MLB Expert Picks: Baseball Predictions for June 18

Joe Osborne: Senior Betting Analyst at Covers
Joe Osborne • Senior Betting Analyst 16+ years betting experience
Updated: Jun 18, 2026 , 10:57 AM ET • 4 min read

The New York Mets have the starting pitcher edge against the Phillies this evening, which is why MLB expert Joe Osborne is backing them as underdogs.

MLB Expert Picks Sean Manaea
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Sean Manaea (59) throws a pitch during the second inning against the San Diego Padres

Friday Jr. is here, and we have a handful of more MLB expert picks with baseball on throughout the day.

Our MLB analysts have scoured the board to find the best place, including backing the New York Mets as slight underdogs against the Phillies.

Find out why in the MLB picks for June 18 below!

MLB expert picks for today

Pick Odds
Josh Inglis Josh Inglis: Angels/Athletics Over 10.5 +113
Jon Metler Jon Metler: Twins ML -117
Joe Osborne Joe Osborne: Mets ML +104

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Angels vs Athletics - Over 10.5

Price: 47¢ (+113) at Polymarket

If you're going to give us totals this low in Sacramento, I'm going to keep betting the Over until this number gets back to where it was during the Colorado series, when totals climbed as high as 14.5.

The Over cashed again last night on a similar number, and THE BAT is projecting 11.75 runs once again today. It's not 90 degrees at Sutter Health Park, but there are 12-mph winds blowing out to center field, and this remains, by far, the best park for runs and home runs on the board, per Ballpark Pal.

The Los Angeles Angels are rolling with a bullpen day, and the Athletics own the worst bullpen ERA in baseball over the last two weeks. Runs could come from either side at any point in this series opener

  • Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
  • How to watch: NBCS-California, Athletics.TV

Jon Metler's expert pick: Twins moneyline

Price: 54¢ (-117) at Polymarket

Let's call it what it is: this is a bet on Joe Ryan.

Ryan has quietly established himself as one of the better starters in the American League, and with the trade deadline approaching, he'll have plenty of motivation to continue building his value.

His success starts with a four-seam fastball that he throws at a high rate. While the pitch doesn't overwhelm hitters with pure velocity — it sits around 94 mph — its unique release point creates a flat, rising trajectory that makes it extremely difficult for hitters to track and square up consistently.

That pitch should be particularly effective against the heart of the Texas Rangers' lineup, especially right-handed hitters like Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, and Jake Burger

If Ryan can neutralize that group, it's fair to wonder where Texas will generate enough offense to win this game. At the current price, I'm willing to back the better starting pitcher. I make the Minnesota Twins closer to 58-cent favorites in this matchup.

  • Time: 2:35 p.m. ET
  • How to watch: Monumental, RSN

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Mets moneyline

Price: 49¢ (+104) at Polymarket

Sean Manaea appears to have found his groove, allowing two earned runs or fewer in eight straight starts, and now faces a Philadelphia Phillies lineup that ranks a brutal 25th in OPS against left-handed pitching over the last month.

On the other side, Aaron Nola looks — quite simply — washed, carrying a 5.86 ERA this season and a 6.21 mark at home. The New York Mets have hit him well historically, enter with the hotter offense, and could also benefit from a potentially taxed Phillies bullpen after the team used eight different pitchers yesterday.

  • Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
  • How to watch: SNY, NBCS-Philadelphia

More MLB best bets for today

Pick Odds
Guardians moneyline +129
Read analysis in our Guardians vs. Brewers predictions

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Joe Osborne Senior Betting Analyst Covers.com
Senior Betting Analyst

Joe is an industry veteran who loves the entertainment aspect of the sports betting industry. His opinions are always backed by data and he enjoys digging into the numbers and coming up with interesting nuggets to share with sports bettors.

Joe takes a high-energy and fun approach to covering his favorite sports which include the NFL, MLB, UFC, NBA and NHL, and there’s no bet type he loves more than an NFL six-point teaser. Joe is the host of our daily sports betting program, Before You Bet, while he also leads our weekly UFC show, P4P Picks, and our 'Covers on the Ground' series where he's covered many UFC, NFL and NBA games in person. A monthly highlight for Joe is conducting interviews with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre ahead of every UFC PPV.

Outside of his work at Covers, Joe has appeared on many top media brands including ESPN Radio, Mad Dog Sports Radio, VSIN, TSN, and SportsNet. He always recommends not reading too much into narratives when placing your bets as those factors are already cooked into the lines set by oddsmakers.

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