X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Free MLB Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (4/4/24)

We have a modestly sized slate Thursday, as there are only six games on tap and all but one will be played in the afternoon. We're starting to get somewhat of a feel for hitters and pitchers at this point with a week's worth of games in the books, but naturally, there's still plenty of unpredictability at play with the season in such a nascent stage.

Attention, fellow sports bettors! We have some exciting news to share as we are now officially partnered with various sportsbooks and have some sweet sports betting promo offers! Get your deposit bonus, as well as a year of free RotoBaller Premium access, when you sign up with a new account today! After you're signed up, use our picks in this article for spreads, totals, and props to win big.

Today, Thursday, April 4, we hone in on a matchup in each league, including an NL matinee clash. Good luck RotoBallers!

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Today's MLB Betting Picks - Marlins @ Cardinals

O/U: 8.5 | Moneyline: STL -144
MIA: Ryan Weathers | STL: Lance Lynn

The Marlins' generally poor offensive performances to start the season and Lance Lynn's surprisingly solid first start against the Dodgers prevent this projected run total from being even higher. However, I'm a believer in both of those early trends reversing to an extent Thursday, putting me in the camp of the Over.

Miami's lineup has too much talent to continue scuffling as much as it has to open the campaign. The Marlins are an alarming 0-7 and have scored four runs or fewer in all but two of those contests. Yet, conventional wisdom/past body of work tells us the likes of Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren't going to hit under .200 very much longer. Josh Bell and Tim Anderson will also likely get into a groove in their own right in fairly short order.

Lynn could well be a pitcher to facilitate such a course correction. He did deftly escape trouble against the Dodgers on a couple of occasions early while tossing four scoreless innings on Saturday, but he let the ball get in the air frequently and gave up an average of a hit per inning. Lynn looked absolutely cooked at times last season for the White Sox while allowing a career-high, jaw-dropping 44 homers in 32 starts, and he pitched to plenty of contact this spring while posting a 7.90 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across 13.2 innings.

On the other side, Ryan Weathers arguably has just as grim an outlook. The southpaw had a solid spring but then opened the season by surrendering seven hits and three runs over just four innings versus the Pirates. Weathers entered 2024 with a career 5-15 mark, 5.88 ERA, and 1.53 WHIP in 46 career appearances (31 starts).

Lynn has had trouble against three of the Marlins' most talented hitters, with Arraez, Anderson, and Chisholm going a combined 16-for-45 (.356) with four doubles, three homers, and 10 RBI against the veteran righty in their careers. Meanwhile, Weathers, who's surrendered a .297 average and .383 wOBA to righty bats during his career, is facing a lineup featuring several very potent ones in the form of Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras.

Considering the Marlins already have a fatigued bullpen as well due to early-season rotation struggles, I'm firmly of the belief some runs will pile up in the afternoon sunshine.

Pick: Over 8.5 runs (-115, FanDuel Sportsbook)

 

Sports Betting Promo Offers

Featured Promo: Get any Betting Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with exclusive betting picks from proven winners across 9 sports! Find optimal bets with our Betting Picks Tool and Bet Weighting Tool and follow along in our VIP chat rooms! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Today's MLB Betting Picks - White Sox @ Royals

O/U: 8.5 | Moneyline: KCR -162
CWS: Michael Soroka | KCR: Seth Lugo

Neither the White Sox nor Royals have started the year in anything resembling encouraging fashion, with the two teams bringing up the rear in the AL Central with a combined 3-8 record. Kansas City, which lost 106 games a year ago and 97 the season prior, doesn't exactly have high expectations this season, but the same can't be said about Chicago despite its own triple-digit loss season in 2023.

The ChiSox have some potent bats in their lineup, including Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Andrew Vaughn, and Yoan Moncada. Thursday's starting pitcher is another high-upside asset in Michael Soroka, a 2015 first-round pick of the Braves who was once one of the more promising pitching prospects in baseball after a stellar 2019 rookie campaign. Multiple Achilles tears then cost him all of the 2021 and 2022 seasons and hamstring and forearm injuries limited him to seven appearances last season. However, Soroka is finally healthy again.

The right-hander did pitch to contact against the Tigers over five innings in his season debut, but he put together an impressive spring where he pitched to a 1.38 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and .156 BAA across 13 innings in four starts. The Royals have already started the season in poor form at the plate against righties, posting a 26.4 percent strikeout rate, .208 average, and .297 wOBA in that split over 140 plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Lugo fired six scoreless innings in his first start of the season against the Twins, although he took a no-decision thanks to KC's inability to score more than one run. The veteran right-hander's early success isn't necessarily surprising, considering he generated a 3.56 ERA alongside a 15-12 mark over the previous three seasons. He also did a reasonably good job keeping the ball in the park over that span.

Chicago's offense has yet to get going in its own right, generating a .204 average, .286 wOBA, and -3.1 wRAA against righties thus far in the new season. With Lugo's ability to limit damage and Chicago averaging an AL-low 2.2 runs per game, in addition to Soroka being in a favorable matchup in his own right, I'll go with a pair of bets here that bank on a relatively modest amount of runs being scored.

Picks: Under 8.5 runs (-115, BetMGM Sportsbook) // Under 4.5 runs - First 5.o innings (-120, FanDuel Sportsbook)

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NASCAR1 hour ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecked at Las Vegas, but Showed Promising Speed
Alex Bowman1 hour ago

Recovered From Loose Wheel to Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric1 hour ago

Won Stage 1, but Loose Wheel Foiled Victory Bid
William Byron1 hour ago

Lost Las Vegas Race on Strategy, but Still Expanded Points Lead
Ryan Preece1 hour ago

Earned Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish at Las Vegas
Mookie Betts6 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins6 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase6 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski7 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun7 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon7 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray7 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić7 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post8 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry8 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.9 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White9 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey9 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.9 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant9 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith10 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton10 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin10 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins10 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez10 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner10 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma10 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam10 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard10 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo10 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh10 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis11 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins11 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold11 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews11 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin12 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson12 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad12 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil12 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich13 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech13 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman13 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter13 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish13 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt13 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.13 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar14 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada14 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons14 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons14 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers15 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams15 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo15 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke16 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee16 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler16 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano16 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland16 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis16 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías16 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera17 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets17 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders18 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush18 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens20 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks20 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.21 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell22 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson22 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney22 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain22 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher22 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield22 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott23 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin23 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov23 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron23 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick23 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli23 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin23 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin23 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar23 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR23 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski23 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones23 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez24 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar24 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece24 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano1 day ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 day ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell1 day ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers1 day ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov1 day ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Joel Armia1 day ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Available Saturday
Adam Fox1 day ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Eeli Tolvanen2 days ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF