MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (9/5)
Let's dive into our top MLB picks for Thursday, September 5. There is a good slate of games, with a few games during the day, so let's look at our top MLB picks to play.
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Thursday's Best MLB Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Los Angeles Angels (+130) at Texas Rangers (-154) | O/U 8.5 (-105/-115)
The defending champions will be playing spoiler, as their chance of making the playoffs are slim. They accomplished that earlier this week by taking two out of three from the Yankees.
To their credit, the offense was great in that series, and they came up in big moments. The pitching has been their biggest problem this year, and it has to do with having to piece it together early on.
Chad Bradford missed time but he's been exceptional since returning. He has four straight quality starts with a 2.77 ERA.
The Angels aren't defending anything anytime soon. It's another losing season for a team that has made only one playoff appearance since 2010.
They haven't even been able to beat bad teams, losing recent series to Toronto and Detroit. The only team they were able to beat was the plummeting Mariners.
Josh Kochanowicz had a horrific first run in the majors with a 14.14 ERA in two starts, but the rookie's second stint has been superb with four straight quality starts and a 2.45 ERA.
Even after last night, it's hard to believe the Angels' bats could put on another good performance. The Rangers’ offense is better. They should grab a win against a rookie.
Pick: Rangers Moneyline (-154)
Seattle Mariners (-142) at Oakland Athletics (+120) | O/U 7.5 (-115/-105)
It continues to get worse for the Mariners. At one time, they were holding onto a 10-game division lead. Now they have let it slip away along with playoff hopes. We knew this offense would be equipped with power but strike out a lot. That has been the case throughout the season, as they are last in strikeout rate and batting average.
If they were an average offense, they would be a contender because this is the best pitching staff in the league, as they lead in ERA (3.53). Bryan Woo is an essential part of the rotation, with a 2.30 ERA. In two starts against Oakland this year, he has 10.1 scoreless innings.
That isn't hard against an Oakland offense that's 25th in runs scored and 24th in on-base percentage. Brent Rooker has been the most notable part of this lineup with a .294 batting average and 33 home runs, so this likely means the A's will trade him in the offseason.
The Mariners finally put up some offense last night and should salvage a split in this series.
Pick: Mariners Moneyline (-154)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday: