Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, April 26

Kansas City Royals @ Arizona Diamondbacks

• Time: 3:40
• Starting Pitchers: Ryan Yarbrough (KC) vs Zac Gallen (ARI)
• Moneyline: Royals (+215) - Diamondbacks (-267)
• Run Line: Royals +1.5 (+110) - Diamondbacks -1.5 (-130)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-110) - Under 8.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

My Pick: Diamondbacks -1.5 (-130)

The Diamondbacks and Royals are set to wrap up a three-game series with a rubber match on Wednesday afternoon. The two teams have split the first two games of the series with both games ending 5-4, so they’ve been close. But even after getting a win on Wednesday, the Royals are still one of the worst teams in baseball with just two wins in their last 11 games. Sending lefty Ryan Yarbrough to the mound doesn’t exactly help their chances, especially against Arizona’s Zac Gallen, who should help deliver a comfortable win for the D’Backs.

Gallen has become the hottest pitcher in baseball. He hasn’t allowed a run in three straight starts, covering 20.2 innings during that stretch. The Arizona bullpen also managed to keep the shutout in all three of those games, meaning Gallen’s last three starts have all been shutout wins. Meanwhile, the Royals have been shut out twice in their last eight games, so they don’t have a deep or potent lineup. Also, most of Kansas City’s hitters have limited experience, giving Gallen a huge edge, especially in a day game.

On the other hand, injuries to Kansas City’s two other left-handed starters will force Yarbrough to make a spot start. Yarbrough has started in the past and threw four innings in relief during his last outing, so he should be able to give the Royals some much-needed length on Wednesday. However, he’s also rocking a 7.62 ERA on the season. Even in his shorter outings, Yarbrough has been knocked around a little. As for the D’Backs, they’ve scored at least five runs in eight of their last 10 games. If that trend continues, especially with Gallen on the mound, the Diamondbacks have a clear path to win and cover in Wednesday’s rubber match.

Washington Nationals @ New York Mets

• Time: 7:10
• Starting Pitchers: MacKenzie Gore (WSH) vs Kodai Senga (NYM)
• Moneyline: Nationals (+180) - Mets (-220)
• Run Line: Nationals +1.5 (-115) - Mets -1.5 (-105)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-105) - Under 8.5 (-115)

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

My Pick: Mets -1.5 (-105)

Even on the heels of a three-game losing streak, everything is lined up favorably for the Mets on Wednesday when they host the Nationals in the second of a three-game series. Injuries to their rotation have hurt the Mets lately, but that’s less of a concern with Kodai Senga getting the start on Wednesday. Keep in mind the Nats are just 8-14, putting them in a tie for the fewest wins in the National League, so back-to-back wins against the Mets doesn’t seem likely, even with MacKenzie Gore getting the start on the heels of a promising start.

The Mets are 4-0 this season in games that Senga starts. While he’s stumbled a little in his last couple of starts, all four of those wins came by wide margins with the Mets giving him plenty of run support. Despite getting shut out on Wednesday, the Mets averaged 5.8 runs per game in their previous five games, which means their lineup is more than capable of bouncing back. In fact, leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo is hitting .387 against lefties this year while Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, and Francisco Lindor have also posted strong numbers against southpaws, so they should be able to make life difficult for Gore.

Meanwhile, the Washington hitters will have to figure out Senga in their first time seeing him. Despite getting a few runs across the board on Tuesday against spot starter Jose Butto and the weaker members of the New York bullpen, the Nationals have scored one run or less in three of their last six games. They don’t have a deep lineup with Jeimer Candelario being the only one on the team with more than two home runs or more than 10 RBIs this year. It’s the kind of lineup that Senga should be able to dominate, leaving the door open for an easy Mets win.

Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels

• Time: 9:38
• Starting Pitchers: Luis Medina (OAK) vs Patrick Sandoval (LAA)
• Moneyline: Athletics (+192) - Angels -235
• Run Line: Athletics +1.5 (-110) - Angels -1.5 (-110)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-115) - Under 8.5 (-105)

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

My Pick: Angels -1.5 (-110)

It doesn’t get much easier than betting against the A’s, who enter Wednesday's game against the Angels at 5-19. Oakland is also just 9-15 against the spread, meaning the A’s have struggled to make games close. Patrick Sandoval and the Angels should be the benefactors of Oakland’s ineptitude on Wednesday. Despite only being 3-2 against the A’s this year, the Angels are set up for a comfortable win with the A’s sending young starter Luis Medina to the mound.

To be fair, the Angels are just 1-3 in Sandoval’s starts. The lefty got beat up a little in his last start against the Yankees, raising some concerns. But he’s also allowed one run or less in three of his four starts this year. That includes allowing one run over five innings against Oakland in his first start of the season. In fact, the hitters on Oakland’s roster are hitting a combined .175 against Sandoval in their careers. The A’s have also been held to three runs or less in eight of their last 10 games, so the chances of scoring more than two or three runs are rather slim.

That should give the Angels an excellent opportunity to push some runs across and win this game by multiple runs against Medina, who is making his MLB debut. The 23-year-old has only thrown a total of 9.1 innings across three starts at triple-A this season, so even with a strong start, the A’s will have to lean heavily on a problematic bullpen that owns a league-high 6.84 ERA. With a red-hot Mike Trout leading the way, the Angels should have no problem scoring at least five runs for the second straight day and the fourth time in five games. That gives the A’s a narrow path to victory and gives the Angels an excellent chance to win and cover.

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