Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, May 23

Baltimore Orioles vs New York Yankees

• Time: 7:05 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Kyle Bradish vs Gerrit Cole
• Moneyline: Orioles +150 | Yankees -170
• Runline: Orioles +1 (-102) | Yankees -1 (-129)
• Total: Over 7.5 (-116) | Under 7.5 (-104)

Odds courtesy of BetRivers

My Pick: Yankees -1 (-129)

The New York Yankees are starting to hit their stride in the AL East, moving into third place thanks to their recent four-game winning streak. On Tuesday, they take on the second-place team in their division in the Baltimore Orioles. And it is a huge pitching advantage for the Yankees that has us salivating overlaying the run line with New York in this battle in the Bronx.

New York is sending Gerrit Cole to the mound for this contest, who is tied as the favorite to win the AL Cy Young award this year. Cole comes into this matchup with a 5-0 record and a 2.01 ERA, as the Yankees have really counted on Cole to keep them afloat early in the year. Here, Cole takes on Kyle Bradish, who is a respectable 2-1 with a 3.90 ERA but will not be able to go toe to toe with Cole.

New York’s pitching, in general, has been great as of late, as they have allowed just nine total runs during their four-game win streak entering Tuesday. While the Orioles have been the more potent offensive team so far this season, the Yankees should be able to shut them down here and do what they need to do in order to pick up a fifth straight win.

New York Mets vs Chicago Cubs

• Time: 7:40 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Kodai Senga vs Drew Smyly
• Moneyline: Mets (-114) | Cubs (-106)
• Runline: Mets -1 (+120) | Cubs +1 (-150)
• Total: Over 8 (-110) | Under 8 (-110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

My Pick: Cubs Moneyline (-106)

The season of the Chicago Cubs has fallen apart a bit over the last couple of weeks, as they have simply not been able to string wins together. On Tuesday, they take on a New York Mets team that has won five games in a row. But we like the Cubs to pick up a much-needed victory at home in what is essentially a pick ‘em game, thanks in large part to the pitching of Cubs starter Drew Smyly.

Smyly has gone 4-1 so far this season, posting an ERA of 2.86 in 50.1 innings of work. In his last start, Smyly allowed just one run in six innings against the Houston Astros, who have one of the most potent offenses in all of baseball. Another strong start from Smyly will help the Cubs win this game over a Mets team that has been red hot of late.

While the Mets have been excellent lately, putting together a winning streak to get back above the .500 mark, they have been woeful away from Citi Field. The Mets are 13-14 on the road this year, a record not exactly befitting a title contender. Look for the Mets to have their road woes continue, to the benefit of a Cubs team that has to get back into the win column to keep up with the Pirates and Brewers in the NL Central.

Texas Rangers vs Pittsburgh Pirates

• Time: 6:35 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Nathan Eovaldi vs Rich Hill
• Moneyline: Rangers (-165) | White Sox (+140)
• Runline: Rangers -1.5 (+105) | Pirates +1.5 (-125)
• Total: Over 8 (-115) | Under 8 (-105)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Rangers -1.5 (+105)

Our final MLB best bet for Tuesday is on the Texas Rangers, who find themselves in first place in the AL West entering Tuesday night. Texas enters Tuesday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with the second best run differential in baseball, trailing only the Tampa Bay Rays in that department. Here, we like them to cover the run line against the Pirates thanks to a significant pitching edge.

Nathan Eovaldi has worked his way into the top 10 in the AL Cy Young race early this season. He enters this contest with a record of 5-2 and an ERA of 2.83. While he struggled with the Atlanta Braves and their dangerous lineup last time out, expect Eovaldi to get back on track with a dominant showing against a Pittsburgh team whose offense has cooled off considerably of late.

Eovaldi should have the advantage over Pirates starter Rich Hill, who has shown some cracks in his armor after a strong start to the year. Hill struggled with the Colorado Rockies a couple of starts ago at home, and has seen his ERA increase to 3.80 over the last few weeks. Expect Texas to get after Hill early to cover the runline in this Tuesday night affair.

Catch More of our Daily MLB Picks

• Best MLB Prop Bets Today, May 23
• Best NRFI Bets Today, May 23