6 Expert Picks
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looks to continue his hot May...
The Blue Jays are 5-12 on the road. ...
What is going on with the Blue Jays bullpen? ...
Kick them while they're down? ...
The road can be crueler to some than others ...
Are we sure the right team is favored here? ...
Past Picks
DraftKings. Brandon Pfaadt has allowed at least six hits in four of seven starts, including consecutive nine-hit outings. Now he has the unenviable task of facing the Dodgers, who own a collective .262 batting average against righties (.299 over the last two weeks). Pfaadt has faced this lineup plenty, allowing eight of the nine hitters in today’s lineup to hit an evenly distributed .300 against him (18/80). With the Diamondbacks in the middle of stretch of 16 days with no days off, I expect Pfaadt, who has always been afforded a longer leash, to pitch deeper into this game, for better or worse.
Tampa's lineup still had a lot of holes and they are especially poor against lefties - .553 OPS vs southpaws, 29th in MLB and just 20 RBIs, also 29th. Jesus Luzardo is no ordinary lefty. Ryan Pepiot has not been nearly as sharp as I anticipated. The Rays are just 8-15 on the RL at home. Fightin' Phils are starting to get the bats heated up.
This line is rising for good reason. The Phillies have scored 31 runs in their past four games, and over the last week they own an .883 OPS. Rays starter Ryan Pepiot has regressed this season, allowing career-highs in hard-hit rate (41.9 percent) and barrel rate (10.3 percent). Phillies lefty Jesus Luzardo should have success against a Tampa Bay lineup that ranks second-to-last in OPS against southpaws (.536).
We don't have to get creative to make a case against the 6-29 Rockies, so it doesn't matter much who AJ Hinch puts on the mound to start the second game of this Thursday twin bill (Hinch apparently still undecided as of this morning). Desperate Colorado promotes Tanner Gordon from AAA Albuquerque to start the second game...the same Gordan who posted an 8.65 ERA in eight starts last season as he made his MLB debut. Hinch could opt to make this a bullpen game, but whichever pitcher is on the mound should get plenty of run support as the Detroit bats casually tallied 8 runs in Wednesday's win, the Rocks' 12th loss in 14 games. Play Tigers on Run Line (Gm 2 DH).
I don't like to do a lot of work in double-headers but will dabble in the first game occasionally. This is one of those occasions. We keep backing Casey Mize who is starting to look like a 1-1 ...and Kyle Freeland is starting to look like what we've known Kyle Freeland to be after a hot start with a 7.61 ERA in his last 5 starts. The Tigers are an excellent team situational hitting and this park suits them just fine. Been too long since we've faded the Rockies.
The Run Line need not be a deterrent to go against the 6-29 Rockies. The Tigers are certainly capable of extending the margin after they adjusted to Coors Field last night, banging out an 8-6 win and looking to do more damage this afternoon vs. Colorado starter Kyle Freeland, whose ERA in Denver sits at 8.53 this season. Casey Mize gets his first-ever start at Coors Field in Game 1 of this doubleheader but has been good value at any venue this season as Detroit has won in five of his last six starts. Impressively, the Tigers have the AL's best record after their slow start against the Dodgers when losing the first three at Chavez Ravine. Play Tigers on Run Line (Gm 1 DH).
Bobby Witt Jr. is terrific but this is about as cheap as you will find on an Under 1.5 hits. He's batting .308 on the year and is 0-for-5 career off Sox starter Davis Martin. Witt has slowed down a bit this month at .250.
Getting 5.5 is an outlier for the first five for this matchup -- most of our books have 5 and one 4.5 -- so we'll do this instead of Red Sox ML, which I was first looking at. No Corey Seager or No. 1 catcher Jonah Heim for the Rangers. Pitcher Jack Leiter held Boston to one run over five on March 28 in a victory in Arlington. Boston's Brayan Bello has a 1.54 ERA in two home starts. I will always look at a F5 number of 5.5 that isn't at Coors Field or weather-inflated (no major weather at Fenway).
I'm sorry if betting the Twins to beat the Orioles is boring/predictable, but cash money is not. It's embarrassing what Baltimore is throwing out there on a nightly basis pitching wise: After Maury (Cade) Povich and (Charlie) Morton Downey Jr. -- I'm showing my talk show age -- in the first two, both easy Twins wins, now it's Kramer on Thursday! OK, Kremer as in Dean (sadly not Cosmo). Who is 1-4 with an 8.17 ERA on the road. Newman apparently isn't available ...
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).