Zerillo’s CPBL Betting Odds & Picks: Fubon Guardians vs. Rakuten Monkeys, Uni-President Lions vs. Chinatrust Brothers (April 19)

The CPBL, the only professional baseball league currently playing games, is back in action on Sunday with two games at 5:35 a.m. ET.

The Rakuten Monkeys (4-0) will host the Fubon Guardians (2-2), and the Uni-President Lions (1-4) will visit the Chinatrust Brothers (2-3).

For more information about the CPBL, check out my opening day betting guide. 

Below, you can find the listed odds for each game, alongside my projections, analysis and bets for Sunday.

Fubon Guardians vs. Rakuten Monkeys Betting Odds

Guardians odds: -190
Monkeys odds: +150
Over/Under: 11.5
First pitch: 5:35 a.m. ET

Odds as of Saturday at 3 p.m. ET and via PointsBet. Get up to $200 in risk-free bets at PointsBet today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.

Probable Pitchers: Henry Sosa (Fubon) vs. Weng Wei-Chun (Rakuten)

Henry Sosa, arguably the CPBL's most effective pitcher, will take the mound for his second start of the season on Sunday following a 3-1 win against the Brothers last Tuesday.

In that start, Sosa allowed four hits, one walk and one run over seven innings, with five strikeouts, on the heels of a 2019 campaign where he pitched to a 2.92 FIP and 2.32 DIPS ERA.

He played only one season in the major leagues, making 10 inefficient starts for the Houston Astros back in 2011, but pitched more than eight seasons in the KBO (4.28 ERA) before arriving in the CPBL last season, where he thrived.

Sosa's arsenal consists of a fastball (94 mph), slider (81 mph) and changeup (85 mph) and he's keen on throwing high fastballs:

Sosa made three starts against the Monkeys in 2019 and permitted a 3.32 ERA, easily his highest mark amongst his three CPBL opponents.

That said, he's a deserving favorite against this potent Rakuten offense, and I don't see much value on either side of the moneyline or the total.

His opponent is Weng Wei-Chun, Rakuten's 2019 first-round pick, who finished with a 6.13 FIP and 5.31 DIPS ERA in his rookie season.

Relative to Sosa, the 21-year-old pitcher is a soft tosser who lives in the bottom half of the zone, but he does appear to have some good depth on his changeup and solid shape to his breaking balls.

The betting market looks to have this one measured correctly.

Uni-President Lions vs. Chinatrust Brothers Betting Odds

Lions odds: +180
Brothers odds: -230
Over/Under: 8.5
First pitch: 5:35 a.m. ET

Odds as of Saturday at 3 p.m. ET and via PointsBet. Get up to $200 in risk-free bets at PointsBet today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.

Probable Pitchers: Shih Tzu-Chien (Uni) vs. Jose de Paula (Chinatrust)

After riding the Chinatrust Brothers' bandwagon for a few days, we're finally going to jump off here and take the other side.

The Lions have been playing poorly, and have struggled to score against foreign pitchers, but the Brothers are being overvalued in this contest.

Their starter, Jose de Paula, was solid in his season debut (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K), and he has prior success in foreign professional baseball, carrying a 3.66 ERA across 349 innings pitched.

The southpaw offers solid velocity with a sharp, swing over the top type of breaking ball:

His opponent, Shih Tzu-Chien, posted a 5.98 FIP and 5.08 DIPS ERA in 2019, but can also fire off some good breaking balls of his own right:

I show the Uni-Lions as +151 (implied 39.9%) underdogs on Sunday, and I bet a half-unit on them at +195 (implied 33.9%), a 6% edge.

I would play that number down to +170, a 3% edge.

I projected the total at 11.7, and bet a half-unit on Over 8.5 (-110), at a 13% edge, and would continue to play that up to Over 9 (-115), a 9.3% edge.

CPBL Bets for April 19

• Uni-Lions (+195, 0.5 units)
• Lions/Brothers, Over 8.5 (-110, 0.5 units)

CPBL Year to Date: 8-3 (+4.73 Units)

[Bet now at PointsBet. NJ and IN only.]