Let's dive into our top MLB picks. There is a good slate of games to choose from, so let's look at our top MLB picks to play on Thursday, June 27.
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Thursday's Best MLB Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Texas Rangers (+180) at Baltimore Orioles (-215) | O/U 8.5 (+100/-122)
The Orioles have hit a rough patch as they just snapped a five-game losing streak. The good news is they haven't lost any ground in the American League East, as the Yankees have also been losing recently. The offense and pitching have struggled; they've allowed ten or more runs in two of those games and only scored one run in two other games. Corbin Burnes has been an excellent acquisition for Baltimore, and he came into his last outing against Houston with ten straight quality starts before allowing four runs in a loss.
It has been a brutal month and a half for the champs, as they are 15-26 in their last 41. The pitching has been a problem for most of the season and it will continue to be until they get healthy. Jon Gray has been great in most of his starts; he's allowed two or fewer runs in 12 of his 13 starts. He has one awful performance, where he allowed nine to the Mets, but they've been one of the best offenses recently.
While the pitching matchup is great, the O's hold the advantage on offense. Their bats have looked better over the last couple of games, so trust their best pitcher to help them at home.
Pick: Orioles -1.5 (+105)
Cleveland Guardians (-112) at Kansas City Royals (-104) | O/U 8.5 (-122/+100)
We have to talk about how good the Guardians are. They have the hitting as they've scored the fifth-most runs, along with being eighth in OPS, but also the pitching has been great as they're fifth in ERA. The team is red hot, and their loss to Baltimore on Wednesday snapped a seven-game winning streak. You can argue that Ben Lively has been their best starter amongst one of the best rotations in the league, as he leads them with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.3 WAR.
The Royals were a great story at the beginning of the season. They had a lineup of guys who could put the ball in play and produce while the pitching staff shut down offenses. It's been a complete change over the last month, and they are just 9-19 over their previous 28 games, going from 2.5 games out of first in the American League Central to nine. Michael Wacha has been inconsistent throughout the year; he had some great stretches but has been knocked around a few times.
Division rivals can be a toss-up, but it’s strange to see Cleveland being only a small favorite. With the momentum of both teams, it's hard not to back Lively and this lineup.
Pick: Guardians Moneyline (-112)
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