MLB Afternoon Best Bets | Odds, Picks for Rangers vs Pirates & More

If you enjoy betting day baseball, then Wednesday, May 24 will be a fun day.

There are a full 15 games on the MLB slate today, but we're only focused on the day games here. There are multiple afternoon contests and our MLB betting experts have found some value on the board, including a moneyline, total and a player prop.

So, continue reading for their analysis and best afternoon MLB bets for Wednesday, May 24.

Wednesday'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
	12:35 p.m. ET	Pirates Moneyline (+114)
	1:05 p.m. ET	Zac Gallen Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-140)
	1:10 p.m. ET	Under 9 (-120)
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.

Rangers vs. Pirates

Wednesday, May 24 12:35 p.m. ET MLB.TV

Pirates Moneyline (+114)

By D.J. James

Johan Oviedo is beginning to throw much better for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After getting crushed in three straight outings, he has put together two straight starts, where he went a combined 11 innings and only allowed 2 earned runs. His opponent on Wednesday will be Martín Pérez and the Texas Rangers. Pérez has underachieved, compared to his 2022 accolades. In fact, unlike Oviedo, his trajectory over the past few outings has been subpar.

Since the Pirates have stabilized, after going on a bit of a slide, they are the correct bet between these teams.

Pérez may have held a sub-3.00 ERA in 2022, but the 32-year-old has come back to earth. He held a 3.59 xERA in 2022, so it was bound to happen. This year, he has a 4.01 ERA against a 4.99 xERA. His Average Exit Velocity is amongst the highest in his career at 89.4 mph and his xBA ranks in the 12th percentile. He's also only striking out 17.5% of hitters. None of those stats are encouraging.

In relief, Texas has also had trouble. They have a 5.09 xFIP in May with a 20.6% strikeout rate and nearly a 10% walk rate. A 61.5% LOB percentage does not help, but they rank only above the Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland A’s in xFIP this month.

Oviedo should give the Rangers a test, as long as he keeps his slider usage up. He throws this pitch around 42% of the time, which should neutralize much of the Texas lineup. He has a 4.69 ERA, but his xERA is 3.90, so future success should be in the cards. It also helps to throw a 96 mph fastball as a secondary pitch. His Average Exit Velocity and Hard Hit Percentage are in the middle of the pack. Overall, Oviedo’s arsenal is just more impressive than Pérez's.

The Pirates have also done well against left-handed pitching. In May, they have a 95 wRC+ with a .720 OPS, but they have juiced those numbers up to a 121 wRC+ and a .809 OPS in the past two weeks. That should be more indicative of their performance against a struggling starter (like Pérez) and bullpen.

In relief, Pittsburgh has been at the top of the heap. It has a 4.07 bullpen xFIP in May. However, five relief options are below a 4.00 xFIP in May, which shows a multitude of options on the back of Oviedo’s start.

Pittsburgh and Texas have had similar results against these types of starting pitchers. Texas, however, has a much worse bullpen, and Pérez has been horrible lately, while Oviedo is pitching better. Pittsburgh, with a more reliable pitching staff, is the side to back in this game. Take them from +114, and play them to -110.

Pick: Pirates Moneyline

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Diamondbacks vs. Phillies

Wednesday, May 24 1:05 p.m. ET MLB Network

Zac Gallen Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-140)

By Nick Shlain

One of my favorite bets on Wednesday's slate is for Zac Gallen to go over 6.5 strikeouts against the Phillies.

Gallen is one of the top strikeout pitchers in baseball this season and has a 29% strikeout rate on the year. While he has only gone over this number in one of his past four starts, he’s gone over this number in six of 10 starts on the year.

Philadelphia’s lineup strikes out quite a bit, making this a good matchup for Gallen. The Phillies' projected lineup has a combined 23% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this year. Six players in the Phillies projected lineup have at least a 21% strikeout percentage against right-handed pitching this year.

While the Phillies have six left-handed hitters in their projected lineup, that shouldn’t be an issue for Gallen. Gallen has no split when it comes to strikeouts as he has a 29% strikeout rate against both right- and left-handed hitters this year. Gallen hasn’t had many high-strikeout games recently, but he should get back on track in Philadelphia.

Pick: Gallen Over 6.5 Strikeouts

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White Sox vs. Guardians

Wednesday, May 24 1:10 p.m. ET MLB.TV

Under 9 (-120)

By D.J. James

The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians have had some trouble against right-handed pitching this month. The White Sox own a 88 wRC+ with a sub-.700 OPS, while the Guardians are even worse with a 66 wRC+ and a .604 OPS. Both teams are also hovering around a 7% walk rate, so baserunners haven't been prevalent.

Michael Kopech enters this game fresh off a one-hitter that was possibly the best start of his career. He looked stellar striking out 10 hitters and walking zero, a hefty milestone for a guy who has a 13% walk rate on the season. This could be a stepping stone, and he should continue that success against one of the worst hitting teams in MLB.

Cal Quantrill is not necessarily a fantastic pitcher with a 5.40 xERA, but he ranks in the top half of the league in Average Exit Velocity and Hard Hit Rate. Considering Luis Robert and Jake Burger are two of the only hard hitters on the White Sox, this is a simple bet. Quantrill often throws a sinker and the White Sox have a 40%+ ground-ball rate in May off of righties. This should be more than enough to hold Chicago in check.

In May, the Cleveland bullpen and Chicago bullpen have ranked in the top 10 in bullpen xFIP. Behind Kopech and Quantrill will be some lively arms ready to keep the scoring at a minimum. Take the under from 9 (-120), and play it to 8 (-120).

Pick: Guardians vs. White Sox Under

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