It's another busy Saturday in Major League Baseball, and our betting experts have you covered with their MLB best bets for May 3.
Among our MLB best bets for Saturday are props, picks and predictions for Mets vs Cardinals, Padres vs Pirates and Royals vs Orioles.
Find those picks and a best bets parlay below.
MLB Best Bets, Picks, Props & Predictions — 5/3
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 2:15 p.m. | |
  | 4:05 p.m. | |
  | 7:15 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Mets vs Cardinals Moneyline Prediction
By Brit Devine
The Mets look underpriced; they have both the starting pitching and bullpen advantage today.
Tylor Megill has been one of the better pitchers in the league so far. Lefties have been befuddled by him all season, posting a minuscule .125 average with only a 10% hard-contact rate.
This kind of stuff is almost unheard of from a right-handed pitcher. That should quiet a good portion of the Cardinals' lineup as they can roll out 4-5 lefties rather easily.
Opposite Megill is the Cardinals' Erick Fedde, who is regressing badly from his decent 2024 season.
Fedde isn't fooling anyone, posting one of the lowest strikeout rates and whiff rates of any starting pitcher so far. Getting through this Mets lineup without strikeout ability is going to be a tough ask. Not only is there no strikeout ability, he is also giving up way too many free passes via walks.
The Mets have the better offense as well, and with a huge bullpen advantage, I am really struggling to see how this line is below -150. I would play this to -165.
Pick: Mets Moneyline (-144 to -165)
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Padres vs Pirates Prop Pick
We cashed easily on this bet last time, with Randy Vasquez managing just one strikeout against the Rays. The price has only moved slightly (from -135 to -145), so I'll gladly hop back in.
Vasquez's strikeout rate is so low that a one-strikeout performance barely affected it. He went from an 8.9% K% heading into the outing to an 8.2% K% after it.
Among 143 pitchers with at least 20 innnigs this season, Vasquez ranks 143rd in K%, 143rd in swinging-strike rate and 141st in CSW%. He's the most hittable starter in the league.
The Pirates have been solid in terms of plate discipline this season. They rank 15th in K% and 8th in BB% against righties. The Pirates are eighth in K/BB vs. RHP.
Walks have been a problem for Vasquez — he has a 15.6% BB% through six starts. His 10:19 K:BB ratio doesn't even look real. Pittsburgh's projected lineup has combined for a sub-20% K% and a BB% above 10% against righties this season.
Lefties give Vasquez the most problems. They're slashing .293/.388/.414 with just two strikeouts in 67 plate appearances.
Pittsburgh will likely only have four lefties in the lineup, but three of them (Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Enmanuel Valdez) should be in the first four lineup slots.
Vasquez failed to exceed five innings in an outing in April so his workload ceiling is limited. If he gets to face the lineup a third time, he'll have to deal with the lefties again.
Pick: Randy Vasquez Under 3.5 Strikeouts (-145)
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Royals vs Orioles Strikeouts Prop
By Charlie Wright
It was an outing against this Baltimore squad that started our Bubic journey. He cruised to eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings and easily cashed over 5.5 strikeouts at plus money.
