Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – May 1st Edition

While the hustle and bustle of the NBA and NHL playoffs are occupying a lot of attention in the sports betting world — not to mention this weekend’s Kentucky Derby — there are plenty of Major League Baseball games going on this week for you to consider as well. Boston has cooled off but still has the best record in both leagues at 20-7, just ahead of the Houston Astros. Don’t forget the Arizona Diamondbacks, who won their first nine series of the season, the first National League to do that in 111 years, since the 1907 Chicago Cubs. Check out our MLB betting picks for some of the action in the national pastime for the week ahead.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – May 1st Edition

#MLB power rankings: A month into 2018, #Padres are on pace for 106 losses. They aren’t alone in their futility. https://t.co/tBCyu07wub pic.twitter.com/p6SeO6ADxY

— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) April 30, 2018

Wednesday, May 2

Texas at Cleveland (1:10pm ET)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Matt Moore (1-3, 5.33 ERA) (TEX) vs Corey Kluber (4-1, 2.18 ERA) (CLE) Texas is actually playing .500 ball as of late — their 8-16 start was followed by a 3-3 stretch over the last week, although their most recent action saw them lose Monday night in Cleveland, 7-5, thanks to yet another bullpen meltdown. Matt Moore starts for the Rangers on Wednesday afternoon, but he came out of the bullpen to throw an inning on Sunday, because he comes in on eight days of rest. Why? Because the team has a six-man rotation, but Cole Hamels pitches on a five-day schedule, so everyone else has to adjust to that. In Moore’s last start, he gave up three runs on seven hits over five innings in a loss to Oakland, although he looked solid in his previous start, holding Tampa Bay scoreless over seven innings. For the Rangers, though, the problem isn’t what happens to the starting pitching so much as the nonsense that ensues when the relievers enter the game. Corey Kluber continues to show ace stuff this season, although he has given up an uncharacteristic three earned runs in each of his last starts. The Tribe was able to pound out enough offense to deliver wins anyway, but Kluber has permitted six home runs in his last two starts. However, given the way the Cleveland bats have been going lately, and given the poor pitching and the irregular schedule that Moore has had during the balance of the season to this point, I don’t see why Kluber’s four-game winning streak in decisions would reach an end here. MLB Betting Prediction: Cleveland 3, Texas 1

New York Yankees at Houston (8:00pm ET, ESPN)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Luis Severino (4-1, 2.61 ERA) (NY) vs Dallas Keuchel (1-4, 4.00 ERA) (HOU) The Yankees are heating up in the AL East, sitting just 2 ½ games behind the Boston Red Sox. They send Luis Severino to the hill for this Wednesday night prime time affair, and the youngster has pitched very well in his last three starts, permitting just four earned runs and eight hits over 14 combined innings. His control has been particularly solid, as he has just walked four men over that stretch, while striking out 22. We’ve seen the bats of Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton coming alive, as it seems the Baby Bombers are ready to give Boston a run for their money for an entire season this time. Dallas Keuchel still has yet to find the strong form that helped the Astros win the World Series last year. In his last start, against Oakland, he was shelled for six earned runs on seven hits (including three home runs) over seven innings in an 8-1 loss. In that start, the first four innings went smoothly, but the last three were problems. His control is solid, but he has been finding too much of the plate. That won’t do against the Yankees. MLB Betting Prediction: New York 5, Houston 3

Thursday, May 3

L.A. Dodgers at Arizona (3:40pm ET)

Projected Pitching Matchup: Alex Wood (0-3, 4.11 ERA) (LA) vs Patrick Corbin (4-0, 2.25 ERA) (ARI) Alex Wood isn’t getting off to the start he wanted this year. In six starts, he has permitted three ormore earned runs three times, including four earned runs on six hits against the Giants back on April 28. He even had a 2-0 lead before he came on in the bottom of the first, but he couldn’t hold onto it. His strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season is an outstanding 30:3, but he’s putting too many fat pitches over the plate to keep runners off base. The offense has come back to win two of the six games that Wood has started, but will the Dodgers be able to do that against Corbin? Speaking of Patrick Corbin, he has pitched well for the Diamondbacks to start the season. In his last start, he was hit with a ground ball on the ring finger of his left (throwing) hand during the sixth inning, but he stayed in and lasted into the seventh, permitting three runs on seven hits. The Diamondbacks are raking, and Corbin is putting up some solid numbers — while the Dodgers are reeling with injury news. I see the Diamondbacks taking this matinee. MLB Betting Prediction: Arizona 4, Los Angeles 2