Free MLB Picks For Today, Thursday 9/5/2024

In the starter slot Thursday the Astros will go with Hunter Brown. This year Brown is 11-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). Brown is 24-20 with a 4.12 ERA in 65 games (57 starts) during his career. 

As a starter for Thursday, it’ll be Rhett Lowder. After his lone start (the first of his career) Lowder is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA and six Ks in 4.0 frames.

The Pick:

Brown is currently experiencing an impressive streak. In his last three outings, he has achieved a record of 1-0, allowing only two earned runs over a total of 19.2 innings, during which he conceded nine hits and issued six walks. It will be intriguing to observe Lowder's performance in his second appearance. On Wednesday, the Astros faced significant challenges following the first inning. Nevertheless, their overall performance was not entirely lacking. I anticipate that Houston will recover and secure a victory in the final game.

Minnesota Twins vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction MLB Picks 9/5/24

Twins at Rays at 1:10 PM ET

Pablo Lopez gets the ball for the Minnesota Twins, and he is 13-8 with a 4.05 ERA and 164 strikeouts this season. Lopez has allowed 29 hits and 6 earned runs in his last 31.2 innings. Lopez has a 4.11 ERA and a .219 allowed batting average in 81 road innings. Lopez is 1-3 with a 4.05 ERA and 38 strikeouts in his career against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Taj Bradley gets the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays, and he is 6-9 with a 4.35 ERA and 121 strikeouts this season. Bradley has allowed 37 hits and 27 earned runs in his last 23.1 innings. Bradley has a 3.92 ERA and a .212 allowed batting average in 59.2 home innings. Bradley is 0-0 with a 5.06 ERA and 10 strikeouts in his career against the Minnesota Twins.

The Pick:

Pablo Lopez has exhibited inconsistent performance more frequently than in previous seasons; however, I still favor the Minnesota Twins in this matchup. The Twins are in a critical position as they strive for a playoff berth and must capitalize on opportunities against weaker opponents. The Tampa Bay Rays have struggled and faced challenges in generating consistent offensive output. Additionally, Taj Bradley has proven to be vulnerable this season, having faced significant difficulties in his recent outings. Therefore, I predict that the Twins will secure a victory on Thursday afternoon.

Seattle Mariners vs Oakland Athletics Prediction MLB Picks 9/5/24

Mariners at Athletics at 3:37 PM ET

Bryan Woo gets the ball for the Seattle Mariners, and he is 6-2 with a 2.30 ERA and 71 strikeouts this season. Woo has allowed 25 hits and 10 earned runs in his last 40.1 innings. Woo has a 2.94 ERA and a .212 allowed batting average in 52 road innings. Woo is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts in his career against the Oakland Athletics.

Joey Estes gets the ball for the Oakland Athletics, and he is 6-6 with a 4.29 ERA and 83 strikeouts this season. Estes has allowed 26 hits and 12 runs in his last 35.2 innings. Estes has a 2.31 ERA and a .188 allowed batting average in 58.1 home innings. Estes is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 12 strikeouts in his career against the Seattle Mariners.

The Pick:

The Seattle Mariners have struggled to generate runs for several months, making it advisable to consider betting on the under in their games due to consistently low scoring totals. Bryan Woo has delivered an impressive performance this season, boasting a 2.30 ERA, with some of his strongest outings occurring on the road. Additionally, Woo has found success against the Athletics in several of his starts. Joey Estes has permitted only 12 runs over his last 35.2 innings and has been exceptional at home, having pitched 58.1 innings. Based on these statistics, this matchup is likely to result in a low score. I recommend taking the Under.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Francisco Giants Prediction MLB Picks 9/5/24

Diamondbacks at Giants at 3:45 PM ET

The Arizona Diamondbacks will start Merrill Kelly and Kelly is 4-0 with a 4.30 ERA and 33 strikeouts this season. In his last five starts against San Francisco, Kelly is 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA and 22 strikeouts. 

Blake Snell will get the start for the Giants and is 2-3 with a 3.56 ERA and 114 strikeouts this season. In his last five starts against Arizona, Snell is 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA and 37 strikeouts.

The Pick:

San Francisco appears to be in a state of decline. Although Snell has been their standout performer and has shown impressive form in his recent games, the caliber of opponents he has faced at home has not been particularly formidable. In contrast, Arizona has been excelling against left-handed pitchers over the past few weeks, while San Francisco's offense has struggled significantly against right-handed pitching during the same period. Therefore, I believe the value lies with Arizona in this matchup. I am backing the Diamondbacks.

Philadelphia Phillies vs Miami Marlins Prediction MLB Picks 9/5/24

Phillies at Marlins at 6:40 PM ET

In the starter slot for Thursday’s opener, the Phillies will trot out Ranger Suarez. So far Suarez is 11-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 22 starts. In 156 career games (88 starts) Suarez is 40-27 with a 3.32 ERA.

As starting pitcher Thursday Miami will send out Adam Oller. This year Oller is 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA in three starts. Oller is 4-10 with a 6.53 ERA in 31 career games (18 starts).

The Pick:

A strong start is essential for Suarez. He delivered a commendable performance against Kansas City on August 24, allowing only one earned run over 5.0 innings in a victorious outing. However, in his subsequent appearance against the Braves on August 30, he struggled, yielding four earned runs on five hits and a walk across 4.0 innings, resulting in a loss. On Wednesday, the Phillies managed to overcome an early deficit and secured a victory. Notably, all of their runs batted in came from home runs, indicating a need for more diversity in their offensive strategy for Thursday's game. Nevertheless, if Suarez can commence the game effectively, the Phillies will be well-positioned for success. Take the Phillies here.

Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction MLB Picks 9/5/24

Nationals at Pirates at 6:40 PM ET

The projected starting pitcher for Washington is Jake Irvin, who is 9-11 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 161.0 innings pitched this season. Irvin has allowed four earned runs or more in three of his last five starts. 

The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Bailey Falter, who is 6-7 with a 4.41 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over 116.1 innings pitched this year. Falter has allowed four earned runs or more in three of his last four starts. 

The Pick:

The performance of the Pirates' pitching staff has been satisfactory thus far this season; however, Falter's recent form has not been impressive. Conversely, Jake Irvin has exhibited significant inconsistency, conceding a considerable number of runs in his latest outings. While the offensive capabilities of both teams may not be exceptional, I anticipate that both starting pitchers will face challenges. Therefore, I recommend considering the Over in this matchup.

Colorado Rockies vs Atlanta Braves Prediction MLB Picks 9/5/24

Rockies at Braves at 7:20 PM ET

The projected starting pitcher for Colorado is Austin Gomber, who is 4-10 with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP over 144.0 innings pitched this year. Gomber has allowed seven earned runs in his last two starts (12.0 IP) against the Orioles and Yankees. 

The projected starting pitcher for Atlanta is Reynaldo Lopez, who is 8-4 with a 2.00 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP over 121.2 innings pitched this season. Lopez has allowed one earned run or fewer in four straight starts. 

The Pick:

Atlanta boasts one of the top team earned run averages (ERA) in Major League Baseball, and they are set to start Reynaldo Lopez, who has performed exceptionally well in his last four appearances. In contrast, Colorado will rely on Austin Gomber, whose performance has been inconsistent this season, and I lack confidence in his ability to succeed on the road against this formidable lineup. I recommend backing the Braves to secure a victory by a margin of at least two runs.

LA Angels vs Texas Rangers Prediction MLB Picks 9/5/24

Angels at Rangers at 8:05 PM ET

Getting the start for the Angels will be Jack Kochanowic who sits with a 2-3 record and an ERA of 4.96. In his last start against the Detroit Tigers, he went six innings giving up five hits and zero runs.

Getting the start for the Rangers will be Cody Bradford who sits with a 4-2 record and an ERA of 3.21. In his last start against the Oakland Athletics, he went seven innings giving up four hits and two runs. 

The Pick:

Both the Angels and Rangers are likely to face challenges in scoring during this matchup. In his most recent appearance, Bradford allowed two runs, resulting in an earned run average (ERA) of 3.21. On the other hand, Kochanowic did not concede any runs in his last outing and is expected to perform exceptionally well in this game. The strong starting pitching from both teams will contribute to their scoring difficulties, which is expected to be a decisive factor. Back Under in this duel.

Detroit Tigers vs San Diego Padres Prediction MLB Picks 9/5/24

Tigers at Padres at 8:40 PM ET

Casey Mize will start for the Tigers here. Mize sits with a 2-6 record and an ERA of 4.36. In his last start against the Boston Red Sox, he went six innings giving up five hits and three runs.

Martin Perez will take the mound for the Padres on Thursday. Perez sits with a 4-5 record and an ERA of 4.71. In his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays, he went five innings giving up seven hits and four runs. 

The Pick:

This match is expected to produce a lot of runs. I particularly do not favor Mize, who currently holds an ERA of 4.36 and a record of 2-6. Perez has also shown inconsistency, having allowed four runs in his most recent outing. The Tigers are likely to capitalize on Perez's performance early in the game, which will be a crucial factor. Scoring opportunities will abound, leading to a total that surpasses expectations. I recommend going with the Over for a profitable outcome.