Navigate

MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (5/22)

by |

Let's discuss some of today's baseball games and share with you ourMLB best bets for Thursday, May 22.

    Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>

    Thursday’s MLB Best Bets

    (Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

    Texas Rangers (+136) at New York Yankees (-162) | O/U 7.5 (-105/-115)

    Besides a couple of rough starts, it has been a good season for Carlos Rodon, whose Yankees' tenure has had some up-and-down moments. One difference this year is that he's sacrificing velocity for movement. The fastball and slider have each dropped in speed but have increased in horizontal movement. The fastball has always been his setup pitch, and now he heavily relies on the slider as his putaway pitch, with that pitch being thrown on 35% of outs recorded, and batters are hitting only .100 off of it.

    The southpaw has a great history against this Rangers lineup, with them hitting .197 and a weighted batting average of .252. That could be because this lineup struggles against left-handed pitchers, batting only .227 against them this season (26th).

    Pick: Yankees Moneyline (-162)

    Philadelphia Phillies (-305) at Colorado Rockies (+245) | O/U 11.0 (-122/+102)

    German Marquez has had some brutal seasons, and it shows in his career 4.58 ERA. However, this season, we are seeing some all-time lows coming not only from him but also from the Rockies overall. Marquez is coming into this start with a -1.2 WAR, and after a stellar 2025 debut where he went six scoreless innings, it has been downhill with a 10.32 ERA in his last eight starts. It does not help pitching in the higher elevation of Denver, where he has an 11.32 ERA this year.

    That first start of the season came against tonight's opponent, where he pitched very well in Philadelphia, but that was Opening Day. As the season progresses and this shift to Colorado occurs, it could change. This Phillies roster still boasts a .525 slugging percentage and a .388 batting average against Marquez. You could expect the Phillies have a big offensive push, mixed with the Colorado altitude, that will help the total soar over.

    Pick: Over 11 Total Runs (-115)

    Atlanta Braves (-155) at Washington Nationals (+130) | O/U 8.5 (-108/-112)

    After a brutal start to the season, it looks like we’re getting Cy Young-winning caliber Chris Sale back. He’s been great recently with a 2.02 ERA in his last six starts. He still has one of the best sliders in the league, but now he’s getting better with his secondary pitches. He can get the swings and misses with the whiff rate in the 89th percentile and chase rate in the 90th percentile.

    The Nationals struggle with swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, with being 23rd in chase rate and 22nd in barrel rate; Sale could work around the plate and keep the Nationals from getting balls in play.

    Pick: Braves -1.5 (+105)

    Try Premium for FREE in our mobile app

    BettingPros App