MLB Picks Today: Expert MLB Picks for
Saturday, April 4
It's another Saturday chock full of games, with the first game of the day at 1:10 p.m. ET with an interleague matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers on ESPN Unlimited, and the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals locking horns at 2:10 p.m. ET on FS1. At 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX has regional games between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians or the Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks. Let's get started building our bankroll for the rest of the season!
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Houston Astros at Athletics: Expert Betting Tips and Analysis
The Astros (5-3) and Athletics (2-5) meet at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, and first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET.
Houston's probable starter, RHP Tatsuya Imai, gets his second chance. He made his Major League debut March 29 against the Los Angeles Angels, and it was an inauspicious start. He allowed four earned runs, three hits and four walks in just 2.2 IP with four strikeouts on 74 pitches in a no-decision. The Astros actually went on to win the game 9-7, but it was a shaky start, at best.
The Athletics counter with RHP Luis Morales, who was knocked around for five earned runs, five hits, including three homers, and two walks with five strikeouts in just 4.1 IP in a loss in Toronto last Sunday.
The A's have been a major thorn in the side of the Astros since last summer, winning eight of the previous nine outings, including Friday's series opener, 11-4. The Over has cashed in the past two meetings, too, and in Sacto, we should see the ball flying nicely.
We have a couple of pitchers who were very giving in their respective outings. Let's go high on the total, as we should easily get to double digits, and we'll back the A's based on their recent, surprising dominance in the series.
MLB Best Bets for Astros vs. A's:
- A's ML (-105 at Bet365, Bet365, Caesars and Fanatics Sportsbooks)
- Over 10 Runs (+100 at Bet365, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbooks)
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Atlanta Braves at Arizona Diamondbacks: Saturday Night Baseball Insights
The Braves (6-2) and Diamondbacks (3-5) meet at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona at 7:15 p.m. ET in a regional FOX game.
After an absolutely brutal start in 2025, the Braves have decided they do not want to repeat that. They've fired out of the chute to win six of the first eight games, including the past three outings. Atlanta has won the first two games on the road, both in this series, clubbing the Snakes 17-2 on Thursday, while outpitching the home side 2-0 behind Grant Holmes on Friday evening.
The Braves have won three in a row, and Atlanta pitching has conceded two or fewer points in six of the eight games to date. The Under has cashed in seven of the first eight games for Atlanta, too, while splitting 1-1 on the road so far.
For Arizona, it lost three in a row to start, then it won three straight, and now it has lost two in a row. The Under has hit in two of the past three games.
RHP Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) takes the ball for the Braves, and he twirled six scoreless frames with five hits, a walk and five strikeouts in an 83-pitch performance against the A's last Monday in his debut.
Arizona RHP Michael Soroka allowed four hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts across five scoreless innings in a 9-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers in an 89-pitch effort.
Let's take Arizona behind Soroka, as Elder isn't quite as dominant, and there is doubt about him in his first road effort. But, we'll go low based on the showings we saw in each pitcher's first start. Go rather aggressively on the Under, too.
MLB Best Bets for Braves vs. Diamondbacks:
- Diamondbacks ML (-105 at BetMGM)
- Under 9.5 Runs (-105 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
Best MLB Parlays Today
4-Leg MLB Giant Parlay (+1003 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Athletics ML (-104) vs. Astros
- Over 10 (-102) - A's vs. Astros
- Under 9.5 (-118) - Diamondbacks vs. Braves
- Diamondbacks ML (-110) vs. Braves
2-Leg MLB Sides Parlay (+274 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Athletics ML (-104) vs. Astros
- Diamondbacks ML (-110) vs. Braves
2-Leg MLB Totals Parlay (+265 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Over 10 (-102) - A's vs. Astros
- Under 9.5 (-118) - Diamondbacks vs. Braves
