Best MLB Bets Today: Houston Looks to Stay Hot in Ontario

Thursday brings us a fantastic slate of games, but two bets stand out among the rest. The first comes from a game between the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. The other comes from an NL battle as the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies visit the floundering Chicago Cubs.

Below, we will share our favorite bet for each game. We will be using odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel using our custom link for a chance to earn $150 in Bonus Bets.

Best MLB Bets Today: Astros vs. Blue Jays (1:07 PM EST)

Under 8.5 (-110) at FanDuel Sportsbook

There are a lot of reasons why we love this bet. The first is that Framber Valdez (6-5, 4.11 ERA) will be on the mound. The ace hasn’t looked the part in 2024, primarily due to a handful of brutal outings. However, this veteran pitcher is far better than he has played.

Valdez is coming off one of his worst starts, but there are a couple of reasons to believe he will bounce back tonight. One is that the Blue Jays rank twenty-second in batting average and twenty-third in runs scored. The other is that Valdez dominated Toronto earlier this season, holding the Blue Jays scoreless over 7 2/3 innings.

The Blue Jays will have one of their top arms on the mound in Chris Bassitt (7-6, 3.24 ERA). The 35-year-old has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last month, finishing June with an ERA of 1.95. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in five straight starts, a run that includes holding two great offenses scoreless in the Brewers and Yankees.

The Astros were able to beat up Bassitt without issue earlier this season, but they will see a very different version tonight. While he may not be perfect, expect him to keep Houston in check, leading to a low-scoring battle.

Bet on Under 8.5 (-110) at FanDuel

Best MLB Bets Today: Phillies and Cubs (2:20 PM EST)

Phillies -1.5 (+128) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Cristopher Sanchez (6-3, 2.41 ERA)  has broken out in a big way this season. He is on pace to smash his previous career records and has been improving each month. After finishing April with a 3.68 ERA, he posted a 2.03 ERA in May and a 1.64 ERA in June. 

Sanchez brings a 16-inning scoreless streak heading into tonight’s game. We like that trend to continue tonight against a Cubs team that ranks nineteenth in runs scored and twenty-fifth in batting average. Chicago has been losing a lot of late, posting multi-run losses in six of their previous seven losses. 

The Cubs will have a veteran on the mound in Jameson Taillon (4-4, 3.03 ERA). The 32-year-old has been a solid arm for Chicago, but he will be facing off against one of the best lineups in baseball tonight, which has hit him hard in the past. Taillon has logged 72 at-bats against the Phillies' current roster and has been hit hard, with the Phillies posting a .292 batting average against him.

The Phillies' past success against Taillon is impressive, and we expect it to continue as the Phillies rank in the top five of the league in both batting average and runs scored. Even if they struggle with Taillon, their lineup will do significant damage against the Cubs’ horrendous bullpen tonight.

Bet on Phillies -1.5 (+128) at FanDuel

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