Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, June 8

Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Angels

• Time: 9:38 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: LHP Drew Smyly (CHC) vs LHP Reid Detmers (LAA)
• Moneyline: Cubs +116 | Angels -136
• Run Line: Cubs +1.5 (-176) | Angels -1.5 (+146)
• Total: Over 9 (+100) | Under 9 (-122)

Odds Courtesy of FanDuel

My Pick: Over 9 (+100)

We see this as one of the most valuable bets of the day, thanks to a the pitching matchup on the mound. The Cubs have the slight edge with Drew Smyly (5-3, 3.56 ERA) getting the start tonight, but he has been less than impressive over his last three starts. The veteran has just two quality starts over his last six games, with the last one coming on May 12. He has been failing to go deep into games, thanks to his inability to keep runners off the bases. That is a bad problem to have against this Angels offense, and we see it leading to a lot of runs for the Halos.

Reid Detmers (0-5, 5.15) has had a major regression in his second season in the big leagues. He has been getting hammered and has an ugly WHIP of 1.54. The struggles have led to bad losses and early exits. He has been even worse at home in 2023, where he is 0-2 with a 5.33 ERA. Detmers has just one quality start across ten games, a stat that will get worse after tonight.

We know the Angels’ offense can do some damage, but the Cubs have struggled to score runs since their hot start to the season. That will change tonight with Detmers on the mound. The Cubs own a .272 against lefties this season, and the four players that have faced Detmers have a .357 average against him. Look for the Angels to jump on him early, putting up five runs before Detmers is finally pulled.

New York Mets vs Atlanta Braves

• Time: 7:20 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: RHP Justin Verlander (NYM) vs RHP Spencer Strider (ATL)
• Moneyline: Mets +144 | Braves -172
• Run Line: Mets +1.5 (-150) | Braves -1.5 (+152)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

My Pick: Braves -1.5 (+152)

Tonight features one of the most exciting pitching matchups of the day against two of the league’s most loaded lineups. The Braves’ lineup has led them to one of the best records in the league, but the Mets have failed to get their offense going in 2023. They rank towards the bottom of the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and runs. While Pete Alonso is looking to challenge Judge’s home run record, the rest of the lineup have underwhelmed. That includes Francisco Lindor, who has a .214 batting average. Those struggles won’t change tonight against one of the best starters in the league.

Spencer Strider (6-2, 2.97 ERA) is currently the betting favorite to win the 2023 NL Cy Young, and for good reason. The 24-year-old had a bumpy May, but he now has strung together three quality starts in a row. One of those came against the Dodgers, where Strider allowing two earned runs and five hits, while striking out 11 over six innings. LA has one of the best lineups in the league, but it did not phase the Cy Young Favorite. The Mets did beat Strider up in a start last month, but still failed to get the win. We see Strider getting payback tonight, leading to a lopsided win for Atlanta.

Justin Verlander (2-3, 4.25) looks like a much different pitcher compared to his 2022 Cy Young winning season. While he was solid against Toronto in his last start, the 40-year-old has allowed six runs in two of his last four games. That is a big red flag, and it won’t get any easier against a good Braves lineup tonight. Expect him to have a rough night, leading to another big loss for the Mets.

Houston Astros vs Toronto Blue Jays

• Time: 7:07 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: LHP Framber Valdez (HOU) | RHP Jose Berrios (TOR)
• Moneyline: Astros -124 | Blue Jays +106
• Run Line: Astros -1.5 (+130) | Blue Jays +1.5 (-160)
• Total: Over 8 (-120) | Under 8 (-102)

Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

My Pick: Under 8 (-102)

While these offenses are two of the best in the league, we have a fantastic pitching matchup for tonight’s game. The betting public is leaning towards the over, but we see the under as the bet for this one. We expect these pitchers to both go deep into the game, leading to a total score closer to five than eight, similar to last night’s game. Look for a quiet and quick game that comes down to which of these starters blinks first.

Framber Valdez (6-4, 2.16 ERA) will be on the mound for Houston, and he is in the midst of a fantastic year. The veteran has gotten better in each season since 2019, and that trend is continuing so far in 2023. Valdez is coming off an incredible start last week against the Angels, where he threw seven scoreless innings to get the win. It was his second scoreless outing in his last three games, and he now has a quality start in nine of his 12 games. While Toronto’s lineup is great, they are also young. Expect the veteran start to take advantage of that, leading to a quiet night.

Jose Berrios (5-4, 3.66 ERA) will get the start for Toronto and he will be looking to keep his hot streak going. The righty was awful in April, but bounced back in May to finish with a 3.19 ERA. Berrios is coming off one of his best efforts, as he held the Mets to four hits and one run over six innings last week. He has not allowed more than three runs since May 1, and that won’t change tonight against an Astros team he dominated once already. Berrios faced Houston in April, allowing three hits and two runs over seven innings. While Houston’s offense is now better, so is Berrios. Look for another great outing, making the under an easy cover.