We have a shorter Major League Baseball slate on Thursday, although we get two doubleheaders thanks to rainouts from Wednesday.
Check out our three MLB picks and predictions for today's games on Thursday, April 30.
MLB Picks Today
The team logos in the table below represent the matchups our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 12:15 PM | |
  | 3:05 PM | |
  | 7:40 PM | |
 | All Day | |
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. | ||
Tigers vs Braves Pick
Both of these pitchers are having nice seasons. Elder made some adjustments this offseason and is having a breakout start, and Valdez is a high-floor guy who is as reliable as they come.
That being said, I am still siding with the offenses in this matchup.
Atlanta leads the league in runs scored, and both of these teams rank among the top six lineups in team OPS.
The Braves have done it with power, clubbing the third most home runs with four players over five home runs. Detroit gets it done with aggressive baserunning and clutch hits — the Tigers take more extra bases than any team in the league and rank in the top five in team batting average with runners in scoring position.
Both of these teams are white-hot at the plate. Olson, Albies, and Harris are mashing the ball for Atlanta — all three have an OPS over 1.000 over the past two weeks. For Detroit, it has been McGonigle, Greene, and Torkelson locked in at the plate.
These two teams both have star power at the top of the lineup and are also getting solid offensive contributions from the hitters down at the bottom of the order. That makes each lineup very dangerous.
Temperatures are expected to be over 70 degrees with 10 miles per hour winds blowing straight out to center field. We are getting good hitting conditions for two offenses that are red hot at the plate against two pitchers who do not miss a ton of bats.
Check out Ianniello's full Tigers-Braves breakdown here:
Pick: Over 8.5 (-110 or Better)
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Royals vs Athletics Pick
This has been a much lower-scoring series than expected so far, with the Royals winning 4-1 in the first game and the A's getting it done 5-2 in the second.
With both the Royals (19th in wRC+) and Athletics (28th in wRC+) struggling in lefties, this could be another game that stays under the total.
However, I don't want to take a risk with these bullpens, since they're relatively taxed, especially since the first game went 10 innings. That's why I'm sticking to the first five innings for this one.
Check out Ammirante's full Royals-Athletics breakdown here:
Pick: F5 Under 5.5 (-130 or Better)
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Blue Jays vs Twins Pick
Our own Sean Zerillo projects value on the Under in this matchup.
While the consensus line sits around 8 runs, Zerillo projects just 7.26 runs for this game, providing a nearly 3% edge against the market.
As a reminder, you can see all of Zerillo's MLB game projections with an Action PRO Subscription. Find his projected lines every day on the PRO Projections tab.
Pick: Under 7.5 (+100 or Better)
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Sean Zerillo's Full Action App Card for Thursday
Need more bets for Thursday's action? It's always wise to see what our guy Zerillo is betting on!
Additionally, if you haven't already, download the Action Network App to track your bets and tail our experts:
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