MLB Picks

Get free expert and computer MLB picks for every game on May 18, 2026. With over 25 years of betting experience, our analysts and predictive models help you find the best value.

Baltimore Orioles logo BAL @ Tampa Bay Rays logo TB Mon, May 18 • 6:40 PM ET
1 Expert Pick 10 Computer Picks
Earned Runs Allowed
Shane McClanahan logo Shane McClanahan u1.5 Earned Runs Allowed (+109)
Best Odds
Pick made: 1 hours ago
Quinn Allen image
Quinn Allen
Betting Analyst

Shane McClanahan has looked untouchable lately, throwing four straight scoreless outings while allowing only three hits across his last two starts. The Rays ace owns a stellar 0.87 ERA at home and has historically dominated Baltimore hitters. With the Orioles struggling against him, another low-scoring outing looks likely

Total Hits
Ryan Vilade logo
Ryan Vilade u0.5 Total Hits (+135)
Projection 0.66
Best Odds
Pick made: 6 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Ryan Vilade in the 25th percentile when assessing his overall offensive talent.. The leading projection system (THE BAT) ranks Tropicana Field as the 4th-worst park in MLB for right-handed BABIP.. Ryan Vilade hits many of his flyballs to center field (38.7% — 90th percentile) but may find it hard to clear baseball's 9th-deepest CF fences in today's matchup.. When it comes to his wOBA and overall offense, Ryan Vilade has experienced some positive variance since the start of last season. His .303 figure has been considerably higher than the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .277.. Posting a .187 Expected Batting Average (an advanced metric created by the leading projection system (THE BAT X) utilizing Statcast data) since the start of last season , Ryan Vilade grades out in the 16th percentile.
View 11 Picks
Atlanta Braves logo ATL @ Miami Marlins logo MIA Mon, May 18 • 6:40 PM ET
10 Computer Picks
Total Hits
Matt Olson logo
Matt Olson u0.5 Total Hits (+180)
Projection 0.83
Best Odds
Pick made: 6 minutes ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The 4th-deepest right field dimensions among all major league stadiums are found in LoanDepot Park.. Built just 6 feet above sea level, LoanDepot Park has one of the lowest altitudes among all stadiums, which tends to lead to worse offense.. According to the weather forecast, the temperature and humidity for this matchup will be the 6th-most favorable for pitching of all games on the slate.. Matt Olson will be at a disadvantage playing on the road in today's matchup.. Despite posting a .398 wOBA this year, the leading projection system (THE BAT X) believes Matt Olson has experienced some positive variance given the .048 gap between that figure and his estimated true talent wOBA of .350.
Total Hits
Ozzie Albies logo
Ozzie Albies u0.5 Total Hits (+186)
Projection 0.89
Best Odds
Pick made: 2 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Ozzie Albies in the 6th percentile as it relates to his BABIP ability.. Built just 6 feet above sea level, LoanDepot Park has one of the lowest altitudes among all stadiums, which tends to lead to worse offense.. According to the weather forecast, the temperature and humidity for this matchup will be the 6th-most favorable for pitching of all games on the slate.. As a switch-hitter who bats worse from the 0 side of the plate, Ozzie Albies will bat from his worse side against Max Meyer in today's matchup.. Ozzie Albies pulls a lot of his flyballs (40% — 98th percentile) and will have to hit them out towards baseball's 4th-deepest RF fences in today's matchup.
View 10 Picks
Cleveland Guardians logo CLE @ Detroit Tigers logo DET Mon, May 18 • 6:40 PM ET
10 Computer Picks
Total Bases
Riley Greene logo
Riley Greene o1.5 Total Bases (+127)
Projection 1.9
Best Odds
Pick made: 3 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Riley Greene as the 18th-best hitter in Major League Baseball when estimating his BABIP ability.. Riley Greene is projected to hit 4th in the batting order in this game.. In MLB, Comerica Park has the 2nd-lowest average fence height.. High temperatures are strongly correlated with more offense (and fewer Ks), and the weather forecast predicts the 3rd-hottest weather of the day at 81°.. Hitting from the opposite that Slade Cecconi throws from, Riley Greene will have an edge in today's game.
Total Bases
Gage Workman logo
Gage Workman u1.5 Total Bases (-192)
Projection 0.78
Best Odds
Pick made: 6 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Gage Workman is projected to hit 6th on the lineup card in this game.. When starting against a right-handed pitcher since the start of last season, Gage Workman has been pinch hit for 67% of the time.. In the league, Comerica Park's centerfield fences are the 2nd-deepest.. Using Statcast metrics, Gage Workman is in the 13th percentile for hitting ability via the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected wOBA (xwOBA) since the start of last season at .233.. Sporting a .203 Expected Batting Average (an advanced metric created by the leading projection system (THE BAT X) using Statcast data) since the start of last season , Gage Workman has performed in the 25th percentile.
View 10 Picks
Cincinnati Reds logo CIN @ Philadelphia Phillies logo PHI Mon, May 18 • 6:40 PM ET
1 Expert Pick 10 Computer Picks
Total
Cincinnati Reds logo Philadelphia Phillies logo o9.5 (-108)
Best Odds
Pick made: 14 hours ago
Jason Wilson image
Jason Wilson
Publishing Editor

I'm a believer in Nick Lodolo, but the Reds lefty has looked very shaky as he's returned from a blister that sidelined him into May. Phillies rookie Andrew Painter may also have a bright future, but a bout of homer-itis has hampered his debut campaign to the tune of a 6.21 ERA. Add in Cincinnati's 4.89 bullpen ERA and we've got a prime recipe for an Over, even at an inflated total.

Total Hits
Edmundo Sosa logo
Edmundo Sosa u0.5 Total Hits (+140)
Projection 0.71
Best Odds
Pick made: 14 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Edmundo Sosa is projected to bat 9th on the lineup card in today's game.. Built just 19 feet above sea level, Citizens Bank Park has one of the lowest elevations in the majors, which often leads to less offense.. Edmundo Sosa's average exit velocity has decreased recently; his 86.8-mph seasonal figure has lowered to 80-mph in the last two weeks' worth of games.. From last season to this one, Edmundo Sosa's ability to hit the ball at a launch angle that optimizes home runs (23° to 34°) has decreased substantially, plummeting from 13.8% to 5.5%.. Edmundo Sosa's ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has fallen off recently, going from 5.5% on the season to 0% over the past 14 days.
View 11 Picks
New York Mets logo NYM @ Washington Nationals logo WAS Mon, May 18 • 6:45 PM ET
10 Computer Picks
Total Hits
Marcus Semien logo
Marcus Semien u0.5 Total Hits (+199)
Projection 0.95
Best Odds
Pick made: 2 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Marcus Semien in the 20th percentile as it relates to his BABIP skill.. Marcus Semien is projected to bat 7th in the lineup in this matchup.. The #3 park in MLB for suppressing batting average to right-handed hitters, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT), is Nationals Park.. Nationals Park's elevation is near sea-level, one of the lowest among all major league stadiums, which generally leads to less offense.. Jake Irvin will have the handedness advantage against Marcus Semien in today's matchup.
Total Bases
James Wood logo
James Wood o1.5 Total Bases (+105)
Projection 2.3
Best Odds
Pick made: 2 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects James Wood as the best hitter in the league as it relates to his BABIP ability.. James Wood is projected to hit 1st in the batting order today.. The 7th-shallowest right field fences in Major League Baseball are found in Nationals Park.. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer whiffs), and this game is predicted to have the hottest weather of all games today at 94°.. The wind projects to be blowing out to LF at 9.2-mph in this match-up, the 3rd-strongest of the day for batters.
View 10 Picks
Toronto Blue Jays logo TOR @ New York Yankees logo NYY Mon, May 18 • 7:05 PM ET
3 Expert Picks 10 Computer Picks
Total Home Runs
Kazuma Okamoto logo Kazuma Okamoto o0.5 Total Home Runs (+425)
Best Odds
Pick made: 42 minutes ago
Mike DiStefano image
Mike DiStefano
Betting Analyst

Kazuma Okamoto has a team-high 10 home runs, while ranking in the 95th percentile in hard-hit rate.

The Jays slugger owns a .295 average and a .636 xSLG against the four-seam fastball, which is Ryan Weathers’ most used pitch against right-handed batters

Total Bases
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. logo Vladimir Guerrero Jr. o1.5 Total Bases (+125)
Best Odds
Pick made: an hour ago
Mike DiStefano image
Mike DiStefano
Betting Analyst

Despite a prolonged slump, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s bat was never going to stay silent for too long, and he busted out with a two-hit game on Sunday, including a home run. While he may not go deep tonight, he measures up well against Ryan Weathers and his fastball-heavy approach.

View 13 Picks
Houston Astros logo HOU @ Minnesota Twins logo MIN Mon, May 18 • 7:40 PM ET
10 Computer Picks
Total Hits
Christian Walker logo
Christian Walker u0.5 Total Hits (+197)
Projection 0.92
Best Odds
Pick made: 1 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Christian Walker's BABIP talent is projected in the 12th percentile by the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Among all major league stadiums, Target Field's centerfield dimensions are the 10th-deepest.. According to the weather forecast, the temperature and humidity for this game will be the 4th-best for pitching of all games on the slate.. Christian Walker will be at a disadvantage playing on the road in today's matchup.. Christian Walker has taken a step back with his Barrel% lately; his 12.2% seasonal rate has fallen off to 0% over the last week.
Total Hits
Isaac Paredes logo
Isaac Paredes u0.5 Total Hits (+184)
Projection 0.89
Best Odds
Pick made: 3 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Isaac Paredes in the 2nd percentile when assessing his BABIP talent.. Among all major league stadiums, Target Field's centerfield dimensions are the 10th-deepest.. According to the weather forecast, the temperature and humidity for this game will be the 4th-best for pitching of all games on the slate.. Isaac Paredes will be at a disadvantage playing away from home today.. Isaac Paredes's average exit velocity has dropped off of late; his 87.3-mph seasonal figure has dropped to 83.8-mph over the last week.
View 10 Picks
Milwaukee Brewers logo MIL @ Chicago Cubs logo CHC Mon, May 18 • 7:40 PM ET
10 Computer Picks
Total Hits
Michael Conforto logo
Michael Conforto u0.5 Total Hits (+156)
Projection 0.73
Best Odds
Pick made: 2 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Michael Conforto in the 22nd percentile when it comes to his BABIP skill.. Michael Conforto is penciled in 6th in the lineup today.. 29% of the time that Michael Conforto has started against a right-handed starter this year, he has been lifted for a pinch-hitter.. The #6 park in the game for suppressing batting average to lefties, per the leading projection system (THE BAT), is Wrigley Field.. Among every team today, the 3rd-strongest infield defense belongs to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Total Hits
Gary Sanchez logo
Gary Sanchez u0.5 Total Hits (+147)
Projection 0.74
Best Odds
Pick made: 2 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Gary Sanchez in the 1st percentile as it relates to his BABIP skill.. Gary Sanchez is projected to bat 6th in the lineup today, which would be a downgrade from his 96% rate of hitting in the top-half of the batting order this season.. The #6 park in the majors for suppressing batting average to right-handed hitters, per the leading projection system (THE BAT), is Wrigley Field.. Among every team today, the 2nd-strongest infield defense belongs to the Chicago Cubs.. Playing on the road generally lessens hitter metrics across the board due to the lack of home field advantage, which figures to be the case for Gary Sanchez today.
View 10 Picks
Boston Red Sox logo BOS @ Kansas City Royals logo KC Mon, May 18 • 7:40 PM ET
2 Expert Picks 10 Computer Picks
Total
Boston Red Sox logo Kansas City Royals logo o9.0 (-105)
Best Odds
Pick made: 1 hours ago
Todd Cordell image
Todd Cordell
Betting Analyst

The Royals trail only the Yankees in OPS vs. righties while ranking first in both hard hit rate and FB% at home. That's a huge plus when playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark – especially on a hot day with up to 20 MPH blowing out.

Seth Lugo has had a tougher time against left-handed hitters and the Red Sox have plenty to throw at him.

Moneyline
Kansas City Royals logo KC (-105)
Best Odds
Pick made: 1 hours ago
Todd Cordell image
Todd Cordell
Betting Analyst

Seth Lugo has made four starts against teams in the bottom half of the league in OBP, allowing two runs or less in three of them.

The Boston Red Sox rank 24th in OBP against right-handed pitching and 28th the past month. 

Sonny Gray will have a more difficult time slowing down the Kansas City Royals. Their offense is electric at home, sitting third in OBP and second in wOBA when facing righties. 

View 12 Picks
Texas Rangers logo TEX @ Colorado Rockies logo COL Mon, May 18 • 8:40 PM ET
10 Computer Picks
Total Hits
Evan Carter logo
Evan Carter u0.5 Total Hits (+150)
Projection 0.8
Best Odds
Pick made: 28 minutes ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Less offense (and more strikeouts) are strongly correlated with cold weather, and the weather report for this game expects the 2nd-lowest temperature of all games today at 41°.. Jose Quintana will have the handedness advantage against Evan Carter in today's matchup.. Among every team today, the 5th-strongest infield defense is that of the the Colorado Rockies.. Playing on the road typically weakens hitter metrics across the board due to the lack of home field advantage, which figures to be the case for Evan Carter in today's matchup.. Evan Carter's ability to hit the ball at a base hit-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has dropped off lately, falling from 36.1% on the season to 21.4% in the last 7 days.
Total Hits
Sam Haggerty logo
Sam Haggerty u0.5 Total Hits (+140)
Projection 0.67
Best Odds
Pick made: 1 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Sam Haggerty is projected to hit 7th on the lineup card in this game.. Less offense (and more strikeouts) are strongly correlated with cold weather, and the weather report for this game expects the 2nd-lowest temperature of all games today at 41°.. Among every team today, the 5th-strongest infield defense is that of the the Colorado Rockies.. Sam Haggerty will be at a disadvantage playing on the visting team in today's game.. This year, there has been a decline in Sam Haggerty's quickness with his Statcast Sprint Speed dropping from 28.94 ft/sec last year to 28.03 ft/sec currently.
View 10 Picks
Athletics Athletics logo ATH @ Los Angeles Angels logo LAA Mon, May 18 • 9:38 PM ET
1 Expert Pick 10 Computer Picks
Moneyline
Athletics Athletics logo ATH (-125)
Best Odds
Pick made: 14 hours ago
Jason Wilson image
Jason Wilson
Publishing Editor

The Angels are in freefall (what else is new?), and the A's have the offense to handle Walbert Urena. Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz are red hot, and that really can't be said about anyone on Los Angeles right now. 

Total Bases
Shea Langeliers logo
Shea Langeliers o1.5 Total Bases (+115)
Projection 2.05
Best Odds
Pick made: 2 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Shea Langeliers projects as the 16th-best home run hitter in the majors, per the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Shea Langeliers is penciled in 2nd in the lineup in this game.. In MLB, Angel Stadium has the lowest average fence height.. The wind projects to be blowing out to CF at 9.3-mph in this game, the 3rd-most-favorable of the day for batters.. Extreme flyball batters like Shea Langeliers tend to perform better against extreme groundball pitchers like Walbert Urena.
View 11 Picks
Los Angeles Dodgers logo LAD @ San Diego Padres logo SD Mon, May 18 • 9:40 PM ET
4 Expert Picks 10 Computer Picks
Total
Los Angeles Dodgers logo San Diego Padres logo u7.5 (-105)
Best Odds
Pick made: 32 minutes ago
JD Yonke image
JD Yonke
Betting Analyst

Yoshinobu Yamamoto forecasts for success against an ice-cold Padres lineup (24.9% K rate against RHP this month), whereas San Diego is 2-7 O/U in Michael King's last nine starts. Both ballclubs have effective bullpens as San Diego's leads the MLB in FIP (2.44) this month, while LA is right behind (2.46).

Moneyline
Los Angeles Dodgers logo LAD (-154)
Best Odds
Pick made: an hour ago
JD Yonke image
JD Yonke
Betting Analyst

These teams may have a similar record, but pretty much every underlying metric you look at will tell you the Dodgers are the superior ballclub. The Padres' 23-23 BasRuns record, a more accurate depiction of their performance, isn't very appealing, nor is their wOBA (.276) or wRC+ (76) this month.

View 14 Picks
Chicago White Sox logo CHW @ Seattle Mariners logo SEA Mon, May 18 • 9:40 PM ET
10 Computer Picks
Total Bases
Munetaka Murakami logo
Munetaka Murakami o1.5 Total Bases (+155)
Projection 1.81
Best Odds
Pick made: 3 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Munetaka Murakami projects as the 2nd-best home run batter in the game, per the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Munetaka Murakami is penciled in 2nd in the batting order today.. In the league, T-Mobile Park has the 9th-lowest average fence height.. Considering Bryan Woo's large platoon split, Munetaka Murakami will have a huge advantage batting from the opposite side of the dish today.. Munetaka Murakami may have an advantage against every reliever for the game's entirety, since the bullpen of the Seattle Mariners only has 1 same-handed RP.
Total Bases
Colson Montgomery logo
Colson Montgomery o1.5 Total Bases (+165)
Projection 1.65
Best Odds
Pick made: 4 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Colson Montgomery in the 96th percentile when assessing his home run talent.. Colson Montgomery is projected to bat 4th on the lineup card in today's game.. In the league, T-Mobile Park has the 9th-lowest average fence height.. Colson Montgomery will have the handedness advantage against Bryan Woo today... and the cherry on top, Woo has a large platoon split.. Colson Montgomery may have an advantage against every reliever throughout the game, since the bullpen of the Seattle Mariners only has 1 same-handed RP.
View 10 Picks
San Francisco Giants logo SF @ Arizona Diamondbacks logo AZ Mon, May 18 • 9:40 PM ET
1 Expert Pick 10 Computer Picks
Total Bases
Corbin Carroll logo Corbin Carroll o1.5 Total Bases (+120)
Best Odds
Pick made: 1 hours ago
Quinn Allen image
Quinn Allen
Betting Analyst

Corbin Carroll is red-hot at the plate, hitting .421 over the last week while clearing this total in four consecutive games. The Diamondbacks star is driving the ball with authority, collecting extra-base hits consistently. Robbie Ray has been vulnerable to power this season, giving Carroll a strong opportunity to stay rolling.

Total Bases
Ketel Marte logo
Ketel Marte o1.5 Total Bases (-105)
Projection 2.24
Best Odds
Pick made: 4 hours ago
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
When assessing his overall offensive skill, Ketel Marte ranks in the 97th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).. Ketel Marte is projected to bat 1st on the lineup card today.. Chase Field grades out as the #5 stadium in the majors for run-scoring, via the leading projection system (THE BAT).. The switch-hitting Ketel Marte will hold the platoon advantage while batting from from his good side (0) today against Robbie Ray.. Out of all the teams on the slate today, the 2nd-worst outfield defense belongs to the San Francisco Giants.
View 11 Picks
Milwaukee Brewers logo MIL @ St. Louis Cardinals logo STL Tue, Jul 7 • 2:15 PM ET
2 Expert Picks 2 Computer Picks
Total
Milwaukee Brewers logo St. Louis Cardinals logo u8.0 (-120)
Pick made: 12 days ago
Todd Cordell image
Todd Cordell
Betting Analyst

If Brandon Sproat can hold his own early, the Brewers will turn to an excellent bullpen that ranks fifth in xFIP and tied for third in homers allowed per nine innings.

Colder weather and Andre Pallante’s high ground-ball rate (50%) should allow the Cardinals to limit the long ball. That’ll make it difficult to score runs in bulk, helping keep this game Under the total.

Moneyline
Milwaukee Brewers logo MIL (-110)
Pick made: 12 days ago
Todd Cordell image
Todd Cordell
Betting Analyst

Brandon Sproat’s xFIP and SIERA are two full runs less than his ERA, suggesting he hasn’t pitched as poorly as it appears on the surface.

Andre Pallante has posted some concerning numbers against lefties (47.2% hard-hit rate, 13.2% barrel rate), and the Brewers have plenty of good ones in their lineup. This mismatch favors the visitors, and we'll take the Brewers on the ML.

View 4 Picks

What are Covers’ MLB Free picks and predictions?

Covers’ has more than 25 years of experience making smart MLB picks from the season’s first pitch to the World Series.

We find the best MLB odds and share our picks and baseball best bets for all the significant games of the baseball season right here on this page.

Our picks are researched and analyzed by experienced sports bettors looking for an edge to get the best value from their MLB betting.

Free MLB Expert Picks

Making smart MLB picks means looking beyond the favorites. Our free expert baseball picks will include a wide variety of bet types and markets.

Every day our baseball analysts look for quality baseball picks to share. You can expect well-researched picks on the money, run line, totals, player props, and much more.

Free MLB Run Line Picks

Run lines are what other sports like football and basketball refer to as point spreads. Run lines even the odds between two teams, offering bettors as close to an even matchup as possible. Our analysts research vital stats, pitching matchups, injuries, and more to give you the best possible edge before making your MLB run line bets.

Free MLB Totals Picks

Covers’ analysts make MLB Over/Under picks throughout the baseball season. Betting on MLB Over/Unders means choosing whether you think the combined total runs scored in a game will be Over or Under a specific run total set by oddsmakers.

Free MLB Moneyline Picks

Betting on the MLB moneyline means picking which team will win a game outright. While less common than picking the run line or even a prop, our analysts will always look for high-value baseball moneyline picks if they feel it’s the best bet.

Free MLB Prop Picks

There’s always value in MLB props. Our team scours through game, team, and player props to try and find opportunity and value. From strikeouts to home runs, expect well-researched MLB prop picks from Covers.

MLB Consensus Picks

Covers’ consensus MLB picks show you the odds and predictions that our vibrant community of bettors and players are making. Try our picks on with our free MLB contests for a chance at prizes and more.

Best Baseball Betting Sites

If you’re ready to bet on MLB picks, you first need to find the right sportsbook. The best MLB betting sites offer secure banking, best odds, bonuses, and reliable customer service.

More Free Picks

Covers’ staff of sports betting fans also offers a wide array of free picks for the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA basketball, and NCAA football.

MLB Free Picks FAQs

When do we release our MLB picks?

Covers’ MLB picks release on game day. Some significant matchups like playoff games release in the days leading up to the game.

What kinds of MLB picks do we make?

Covers provides free MLB picks covering many markets, including run lines, totals, moneylines, player props, and more.