Daily MLB Expert Picks & Baseball Predictions April 20

Jared Hochman - Content Operations Manager at Covers.com
Jared Hochman • Content Manager 16+ years betting experience
Updated: Apr 20, 2026 , 10:06 AM ET • 4 min read

Our MLB best bets for today are headlined by Kansas City rebounding back at home, along with the Rays and Guardians taking advantage of strong matchup opportunities.

MLB best bets April 20 Seth Lugo
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) on the mound delivering a pitch.

Another week of baseball kicks off today, starting with the 11 a.m. Patriots' Day game in Boston... and carrying right through the standard west coast matchups.

Our baseball betting experts have their best MLB picks for today based on prices at Polymarket — with our MLB best bets for April 20 keying in on a redemption spot for the scuffling Royals, Tampa Bay causing havoc on the basepaths, plus a pitching mismatch in Cleveland.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick Odds
Josh Inglis Josh Inglis: CLE ML -113
Jon Metler Jon Metler: TB ML -113
Joe Osborne Joe Osborne: KC ML +108

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Trade on the MLB at Polymarket!

Sign up now using our exclusive Polymarket promo code 'COVERS' (on your mobile app only) and get a $20 trading bonus after you deposit $20 to trade on any other event contracts — including MLB expert picks!

*Eligible locations only

Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account Add as a preferred source on Google

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Guardians moneyline

Price: 53¢ (-113) at Polymarket

The Cleveland Guardians are slight home favorites against the Astros and Spencer Arrighetti, who is making his second straight start after a call-up from Triple-A. I give the starting pitching edge to Cleveland with Slade Cecconi, but the real advantage comes in the later innings: Houston’s bullpen has been a major weakness, and one of their top arms, Bryan King, is unavailable, further thinning the group. The fair price sits closer to -120, and Cleveland should be in a strong position to take control late, especially if Arrighetti takes a step back and they get the Astros' B-bullpen.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Rays moneyline

Price: 53¢ (-113) at Polymarket

The Tampa Bay Rays are trading at 53 cents on the moneyline at Polymarket, and we have a solid edge to exploit, as I price them closer to a 57-cent favorite. I like the Rays in this matchup because they can apply significant pressure on the basepaths against Rhett Lowder, who uses an up-tempo windup and has shown command issues when dealing with baserunners. Tampa Bay can amplify that pressure with speed threats like Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins, and Richie Palacios — all left-handed bats facing the right-handed Lowder. If they’re able to disrupt his rhythm with stolen base attempts, it should create opportunities for the middle of the lineup, with players like Junior Caminero standing to benefit.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Royals moneyline

Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket

Solid price on the Royals today as they're entering the game on a seven-game losing streak. However, six of those losses occurred on the road — and let's not pretend like the Orioles are setting the league on fire right now. Seth Lugo has been awesome to open the season, posting a 1.48 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, and he draws a favorable matchup against a Baltimore lineup that has struggled away from Camden Yards. On the other side, Kyle Bradish has given up a lot of hard contact, contributing to Baltimore's losing three of his four starts.


More MLB best bets for today

Pick Odds
Tigers ML +123
Read analysis in our Tigers vs. Red Sox predictions

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

Pages related to this topic

Jared Hochman Content Operations Manager at Covers.com
Content Manager

Before Jared Hochman joined the Covers team in 2020, he worked for newspaper outlets such as the Chronicle Herald and The Coast, worked in marketing for SkipTheDishes and Vivid Seats, and previously ran a magazine. A journalism graduate from the University of King's College in, Halifax, N.S., "Hoch" brings more than a decade of experience in sports betting, having worked as a freelance handicapper, making appearances on Monumental Sports Network and the Sharp 600 podcast, and now also filling in occasionally as host of Covers' NHL Puck Props. 

Awarded Covers' company MVP for 2023, Jared is an avid bettor of MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA, while also wagering on some soccer and WNBA. His best advice for sports bettors? Price shop, which is something he does daily across 10 different sportsbook apps.

Popular Content

Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo