Welcome back to another round of MLB Best Bets Today as the 2025 baseball season rolls on. 

Thursday’s baseball slate is loaded with 13 games on the MLB schedule. The action gets going early with some afternoon matchups before carrying into the night. As always, there are plenty of ways to go for our top MLB picks and predictions as games last all day long. Let’s focus on two games for our MLB best bets today before dishing out a few baseball player props and other picks to consider. 

Keep in mind, some of these odds or lines could move before the first pitch. All bets below are for one unit unless otherwise noted. Without further ado, let’s dive into our MLB Best Bets Today.

MLB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 6/5

Our MLB Best Bets Today start with the series finale between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians. We’ll also dive into a potential pitchers’ duel as the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros. Check out these MLB predictions to make as you enjoy Thursday’s baseball action. 

 

 


 

Guardians vs. Yankees Predictions: Thursday, June 5th

The Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees wrap up their mid-week series on Thursday night. The Yankees won on Tuesday while the Guardians took yesterday’s game. Let’s break down this series finale of last year’s ALCS matchup. 

Yankees starter Max Fried is due for a bounceback after coughing up six runs to the Dodgers on the road last outing. The lefty still boasts a 1.92 ERA and 0.97 WHIP this season despite that one bad start. He’s given up fewer than two earned runs in eight of his 12 starts so far. 

Fried has been dominant at home this year. He owns a 1.69 ERA while holding opponents to a .184 batting average and .237 wOBA across six home starts. The Yanks are also 6-0 in his home outings, winning five of those by multiple runs. 

The New York southpaw will face a Cleveland offense that’s struggled against left-handed pitching. Over the past two weeks vs. lefties, the Guardians have a .247 wOBA (28th in MLB), 59 wRC+ (27th), .208 batting average (21st), and 28.9% strikeout rate (25th). On the season overall, they have a .275 wOBA (25th) and 76 wRC+ (23rd) in the split. 

This is a great matchup for Fried to rebound from that previous terrible start. Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon tossed seven innings of one-run ball against Cleveland on Tuesday. His rotation mate can do the same here. 

On the other side, New York’s offense should provide run support against Guardians starter Slade Cecconi. The right-hander has a 5.28 ERA and 1.43 WHIP through three starts so far this year. That includes five runs allowed on seven hits against the Angels last time out. 

Cecconi has to face a Yankees offense that’s elite at home with a .347 wOBA (3rd in MLB) and 125 wRC+ (2nd). They’re also hammering righties over the past week with a .372 wOBA, 143 wRC+, and .264 ISO. This is tough for Cecconi, who’s getting hit hard right now. 

Take New York to cover the runlines for both the full game and the first five innings en route to the victory. The Yankees are now 8-2 in their last 10 home games. Expect them to rebound after losing 4-0 last night. 

 

 


 

Astros vs. Pirates Predictions: Thursday, June 5th

The Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their interleague series on Thursday night with an intriguing matchup. The teams split the first two games of this series, with both contests ending in 3-0 final scorelines. Instead of backing a side, let’s count on today’s game to be another lower-scoring one. 

A month ago, Astros starter Framber Valdez had a 4.39 ERA with multiple shaky starts to begin the season. Well, he’s back on track lately. The southpaw has posted a 1.70 ERA over his last five starts with 7+ strikeouts in four of those outings. Valdez has now lowered his season-long ERA to 3.12 while owning a 3.24 FIP as well. 

This is the Cy Young contender we’re used to seeing. Valdez’s current 1.06 WHIP and .211 batting average against are also both career-best marks since becoming a full-time starter in 2020. Plus, his subpar 4.14 road ERA is misleading. The lefty’s 2.94 FIP and 2.97 xFIP on the road are notably better. He’s thrown a quality start in four of six road outings as well. 

Let’s count on Valdez to hold down the weak Pirates offense. They’ve struggled against left-handed pitching this season with a .276 wOBA (24th in MLB) and 71 wRC+ (26th). Pittsburgh has been slightly worse over the past month vs. lefties with a .273 wOBA, 68 wRC+, .215 batting average, and 29.5% K rate. 

Meanwhile, Pirates starter Mitch Keller can limit the Astros’ scoring as well. The right-hander was up and down to begin the season, but he’s been much better lately. Keller boasts a 2.90 ERA and 2.43 FIP over his last five starts. He also has a 2.80 ERA over his last six home starts. 

Keller’s season-long 3.73 ERA isn’t too impressive at first glance, but his 3.20 FIP tells a better story. Plus, he’s tossed a quality start in nine of 12 outings so far this year. The Pirates’ righty also owns a career-low 6.4% walk rate (77th MLB percentile) with just a 5.5% barrel rate (82nd percentile). 

As for the Astros, they haven’t hit right-handed pitching well recently. Over the past week vs. righties, Houston has a .264 wOBA (28th in MLB), 68 wRC+ (27th), and .208 BA (28th). The ‘Stros are also bottom-tier on the road this season with a .285 wOBA (27th) and 82 wRC+ (27th). 

Let’s grab the under for the full game and the first five innings. Both Valdez and Keller should keep things in check early and often to anchor a low-scoring game. 

 

 


 

Best MLB Player Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 6/5

 

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