There has been a ton of MLB action this week, but the games will lighten up on Thursday. Wednesday’s 15 games will be followed up by a nine-game slate slate that will begin with a matchup between the Miami Marlins and New York Mets at 1:10 p.m. ET. The Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics will bring things home at 8:10 p.m., and we’ve identified some of the best games, fantasy matchups, and rookies to watch ahead of the action.
Best Games To Watch
The Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox have three wins apiece so far and will face off in an American League Central matchup at 4:10 p.m. Both sides have top-10 scoring offense early in the 2021 season. If the Royals pull off an upset, they’ll be on even grand with the Minnesota Twins in the division. The White Sox are still the favorites to win the division and need to make a stand against a divisional rival.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels are set to play at 7:07 p.m. and sit in second in their respective American League divisions. Toronto will gain ground on the surprisingly successful Baltimore Orioles, but getting past an Angels team that managed to hand the Astros their only loss of the season will be no simple task.
Fantasy Spotlight
The Astros are the American League’s only five-win team and average more than eight runs per contest against the A’s this season. Their dominance at the plate has helped them score 45 runs this year, and only the Cincinnati Reds (46) have scored more. Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve, and Yordan Alvarez are all batting better than .300 and will be tough to slow down.
Rookies to Watch
St. Louis Cardinals bounced back from going hitless for three games by getting a solo homer on Tuesday and followed that up with a Grand Slam on Wednesday against the Marlins. The 22-year-old will try to keep his momentum going on Thursday against the middling Milwaukee Brewers. He could improve his ROY case significantly with another strong showing.
Betting splits
MLB Betting Splits, April 8
| Teams | Run Line | % Handle | % Bets | Total Runs | % Handle | % Bets | Moneyline | % Handle | % Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | Run Line | % Handle | % Bets | Total Runs | % Handle | % Bets | Moneyline | % Handle | % Bets |
| MIA Marlins | +1.5 | 4% | 8% | Over 8.5 | 85% | 54% | +175 | 14% | 14% |
| NY Mets | -1.5 | 96% | 92% | Under 8.5 | 15% | 46% | -205 | 86% | 86% |
| CHI Cubs | -1.5 | 90% | 87% | Over 8.5 | 49% | 34% | -150 | 84% | 84% |
| PIT Pirates | +1.5 | 10% | 13% | Under 8.5 | 51% | 66% | +128 | 16% | 16% |
| BOS Red Sox | -1.5 | 54% | 48% | Over 9.0 | 80% | 53% | -165 | 55% | 63% |
| BAL Orioles | +1.5 | 46% | 52% | Under 9.0 | 20% | 47% | +140 | 45% | 37% |
| ARI Diamondbacks | +1.5 | 23% | 37% | Over 11.0 | 32% | 39% | +110 | 29% | 35% |
| COL Rockies | -1.5 | 77% | 63% | Under 11.0 | 68% | 61% | -129 | 71% | 65% |
| KC Royals | +1.5 | 10% | 17% | Over 8.0 | 63% | 65% | +155 | 31% | 26% |
| CHI White Sox | -1.5 | 90% | 83% | Under 8.0 | 37% | 35% | -182 | 69% | 74% |
| SEA Mariners | +1.5 | 9% | 10% | Over 8.0 | 56% | 48% | +165 | 19% | 16% |
| MIN Twins | -1.5 | 91% | 90% | Under 8.0 | 44% | 52% | -200 | 81% | 84% |
| MIL Brewers | -1.5 | 17% | 30% | Over 7.5 | 79% | 68% | -150 | 28% | 33% |
| STL Cardinals | +1.5 | 83% | 70% | Under 7.5 | 21% | 32% | +128 | 72% | 67% |
| LA Angels | +1.5 | 59% | 64% | Over 10.0 | 75% | 40% | +106 | 58% | 52% |
| TOR Blue Jays | -1.5 | 41% | 36% | Under 10.0 | 25% | 60% | -122 | 42% | 48% |
MLB regular season schedule for Thursday, April 8th
If no streaming option is listed, game is available on MLB.tv pending blackout restrictions.
Marlins vs. Mets, 1:10 p.m. ET
Cubs vs. Pirates, 1:35 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Red Sox vs. Orioles, 3:05 p.m. ET
Diamondbacks vs. Rockies, 3:10 p.m. ET
Royals vs. White Sox, 4:10 p.m. ET
Mariners vs. Twins, 4:10 p.m. ET
Brewers vs. Cardinals, 4:15 p.m. ET
Angels vs. Blue Jays, 6:37 p.m. ET
Athletics vs. Astros, 8:10 p.m. ET
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