Thursday is typically a light slate for baseball, but this Thursday is an exception. We have 11 games to choose from: a four-game early slate starting at 1:05 p.m. ET and a seven-game main slate at 6:50.

That gives us plenty of opportunities to keep our hot streak rolling. We’re coming off another 4-0 day on Wednesday, and we’re up nearly 12 units over the past few weeks. We still have work to do, but the clubhouse vibes are currently immaculate.

Let’s keep things rolling with my best bets for Thursday’s slate.

MLB Bets Today – Picks for Thursday, June 13

Texas Rangers ML at Los Angeles Dodgers (+165; BetMGM)

The Dodgers were initially slated to start Yoshinobu Yamamoto in this matchup, but they’ve pushed him to Saturday instead. That means that the team will employ a bullpen game vs. the Rangers, with Ryan Yarbrough expected to handle the bulk of the innings.

It goes without saying that the downgrade from Yamamoto to Yarbrough is massive. Yarbrough has pitched to a 4.57 xERA this season, and his 10.9% strikeout rate puts him in the first percentile.

The Rangers’ offense hasn’t been nearly as successful as they were last year, but they remain a dangerous group of hitters. Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Adolis Garcia are all capable of doing damage on any given night.

The Dodgers still have the edge offensively and in the bullpen, but not by the degree that the sportsbooks are pricing. I’d play the Rangers up to +150.

Chicago White Sox-Seattle Mariners F5 Under 3.5 (-140; FanDuel)

The total in this contest is set at a paltry 6.5 runs, which is a figure we don’t see very often during the summer. That said, it’s reasonable with these two pitchers on the bump. Garrett Crochet will get the ball for the White Sox, while Luis Castillo will toe the rubber for the Mariners.

Crochet has established himself as one of the best young pitchers in baseball this season. His 2.31 xERA puts him in the 96th percentile, while he’s striking out 34.3% of opposing batters. He should be able to carve through a Mariners’ lineup that ranks 21st in wRC+ against southpaws.

Castillo has an even larger advantage. He hasn’t been quite as good as Crochet, but he remains a capable starting pitcher. That’s all you really need against the White Sox. Their offense has been putrid this season, ranking dead last in runs per game and 29th in wRC+ vs. right-handers.

I’m looking to avoid the bullpens and focus strictly on the starters, so I’ll lay a little extra juice for the first five under.

More MLB Bets for Thursday, June 13

Mets F5 -1.5 runs at Marlins (+120)

I don’t normally play spreads when betting on baseball, but I’m going for it in this spot. The Mets are nearly -200 on the moneyline, and that figure is even higher for the first five innings. The pitching mismatch in this contest is massive, with Luis Severino (3.25 ERA, 3.56 xERA) taking on Roddery Munoz (5.95 ERA, 7.30 xERA). The Mets’ offense has also been rolling of late, ranking second in wRC+ over the past 14 days. They should be able to push across multiple runs in the first five innings, which should be enough for Severino.

Phillies ML at Red Sox (-115)

This contest features arguably the best pitching matchup on the slate, with Aaron Nola taking on Tanner Houck. Houck has emerged as a legit ace, but it’s hard to pass up Nola and the Phillies at -115. The Phillies are one of the best offensive teams in baseball, and Houck is due for a bit of regression (1.91 ERA, 3.24 xERA). Perhaps this is the spot where he comes back to reality a bit.

2024 MLB Bets Record

  • Yesterday: 4-0 (+2.00 units)
  • Season: 138-139-6 (-8.32 units)

All bets are based on half units unless stated otherwise.