MLB Best Bets Today, 6/20: Expert Picks, Predictions & Props On Thursday

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Thursday’s MLB schedule is a nine-game slate with an unfortunate lean towards daytime baseball. Players out of their comfort zones, weird baseball outcomes; it’s all there when the sun is shining. We also have limited quality pitching on the mound with favorites like Luis Gil and Luis Castillo, but as we look to the current Vegas odds and lines, you’ll see how tight the books are today.
Still, we should be able to find some value, though it is unlikely that we will play as heavy as we usually do.
MLB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 6/20
If you want to see examples as to why we like to avoid daytime baseball, just look at Wednesday’s MLB Predictions. How in the world do the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that crushes lefthanded pitching, make Patrick Corbin look like Cy Young? And did anyone catch Kyle Hendricks throw five no-hit frames with eight strikeouts?
The stank from those outings was so strong that it trickled into Luis Medina’s start and he went almost a full six innings and earned his first win. So, you can imagine why we’re a little gun-shy today. Still – we got some MLB best bets for you because we need to rebuild our bankroll.
- Yesterday’s Record: 5-7
- Season Record: 243-226-5
- Bankroll: -8.62 units
Rays vs. Twins Prediction: Thursday, June 20
We’ve been diving into this matchup a lot lately as we have two clubs who seem to be moving in opposite directions despite the fact that the Rays won yesterday. The Twins had won six in a row before that and while Simeon Woods Richardson doesn’t go deep into games, the Rays have not been a strong team against righthanded pitching (.293 wOBA with a 23.7-percent K-rate) and they’re 4-8 over their last 12 games, averaging just 3.3 runs per game in that span.
With Zack Littell and his 1.38 WHIP on the mound, we’ll focus our attention on the Twins. The first five innings lines are a little tight, so we’ll focus on their struggling offense and the Twins bats for betting. Woods-Richardson has been under his hits-allowed prop in five of his last six starts and in six of his last eight. He can minimize any damage coming from Tampa.
We’ll also back Royce Lewis who has been incredibly hot lately, hitting safely in nine of his last 10 with four multi-hit performances, one double and five home runs, including one last night. His H+R+R props are a little too juiced, so we’ll shoot for better odds on his total bases to start today’s MLB picks.
- Expert Rays vs. Twins Picks:
- Simeon Woods Richardson Under 4.5 Hits Allowed (-105 on DraftKings)
- Royce Lewis Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110 on Bet365)
Royals vs. Athletics Prediction: Thursday, June 20
I’ve never believed in the Oakland offense and seeing the Royals posting a .262 wOBA over their last six games, I’m rapidly losing faith in their lineup as well. Seth Lugo rebounded from a pair of right starts to limit the Dodgers to two runs over six innings and he should have no trouble with Oakland.
In fact, the last time he faced the Athletics, he punched out 10 over just 5.2 innings. Happy to back him against a lineup that has a .295 wOBA with a 26.6-percent strikeout rate. On the other side, our MLB predictions are looking at Mitch Spence who hasn’t been bad but also hasn’t been great since being stretched out and moved into the rotation.
He pitches to a lot of contact and doesn’t have swing-and-miss stuff. He’s had fewer than four strikeouts in each of his last three starts and these Royals have a sub-20-percent K-rate against righties this season and have an 18.7-percent strikeout rate over their last six games. I love their strikeout props, but with both sides I want to take being juiced up to minus-150 each, we’re going to try and get creative here with a Same Game Parlay with both.
- Expert Royals vs. Athletics Picks:
- Kansas City vs. Oakland First 5 Innings Total Under 4.5 (-125 on Bet365)
- Strikeout Parlay: Seth Lugo Over 5.5 + Mitch Spence Under 3.5 (+220 on BetMGM)
Best MLB Props For Today, 6/20: Pitchers
- Ty Blach Under 15.5 Outs Recorded (-129 on Caesars Sportsbook)
- Luis Gil Over 16.5 Outs Recorded (-125 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Cole Irvin Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-128 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.