MLB Picks Today:
Expert baseball handicapper Greg Peterson shares his top MLB picks today for Thursday, April 23.
Check out Greg’s Daily MLB Lines and his Baseball Betting Show Podcast. Also, check out our MLB Betting Splits and tools from our friends at Ballpark Pal, including Strikeout Prop Projections and the MLB YRFI Report.
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1:10 PM Eastern
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Detroit Tigers
Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat has struggled this season, posting a 6.88 ERA with a 6.23 fielding independent, allowing 2.1 home runs and 5.8 walks per nine innings. Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal is coming off back-to-back Cy Young seasons and is in good form again, posting a 2.08 ERA and 2.08 fielding independent with a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.5. He faces a Brewers lineup that ranked fifth in scoring last season with 4.8 runs per game and is sixth this season with just under 5.4 runs per game.
Pick: Brewers vs. Tigers Over 6.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 7.2
2:20 PM Eastern
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs
Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez has been superb to start the season with a 1.59 ERA, recording 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings with just 0.3 home runs allowed per nine innings. Cubs starting pitcher Edward Cabrera has a 2.38 ERA without allowing a home run but is pitching to a lot of contact with 6.8 strikeouts and 4.4 walks per nine innings. Both offenses should benefit from moderate wind gusts blowing out, and the Phillies bullpen ranks 20th in ERA at 4.52 while recently placing closer Jhoan Durán on the injured list.
Pick: Phillies vs. Cubs Over 8 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 9.3
3:10 PM Eastern
San Diego Padres vs. Colorado Rockies
Padres starting pitcher Matt Waldron has made just two MLB starts since 2024, when he posted a 4.91 ERA with a 4.26 fielding independent, allowing 1.3 home runs and 2.5 walks per nine innings. Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner missed much of last season due to injury but, between 2024 and 2025, pitched better than his 4.53 ERA would indicate, with a 4.19 fielding independent, allowing 1.1 home runs and three walks per nine innings across 36 starts. That suggests potential improvement from his current 6.00 ERA this season. Both bullpens have been solid, with the Rockies ranking sixth in ERA at 3.33 and the Padres third at 2.85.
Pick: Padres vs. Rockies Under 12 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 11.3
3:40 PM Eastern
Chicago White Sox vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Diamondbacks starting pitcher Michael Soroka has begun the season strong, posting a 2.78 ERA with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, and he faces a White Sox lineup that entered Wednesday scoring just over four runs per game. White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin has a 2.16 ERA, but his 3.50 fielding independent with 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings signals possible regression. He is backed by a bullpen that ranks 28th in ERA at 5.73. The Diamondbacks lineup, while different from 2025, is coming off a season in which it ranked fourth in scoring with 4.9 runs per game.
Pick: Diamondbacks Moneyline -142 and Under 9 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Diamondbacks -189 and Total 8.3
6:45 PM Eastern
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler has a 2.68 ERA with 10.7 strikeouts and 0.7 home runs allowed per nine innings across his 19 career starts and faces a Red Sox lineup that entered Wednesday 24th in scoring with just over 3.9 runs per game. Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello has struggled to a 6.75 ERA through four starts this season but is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he posted a 3.35 ERA with 0.9 home runs allowed per nine innings. The Red Sox bullpen ranked second in ERA in 2025 at 3.41.
Pick: Yankees vs. Red Sox Under 8.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 8.1
8:05 PM Eastern
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Texas Rangers
Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler has been solid since being called up in 2025, posting a 3.65 career ERA with 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings and 0.7 home runs allowed per nine innings. Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom has allowed 1.4 home runs per nine innings but has minimized damage with a 2.29 ERA and 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He is supported by a bullpen that ranked second in ERA entering Wednesday at 2.69. The Pirates offense ranks eighth in scoring overall with nearly five runs per game but entered Wednesday 15th in road scoring with 4.2 runs per game.
Pick: Pirates vs. Rangers Under 8.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Total 7.7
