Thursday’s MLB betting picks & top parlay plays – May 26, 2022

There are 11 MLB games scheduled for Thursday, May 26: six American League games and five National League games. Here are the best bets for Thursday’s American League games, set to commence at 12:35pm ET.

Cleveland Guardians (+118) @ Detroit Tigers (-144.93)

Both pitchers in this one have had success against the other team’s batters, but Cleveland’s Aaron Civale has sustained that success over almost twice as many at-bats. Detroit batters are 17-for-99 with a .545 OPS against Civale, while Tigers starter Tarik Skubal has allowed just 12 hits in 54 Guardians at-bats.

Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez has five hits in 11 at-bats against Skubal. Two of those hits went for extra bases, so consider a player prop bet on Ramirez to collect at least two total bases in this game.

Civale is also coming off a 6-1 win over Detroit on May 20 in which he completed 6.1 innings and allowed just one unearned run. Expect more of the same. Cleveland on the moneyline is the play, paying +118 at Bovada.

Kansas City Royals (+160) @ Minnesota Twins (-190)

The Twins are the hottest team in baseball since starting the season 4-8. Starting for Minnesota will be Devin Smeltzer, who is coming off a win against the Royals on May 20. He went 5.1 innings and allowed just one run despite striking out no one. A dozen of his 19 outs came on the ground.

Daniel Lynch will start for the Royals, who lost to the Twins in Kansas City on May 20, allowing four earned runs in 3.2 innings pitched. He’s 1-1 against Minnesota in 8.2 innings pitched, allowing those four earned runs and collecting four strikeouts and issuing three walks.

Lynch has a 4.58 ERA in May and allows a .732 OPS to right-handed batters. Expect Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, and Gary Sanchez to enjoy their plate appearances against Lynch. Take the Twins to win, and to win by two or more runs at +110. For better odds, parlay the Twins to win with the Guardians on the moneyline.

Texas Rangers (+100) @ Oakland Athletics (-120)

Frankie Montas has struggled with a few Rangers, with Texas collecting 15 hits in 54 at-bats, including eight extra-base hits. Half of those extra-base hits belong to Kole Calhoun, who is seven-for-18 against Montas in his career. A player prop bet on Calhoun to collect multiple total bases via hits is a smart bet.

Also a smart bet is for Corey Seager to do the same as Calhoun. Seager is three-for-five with a double against Montas. Expect him to collect at least a couple of total bases against Montas, and take Texas to win the first five innings.

Boston Red Sox (-105.26) @ Chicago White Sox (-116.28)

Red Sox batters Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers have enjoyed success against White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel. Bogaerts is five-for-14 with a homer, and Devers is four-of-five with a 1.600 OPS. Bets on both to collect multiple total bases or multiple hits should result in at least one paying dividends.

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