A select six-game slate is on tap for Thursday across Major League Baseball, with 12 teams taking the field. While there aren’t many squads in action, fans will still be treated to several enticing matchups. The headliner is a Lone Star State showdown, with the Astros and Rangers renewing their rivalry in Arlington. Later, the Dodgers hope to take their second straight game against the surprisingly good Athletics.
Before the start of this evening’s contests, here are two MLB bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Astros ML (+105)
As far as pitching matchups go, they don’t get better than this. Hunter Brown has taken the American League by storm, ranking inside the top three in ERA (1.48), WHIP (0.90) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.73). Expectations were high for the 26-year-old entering the season, but few saw a Cy Young-caliber season in the works. For the Rangers, Jacob DeGrom will take the mound. Plagued by injuries, the superstar hurler has looked good in 2025. Through 43.0 innings pitched, he’s recorded a 2.72 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 46 strikeouts. Last week against the Tigers, deGrom notched ten punch outs while allowing only two earned runs.
Scoring will be at a premium tonight. However, the edge on offense clearly goes towards the visitors. This season, the Astros rank 16th with 4.14 runs per game; the Rangers are 26th at 3.50. Texas has the league’s sixth-lowest batting average against right-handed pitchers (.236); Houston has the ninth-best (.253). Surprisingly, deGrom has never faced the ‘Stros in his 12-year career. However, Brown has surrendered three runs during his last 12.0 innings pitched vs. the Rangers (2.25 ERA). In what could be a nail-biter, I’ll back the better lineup on Thursday.
Athletics vs. Dodgers over 9.5 runs (-110)
In theory, tonight’s nightcap shouldn’t be much of a contest. The defending champion Dodgers, against the perennially subpar Athletics? However, this is baseball, and Thursday’s pitching matchup offers some hope for the visiting team. Los Angeles will go with a bullpen game, handing the ball to reliever Matt Sauer in the first inning. That’s not ideal for LA, as its bullpen has posted a middling 3.78 ERA, 15th-highest in the sport. The A’s are stocked with several promising hitters, including Jacob Wilson (151 wRC+), Brent Rooker (124 wRC+) and Tyler Soderstrom (142 wRC+).
Even if the Dodgers cough up some runs, they’re poised to score a few of their own. The Athletics will send Osvaldo Bido to the mound, owner of an unimpressive 4.75 ERA. Over the righty’s last two starts, he’s allowed seven runs over 10.1 innings of work (6.10 ERA). Los Angeles’ lineup is lethal, having averaged the most runs per game at home this season (6.00). Expect the Dodgers to generate traffic on the base paths in what could turn into a West Coast shootout.
