MLB Best Bets For Tuesday, May 31

Major League Baseball’s schedule for Tuesday, May 31st, features 16 games, including a day-night doubleheader in Detroit. MLB Odds favor more than half of the home teams on the Moneyline for these games. 

Run lines for Tuesday could get a boost following yesterday’s games where six teams plated at least seven runs. Baltimore beat the Red Sox 10-0 in Boston yesterday, while the New York Mets extended their lead in the NL East with a 13-5 win over the Washington Nationals. Nine games hit the Over on Monday.

Only six of Monday’s 16 games stand as divisional matchups, but several cross-country rivalries resume. Today’s bets back a pair of underdogs on the road, while fading lineups coming off a doubleheader. Here’s a look at three MLB Best Bets for Tuesday, May 31st. 

San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies

MLB Best Bet: Giants Moneyline +115 (DraftKings)

The San Francisco Giants (26-21) preyed on a weak Phillies bullpen in their 5-4 win in extra innings on Memorial Day. The Giants used a two-run home run by Curt Casali in the 10th inning to grab the lead and take the series opener in Philadelphia. 

San Francisco comes to this contest 4-6 over their last 10 games, with a .244 batting average and an abysmal 6.00 team ERA. Opponents outscored the Giants by 16 runs over that span, but San Francisco hitters sport a collective .406 slugging percentage to rank fourth in the NL.

The Philadelphia Phillies (21-28) absorbed their second straight 5-4, 10-inning loss on Monday, which extended the team’s losing skid to four-games. Philadelphia now has a 3-10 record in games decided by one run. The Phillies continue to struggle at home, posting an 11-14 mark in Philadelphia. The Phillies enter this contest seven games under .500, their lowest point in over four seasons. 

The Phillies expect LHP Ranger Suarez (4-3, 4.74 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 37 strikeouts) to take the mound on Tuesday. Suarez lasted just 4.1 innings against the Braves last Wednesday in Atlanta. He surrendered five runs on six hits while walking four and striking out four. He’s lost his last two starts, giving up eight runs total in 7.1 innings. 

The Giants turn to Jakob Junis (2-1, 2.76 ERA, .95 WHIP, 24 strikeouts) on Tuesday. Junis pitched six innings and allowed two runs and three hits with four strikeouts and one walk in a win the New York Mets last Wednesday. On the road this season, Junis has a 1-1 record and a 1.69 ERA in two games (one start). He is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three games (one start) at night.

San Francisco enters this one 7-3 in their last 10 games versus the Phillies. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is 1-5 in their last six games as a home favorite, and 1-5 in their last 6 home games versus a right-handed starter.

Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers

MLB Best Bet: Rays Moneyline +116 (FanDuel)

The Tampa Bay Rays (28-20) took a tough loss to the Rangers in the series opener, dropping the contest 9-5 on Monday. Texas centerfielder Eli White robbed Rays’ Ji-Man Choi of a three-run homer run then hit a two-run homer of his own. Tampa Bay dropped to 11-9 on the road with the defeat, as 5-5 over their last 10. In those games, the Rays hot just .214 with a 3.00 team ERA and an even run differential.  

The Texas Rangers (23-24) pushed their winning streak to five in a row with that victory over the Rays yesterday, improving to 11-12 at home. Over their last 10 games, Texas sports a 6-4 mark, with a .273 batting average and 3.24 team ERA. They’ve outscored opponents by 18 runs over that span. 

The Rangers expect Martin Perez (3-2) and his MLB-best 1.60 ERA (0.98 WHIP, 44 strikeouts) to start on Tuesday, but the 31-year-old righty has a spotty history against the Rays. He’s 2-6 with a 6.03 ERA in 16 career games (13 starts) versus Tampa Bay. 

Tampa Bay expects to go with an opener on Tuesday, likely left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (0-1, 3.98 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 17 strikeouts). The Rays are 6-1 in their last 7 games following a loss. They’re 8-2 in their last 10 games versus a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. The Rays are 10-4 in their last 14 games in Texas. Tampa Bay enters this one 9-3 as an underdog so far this season. 

Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs

MLB Best Bet: Under 8.5 Runs +133 (UniBet)

The Milwaukee Brewers (32-18) swept the Memorial Day doubleheader from the Cubs, grabbing Game 1 7-6 then the Game 2 nightcap 3-1. The Brewers improved to 5-3 versus Chicago this season, and maintained their three-game lead atop the NL Central. The Brewers improved to 18-12 on the road this season, and 6-4 over their last 10. Over that stretch, Milwaukee hit .222, with a 3.07 team ERA. 

The Chicago Cubs (19-29) continued to flounder this season. Dropping both halves of the doubleheader to Milwaukee on Monday meant the Cubs home record slipped to 7-17. Chicago’s record versus above-.500 teams sank to 7-14. The Cubs enter Tuesday’s game 4-6 over their last 10 with a dismal 5.04 team ERA over that span. 

The Brewers expect LHP Eric Lauer (5-1, 2.31 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 55 strikeouts) to start on Tuesday. He’s been a pleasant surprise for Milwaukee this season, as only twice in eight starts has he yielded more than two earned runs. In two starts versus Chicago with the Brewers over the past two seasons, Lauer went 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA. The Cubs will counter with LHP Justin Steele (1-5, 5.40 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 40 strikeouts).

The Under is 5-2 in Milwaukee’s last seven road games, and 5-2 in the Cubs last seven games as an underdog. In the last 42 meetings between these clubs in Chicago, the Under is 28-11-3.