since 2003, and betting for as long as it has been legal in Tennessee. Chad also loves casino sportsbooks and table games, and he frequently turns up at Harrah’s in Cherokee NC or the Hard Rock Casino in Bristol VA. He began his handicapping career with friends on a small website and podcast in 2021 (the now-archived ScoopAndScoreSports.com, a venture that fizzled out because none of them knew how to run a website properly.) He joined the Pickswise team in 2022, and he writes college football, college basketball, and MLB. Chad has been among the team’s best pickers in each of those sports, and he loves nothing more than getting a pick right for the Pickswise community, especially when the public is going the other way.

Favorite betting market / type

Same Game Parlays & Player Props.

Favorite bookmakers

Chad's Picks

Money Line Pick

ARI Diamondbacks Win(+105)

Reasoning

It is getaway day on Thursday, so the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers have an afternoon dish. These teams have split the first two games in the series, with Milwaukee’s offense exploding on Tuesday, followed by several Arizona homers on Wednesday. With a couple of veteran arms on the mound Thursday, we should expect the offenses to be held in check more. I think the wrong team is favored in this spot, so I am happy to take the Diamondbacks to win this game.

Brandon Woodruff and Michael Soroka will toe the slab on Thursday afternoon. Both guys are looking for redemption seasons, and both have started well through the first month. What moves the needle for me in this game, though, is the offenses vs right-handed pitching. The Diamondbacks, with all their switch hitters, can stack the top half of the lineups with lefties, and they have a top 10 slugging percentage vs RHP. The Brewers, on the other hand, are in the bottom 10. I think the Snakes have a much better opportunity to hit for damage than the Brewers, especially with the current construction of the Milwaukee lineup that is missing several key bats to injury. Give me the D-Backs.

Diamondbacks vs Brewers Prediction: Diamondbacks ML (+105) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Chad Hartsock

Game Totals Pick

Under 8.0(-105)

Reasoning

The Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves play the second game of their series on Wednesday in Atlanta. The Braves won on Tuesday to push their record to 21-9, one of the best 30-game starts in franchise history. The Tigers have not been nearly as good, but Tuesday is a Skubal day, so hopes are high. The Tigers do not always win when Skubal starts (although that is rarely his fault), but I also hate fading the Tigers because of how dominant Skubal can be. With that in mind, the best play on Wednesday is the game going under the listed total.

One of the reasons for the Braves’ early success is the pitching they are getting from unexpected sources. One of those is JR Ritchie, who made his MLB debut last week against the Nationals and tossed 7 innings of 2-run baseball. He also struck out 7 guys and threw an efficient 89 pitches. He earned another start, and there is every reason to think he can turn in another strong performance. If he does, we are likely looking at a low-scoring game that also features the high-leverage relievers in the late innings. I am trusting the pitching in this matchup, as one or both offenses are likely to find the road to be a tough one tonight.

Tigers vs Braves prediction: Under 8 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Money Line Pick

LA Angels Win(-125)

Reasoning

The Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox finish a series on Wednesday with an early getaway day game. We might expect some sluggish bats, especially after these teams have battled late into the night the past couple of evenings. On Monday, they waited several hours through a rain delay on top of it all. The White Sox have won both games so far, surprising me in both cases. As we look to the Wednesday game, I think the Angels should even the series, despite their 5-game losing streak.

The pitching matchup is gross for both sides as Yusei Kikuchi faces Erik Fedde. Both pitchers are getting up there in years, and neither have been good so far this year. Kikuchi, in particular, has been a significant liability for the Halos. Still, I like the Angels bats a bit better, and I think they will muster enough offense to salvage the final game of the series before heading back home. Give me Neto and Trout to lead the Angels to a win.

Angels vs White Sox prediction: Angels ML (-125) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Chad Hartsock