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

ARI Diamondbacks Win(-135)

Reasoning

The Arizona Diamondbacks host the San Francisco Giants in the final game of a series on Wednesday. It will be a quick turnaround today following last night’s game, a game in which the D-Backs walked it off with a Ketel Marte home run. On Wednesday, the Diamondbacks go for the series sweep. With Tyler Mahle and Merrill Kelly on the mound, we cannot be confident in how either pitcher will perform, but I do prefer the Arizona lineup and the way that team has been playing lately. I’ll take the Diamondbacks on the Money Line.

Tyler Mahle has been a mystery on the mound this season. He has been electric against the Rays, Dodgers, and Phillies, but has been shelled by everyone else. You might as well flip a coin when he takes the hill. Merrill Kelly looked awful to start the season, but he has turned in two consecutive great starts, including a complete game at Coors Field in his last outing. Still, we are betting on lineups today, and the Giants are the lowest scoring team in the league at less than 3.5 runs per game. The lefties atop the Arizona lineup are dangerous from that side of the plate, so let’s go with the Snakes to win.

Giants vs Diamondbacks Prediction: Diamondbacks ML (-135) available at the time of publishing. Playable to -145.

Sign up for Polymarket RIGHT NOW to get instant access and a $50 trading bonus after you make your first $20 deposit! You can join Polymarket by clicking here and trade on our Giants vs Diamondbacks predictions.

BET -135 NOW WITH

Chad Hartsock

Money Line Pick

CIN Reds Win(+125)

Reasoning

The Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies cap off a series on Wednesday afternoon after splitting the first two games. The Phillies, of course, came into this series as one of the hottest teams in the league, pulling themselves back above .500 after their dismal start. They have played this series without Kyle Schwarber (illness), and that has really impacted their offense. The Reds are a tough team to figure out, as they are wildly inconsistent in their production. This makes them hard to bet on because they will absolutely embarrass you sometimes, but they also have the ceiling to beat anyone. I like the Reds on the Money Line on Wednesday.

Andrew Abbott takes the ball for the Redlegs. He had a sluggish start to the season, but he has turned in 4 consecutive strong starts. It seems he has settled in finally, and it is helpful that he is a lefty facing Philly. The most dangerous bats in the lineup are lefties, and Abbott should neutralize them a bit. Aaron Nola toes the slab for the home team. With Nola, it feels we are trying to squeeze the last drop of juice out of a once-great fruit. In 4 of his last 5 starts, Nola has failed to finish 5 innings, and he has given up 5 or 6 runs in 3 of those starts. He is hard to trust. Especially if Schwarber continues to miss time, the Reds are the play here.

Reds vs Phillies Prediction: Reds ML (+125) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Sign up for Polymarket RIGHT NOW to get instant access and a $50 trading bonus after you make your first $20 deposit! You can join Polymarket by clicking here and trade on our Reds vs Phillies predictions.

BET +118 NOW WITH

Chad Hartsock