Wednesday brings a healthy slate of MLB games with plenty of opportunities to make a profit. There are some solid pitching matchups today as well as some that show a clear edge, and I’ve combined 3 of my favorite picks into a parlay that pays out at over 9/1 odds.
Also, be sure to check out our MLB predictions for every game, but for now, let’s get into my MLB mega parlay for Wednesday.
Rangers ML (+100)
Blue Jays -1.5 (+120)
Angels -1.5 (+130)
Parlay odds: +912
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Texas Rangers ML (+100) over Arizona Diamondbacks
Brandon Pfaadt, who will make his Major League debut on Wednesday night, represents the dawn of a new era for Arizona. Pfaadt, the 3rd-ranked prospect in Arizona, was selected in the 5th round out of Bellarmine University, and he spent only a little time in the Minors before being called up. Pfaadt had a 3.00 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP in 87 innings across 15 starts in Triple-A. He relies on 4 pitches in his arsenal and was named the Diamondbacks’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2022. Even though Pfaadt was a solid Minor League pitcher, I never support a pitcher making their MLB debut. There will undoubtedly be jitters due to the presence of family members, the feeling of an MLB mound or other factors. Nerves create mistakes, mistakes create errors and errors cause runs.
The Rangers’ offense has been second to only the Rays this season. Texas averaged the 2nd-most runs per game and owned the 8th-best team batting average before Tuesday’s games. Corey Seager’s bat has been missed, but Josh Jung, Marcus Semien and Travis Jankowski have helped them get by without him. Andrew Heaney will start for the Rangers in his 6th game of the year. After a terrible start to the season, the southpaw has given up only 5 earned runs in 22 innings. I’m quite surprised that Pfaadt and the Diamondbacks are the favorites, so I’ll side with the seasoned veteran Heaney and the Rangers at plus-odds.
Check out our YRFI/NRFI best bets for Wednesday
Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (+120) over Boston Red Sox
Nick Pivetta’s downfall is pitching in his home park. Last season, Pivetta had a 4.80 ERA and allowed a .276 batting average at Fenway Park. The Green Monster was not kind to him as opponents racked up plenty extra-base hits against him which ballooned their OPS to .817 compared to .687 when Pivetta was on the road. This year has been no different, as the Canadian is 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA in 3 starts in Boston. Opponents are once again mashing him at the plate with a .891 OPS in comparison to his .686 OPS on the road. It’s not all Pivetta’s fault because Fenway Park is ranked as the 3rd most hitter-friendly stadium in baseball this season, behind only Coors Field and Great American Ball Park.
It was a really weird start to the season for Alek Manoah. He allowed 15 runs in his first 4 starts and displayed very little command of any pitch, which was unlike him. Manoah was getting burned on extra-base hits and walks, which is a recipe for runs. But the 25-year-old might have turned the corner considering he had back-to-back solid outings to end April. Manoah allowed just 2 runs and 8 hits in 12 innings to the Yankees and Mariners, and the biggest difference I noticed in those starts was his increased usage of his changeup. He used it less than 10% of the time in 2 of his first 3 starts, but then it changed to at least 16% in his last 3 starts. The odds indicate that this will be a high-scoring game, and I concur. The bottom line is that I have very little faith in Pivetta at home, so I’ll back the high-powered Toronto offense to win by several runs.
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Los Angeles Angels -1.5 (+130) over St. Louis Cardinals
This could be one of the best prices we get the Angels at this season with Shohei Ohtani on the mound. The 2-way superstar has been dominant on the mound and in the batter’s box, and he gets to do both on Wednesday night. Ohtani has made 6 starts and has accumulated a 1.85 ERA with a 0.82 WHIP in 34 innings — video-game numbers. But the most incredible statistic from his first 34 innings is that opponents are just 11-for-108 (.102) with a 35.1% strikeout rate against him. Ohtani has yet to allow more than 3 hits in an outing, and the only reason his ERA is as high as it is comes from one poor outing against the Oakland Athletics, of all teams. He allowed his first 2 home runs of the season last time out which resulted in 5 runs allowed, but I don’t see that outing being a turning point of any sort. Remember, he is still the best baseball player on the planet.
It’s only the beginning of May, but the Cardinals should start shopping around to improve their starting rotation. St. Louis starters had the 10th-worst ERA in April, and one of the biggest reasons for the high ERA is Miles Mikolas. The 34-year-old has been abysmal this season with a 5.97 ERA and a .321 xBA after 6 starts. He has become incredibly hittable considering opponents have 45 hits in 31.2 innings, which includes 6 hits leaving the park. The majority of his struggles came at the start of April, and he showed improvement towards the end of the month against the Mariners and Giants. Seattle and San Francisco don’t possess the most dangerous lineups, though, and Mikolas now has to face an Angels lineup that ranks 6th in batting average and 8th in OPS in the last two weeks. I have no faith in Mikolas against a competent lineup, so I’ll back Ohtani and the Angels for a big win.
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