There are 10 games on the MLB betting slate for Thursday with the majority of the action getting underway in the afternoon. If you’re getting in some action, make sure you take note of the fact that there are four games that start before 2 p.m. Eastern.
However, there are a handful of intriguing matchups in the night games with a focus on some key contenders in the American League. That’s where we’ll put our focus for our MLB betting picks for Thursday’s slate.
Houston Astros @ Cleveland Indians
Thursday, 6:10 PM ET
Cleveland has been as good as advertised with an 8-4 record on the road so far this season. However, the Indians haven’t been able to put it together at home where they own a 3-5 record. They will turn to their ace Corey Kluber as they look to get on track in the final game of their home set against the Astros on Thursday night.
Kluber is coming off a complete game shutout win over the Chicago White Sox in which he gave up just three hits while striking out nine. Cleveland has won three of Kluber’s first four starts and will look to add to that total on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Houston will counter with Mike Fiers, who brings a 5.40 ERA to the table. The Astros offense has been solid of late but with Kluber on the mound at home, it looks like Cleveland should have the edge in this matchup. The price is a little higher than we’d like to lay but we got in at -165, so we’ll take a chance with the Indians. The pitching matchup looks like it will suit us.
Pick: Cleveland
New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox
Thursday, 7:10 PM ET
It will be the first edition of the Yankees and Red Sox at Fenway Park in 2017 on Thursday with their respective aces on the mound. Chris Sale has been as good as advertised for Boston with a 0.91 ERA and the Red Sox have won three of his first four starts. Boston’s offense is finally starting to get healthy, so Sale should be in line to pick up the win with another strong performance on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Masahiro Tanaka is coming off his best start of the season but he has really struggled early on. Tanaka has given up 10 earned runs in 7.7 innings of work through his first two road starts. If he struggles on Thursday against a potent Boston lineup, this one could get ugly in a hurry.
You have to lay about -165 to -175 on the Red Sox at open and that’s a big number. There is a small concern that the Yankees are 3-0 against lefties this season and 6-1 against teams with a winning record. With that in mind, it might be worth it to lay the runline in this spot to minimize your risk in case of a loss.
Pick: Boston
Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels
Thursday, 10:07 PM ET
The Angels need more out of their starting rotation following a brutal start. Los Angeles ranks 22nd in runs allowed as well as OBP and they rank 28th in opponent slugging percentage. Ricky Nolasco owns a 4.76 ERA but he did hold Houston to two earned runs over six innings of work to pick up his first win of the year in his last start.
Meanwhile, Kendall Graveman opened the year with consecutive wins while posting a 2.00 ERA before he ended up on the 10-day DL with a shoulder strain. The Athletics can be extra patient with him but the consensus is that he is healthy and ready to pitch Thursday. If Graveman can keep the Angels lineup in check, then Oakland could steal a win on the road as a decent value pick as the road underdog in this matchup.
Taking a look at the price tags, the A’s opened at +115 and have dropped down to +110. That’s a reasonable number. The pitching matchup slightly leans in their favor and while they’re not at home, they’re not at the toughest road ballpark either. Take a flier with them.
Pick: Oakland
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