Top MLB Betting Odds & Picks for Monday, May 2nd (2022)

May 2, 2022 - 11:51 AM

With May beginning, the narrative of teams and players getting off to slow starts because of a shorter spring training is becoming less relevant. By the end of this month, we will have a lot more clarity on who are contenders and pretenders, though fans of the Cincinnati Reds already know they are resigned to a long season.

2022 Reds rankings in their franchise history since 1901, through 21 games

pitching
3-18 record: tied, worst ever
5.97 team ERA: 3rd-worst
99 walks allowed: 5th worst

batting
.204 team BA: 2nd-worst
66 runs scored: 5th-worst
190 strikeouts 2nd-worst

— High Heat Stats (@HighHeatStats) May 1, 2022

Here are our best bets for Monday’s MLB action. (Odds courtesy of DraftKings)

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet >>

Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles ML

The Baltimore Orioles lost an American League-worst 110 games last season and most assumed they were destined for that many in 2022 as they play in a loaded AL East division. However, the Orioles have already won home series against the Yankees and Red Sox and are in position for their first three-game winning streak in this series opener. The problem is that Baltimore is running into arguably the hottest team in baseball at the moment, a Twins team that nine of its last ten games. All things considered, we are getting decent value on Minnesota’s moneyline odds, as oddsmakers may be overvaluing Baltimore for taking two out of three games from a 9-14 Red Sox team.

Both starting pitchers, Chris Paddack (0-2, 3.68) and Tyler Wells (0-2, 5.54), search for their first wins of the season. Paddack has shown much better command of the strike zone, entering this contest with a 13: 1 K:BB ratio. And we trust Minnesota’s lineup much more even without the injured Miguel Sano. Byron Buxton broke out of a 0-for-11 slump in a big way with a 2-for-5 effort, including his seventh home run of the season yesterday, and we like for that momentum to carry over to this series.

Minnesota is 5-0 in its last five games as favorites and is 9-3 in its previous 12 games in Baltimore. Hop on this moneyline value before the betting public drives the price up throughout the day.

Bet: Minnesota Twins ML (-155 at DraftKings)  

New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays ML

The Yankees have the longest active winning streak in baseball at nine games, as no other team currently has won more than three games in a row. And like many other long winning streaks that ended over the weekend, we expect New York’s good fortune to end against its division rival tonight.

Toronto has owned left-handed pitching of late, winning each of its last four home games against left-handed starting pitchers and seven of its previous eight such games overall. New York’s Jordan Montgomery (0-1, 2.70) is 2-1 with a 4.03 ERA in eight career appearances (seven starts) against Toronto. However, his 1.316 WHIP in those starts is worrisome, and he does not induce many swings and misses from Blue Jays hitters, as his 6.9 K/9 rate is by far his lowest against any division opponent.

New York has won five of its last six road games against the Blue Jays, but this Toronto team is destined to battle the Yankees in the division all year long after a 15-8 start. The Blue Jays are an MLB-best 9-2 in one-run games, and we trust their ability in tight games. Toronto is not likely to be home underdogs often later into the season as it continues to pile up wins, so take advantage of getting them as home ‘dogs while you can.

Bet: Toronto Blue Jays ML (+100 at DraftKings)  

Bet $5, Win $200 on Any MLB Moneyline

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our How To Section — including How to Avoid the 7 Biggest Sports Betting Mistakes — or head to more advanced strategy — like Thinking Like an Expert Sports Bettor — to learn more.

Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.

The post Top MLB Betting Odds & Picks for Monday, May 2nd (2022) appeared first on BettingPros.