Best MLB Bets Today April 3: Four Picks for Thursday

The MLB season is a long test of every team from the top to the bottom of the roster. Over the course of six months, teams play 162 games and compete to grab one of 12 playoff spots.

So far this season the stories have been the increase in home runs, the use of the so-called torpedo bat, and the hot starts by the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, NL West rivals.

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

In this article, I'll make a pick for each of the five games on the MLB schedule tonight: either the moneyline, spread, or totals. Odds are from FanDuel sports betting app.

If you have yet to register with FanDuel or another sportsbook in your state, consult our sports betting app reviews to help you make the decision.

Legendz Casino

4.2/5

Lock in Red Sox at Orioles Moneyline Bet at Legendz ⚾️

• Social Sportsbook + Slots
• Hundreds of Vegas-style slots
• Live dealer casino games

Sign up for 3 SC + 500 Gold Coins FREE and 50% extra on your First Purchase!

Open Legendz Casino

Moneyline Odds for tonight's MLB games

Red Sox -1.5 (+150) at Orioles

The Orioles and Red Sox have split the first two games in this three-game set between the AL East rivals.

The rivalry between these east coast teams dates back to 1954, when the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Orioles.

Also known as the Birds, the O's, if you will

Over the years, the Red Sox and Orioles have battled for supremacy in the AL and the division.

The run line odds are good for this matchup on "getaway day," with Boston playing in the afternoon before hopping a plane back to Massachusetts for opening day at Fenway Park on Friday afternoon.

The Red Sox bats are coming to life (looking at you Rafael Devers), and should be able to pile runs high enough for Tanner Houck, making his second start.

The Orioles send ancient "Uncle Charlie" Morton to the bump

The 41-year old is a veteran lefthander in a righthander's body: crafty, eccentric, and lacking velocity.

Minnesota Twins -1.5 (+172) vs Houston Astros

It's opening day in Minneapolis for the Twins as they host the Astros. The Twins have won two straight after dropping four in a row to begin the season.

Minnesota has plated 14 runs in its last two games, showing a trend that could be disturbing if it plays out for the length of the season: a need to outslug opponents.

That type of firepower usually can't be sustained

But, the Twins should form a repeat of opening day of 2023, when they defeated the Astros at home on a walkoff hit. That one came off the lumber of Kyle Farmer, but he's now playing for the Rockies.

Fortunately, all we need is a win or a loss by one run, and we win on the run line at +172 odds from the good folks at FanDuel.

Yankees vs Diamondbacks UNDER 7.5 Runs (+210)

The Yankees, occasionally dubbed the "Bronx Bombers," scored 36 runs and grabbed headlines with their torpedo bats and home run slugging last weekend.

Since, the Yanks have been more like Bronx Bumblers, losing twice while scoring eight runs on just 11 hits.

This will be the dilemma for the 2025 Yanks: the lineup may be feast or famine

If it's frequently famine, the Pinstripers may sink down, down, down the AL East standings.

On Thursday, the DBacks will be looking toward the plane they will need to hop on to travel to D.C. for a series against the Nationals.

Usually in the finale of a series, teams play a quicker game with more early-count swings

With the Yankee lineup struggling, and Arizona ace-in-waiting Merrill Kelly on the hill, I see a low-scoring game.

A winning $100 wager on UNDER 7.5 runs will win you $210.

Reds at Brewers, Total Runs OVER 9.5 Runs (+190)

Cincinnati has been shut out since it scored 14 runs on Monday against the Rangers. The Brewers are averaging just four runs per game.

But they have yet to lose at Miller Park, a bandbox for which the Brewers' roster is built to send baseballs soaring into the spectator section beyond the outfield wall.

I suspect the Reds, who have several great bats in the lineup, including Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain, will emerge from their slumber and put some crooked numbers on the scoreboard on Thursday.

You'll find odds like this in the Alternate Total Runs section for every MLB game

Simply click the game listing on the main MLB page, and scroll down to find "Alternate Total Runs." Here's an explanation of how a typical alternate total runs bet works:

1. Select a run total: this is the combined run total for both teams in the game in regulation innings (extra innings voids the wager)
2. Run totals are typically expressed as 1/2 run totals, for example 5.5 runs of 8.5 runs and so on. Your bet is on whether the two teams will combine for OVER or UNDER that total in nine innings.
3. The higher you go with your Total Runs bet, the longer the odds, and the more potential payout. For example, on +190 odds, that means a winning $100 bet would garner $190 additional for you the bettor.

Thursday's MLB TV Schedule: April 4

• Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles, 1:05 PM EDT: New England Sports Network; MASN
• Colorado Rockies at Philadelphia Phillies, 1:05 PM EDT: COLR, NBCSP
• Houston Astros at Minnesota Twins, 4:10 PM EDT: SCHN, MNNT
• Arizona Diamondbacks at New York Yankees, 7:05 PM EDT: ARID, YES Network
• Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Brewers, 7:40 PM EDT: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin

Top MLB Game Pick for Thursday

Phillies vs Rockies Total Runs UNDER 8.5 Runs, +126

Taijuan Walker makes his first start of the 2025 season for the Phillies, who are 4-1 on the young season. Walker is 3-1 with a 2.34 ERA and a 47-to-18 K-to-BB ratio in his career against the Rockies.

He features a sinking fastball, but his best pitches in 2024 were a sweeper and his slow curve. He'll be able to flummox the Colorado lineup with those two pitches.

If the Phils and Rox combine for eight runs or less, your winning $100 wager will payoff to the tune of $126.