My kids have finished school for the year. I repeat, my kids have finished school for the year.
Thankfully, school ended on a Wednesday, so I get to tiptoe into summer vacation with Thursday afternoon MLB.
There are four matinees today, and after a quick check in with the Action Network’s PRO betting tools, three MLB picks are already popping on Thursday afternoon.
MLB Picks for Thursday
*MLB odds as of Thursday morning
Nationals vs. Tigers Pick
1:10 p.m. ET | MASN2
Nationals vs. Tigers is a classic case of sharp bettors moving MLB odds.
Let me explain.
This total opened at 8 before wiseguys pounced on the over, steaming the line to the latest consensus of 9.
Steam refers to sudden, uniform line movement across the market that is often the result of bettors with the resources and respect to move odds by getting down on the same wager at multiple sportsbooks, all at once.
PRO Pick: Over 9 (-110)
Yankees vs. Royals Pick
2:10 p.m. ET | YES
The Yankees are significant road favorites against the Royals today and that hasn’t stopped the pros from laying the price with the Bronx Bombers.
Our PRO tools are tracking three separate steam moves on New York, explaining why this line has stretched from -155 to -162 at DraftKings.
In fact, savvy bettors can find even more value by shopping for the best odds and grabbing the Yanks at -155 at Caesars.
PRO Pick: Yankees (-155) — Caesars
Pirates vs. Cardinals Pick
2:15 p.m. ET | SportsNetPT
The wiseguys are taking a third position on Thursday’s afternoon slate.
Sharp action has driven the Pirates vs. Cardinals total from 9 to 8.5, with big bets continuing to flow on this side of the total.
The Action Network’s MLB public betting data is reporting that the under has landed 44% of the money, but on just 33% of the tickets, thus far, showing why oddsmakers have felt motivated to drop this number.
PRO Pick: Under 8.5 (-110) — BetMGM