The Best MLB Bets For Thursday, May 5

By Sidelines   May 5, 2022 

The Best MLB Bets For Thursday, May 5

It was quite the start to the week for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, as each team swept their rivals (San Francisco and the Chicago Cubs, respectively). For the Dodgers, it puts them in first place in the National League West by a game over the San Diego Padres. For the White Sox, it was a much-needed three-game boost, as the defending AL Central champions still sit at 11-13 on the season, 3.5 games behind Minnesota in the division.

Both the Dodgers and the White Sox get a break with the typical abbreviated Thursday slate upon us, as there are 10 games, most of which are starting new four-game weekend series, but some teams are finishing up series that began earlier this week.

So read our MLB best bets, place your wagers, then grab your chips, guacamole, and “cervesa,” to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with some “beisbol!”

Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers

The Bet: Milwaukee -1.5, -103 (UniBet)

The Reds have not only been losing, but they’ve been doing so in spectacular fashion. Cincinnati is off to a 3-21 start, which is the worst in baseball in 34 years. After somehow going 2-2 to start the season at Atlanta, the Reds have lost 19 of their next 20 games. And in all but one of those defeats, they have lost by more than one run. Last night, Cincy was staked to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning, but Milwaukee surged ahead and never looked back, winning 18-4. In the victory, Rowdy Tellez set a Brewers franchise record with 8 RBI.

Today, Milwaukee goes for the sweep with Adrian Houser on the mound. Houser has a couple of tough-luck losses, going 2-2 with a 2.53 ERA. He’s not a strikeout machine, putting away 16 hitters in over 21 innings pitched, but he’s coming off a win at home over the Cubs last week where he went six innings, allowing just two hits and no runs, striking out six while walking three.

The Reds respond with Hunter Greene (1-3, 6.00 ERA). Greene had two decent outings to start the year, but he allowed three runs in 3.1 innings against St. Louis two weeks ago and then got battered in Colorado, allowing four runs (two home runs) in 4 and a third innings pitched.

Milwaukee, the defending NL Central champs, are starting to cook, winning eight of their last 10. They’ve also beat the Reds in seven of their last eight meetings, and Cincy has dropped 10-straight on the road. While anything can happen over the course of a 162-game season, all of the trends are screaming Milwaukee here.

Miami Marlins vs. San Diego Padres

The Bet: San Diego -110 (FanDuel)

After reaching the playoffs in 2020, the Miami Marlins took a step back in 2021. This season, however, got off to a promising 12-9 start before the Marlins suffered a home sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks this week. Now, the Marlins cross the country to visit a San Diego (16-9) team that’s won seven of their last 10.

Miami has allowed at least five runs in each of their last four games (all losses), so they’re hoping that Jesus Luzardo (2-1, 3.10 ERA) can stop the skid. He’s allowed one run in three of his four starts, but he hasn’t gone deep into games this year, and the Marlins bullpen has struggled.

The Padres counter with Nick Martinez (1-2, 4.12 ERA). He’s coming off a win at Cincinnati last week where he allowed two runs in five innings pitched. San Diego has had trouble late in games, as their last two losses were in extra innings after blowing leads.

The odds here are closer than you would think due to the pitching matchup and the Marlins being 6-5 on the road, but San Diego is second in the National League with 119 runs scored, while Miami is one of four NL teams yet to score 100 runs (98), so we see San Diego prevailing here at Petco Park.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants

The Bet: Under 7.5 (Bet MGM)

St. Louis comes into San Francisco having won three of its last four games, including two of three against cross-state rival Kansas City. The Giants, as we mentioned, were swept by the Dodgers and have lost four of their last five.

Oracle Park is one of the most pitcher-friendly stadiums in MLB, and tonight features a good pitching matchup. The Cardinals send Miles Mikolas to the mound, who is just 1-1 on the year but has a 1.52 ERA and has struck out 25 batters against just four walks in 29 innings pitched. In his last two starts–against Arizona and the New York Mets–Mikolas went seven innings in each, allowing a total of eight hits, two runs, 12 strikeouts, and just one walk.

San Francisco goes with Logan Webb, who is 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA. He’s gone at least six innings in four of his five starts this season and has allowed one walk or fewer in those four quality starts. He has allowed three runs in each of his last three outings, but prior to that, he threw a gem at home against San Diego, going eight innings and giving up one run on four hits, seven strikeouts, and no walks.

The Giants have allowed at least nine runs in three of their last five games, but returning home and facing a pitcher like Mikolas, expect San Francisco to reset its focus, and runs should be at a premium tonight, leading us to favor the under.

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