MLB Picks Today:
Expert baseball handicapper Greg Peterson shares his top MLB picks today for Friday, May 23.
Check out Greg’s Daily MLB Lines and his Baseball Betting Show Podcast. Also, check out our MLB Betting Splits.
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6:40 PM Eastern
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates entered Thursday having scored four runs or fewer in 26 straight games—the longest streak in the live-ball era—and send ace Paul Skenes to the mound. Skenes owns a 2.44 ERA with just four home runs allowed across 10 starts.
Pick: Under 7 Runs (Greg’s Handicapped Total: 6.6)
Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds
Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene is making his first start in a little over two weeks. He has a 2.36 ERA with 12 strikeouts per nine innings. Cubs starter Matthew Boyd owns a 2.98 ERA but has a 3.98 fielding independent pitching (FIP), allowing 1.2 home runs per nine innings. He is backed by a bullpen ranked 19th in ERA at 4.23, while the Reds’ bullpen ranks seventh with a 3.30 ERA.
Pick: Reds Moneyline -101 (Greg’s Handicap: Reds -139)
7:10 PM Eastern
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets
Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw is coming off an outing in which he allowed five runs in four innings against the Angels—his first start of the season. Mets starter Griffin Canning has allowed just five total runs over his past five starts, posting a 2.47 ERA overall. He’s backed by a bullpen that ranks third in ERA at 2.91, while the Dodgers bullpen ranks 17th with a 4.00 ERA.
Pick: Mets Moneyline +104 (Greg’s Handicap: Mets -121)
Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers
Guardians starter Slade Cecconi allowed three runs in five innings in his first start of the season, after posting a 6.66 ERA with the Diamondbacks last year. Tigers starter Jackson Jobe has a 4.12 ERA and is backed by a bullpen with the best ERA in baseball since the 2024 All-Star Break.
Pick: Tigers Moneyline -128 (Greg’s Handicap: Tigers -149)
8:10 PM Eastern
Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins
Royals starter Noah Cameron has allowed just one run over 12 2/3 innings, but owns a 4.34 FIP with 4.3 strikeouts and 3.6 walks per nine innings. Twins starter Pablo López holds a 2.40 ERA overall, though it rises to 3.94 at home. The Twins average 4.6 runs per game at home, which ranks ninth in the league.
Picks: Twins Run Line -1.5 +135 and Over 7.5 Runs (Greg’s Handicaps: Twins -1.5 +123 and Total: 8.3)
Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros
Mariners starter Emerson Hancock owns a 6.21 ERA with 1.9 home runs and 3.2 walks per nine innings. Astros starter Ryan Gusto has a 4.65 ERA with 1.2 home runs and 3.8 walks per nine. He faces a Mariners lineup that ranks fourth in runs per game on the road at 5.2.
Pick: Over 8.5 Runs (Greg’s Handicapped Total: 8.9)
8:40 PM Eastern
New York Yankees vs. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies’ offense ranks 28th in run production, averaging 3.3 runs per game—and just under 4.3 even at Coors Field. Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt has a 4.41 ERA, supported by a bullpen ranked 10th at 3.43 ERA. Rockies starter Tanner Gordon owns an impressive 2.29 FIP.
Pick: Under 12 Runs (Greg’s Handicapped Total: 10.8)
9:38 PM Eastern
Miami Marlins vs. Los Angeles Angels
Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi owns a 3.50 ERA with a 4.43 FIP, allowing 1.2 home runs and 4.3 walks per nine innings. Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara carries a 7.99 ERA, giving up 1.5 home runs and five walks per nine innings. He’s backed by a Marlins bullpen with a 5.11 ERA (26th in the league), while the Angels bullpen is worst in the league at 6.66.
Picks: Angels Run Line -1.5 +140 and Over 8.5 Runs (Greg’s Handicaps: Angels -1.5 +119 and Total: 8.6)
