MLB Predictions Today: 3 MLB Best Bets and Picks for Thursday's Night Games

MLB Betting Picks in Summary

• Gerrit Cole Under 6.5 Strikeouts (-122)
• Grayson Rodriguez Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-111)
• Nationals vs. Rangers NRFI (-125)

Baseball has you covered if you want a large inventory of options to bet.

From moneylines to player props to NRFI wagers, we have plenty of ways each day to bet the long, arduous MLB schedule.

Using the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, what are the best MLB bets for today?

This article includes some of the top bets from our other MLB content. All MLB odds via FanDuel, and they may change after this article is published.

MLB Picks and Predictions for Today

Gerrit Cole Under 6.5 Strikeouts (-122)

Yankees vs. Orioles, 6:36 p.m. ET

Gerrit Cole‘s 26.1% K rate looks great. But he’s been getting a little lucky in the strikeout department, and I like him to go under 6.5 punchouts today.

Cole’s swinging-strike rate is just 9.7%, so he’s not missing a ton of bats despite his quality K rate. It’s starting to level out as he’s finished with five strikeouts in two of his previous three starts. His swinging-strike rate over that three-outing span is a lowly 8.2%.

The scary part of this bet is that the Baltimore Orioles have the seventh-highest strikeout rate (24.1%) across the last 30 days. However, they’re also first in wOBA in that time (.336), so if they can have success versus Cole tonight, it could lead to a shorter night for the New York Yankees‘ star RHP.

Grayson Rodriguez Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-111)

Angels vs. Astros, 8:11 p.m. ET

It took a little time, but Grayson Rodriguez is starting to deal in his return from injury.

Rodriguez missed all of 2025 and a big chunk of this year, so it’s understandable that he needed some runway to get going. Well, he’s going, tallying a sparkling 13.6% swinging-strike rate and 29.4% strikeout rate over his past four starts. His punchout totals in that time are five, eight, six and six, so he’s cleared 4.5 Ks in four straight.

The issue is that the Los Angeles Angels are playing it safe with him, pulling him at four innings in each of his last two starts. But he’s gotten up to 98 pitches in each of the two starts before those, and as we just covered, he’s still racking up Ks despite some shorter appearances.

The Houston Astros are right around the league average in strikeout rate (21.2%) over the last 30 days, and I think Rodriguez can pile up at least five Ks tonight in Houston.

Nationals vs. Rangers NRFI (-125)

Jacob deGrom gives us another strong late-game NRFI anchor when the Texas Rangers host the Washington Nationals.

DeGrom is 8-8 with a 3.95 ERA entering Thursday, and while those numbers are not quite vintage deGrom, his ability to miss bats remains a major advantage against the top of an opposing order. The Nats are a quality lineup, but it certainly helps that James Wood is out.

Washington counters with Andrew Alvarez, who has quietly pitched well enough to make this a two-sided NRFI rather than simply a bet on deGrom. Alvarez enters the matchup with a 3.72 ERA. He does a great job getting grounders (50.2% ground-ball rate), which can help prevent quick-strike damage. He also gets a Texas offense that is last in wOBA over the past 14 days.

MLB Betting Frequently Asked Questions

What are MLB player prop bets?

MLB player prop bets are wagers on specific statistical outcomes tied to individual players during a game — not on which team wins or loses. You might bet on how many strikeouts a starting pitcher records, whether a shortstop gets a hit, or how many total bases an outfielder accumulates.

Because they are isolated to a single player's performance, props let you apply focused knowledge about matchups, recent form, and ballpark conditions rather than predicting the full game result.

What types of MLB player props are available?

FanDuel offers a wide menu of MLB props. The most common categories include:

• Pitcher strikeouts
• Batter hits
• Home runs
• Total bases
• RBIs
• Stolen bases
• Pitcher outs recorded

What does +310 mean on an MLB home run prop bet?

A +310 line means a $100 bet returns $310 in profit if the player homers. You can bet any amount — a $10 bet at +310 returns $31 in profit. The number reflects the implied probability the sportsbook assigns to the event (roughly 24% for +310 odds).

Can I parlay home run props together on FanDuel?

Yes. FanDuel allows you to parlay multiple HR props as a standard parlay or as part of a Same Game Parlay (SGP) within a single game. All legs must win for the parlay to pay out.

What does "total bases" mean as a prop bet?

The total bases prop counts the bases a batter earns from hits in a single game:

• Single = 1 base
• Double = 2 bases
• Triple = 3 bases
• Home run = 4 bases

Walks, hit-by-pitches, and stolen bases do not count. A typical total bases line is set at 1.5 or 2.5. Betting over 1.5 means you need at least a double, or two singles.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.