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 2

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

KC Royals Win(-110)

Reasoning

It is interleague rivalry weekend across the league, and that takes us to the Show Me State for the Kansas City Royals vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals are in poor form, having just been swept by the White Sox and losing 4 in a row. That is despite the best efforts of Bobby Witt, who efficiently gets on base but seems to be playing alone most nights. The Cardinals split with the Padres and Athletics on a west coast swing, and they have been one of baseball’s pleasant surprises this season. Most signs would point to the Cardinals on Friday, so I am going to go the other way and back the Royals.

The pitching matchup should be a solid one, as Michael Wacha and Dustin May face off. Wacha has tossed 2 straight 7-inning gems for KC, while Dustin May has recorded 5 quality starts in his last 6 outings. These teams need their starters because both bullpens have been gross, as they rank 5th and 6th-worst in ERA. Heading back from a west coast trip and playing the next day is often a sluggish spot though, so I will go against St. Louis and take Kansas City to sneak in a win here.

Royals vs Cardinals Prediction: KC Royals ML (-110) available at the time of publishing. Playable to -115.

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Money Line Pick

TOR Blue Jays Win(-130)

Reasoning

The Blue Jays were off yesterday after a win against the Rays to avoid being swept, and now, they head to Detroit for a weekend series with the Tigers. The Tigers running ice cold, having lost 8 of their last 9 games — including a sweep to the Mets on the road. Detroit is the home team, but the more travel-weary team in this case. They will also have a rookie pitcher on the mound on Friday, so the circumstances certainly seem to favor the Blue Jays. I will take Toronto on the money line.

Ty Madden will take the ball for Detroit. He has worked in bulk relief a couple times, looking strong in the process. He seems to be outperforming his prospect pedigree, so I am going to have to see a longer track record before I am a believer. That is especially the case when facing a Toronto team that notoriously does not strike out and just keeps putting the ball in play.

The Jays will hand the ball to Trey Yesavage. Yesavage is clearly not all the way built up, and he will not likely work deep into the game, but he has been dominant so far in the innings he has pitched. This seems like a good spot for the visiting Blue Jays in the series opener.

Blue Jays vs Tigers Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays ML (-130) available at the time of publishing. Playable to -150.

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Chad Hartsock