Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, June 1

Milwaukee Brewers vs Toronto Blue Jays

• Time: 1:07 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: RHP Freddy Peralta (MIL) vs RHP Kevin Gausman (TOR)
• Moneyline: Brewers +165 | Blue Jays -200
• Run Line: Brewers +1.5 (-120) | Blue Jays -1.5 (+100)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

Odds Courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

My Pick: Blue Jays -1.5

We absolutely love this bet, mostly because of Toronto’s many advantages going into tonight. The Blue Jays have a roster loaded with young talent, making them one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. They own the third-best batting average in the league, led by a breakout campaign from Bo Bichette. The young shortstop has been electric and owns a .345 batting average in May. 

Freddy Peralta (5-4, 4.64 ERA) will get the start for Milwaukee tonight and will be charged with containing this impressive offense. The 26-year-old is having his worst season since 2019, and he is coming off his worst start of the year. Last week Peralta lasted just 2 ⅓ innings against the Giants, giving up ten runs (four earned) on eight hits. Over his previous three starts, the Brewers starter has thrown just 13 ⅔ innings and allowed 19 runs (13 earned). That is an alarming trend, and we don’t expect it to turn around tonight on the road, where he owns a 6.45 ERA. 

The Blue Jays will have Kevin Gausman (3-3, 3.03 ERA) on the mound tonight. The veteran has looked sharp in 2023 and has been hot in May, allowing four earned runs over his last four starts. He’s been especially great during his six-day-game starts, allowing just two runs over 40 innings (0.45 ERA). Considering Gausman will be facing a lineup with a combined .194 combined batting average against him, we expect the veteran to cruise again tonight, leading to an easy cover.

Cincinnati Reds vs Boston Red Sox

• Time: 7:10 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: RHP Hunter Greene (CIN) vs LHP Chris Sale (BOS)
• Moneyline: Reds +140 | Red Sox -165
• Run Line: Reds +1.5 (-140) | Red Sox -1.5 (+115)
• Total: Over 9 (-110) | Under 9 (-110)

Odds Courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

My Pick: Red Sox -1.5 (+115)

The Red Sox haven’t blown anyone away with their play this season, but that hasn’t been because of their office. Boston is top five in the league in batting average, runs, RBIs, and strikeouts. They have been putting up a lot of runs all season, led by the play of Rafael Devers and Masataka Yoshida, who have a combined 76 RBIs. The offense has been particularly potent at home, where they own a .298 batting average. Now they’ll face a young Reds starter that has given up some big run totals in 2023.

Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18) will get the start for Cincinnati tonight. The 23-year-old is in his second season in the big leagues, posting a 4.44 ERA in 2022. He has electric stuff and owns an impressive 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings. However, Greene has struggled mightily in May. While he is coming off a great start against the Cubs, the young arm owns a 5.46 ERA in May. That is an ugly stat, but his biggest problem will be pitching against a disciplined Red Sox lineup with the league's fifth-fewest strikeouts. That will be a big problem for Greene, and it will lead to a busy night for the Red Sox offense.

Boston will send their ace to the mound tonight in Chris Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA). Nobody knew how the veteran would fare after being limited by injury to just 11 games over the previous two seasons. While he had an ugly April, he has had a fantastic May, posting a 2.42 ERA across four starts this month. On top of that, he’s only allowed ten hits and three walks over his last three starts (20 innings). The Reds' offense can be challenging, but they are not good enough to beat Sale when he is pitching at this level.

Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets

• Time: 1:10 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: RHP Taijuan Walker (PHI) vs RHP Max Scherzer (NYM)
• Moneyline: Phillies +145 | Mets -175
• Run Line: Phillies +1.5 (-135) | Mets -1.5 (+100)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (+100)

Odds Courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

My Pick: Mets -1.5 

The Phillies have followed up their 2022 World Series appearance in the worst way possible. Their record sits at 25-30 as they continue to struggle to generate runs, a category in which they rank twenty-third in the league. It has been an issue all season, and it has been in full display during their series with the Mets. The Phillies have managed just one run between the first two games, and that won’t be changed tonight against Max Scherzer.

Scherzer (4-2, 3.54 ERA) is having a solid 2023 campaign. He hasn’t been as dominant as he was in his former years, but the veteran is getting better as the season goes on. The former Cy Young winner has allowed just two runs over his last three starts (18 innings). Scherzer has only pitched in two home games this season, but he has yet to allow a run and is holding batters to a .114 average. We expect to see him make quick work of this struggling Phillies team, leading to an easy sweep for the Mets.

Taijuan Walker (4-2, 5.57 ERA) is another reason we love this bet. The Phillies starter has been bad this season and has been getting worse with a 6.11 ERA in May. Walker did get a quality start in his last appearance, but it was far from pretty. He allowed three runs and ten hits over 6 ⅔ innings. Walker has also struggled on the road, with a 6.75 ERA over seven starts. Those are a lot of bad stats, and that will translate into a big day for the Mets’ offense.

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