Best MLB Bets Today - Free (Thursday 5/18)

Welcome to the FTN’s free MLB Picks of the Day, featuring our favorite or best MLB bets. FTN will be posting a play or two from the MLB card — for free!

Today, MLBdream provides his picks.

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Best MLB Bets and Picks Today

Los Angeles Dodgers @ St. Louis Cardinals

Dodgers -148 @ Cardinals +126 — Total 9 (FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Dodgers open a four-game set against the Cardinals Thursday night at Busch Stadium. With only a six-game slate Thursday, we don’t have many options for a writeup, but this is a side I would have bet even with a full slate available. I also like the Dodgers team total over at 4.5 (-122), but the official play will be on the moneyline.

Dodgers lefty Julio Urías has consistently and quietly been one of the best pitchers in baseball the last few years and has shown an ability to induce weak contact. Urias’ SIERA sits at 3.65 this season through 52-plus innings and that’s exactly what his SIERA is over his last 72 starts. The 26-year-old has shown an elite ability to limit free-passes and induce chases. The Cardinals have been solid against southpaws this year with a wRC+ of 106 (6% above league average), 15th in MLB. It’s been much worse since the start of May even with Nolan Arenado heating up for the Cards — their 84 wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching ranks 27th this month.

41-year-old future Hall of Famer Adam Wainwright makes his third start of the season after missing some time with a groin injury. Wainwright has had a tough start to the season so far, allowing four earned runs in each of his first two starts. Waino has had a tough time inducing ground balls and getting swings and misses through 10 innings, and things won’t get any easier against this Dodgers lineup. LAD ranks second in baseball against righties this season with a 117 wRC+, and that figure hasn’t changed since the start of May.

The Dodgers bullpen has been overused the last couple days, especially following Dustin May’s early departure yesterday. But the Dodgers should be able to put up enough runs against Wainwright and a Cardinals bullpen for us to pull out the win. Be sure to check out FTN’s Live Odds screen to find the best number on the market.