20 MLB teams will take the field on Thursday for an exciting ten-game slate. Among the matchups to watch, the Giants will look for a series win against the Phillies this afternoon. Later, the division-leading Tigers host the Royals in a battle of 2024 playoff teams. Before the start of today’s contests, here are three MLB bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Phillies -1.5 (+120)
After a terrific first two weeks of the season, Philadelphia has lost six of its last nine games. It’s not what we’ve come to expect from this group, one of the National League’s best since 2022. At the plate, high-priced bats such as J.T. Realmuto (85 wRC+) and Trea Turner (79 wRC+) have disappointed. On the mound, the Phillies have allowed 4.44 runs per game at home, ninth-most in baseball.
In tonight’s series finale vs. the Giants, Philly will send Christopher Sanchez to the mound. The lefty has been terrific this season, recording a 3.19 ERA over three outings. That includes a 6.1-inning, one-run gem vs. the Cardinals last weekend. San Francisco will send out Jordan Hicks, who got shelled for seven runs against the Yankees on April 12th. The right-hander, who often struggles with his control, faces a Phillies lineup recording the most walks per game (4.44). That could spell disaster for the visitors on Thursday at Citizen’s Bank Park.
Royals ML (+124)
It’s been a tough week for the Royals, who got swept in the Bronx vs. the Yankees. If there’s a bright side, Kansas City lost by three runs or less in each contest vs. the American League champs. Tonight, the team will look to turn things around against an AL Central foe. The Tigers have raced out to a 10-8 start, made possible due to their elite pitching. That hasn’t included Reese Olson, who has allowed ten runs over 15 innings pitched (6.00 ERA) this season.
Thus far, the Royals have put up 3.05 runs per game, second-worst in all of baseball. However, Olson has allowed five runs in five innings during his last two appearances vs. KC. The starter has had trouble with Bobby Witt, allowing six hits in 11 plate appearances vs. the All-Star (.545 BA). Kansas City will send out Michael Lorenzen, owner of a career 2.11 ERA vs. Detroit. Given the statistical disparity on the mound, look for the visitors to pull out an unexpected victory tonight.
Cardinals vs. Mets over 7.5 runs (-118)
We’ll now head to Queens, where the Mets are hoping to get their offense back on track. New York scored six total runs over its previous two contests, dropping both to the Twins. Notably, the superstar duo of Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto are both hitting below .240. Still, given the amount of talent in this lineup, it’s only a matter of time until runs start piling up.
The Cardinals are already dangerous at the plate, averaging the fifth-most runs in the league (5.22). They’ll send out starter Andre Pallante, who has surrendered just four runs in 16.1 innings (2.20 ERA). However, the 26-year-old’s expected ERA of 3.80 suggests a statistical decline is inevitable. For New York, Griffin Canning could have difficulty against a St. Louis lineup with the fifth-fewest strikeouts vs. righties (92). At such a low total, I’m expecting regression from two pitchers with mediocre track records.
