Now that the baseball season has some momentum, let's dive into some new MLB expert picks.
Today (April 2) offers lucrative matchups, so we'll get right into it. Here are our two MLB expert picks:
MLB Expert Picks: April 2, 2024
You can jump directly to today's picks here:
Pick 1: Astros -1.5 (+130) vs Blue Jays
Matchup Preview - Game Time: 8:10 pm ET
Call this bet a civic responsibility to the baseball gods. On Monday, Astros starter Ronel Blanco no-hit the Blue Jays in exceptional fashion. He only allowed two walks, and Toronto never threatened the right-hander with any hard contact.
Some bettors might back the Jays in anticipation of a bounceback. In my experience, that's not how baseball works, especially with this current Toronto roster. The '24 Jays carry that stink on 'em, and it'll take more than one hotel sleep to shake it.
Framber Valdez's career ERA numbers vs Toronto are poor, but he has only allowed a .221/.320/.357 slash vs the Jays in four games.
Pick 2: Padres ML (-135) vs Cardinals
Matchup Preview - Game Time: 9:40 pm ET
Consider this bet equal parts "fade St. Louis" and "back San Diego."
First, the Padres have impressed throughout their modest 3-4 start. Fernando Tatis Jr. is raking (1.011 OPS), as is Manny Machado (.931 OPS), solidifying one of the punchiest one-two tandems in baseball. Yu Darvish has been equally sound in his two starts this year, posting a 1.02 ERA in 8.2 innings.
Beyond that, the Cards seem a little broken in the early going. Miles Mikolas had a terrible first start (4.1 IP, 5 ER), and the batting order is crooked, too. Only two hitters own an OPS+ above 100, while Nolan Arenado has crawled to a 3-for-21 start.
The Padres are the way to go as the slight chalk Tuesday.
