MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (4/3)
A week into the season and baseball is a hot topic. All the talk of offense and special bats has given attention to the sport early in the season. Let’s discuss some games on the schedule today and give you our best MLB bets.
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Thursday's MLB Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Arizona Diamondbacks (+100) at New York Yankees (-120) | O/U 10.0 (-112/-108)
The talk during the previous weekend was about the Yankees and their offense. They scored 36 runs in the series against the Brewers and made torpedo bats one of the most famous phrases. The bats haven't been completely quiet in the two games against Arizona, with eight runs, but they are not hitting at the pace they were before.
The Yankees' pitching has been disappointing in this series, allowing 11 runs in the two games. Carlos Carrasco will attempt to prevent the team from being swept. The veteran has had success against the Diamondbacks, with the roster batting .224 against him with a 35.6% strikeout rate.
The Diamondbacks are establishing themselves as one of the top lineups. Through their first six games, they are fourth in on-base percentage (.368) and OPS (.842). The organization is trying to keep this team in contention for the foreseeable future and is locking down players long-term. They started by signing Ketel Marte to a six-year, $116 million deal.
Merrill Kelly will hope to rebound after dealing with injuries and inconsistencies last season. His first start went well, going 5.1 innings and allowing one earned run against the Cubs.
We’ve seen a lot of runs scored in this series, but the sportsbooks have overshot this game. This is a good spot to take the under.
Pick: Under 10.0 Runs (-108)
Cincinnati Reds (+100) at Milwaukee Brewers (-120) | O/U 8.0 (-112/-108)
The Reds had high expectations going into the season, but things haven’t gone as expected, as they are 2-4. The pitching has been fantastic, as they are sixth in ERA (2.83) and third in opponents' batting average (.173).
The pitching might have to be the driving force for this team throughout the season, while the offense has been cold the last couple of games. You love it when your pitching only allows one run, which the Reds did in two straight games, but it doesn’t help when the offense doesn't score. Nick Lodolo will try to keep this going. In a small sample size (28 plate appearances), the Brewers are hitting just .167 with zero extra-base hits.
The Brewers had a brutal weekend in the Bronx, where they were swept and allowed 36 runs. The series against Kansas City went much better, picking up their first two wins of the year. The pitching allowed just two runs in the final two games but allowed 11 in the first game, bringing it to 47 in the first four games, which tied a Major League record.
Nestor Cortes couldn't have had a worse debut for the Brewers. He allowed eight earned runs, including three home runs on his first three pitches - an MLB first. He has a sample size of success (19 plate appearances) against the Reds with a .188 opponents’ batting average.
Even though the Reds have been shut out the last couple of games, they were hitting well before that. The Brewers’ pitching staff has yet to show consistency, which is why the Reds should have a bounce-back effort.
Pick: Reds Moneyline (+100)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday: