MLB Odds, Expert Picks Thursday: Best Bets for Cubs vs Angels (June 8)

There are 12 games, including a doubleheader, on the MLB slate for Thursday, June 8. With the bulk of the league in action, there are plenty of angles for bettors to attack.

Well, our MLB betting experts have done just that and have plays in Diamondbacks vs. Nationals and Cubs vs. Angels. Continue reading as they detail their picks and share the best MLB bets for Thursday, June 8.

Thursday's MLB Best Bets

The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click the team logos for one the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.

Game	Time	Pick
	1:05 p.m. ET	Under 9 (-105)
	9:38 p.m. ET	Cubs 1st 5 Innings Moneyline (+110)
	9:38 p.m. ET	Cubs Moneyline (+144)
Specific bet 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.

Diamondbacks vs. Nationals

Editor's Note: This game has been postponed due to poor air conditions in Washington D.C.

Thursday, June 8 1:05 p.m. ET MLB.TV

Under 9 (-105)

By D.J. James

There's a reason Merrill Kelly has been a fixture in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ rotation for multiple years. He's durable, and he's consistent. Kelly will get the start Thursday on the road against Josiah Gray and the Washington Nationals.

Kelly owns a 2.80 ERA against a 3.82 xERA, so there will be a little negative regression, but 3.82 is still solid. He ranks in the 91st percentile in Chase Rate, the 53rd percentile in Average Exit Velocity and the 62nd percentile in Hard Hit Rate. He has a 27.6% strikeout rate, and his only drawback is that he's walking 10% of hitters. That should come down a bit because he walked just 7.6% last season and 6.1% in 2021.

Meanwhile, Gray has made significant strides for the Nationals. He has a 4.48 xERA against a 3.09 ERA, so luck has been a factor, but he ranks in the 69th percentile in Average Exit Velocity and the 63rd percentile in Hard Hit Rate. Like Kelly, he has some control issues (11.4% walk rate), which could bite him in this matchup.

Both starters should benefit from weak contact because they excel at inducing it, and both the D'backs and Nationals rank in the bottom 10 in Average Exit Velocity and Hard Hit Rate.

To Kelly’s benefit, the Nationals own a 30.4% Chase Rate, so expect some swings and misses out of the zone.

Lastly, the D'backs have multiple relievers with a xFIP under 4.00 in the past month. Arizona should be OK on the back of Kelly’s start. The Nationals only have two relievers with a xFIP under 4.00 in the past month, but if Gray can reduce his walks, he'll work deeper in the game.

Take the under from 9 (-105), and play it to 8 (-115).

Pick: Under 9 | Play to 8

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Cubs vs. Angels

Thursday, June 8 9:38 p.m. ET MLB Network

Cubs 1st 5 Innings Moneyline (+110)

By Tanner McGrath

In a matchup between two southpaw starters, I’m partial to betting on the Cubs.

The Cubs have been mashing lefties all year, ranking among the top seven teams in OPS, wRC+ and walk rate against the side. And although they’ve been slumping over the past month, their numbers against left-handed pitching remain elite.

They should be able to get to Reid Detmers, who is admittedly a tough guy to figure out. He’s got a solid Stuff+ rating, but only because of a 129 mark on his heavily utilized slider (thrown 39% of the time). His fastball velocity and Whiff rate are up, so his strikeout numbers look strong.

That said, Detmers still struggles with command and has a brutal batted-ball profile. I also feel like he tends to nibble on the edges of the zone with the aforementioned slider and his 70-grade curveball.

I feel like Detmers could break against the uber-patient Cubs, as Chicago rarely chases and leads the league in pitches per plate appearance (4.12).

Conversely, Drew Smyly is the opposite of Detmers. Smyly’s Stuff numbers are mediocre, but he boasts an elite batted-ball profile and above-average command.

In fact, the only thing the two have in common is their left-handedness.

I’m not sure which approach is better, but I’m fine simply betting on the guy with the better numbers. Smyly boasts a 3.29 xERA, while Detmers checks in with a 4.48 xERA.

And, again, I’m partial to betting on the Cubs in a left-handed pitching matchup.

The Angels have also crushed left-handed pitching, but their numbers have dipped recently. Over the past month, the Angels check in with the league’s 13th-best OPS (.764) and 16th-best wRC+ (107) against lefties.

Honestly, the bullpen matchup is too difficult for me to handicap. So, I’ll avoid that mess entirely and bet directly on Smyly and Chicago against Detmers in the first half.

Hopefully, the Cubs race out to an early lead.

Pick: Cubs 1st 5 Innings Moneyline | Play to +100

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Cubs vs. Angels

Thursday, June 8 9:38 p.m. ET MLB Network

Cubs Moneyline (+144)

By Nick Shlain

One of my favorite bets on the Thursday slate is the Chicago Cubs moneyline as they face the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

I’m not quite sure why the Cubs are such big underdogs here. Reid Detmers will be on the mound for the Angels. Detmers has a 5.15 ERA on the season and has allowed at least six hits in six of his past eight starts. He has also allowed at least three earned runs in five of his past six starts.

Drew Smyly will take the ball for the Cubs. Smyly is enjoying a bit of a career renaissance this year with a 3.56 ERA. The Angels have a better bullpen, but the Cubs certainly have the starting pitching advantage in this one. The Angels probably have the better lineup because of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, but it’s closer than you think. Additionally, Angels outfielder Hunter Renfroe will miss this game as he’s on paternity leave.

This game is more of a toss-up than the odds show and there's serious value on the Cubs in this spot.

Pick: Cubs Moneyline

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