Thursday is a quiet day in the MLB with only four games. However, that doesn’t mean bettors can’t make a pretty penny off the bets. To do just that, you’ll want to get our MLB betting advice for Thursday. We’ve hand-picked the three best bets of the night and are giving them to you right here!
- What: MLB games
- When: Thursday, August 31
Moneyline: New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers
The Yankees have officially given up on the 2023 season. A playoff berth is technically alive, but it would need a miracle for it to happen. The front office certainly isn’t banking on that, not if you judge their roster moves this week (more on that shortly). So that’s why we’re surprised the best betting sites for baseball actually have New York favored to beat Detroit on Thursday. Here’s the current odds both ways:
| Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | -120 | -120 | -120 |
| Detroit | +110 | +110 | +110 |
General manager Brian Cashman didn’t wait until the season ended to purge a roster that let down big time after winning the AL East a year ago. This week, they’ve outright released third baseman Josh Donaldson, as well as outfielder Harrison Bader. After failing to pull a big move at the trade deadline, at least Cashman is being active, right? Too little, too late, Yanks fans are muttering, we're sure.
Anyway, let’s focus on this matchup. Clarke Schmidt gets the starting nod in game four of this series (the Yankees have won two of three). Schmidt hasn’t exactly been reliable for New York this season, but then again, who has? The pitcher is just 8-8. His struggles have picked up as of late too. Schmidt is 1-2 in his last five starts with an ERA of 5.04.
We’re inclined to bet the Tigers here. New York has given up on the season, and that’s not exactly something you want to bet alongside. Plus, Detroit's starting pitcher, Matt Manning, has only allowed one home run in his previous three starts. The Yankees offense is very homer-dependent to score and that’ll be tough to do off Manning. Detroit is a solid play in this one.
Over/Under: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves
We might have ourselves a preview of the NLCS with this meeting. The 87-win Braves lead the league in victories, and the 82-win Dodgers have the most loaded roster of all. The over/under of 8 runs is what catches our attention in this Atlanta vs. LA matchup — not the moneyline.
| Outcome | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 8 runs | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 8 runs | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Obviously, you have to start with the starting pitchers. It’s quite the contrast between the two. For Atlanta, Spencer Strider has been super solid. He’s up to 15 wins (3.46 ERA) and has turned it up even more as of late. Strider has allowed just one run in his prior three appearances. LA will thrust out Lance Lynn, who was roughed up the last time we saw him. The Red Sox touched him up for 10 hits and four runs.
To us, this game has serious over potential. We would bet on Lynn’s struggles to continue against a loaded-up Braves offense. But even Strider might come down to Earth a little. Atlanta is in the middle of a 10-game road trip so you’d expect some fatigue to be adding up by now. We think nine runs and the over are very reasonable here.
Moneyline: Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals
Two NL East teams open up a four-game series on Thursday night. It’s actually the most lopsided moneyline of Thursday with Florida comfortable favorites to win. Here’s how the betting lines stack up for each side:
| Team | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | -155 | -155 | -155 |
| Washington | +140 | +140 | +140 |
We’re actually surprised by this betting line. It was only a week ago that these two teams squared off. The Nats won the series two games to one. One matchup was even this exact pitching battle — Joan Adon vs. Braxton Garrett. Washington’s Adon threw six scoreless innings in the win too.
So that result makes this line head-scratching. But here’s one more factor: Miami was just hit by a hurricane. Doesn’t that affect the team somewhat — from a travel and mental frame perspective? We’d think so. For these reasons, we’re backing Washington to win on their home field.
How To Bet On MLB Today?
As we mentioned, there are only four MLB games to bet on today. However, the usual action picks up this weekend with the full slate of contests. For a reliable bookmaker to place your bets at, hit one of the sites below. These are highly rated in our latest sportsbook review section specifically cause they have deep betting menus. So any one of these platforms can serve bettors for the remaining two months of the season.
Here’s the best part though, there are lucrative sportsbook promotions available at each site listed. With these offers, you can bankroll your MLB bets for free. We mean, these deals can range from $500 to $2500 in free play so that’s a huge range of money. October baseball is right around the corner so this deal could be a treat once the playoffs get underway.
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