MLB Best Bets For Today, 5/16 - Expert Picks, Predictions, & Props
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Happy Thursday baseball betting fans! Happy to be back on this article after weeks of grinding out the NHL playoffs in the betting department, which you can find today as well written by yours truly!
Not a giant slate of games on tap for us to dissect with just 6 matchups, but that never deters me from finding those winning MLB predictions!
MLB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 5/16
In today’s article, you will find a wide array of choices from some moneylines and team totals to plenty of MLB props for the action on the diamond!
The data really liked some specific bets, so make sure to double check your betting card before clicking submit for these ones tonight! Check out the rationale and if you agree with me make sure to tail and good luck!
Now, let's dive into my expert MLB Best Bets today!
- Season Record: 17-10-0
- Bankroll: +3.7 units
*My MLB picks will have their accompanying odds alongside them, and don’t forget to follow me on twitter @jwaggs10!
Mets vs. Phillies Prediction: Thursday, May 16
Anytime you have a matchup like this one, it's truly open season for our MLB predictions, and with the Mets on the road against the Phillies tonight, I am loading up on some brotherly love! Jose Quintana will start on the mound for the Mets today and that’s bad news for him as being a lefty against this lineup is daunting with most of the Philly lineup hitting above .275 against southpaws this season.
In his last 2 starts as well, Quintana has allowed 12 earned runs over 7.2 innings pitched and has collected just 5 strikeouts. Those numbers now lead to the bets for tonight’s game as I expect the Phillies to jump on him early in the game and score at least 3 runs by the time we reach the 6th inning; getting plus odds is nice as well!
Then we have Alec Bohm. who is just crushing lefties this season with a .352 average and a .991 OPS in 54 at bats. Expect him to have a couple of hits and possibly an RBI or two as Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper also have great averages against lefties this season and will be on base.
We then finish this betting cluster with Quintana to throw under 4.5 strikeouts tonight as he has failed to hit 5 strikeouts in every single start this season (8 starts). It also helps that the Phillies are good about not striking out at home this season.
- Expert Mets vs. Phillies Picks:
- Philadelphia First 5 Innings Over 2.5 Team Total Runs (+115 on DraftKings)
- Alec Bohm (PHI) Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs (-160 on DraftKings)
- Jose Quintana (NYM) Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-145 on BetMGM)
Pirates vs. Cubs Prediction: Thursday, May 16
Big series in the NL Central this weekend as the Pirates and Cubs gear up for a 4 games series and we should expect some good pitching that starts tonight with Jared Jones against Justin Steele. Jones is 2-4 thanks to a lack of run support from this club but he is holding down a 2.68 ERA and has 56 strikeouts over 47 innings pitched this season. Steele, on the other side of the matchup, got lit up his last outing against Pittsburgh but other than that has allowed just 1 run over 9.1 innings pitched this season.
If you haven’t guessed by now, I am thinking about an under in this one to tack onto today’s MLB best bets. More specifically in the first half of the game, as I don’t trust the Pirates bullpen one bit. Pittsburgh’s offense has been anemic scoring just 3.74 runs per game and I fully expect Steele to bounce back in this matchup tonight. The Cubs offense is a bit better, but against Jones, it’ll be a tough sell. So, while these pitchers are out there tonight, give me the under 4.5 runs in the 1st 5 innings.
I will also be adding a Jared Jones strikeout prop to the fold tonight as his number sits at 6.5 at plus money. While it’ll likely be a tight finish, he has reached this number in 6 of 8 starts and the Cubs at home strikeout 9.05 times per game, the 6th highest rate in MLB right now.
- Expert Pirates vs. Cubs Picks:
- Pittsburgh vs. Chicago First 5 Innings Under 4.5 Runs (-140 on DraftKings)
- Jared Jones (PIT) Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+115 on BetMGM)
Athletics vs. Astros Prediction: Thursday, May 16
Last game of wagering for me here as the Astros try to climb out of this massive hole they have dug themselves! Cristian Javier will make the start for the Astros and while he’s not having the best season, there is a prop on the books that is a mistake, and we’re going to profit on it!
His total outs recorded number is a lowly 14.5 innings, and seeing as he has gone at least 5 innings in 4 of his 5 starts this season, I have to jump on this pick. The Athletics offense on the road is also lackluster with just 3.14 runs per game, the 2nd fewest in the MLB.
I also think that Houston starts to right the ship and have been better at home (10-12) in a series they should thrive in. So, give me the Astros run line as well in today’s MLB picks at rather decent odds.
- Expert Athletics vs. Astros Picks:
- Houston Run Line -1.5 (-105 on BetMGM)
- Cristian Javier (HOU) Over 14.5 Outs Recorded (-160 on DraftKings)