Can’t-Miss Matchups: Top MLB Series Games and Picks of Week 4

So far in the 2024 MLB regular season, a couple of trends from 2023 are still holding true. Everyone in the American League East has a record of .500 or better, with the 12-4 Yankees already out to a 2 ½-game lead over the Orioles. The American League West, which produced both of the ALCS competitors (Houston and Texas) as well as the World Series winner, has no teams with winning records, as the 8-8 Rangers are in first place, just a half-game ahead of the surprising L.A. Angels. The only real Cinderella story at this point is the underwhelming Kansas City Royals, who have won eight of ten and sit at 10-6 so far, a game behind Cleveland in the American League Central. This week, we have a possible World Series preview as the Atlanta Braves visit the Houston Astros, so let’s take a look at some quality MLB Lines Today and picks.

Maximize Your Wins at the MLB Lines Today, Expert Picks & Analysis with the Top Bets of the Week 3: Atlanta Braves at Houston Astros

Darius Vines (0-0. 0.00 ERA) (ATL) vs Spencer Arrighetti (0-1, 21.00 ERA) (HOU)

When: Monday, 8:10 pm ET
MLB Game Odds: Braves (-114) at Astros (O/U 5.5)

The Braves are off to a 9-5 start and lead the American League East. Vines posted a 1-0 record with a 3.96 ERA over 20 ⅓ innings for the Braves in 2023 and started 2024 in the minors. The Braves called him up on Friday when they sent Spencer Strider (elbow) to the 15-day injured list. So far at Triple-A, Vines has started two games and posted a combined 3.75 ERA, with 11 strikeouts against three walks. Starting his major-league season against a lineup as powerful as the Astros may be a tough order.

The Astros are off to a 6-11 start, and their 4-3 start against the Rangers is all that has saved them from an even worse beginning. Arrighetti makes his second start on Monday against the Braves; in his 2024 debut, he took a shelling in Kansas City on Wednesday, lasting just three innings. He gave up seven runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three. Expect the offense to show up on both sides in this game.

Reynaldo Lopez (1-0, 0.75 ERA) (ATL) vs Hunter Brown (0-2, 16.43 ERA) (HOU)

When: Tuesday, 8:10 pm ET, TBS

Lopez has been terrific so far for the Braves. He went six innings in each of his two starts, against the White Sox and the Mets, and he allowed a total of one run combined, with seven hits and five walks, while striking out 11. The bullpen coughed things up in both starts, but the offense preserved the decision for him in a 6-5 win over the Mets, while it could not cover up the relievers’ mess in a 3-2 loss in Chicago.

Brown is another Houston starter having a hard time getting untracked. His season-opening start was solid as he allowed just one unearned run on four hits and two walks, striking out five over four innings. However, since then, he has lasted only a combined 3 ⅔ innings in big losses to the Rangers and the Royals. He has allowed 14 runs on 19 hits, including a pair of home runs, while walking five and striking out three.

Max Fried (1-0, 8.74 ERA) (ATL) vs J.P. France (0-2, 8.22 ERA) (HOU)

When: Wednesday, 2:10 pm ET

Fried had a troubling start to 2024, lasting just ⅔ of an inning in his debut. He gave up three runs on two hits and three walks, striking out one, before getting the hook against the Phillies. On April 6, the Diamondbacks torched him for eight runs (seven earned) on ten hits, including a home run, and a walk, while striking out five over 4 ⅓ innings. He seems to have figured things out, though, as he held the Marlins to just a run on four hits and a walk, striking out four over 6 ⅓ innings in an 8-1 win. The Marlins needed ten games just to get their first win of the season, though, so the Astros should present a tougher test.

France’s first two starts to the season were reasonable, as he allowed three runs in each outing over 5 ⅔ innings. The offense hung him out to dry in both of those, losses to the Yankees and the Rangers. On Friday, he saw Texas again and took an eight-run beating as the Rangers romped, 12-8. He lasted four innings and allowed four walks while striking out three. Fried should be able to settle down, but will France?

The Miami Marlins became the last MLB team to pick up a win in 2024 on Sunday when they ended their franchise-record nine-game losing streak to start the year. Jazz Chisholm Jr and Nick Gordon each hit three-run blasts in the first inning to pace the way for a 10-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. No team had started 0-9 since the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves had both done it in 2016. The last team to lose at least 10 games to start a season was the 2002 Chicago White Sox, who opened 0-11. Heading into the new week, let’s take a look at some quality MLB Lines Today and picks.

MLB Lines Today: Top Bets of the Week 2 – 2024 MLB Season

Houston Astros at Texas Rangers

When: Monday, April 8, 8:05 pm ET
Pitchers: Framber Valdez (0-0, 2.19 ERA) (HOU) vs Andrew Heaney (0-1, 1.93 ERA) (TEX)
MLB Game Odds: Astros (-140) at Rangers (O/U 9.5)

Valdez couldn’t find the corners of the plate in his first start, as he issued six walks and permitted five hits in 4 ⅔ innings of a 5-4 loss to the Yankees. Things were much better against Toronto on Tuesday as he went 7 ⅔ innings, scattering six hits without allowing a run or a walk and striking out five. Unfortunately, the bullpen collapsed in a 2-1 loss.

Heaney only lasted 4 ⅔ innings in his 2024 debut, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits. He struck out seven batters without issuing a walk in what would end up as a 5-2 loss to the Rays. Heaney ends up finding a lot of the plate, and while he was able to avoid damage against Tampa Bay – fielding errors caused him problems on Tuesday – the Astros bats should be ready for him. However, the Rangers battered Valdez around the last time they saw him, in the ALCS.

Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres

When: Monday, April 8, 9:40 pm ET
Pitchers: Javier Assad (0-0, 0.00 ERA) (CHI) vs Yu Darvish (0-1, 2.30 ERA) (SD)
MLB Game Odds: Cubs at Padres (-135) (O/U 7.5)

Assad started 2024 with a sparkling six-inning stint on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. He scattered four hits and a walk, striking out five without issuing a run. To be sure, the Rockies don’t have nearly the offensive talent that the Padres do, but Assad’s combination of control and mixing his pitches kept the Rockies off balance. The Cubs’ offense didn’t get going until Assad had left the game, turning an early pitchers’ duel into a 12-2 laugher.

Darvish will make his fourth start of the season. His first outing went just 3 ⅔ innings and was part of the Seoul Series in South Korea on March 20. Since the rest of the league started their season, he has two starts – a five-inning outing against San Francisco on March 28, when he fanned seven against just one walk, allowing one run in a 6-4 win, and a seven-inning start against St. Louis on Tuesady in which he allowed three runs on five hits, including a home run, over seven innings, striking out six and walking one in a 5-2 loss. Can Assad mow down the San Diego offense?

The Houston Astros are now mired in an eight-game losing streak at Minute Maid Park that extends all the way back to the 2023 AL Division Series. They lost all four home games in the AL Championship Series to the Texas Rangers, and they opened the 2024 regular season by getting swept at home in a four-game set by the N.Y. Yankees. In the series finale on Sunday, new Houston closer Josh Hader gave up the game-winning single when Juan Soto singled Gleyber Torres home. Soto has started 2024 hot for the Yankees, going 9 for 17 in the four-game set, posting a .529 batting average and driving in four runs. The Yankees are now 4-0 for the first time since 2003 and just the fourth time since 1950. Going into the first full week of the regular season, check out our two top MLB betting matchups as the Astros now welcome the Toronto Blue Jays and the Yankees head to the desert to face the defending NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

MLB Lines Today: Top Bets of the Week 1 – 2024 MLB Season

Toronto Blue Jays at Houston Astros

When: Tuesday, April 2, 8:10 pm ET
Pitchers: Jose Berrios (TOR) vs Framber Valdez (HOU)

Jose Berrios guided the Blue Jays to an impressive 8-2 win on Opening Day down in Tampa Bay. He threw six innings against the Rays, allowing a pair of runs on six hits, including a home run. He struck out six while walking just one. The Toronto offense got plenty of power as Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Cavan Biggo and George Springer all went deep for the Blue Jays. Bo Bichette and Alejandro Kirk each drove in a pair of runs. The majority of this offense happened after the fifth innings as Tampa Bay starter Zach Eflin had held the Blue Jays to a single hit through five.

Framber Valdez continued a stretch of futility that dates back to the start of September, 2023. Valdez has a devastating sinker that he uses to retire hitters who are sitting on his fastball, but once the sinker stopped sinking, he became a lot more hittable. The Yankees were able to tag Valdez for three runs on five hits over 4 ⅔ innings. Valdez did strike out five but also issued six walks in a game that could have gotten out of hand. The offense did respond and had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Juan Soto threw out the runner at home plate to secure the win for the Pinstripes. The Astros finally got their first win of the season Monday night, as Ronel Blanco no-hit the Blue Jays in a 4-0 win. Can Valdez make it back-to-back wins? Astros to win.

N.Y. Yankees at Arizona Diamondbacks

When: Tuesday, April 2, 9:40 pm ET
Pitchers: Nestor Cortes (NY) vs Zac Gallen (ARI)

With Yankees ace Gerrit Cole on the shelf, Nestor Cortes got the start on Opening Day in Houston. The Yankees would win, but Cortes did not feature in the decision as he allowed four runs on five hits, including a home run and did not leave with the lead. He struck out five batters while issuing two walks. The New York offense has been largely powered by Juan Soto, but Oswaldo Cabrera is batting .438 with a pair of home runs and six RBI, and shortstop Anthony Volpe is batting .400 on the young season with a double and a home run. Imagine how dangerous the Yankees will be when Aaron Judge’s bat wakes up – he’s batting just .125 so far.

Zac Gallen coasted through five innings on Opening Day as the Diamondbacks waxed the Colorado Rockies, 16-1. Gallen allowed a run on three hits, striking out three while walking two. The Diamondbacks currently trail the Yankees, 5-1, on Monday night as of this writing, but their 3-1 start has them atop the National League West to start the year. Cortes is hittable right now, and the Diamondbacks have the young bats to make him pay for mistakes. Diamondbacks to win.