The MLB slate for Thursday, April 3 is small with just 5 games. However, that didn’t stop our team of MLB betting experts from finding value on the board.
They have identified a trio of best bets, from 3 separate games, so let’s dig into our MLB picks and best bets for today.
[quickslipbasic bookname=”BetMGM” booklogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/779359_BetMGM800x200@1x.png” image=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-03-at-8.01.01%E2%80%AFAM.png” buttontext=”Instantly Parlay These Picks!” buttonlink=”https://switchboard.actionnetwork.com/v2/deeplink?deeplinkId[0]=ML1434783954&deeplinkId[1]=ML1433344357&deeplinkId[2]=ML1434749124&context=qs-articles”][/quickslipbasic]
MLB Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today’s slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| [teammatchup link=”#1″ firstfullname=”Colorado Rockies” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/col.png” secondfullname=”Philadelphia Phillies” secondlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-philadelphia-phillies.png”][/teammatchup] | 1:05 p.m. | |
| [teammatchup link=”#2″ firstfullname=”Arizona Diamondbacks” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/ari.png” secondfullname=”New York Yankees” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/nyyd.png”][/teammatchup] | 7:05 p.m. | |
| [teammatchup link=”#3″ firstfullname=”Cincinnati Reds” firstlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-cincinnati-reds.png” secondfullname=”Milwaukee Brewers” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/mil.png”][/teammatchup] | 7:40 p.m. | |
|
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game.
|
||
_InlineAdBlock
[anchor name=”1″][/anchor]
[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Grant Neiffer’s Rockies vs Phillies Best Bet: Goodman Going Deep?”][/subheader]
[gameheader haspick=”true” picktext=”Hunter Goodman 1+ HR (+450)” league=”mlb” awaylogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/col.png” awayname=”Colorado Rockies” awayslug=”colorado-rockies” homelogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-philadelphia-phillies.png” homename=”Philadelphia Phillies” homeslug=”philadelphia-phillies” date=”Thursday, April 3″ time=”1:05 p.m. ET” network=”MLB.TV” bookname=”DraftKings ” bookprimarylogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/477013_DraftKings@1x.png” bookreviewslug=”draftkings”][/gameheader]
Hunter Goodman projects as a potential 30+ homer guy this season and is in a great spot today.
The wind is blowing out heavily at around 16 mph in Philadelphia, which boasts one of the more wind-receptive parks in the league. Additionally, the matchup vs. Taijuan Walker is good as he historically allows slightly above average power to righties and projects as a well above average power pitcher this season. I have the true odds here for Goodman at just over +400, making this a good EV bet.
Pick: Hunter Goodman 1+ HR (+450)
| [teammatchup link=”#1″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Colorado Rockies” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/col.png” secondfullname=”Philadelphia Phillies” secondlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-philadelphia-phillies.png”][/teammatchup] | [teammatchup link=”#2″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Arizona Diamondbacks” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/ari.png” secondfullname=”New York Yankees” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/nyyd.png”][/teammatchup] | [teammatchup link=”#3″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Cincinnati Reds” firstlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-cincinnati-reds.png” secondfullname=”Milwaukee Brewers” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/mil.png”][/teammatchup] |
[anchor name=”2″][/anchor]
[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Charlie Wright’s Diamondbacks vs Yankees Best Bet: Trust Arizona’s Bats”][/subheader]
[gameheader haspick=”true” picktext=”Diamondbacks Over 4.5 Runs (-118)” league=”mlb” awaylogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/ari.png” awayname=”Arizona Diamondbacks” awayslug=”arizona-diamondbacks” homelogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/nyyd.png” homename=”New York Yankees” homeslug=”new-york-yankees” date=”Thursday, April 3″ time=”7:05 p.m. ET” network=”MLB.TV” bookname=”BetMGM” bookprimarylogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/779359_BetMGM800x200@1x.png” bookreviewslug=”betmgm”][/gameheader]
This is an excellent matchup for a dangerous Arizona lineup. Carlos Carrasco posted a 5.64 ERA across 21 starts with Cleveland last season. The 38-year-old has made one appearance this year and got tagged for three earned runs over two innings against Milwaukee. Injuries forced him into New York’s rotation, but he doesn’t appear to be a viable MLB pitcher at this point.
The Diamondbacks were top five in OPS, wOBA, wRC+, SLG and ISO against righties last season. They swapped out Christian Walker for Josh Naylor, but other than that, it’s the same lineup this year. They’re already off to a hot start this season, ranking second in OPS, wOBA and wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching.
The hitting conditions look great for tonight. Meteorologist Kevin Roth’s WeatherEdge tool shows a 14.3% bump in scoring and a 21.5% increase in home runs based on 54 games matching these conditions. We’ve already seen warm weather at Yankee Stadium produce some massive numbers as Carrasco’s lone appearance came in a game with a final score of 20-9.
New York’s bullpen is in good shape in terms of usage, though the Yankees missing their best reliever as closer Devin Williams is on the paternity list. Hopefully this doesn’t come down to the ninth inning, but it’s a bonus that the Diamondbacks will avoid one of the best relievers in the game.
Pick: Diamondbacks Over 4.5 Runs (-118)
| [teammatchup link=”#1″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Colorado Rockies” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/col.png” secondfullname=”Philadelphia Phillies” secondlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-philadelphia-phillies.png”][/teammatchup] | [teammatchup link=”#2″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Arizona Diamondbacks” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/ari.png” secondfullname=”New York Yankees” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/nyyd.png”][/teammatchup] | [teammatchup link=”#3″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Cincinnati Reds” firstlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-cincinnati-reds.png” secondfullname=”Milwaukee Brewers” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/mil.png”][/teammatchup] |
[anchor name=”3″][/anchor]
[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Doug Ziefel’s Reds vs Brewers Best Bet: Root for Strikeouts”][/subheader]
[gameheader haspick=”true” picktext=”Nick Lodolo Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-110)” league=”mlb” awaylogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-cincinnati-reds.png” awayname=”Cincinnati Reds” awayslug=”cincinnati-reds” homelogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/mil.png” homename=”Milwaukee Brewers” homeslug=”milwaukee-brewers” date=”Thursday, April 3″ time=”7:40 p.m. ET” network=”MLB.TV” bookname=”BetMGM” bookprimarylogo=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/779359_BetMGM800x200@1x.png” bookreviewslug=”betmgm”][/gameheader]
By Doug Ziefel
Our final bounce-back candidate is Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo, who did everything well in his first outing of the season against San Francisco, tossing six innings of two-run ball and walking none.
The only outlier was his strikeout total. He had just one punchout in that outing, but did average 5.8 per start last season. Lodolo also showed indicators of high-strikeout upside as his strikeout rate and strikeout-per-nine rates both ranked in the top 30% of qualified pitchers.
So, it’s clear Lodolo is due to put more hitters away. Tonight, he gets a great matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, who have had a rough start at the plate.
Milwaukee has struck out over 29% of the time against lefties and is hitting just .220 against them. While it is a small sample size, the Brewers aren’t yet clicking against lefties, and that’s a big edge for a pitcher with the strikeout prowess of Lodolo.
Pick: Nick Lodolo Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-110)
| [teammatchup link=”#1″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Colorado Rockies” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/col.png” secondfullname=”Philadelphia Phillies” secondlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-philadelphia-phillies.png”][/teammatchup] | [teammatchup link=”#2″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Arizona Diamondbacks” firstlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/ari.png” secondfullname=”New York Yankees” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/nyyd.png”][/teammatchup] | [teammatchup link=”#3″ shadow=”true” firstfullname=”Cincinnati Reds” firstlogo=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/2023-mlb-logo-cincinnati-reds.png” secondfullname=”Milwaukee Brewers” secondlogo=”https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/mlb/100/mil.png”][/teammatchup] |
[procard imageurl=”https://assets.actionnetwork.com/527348_ProWeekly1500x8441.jpg” cta=”7 Days of PRO Betting Tools” firstupsell=”Track sharp CBB & MLB money” secondupsell=”Player prop & home run projections” thirdupsell=”PRO systems, premium articles & more!” buttontext=”TRY PRO NOW” buttonurl=”/pricing”][/procard]