Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, April 17

Los Angeles Angels @ Boston Red Sox

• Time: 11:10 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Shohei Ohtani (LAA) vs Brayan Bello (BOS)
• Moneyline: Angels (-155) | Red Sox (+135)
• Run Line: Angels -1.5 (+100) | Red Sox +1.5 (-120)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Los Angeles Angels ML (-155)

Our first bet of the day takes us to Boston, Massachusetts. Almost every team plays today, but this will be one of the better games. This is largely because Shohei Ohtani will be taking the mound. The Angels tend to win when Ohtani pitches, so I would play it safe and bet on the Angels’ moneyline.

The Angels have one of the best rosters in years but only sit at 7-8 and third place in the AL West. They have lost their first three games of this series by two runs or less each time. Some days, their pitching is good, and their hitting is underperforming, and other days, their hitting is performing to expectation, but their pitchers are giving up a lot of runs. However, this is not a problem when Shohei Ohtani pitches. Ohtani has a 0.47 ERA through three starts and threw seven scoreless innings in his last outing.

The Angels only need to score two or three runs when Ohtani is on the mound and will do so.

The Red Sox are in last place in the AL East but have an 8-8 record. They play in arguably the toughest division in baseball and will need to sit much farther above .500 to have a chance at the Playoffs.

Their lineup has been very strong this season and is averaging nearly 5.5 runs per game. 

However, their pitching has been questionable. Boston only gave up one run yesterday but has a 5.08 ERA and 1.41 WHIP on the year. This may be a problem today as Brayan Bello is getting the start on the mound. Bello made his debut last season and is making his season debut today. He pitched well in his Triple-A start last week but did not have much success at the Major League level last season. In 13 games (11 starts), Bello went 2-8 with a 4.71 ERA. The Angels hitters may take advantage of his inexperience and put some runs up on him.

As I have mentioned a few times, Shohei Ohtani is pitching. That gives me hope in the Angels and will lead me to recommend betting on their moneyline.

Texas Rangers @ Kansas City Royals

• Time: 7:40 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Jacob deGrom (TEX) vs Jordan Lyles (KC) 
• Moneyline: Rangers (-205) | Royals (+175)
• Run Line: Rangers -1.5 (-115) | Royals +1.5 (-105)
• Total: Over 7.5 (-115) | Under 7.5 (-105)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Texas Rangers -1.5 (-115)

Our second bet of the day will take us to Kansas City, Missouri. These teams have had opposite starts to the season, so this may not be such a close game. The Rangers should have no problem winning easily. Bet on Texas to cover the spread.

The Rangers are off to a hot start and lead the AL West with a 9-6 record. They crushed the Houston Astros 9-1 in their previous game and are probably feeling pretty good about themselves. Texas’ lineup is seeing the ball quite well and averaging 5.6 runs per game. 

More importantly, their new and improved pitching staff has been solid. Martin Perez and Jon Gray are off to strong starts, and Nathan Eovaldi will improve with time. Jacob deGrom will get the start today. deGrom has only given up two earned runs in each of his previous two starts. It is worth noting that his last start was against the Royals. The righty knows how to pitch to Kansas City and will have success once more in this game.

The Royals are 4-12 and in last place in the AL Central. They were not expected to perform well in this year and are struggling mightily. 

They do not have many offensive weapons and are averaging less than 3.4 runs per game. Their pitching has not been much better. Kansas City has a team ERA of 4.98. They will be sending Jordan Lyles to the mound. Lyles has not pitched well in a couple of seasons and has a 5.19 ERA through three starts this year. He gave up four earned runs to the Rangers last week and will probably have a similar performance today.

The Rangers have stronger pitching and hitting than the Royals. They will win this game by a handful of runs. Bet on them to cover.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Houston Astros

• Time: 8:10 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Kevin Gausman (TOR) vs Christian Javier (HOU)
• Moneyline: Blue Jays (-125) | Astros (+105)
• Run Line: Blue Jays -1.5 (+135) | Astros +1.5 (-155)
• Total: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-120)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Toronto Blue Jays ML (-125)

We will stay in Texas for our final bet of the day. The Blue Jays are off to an excellent start this year, and the Astros have just been mediocre. Play if safe, and bet on the Toronto moneyline.

The Blue Jays’ lineup has been spectacular this year. Toronto is averaging five runs a game and has a .277 team average. However, the real reason they will win is because of their starter, Kevin Gausman. Gausman has only given up three earned runs this season and has a 1.35 ERA through three starts. The 32-year-old may be in the back half of his career, but he is a top-20 pitcher in baseball.

The Astros’ numbers are similar, but they are coming off a 9-1 loss. Houston has very little momentum, which will be the difference maker in this game. They will not be able to match up with the Blue Jays.

This game may be close, but the Blue Jays are hitting very well, and Toronto has a bit of a pitching edge. Bet on the Toronto moneyline.

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