MLB Thursday mega parlay (+1161 odds): Cards get cooking

The MLB season is officially in full swing and we have another great slate on Thursday with a bunch of interesting matchups. And what better way to celebrate than by going for a big payday? That’s right, we’re back with another mega parlay.

We’re going big and bold again, so let’s not waste any more time. But before we dive in, don’t forget to check out our free picks on the side and total for every MLB game today.

Los Angeles Angels ML (+114)

Chicago Cubs ML (+168)

St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+120)

Parlay odds: +1161

Let’s break down each of the legs one by one.

Los Angeles Angels ML (+114) over Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians are stuck in a rut, so we’re fading them on the run line to start this mega parlay. Cleveland had a random scorching hot stretch offensively a couple weeks ago, but that feels like a distant memory now. They’ve now lost 6 straight games, and have been held to 2 or fewer runs in 8 of their past 12 games. As such, we might not need too many runs from the Angels to cover this run line.

But even if we do that shouldn’t be a problem, since Los Angeles’ offense has been one of the most consistent in the league. They’ve scored at least 3 runs in 15 straight games, so they’ve got a very high floor. So far the cumulative score in this series is 16-6. Guardians starter Cal Quantrill is lucky to have a 3.94 ERA through 3 starts. He actually has more walks than strikeouts on the year. Against a tough Angels lineup, I’m expecting some regression.

Chicago Cubs ML (+168) over Atlanta Braves

It wouldn’t be a mega parlay without a money line ‘dog, right? Getting the Cubs at nearly 2/1 is too good to pass up. Despite trading away some key veterans last season, this Chicago offense still has some real upside, as they showed over the weekend with their 21-run outburst against the Pirates. They’re coming off a 6-3 win over Atlanta on Wednesday and will start Drew Smyly, who has been great so far with his new team.

The veteran southpaw has a 2.45 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through 3 starts. He was on the Braves last year, so he knows their hitters pretty well. Revenge game anyone? The Braves have been a disappointment at 8-11, and are clearly missing Freddie Freeman. It looks like they’ll get Ronald Acuna Jr. back, but I wouldn’t expect too much in his first game coming off an ACL tear.

St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+120) over Arizona Diamondbacks

To wrap up this mega parlay and hopefully bring us home we’ve got the Cardinals on the run line. Don’t be fooled by Arizona’s 2 recent wins over the Dodgers, they are still one of the worst teams in the league. Before those fluke wins they had predictably been struggling, and they should come crashing down to earth in the first game of this series with St. Louis.

Everyone continues to sleep on the Cardinals despite the fact that they finished last year winning 19 of 22 and have started 10-7 this time around. They’re really good, and just scored 10 runs in a win over the Mets on Wednesday. The Cards will have one of their best starters on the mound in Dakota Hudson, and they also have the far superior set of relievers. St. Louis’ bullpen has an ERA of 2.47 on the year, which is the 4th-best mark in MLB, while Arizona’s bullpen ranks 22nd.

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