Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – May 6th Edition

The Tampa Bay Rays are clinging to a two-game lead in the American League East, although the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have woken somewhat from their doldrums, with the Yankees overcoming a host of injuries to sit at 19-14 and the Red Sox three games back of them. Cleveland may have seen their AL Central hopes take a hit with the loss of ace Corey Kluber to injury; they sit two games behind Minnesota at this writing. Houston has taken a two-game lead over Seattle, who has cooled way off, losing seven of ten, in the American League West. In the senior circuit, Philadelphia leads Atlanta by 1 ½ games, and the Cubs lead the NL Central by a half-game over St. Louis, thanks to a hot streak in which the Cubbies have won eight of ten. The Dodgers lead the National League West by a game over Arizona. No one seems to be running off with things right now — so how should you plan your MLB betting in the national pastime? We have two picks for you to look at this week.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – May 6th Edition

The A’s and Giants are separated by one spot in @PavlovicNBCS‘ latest MLB power rankings, but fans sure wish both teams were higher uphttps://t.co/ZwZ8SLVskR pic.twitter.com/FTJgutfOZp

— NBCSAuthentic (@NBCSAuthentic) May 6, 2019

Tuesday, May 7

Miami at Chicago Cubs (8:00pm ET, ESPN+)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Caleb Smith (3-0, 2.00 ERA) (MIA) vs Jon Lester (2-1, 1.73 ERA) (CHI)

The Miami Marlins have won exactly nine games this season — but Caleb Smith has the win in three of them. The Marlins have won four of the six games in which he has started, and he hasn’t permitted more than one earned run in any start since April 7. In his last four starts, he has thrown 25 combined innings, allowing three runs on 12 hits, striking out 30 while walking just six. He’s one of a series of young hurlers who have Marlins fans optimistic about the rebuild. Smith will square off against Jon Lester on Tuesday. Lester has also improved over his last few starts. He has permitted just one run over that stretch, on eight hits while striking out 17 and walking just two. He did have to leave his April 8 start against the Pirates with an injury but has returned to pitch solidly since then, including a seven-inning performance on May 1 in Seattle in which he permitted just one hit and one walk while fanning eight in a shutout performance. In this matchup between an exciting young arm and a dominant veteran who seems to be finding his form, give me the Cubs. MLB Betting Prediction: Chicago 5, Miami 1

New York Mets at San Diego (10:10pm ET)

• Projected Pitching Matchup: Noah Syndergaard (2-3, 5.02 ERA) (NY) vs Cal Quantrill (0-1, 3.18 ERA) (SD)

“Thor” Syndefgaard has looked like he is headed downhill quickly this season — until his last outing against the Mets. In his first six starts of the season, Syndergaard permitted fewer than four earned runs just once, on April 4 against Washington. But on May 2, he delivered a complete-game shutout, scattering four hits and a walk while striking out 10 — and hitting a home run that would produce the only tally of the game, delivering himself a win. If his stuff can hold, the rest of the National League East should be on notice, as the Mets were hanging around .500 even with one of their aces struggling mightily. Cal Quantrill makes his second start of the season on Tuesday after taking a 5-1 loss in his debut in Atlanta. In that game, he permitted a pair of earned runs on six hits over 5 ⅔ innings, walking one and striking out three. The remainder of the damage came as a result of the San Diego bullpen — and the Padres’ offense hung Quantrill out to dry with just a single run. The Mets won’t have a lot of tape on Quantrill — can he mystify the Mets and grab a win? MLB Betting Prediction: New York 3, San Diego 1