5 Expert Picks
The AL Central has been very competitive. ...
The Angels open a series in Arlington on Friday. ...
Can the Astros finally turn things around? ...
The Dodgers have the best lineup in the MLB. ...
Past Picks
The Dodgers travel home after taking a loss to the San Francisco Giants last night and get to face a struggling Reds team coming off losing 2 of 3 at Arizona (The Reds have only won twice in the month of May). This is a dream matchup as the Dodgers roll out NL Cy Young Candidate Tyler Glasnow. The Reds appear to be putting up the combo of Brent Suter and Nick Martinez. To the extent the Dodgers put up duds with their bats, it's usually against elite pitching and we don't have that here. Laying the run line with this much juice is not something I really ever do, but it's warranted in this spot.
Shohei Ohtani has smashed seven home runs in 85 at-bats at home this season. Tonight is Shohei Ohtani Bobblehead Night at Dodger Stadium. I have often seen many superstars go yard on said players' big night.
This is a lot of juice for a run line (-1.5, -150), but it's hard to see the Reds keeping this one close. They're using an opener before Nick Martinez, who hasn't gone more than two innings in weeks. They've lost 12 of 14 and are on the third leg of a West coast trip. The Dodgers lost last night and haven't lost two straight in nearly a month. Tyler Glasnow takes the ball for the Dodgers and he'll deal. The most likely finish here is a Dodgers blowout.
The A's are never far from a losing streak this season as their offense is always liable to go on the blink. Such as in this midweek set at Minute Maid in which the Oakland offense has scored all of three runs combined across the past three games, all losses. On the plus side, the only win the A's have recorded the past week came in the debut of Joey Estes on the mound last week in Seattle when he worked five mostly-clean innings (one run, two hits) in an eventual 8-1 Oakland win. Meanwhile, note Cristian Javier has pitched much better at home (where his ERA is an even 1.00) than on the road thus far for the Astros. Play A's-Astros "Under"
I still don't trust Joey Estes even after a nice first outing so I'll be attacking him again, this time with an Astros lefty. Prior to 2024, Estes hadn't shown a split between left and right handed batters but he's allowed 18 hits to lefties in 11.1 innings at AAA so far and in his first start at MLB level he allowed two hits in five innings, both to lefties. Tucker has been scorching hot, going over this number in eight of his last nine games, including three straight with a double. The Astros may see Mason Miller at the end of the game which would be unfortunate, but having 2 or 3 at bats vs Estes could prove to be plenty for Tucker here.
Jared Jones has proven to be one of the MLB truly elite young arms and at age 22 is already proving why the Pirates have a very bright future. Jones has been held under this line in only 3 of his 8 starts on the season, however the Pirates are careful with him and he has only eclipsed 90 pitches twice. He is facing a Cubs offense that not only rank in the top 10 in OPS over the last 2 weeks, but that Jones has also faced in his previous start. Considering the pirates reluctance to over extend Jones and the fact that the Cubs just faced him, I believe 6 IP is a tall order.
Jones doesnt have quite the strikeout numbers the last few times out, but he has been great. Steele is coming back from a long absence and I haven't loved what I've seen. If Jones can stay away from Bellinger's barrel I see a nice opportunity to make some plus money here.
The Pirates are 3-8 in their last 11 visits to Wrigley Field, but I like them to get off to a good start against Justin Steele. The lefty injured his hamstring on Opening Day and this will be only his third start since returning. Last Saturday in Pittsburgh, Steele gave up three homers and six earned runs in just four innings. He sports a 5.43 FIP this season. Back the Pirates and impressive rookie Jared Jones (2.68 ERA, 0.87 WHIP) to be tied or ahead after five innings.
Wow, we get -115 on this with Amaya hitting .188 on the season and .143 this month? That's almost in the Martin Maldonado zone (what is it with Chicago catchers?), although Marty definitely stands alone "living in the world of suck," as former Denver Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders once memorably said. I think Amaya will be in there because Yan Gomes started last night in Atlanta.
Bucs righty Jared Jones is going to be excellent in his career, but he's still a rookie making only his ninth career start -- and the Cubs just beat him last Friday in Pittsburgh. This is too cheap on Chicago and Justin Steele at home to ignore (should be at least -150 in my opinion) as the Cubs are the superior team overall ... but it may get rained out.
There are plenty of ways to bet on baseball and plenty of sports betting terms to know when it comes to betting America's pastime. Every professional baseball team will play 162 regular season games, providing a wide range of baseball bets and MLB picks for you to consider. If you're new to the world of USA sports betting, you might find yourself overwhelmed by the sports betting terminology and number of sports betting sites available. Below are several baseball betting terms to help you make the best MLB picks this season.
Money line:The money line is the simplest and most common type of bet in baseball betting. You’re betting on one team to win outright. If a favorite is -150 on the money line, a $150 bet on that team to win outright would return $100. Conversely, if a team is a +200 underdog, a $100 bet would return $200.
Run line:The run line is a type of point spread bet in baseball. Instead of betting on which team will win the game, you bet on the margin of victory. One team is usually listed as a 1.5-run favorite. The other team is listed as a 1.5-run underdog, with corresponding odds attached to both MLB spreads.
Total (Over/Under):The Over/Under, also referred to as the total, is how many combined runs teams are expected to score in a baseball game. If the Over/Under is set at 8.5, then any combined score lower than that would make the Under cash. Nine or more runs is a win for the Over in your MLB picks.
Futures:Futures are long-term bets that won't resolve on the day they are placed. They are often placed preseason or in-season, and a popular baseball futures bet is picking which team will win the championship. Another is using the Over/Under, except in regards to a team's end-of-season win total. For example, the bar for the number of wins for New York’s pro baseball team could be 81.5, and a baseball futures bet is predicting if it will exceed that number.
Parlay:Parlays are simply the selection of two or more baseball picks on a single wager, where all outcomes must be correct in order for the bet to win. Although risky, parlays remain popular because of the potential to win large sums with minimal investments.
Prop (or proposition) bet:If you are looking for a fun way to bet on baseball, a prop bet is right for you. With a prop bet, you can wager on MLB picks like how many strikeouts a pitcher will record or whether a player will hit a home run.
First five innings (F5):A popular bet in baseball, first five innings (F5) is a wager on which team will be winning when five innings have been completed.
Team totals:The total, or Over/Under, usually refers to how many combined runs both teams score in a game, but team totals are popular as well. These are the MLB picks where a bettor will pick Over or Under on how many runs one team scores. If New York’s team total is set at 4.5, any runs total of five or higher would cash the Over, while anything fewer than five results in a win for the Under.
NRFI (No Runs First Inning):A popular bet for those who wager on baseball, NRFI stands for 'No Run First Inning.' The bet can be a bit risky considering both teams generally stack their best hitters towards the top of their lineups. The odds on NRFI bets are variable mostly depending on the quality of pitchers.
Player strikeouts:This bet refers to how many times a player will strike out in a single game. The Over/Under for total strikeouts is often 0.5 with adjusted odds for both wagers.
To hit a home run:If you think a player will hit a home run at any point in the game, you can place a bet, often times for a plus-money payout. You can also bet on who hits the first home run of the game.
To record a hit:Every player is assigned a total for hits in a single game, with bettors placing wagers on if they’ll exceed or fall short of the assigned total. For instance, if you place a bet on a player to record Over 1.5 hits, that player will need to finish with two hits for the bet to be a winner. If the player records just one hit, the bet is a loser.
Total bases:Another popular batter props bet is total bases. Bases are awarded on hits only, with the following scoring system: Single = 1 base, Double = 2 bases, Triple = 3 bases and Home Run = 4 bases.
To record an RBI:RBI stands for ‘Run Batted In.” Sportsbooks will offer an Over/Under on how many RBI a player will record in a single game.
1st inning total runs:An Over/Under is set on how many runs will be scored in the first inning. Oftentimes, Sportsbooks set the Over/Under for total runs scored in the first inning at 0.5 or 1.5.
Correct score:Correct score betting involves predicting the final score of a baseball game. These bets are typically hard to predict, which is why they’re often listed at plus-money odds. You can also predict the exact score of each inning at most sportsbooks.
Player performance doubles:This bet is similar to a parlay, meaning it involves two or more wagers. Player performance doubles often feature over/under starting pitcher strikeouts and a money line pick on which team will win outright.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Q: Can I bet on a baseball game after it has begun?A: Yes, most sportsbooks offer live-betting, meaning you can place wagers on live-updated totals or even the outcome of the next at-bat.
Q: What happens if a baseball game is postponed?A: It will vary by sportsbook, but most will void and refund unless the game is rescheduled within a certain timeframe.
Q: What is a push in baseball sports betting?A: A push means the point spread or point total hits the exact number in which you bet. For example, if the Over/Under is eight runs, and the game finishes 5-3, the bet is a push and will be refunded.
Q: How do I know which team is the favorite?A: The favorite is usually listed with a negative number, while the underdog is listed with a positive number. For instance, if New York is favored to beat Boston, New York will be listed at -135 (risk $135 to win $100). As the underdog, Boston would be listed at +175 (risk $100 to $175).