Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, June 2

The Friday MLB slate is massive, and there are many opportunities to put together some winning plays. Every team is in action, and there are a lot of quality starting pitching matchups on Friday. The slate starts with the Brewers and Reds at 5:10 p.m. ET and concludes with the Orioles facing the Giants from San Francisco. Let’s get into our best plays for Friday, June 2 with the best odds from our favorite MLB Sportsbooks

Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers

• Time: 8:05 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Luis Castillo (SEA) vs Jon Gray (TEX)
• Moneyline: Mariners (-126) | Rangers (+108)
• Run Line: Mariners  -1.5 (+130) | Rangers +1.5 (-156)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (-102)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

My Pick: Under 8.5 

The Seattle Mariners will travel to Texas to face the Rangers on Friday night. The Mariners haven’t found an offensive groove, and they’re running out of time. This team was expected to be loaded with power, and we just haven’t seen it yet in 2023. Seattle should have a tough time with Jon Gray on the mound for the Rangers. Gray is 5-1 with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Over 57.2 innings, he has allowed just 45 hits. He does have a tendency to allow the long ball consistently, but he limits the damage by keeping runners off the bases. 

Luis Castillo will take the ball for the Mariners, and he has similar tendencies to the great Pedro Martinez. Castillo is 4-2 with a 2.69 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Over 63.2 innings, he has allowed just 48 hits with 76 strikeouts. Castillo’s elite strikeout rate is why we love betting on the pitcher in any way whatsoever. We’re leaning towards the under of 8.5 runs for Friday's contest. Texas has been an offensive juggernaut this season, but Castillo has proven he can neutralize the best lineups in baseball. 

Texas has gone under in three of their past five games, and the Mariners only scored seven total runs in their last series against New York. This total should be set at eight runs, so take advantage of the mistake from bookmakers. 

Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Mets

• Time: 7:10 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Chris Bassitt (TOR) vs Justin Verlander (NYM)
• Moneyline: Blue Jays (+114) | Mets (-134)
• Run Line: Blue Jays +1.5 (-172) | Mets -1.5 (+142)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (-102)

My Pick: Over 8.5 (-120)

The Toronto Blue Jays haven’t had their bats come around just yet, but they still have one of the most explosive offenses on paper in Major League Baseball. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Matt Chapman have shined at times throughout the season, and we like them to deliver on Friday against Justin Verlander. Verlander is the reigning Cy Young Award winner in the National Lague, but he hasn’t pitched like it this season. The wing is 2-2 with a 4.8 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Over 30 innings, he has allowed 27 hits with five homers. Verlander has shown strength at times, but he doesn’t look overly comfortable on the mound for the Mets. 

Chris Bassitt will throw for the Blue Jays and should regress to the mean very soon. Bassitt has been lucky this season getting out of jams. He is 5-4 with a 3.8 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. This is because he has only allowed 50 hits in 66.1 innings. However, he walks a lot of batters and gives up homers at a high rate, but this hasn’t hurt him too much just yet. We like this to change on Friday, as the Mets' offense has started to come alive at the plate. They’re good enough to slap the ball around the infield and then drive in runners, thanks to big swings from players like Pete Alonso. 

New York has scored 27 runs in their past five games, so they’re locked in at the plate. Both teams can hit home runs and have a strong team OBP at .325+. As good as the pitchers are in this spot, we’re going to play the over of 8.5 runs. Verlander’s inconsistency and Bassitt's luck make this an ideal spot for runs to be scored. 

More of Our MLB Picks for Today

• MLB Player Props June 2
• Best NRFI Bets Today, June 2