MLB Picks Today:
Expert baseball handicapper Greg Peterson shares his top MLB picks today for Tuesday, June 2.
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.
Our brand new Opta AI MLB Player Prop Projections are also available.
6:40 PM Eastern
San Diego Padres vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola has struggled this season with a 5.72 ERA, allowing 1.6 home runs and 2.9 walks per nine innings, while Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez has posted a 3.28 ERA but a higher 4.24 fielding independent with 1.2 home runs allowed per nine innings and just seven strikeouts per nine innings. He is supported by a Padres lineup that averages just 3.9 runs per game overall, but has been significantly better on the road with 4.4 runs per game compared to 3.5 runs per game at home.
Pick: Padres vs. Phillies Over 8 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: 8.7
6:45 PM Eastern
Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are last in the league in scoring at home with 3.2 runs per game, while the Orioles rank 22nd in road scoring with four runs per game and send Shane Baz to the mound. Baz has a 4.48 ERA, but a lower 4.07 fielding independent with eight strikeouts per nine innings and just one home run allowed per nine innings. Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early might be due for some regression on his 2.95 ERA, as he is allowing 1.3 home runs and 3.2 walks per nine innings with a 4.45 fielding independent, but he has the support of a bullpen that is fifth in ERA at 3.13.
Pick: Orioles vs. Red Sox Under 8.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: 8.3
Miami Marlins vs. Washington Nationals
The Marlins currently have “to be announced” listed as their starting pitcher, with an expectation that Ryan Gusto might play a big role in the pitching duties. Gusto has pitched just one inning at the MLB level this season after posting a 5.67 ERA with 1.5 home runs and 3.2 walks per nine innings in 2025 and now faces a Nationals lineup that leads the league in scoring with 5.4 runs per game. Nationals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas, who may have an opener working in front of him, has also struggled, posting a 5.72 ERA with two home runs allowed per nine innings.
Pick: Nationals Moneyline -108 and Over 9 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Nationals -129 and Total 9.7
7:10 PM Eastern
Kansas City Royals vs. Cincinnati Reds
The Royals entered the series averaging 3.1 runs per game away from home, a full half-run per game fewer than they average at home, and now face Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott, who has allowed a combined four earned runs in his last five starts to lower his ERA to 3.88 after a shaky start to the season. Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron has performed better than his 4.61 ERA would indicate, as he has a 3.46 fielding independent with 0.9 home runs allowed per nine innings, but he is also supported by a bullpen that ranks 29th in the league in ERA at 5.14.
Pick: Reds Moneyline -118
Greg’s Handicap: Reds -146
7:15 PM Eastern
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Atlanta Braves
Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman has a 3.13 ERA and 2.86 fielding independent with 0.8 home runs and 1.6 walks per nine innings and has to face a Braves lineup that is second in the league in scoring with 5.3 runs per game, but has huge home-and-road splits with 4.4 runs per game at home and six runs per game away from home. Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder owns a 2.50 ERA and 3.25 fielding independent, but Baseball Savant shows that he has given up a lot of hard contact that he has, to this point, gotten away with.
Pick: Blue Jays Moneyline +115
Greg’s Handicap: Blue Jays -114
7:40 PM Eastern
Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins
White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin is off to a great start to the 2026 season with a 2.00 ERA and 2.31 fielding independent, getting 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings while allowing only 0.4 home runs and 1.9 walks per nine innings. However, he is supported by a bullpen that is 20th in ERA at 4.48, and the White Sox may see a dip in their offense after entering this series ninth in scoring with 4.7 runs per game, as Munetaka Murakami and his 20 home runs are currently on the injured list. Twins starting pitcher Connor Prielipp owns a 5.13 ERA but a much lower 4.07 fielding independent with 1.1 home runs allowed per nine innings and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
Pick: Twins Moneyline +105
Greg’s Handicap: Twins -108
San Francisco Giants vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Giants starting pitcher Trevor McDonald has been shaky of late, posting a 4.34 ERA this season with three runs or more allowed in three of his past four starts and now faces a Brewers lineup that is fourth in scoring at home with 5.1 runs per game. Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison has dominated this season with a 1.57 ERA and 2.43 fielding independent, getting 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings, and faces a Giants lineup that was last in the league in scoring with 3.7 runs per game entering Sunday before its 19-run outburst in the series finale against the Colorado Rockies.
Pick: Brewers Run Line -1.5 +122
Greg’s Handicap: Brewers -1.5 -109
8:05 PM Eastern
Athletics vs. Chicago Cubs
Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon has struggled this season, posting a 5.37 ERA and 6.57 fielding independent with 2.8 home runs and three walks per nine innings, but should benefit greatly from the wind blowing in on Tuesday. Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump allowed four runs in five innings during his MLB debut last week after posting a 4.50 ERA with the AAA Las Vegas Aviators while recording 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his nine minor league starts.
Pick: Cubs Moneyline -118 and Under 8 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: Cubs -145 and Total 7.1
8:10 PM Eastern
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Houston Astros
Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler has had issues with command this season, posting a 4.85 ERA with 6.2 walks per nine innings, while Astros starting pitcher Mike Burrows owns a 5.40 ERA with 1.8 home runs and three walks per nine innings and is supported by a bullpen that ranks last in the league in ERA at 5.14. The Pirates offense ranks fifth in scoring with nearly five runs per game.
Pick: Pirates Moneyline +100
Greg’s Handicap: Pirates -114
9:40 PM Eastern
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Dodgers starting pitcher Eric Lauer has struggled to a 5.95 ERA with 2.6 home runs and 3.6 walks per nine innings allowed this season, but those struggles all came with the Toronto Blue Jays, as he allowed only one run in six innings in his debut with the Dodgers. Los Angeles also backs him with a bullpen that ranks fourth in ERA at 3.12. Diamondbacks starting pitcher Michael Soroka has a 3.25 ERA and 2.85 fielding independent with 8.9 strikeouts and 0.6 home runs allowed per nine innings.
Pick: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks Under 9.5 Runs
Greg’s Handicap: 8.6
