Best MLB Bets Today: Cashing in on Kershaw’s Return

We have a great pair of bets for Thursday. The first comes from a cross-country NL battle as the San Diego Padres visit the Washington Nationals. The other is from a matchup between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will have Clayton Kershaw making his 2024 debut.

Below, we will share the bets we love from both of the above games, sharing odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. If you are new and looking to give FanDuel a try, be sure to use our custom link for a chance to earn $200 in Bonus Bets if your initial wager of $5+ wins!

Best MLB Bets Today: Padres vs. Nationals (12:05 PM EST)

Padres -1.5 (-108) at FanDuel Sportsbook

This game features one of the most underrated pitching matchups of the week. On one side is Padres’ starter Dylan Cease (9-8, 3.76 ERA, 1.03 WHIP), who is currently riding a 13-inning scoreless streak. The righty has bounced back in a big way this season, and we expect his success to continue this afternoon.

On top of his impressive play of late, Cease faced this Nationals team a month ago. The 28-year-old was incredible, holding Washington scoreless on one hit and two walks across seven winnings. That performance led to an 8-5 win, covering the run line.

The Nationals will have 35-year-old Patrick Corbin (2-9, 5.35 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) starting opposite Cease today. The veteran’s best days are far behind him, as his 2024 numbers indicate. He has found some success against the league’s worst lineups but has been hit hard by many teams this season.

Corbin was sharp against San Diego last month, allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings. However, the Padres still own a .301 batting average against the aging starter. Considering that Corbin is 0-4 with a 6.08 ERA across nine day games this season, we expect a much different result when the Padres face him for the second time this afternoon.

Bet on Padres -1.5 (-108) at FanDuel

Best MLB Bets Today: Giants vs. Dodgers (4:10 PM EST)

Dodgers ML (-144) at FanDuel Sportsbook

These two teams have been trending in very different directions since the All-Star break, with the Giants floundering as the Dodgers dominate. We expect that trend to continue this afternoon for a few different reasons.

The first is that the Giants will have Logan Webb (7-8, 3.59 ERA, 1.27 WHIP). The 27-year-old made the All-Star team this season but has been struggling in July. Webb owns a 6.50 ERA across three starts this month and was shelled for three runs in one inning during the All-Star game. He has allowed 11 runs in his last 11 innings pitched, signaling that something is wrong with the star.

Webb shut the Dodgers down twice at home this season, but he allowed five runs across 3 ⅔ innings in his one start in LA. Road struggles have been a theme for the righty, who is 3-5 with a 4.09 ERA when away from home. We see Webb’s road woes continuing tonight, especially as he faces Freddie Freeman, who owns a .412 average and .588 slugging percentage against him in 34 at-bats.

After missing the first half of the season with an injury, Clayton Kershaw is set to make his 2024 debut. There is some concern over how the 36-year-old will bounce back from shoulder surgery on his throwing arm, but he has remained an elite starter over the last two seasons. Last season, he went 13-5 with a 2.46 ER and 1.06 WHIP.

We don’t know how long Kershaw will be allowed to go in this afternoon’s game, but we expect him to impress. The Giants are sixteenth in the league in both batting average and runs scored, and they are hitting .230 on the road. Kershaw may not be 100%, but he will have enough to keep the Giants contained today.

Bet on Dodgers ML (-144) at FanDuel

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