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MLB First Five Innings Bets Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (4/4)

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There is no shortage of baseball today as 28 of the league's 30 teams are set to take the field. This provides plenty of betting options, but I've narrowed in on these three First Five Innings bets for today's action. Let's break down this trio of games and get a few best bets locked in.

MLB YTD: 7-2 (+4.5 Units)

Tuesday's Best First Five Innings Bets

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres

The Diamondbacks were on the wrong end of a 5-4 series-opening loss to the Padres last night. San Diego improved to 3-2 with the victory, while Arizona dropped to 2-3 on the young season. These National League West foes are back at it this afternoon at 4:10 p.m. ET from Petco Park in San Diego, CA.

The pitching matchup for this divisional showdown features Zac Gallen for the Snakes while Yu Darvish gets the nod for the Friars. This will be Darvish's season debut, while Gallen was tagged for five earned runs over 4.2 innings against the Dodgers on Thursday.

I'm going to lay the juice with San Diego and say they'll hold a lead after five innings today. While Gallen's poor season debut obviously sticks out, it's the head-to-head numbers from Darvish that make me love the Padres here. The right-hander made five starts against Arizona last year, posting a perfect 4-0 record along with a 1.97 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. He limited the Dbacks to just a .184 batting average over 32.0 IP. Look for Darvish to stifle them once again and put his team in a good position to win.

Bet: San Diego Padres F5 Moneyline (-148)

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kansas City Royals

The Royals got into the win column for the first time last night, outlasting the Blue Jays in a 9-5 affair. The American League squads will play four games this week, and tonight's contest gets underway at 7:40 p.m. ET from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO.

Toronto will turn to Yusei Kikuchi to handle the starting pitching responsibilities as the team attempts to snap a three-game skid. Kansas City opts for Kris Bubic in this battle of southpaws. Neither starter had a great season last year, each posting ERAs north of 5.10 while having at least a 1.50 WHIP - yikes.

With that being said, I'm taking the over on 5.5 runs through the first five innings. The Blue Jays are expected to be one of the fiercest lineups in baseball this year, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they cover this line themselves. Matt Chapman is 3-6 (.500) against Bubic with a home run and a double, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 1-4 (.250). On the other hand, the Royals' current roster has posted a .391/.440/.609 slash line against Kikuchi over 23 at-bats. On top of the poor performances in 2022 and solid head-to-head numbers, we're also expecting 20+ mph winds heading out to left-center in Kansas City tonight. I'm expecting a slugfest in Missouri - give me the over!

Bet: Over 5.5 First Five Runs (-106)

Cleveland Guardians vs. Oakland Athletics

Speaking of slugfests, the Guardians and Athletics played in a 12-11 contest last night. Cleveland came away with the victory in 10 innings in a game that saw 30 combined hits. The two sides are back at it tonight at 9:40 p.m. ET from Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA.

Shane Bieber gets the nod in what's already his second start of the season. The 2020 Cy Young winner looked excellent in his season debut Thursday, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings against the Mariners and allowing six hits and no walks. He took a no-decision in the 3-0 loss.

Oakland counters with JP Sears in game two, a 27-year-old southpaw who came over from the Yankees in a trade last summer. He actually threw pretty well in 10 games with the Athletics, posting a 2.05 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.

While Sears may be on the rise, I have to back the tried and true Bieber in this one. I'll lay the 0.5 runs and say the Guardians hold a lead after five frames. Cleveland's offense has rebounded since the Opening Day shutout, scoring 29 runs over their current four-game win streak (7.25 RPG). Even taking out last night's 12-run outlier, the Guardians are averaging 5.7 runs per game over the prior three games. Look for Bieber to shut down the lowly A's offense while hopefully getting some run support.

Bet: Cleveland Guardians -0.5 (-122)

Check out our other best bets for Tuesday:

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