A five-game slate of MLB action is on tap for Thursday, with ten teams taking the field. While there may not be many contests to choose from, fans will be treated to a few marquee matchups. This afternoon, AL East rivals Boston and Baltimore will play the rubber match of a competitive series. Later tonight, playoff contenders in the Diamondbacks and Yankees will meet in the Bronx. Before the start of today’s action, here are three MLB bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rockies ML (+190)
Rockies vs. Phillies, on paper, is a battle between a moveable object and an unstoppable force. Through two games, Philadelphia has outscored Colorado by a score of 11-2. However, that might not be the case this afternoon. The NL East champs will send Taijuan Walker out to the mound in this one. Last season, the right-hander was arguably the worst starter in baseball, pitching to a 7.10 ERA over 83.2 innings.
The Rockies will counter on the mound with Antonio Senzatela. The nine-year veteran is by no means an ace, but he has enjoyed some success in this spot. Over 11 career innings pitched at Citizen’s Bank Park, Senzatela has allowed just three runs. Even if Colorado gets a shaky start, there’s a good chance the same occurs for Walker and Philadelphia. In a battle between mediocre arms, I’ll take the road team at nearly two-to-one odds.
Red Sox vs. Orioles over 9.5 runs (-102)
In another potential barn burner, the Red Sox and Orioles will wrap up their own three-game set. Only three runs were scored between these two last night, but that’s to be expected with aces Garrett Crochet and Zach Eflin toeing the slab. Things will look different on Thursday, with Tanner Houck and Charlie Morton facing off. By no means are these bad starters, but neither should be considered a sure thing. For the visitors, Houck struggled last week in Texas, surrendering four runs in 5.2 innings. Over his last four starts vs. Baltimore, the All-Star has pitched to a 4.64 ERA.
For the Birds, Charlie Morton will make his second appearance of the season. Things went poorly last week in Toronto; the 41-year-old coughed up four runs in less than four innings. As one of baseball’s longest-tenured players, the two-time All-Star deserves some benefit of the doubt. Still, this isn’t an ideal lineup to get back on track against. The veteran has recorded a 5.00 ERA over his last five starts vs. Boston. Two decent, not great, starters going up against elite offenses? There could be plenty of action at home plate in this rubber match.
Brewers ML (-120)
After getting swept in New York, the Brewers took two of three at home vs. the Royals. Milwaukee will look to carry its momentum into a four-game set vs. the Reds. For the Crew, Nestor Cortes will look to rebound following a nightmare eight-run outing in the Bronx. Since 2022, the All-Star has pitched to a 3.60 ERA over 72 appearances; history suggests Saturday was a fluke. Cincinnati has several talented hitters, but the Yankees they are not.
Another encouraging sign for the Brewers is the play of Jackson Chourio. Yesterday, the outfielder went 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run and two RBIs. If Milwaukee’s best bat is raking, this becomes a much more dangerous offense. On the mound for the Reds will be Nick Lodolo. The strikeout artist dominates lefties, pitching to a 1.31 ERA against southpaws last season; that number rose to 5.51 against righties. Three of Milwaukee’s four best hitters (Chourio, Rhys Hoskins, William Contreras) hit from the right side. In short, this could be a tricky lineup for Lodolo to navigate tonight.
